[esp_dsp]

alot of talk about these guitars on here but no thred so guess what i made one! i personly think they are wicked guitars... wicked to start with and then as you get better and grow you can modd them to be just as good as not better as the gibbys so.. what do you think?

 

[Stratin2traynor]

I agree. I've modded two. They sounded pretty generic at first but now with the mods, they sound awesome. I think some may argue the "just as good as a Gibson" point but, I like em a lot.

 

[violation]

It completely depends on the model in my opinion.

Epiphone's Les Paul Custom and any higher end Epiphones will be great when modded with quality electronics / pickups and hardware. Anything lower end, I'd expect an improvement but it won't be up to par with any Gibson models IMO.

Play as good as a Gibson? Possibly... playability is all subjective.

Sound as good as a Gibson? Depends... I mean you can't expect a $700 Epiphone to be right up there with a $4500 Gibson Custom.

I look at it this way, add say $300 of electronics and pickups, maybe $200 in quality hardware. Total cost is about $1200. $1200 - $4500 = $3300. You think you're gonna pay $3300 for the Gibson name? I don't be thinkin' so, the wood is probably a lot 'better', for lack of a better word, as well as quality control. So 'better' wood can = better tone... that said tone is subjective so you may prefer the wood used on an Epiphone.

All up to you, really. But upgraded, mid-range Epiphones (like $600 and up) will definetly be far from terrible.

 

[ne1roc]

My first Epiphone was a 61 sg Elitist. I tested it side by side with the 61 Gibson
reissue and I could not hear or feel any difference between the two. Where the Elistist had the Gibson beat was in the overall finish of the guitar. I ended up buying the Elitist for $750.00 compared to $1800.00 for the Gibson.

I recently purchased an Epi LP 56 goldtop. This guitar is incredible! The playability has got me hooked on epiphone for good! I love it so much that I went to L&M on Friday to try out a real Gibson Goldtop. The Epi sounds and plays so well that it convinced me it is justifiable to spend $2500.00 for the Gibson which by the way was just awesome. I think I am going to pull the trigger! Drool

Anyways Epiphone is a great guitar and hey, thats why Gibson bought them, they were too good!

 

[Accept2]

I think they provide a great value to the buyer. I dont agree on the just as good as Gibson thing. They look like a Gibson, and they can be made to sound like a Gibson, but I dont think they will ever be as good as a Gibson. Thats not a bad thing, Im not even sure why people always compare them because they are 2 different things. If you play an Epi you should compare it to other Epis, and not worry about Gibsons.............

 

[Maxer]

Ahh, but it's next to impossible to ignore the linkage to Gibson, seeing as they were the originators of classics like the LP and the SG.

I think that, in terms of matching up sound-wise against a high-end Gibson heavywieght model, with a high-end Epiphone and some carefully-chosen hardware upgrades you can get about 95% there. After all, after you hit a certain price point with Gibson what you are really paying for are exotic/expensive finishes, woods and hardware... in other words, lots of flash... and, of course, there's the over-inflated brand factor. Gibson milks it to the hilt - why not? - and those who can afford their most prestigious gear to buy into the myth will continue to do so. Gibson long ago entered into the pantheon of classic guitar originators. That creates its own kind of awe and attendant market value.

But there's tons of amazing gear out there all the same. Thankfully we all don't have to drop large coin to get cool stuff.

 

[hoser]

some epis are great, some not so much. there are many other guitars I would choose over them in the same price range.

 

[torndownunit]

From my experiences with the Agile line, I personally think they are a better product overall for a cheaper price. I won't say the Agile's I have played are 'as good as a Gibson' but I personally can't imagine a better feeling LP. I also think Edwards make a better product for not much more money. I have no experience playing any of the Epiphone Elitest models though.

There are a ton of great options out there to actual Gibson's though which is cool. They are all great values.

 

[Maxer]

Good points, for sure... and what I said about upgrading stock Epis applies ever more so to those Agiles and other guitars, too. From what I can see, the only advantage of owning a Gibson is that it's the real deal - it's authentic and they were the originators. But I'm personally convinced you can get great, great copies for a fraction of the dough. In fact, though I would consider Epis (and referred to them exclusively because of the origin of this thread), I would be more inclined to carefully check out other brands who do "classic copies."

 

[Accept2]

Hmmm, I still say a Gibson is a Gibson and an Epiphone is an Epiphone. I once went looking at the Epi Ace Frehley models because I heard they were as good as the Gibsons and I wanted a black one to go with the Gibson, but they were far off. For some models I think they get close, but for other models like the Ace, I just dont think they even come remotely close. They are still a good deal though...............

 

[Robert1950]

My first Epiphone was a 61 sg Elitist. I tested it side by side with the 61 Gibson reissue and I could not hear or feel any difference between the two. Where the Elistist had the Gibson beat was in the overall finish of the guitar. I ended up buying the Elitist for $750.00 compared to $1800.00 for the Gibson.

Why do you think Gibson discontinued the SG Elitist. I don't think it was because they sold poorly. I played one a few times at L&M and it was right up there with the '61 Gibbies, better than most. Alas, it eventually sold.

 

[Maxer]

Hmmm, I still say a Gibson is a Gibson and an Epiphone is an Epiphone. I once went looking at the Epi Ace Frehley models because I heard they were as good as the Gibsons and I wanted a black one to go with the Gibson, but they were far off. For some models I think they get close, but for other models like the Ace, I just dont think they even come remotely close. They are still a good deal though...............

Which is why I'm careful to stipulate "high-end" Epis... with their mid-range and low end stuff you get what you pay for and no more. Even then, not all of the high-end ones are all that great, either - I'm a big believer that there are lemons in almost all guitar lines... there's some fantastic gear out there and it could cost $200 bucks or $2000.

 

[Budda]

epi's have been good to me. i have never owned one, but half my friends who play guitar do. a bud down the street has an elitist SG that he never uses, i STILL need to buy it off him. its still the best SG i've ever laid hands on (not hard, given the selection around here, but still!)

 

[PaulS]

I've played around with a lot of epi's in my buddy's guitar shop and you will find good and bad. The higher end do seem to be better setup and play a little nicer due to the set necks although some of there models with bolt ons seem nice also. For the money they are a good deal. As for them being as good as Gibson ??? well some play as nice and sound as good... and upgrading hardware usually has a positive effect ( first replace plastic nut with bone..) but they fail in the resale value area. A gibson, and yes you do pay for the name, will always have a greater resale and collector value. So if you are after a guitar with better resale value the Gibson will be the one. If your after a guitar for a player... Epi's do shine...

 

[GuitarsCanada]

EPI Les Paul

I had and EPI LP several years ago. I threw some SD pick-ups in it and it became my number one guitar for a long while. I ended up selling it but I am bumming out a bit because the thing had killer tone. Hardware was not bad. I think I changes the pots too, but that was it.

 

[dgrose]

It completely depends on the model in my opinion.

I would tend to agree. I've owned several Epiphone jazz-style hollow-bodies and actually prefer them to similar Gibson models - they have a longer scale length. The finish on them was terrific.
As for the solid bodies - the low-end ones are disappointing to me. I've owned 70's Gibson Les Paul Standards, LP Juniors, SGs and others and, in my experience, the Epiphone low-end copies don't hold a candle - except in price. The higher end ones, are often very elegant and can hold their own. It really depends on the model.

dg

 

[Tarl]

I've owned a few Epis over the years and the higher end ones are generally very good quality, as they should be, not on par with the equivilent Gibson model but very good IMHO. The mid and low end models are hit and miss, there are good and bad. If you look at alot of them there are jems to be found for very reasonable prices. Epis are also a great modding platform.

 

[Ti-Ron]

I'm gasing now for a SG style guitar. Epiphone is probably with what I will end! I play with a couple of them but never try an high end one. did the SG 400 deluxe made the thing for the money? Do I get a Tokai ou an ESP Viper 400! That my question, but I tend to prefer the Epis for the matching pieces for moding. Easier to put Gibson parts on it, do I'm right?

 

[Robert1950]

I'm gasing now for a SG style guitar. Epiphone is probably with what I will end! I play with a couple of them but never try an high end one. did the SG 400 deluxe made the thing for the money? Do I get a Tokai ou an ESP Viper 400! That my question, but I tend to prefer the Epis for the matching pieces for moding. Easier to put Gibson parts on it, do I'm right?

There is always the Dillion option. I notice JSD has SGs. Check this out:

http://www.jsdguitarshack.com/dillion_guitars/dxc-61-62/dillion_sg_guitars.html

(Disclaimer - I'm not associated with JSD in anyway.)

 

[Milkman]

I think with some mods Epis can compare favourably with Gibsons and certainly are much better in terms of price.


Having said that, I'm not really a Gibson guy anyway. I've owned a few, but never kept them long.


I prefer more modern designs and refinements.