Epiphone

Well, I've said it before, but I have an Epi LP that has been referred to as playing as well as many Gibson LPs by several notable musicians. So I'd have to say they're more than a porr man's Gibson. They're also sometimes a smart man's Gibson, too.

Let's see now......

1 Gibson LP

or

1 Epi LP + 1 US Strat + 1 Tele + possible pocket change

hmm, tough choice. :wink:

check this thread with this years new models
http://forums.guitarnoise.com/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=37024

If it's of any relevance, when I was at Music Live this year, I had the chance to play dozens of Gibsons (Les Pauls and SG's) and none of them were as well finished as my 2000 Epi Les Paul (they had rough fret ends etc., overall finishing was poor and they didn't play that well either although I admit they might not have been set up properly, but that won't fix the finishing). I am less sure how a new Epi LP would compare though as I believe they went downhill after 2002. :?:

I have an Epiphone and I have a couple of Gibsons. I think Epiphones are very nice guitars. Not the same as a Gibson, but very nice.

Come on, let's not kid anyone into believing that an Epiphone is "as good" as a Gibson. Of course, there will be some Gibsons that are not very good - it is well known that Gibson has some issues with quality control. But, that is also true of Epiphones - I have seen and played plenty Epis in the store that were garbage.

The average Gibson in the store is better than the average Epiphone of the same model. Most pros don't play Epis - they play Gibsons. Why? Because the Gibsons are better instruments. The Gibson will have better pickups, electronics, wood, finish, etc., as you would expect from a guitar that is MUCH more expensive than an Epi.

Are they worth the difference in price? That is up to the individual - it's a personal choice. So, if you want to say the Epi is a poor man's Gibson, you wouldn't be wrong. But, as stated before, there are some nice Epis out there. Not everyone needs to buy a $2k guitar, just like not everyone needs to buy a Mercedes. For some people, a Ford suits their needs - same with the Epi.

And by the way, if you are interested in an Epi LP, IMO you can get a better guitar by buying an Agile Les Paul AL-3000 from Rondo Music for less than you pay for an Epi LP. But again, that is one person's opinion.

i'd push my ford truck into town rather than drive a (retch) mercedes....

i'd push my ford truck into town rather than drive a (retch) mercedes....

Me too, TL. No offense meant! I like my Ford - never owned a Mercedes. But, it was just an example. :wink:

i know, sorry i forgot the smiley.
seriously tho, i do believe the time when you could assume one manufacturer was going to be "better" than another has past.
you really are paying for the name on the headstock.
i've been visiting MFs warehouse/distribution center now for several years and i think the playing field between companys has completely leveled at similar price ranges.
imo, it's really down to trying them all till one stands out to you. i've been impressed by many "cheap" overseas makes lately and my resolve to one day own a Gibby is fading fast.
the new line of EPIs is supposed to be a step up in QC as well as hardware, i'm still waiting to see one in person, but i'm thinking the new LPs and SGs from EPI are looking pretty sweet.

CFB, I tend to agree with you about the Epi-Gibson thing. I had to make that decision a few years back and went with the Epi because I felt it was not worth the $800-$900 difference between the gibby standard and the Epi Custom. I kind of determined at the time that I didn't need the extra guitar as I was not very far along my guitar playing journey. As you and others (most recently, Bish) have said, the Gibby has the better electrics. I even brought a friend with me who played more than I did back then and he drew the same conclusion.

For the SGs though, I wish I had gotten the Gibson, but that's a whole different story.

Oh, and is it just me, or did those Agiles skyrocket in price? I seem to remember the LPs running under $200. Now the cheapest one is $279 and only comes with one tone control? The 3000 is $369?

I like Roy and I'm sure others,

I bought my Epi LP Custom and not a Gibby LP (Studio, Standard etc) for a few reasons, number one being expense. For the level of play I was at when I bought it and even still today is hard to justify spending over a thousand dollars for any one item. Secondly I found the Higher end Epis to be superior, in terms of quality, fit and finish, to the Standard and Studio models of anything Gibson had out there so the $400-$600 price gap to me wouldn't have been a smart buy.

I'm finding out that most Epi's are now made in China, something that really 'irks' me to the core, but that is another discussion on another forum perhaps however if you were lucky enough to get one of the Korean made Epis they are Good to Great quality and probably built in the Samick Factory.

Anyhoo I know some guys who wouldn't be caught dead with an Epi in their hands. For me I doesn't matter so much what is on the head stock, If one's guitar sounds right, feels right and you can play it. Rock on.

Shouldn't it be more about the music than the 'equipment'? I "wear the Epi badge" not as a poor man's Gibson, more of a badge of "Common Sense". But that doesn't mean that someday I wont come across a Gibson that I'm supposed to take home with me.

Keep on a Rockin.....!! :)

I've played a whole bunch of epi's and gibsons although I might not be a good indicator since I greatly dislike the LP body style (gasp, sometimes I feel like I'm the only one). In my experience, Epiphone typically makes a good guitar. The higher level epis in the 500-600 range are good guitars. They aren't as good as Gibsons unfortunately, but Gibson's are incredibly overpriced. I'm not sure I'd ever buy another gibson at the prices they're asking, and I was a gibson man for quite awhile. I've recently switched to Fender :)

In my experience if 1 is a terrible guitar and 10 is a Gibson (Not that gibson necessarily makes 10's, I'm just using it as an example), epiphone is about an 8. In other words, the price jump between an epi and a gibson is not justified in my opinion.

Yeah, the Agiles have gone up quite a bit. Dunno how much is from currency fluctuations and how much is due to their good reputation boosting "what the market will bear." They're still good values for the money, though.

There is a real good article about the history of Epiphone guitars in Guitar World this month. 8) and just to add my 2 cents i bought a used epi lp standard for my daughter for just 149$ and its great.for that price i couldn't ask for a better guitar.As a matter of fact i "borrow" it from her often-lol :lol:

Agiles aren't the only guitars to jump in price recently. Epiphone raised their LP standard (lefty version, at least) $50 not long ago.