Help me decide on a new guitar

If you don't mind the paint jobs get yourself the Epiphone Zakk Wylde les paul either the bulls eye or the buzzsaw model.$799.00.They come with emg pickups they sound awesome and play brilliantly.Quality is also nop notch.IMO better than some of the low end Gibsons.

I have the epiphone black beauty custom (3 pick up)and my brother has a standard.The standard and custom are more or less the same guitar just different finishes.

You really can't go wrong with the custom or the standard.Just don't be tempted to buy one of the cheaper models.They are s***!! (not very good at all)

hope this helps.

Also have a look at the Toni Iommi SG also a nice guitar $599.00!

U.S. prices make me sad... :cry:

my next purchase will probably be an epi lp also, i've narrowed the field to
the "Epiphone Joe Perry Boneyard"
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Epiphone-Joe-Perry-Boneyard-LP-Standard-Electric-Guitar?sku=518709

or the "Epiphone Limited Edition Les Paul Custom Plus"
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Epiphone-Limited-Edition-Les-Paul-Custom-Plus?sku=519396

of course i have several months left yet to pay on my card before i can do it and usually one of you steers me to something else... :oops:

Before you get too set on buying through Amazon you might want to make sure your gift certificate can be used to buy these guitars. Amazon gift certificates that I have had in the past can only be used to buy stuff that Amazon sells directly. A lot of stuff they list is actually sold through other vendors (in this case it looks like Sam Ash is the vendor that will ship the Jackson and Musicians Friend will ship the Epiphone). Sorry if this is bad news...

I'd go with the Epi, if you want a color choice, plus they just look cooler to me. Guitarwise (IMO), they are both middle tier guitars. That said, buying online, you could get a range of guitars for the money. You could get a piece of junk, or something with some flaws, or not many flaws, or no flaws, or nice right out of the box. Do you know what your are doing to make a not so good guitar what you want it to be? Are you going to replace those pick-ups yourself? Can you set that guitar up yourself if the action is high? You can also take lower tier guitars and make them really good guitars. Good luck, have fun!

Before you get too set on buying through Amazon you might want to make sure your gift certificate can be used to buy these guitars. Amazon gift certificates that I have had in the past can only be used to buy stuff that Amazon sells directly. A lot of stuff they list is actually sold through other vendors (in this case it looks like Sam Ash is the vendor that will ship the Jackson and Musicians Friend will ship the Epiphone). Sorry if this is bad news...

http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html/104-2543696-2619135?ie=UTF8&nodeId=3122091 If you read number 2, it says I can use it to buy from third party sellers. So everything's good right?
I'd go with the Epi, if you want a color choice, plus they just look cooler to me. Guitarwise (IMO), they are both middle tier guitars. That said, buying online, you could get a range of guitars for the money. You could get a piece of junk, or something with some flaws, or not many flaws, or no flaws, or nice right out of the box. Do you know what your are doing to make a not so good guitar what you want it to be? Are you going to replace those pick-ups yourself? Can you set that guitar up yourself if the action is high? You can also take lower tier guitars and make them really good guitars. Good luck, have fun!

I'm planning on getting the pickups installed at the local music shop. As for making lower tier guitars into really good guitars, can you explain?

I'm leaning towards the Epiphone at this point as no one has even mentioned the Jackson.

97Reb was saying that a good setup will make an okay guitar play really nice or make a really nice guitar a gem!

I will mention the Jacksons. They are very popular among the heavy metal crowd for a number of reasons:

1. The shape of the neck (flat & wide) makes speed playing easier than say a LP, which has a thicker neck.
2. Many of the Jackson models have locking tremolo systems - good for crazy dive bombs, etc.
3. Many Jacksons have humbucking pickups (if not EMGs), which are good for metal.

I bought one on Ebay about a year ago - not a bad guitar, but just not my style. I suggest you go check out both the Jacksons and Epis at your local guitar shop before you decide.

Forgot something about the Jacksons - they are designed to appeal (visually) to guitarists who play harder (metal) music - look at them, they LOOK like metal guitars.

IMHO the Epi LP,s are pretty well made, but lacking in the pick up department. I know a guy who got a Epi Lp, and spent about $160 on some nice pups and ended up with a really nice axe for about $700 total ( about half what a Gibson LP would cost and it sounded and played just as good. --the dog

Yeah, Like Dog and CFB said. A good set-up and replacing pick-ups can really make a cheaper guitar sound and play more like a more expensive guitar. Sometime the electronics (potentiometers and switches) can be upgraded. Sometimes, if the neck has sharp fret edges, they will need to be filed for a smoother playing experience. Sometimes a cheaper guitar will have the nut set up poorly, needing it to be removed and filed down (lowered) or if you use heavier guage strings, the nut may need to be filed to accomodate those strings. Sometimes, guitars ship with cheap almost worthless strings that need to be replaced. Sometimes, there are sharp metal edges on the bridge and/or tailpiece that need to be filed so you are not breaking strings due to metal spurs rubbing into the strings. Sometimes you may want to add a tremolo system to a hard-tail guitar. There are lots of things that can be done to a cheap guitar to make it better for relatively little money, if you know what you are doing, or are willing to take on the project.

I've got to agree with those leaning towards the LP. The play nice, sound good, etc. I have not replaced the p-ups on mine though. Doubt I will.

I did replace them in my $200 Ibanez. Actually sounds pretty good, especially when I drop down it 1/2 a step. Nice growl to it, but i digress.

Good luck with your pending purchase!

Ok I am going to place an order for an Black Epiphone Les Paul Standard tomorrow. The list price for all the other colors are $499 the black one costs $379. It's the same exact guitar right? Do they really jack up the price that much for a paint job? I could understand that since it's pretty much the same for other things (cell phones, laptops, etc...)

Ok I am going to place an order for an Black Epiphone Les Paul Standard tomorrow. The list price for all the other colors are $499 the black one costs $379. It's the same exact guitar right? Do they really jack up the price that much for a paint job? I could understand that since it's pretty much the same for other things (cell phones, laptops, etc...)

Post the links of the two your looking at. We'll offer an eye....

Just make sure its got Grover tuners and Gibson designed pickups.If not for that price it may be the LP classic which is an entirely different guitar!

Just make sure its got Grover tuners and Gibson designed pickups.If not for that price it may be the LP classic which is an entirely different guitar!