Sky Blue Lou
Well-known member
I'm having a brain cramp or I've missed something along the way. What the hell is "HP"?
Post your latest purchase!
- Thread starter kidkage
- Start date
I'm having a brain cramp or I've missed something along the way. What the hell is "HP"?
BroKen_H
Re-member
"High Performance". It's got a wider neck (from the nut up) and flatter radius that they actually call a "soloist" neck. It's supposed to be for "shredders", but I just like it because my hands are large. The HP line also has a different "quieter" switch (but since this is my first LP, I have no frame of reference), titanium bridge saddles and nut (that's supposed to be height adjustable.), and gold plated jack contacts (whoo-pee). Other than that, the HP models are pretty much the same as any other LP, except the "soloist" neck, so far, is only available on HP models...
Sky Blue Lou
Well-known member
High Performance. What will they think of next? I suppose that gives me an excuse to wander into a Gibson dealer and try one out. I do like the flatter radius. My 81 Custom and 70s Deluxe have skinny necks which I love. The R4 is a freakin baseball bat - just can't get used to it. Wonderful guitar otherwise. I'll probably shave it down one of these days.
Thanks for enlightening me.
Enjoy yer Lester.
Thanks for enlightening me.
Enjoy yer Lester.
YanKleber
Retired
According to the model number, it was made in the Gibson Qingdao Plant in China. It's an Epiphone SG. I'm pretty new to different guitar makes and models. I just bought it cause it felt right, played right and looked right.
I hope you be happy with it. I had one of the same model (G-400) and it was one of the worse guitars I had/played. Horrible neck and the tone wasn't something around a B-. To be honest mine gave me two joys: when I bought and when I sold it! The only difference is that mine was satin finish. Funny that it was $180 too in eBay. That was mine:
Resurrect
New member
I hope you be happy with it. I had one of the same model (G-400) and it was one of the worse guitars I had/played. Horrible neck and the tone wasn't something around a B-. To be honest mine gave me two joys: when I bought and when I sold it! The only difference is that mine was satin finish. Funny that it was $180 too in eBay. That was mine:
Oh dear. So far I'm happy with it. But I've been playing a really cheap Canvas electric guitar for two years now, so probably anything better than that seems glorious.
YanKleber
Retired
Oh dear. So far I'm happy with it. But I've been playing a really cheap Canvas electric guitar for two years now, so probably anything better than that seems glorious.
Probably you will do well. If you are happy with it now there is a big chance that you nailed it. The problem I see with new Epiphone guitars is the lack of quality control. Sometimes you go lucky and pick an awesome instrument but other times (mostly) you just get junk. Very hard to buy one without try it. In my case I couldn't play and ordered it in the dark. Not luck here. Anyway, go play outside other guitars always you have a chance to compare with your Epi and if overtime you confirm that she is really one of the jewels, just KEEP it because won't be easy to find another.
Tip: In the future keep your eye open for cheapo Chinese guitars with crazy brands. I have a Les Paul from a weird "Strinberg" make that I bought brand new for $100 without any expectation. Long story short after to spend other $100 to replace the crap tuners, electrics and throw a pair of Dragonfire pickups it ended becoming my keeper. Unbelievably it is too much better than a couple new generation genuine Gibson LP I have played.
IndustrialOkie
Esoteric Order of R'lyeh
Over the past few months I have picked up a Taylor Mini-E Koa guitar, and a GoldTone MiniBass. I love both of them for the sound and portability. Huzza for tax refunds!
Resurrect
New member
In my opinion, buying a guitar (especially a used guitar) is like buying a car. You're kinda stupid if you pay for it before the first test drive. I've done it before and gotten away with it (my Washburn acoustic/electric for instance), but I've almost wound up with a couple lemons as well.
beezelbubba
Shitty Buddhist
I've picked it up pretty nicely. Really not that hard to fake your way around. Obviously, to play it really well would take a lot of practice and technique.
Tuning the fucker seems to be the biggest challenge.
Sky Blue Lou
Well-known member
I agree except... sometimes you just can't play them first. I've bought three sight unseen, except for pics, that were too far away. One in New Jersey, one in Tennessee and one in Vancouver. They were each over $2000 though so I think you have better odds with the higher end stuff. You have to be careful of fakes or outright ripoffs of course but Ebay user ratings and email conversations can go a long way towards alleviating concerns. I would have no problem making a higher-end long-distance purchase again. If the guitar doesn't really fit you flipping it at break even should not be difficult.
mjbphotos
Moderator
No pictures - latest purchases were all for my 2008 Nissan Frontier: right front balljoint, front brakes, rear brakes (everything but calipers on one side), rear axle seals, differential service. Could have bought a couple of nice guitars and/or an amp for what I just spent. 
($2300)
($2300)
YanKleber
Retired
Ouch, it really hurts! About 10 years ago I replaced my USA Honda Civic (imported for me, therefore expensive parts) by a domestic 1995 VW Fox basic model.
It is WAY simple: no A/C, no power steering, no electronics (carburator), manual trans etc. The good part is that its maintenance is very cheap. Parts like ball-joints, wheel bearings, etc, costs around $10. I had to change the clutch around 1 month ago and it was only $80. I forget all the discomfort and simplicity of having such kind of car when I have to bring it to a repair garage!
It is WAY simple: no A/C, no power steering, no electronics (carburator), manual trans etc. The good part is that its maintenance is very cheap. Parts like ball-joints, wheel bearings, etc, costs around $10. I had to change the clutch around 1 month ago and it was only $80. I forget all the discomfort and simplicity of having such kind of car when I have to bring it to a repair garage!
Chili
Site Moderator
The other end of the extreme, buying super cheap is not a problem, either. If you don't like it, you didn't waste a lot of money. I bought a guitar from Guitar Fetish sight-unseen, took it to a shop to get a full set up and now it plays great. Of course, it helps that GF gets good reviews from other members here, so that alleviated any worries.
YanKleber
Retired
Agree. ALL of my guitars in the last 5 years (when I restarted playing after a decade) were purchased by pictures because I don't have any instrument store in my town and the ones in the towns around are rip off crap stuff. As you mentioned it is a hit and miss game, but not a big problem when you are betting on cheapo horses (my case). Along this time I bought only six guitars. I had 4 hits against 2 misses (including a blemish strat from GF that was a hit!). Fortunately I could get rid of my mistakes very quickly. I am a $100-200 guitar guy though.
Resurrect
New member
Agree. ALL of my guitars in the last 5 years (when I restarted playing after a decade) were purchased by pictures because I don't have any instrument store in my town and the ones in the towns around are rip off crap stuff. As you mentioned it is a hit and miss game, but not a big problem when you are betting on cheapo horses (my case). Along this time I bought only six guitars. I had 4 hits against 2 misses (including a blemish strat from GF that was a hit!). Fortunately I could get rid of my mistakes very quickly. I am a $100-200 guitar guy though.
The shop in my town is awesome. (Although, I don't take my stuff there for repairs anymore- bunch of amateurs who don't know what they are doing and break your guitar more often then the opposite.
) But price-wise, they can't be beat by anybody but craigslist and guys on FB. They're pretty much dead on with e-bay, Amazon, Musicians' Friend, Zzounds, etc, and sometimes cheaper.nullnaught
New member
i would like to say that I am never buying from guitar showcase ever again after yesterdays phone call to them. I was asking them if they had a behringer UCA 202 or something of the same price range. He offered me something for 5 times the price and i told him that all i needed was a simple interface like the behringer for 30 usa dollars and so he laughed at me and offered to sell me something used. I said to him at that point no thanks and just hung up. I wanted the product from a store i could walk into instead of buying it from the internet. I am loving sweetwater more and more. and hello to everyone.
YanKleber
Retired
i would like to say that I am never buying from guitar showcase ever again after yesterdays phone call to them. I was asking them if they had a behringer UCA 202 or something of the same price range. He offered me something for 5 times the price and i told him that all i needed was a simple interface like the behringer for 30 usa dollars and so he laughed at me and offered to sell me something used. I said to him at that point no thanks and just hung up. I wanted the product from a store i could walk into instead of buying it from the internet. I am loving sweetwater more and more. and hello to everyone.
I think that UCA202 will be a bit hard to find as it was discontinued. Instead you can look for the UCA222 the new model that replaced it and that actually is the very same thing (just the color is different, now it's metallic red!). You shouldn't be afraid of buying it online though. Electronics are quite easier to buy online than handcrafted stuff (such as guitars). Anyway I have an UCA222 that I bought from an online store for the price you mentioned (around $30) and am pretty happy with it. You will like it. I think that there is no one AI better than that for the price, in my opinion, the perfect choice for the home producer that doesn't have professional intentions (like me).
On a side note I totally support your decision about to cut from your list any store which attendants are idiots that laugh of a customer. The darkest part of all is that the human matter is losing the quality very fast. It's becoming very rare nowadays to find educated, helpful and cheerful person behind a counter.
Hammerlodge
New member
My latest purchase was an Epiphone LP. I've wanted an Lp forever and had the intention of paying several grand for one. After several visits to Sweetwater and GC and playing every Gibson they had (several times) I walked out with an Epi Lp. I'm not at all trying to offend anyone, but It was the one I enjoyed playing the most. I have a strat which I love, but I just wanted an LP for my heavy rhythm sounds.