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Greykitkat36
New member
Is this guitar any good?
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Disco_Dave
New member
I've got one and I love it. Like with any guitar just make you play it before you buy it.
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Richard Monroe
Well-known member
I have an Epi Les Paul Custom, and it's a really good guitar, every bit as good as the current Gibson version, better than some. I also have an SG special, which is very good, but I'll admit I went through quite a few before I found one that had *nothing* wrong with it.-Richie
Buck62
噛んでくれ
Here's a list of the best LP copies.
This list is based on playability, tone, quality control, woods, hardware, and durability.
1: Tokai Love Rock
2: Samick Avion AV-6
3: Agile 2800
4: Epiphone Les Paul Custom
The Tokai's are a bit pricey, but a good investment. Resale value is excellent on them.
The Samick and Agile LP copies are the overall best "bang-for-your-buck" copies around. They're affordable, too!
The Epiphone Les Pauls can be really good if you're willing to sort through the bad ones.... which, unfortunately, is a majority of them.
This list is based on playability, tone, quality control, woods, hardware, and durability.
1: Tokai Love Rock
2: Samick Avion AV-6
3: Agile 2800
4: Epiphone Les Paul Custom
The Tokai's are a bit pricey, but a good investment. Resale value is excellent on them.
The Samick and Agile LP copies are the overall best "bang-for-your-buck" copies around. They're affordable, too!
The Epiphone Les Pauls can be really good if you're willing to sort through the bad ones.... which, unfortunately, is a majority of them.
Light
New member
Just remember, with any guitar you buy, you will need to have it professionally set up for it to play and sound its best. Expect to pay $60-$90 after you buy the guitar for a setup, and you will be much happier with your investment. This is pretty much always true, but becomes more important the lower the cost of the guitar.
And Richard, I can't agree with you about the Epi being as good as the Gibson. I see a lot of both of them (we are a warranty center for Gibson), and there is no question that the fit and finish on the Gibson is better. Among other things, the Gibson pickups are better, and the Gibson has a nitrocellulose finish, which makes a big difference (at least to me, as I can actually repair the nitro, which we can not do with the catalyzed finishes on Epis, plus I think nitro sounds better). While I think Gibson skimps on many things (feel that bump where the binding meets the body), they are small things. The Epis skimp on big things. They are pretty good for the money, but they are not even close to the Gibsons.
Light
"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi
And Richard, I can't agree with you about the Epi being as good as the Gibson. I see a lot of both of them (we are a warranty center for Gibson), and there is no question that the fit and finish on the Gibson is better. Among other things, the Gibson pickups are better, and the Gibson has a nitrocellulose finish, which makes a big difference (at least to me, as I can actually repair the nitro, which we can not do with the catalyzed finishes on Epis, plus I think nitro sounds better). While I think Gibson skimps on many things (feel that bump where the binding meets the body), they are small things. The Epis skimp on big things. They are pretty good for the money, but they are not even close to the Gibsons.
Light
"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi
gvarko
New member
I looked
I checked out the Epi selection I honestly there was not one I would buy. I have owned genuine SG's in the past and I agree with Light the Epi's are no where near the quality of a Gibson.
I finally decided on the PRS Tremonti SE for $368 w/ tax and gig-bag. I also liked the Ibanez SC and the Shecters in that range. Check out the PRS before buying the Epi. The PRS is way more guitar for the money IMO....
I checked out the Epi selection I honestly there was not one I would buy. I have owned genuine SG's in the past and I agree with Light the Epi's are no where near the quality of a Gibson.
I finally decided on the PRS Tremonti SE for $368 w/ tax and gig-bag. I also liked the Ibanez SC and the Shecters in that range. Check out the PRS before buying the Epi. The PRS is way more guitar for the money IMO....
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Richard Monroe
Well-known member
Well, Light, I can go part way with you here. First, note that I recognize your expertise in this area, which is *far* greater than mine. But- The axe I just parted ways with is an SG Supreme, a $2000 or so top-of-the-line SG. The neck was delicate and unstable, it wouldn't hold its tune after extensive set up work. It required 3 truss rod adjustments a week, and the intonation still sucked. The finish was scratched from pick abrasion within 2 days, and the clueless schmucks don't make a pick guard for it, so it has to be custom made. Its squared off frets provide somebody with kickass sustain, but are useless for playing rhythm, and actually cut my fingers enough to make them bleed! Moving the neck out on the body changes the position of the pickups relative to the bridge, and changes the sound. The headstock inlay was sloppy, as was the neck and headstock binding, and yeah, it had good pickups. Those puickups are being installed in my Epi Les Paul as we speak, which is in every respect a better axe If we were talking about some 1961 Kalamazoo classic, I'd have to admit you were 100% right, but the stuff being produced with the Gibson name on it now is a far cry from those days. Of course, as we both know, guitars are made of wood by humans, and even some underpaid Korean can luck out and build a good axe. An American in Nashville can build a wicked expensive piece of wood with a cool paint job that sucks, and charge too much for it, also.
When all is said and done, that Epi has better fit and finish than the so-called "real deal". I'll agree with you that it needs a set of pickups. That's not a problem.-Richie
When all is said and done, that Epi has better fit and finish than the so-called "real deal". I'll agree with you that it needs a set of pickups. That's not a problem.-Richie
Light
New member
Gibson has, and has always had, an issue with consistency. The problem with this is that you have to look at a lot of their guitars to find a good one, and you can never buy a Gibson sight unseen. The good part of this is that, when they get it right, they get it really right.
As far as your SG goes, all SGs have problems with neck movement. The neck is so thin and so long, they just have a hard time staying in one place. You would have the same problems with almost any SG. Yours may have had a particularly unstable piece of wood, but there is no way to predict that, so you can hardly put the blame for that on anything but chance. I would guess that the problem with the frets was that they were sticking out on the sides of the fingerboard. That is an issue of lack of humidity. The fingerboard shrinks when the humidity is low, and the frets do not. This is easily taken care of, we only charge about $50.00 to fix it. I see this all the time in stores which don't take care of humidity, like Guitar Center or (in Boston) Daddy's. I don't know if it was you or someone else, but that guitar has been under humidified at some point. It doesn't matter how good the fret job is, if you don't take care of the guitar, you will have problems.
Light
"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi
As far as your SG goes, all SGs have problems with neck movement. The neck is so thin and so long, they just have a hard time staying in one place. You would have the same problems with almost any SG. Yours may have had a particularly unstable piece of wood, but there is no way to predict that, so you can hardly put the blame for that on anything but chance. I would guess that the problem with the frets was that they were sticking out on the sides of the fingerboard. That is an issue of lack of humidity. The fingerboard shrinks when the humidity is low, and the frets do not. This is easily taken care of, we only charge about $50.00 to fix it. I see this all the time in stores which don't take care of humidity, like Guitar Center or (in Boston) Daddy's. I don't know if it was you or someone else, but that guitar has been under humidified at some point. It doesn't matter how good the fret job is, if you don't take care of the guitar, you will have problems.
Light
"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi
R
Richard Monroe
Well-known member
No, Light, the binding on the neck was basically OK, but the contour of the frets is sharply flattened on that model. I've played a lot of SG's and SG Juniors and I like them. I think the supreme was just built for a different player than me. I have owned at least a dozen Gibsons, from an old ES-125 to a SJ dreadnought.
Les Pauls are a favorite. Seriously, I've never played with frets like the ones on the Supreme. They are squared off rather than rounded, I presume, to affect sustain. I didn't cut my hand on frets sticking out because I don't know when and how to hydrate a guitar. I learned the true way from Taylor. No, I actually cut the edge of my hand during a quick chord change playing something from "Tommy". I hope it finds its way to an owner that can get the best out of it. And I got a couple of axes that stand up well to playing for it. One of them was that Epi Les Paul, which is damn near perfect, functionally. What the hell, sometimes I like cheap guitars that get no respect. I really plan to use this axe to learn to play more lead (my lead guitar sucks, as a rule). For rhythm, I mostly prefer a tele.-Richie
Les Pauls are a favorite. Seriously, I've never played with frets like the ones on the Supreme. They are squared off rather than rounded, I presume, to affect sustain. I didn't cut my hand on frets sticking out because I don't know when and how to hydrate a guitar. I learned the true way from Taylor. No, I actually cut the edge of my hand during a quick chord change playing something from "Tommy". I hope it finds its way to an owner that can get the best out of it. And I got a couple of axes that stand up well to playing for it. One of them was that Epi Les Paul, which is damn near perfect, functionally. What the hell, sometimes I like cheap guitars that get no respect. I really plan to use this axe to learn to play more lead (my lead guitar sucks, as a rule). For rhythm, I mostly prefer a tele.-Richie
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gtar02
New member
If the price is right go for it. I picked up a lp special on ebay for 70 bucks in perfect condition and I love it. It sounds great. You can always do a little work to to make it sound even better, and you don't have to worry about hurting it cause it is so cheap.
79_Les_Paul
Member
Obviously by my name I own a Les Paul Custom, it's a maple finish with gold hardware. I love it, I've had it since 1985 and I won't part with it. I've yet to find a guitar that plays as smooth as this one....Right after I got it I had a Kahler locking tremelo system put on it....they say it hurt the value but it doesn't matter because it's not for sale.
I recently played an Epiphone Les Paul and it didn't impress me much.. but I agree..no one guitar is the same...My brother also has a Les Paul Custom and our guitars play as different as night and day.
Rich is right on about some "cheap" guitars..my oldest brother..(I have 6)..has a Les Paul copy made by some unknown company and that is one fine playing guitar....so as stated before... you have to play them....it's like buying jeans, if you don't try them on you may find they don't fit when you get home.
I recently played an Epiphone Les Paul and it didn't impress me much.. but I agree..no one guitar is the same...My brother also has a Les Paul Custom and our guitars play as different as night and day.
Rich is right on about some "cheap" guitars..my oldest brother..(I have 6)..has a Les Paul copy made by some unknown company and that is one fine playing guitar....so as stated before... you have to play them....it's like buying jeans, if you don't try them on you may find they don't fit when you get home.
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fruney
New member
Quoting Here:
As far as your SG goes, all SGs have problems with neck movement. The neck is so thin and so long, they just have a hard time staying in one place. You would have the same problems with almost any SG. Yours may have had a particularly unstable piece of wood, but there is no way to predict that, so you can hardly put the blame for that on anything but chance.
-Light
I agree and disagree. The SG has indeed always been a problematic guitar design (Les paul had his name taken off of them, remember?) BUT experienced and diligent luthiers can and do predict the stability the woods of the neck by carefully examining the grain and measuring the overall consistency of the piece's density... phone's ringin...
Either way Gibson fucks up: in design or construction. You be the judge of individual geetars.
As far as your SG goes, all SGs have problems with neck movement. The neck is so thin and so long, they just have a hard time staying in one place. You would have the same problems with almost any SG. Yours may have had a particularly unstable piece of wood, but there is no way to predict that, so you can hardly put the blame for that on anything but chance.
-Light
I agree and disagree. The SG has indeed always been a problematic guitar design (Les paul had his name taken off of them, remember?) BUT experienced and diligent luthiers can and do predict the stability the woods of the neck by carefully examining the grain and measuring the overall consistency of the piece's density... phone's ringin...
Either way Gibson fucks up: in design or construction. You be the judge of individual geetars.