Gibson or Epiphone?

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kingdan7587

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Hi, I was wondering if i spend $649 buying a Epiphone Les Paul Custom or spend another 200 and get the Gibson Les Paul Vintage Mahogany? Plus, what are some of the main differences between Epiphone and Gibson, arent they the same company?
 
If you have played an ephiphone les paul, and a gibson les paul,, then there is your answer !!!!!

I take it you have tried out both guitars ,,right ???

You wouldnt go spending $600 - $800 on a guitar without playing them both against each other first would you ?????

Save your bucks and get the gibson.
If you get the ephiphone you will only regret not getting the gibson.

My 2 cents anyway,,,,,,
 
yea i have played both of them, the only problem would be the price tag. I want to get a amp too, prob about 400, i alrady posted that part under The Rack.
 
Gibson guitars are better, no doubt... but an Epiphone is a very good guitar for its price. You'll notice a little difference in the materials, the Epi has a little less sustain, the fretboard is not as smooth, the knobs aren't as nice.... stuff like that, but it's only little things. Luxuries if you want. I've had my Epi Les Paul for 8 years and I've never regretted not getting a Gibson.

On the other hand.... for 200 bucks more you've got the real deal... your call man
 
If the sale is still on MF is blowing out Epi Elitist LP's for half price. Elitists are the MIJ top of the line Epis. Comparable to, and some would even say better than equivalent made in USA Gibsons. If you're considering Epiphone you should go with an Elitist especially at these prices.
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Guitar/Electric?sku=518401
 
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The Vintage Mohogany isn't really anymore a 'Gibson' than the higher priced Epi if you ask me. The Studio IMO is where Gibson starts. That doesn't include any type of 'american heritage vintage mohogany special faded' bastardization slang either. Just -Studio-. Its a stripped down LesPaul that still weights as much as an armored tank.
 
I own an LP Standard and inherited an Epihone LP Elite when my father passed away. The Epi has a few minor issues that I was able to correct in my shop. One was a not so great fret job which I corrected with a quick fret dress. Another was with the pickups. They are pretty weak compared to the Standard but useable. The finish on the Elite is poly which is a little more durable than the nitro finish on the Standard but more difficult to repair in the event of a scratch or ding. Overall the Epi is a great guitar for the money. The fit and finish on the elite may actually rival the fit and finish on my Standard.
 
Another deal sweetener is the case is included with Elitist models. With regular Epis it's not.
 
I think the Gibson's worth it. Go for it. If you're going to spend that amount, you might as well do it!
 
I would not get an epiphone unless it was a hollowbody (even then the gibson is still way better), the solidbody guitars while they look nice simply don't sound anywhere near as good as the Gibsons. The wood isn't as good, and the craftsmanship isn't as good. That said Gibsons are inconsistent, and some can be as bad as Epiphones. The cheaper Gibsons are pretty much the same as the Elitist Epiphones. My advice is play as many of each of those as you can and you should be able to find a really good one. With a regular epiphone you'll probably upgrade the pickups at some point which will increase the cost of it, only to find its still not as good as the gibson (not that itll be bad, just not as good) and then if you decide to sell it you'll probably get around 60% of what you paid for it new, where as with a Gibson the resale value is much better.
 
I own an Epiphone LP Custom. I bought it used, and somebody, I suspect, had already done a great fret job on it. Intonation was perfect. I changed out the original pups for classic 57's. Thr Grover tuners are good, but not great. I owned a Les Paul Custom in 1968, and I would not trade the Epi for it right now, except to sell it. Yes, the Gibson would be worth a lot more. If I am just going to play it, the Epi is fine. I actually traded an SG supreme with coil taps for that Epi and an American Telecaster. I lost a lot of money on paper, but traded a guitar that didn't work for me for two that do. I also play an Epi Casino. I think my hands are used to Samick necks. The tele is something else entirely. As it turns out, I also own 3 other Epi's. A 26 year old dreadnought that is the campfire guitar now, an Indonesian SG with more classic 57's (expendable travel axe), and a Selena signature cutaway classical. The Selena is pretty girlie, but well priced, which is why I grabbed it, the studio needed a decent nylon string guitar.
All of these instruments have served me pretty well, especially the Les Paul. I am not as impressed by the Les Paul Standard by Epiphone, but the Custom, with a change of pickups, can be a damn good axe. The SG has turned out to be a very nice guitar for the price. These days, I travel with the tele, and have been looking for the right poor rocker, probably a kid, to sell the SG to. This cheap axe is too cool to go to someone who won't appreciate it. A southeast Asian SG with excellent intonation and no fret buzzes! I went through about a dozen of the same model to find *the one*.

My conclusion? The Gibson has better resale value. What is important, however is to get the right guitar, the one you have trouble putting down.
Some Gibsons suck, too, and Martins, Ricks, Fenders. Everybody builds guitars that suck, and many of the ones that don't suck are the wrong guitar for *you* anyway. Don't spend a lot of money on somebody else's kickass guitar. It's like love. When you find the ones that are right, you'll know. So what if it was an old Yamaha, Sigma, Epiphone, Squier? If you think guitars are a fashion show, it's a no-brainer, Epi gets no respect unless it's 60 years old or so. Anyone can be cursed to love the dumpy girl in school, and I love my Epiphones. -Richie
 
Outlaws said:
The Vintage Mohogany isn't really anymore a 'Gibson' than the higher priced Epi if you ask me. The Studio IMO is where Gibson starts. That doesn't include any type of 'american heritage vintage mohogany special faded' bastardization slang either. Just -Studio-. Its a stripped down LesPaul that still weights as much as an armored tank.
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Oh, I've had my eye on the mahogany for a while now... It is beautiful in its simplicity... it is sometimes refered to as a "studio," and is probably similar in its build quality... It does however, come with the BurstBucker Pickups like the Standards come eqiipped with.

Another difference, of course would be that the Studio (and about all "classic" les pauls) have a maple cap on the body rather than the mahogony. This will make a but of difference...

I prefer Gibsons because the are Made in the USA, and when you buy one you know that they are made from solid, actual woods. The others may look as nice, maybe even feel as nice, but I would MUCH rather know that mine was made of solid woods in a US shop.
 
For the extra few bones I'd get the Gibson. I just bought a Les Paul Studio and I love it. It plays and sounds fantastic. But I also wouldn't buy an Epiphone - I'm too much of a snob. I'm a Gibson-oholic.
 
oic thanks guys, im going to spend at least 600 on the guitar, because i am thinking of getting a 500 dollar amp also. so let me get this straight, the main difference is the woods and where they are made from right? also, if i were to get a Epiphone, whats a good humbucker to replace them with ? Also what about the Gobson Les Paul Junior or the Melody Maker ?
 
Richard Monroe said:
Don't spend a lot of money on somebody else's kickass guitar. It's like love. When you find the ones that are right, you'll know.
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King, you're getting some great help from the good folks here. As a guitarist of more than 30 years with many guitars owned, I'd like to second Richie's comments, above all. Keep trying guitars until one seems to talk to you, begging to be taken home. In fact, I wouldn't worry about changing pickups, getting a fret job, or anything else until you've lived with your new guitar for a while. You may even find that you grow to like it just the way it is, as has happened to me more than once.

Case in point. I recently went bass guitar shopping, and as a six-stringer, I know next to nothing about basses. I followed the above advice, wisely taught to me by others: set aside some hours at the store(s) and try as many as possible, in all price ranges, to get a sense of the differences. I then returned the next day and focused on the range of basses that I could actually afford, going back and forth until one began to feel "right" to me. (Interestingly, it was one of the cheapest I played.) I then asked the sales guy to bring out several factory-boxed guitars of the same model and chose one of them that showed better craftmanship (straight neck, smooth fret edges, consistent finish, etc.). I still know little about basses, in general, but that budget Yamaha bass has seen a lot of recording work in the past six months, and I couldn't be more satisfied with it for its purpose and price. Maybe some day I'll modify it or move up the bass chain, but then again, maybe not. My current needs are being met, and at least for now, this cheapo bass talks to me pretty sweetly.

Best of luck,

J.
 
kingdan7587 said:
oic thanks guys, im going to spend at least 600 on the guitar, because i am thinking of getting a 500 dollar amp also. so let me get this straight, the main difference is the woods and where they are made from right? also, if i were to get a Epiphone, whats a good humbucker to replace them with ? Also what about the Gobson Les Paul Junior or the Melody Maker ?
Click to expand...

The higher end Epi's will probably be made from mahogony or something like mahogny - check the specs...

Other "Budget Gibsons" include: Les Paul Faded DC (I own one and I love it!!) Les Paul Special,Les Paul Special Faded, SG special, SG faded, Flying V faded, SG classic......

The Juniors have a single P-90 pickup, as do the melody makers, but the Juniors are made of a thicker body wood than the melody makers and the melody makers are pretty ugly...

Check out other Budget Gibsons if you are going for a gibson Some can be found Used for a around $500- they might not look as pretty as the Epiphones in thier price range, but they will get the job done and done well...
 
Gibson of couse, Epiphones aren't that good for the money, you are payin for the gibson name most of the time (excluding acoustics in m opinion) Go fo the Gibson.
 
Owning both a Gibson and an Epiphone, I think that you might be happy with either. I really like my epi Paul and think it's a great value for the money. I've gigged with it before and it did me right. That being said, the Gibson is a better made instrument. I've owned 2 epis(sold one of them) and had electronic problems with both and neither one ever set up and played as nicley as the gibson. This is not an attempt to knock Epi or thier guitars. I think they are really great for the money and make fine players for sure. Try playing several gibsons and epis and see which one is right for you. Above all, remember that every guitar, even if they're the same model, are different. If you find a particualr model that you really like, try out every one of that model that the store has and pick the one that feels and sounds best to you.
 
Wow!!

I am actually suprised that nobody has strated to bash Gibsons in this thread. Its Great to see from players that Gibsons are indeed worth the extra money. I see FAR too many threads about how Gibsons "suck" compared to epiphones.

One thing we have to keep in mind is that guitar players have it easy!! There aren't many intruments that you can buy for $50 that are actually playable. A good flute can go for $40,000.00....

I've been reading in a book about the Beatles gear, and prices are lower now on compariable equipment than they were back then... I doubt many of us would shell out $4000.00 for an amp...
 
my epiphone SG has had some trouble with electronics. also static when turning knobs and the toggle switch. on top of that, it has a couple of frets which suck. they have anoying buzz and no sustain. i assume Gibson (with their trustworthy name) would have fine tuned these malfunctions. in hindsight, i would have gone with the gibson. i have played a Gibson SG and they have a much more crisp sound. epiphone pickups arent as good thats for sure. just play them both and look for things like this though. if youre still satisfied with the epiphone, go for it.
 
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