Epiphone LP or Gibson LP?

[MediaTechGuy]

Hi Guys,

I am researching an upgrade from my current piece of crap electric 6 string. I tried out a LP Robot guitar (currently on sale) and a LP Basic Studio guitar. I am not sure if I can swing the cost of buying a name brand Gibson LP, but I could afford an Epiphone.

What are your opinions on Epiphone? I have read mixed reviews. How do they handle drop D tuning?

Thanks, Paul

[solone1]

Hi Guys,

I am researching an upgrade from my current piece of crap electric 6 string. I tried out a LP Robot guitar (currently on sale) and a LP Basic Studio guitar. I am not sure if I can swing the cost of buying a name brand Gibson LP, but I could afford an Epiphone.

What are your opinions on Epiphone? I have read mixed reviews. How do they handle drop D tuning?

Thanks, Paul

I have an Epi Les Paul. A nice playing guitar. I can recommend them to anyone. Just make sure you play a few before you buy. I got the flame quilted maple top in tobacco sunburst - looks nice and has a nice growl. Sounds great with drop D tuning too. I use slinkie 10's on it. Setup was a breeze (about 25 mins) as it was pretty close when I bought it (the stock strings were crap).

Cons: hard to play sitting down but so is any git with the LP body style. weighs a ton!

Cheers

[mickeymix]

I bought an Epi (Les) a couple years ago and wasn't even in the market for one..........but picked up a used Red Epi ..(yupp the avatar one) that played so much like butter, that I went and picked up some Gibsons as well to compare....I even grabbed some new Epi's as well to compare...........my used baby played better and sounded as good or dare I say better then all of them........I had to bring her home or I would've regretted it forever.......and I've been loving her(and playing here) ever since.... and YES ...I can afford a real Les Paul...in fact I have a Gibson flying V that sits in it's case under the bed.....the only modifications I made were the Sperzel locking tuners and a Dunlop strap lock system........the stock pickups in her sound great! I usually do change the PUPS on 1/2 of my guitars but NOT on this one.........I've dropped her down to C and she plays like buttah!

[vad1er]

very pretty girl there mickey.. whats her name?

[redbaron]

...while I sold my Epi LP a few months ago. This was not because of any flaws of that specific guitar, it was more because of the general unwieldiness of the LP as such. It's just too bulky and heavy - but that's personal taste.

Generally my experience with Epiphones (I own 3 more - a V, an Explorer, and a Nighthawk) is: DO consider to replace pickups and wiring. DO consider to replace the tuners. That will set you back maybe 150 $, but in the end you'll get a great guitar! Alternatively, as said above, try the PRS SE. Or a Hagstrom - they're totally solid LPs, too, and the hardware seems to be much better.

[trikloretylen]

i have an hagström partner its an replica of an sg.
and it sounds and plays better then any sg i tried so far!
dont counting the really expensive ones .
but i cant really tell how the quality on the new hagström guitars are .
mine is an old one!
but the bottom line is go to a music shop sit down with a couple off guitars and try for your self.
sound and playability is an private thing!
what i like isnt nessesary what you like.

[riffer7777]

i love epiphones got a custom job but needs new pick ups.its got alnico wax dipped ones,good but i want to upgrade em.i use my yamaha for recording as it sits near to me at the pc.yes im lazy and cant be bothered to get up and reach for the epi.lol.now thats bloody lazy !!go try a few at your local shop i would recommend gettin one.

[MediaTechGuy]

Yes, thanks everyone for your input. It is good to know the real skinny from people I can trust and who know what they are talking about. I have been trying out some of the additional brands that were also suggested here. I have not been able to locate locally any Carvins though. To further complicate things for me I also tried out some maple neck Fenders and Ibanez models. I really like the feel of a maple fingerboard. ESP has some new maple fingerboard models coming out in December here in Canada. trikloretylen is correct though, sound and playability is a private thing that I will have to discover through hands on demos. Those Cherry Sunburst LPs sure are sweet looking though.

[mickeymix]

very pretty girl there mickey.. whats her name?

Ole Molly will do.......after my fav red head teen queen from the 80's..

[pooterpatty]

You don't have to buy an expensive guitar. You gotta get one that feels right in your hands. That might be an $1800 guitar, and it might be a $100 pawn shop special. In the end it comes down to one thing - does it feel comfortable in your hands and do you feel uninhibited making music with it? If the answer to both questions is yes, then you've found your guitar. And Mickey is absolutely right - a lot of the Epi Pauls I've played sound (and feel) better than their Gibson cousins, for a lot less money. I have more respect for the dude who shows up at a jam with a $100 Squier Strat who knows how to play it than I do a guy who shows up with a $2000 Les Paul who spends the whole night tuning the G string because the stupid thing won't stay in tune.

I tell this story a lot (and I think Mickey will back me up on it), but when I bought my Tele I spent the whole day on it. Went to the local Guitar Center and played every Tele they had in stock. I played Standard Teles, American, Baja, Texas Special, Aerodyne - every Tele Fender makes. In the end, I went with the one I thought sounded most like a Tele (and would stay in tune). That turned out to be a Mexican Standard Tele. After a set of Vintage Noiseless pups, I have an axe that'll spank any American Tele's ass for half the jingle. Gotta love that.

So my advice (worth exactly what you paid for it) - shop around, forget about brand or price. Figure out what you want tone-wise (I want dual humbuckers and a Floyd Rose - or, I want a Strat with some fat single-coil sound through a Twin), and go after that. Every consideration other than that has to do with what someone else thinks, which shouldn't even enter your mind when you're buying a guitar for YOU.

[mickeymix]

@ ole Poots........I back ya up 100% @ every word and even give ya an AMEN and a big ole "HELL" yeah too!

[Charvelguy]

Most of my axes, I paid less than 300.00 - and if there was a contest for most axes, I'd probably take the prize...not trying to brag on that, 'cause its a major pain to own too many. Some of my fav LP copies are the Hohner L-59's with the dual hums from Kent Armstrong design/Sky pickups. I don't change anything on 'em except setup. I've been using a 150.00 MF special squire strat too, extremely resonant guitar, moreso than my regular strats and it works great well for blues/rock. I've had epi's, still own a couple but not my LP's. I bought an 1800.00 Les Paul, it's there to say I own one and I play it occasionally, grossly overpriced I feel. I like my $ 200.00 Hohners just fine.

[scott]

Buying a 'Gibson' (or a Fender, Martin, Taylor etc.) means you're buying in to the name, the pedigree and the history. There must be a reason why they're chosen by the professionals over the likes of Epiphone and Squier. One of the reasons I've gone back to a Gibson is the value they hold. I've not yet sold a Gibson where I've lost money on it. In saying that, I've also got Schecters and Kramers which feel and sound just as good but I'll never get back what I paid for them.

[MediaTechGuy]

Hey Tim,

What is your advice then, since I cannot inspect a guitar for quality of wood, glue joints and electronics? (Quality of metal parts should be obvious since they are on the surface) Assume that a $300 guitar is going to have poor quality in these areas and only buy a more expensive name brand? Or does one risk getting the same from a name brand? Seems to me from what you are saying is that a lot of flaws can easily be hidden from the consumer.

Thanks, Paul

[ShredRex]

Quality is always an issue with any mass produced guitar. Ibanez is no different ......they make some killer lower level guitars.....and some really bad ones. I would go EPI just cause I personally believe Gibson are overpriced......but until you sit and feel/touch/smell the guitar how can anyone be sure.

Bottom line is you must experience it hands on to know what you are getting.....what i want and what you want may be very well 2 completely different things. If you get a good EPI in a good price range, great. If you find a Gibson that plays and sounds the way you want and it sets you back a more cash.....fine.

Just be choosy, and pick with your hand and ears........not brand name.

I personally try to get the cheapest guitar I can that meets my needs. cause my $800 Ibanez sounds and plays just as good as any $1600 guitar should/would/could.