Epiphone vs. Gibson, is it worth the extra cash???

Doctor J

Ach, let this thread die, it started off ****e and went nowhere...

RicardoSmith

Keyzer wrote:

...I'm gonna break both your hearts and give you my opinion on this Billy Gibbons fella. Although he is a competent player, I've heard it before, performed and played better by other guitarists. Not an all time great ..

A few posts back, you (a blues fan apparently) didn't know he was a world famous blues player. I think his reputation will survive your critisim...

For me when hes on form the guys tone and phrasing is awesome. No Gary Moore, or SRV, technically but then one of those is enough.

Pistol Pete

At the end of the day he doesn't really care though.

Doctor J

ZZ Top played on Later a few years back and I went out and bought Rhythmeen the next day. He pulls some of the sweetest notes you'll ever hear out of a guitar...



...even an Epiphone

Keyzer

RicardoSmith wrote:

A few posts back, you (a blues fan apparently) didn't know he was a world famous blues player. I think his reputation will survive your critisim...

For me when hes on form the guys tone and phrasing is awesome. No Gary Moore, or SRV, technically but then one of those is enough.

Im sure if he's reading this he won't take it to heart....

BTW - I don't regard Gary Moore or Stevie Ray as great blues players. Good guitarists yes, but not great blues guitarists, thats your taste, seems to be on the rockier side of blues. Guitarists, who IMO, are great blues players are Albert/BB/Freddy King, Robert Cray, Buddy Guy, Peter Green, Clapton, Duane Allman and Jimi Hendix, and others I havent got the time to list. Although I love Jimi, his blues playing is exceptional and little different to "regular" blues but still amazing on this fantastic album

Also, Jimmy Page is a very good blues guitarist.

RicardoSmith

Actually thats one of my fav blues albums. Its the only Hendrix Album I own. With the Blues I prefer Delta to Chicago. I like it raw. Look at the lineup for that crossroads concert. ZZ Top closed the show. Problem is most people don't know ZZ Top track record and pigeon hole them based on the 80's material.

John

Not wanting to really rehash this but my views (being an epiphone player):

#1: My guitar stays in tune 99% of the time, only goes out maybe after I've carried it from my house to rehearsal and hit the case off about a dozen objects on my journey.

#2: The electronics ARE ****

#3: It's cheaper than a Gibson

#4: I've played dabhoys Gibson Les Paul Custom and prefer my Epiphone Les Paul Custom (which was the one he used to own and prefers his Gibson to)

#5: It probably won't last for many years

#6: I'm not worried about someone stealing it

#7: Most importantly, I can get a tone I like from it

Just another note about expensive guitars, there is a psychological phenomenon (that is in most college level psychology books) relating to the fact that when people spend a lot of money on something they tend to convince themselves that it's worth the money and ignore many faults so they don't feel bad for spending the money. I think this is the case with a few expensive gear heads (but I'm not going so far as to say that all expensive gear is crap, it obviously isn't, most of it is expensive for a very good reason).

Eoin Madsen

There's a also psychological phenomenon where people convince themselves that what they have is what suits them best because they can't really afford to buy anything better or they want to justify not spending the money. Frankly, it's a dead giveaway if they get excessively defensive when they're challanged. In my experience, people genuinely happy with their guitar tend not to seek approval for it or get particularly phased when people try to critcise it.

It's a bit pointless to generalise, since it's rare to find any two guitars exactly alike, even assembly line models. But, if you must, the majority of industry professionals would consider it indisputable that the majority of people in a blind listening test will find the average Gibson more sonically pleasing than the average Epiphone Gibson-copy. Similarly, the majority of guitar players will find the average Gibson more pleasant to play than the average Epiphone. Of course... it's actually impossible to obtain averages relating to abstract subjective concepts...

John

You'll notice that I've listed the good and the bad points in my post so I'm not seeking approval or getting miffed over criticism, I know Epiphones are not the first choice of other people. And I could afford a Gibson if I wanted one but I don't. I'm happy with what I have.

NotMe

Yeah I have an Epiphone that I'm happy with and I just can't justify spending so much extra for a Gibson.

Eoin Madsen

John2 wrote:

You'll notice that I've listed the good and the bad points in my post so I'm not seeking approval or getting miffed over criticism, I know Epiphones are not the first choice of other people. And I could afford a Gibson if I wanted one but I don't. I'm happy with what I have.

What I notice is that you're still making a point of arguing over it.

Nidge

At the end of the day if i was to spend THAT much on as expensive as a gibson les paul, saying conservatively that at least one is spending €3000 on it, there is no way i would buy a les paul. There are loads of guitars i would prefer to get for €3000. I think Les Paul's in general are overrated, ok if that's the sound you want but there are far more versatile and sweet-sounding guitars out there.

I also think at this stage buying a les paul from a shop is kind of stupid, because the charge sooo much and the internet provides at a much cheaper price. Either way if i was handed €3000 to buy a guitar i'd probably buy two or one and alot of other guitar related things. In short i think one can do better than a les paul in any price bracket, but if it'd be your pride and joy then so be it.

Giblet

I paid 1300euro for mine

Nidge

good stuff! on the internet or?

Giblet

Here

It wasn't me!

Mine'll have cost about 1450 all told when it arrives.

Hash Boy

It wasn't me! wrote:

Mine'll have cost about 1450 all told when it arrives.

Told what?

It wasn't me!

All told means with everything having been factored in.

Nidge

are these prices €1300 and €1450 second hand prices from people who actually did pay the full €3000 or whatever?

It wasn't me!

Yeah, but when you can get the same thing second-hand at half the price, why buy a new one?

Nidge

what? i'm not debating that, if you my other posts you'll find i am completely pro-second hand, i am saying that did they originally cost the first hand buyer €3000? They might have gotten it cheaply themselves is what i am saying, or i was wondering had they just sold it for half the amount they bought it for, that would be sickening.

feylya

TBH, if I was spending that much on a guitar, I'd pop off to Shamray and get myself a custom built instrument.

Nidge

i dunno what or where shamray is, but i agree custom all the way. I don't have 3 grand to spend i am still getting a custom job done. This forum has taught me that people should be forming their opinion on each individual guitar not the brand or line on a whole. Course i ordered the custom 4 months before this thread came into existence.

Giblet

Second hand, wouldn't buy a new Les Paul nowadays anyway.

feylya

http://www.shamray.ru/index.php?lang=en

Russian Custom Shop

Giblet

That looks AWFUL! :eek:

feylya

mayordenis

if i was getting a custom shop guitar id go with one of these moser

feylya

I despise most of Moser's models. I like traditional shapes.

mayordenis

oh well an explorer isnt exactly much more traditional than a V just this V is more spikey still a V at heart though.

feylya

Well, by traditional guitars, I mean most things made by Gibson, Fender, PRS, that sorta thing.

mayordenis

But do gibson not make V's? :P
anyway sure it doesnt really matter because at the end of the day if i spend the better part of 3000 on one of these which i might, you'll still tell me your ibanez is better.

It wasn't me!

That Ibanez is great. To be honest I like more traditional body shapes too. That may be based on a V, but unlike that, a normal V isn't going to stab you to death if you start jumping around.

feylya

How do you figure? My Ibanez isn't the best guitar I've ever played. It's a damn fine guitar, the best I own, but I have played nicer ones. That said, I still prefer it over my mate's Gibson Gothic Explorer.

ferdi

i play budget/mid range equipment because i cannot afford to do otherwise and buy high-end gear. having said that, i think i would have serious difficulty paying 2000+ for a new gibson LP, i dont know how they get away with overcharging so brazendly...dont get me wrong, if a guitar was 'worth' ten grand i'd pay it but with most high-end brands (particularly Gibson) i think your paying alot for the name on the headstock.

Karl Hungus

feylya wrote:

I despise most of Moser's models. I like traditional shapes.

Even as a fan of BC Rich, I think Neal Moser's models are just over-kill. I'd love to own a guitar built the man, because he's an absolute legend, and meant to be an unreal craftsman and perfectionist. Perhaps I'll get him to build a design of my own one day?

Doctor J

One day? Forget it, just get your chops in order for the BC Rich, man

mayordenis

i dunno overkill works for me.
wont be ordering it til around the start of 2006 and by then a different custom idea may be in my mind for now im gettin a normal white RR style V.

It wasn't me!

Aye, look forward to your big pointy Stealth.

Karl Hungus

C'mon doc! Don't tell me you wouldn't love to have a Neal Moser guitar? And personally, I still don't have a guitar with Piezo capabilities, so that's still on my to-do list.

Although, as of recently, I do have official word from Tim Keyes of BC Rich (Sound bloke, btw) that my Stealth has been on the production schedule, and work should be started on it very soon. Damned if that's not exciting?

mayordenis wrote:

i dunno overkill works for me.
wont be ordering it til around the start of 2006 and by then a different custom idea may be in my mind for now im gettin a normal white RR style V.

That sounds rather less overkill than his usual style, so go for it. But yes, don't rush it at all, I took my time when ordering my Stealth, and by the time I got around to it, I had settled on quite a few different specs than what I originally envisioned.

dabhoys

Thats no the healthiest looking Silverburst feyla. how come you posted up the pic? I must sort out a pic of mine some day

feylya

It's from the Shamray Custom shop. Someone didn't like the Hetfield explorer replica and I was browsing a thread that had that LP posted.