does epiphone suck?

[atomic charvel guy]

Re: does epiphone suck?

tokai love rock LS80 or LS100. not the new ones. then again for 475 you might get lucky with an orville or a burny or greco, ibanez,etc. etc. etc.

[MetalMedal II]

Re: does epiphone suck?

It's kinda funny that Tokai makes copies of Zakk's bullseye graphic.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...gory=2384&rd=1

Don't they have any shame! [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

[Jason1212]

Re: does epiphone suck?

I have been scoping Orvilles and Tokai Love Rocks for a while. I was at a shop and saw a Gibson faded Les Paul today for like 569. Funny thing was this was butterscotch, blonde or what ever instead of red.

[rjohnstone]

Re: does epiphone suck?

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Go hunt around for a Samick LP copy from around 1996.


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[img]/images/graemlins/nono.gif[/img] NNNNNNOOOOOOOOO!!!!

Sorry rjohnstone, not trying to flame you here, but coming from a Samick Owner...

gain sorry rjohnstone, I'm not trying to flame you!

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No flame taken... I know Samick's for the most part blow.
I sold them for years to parents that realy didn't want their kid to play guitar.
But as stated by others, they make the Epiphones for Gibson.
A Samick LP copy and an Epiphone LP are the same guitar.
But back to my point, in 1996, Samick's version of a LP was a dead on match to a USA Gibson LP. They got in trouble for it but not until after they shipped like a few thousand of them.
And some of the new high end Samicks (insert sarcastic comment here) really aren't that bad at all.

[Rupe]

Re: does epiphone suck?

I used to manage a music store that carried Gibson/Epiphone. The most important thing to know is that there are wide quality variences among Epiphine guitars...even the same model. I played some that were great guitars and others that were absolute dogs. Buying one without playing it is a risky proposition (it can be for more expensive American guitars as well). Check out as many as possible and I'm sure you will find one that you like. Hardware upgrades won't be necessary but I would advise you to make them at some point. I actually have an Epi LP Standard that I got for my son as a beginners guitar because he liked my Gibson LP Custom so much. I had the luxery of playing dozens of Epis at my store, and the Standard that I bought is a great plying and sounding guitar...I would have no problems using it live if I had to and it is still completely stock. The only issue is the bridge 'bucker is microphonic at high volumes but I plan on upgrading the pickups if my son ever decides to get serious and learn something besides the opening riff to Smoke on the Water.

[MBreinin]

Re: does epiphone suck?

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How many stories have you heard of an old epiphone? Does that tell you much? I haven't seen any old epiphones around.


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That is because you obviously aren't well versed in vintage guitars. Epiphone had their glory day, which has very little to do with today's product. There are several HIGHLY collectable vintage Epiphones that bring high dollar today, for example original Sheratons and Casinos.

Also, Epiphone's high end line is apparently a very well made product that far exceeds the basic Epiphones.

With that said. I had a Dot for exactly one weekend. It looked great and the neck was also great, but even with a set of real Gibson pickups, a pro action job, improved tuners and a great setup...it sounded like shit, and NOT like a 335.

Mike

[data187]

Re: does epiphone suck?

some epi's aren't bad...like everyone said, the tolerances are very wide, so you might get a gem or a dog. with that said i did own a limited edition sparkle top epi les paul that played and sounded great.

[siggy14]

Re: does epiphone suck?

[ QUOTE ]
I used to manage a music store that carried Gibson/Epiphone. The most important thing to know is that there are wide quality variences among Epiphine guitars...even the same model. I played some that were great guitars and others that were absolute dogs. Buying one without playing it is a risky proposition (it can be for more expensive American guitars as well). Check out as many as possible and I'm sure you will find one that you like. Hardware upgrades won't be necessary but I would advise you to make them at some point. I actually have an Epi LP Standard that I got for my son as a beginners guitar because he liked my Gibson LP Custom so much. I had the luxery of playing dozens of Epis at my store, and the Standard that I bought is a great plying and sounding guitar...I would have no problems using it live if I had to and it is still completely stock. The only issue is the bridge 'bucker is microphonic at high volumes but I plan on upgrading the pickups if my son ever decides to get serious and learn something besides the opening riff to Smoke on the Water.

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How many stories have you heard of an old epiphone? Does that tell you much? I haven't seen any old epiphones around.


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That is because you obviously aren't well versed in vintage guitars. Epiphone had their glory day, which has very little to do with today's product. There are several HIGHLY collectable vintage Epiphones that bring high dollar today, for example original Sheratons and Casinos.

Also, Epiphone's high end line is apparently a very well made product that far exceeds the basic Epiphones.

With that said. I had a Dot for exactly one weekend. It looked great and the neck was also great, but even with a set of real Gibson pickups, a pro action job, improved tuners and a great setup...it sounded like shit, and NOT like a 335.

Mike

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Things to know about epiphones, they can be great guitars or crap, just like regular gibsons. Depends on the wood and who does the setup.

First thing is you will more then likely need to replace the bridge pickup, if you use the neck alot i would replace that too.

Second is you have to be carefull when you purchase and do research. Some epiphones have Alder in them, alot of time on the tops, goto www.epiphone.com to research.

The High end epiphones are called the elitists and these are just as good as any american made gibson, the only difference is about a grand in price, i think you can get an elitest standard for about a grand, where a regular les paul standard is about $2000. I believe the Elitist's are also made in the USA.

Overall finding a normal epiphone can be a great beginner guitar with some upgrades, you just have to look and play to find out what sounds good to you. Personaly though, like said before the headstock was just too much for me and i felt like i was lacking and embarrased.

epiphone elitist's page http://www.epiphone.com/elitist/

[Rupe]

Re: does epiphone suck?

Elitists are built in Japan, but the quality control and parts are supposedly equal to Gibson. I have never played one so I can't attest to the quality of these instruments.

[VulfgangPfuck]

Re: does epiphone suck?

Elitists are built where the Orvilles were built. They are set up to build the higher-end guitars there.

Also Epiphones prior to 1972 were all built in USA...Epi goes back to the 1940's and were built in NYC until Gibson bought them out in the mid-60's

[pro-fusion]

Re: does epiphone suck?

Prior to the Gibson buyout, Epiphones were actually higher-end guitars than Gibsons--they made acoustic guitars and jazz boxes that are now worth a small fortune.

And the early Gibson/Epiphones were pretty cool, as well. The Sheraton is basically just a 335 with an Epi headstock, though I believe that Epi was making a similar Sheraton model even before the buyout.

[LexLuthier]

Re: does epiphone suck?

The Gibson made Epiphones were made right along with Gibson production in good ol' Kalamazoo, Michigan. They are every bit the equal to Gibsons of the era. Some of them are under-rated like the Coronets, which are kick-ass.

The Korean-made Epi stuff made nowdays doesn't do anything for me.
Pros: Cheap
Cons: Junk electronics, hardware, and frets

The Epi Elitists are pretty nice, but then you are getting into $$$ territory where you could buy a used USA Hamer, which is a far superior guitar.

[metallicarocks]

Re: does epiphone suck?

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um....who do you think is making the epiphone? i'll give you a hint; it rhymes with "samick."

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I guess they build for just about everybody then, don't they? [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img] I guess that only backs up my point about neither of them seeming to last that long.

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That is because you obviously aren't well versed in vintage guitars. Epiphone had their glory day, which has very little to do with today's product. There are several HIGHLY collectable vintage Epiphones that bring high dollar today, for example original Sheratons and Casinos.

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And you see exactly how many of those around... ?

Don't mean to flame you on that one. I never said that they didn't produce a single good guitar, I just said they don't seem to hold together. Sure, you'll see an old one here and there, and maybe if you're lucky a guitar when they were their own company and not bought out.

(almost forgot)
Should you sell your guitar later, which one do you think will be taken more seriously? A guitar with Samick on the headstock or Epiphone?

[GodOfRhythm]

Re: does epiphone suck?

To counter that argument. I don't see a lot of Jackson AT Pro's around, I don't see a lot of 750xl string-thru's around, ...

Bad guitars? Hell no, people like them too much to even consider selling them.

The epiphone's in question here are over 40 yrs old and as such are even rarer/have more mystique than those relatively new guitars. Your argument is flawed.

[metallicarocks]

Re: does epiphone suck?

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Your argument is flawed.


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I don't appreciate the comment. I've stated time after time that I'm not trying to flame anyone, and that sounds like a flame to me.

Since when did the guy say he wanted to buy a vintage Epiphone?