Honestly, what the difference between Gibson and Epiphone?

[PowerTube]

Well, you know what they say, if they were that good, they'd still be making them.

Plenty of companies have made outstanding products but still went under or sold out. Look at ADA, for example. The MP-1 preamp is still in demand to this day but getting tougher to find.

I'm sure Epiphone had its reasons for selling out to Gibson at the time, but that doesn't mean that their products were inferior.

[Flatpicker]

Well, you know what they say, if they were that good, they'd still be making them.

There were family issues back in the 60's with the Epi Brothers that forced the sale.
Epi was a good name back in the day.

[clifffclaven]

but you're missing my point. I'm not saying that the gibsons aren't better at all. I'm asking if you guys believe that the price difference is warranted. In other words, is a gibson les paul custom worth $3800.00 while the epiphone version of the same guitar is selling for $699.00?

Yes, i can tell the difference. I just don't think i can tell a difference of $2100.00.

2100?

[PowerTube]

2100?

See? That's even worse. I was taking it easy on them by giving them a $1000.00 buffer.

[Grandturk]

There were family issues back in the 60's with the Epi Brothers that forced the sale.
Epi was a good name back in the day.

I think that's probably debatable - they were a 2nd tier company. If they made classic stuff - where is it? Where are the reissues? Why are they just low end Gibsons now?

[Flatpicker]

I wouldn't say it's debatable, just a very long time ago. More 1930 ish. They competed in the hollow and semihollow segments.

You can look at the history at http://epiphone.com/history.asp
Or Wikipedia.

Gibson Just reissued a Wilshire in the 4k range just to answer your other question.


And the Coronet comes out every once awhile.
You can have good product but bad management. Just ask GM.

[roodyrocker]

I have a Les Paul Studio that I bought off E-Bay a few years ago. For all the ribbing Gibson gets about its quality control, the Studio played and sounded fantastic and thats a guitar I bought without playing first. If you have a hard time justifying spending a lot more on a Les Paul Custom as compared to an Epi, try comparing the Epi to a Studio. Now ask yourself, is the price difference worth going with the cheaper Epi? For me the answer is no, I'll take a Les Paul Studio every time.

[blitz]

The difference is one says Gibson and one says epiphone. Gibsons you pay for the name, epiphone you pay for the playability.

[Accept2]

The difference is one says Gibson and one says epiphone. Gibsons you pay for the name, epiphone you pay for the playability.

Wrong. With Gibson you pay for a guitar. With Epiphone you pay to become a member of a cult that brain washes you into posting useless messages on forums about how Gibson is the devil.............

[SEEGERMANY]

Wrong. With Gibson you pay for a guitar. With Epiphone you pay to become a member of a cult that brain washes you into posting useless messages on forums about how Gibson is the devil.............

What he's trying to say is "you're the fett of the Epiphone world!"

[john.w.lawson]

Well, this is just crazy! An Ibby Les Paul copy is better than an Epi Les Paul copy. Neither one is as good as a 70's or earlier Les Paul. I don't even think that the NEW Les Paul's are as good as the 70's or earlier Les Paul's. Anyone that cannot tell the difference between a Gibson Les Paul and an Epi Les Paul has been spending more time stroking themselves than playing guitars, which would lead to desensitized feeling in the hand and lack of blood flow to the head which would explain the slight hearing impairment.

[Bengal65]

Honestly, what the difference between Gibson and Epiphone?

You gotta be kidding me! Huge differences in materials (woods, electronics, hardware, etc.) The only way to be certain a guitar is for you, is play it.

[Racerx2k]

Aw, man. ANOTHER one of these bullshit threads? Then, all the snobs come out. If it feels good, plays good and sounds good in your hands, then who the flying fuck CARES about what name is on the headstock?! Listen to Paul Gilbert on the first Racer X album, playing a fuckin' Squier (yes, a Squier!), then listen to that fuckin' guitar snob we all know, and how he mangles the fretboard (cause everybody know one of these douchebags!), then tell me which was better. An expensive guitar in the hands of a shitty player is still shit, and a great guitarist can make even a mediocre guitar sound great.

[tooslowhand]

My take on it would be, if you have to ask, don't pay the difference.

[joshulator]

My take on it would be, if you have to ask, don't pay the difference.

I never thought of it that way before, but that makes a lot of sense to me. Unfortunately I don't have to ask, so I'm stuck paying the difference.