Honestly, what the difference between Gibson and Epiphone?

[Biff Montana]

JC penney sold Globals?

Yes. It was back in either 1978 or 79. I ordered it out of the catalog.

No matter how much you spend on the guitar if all you are playing through is a solid state $99.00 amp its going to sound like crap.

Excellent point.

[toejam]

Finally I'll say this to the younger guys starting out...No matter how much you spend on the guitar if all you are playing through is a solid state $99.00 amp its going to sound like crap. You can trade guitars, pickups, pedals, strings, etc. and no matter what, the lack of a tube amp is holding you back.

Someone forgot to tell Dimebag Darrell that when he played solid state Randall amps for his whole career.

[85 San Dimas]

JC penney sold Globals? learn something new everyday. I'll make both arguments because common sense IMHO says both ways are right.

The Gibson guys think nothing compares to a Gibson. Well, judging by what they charge nothing should. They make plenty of crap, and a lot of it is over at GC. They're no different than FMIC. They could give a shit about whther its quality or not as long as they pocket your coin. They more you spend the less you get for the money, and no Gibson lover will ever admit anything I've just posted is true. They are indoctrinated. Drank the Kool-Aid. They can't be saved.

Having said that...if you want it to sound like a Gibson nothing else does.
I have a Cherry 335 and an '08 R8. Both really good guitars but the holy grail? Not so much. A quality guitar is a quality guitar.
On the other point....for the world class players who can play lesser instruments arguement.... of course they can...that's what seperates them from the rest.

But they don't play them for long do they? Always seek value for the money. Buy what you like. Buy the BEST you can AFFORD. That's buying the best VALUE to YOU. Try to spend the extra 2 bills IF you can to get the Gibby Studio over the EPI all things being equal (playability, condition) because the difference will come back to you in the end. tried selling an Epi lately? The only people that want them already have them.

Finally I'll say this to the younger guys starting out...No matter how much you spend on the guitar if all you are playing through is a solid state $99.00 amp its going to sound like crap. You can trade guitars, pickups, pedals, strings, etc. and no matter what, the lack of a tube amp is holding you back.

[Biff Montana]

I’ve been following this thread and I’d like to interject a couple opinions and another perspective.

First the opinions:

The original questions was “are Gibsons worth the 400% or higher price difference? “
If you’re talking about a $3400 LP I say no,
unless you’ve got money to burn, a $3400+ Gibson IS NOT worth $2700 more than a $700 Epiphone.
A player could spend less money on a LP Studio, LP Standard, Charvel USA Production, Fender American Strat,
or other quality guitar in the $1000-$2000 price range and get something that would work fine for
recording, gigging, touring, general mayhem, etc.
Having said that, comparing a $700 Epi vs a $1000 LP Studio, the LP Studio is worth the extra coin.

IMO…As the price increases you’re no longer talking about being made in the USA vs Korea
or Duncans’ vs no name pickups, you’re talking about preferences and/or limited runs.
For example a LP Custom @ $3400 vs a LP Standard @ $2500.
The Custom isn’t more handcrafted; the grade of mahogany isn’t necessarily better.
Is Ebony better than Rosewood? Does the Custom sound better than the Standard?--that’s all opinion.
Personal opinion comes into play above a certain price point.

And now, another perspective regarding the “are Gibsons worth the 400% or higher price difference? “

Some of the posts in this thread seem to assume that everyone is on the same level musically.
Sometimes when reading our JCF posts it sounds like most of us are touring musicians
with years and years of experience and several album releases.
This is not always the case. Odds are we have a beginning guitarist or two amongst us.
Would a Gibson be worth the additional investment to the person was buying their first, second, or third guitar?
I’d say no, it’s not. A $400 or $500 Epiphone would be a great guitar for a newer player.
My first guitar was a $25 acoustic I bought at a pawn shop.
My second guitar was a Global LP copy I bought from the JC Penny catalog (yes, I’m old).
My third guitar was a Hondo Pro II Strat copy.
I would’ve loved to have had one of Epiphone’s newer $400 Epi Les Paul copies.

Just my opinion.

[john.w.lawson]

You can be a great player and use cheap guitars and equipment to make great sounding music. I'm not disputing that, its been done many times over. It still doesn't change the fact that the guitar you used to make those great recordings, such as an Epi or Squire or a no name brand for that matter, is not as good as Gibson/Fender in its build quality. Its quite simple really.

Hey! This guy obviously has an inferiority complex. Kinda like the "size doesn't matter" argument. Just keep on believin'! Plus, the other two guitarists in his three guitarist band that just happened to be playing REAL Les Pauls, told him that his was just as good as theirs.

[roodyrocker]

You can be a great player and use cheap guitars and equipment to make great sounding music. I'm not disputing that, its been done many times over. It still doesn't change the fact that the guitar you used to make those great recordings, such as an Epi or Squire or a no name brand for that matter, is not as good as Gibson/Fender in its build quality. Its quite simple really.

[PowerTube]

Well if THAT would be true then for decades theres been a LOT of BS going around!!! Come on... wood if extremely important for the sound that a guitar makes

I agree 100%, but if you'll actually read my post, I said that the wood doesn't make "as MUCH of a difference." And compared to an acoustic, that is totally correct. I won't be buying an electric with a body made from knotty pine* anytime in the near future, but you get my meaning.




*Hondo went out of business.

[john.w.lawson]

[zeegler]

I have a Xaviere and even though it's nice, it feels like a toy compared to the Customs, Standards, and Classics that I've owned. Sorry, that dawg don't hunt.

Is it one of the newer ones, or the Zemaitis style guitars? Mine is the Zemaitis style from the first run. Solid mahogany, maple top, set neck, fantastic fretwork. It even has a properly cut bone nut. It's one of the few guitars I own that I haven't had to make a new bone/Tusq nut for. I changed the tuners to Grovers, because the stock ones were cheap junk, and I put in some SD pickups, but other than that it was a kickass guitar right out of the box.

[john.w.lawson]

Aw, come on, guys. Really! Not going to hold riding a camel to work against someone, are ya?

[SEEGERMANY]

I have a Xaviere and even though it's nice, it feels like a toy compared to the Customs, Standards, and Classics that I've owned. Sorry, that dawg don't hunt.

[zeegler]

dude you can justify spending less on your inferior guitar all you want, but you wont be changing anyones mind who actually owns and plays a gibson. i for one will be playing my standard buit by someone who takes pride in the 20+ years that he has been building superior gibsons, over someone who was trained last week in some starving country from across the world. and by the way you might think that your epi plays better and sounds better, but when you save up and secretly buy your gibby, you will realise that you fooled noone with all your histrionics.

It's great that you like your Gibson, but the absolute truth is, there are plenty of guitars out there that play and sound just as nice as a Gibson for a quarter of the price. I have played dozens of various Gibson Les Pauls in my life, and while some of them are fantastic, some of them are real dogs. I've also played a shitload of clones, or LP style guitars, and many of them were on par with Gibson stuff. In fact a few of them were far superior. I have yet to find a Gibson that comes even halfway close to playing as well as my Yamaha Weddington. Call me crazy, but my Xaviere XV-500 cost me $350, and I wouldn't trade it for a Gibson (unless maybe you threw in a hooker and some coke ). I don't think the nationality of the guy building the guitar means shit when it comes to pride in workmanship. I've seen plenty of new Gibsons with quality control issues that IMO shouldn't have left the factory. That's certainly not what I call pride in workmanship. What you really get with Gibson, is a good warranty, the resale value and prestige, bragging rights, and an empty wallet. Having said that, I love my Les Paul, but I play the Xaviere more than any of my other guitars right now.

[Grandturk]

I have a feeling that if the Gibsonophiles on this thread were given a Gibson and Epiphone while blindfolded, they wouldn't be able to tell the difference.

Am I allowed to touch the headstock?

[john.w.lawson]

You know, one time I had a JS30 and I was in a band with five guitar players. They all had Jacksons and Charvel Custom shop guitars. They played my JS30 and said that they wished they hadn't spent all that money, cuz their was virtually no difference. Well, besides the way it played and how it sounded. Who cares, though, when you are in a band with five guitar players, you can't hear anything, anyway.

[SEEGERMANY]

I have a feeling that if the Gibsonophiles on this thread were given a Gibson and Epiphone while blindfolded, they wouldn't be able to tell the difference.

How much money can you stand to lose?