Entry Gibby or higher end Epi?

[guitarrob]

Re: Entry Gibby or higher end Epi?

..one more question, I noticed there are a few different models of the studio's?
The model I was looking at that I really liked was the Alpine white version and the Faded cherry. These are different models, with different pup correct?

 

[uOpt]

Re: Entry Gibby or higher end Epi?

Please do shoot me guys. I have seen a few threads around like this but reading a thread and discussing the points with people that have played both guitars is a bit different.

I am coming in to some cash to get a new guitar, I was eyeing the Gibson studio model but also glancing at the more expensive Epiphone models.

Truth be told, I have never played either outside of just noodling in a store if I had a minute.

I know it is really hard to say as my fingers and ears will make the final call but what is the general opinion around here on this question?

What is your opinion on buying either a Gibby LP Studio or investing the same amount in a Epiphone LP?

I would appreciate any and all opinions and information. This decision is driving me nuts and some information from both camps might help.

It can go either way. Both low end Gibsons and Epis have large variances between individual guitars.

The worst of the variance is in the faded series. Studios tend to vary between boring and good, not so much between suck and good. Resell will be higher value and easier with the Gibson, especially if it's a studio.

With Gibsons you have problems with some fixable items, namely bad fretwork and general setup. Asian made guitars that aren't the cheapest usually have good fretwork. If they kill your axe they do it by using wood they found on the beach or suffocating the guitar in bulletproof paint.

On the other hand you save some "fixable" money on the electronic in the Epi. You can put in better pots later. And pickups, well, few people want the 490/498 combo even though they are technically high quality.

 

[guitarrob]

Re: Entry Gibby or higher end Epi?

..I get the feeling that no matter which way I go it is similar to a crap shoot.
There is really no hard and fast rules, just try and buy if I like and move on to something else if I don't.
I guess the same thing applies to any guitar....finding the one that is right for me is the tricky part.

The Faded are the entry level models then?
The normal finish studio's are a bit pricier and higher end?

 

[Jessie's ghost]

Re: Entry Gibby or higher end Epi?

Asian made guitars that aren't the cheapest usually have good fretwork. If they kill your axe they do it by using wood they found on the beach or suffocating the guitar in bulletproof paint.

:haha:

So true. And the worst part is, those are the things that are hardest to overcome/fix/replace in a guitar.

 

[uOpt]

Re: Entry Gibby or higher end Epi?

..one more question, I noticed there are a few different models of the studio's?
The model I was looking at that I really liked was the Alpine white version and the Faded cherry. These are different models, with different pup correct?

The faded stuff is basically unpainted. They skipped the hard part of the word, which is filling the wood before paint, and the second hardest part, which is the polish.

From my experienced faded models tend to have a very high chance to be a dud. In the Gibson world the more you pay the less chance of a dud. However, there is no shortage of people who went into a store and picked up great sounding and playing faded models.

If you order without playing first nothing short of a full non-faded studio should be considered.

However, if you do that then you might want to consider non-new non-Gibson/Epi options.

 

[guitarrob]

Re: Entry Gibby or higher end Epi?

I would never buy a guitar without playing it first.
I like the look of the faded models...but I also like the look of the alpine white studio.


I appreciate your advice.

 

[ItsaBass]

Re: Entry Gibby or higher end Epi?

AND YOU ARE HEARING THIS FROM AN EPI USER! BUY USED AND CHANGE THE PUPS AND WIRING

Add a flame top to that guitar and it is exactly what I traded for my SINAR kit that cost about $25,000 when it was new in the late '80's. It was a LP Studio Plus in wine red. I miss the LP sometimes, but the camera was WELL worth it. I figure I could have sold the guitar for only $600 or $800, which would have got me nowhere near that amount of camera kit.

 

[Archer_of_Fish]

Re: Entry Gibby or higher end Epi?

Would you care to elaborate on why you have came to this decision?

Resale, build quality, playability.

Pick up an Epi that is properly setup then grab a well set up Studio. You will see.

 

[phil_104]

Re: Entry Gibby or higher end Epi?

:haha:

So true. And the worst part is, those are the things that are hardest to overcome/fix/replace in a guitar.

Based only on the finish, I would go for the Gibson. I can't work with the plastic finishes because of my body chemistry. Even when I had a PRS, it didn't feel right. Once I tried nitro, I had to stick to it.

 

[ItsaBass]

Re: Entry Gibby or higher end Epi?

Financially, I think it makes the most sense to go with a quality used instrument that is old enough that it won't be depreciating any more, but not yet old enough that it has begun going up in value. I would target '90's Gibsons, myself. Not only will they stay the same or increase in resale value, but they were, quite simply, built better than they are today. Buy an Epiphone and put a few hundred dollars worth of modifications into it, and you could have a very nice guitar. But you won't spend a whole lot less than if you just buy a nicely-made guitar that doesn't need any modifications in the first place. And should you ever wish to resell, you will get killed with a newer Epi with mods.

 

[Jessie's ghost]

Re: Entry Gibby or higher end Epi?

Based only on the finish, I would go for the Gibson. I can't work with the plastic finishes because of my body chemistry. Even when I had a PRS, it didn't feel right. Once I tried nitro, I had to stick to it.

Is that because you were stuck to it? :foot:

It seems the plastic finishes would be non-reactive with different body chemistries, like surgical steel. What did you experience?

 

[phil_104]

Re: Entry Gibby or higher end Epi?

Is that because you were stuck to it? :foot:

It seems the plastic finishes would be non-reactive with different body chemistries, like surgical steel. What did you experience?

Lol.

When my hands get warm (stage lights), nitro that is well cured gets me just enough grip to move around at the pace I like. With poly or acrylic, once my hands get warm, my thumb tacks to the back. If my forearm is resting on the guitar, it get sticky and just feels unpleasant. Nitro feels more textured to me. It's just more pleasant. When I played poly, it's like the moisture on my hands would bond me to the guitar.

 

[Jessie's ghost]

Re: Entry Gibby or higher end Epi?

Lol.

When my hands get warm (stage lights), nitro that is well cured gets me just enough grip to move around at the pace I like. With poly or acrylic, once my hands get warm, my thumb tacks to the back. If my forearm is resting on the guitar, it get sticky and just feels unpleasant. Nitro feels more textured to me. It's just more pleasant. When I played poly, it's like the moisture on my hands would bond me to the guitar.

I think I know what you mean. Add a little perspiration, and a completely hard, perfectly smooth, non-porous surface can get sticky as hell. My poly guitars all do that, from my $299 Epi to my $2k Jackson. Not really chemistry, though; it's just the physics of wet skin and super-hard, super-smooth surfaces.

 

[blueman335]

Re: Entry Gibby or higher end Epi?

nitro that is well cured gets me just enough grip to move around at the pace I like.

Nitro takes much longer to cure. On a new guitar, it may not be cured yet.

 

[phil_104]

Re: Entry Gibby or higher end Epi?

Nitro takes much longer to cure. On a new guitar, it may not be cured yet.

True. I always feel like there is a break in period. When it's cured though, I dig it. I've always found that with regular use, after about 6 months, you'd be set. Nitro might continue to age, but it will be cured. Like I said, it's the main reason why I don't do Epiphones. To me the finish is that important.

 

[blueman335]

Re: Entry Gibby or higher end Epi?

To me the finish is that important.

To me, it's the PU's that make a guitar, and since I don't hesitate to swap them, I'm more flexible on what guitars I like.

 

[lex666]

Re: Entry Gibby or higher end Epi?

BLUEMAN


Even Jesus doesn't dare argue with the BLUEMAN.

 

[ImmortalSix]

Re: Entry Gibby or higher end Epi?

I just bought an Epiphone Les Paul Custom.

It's very nice and resonant and plays like a sonofabicth.

I wish I had bought a Les Paul Studio instead. But I don't have a good reason.

My Epiphone plays, sounds, and records great.

Gibsons feel more like wood though, and Epiphones feel more like toys.

Anyways, my Epiphone is really good, and I bought it because it was crazy resonant, and plays well, and sounds good.

Here's my takeaway:

I wish my Epiphone was a Gibson when I am staring at it in the rack, but when I am playing it, I'm glad I bought the guitar in the shop that sounded the best.

I still wish I had a Gibson, though. I am mentally weak, and have been successfully marketed to.

 

[blueman335]

Re: Entry Gibby or higher end Epi?

I wish my Epiphone was a Gibson when I am staring at it in the rack, but when I am playing it, I'm glad I bought the guitar in the shop that sounded the best.

I still wish I had a Gibson, though. I am mentally weak, and have been successfully marketed to.

Exactly. Some people will have a different view of a guitar once they see the brand name; that goes for any consumer goods, which has been proven in many studies. Some players can tell the difference by feel and sound if they were blindfolded, others can't. I'm sure it's that way with MIA and MIM Fenders too. And yes, you've been successfully 'marketed to.'

I agree that there is a difference (not so much in the low-end Gibsons), but not it's enough that I'd be willing to pay 5 or 10 times as much for it. I'm quite content with my tweaking getting me 'close' tone-wise. At that point the emphasis gets focused on my playing.

 

[guitarrob]

Re: Entry Gibby or higher end Epi?

I have no issue with tweaking but it is nice to have a great base to work with first.