Epi Les Paul for $2 800.00 any one ?

[Adieu]

Re: Epi Les Paul for $2 800.00 any one ?

I appreciate that the price is for the custom work and not the fact that it's an Epi, but the original was a Gibson, so even from a recreation standpoint, it's overtly imperfect. If that guy really does this on a regular basis, then I'm surprised he went with an Epi for the recreation and is charging that much for it. In the inauthentic signature guitar market, he has to compete with these cheap Chinese counterfeit knockoffs http://huayun-guitars.com/ that only cost $200 - $300 and have a correct looking head stock. Who knows how they play, but they cost a tenth of the price.

maybe he started out on the MIM Fender-based replica market, and here just went for the analogous pricerange from "by Gibson" products? it's certainly a popular starting point for DIY replicas of fair quality, heck, I've even done it myself

also, if he buys new @ UK prices, who knows just how much moolah he's actually got in the build... I was asking like about a 200 buck premium over what _I_ spent on parts for mine, and I really got the stuff hilarously cheap.

 

[DreX]

Re: Epi Les Paul for $2 800.00 any one ?

If anyone has bought an actual Chinese counterfeit signature model, I'd be curious to know how it played and sounded, and how the components compared to stuff from Sammick, Epiphone or a Rondo. Do they cut every corner possible, or are they legit guitars?

 

[DreX]

Re: Epi Les Paul for $2 800.00 any one ?

maybe he started out on the MIM Fender-based replica market, and here just went for the analogous pricerange from "by Gibson" products? it's certainly a popular starting point for DIY replicas of fair quality, heck, I've even done it myself

also, if he buys new @ UK prices, who knows just how much moolah he's actually got in the build... I was asking like about a 200 buck premium over what _I_ spent on parts for mine, and I really got the stuff hilarously cheap.

It makes me wonder how much it would cost to buy an Epi and have a guitar custom shop make those mods, the most significant being the larger switch cavity and custom cut cover plate, and the placement of a third pickup if it not possible to but that Epi LP with three pickups stock. I'm guess it would still be a lot cheaper than $2,800, but if people are expecting this to be priced $800-ish, they're being unrealistic.

 

[HKZSquared]

Re: Epi Les Paul for $2 800.00 any one ?

I read it started as a Black Beauty so the mid 'bucker was already routed and installed, but that guitar new is $700 or $800 I think if they still make it. In the UK its price probably hits $1000 (converted). Not sure exactly what parts cost'd be.

 

[Edgecrusher]

Re: Epi Les Paul for $2 800.00 any one ?

If anyone has bought an actual Chinese counterfeit signature model, I'd be curious to know how it played and sounded, and how the components compared to stuff from Sammick, Epiphone or a Rondo. Do they cut every corner possible, or are they legit guitars?

When I lived there I saw them all the time knew people who bought them but never bought one myself. They are legit guitars but ALWAYS have issues. The wood is very suspect if you look in like the pickup cavities you can see that the LP's top is actually like a paper foto flame on top of some mystery light wood. They do the same with the backs to make it look like a 2 piece back then its really 4 or 5 piece back. Most of the time there are bridge placement issues and string alignment issues. The nuts are never cut anywhere near usable. The necks tend to shift around. One guy i knew would adjust his truss rod every couple of days. Of all of them that ive seen they only LOOK at a distance like a gibson their functionality is many times less than a 89 dollar first act guitar that you can buy at walmart.

I would take anything from Rondo or Epi over the Fibson garbage.

 

[Edgecrusher]

Re: Epi Les Paul for $2 800.00 any one ?

Sorry I was ignorant, I just know of many imports from various brands being made all in the same factory and assumed this was the case with the knockoffs. Never handled a knockoff Gibson up close to notice. Lesson learned.

Actually one of the cool things about the Epi factory is that it really is Gibsons. This isnt a contracted factory this is a factory actually owned by gibson. This is why they were able to bring the level of quality control up to where it is on the Epis. Most of the workers are chinese but there is a significant presence of American personnel to oversee production and quality control.

 

[Gearjoneser]

Re: Epi Les Paul for $2 800.00 any one ?

A vintage guitar shop owner once said something that still cracks me up to this day.

"There's a seat for every ass."

 

[Adieu]

Re: Epi Les Paul for $2 800.00 any one ?

It makes me wonder how much it would cost to buy an Epi and have a guitar custom shop make those mods, the most significant being the larger switch cavity and custom cut cover plate, and the placement of a third pickup if it not possible to but that Epi LP with three pickups stock. I'm guess it would still be a lot cheaper than $2,800, but if people are expecting this to be priced $800-ish, they're being unrealistic.

routing is cheap-to-do, expensive-to-buy, simply cause it comes with a slight inherrent risk.... screwup compensation insurance, if you will, for if you're charging someone to rout out their guitar for them and they end up unsatisfied. also, routers just kinda scare people, carbide razor sharp cutter spinning 25 000 rpm and trying to wiggle out of your hands n all that, so people kinda expect a premium over, say, a simple jack solder job.

doing it on your own guitar, it really costs next to nothing if you're confident. a used router tends to cost less than a single good carbide flute if you look for deals.

so that third pickup thing's only costly for the builder in the "buy another pickup" sense.


...$800 for an Epi, if you're seeing it as a modded Epi, is downright INSANE. just as insane as $2800 for a parts-guitar-custom-job made out of something that isn't top shelf American or a renowned Japanese custom shop product.

For comparison: I've got this wild & pristine Charvel Japan that a previous owner put an aftermarket Kahler USA on, luthier-installed with flush-fit no-gap blocks hammered into the original trem cavity... further modded by yours truly with a Wilde (Lawrence) L500xl in the bridge & a Fender CS69 in the neck, and still THAT beast is hardly worth that much on the American market... despite having like 600+ bucks in parts and work (400+ bridge & pups, plus hardcore body modding done by the book to surgical precision) on a quality old Japanese axe far superior to any modern Epi, and in better condition too

 

[Adieu]

Re: Epi Les Paul for $2 800.00 any one ?

Actually one of the cool things about the Epi factory is that it really is Gibsons. This isnt a contracted factory this is a factory actually owned by gibson. This is why they were able to bring the level of quality control up to where it is on the Epis. Most of the workers are chinese but there is a significant presence of American personnel to oversee production and quality control.

quality control? WHERE? do show me

 

[Edgecrusher]

Re: Epi Les Paul for $2 800.00 any one ?

quality control? WHERE? do show me

:nono: Heard this nonsense from you before... Try to start crap elsewhere we already know you hate Gibson/Epi

 

[SirJackdeFuzz]

Re: Epi Les Paul for $2 800.00 any one ?

Actually one of the cool things about the Epi factory is that it really is Gibsons. This isnt a contracted factory this is a factory actually owned by gibson. This is why they were able to bring the level of quality control up to where it is on the Epis. Most of the workers are chinese but there is a significant presence of American personnel to oversee production and quality control.

So can Gibson/Epiphone not take a leave out of the Fender/Squier book and give the Epi's the Gibbo head stock ?

Squire does it with their models, they get the 'correct' fender shaped headstock.

If it works for them, surely it will for Epiphone !

 

[Edgecrusher]

Re: Epi Les Paul for $2 800.00 any one ?

So can Gibson/Epiphone not take a leave out of the Fender/Squier book and give the Epi's the Gibbo head stock ?

Squire does it with their models, they get the 'correct' fender shaped headstock.

If it works for them, surely it will for Epiphone !

No idea.. i'm guessing it comes from the fact that Epi used that headstock in the past (before gibson bought them) and is part of their heritage. Also keeps the 2 brands identifiable at a glance. But if you ask me its a hideous heastock.

 

[AlexR]

Re: Epi Les Paul for $2 800.00 any one ?

I'm wondering if Gibson is worried about the losing sales bit - becomes one of those upbranding sells where you not only get the right construction and woods, but get the headstock shape too.