Epiphone Elitist Les Pauls...Talk to me

JeffB

Let it B
Pretty much everywhere I check these get ratings as good or better than American gibbys for quite a bit less money.


Anyone have any experience with them?
 
Re: Epiphone Elitist Les Pauls...Talk to me

These guitars really are great pieces... They aren't meant to be a direct competitor to the USA Gibsons. What they are intened to do is offer the player who can't afford a Gibson Historic Reissue a nice and affordable alternative. I'll tell you what, if you got a Elitist Les Paul Standard Plus and dropped in a set of Antiquities, you'd be hard pressed to find anything much better....That is, unless you can affrod $3,000 - $4000...
 
Re: Epiphone Elitist Les Pauls...Talk to me

Thanx Butch. Appreciate the feedback.

I'm really past the point of caring if it says Gibson on the headstock anymore. They just have gotten so expensive for what they are. I want the sound and the general look of a LP. But I have to admit, MF has LP Deluxes on special right now for 4 bills more, and those mini humbuckers keep calling my name :D

I was looking at a black elitist custom, but now I see they have rosewood instead of ebony boards (What the heck? thats part of the custom's distinctive sound). So I may just go with a Standard or Standard Plus as you mentioned.
 
Re: Epiphone Elitist Les Pauls...Talk to me

JeffB said:
But I have to admit, MF has LP Deluxes on special right now for 4 bills more, and those mini humbuckers keep calling my name :D

Jeff, I had one of those LP Deluxes from MF. Mine was wine red and I dearly loved it. The minis were uber cool. I also bought a set of P-90 Stacks for when I felt kind of edgy. They drop right in...
 
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Re: Epiphone Elitist Les Pauls...Talk to me

Butch Snyder said:
Jeff, I had one of those LP Deluxes from MF. Mine was wine red and I dearly loved it. The minis were uber cool. I also bought a set of P-90 Stacks for when I felt kind of edgy. They drop right in...

Years ago I had one..70's model..tobacco sunburst (when I was in my wannabe Scott Gorham phase). it was a great guitar, at the time tho I was a gain freak and the mini's kinda disappointed me. Now I'm older and more laid back :D Wine Red is the color I was looking at for that model.
 
Re: Epiphone Elitist Les Pauls...Talk to me

JeffB said:
I'm really past the point of caring if it says Gibson on the headstock anymore. They just have gotten so expensive for what they are. I want the sound and the general look of a LP. But I have to admit, MF has LP Deluxes on special right now for 4 bills more, and those mini humbuckers keep calling my name :D

I was looking at a black elitist custom, but now I see they have rosewood instead of ebony boards (What the heck? thats part of the custom's distinctive sound). So I may just go with a Standard or Standard Plus as you mentioned.

I've been trying to save up and justify spending $2000 on a LP standard. Each time I come close the price goes up. For this year, the price of a standard went up another $200 for absolutely no reason. What a drag. Gibson is charging way too much and laughing all the way to the bank.
 
Re: Epiphone Elitist Les Pauls...Talk to me

if you never plan on selling it...buy one...better yet...buy one used...!!!

man...i saw one not too long ago...sooooooo nice!!!
 
Re: Epiphone Elitist Les Pauls...Talk to me

lex666 said:
I've been trying to save up and justify spending $2000 on a LP standard. Each time I come close the price goes up. For this year, the price of a standard went up another $200 for absolutely no reason. What a drag. Gibson is charging way too much and laughing all the way to the bank.

I know. Makes me so mad I never kept the half dozen I had. IIRC, I paid $1400 for a brand new Les Paul Custom from Chuck Levins back in '89 (gorgeous guitar). Used to pay around 9 bills for Standards. They have gone up so much compared to other brands. Customs are now 3 grand :yell:

Thats one reason I'm looking hard at the deluxe from MF. Better tops and inlays than Classics and less expensive (1500 for wine red or ebony). And the mini's sound way cool, and thanks to our hosts here, there are some good replacement pups should I ever have the desire to try something else in it.

But the Elitists get rave reviews too, and cost about 1100 smackers. Just doesn't say "Gibson".

I liked Gibson alot better in the 80's when no-one wanted them..everyone wanted super strats instead :D
 
Re: Epiphone Elitist Les Pauls...Talk to me

A guitar 500 dollars cheaper than mine plays better right? Yikes!

If the headstock was the same.........I'd be therrrrrrr
 
Re: Epiphone Elitist Les Pauls...Talk to me

Now there is one thing about the Elitists that's really different that the Gibsons... The neck binding that goes up the frets. The Elitists don't have it... But binding is one of the most laor-intensive parts of guitar construction. It's one of the factors that drive the guitar's cost up. I guess Epiphone knew that going in and wanted to keep the price point down as compared with a Historic Reissue Les Paul.
 
Re: Epiphone Elitist Les Pauls...Talk to me

lex666 said:
I've been trying to save up and justify spending $2000 on a LP standard. Each time I come close the price goes up. For this year, the price of a standard went up another $200 for absolutely no reason. What a drag. Gibson is charging way too much and laughing all the way to the bank.

For as much as you guys are planning on spending on the Epi elitists you could pick up a used heritage, throw in SD's and a new bridge and tailpiece assembly....for a little less..or a new heritage for about 200 dollars more, Frantic Rock's custom one cost 1560, with antiquities and tonepros from the factory.

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/srs7/g=guitar/search/detail/base_pid/518405/

$1049 for a new elitist

$160 for Duncans

$120 for tonepros
Total
$1229

I paid

$800 used for my heritage LP

$170 for dbl creme pups

$120 for tonepros
Total
$1090

Food for thought

Luke
 
Re: Epiphone Elitist Les Pauls...Talk to me

Heh..just sold my 1995 Heritage HC150 w/ duncans a few months back Luke. Great guitar for sure... great value.

Want something different/new I guess..headstock on the heritage bugs me too, LOL.

From what I hear though, the pups the Elitists use are pretty darn good.
 
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