Epiphone vs Gibson

Re: Epiphone vs Gibson

I have to ageee with Blueman335.

If a player just smokes a set, he's not gonna get any grief from me over his choice of guitar.

Just last night I saw a fellow playing a PRS Custom 24, and I know could have taken my $400 G&L Tribute up there and dusted the stage with him. That $$$$ he spent over the cost of my import slab guitar was thrown right down the drain, AFAIAC.

BTW, in the 1930s, Gibson was scrambling to keep up with Epiphone, which beat them out on each and every single quality category.
 
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Re: Epiphone vs Gibson

I wasn't saying Epiphone is better than Gibson, but I was just pointing out that people should not knock a player that uses an expensive Gibson or the person who uses a Epiphone. If the player makes it sound good, then great. Although, I still stand by what I said about Gibsons being a bit overpriced.

BTW, do Gibson LP Jr.'s usually have tuning problems, cause I played one at Guitar Center the other day and it would not stay in tune?
 
Re: Epiphone vs Gibson

Jakek5150 said:
I wasn't saying Epiphone is better than Gibson, but I was just pointing out that people should not knock a player that uses an expensive Gibson or the person who uses a Epiphone. If the player makes it sound good, then great. Although, I still stand by what I said about Gibsons being a bit overpriced.

BTW, do Gibson LP Jr.'s usually have tuning problems, cause I played one at Guitar Center the other day and it would not stay in tune?
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Probably just a bad setup, man. We don't have Guitar Centres over here but from what I've heard, I don't think they're exactly top of the league in attention to detail...
 
Re: Epiphone vs Gibson

guitfiddle said:
BTW, in the 1930s, Gibson was scrambling to keep up with Epiphone, which beat them out on each and every single quality category.
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That's kind of like saying in the 18th century England the world superpower...
While it is completely true, it has absolutely no bearing on the world we live in today.

and I really don't know why everyone that likes mid priced import guitars seems to think that everybody that likes high priced American guitars lives in a dream world where quality instrument have something to do with how good someone can play the guitar. You would have to be a very special kind of stupid to think that. I've yet to read anyone use that as an argument for their merit, however in every one of these threads it is used as an argument against them.

Could everyone that thinks owning a 3 thousand dollar guitar makes you a better player please raise their hand?


I didn't think so...
 
Re: Epiphone vs Gibson

oilpit said:
That's kind of like saying in the 18th century England the world superpower...
While it is completely true, it has absolutely no bearing on the world we live in today.
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There are still examples of their older and better work so it's valid, for as long as the comparison of a 59 LP to one built today is equally so.
 
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Re: Epiphone vs Gibson

guitfiddle said:
There are still examples of their older and better work so it's valid, as long as the comparison of a 59 LP to one built today is equally so.
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That's not what I meant...

When Gibson bought Epiphone, the old company ceased to exist, it went from a quality guitar company to a company that made cheap copies of Gibsons.

If people were arguing that old (emphasis on old) Sheratons and Casinos were comparable to Gibsons, you wouldn't hear a peep out of me.
But to say that an Epi LP even deserves to be compared to a Gibson is just dumb...
 
Re: Epiphone vs Gibson

oilpit said:
That's not what I meant...

When Gibson bought Epiphone, the old company ceased to exist, it went from a quality guitar company to a company that made cheap copies of Gibsons.

If people were arguing that old (emphasis on old) Sheratons and Casinos were comparable to Gibsons, you wouldn't hear a peep out of me.
But to say that an Epi LP even deserves to be compared to a Gibson is just dumb...
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They only made the LPs after Gibson bought them, so you have to take them together. I'm just getting at the idea that they were at one time a great company. They were far enough in the lead at one point, that it's safe to say that at least some of the building chops that Gibson now has, could have come from Epi in the first place.
 
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Re: Epiphone vs Gibson

guitfiddle said:
They only made the LPs after Gibson bought them, so you have to take them together.
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That's exactly why you can't take them together...

I don't think you get what I am saying, as soon as Gibson bought Epiphone, the awesome quality that they had DIED. They were no longer a true guitar company, rather a vehicle for Gibson to make money on their great guitars by making cheap versions of them.

Pre-Gibson Epiphones are awesome...
but Gibson Epiphones suck...
 
Re: Epiphone vs Gibson

I agree. In the last couple of years, the quality of Epiphones has vastly improved compared to a lot of Gibson's overpriced guitars. I've tried out both at my local Guitar Center and I would have to say that if it came down to it, I would actually buy a Epiphone.
 
Re: Epiphone vs Gibson

guitfiddle said:
If a player just smokes a set, he's not gonna get any grief from me over his choice of guitar.

Just last night I saw a fellow playing a PRS Custom 24, and I know could have taken my $400 G&L Tribute up there and dusted the stage with him. That $$$$ he spent over the cost of my import slab guitar was thrown right down the drain.
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+1. Doesn't really matter what the guy's playing, if you're a better guitarist. It's just funnier if he spent significantly more money on his than you did. While we don't like to brag, you feel good inside when you outplay someone else. There's a certain satisfaction in that, and when he happens to have a high end guitar and you don't, it's like a David vs Goliath thing. You can't overlook the humor aspect of this. After all, he set himself up for it.

Certainly many guys with expensive gear are great players; we just like to have some fun with the guys who think a credit card qualifies them to get onstage.
 
Re: Epiphone vs Gibson

Kramer Guy said:
I agree. In the last couple of years, the quality of Epiphones has vastly improved compared to a lot of Gibson's overpriced guitars. I've tried out both at my local Guitar Center and I would have to say that if it came down to it, I would actually buy a Epiphone.
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See, that's exactly what I mean. People get their panties in a bunch if someone looks down on an epiphone, but it's ok to state that Gibsons are overprice like it's a fact. "Overpriced" is completely subjective. If I decide I want to swing 1250$ (new) for a SG standard instead of 800$ for an Epi LP Custom, that to me is not buying an overpriced guitar, but rather a 450$ invested into an instrument that will hold more resale, and (to me) is more desirable to play.

And I will have to disagree with the statement that most Epiphones now have a higher tolerance in terms of QC. I have seen some Gibsons that are really, really bad. But for every one of those, I have seen 10 epis.

Like I said, not crapping on Epi... but what is good for one faction saying you shouldn't judge a guitar on cost alone is good for the other.
 
Re: Epiphone vs Gibson

blueman335 said:
+1. Doesn't really matter what the guy's playing, if you're a better guitarist. It's just funnier if he spent significantly more money on his than you did. While we don't like to brag, you feel good inside when you outplay someone else. There's a certain satisfaction in that, and when he happens to have a high end guitar and you don't, it's like a David vs Goliath thing. You can't overlook the humor aspect of this. After all, he set himself up for it.

Certainly many guys with expensive gear are great players; we just like to have some fun with the guys who think a credit card qualifies them to get onstage.
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You know, I'm normally on blueman's side on a lot of things (encouraging people to modify guitars rather than feeling they need something they can't afford, etc.) But the "lousy player on the expensive guitar" thing is a little harsh. I mean, we have no idea why guy X has Y guitar. Could be a gift, something he saved a long time for doing a crappy mcjob; it could be his late uncle's guitar that was given to him in a will. Or he might be lucky and have a lot of disposable income.

I've been a bedroom/friendly jammer/home recorder for over 20 years. I've finally reached the point where I want to step out and play live. But these sorts of comments are really intimidating. I have one mid-to pricey guitar (an american vintage strat I got 18 years ago) and a PRS SE I've modded. It's hard enough to get up the nerve this late in life to overcome stage fright, but to think there are dudes out there saying, "Well, he was okay enough to play on the Korean PRS, but really, who does he think he is playing a strat like that?" doesn't help!

I get the point that the guitar doesn't make the player, and that the cork sniffers out there (although I sometimes think they are straw men in these arguments) may put too much weight on the equipment vs. the music. But I also find that the people on this site are very supportive of their fellow guitarists. I mean, ask a wiring question and presto! someone will take the time to post a diagram. I'd also like to think that the really great players on this site (and I'm NOT one of them) might be equally supportive if they walked into a bar and a guy like me was doing his best to make music with other musicians, regardless of what guitar he was playing.
 
Re: Epiphone vs Gibson

The expensive guitar argument is a not so clever deflection from the actual argument at best...

I don't care if Eric Clapton came up to me and said I wasn't good enough to play one of my Les Pauls. It's my money and it doesn't f*cking matter how good I am, if I wanna invest in something that makes me happy that's my right.

Blueman and those who side with him on this whole clusterf*ck of an argument are constantly implying that those of us that choose to play finely crafted guitars think that it makes us a better guitar player...I don't know if they actually think that we think this or they're just trolling (which is a distinct possibility) but either way it's very, very, very stupid.
 
Re: Epiphone vs Gibson

oilpit said:
The expensive guitar argument is a not so clever deflection from the actual argument at best...
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Pretty much. If you start to point out actual differences in the guitars, suddenly you get accused of thinking that "money buys talent" or that "an expensive guitar automatically makes you a good player" or some kind of horse**** that clearly nobody believes.

The whole thing smacks of class issues. It's a rite of passage for the working man to sneer at the smug overpaid guy blowing by him on the freeway in a sports car that workin' dude could never afford to buy. You have to hate him, don't you? You have to find reasons why you're better than he is. You have to tear down what you can't have, because if you don't, you might feel a bit of jealousy once in a while.

(Maybe.)

What interests me is not any of this crap, but what the differences in the guitars actually are. Regardless of how easily anyone can or can't afford them, who plays them, has played them, wants to play them, etc.
 
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Re: Epiphone vs Gibson

Thank you!

Normally I wouldn't even care, people say stupid stuff online all the time and I manage to ignore it. But it hits close to home cause I'm not some CEO that never plays and buys $10,000 guitars. I'm 18, I love playing guitar and I bag groceries after school and every weekend to make money to spend on nice guitars because I really can tell a difference between cheap ones and nice ones.

Such idiotic generalizations are made, every time I read those posts I just go nuts...
 
Re: Epiphone vs Gibson

Agreed, and I don't think anyone who buys a $2500 guitar thinks he/she will be a better guitar player because of the guitar... do they? Wouldn't you want to buy the best (of anything you care about) that you could afford?

I agree that as guitar players, I would think that you'd want to support your fellow musician and not look down on them because they could afford a better instrument.

But, I get it (sorta)... similar to golf... I see beginners/hackers all the time with $2000 sets who can't break 120, but I don't think they are tools because they bought hi-end equipment to learn to play... I look down on the guy who's been "playing" for 20 years and doesn't practice and just buys new equipment that is designed to make him play better (offset irons, etc). Not a perfect example since I don't think guitars are designed in the same way (to provide an advantage)...
 
Re: Epiphone vs Gibson

Everyone wants to be right.

Those with more to spend want to justify the expense of their purchases so as to not appear foolish with their money.

Those with less to spend want to defend the value of their purchases so as not to appear foolish with their money.

We're all right and we're all wrong.

It's all relative, anyway.
 
Re: Epiphone vs Gibson

Tone is my B*****. Thats why I have 20 guitars with 12 different tonewoods, 25 various pickups form 6 different companies, 16 different speakers in 8 different cabinets and 7 different amps.
I can understand that some of you get exasperated being bullied around by tone. You don't really have the desire or time to spend chasing tone.
You want closure..if not something simple at least somethign direct .
Sorry..it aint simple and its far from direct.
You either go out and spend a ton of loot on vintage gear or compile your own budget tone arsenal through much sacrifice and study.
I'm living proof it doesnt have to be ALL about money. Its about finding the right gear at the best price . Sure , it does involve a healthy expendiure,its not a cheap hobby, but nothing like throwing loads of money hand over fist at 50-'s 60-'s, amps and guitars, as nice as that might be .
The point is- if you can't stand the heat, GET OUTTA THE FRIGGIN KITCHEN!!!!!!
Leave the persuit of tone to the purists ( some call us snobs).
it IS all relative..even WE have to settle for what we don't have.
 
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