I
iismet
Guest
Re: Epiphone vs Gibson
Hey I'm new here. Been lurking for months. This is an outstanding forum - I have learned much. I just gotta comment on the Gib vs Epi saga. I've been playing at playing Blues for a long, long time. Married it, divorced it, and remarried it.
In 2003 I purchased my first Gibson - a J185EC. I have been an acoustic player since I started in 1967. I love this Guitar and have played the crap out of it. I kept trying to pick up an electric, but ended up just playing the 185 plugged it into my brothers Mesa. Pinch harmonics could not be easier.
Around Christmas I was in a Guitar Center and played a used 2002 335. I was frigging hooked and tried to purchase, but they would not come off the price. I paid $1800 for the 185 new and I just could not see $1800 for the used 335 (I was wrong). I offered $1600, but they were not entertained.
Somehow I convinced myself a 2010 Epi Dot would fill the void. So I purchased a new one and immediately ended up with a $1000 Epi Dot including 57/57+, Fret level, Bone Nut, Ghoto bridge and tail piece, setup, blah, blah, blah.
I barely got it finished and found at Portland Music, a 2003 Guild Starfire IV sitting on the rack someone had just traded in. I gave them $1100 and off I went ( I really wanted an American Made Guitar). Epi was delegated corner duty knowing I had completely screwed myself.
Along the way I found this forum and decide to replace the harsh pickups in the Guild with PG's. While the Guild has been away I have been playing the Dot. I play a Class 5 at home at very low volume and the Dot is proving to be a very cool guitar for blues. Playability reminds me a lot of some of the pawn shop Gibsons my dad would bring home in the late 60's early 70's. The neck is rather chunky. It is very resonant and plays straight. It is perfect for jams and open mics complete with understated pedigree cool factor.
The down side of the Dot is the cost to get it where it needs to be if one does not have the skill and knowledge. Some of the guy's here could have put it where it is for much less and if a person can do that, I think it is a great purchase. They are not great from the factory, but the base is there to build a solid playing guitar. It is nowhere near the quality of my Guild, but then I would not hesitate to put my Starfire against a Gibson offering with respect to build quality.
For me - My Dot is a great sounding semi and I look forward to playing out with it. After all, it sounds great, and it does say Epiphone on the head stock. Lot's of the great ones played Stellas and this thing would have been a Cadillac. If you don't have the skills, or can't bring it in for $700.00 with a case, don't waste your money, because you can have a nicer guitar.
Side notes
- Blues are from the Delta
- Epiphones are not Gibsons
- Tone is in the fingers - both hands.
- If you can't bend .013's, you must be a woman.
You guy's do an awsome job here -
Hey I'm new here. Been lurking for months. This is an outstanding forum - I have learned much. I just gotta comment on the Gib vs Epi saga. I've been playing at playing Blues for a long, long time. Married it, divorced it, and remarried it.
In 2003 I purchased my first Gibson - a J185EC. I have been an acoustic player since I started in 1967. I love this Guitar and have played the crap out of it. I kept trying to pick up an electric, but ended up just playing the 185 plugged it into my brothers Mesa. Pinch harmonics could not be easier.
Around Christmas I was in a Guitar Center and played a used 2002 335. I was frigging hooked and tried to purchase, but they would not come off the price. I paid $1800 for the 185 new and I just could not see $1800 for the used 335 (I was wrong). I offered $1600, but they were not entertained.
Somehow I convinced myself a 2010 Epi Dot would fill the void. So I purchased a new one and immediately ended up with a $1000 Epi Dot including 57/57+, Fret level, Bone Nut, Ghoto bridge and tail piece, setup, blah, blah, blah.
I barely got it finished and found at Portland Music, a 2003 Guild Starfire IV sitting on the rack someone had just traded in. I gave them $1100 and off I went ( I really wanted an American Made Guitar). Epi was delegated corner duty knowing I had completely screwed myself.
Along the way I found this forum and decide to replace the harsh pickups in the Guild with PG's. While the Guild has been away I have been playing the Dot. I play a Class 5 at home at very low volume and the Dot is proving to be a very cool guitar for blues. Playability reminds me a lot of some of the pawn shop Gibsons my dad would bring home in the late 60's early 70's. The neck is rather chunky. It is very resonant and plays straight. It is perfect for jams and open mics complete with understated pedigree cool factor.
The down side of the Dot is the cost to get it where it needs to be if one does not have the skill and knowledge. Some of the guy's here could have put it where it is for much less and if a person can do that, I think it is a great purchase. They are not great from the factory, but the base is there to build a solid playing guitar. It is nowhere near the quality of my Guild, but then I would not hesitate to put my Starfire against a Gibson offering with respect to build quality.
For me - My Dot is a great sounding semi and I look forward to playing out with it. After all, it sounds great, and it does say Epiphone on the head stock. Lot's of the great ones played Stellas and this thing would have been a Cadillac. If you don't have the skills, or can't bring it in for $700.00 with a case, don't waste your money, because you can have a nicer guitar.
Side notes
- Blues are from the Delta
- Epiphones are not Gibsons
- Tone is in the fingers - both hands.
- If you can't bend .013's, you must be a woman.
You guy's do an awsome job here -
