Not true.
That was the case some years ago before Epiphone built their own facility in China. Now the products from their China plant are top line instruments.
I saw a Std Plus top at GC today for $549 in Honey Burst.I liked it.It was new and made in Korea opposed to the others they had that were made in China.I had read some where that the Korean ones were better than the Chinese made ones.What do Fret net readers think about it?Thanks.
Not true.
That was the case some years ago before Epiphone built their own facility in China. Now the products from their China plant are top line instruments.
Definitely. I have a very nice limited edition Birdseye LP made in china that is a great guitar.Originally Posted by Rocket
There have been plenty of good Korean LPs as well. It really comes down to 'a good guitar is a good guitar.' It doesn't matter where it was built just that you like it.
"No Tele For you." - The Tele Nazi
Ha! Tele-ish now inbound.
I don't know much about Epi's....never played one, but give a look at the Agile AL-3000. Top notch guitar and you'll have some money left over for a pedal or two.
Guitars: 2003 and 2004 American series strats, Squier Classic Vibe 50's Strat, Squier Deluxe Strat.
Amps: Line 6 Spider IV 120, Vox AD50VT 212, and Peavey Transtube Bandit 112.
Pedals: Digitech Bad Monkey.
True, a variety of Chinese factories made Epis of inconsistent quality, especially LP's & G400's (SG's), and Korean Epi LP's, particularly by Unsung and Peerless, were generally superior products while those so-so Chinese jobbed guitars were being made, before Gibson opened their own factory and assumed better QC and consistent spec production. They still jobbed occasional runs of LP's out, though, for a while, particularly PlusTops, to Unsung Korea. They still do, or did as late as early 2008, job some acoustics to Samick Indonesia.
I'm only guessing, but that Korean LP you looked at is likely to be New Old Stock, hanging around that GC for at least a year or more, especially since that's an 'old' price, about $100 less than new Gibson China LP PT's.
I couldn't intelligently compare an Epi to an Agile, since I've never seen an Agile 'in person', and I never buy guitars unless I put my hands on them first, but I've played Samick Avions (Greg Bennetts) and they're essentially an Epi LP with a Samick headstock.
^^
AXES: Fender '81 The STRAT, '12 Standard Tele, '78 Musicmaster Bass, '13 CN-240SCE Thinline; Rickenbacker '82 360-12BWB; Epiphone '05 Casino, '08 John Lennon EJ-160E; Guild '70 D-40NT; Ovation '99 Celebrity CS-257; Yamaha '96 FG411CE-12; Washburn '05 M6SW Mando, '08 Oscar Schmidt OU250Bell Uke; Johnson '96 JR-200-SB Squareneck Reso; Hofner '07 Icon B-Bass; Ibanez '12 AR-325. AMPS: Tech 21 Trademark 10; Peavey ValveKing Royal 8; Fender Acoustonic 90, Passport Mini, Mini Tonemaster; Marshall MS-2 Micro Stack; Behringer BX-108 Thunderbird; Tom Scholz Rockman. PEDALS/FX: Boss ME-50; Yamaha EMP100; Stage DE-1; Samson C-Com 16 L.R. Baggs ParaAcoustic D.I; MXR EQ-10.
"I'm only guessing, but that Korean LP you looked at is likely to be New Old Stock, hanging around that GC for at least a year or more, especially since that's an 'old' price, about $100 less than new Gibson China LP PT's."
Yeah I was wondering about it being around awhile.How can you tell if it was an Unsung made guitar?Are they,Epiphone, still making them in Korea and bringing them in? Thanks.
The serial number may start with a 'U'.Originally Posted by F4DPhantomII
"No Tele For you." - The Tele Nazi
Ha! Tele-ish now inbound.
Yeah, my WildKat is an Unsung and the quality seems fine to me. As previously stated though, it really depends on the particular guitar rather than the country. I have a MIC Fernandes Ravelle that equals any of the MIK guitars (Epi WildKat, Epi G400 SG, numerous DeArmonds, Agile Valkyrie SG-type, Epi Flying V, Schecter Tempest Special, pre-Fender Gretsch Electromatic, etc.) I own or have owned. In fact, according to the scuttlebutt amongst Fernandes Ravelle owners, the original production was in China, then moved to Korea for a year or so, but then moved back to China because the Korean-jobbed Ravelles were generally not as nice as the original MIC ones.Originally Posted by Spudman
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No U on it just numbers.Originally Posted by Spudman
Epi serial nos decoded here.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epiphone
Electric: Fat strat > Korg PB > TS7 > DS1 > DD-20 > Cube 60 (Fender model)
Acoustic: Guitar > microphone > audience
I sure would help if they didn't change their methodology/consistency every couple of years.Originally Posted by markb
i have some personal experience with epi's. i dont have one but i played them alot at GC everytime i go.
They are Great. Go get em.
Well they should be more consistent now with their own Chinese factory. I think the problem is that Epi manufacture has just been contracted out to (presumably) whoever gave Gibson the best price. Different models from different factories in the same period, even. It's no wonder qc can be a lottery on Epiphones.Originally Posted by Rocket
Electric: Fat strat > Korg PB > TS7 > DS1 > DD-20 > Cube 60 (Fender model)
Acoustic: Guitar > microphone > audience
I'm quite satisfied with all the Epiphones that I've had and currently keep. Wish I could say the same for Gibsons. The last Gibson I bought now resides with Dreadman. My previous fav Epiphone now belongs to Childbride.
My wife is thrilled with her Epi Masterbilt... it has completely replaced both her D-28 and Hummingbird as her goto guitar. That's quite a feat!
Praise indeed!Originally Posted by Rocket
Electric: Fat strat > Korg PB > TS7 > DS1 > DD-20 > Cube 60 (Fender model)
Acoustic: Guitar > microphone > audience
If you can remember the full s/no. you can verify it at the Guitar Dater Project site. If it's an Unsung job, it should start with a U, and the next 4 digits are year and month of manufacture, respectively. I have 2 Unsung guitars (SG and Firebird) and both of them are excellent guitars. The stock pickups are good, I don't think they're as hot as the Gibson p/ups, but I prefer a mellower sound so they're just right for me.
Guitars: Epiphone SG-400 Custom; Epiphone Firebird V; 1996 Gibson LP Standard; Avion 4; Yamaha FG-301B acoustic
FX: TS-808; Big Muff (Triangle Version); Red Llama; Green Ringer Octave Up (Clones); Maxon Phaser; Maxon Compressor; Tremulus Lune Tremolo; Line 6 POD II
Amp: (Somewhere in another country) Hiwatt 100W head, Marshall 4x12 cab
My noise here
Any idea which Korean factory made this Epi Les Paul Standard Plus top serial #0811210681?I tried the Guitardater project site with no luck.Thanks.
No letter at the beginning?Originally Posted by F4DPhantomII
Mark
* Loud is good, good is better!
Man Phantom how did you remember that number? I was there today with ya and I did not see you write anything down. I thought the quality was very good.
M