Epiphone vs Gibson

[Spudman***]

Here are my Les Pauls for all to enjoy. Just change the strings when you are finished.

[warren0728]

guitar center is heavy into selling used vintage guitars. And they sell them for more than the average person would. Just check ebay and see how many of the vintage/used gibsons (not just gibson but fender and such) are being sold by guitar center. They might not be the only culprit but certainely are contributing to the overall increase in used/vintage guitar prices.

Their prices for new equipment, etc. is comparable and possibly cheaper than other outlets but their used/vintage stuff is definately inflated.

ww

[duhvoodooman***]

I've had a Strat Plus for several years that I enjoy playing immensely, but had always wanted an LP since I saw the photos of Clapton playing one on the Mayall "Beano" album and heard his tone on tunes like "All Your Love" and "Double Crossing Time". I thought it would be great to have a classic humbucker guitar to go with my Strat. Between the two, they covered most of what the guitar heroes of my youth (late 60's/early 70's) used on the classic rock and blues tunes I loved.

A couple of years ago, I began looking into getting one, and was STUNNED by how much the Gibson LP's went for. Since I'm strictly a guitar hobbyist who plays at home for my own enjoyment and relaxation (and have two kids to put through college in the next few years!), I just couldn't justify paying $2000 or more for a new LP Standard. I started to look around on eBay, but the news wasn't much better. The instruments that were in good shape were still going for much more than I was willing to pay, and the cheaper ones were all beat to ****, often needing extensive repairs. I was discouraged, to say the least.

Then I stumbled across the Epi Elitist LP Standard being sold by Musiciansfriend.com for a mere $700. Thinking this kind of price was way too good to be true, and that these must be some kind of cheap "knock-off" of the real thing, I began to read the customer reviews. But people who owned them RAVED about them. Again and again, I read similar comments about how these guitars were every bit as good as their Gibson brethren, but for a half to a third of the price. Often, these comments were from players who had owned both. Further research bore out these glowing reviews--I read excellent things about the quality and playability of the Epi Elitist LP's from a variety of sources. Though produced in Japan rather than Nashville, it appeared that these instruments were made from premium materials and components by master luthiers who took exceptional pride in their craft.

I bought mine in early December and have been absolutely thrilled with it. Not only is it a gorgeous guitar boasting flawless workmanship, but it plays like an absolute dream. About the only feature I'm not particularly impressed with are the pickups. Though these Elitist LP's use USA-produced humbuckers, I find their sound to be on the tame side. I'm leaning toward upgrading to the Seymour Duncan "Hot Rodded Humbucker" set, consisting of an SH-2n Jazz model at the neck and a high-output SH-4 JB model at the bridge. (Advice on this or other pup upgrade alternatives welcomed!)

So while I certainly don't consider myself an expert, I have been extremely pleased with my Epi Elitist LP Standard and consider them to be one of the finest values available in a high quality electric guitar. Unfortunately, Musiciansfriend doesn't carry them anymore, though they do have the Elitist LP Standard Plus, starting at $800.

[SuperSwede]

Hi there,

For a Les Paul I would really recommend the PAF + (if you can find them these days) or Classic 57. I have not played the new Burstbuckers.
I had PAF + on my old LP and they sound great, much like that "old" gibson sound.

[Spudman***]

Voodoo
Many people like the Duncan pickup combination that you mention. I however don't. However, I have mine installed in an alder or ash Strat. I can't tell because of the paint.
Personally I think the Screamin Demon is a better bridge pickup. The output is not nearly as hot as the JB and more tone seems to some through.
Also the Jazz neck is too mellow for me. I like a little brightness on my neck pickup and I think other pickups do this better. The jazz is warm and smooth with no top end sparkle. At least on my guitar. I know that it's Seymore's personal favorite and all but it isn't mine.

This is just my opinion and results on your guitar might vary.

[r_a_smith3530]

I have to say that I love the combination that I have in my Gibby Les Paul Studio Dot, namely a Duncan '59 in the neck and a DiMarzio Tone Zone in the bridge. It's a really sweet combination. The Tone Zone also sounds absolutely fabulous when I flip the switch throwing it into single coil mode!



BTW, the Elitist Les Paul's are really nice sounding guitars, and may have some of the best consistency of tone among all Gibby/Epi Les Paul's. So far, of the few I've played, I haven't seen a bad one yet. I wish that I could say the same for their much more pricey Nashville made cousins!

[Nelskie]

Voodoo - I have an Epi Les Paul myself, and absolutely love it! Been playing it for going on (16) years. It's a 1990 honey-burst model, and is pretty much bone-stock except for the aftermarket pick-ups and the pots / capacitors. The pick-up combo I have in mine is a Seymour-Duncan '59 in the neck (very warm tone, with just a tad bit o' bite), and a Pearly Gates in the bridge (a- how, how, how!) That combo fits the bill very nicely for playing a variety of material - Allman Bros., ZZ Top, Cream, Aerosmith, Zeppelin, etc.

I'm also glad that you mentioned in your post that Clapton was a Les Paul player. Most everyone equates his fantastic tone to his signature Stratocaster, but as you've noted, it was not always that way. Eric didn't really start using the Strat exclusively until the early-mid 70's. Eric also played a modified SG model when he was in Cream, one of the which was adorned with a way-out psychedelic paint job (I'm sure he had several). Thus, the Gibson sound was indeed the headwaters of the amazing Clapton tone.

Here's a snap of my Les Paul, and one of Clapton playing his.

[SuperSwede]

Nelskie, that is a really nice finish on that les paul. And I bet that it is a pleasure to visit La Grange with it

[Nelskie]

Swede - Yes indeed, I am a frequent visitor to that "little ol' shack". Having a nice LP with a Pearly Gates always makes that journey more than worth the while. The photo I attached is kinda' dark, and does not really accentuate its flame top, or lovely sunburst finish. I hope to post some better snaps of it down the road. My first order of biz, though, is to get some Valve Jr. tone clips recorded, and I think that my LP would be the perfect ambassador for that very task. The Tone-man and a few other Fretters have been scratchin' at that post for awhile.

[SuperSwede]

nice! I am looking forward to it!

[Tone2TheBone]

I concur with the Pearly Gates comment from Nel. Nothing like the tasty sweet tones of a PG Bridge pup. Ahhhhhhhhhh.....

At the other end of the spectrum is the Dimarzio Virtual Hot PAF if you want really screaming but vintagey sounds.

[duhvoodooman***]

The pick-up combo I have in mine is a Seymour-Duncan '59 in the neck (very warm tone, with just a tad bit o' bite), and a Pearly Gates in the bridge (a- how, how, how!) That combo fits the bill very nicely for playing a variety of material - Allman Bros., ZZ Top, Cream, Aerosmith, Zeppelin, etc.

Very interesting. I've read good things about the PG model at a couple of different places, and liked the demo clips on the Duncan website. That may be the way to go for me, along with a '59 at the neck. Thanks for the info!

[Slowhand]

Voodooman
I've got the JB/Jazz pup combo which I replaced from 59/59 because I felt that I needed a bit more 'bite' to my tone. If it's the beano album sound your after both sets will do this but I think the JB/Jazz has a little bit more aggression to them and that what i was after. I also wanted to coil split and the 59's are two wire and you need 4 wire to do this,then I went the whole hog and put in Jimmy page wiring.With Epi's it also a good idea to upgrade the tuners and I put in a Tone pros Bridge.
Graham

[guitaro]

A couple of years ago, I began looking into getting one, and was STUNNED by how much the Gibson LP's went for. Since I'm strictly a guitar hobbyist who plays at home for my own enjoyment and relaxation (and have two kids to put through college in the next few years!), I just couldn't justify paying $2000 or more for a new LP Standard. I started to look around on eBay, but the news wasn't much better. The instruments that were in good shape were still going for much more than I was willing to pay, and the cheaper ones were all beat to ****, often needing extensive repairs. I was discouraged, to say the least.

Then I stumbled across the Epi Elitist LP Standard being sold by Musiciansfriend.com for a mere $700. Thinking this kind of price was way too good to be true, and that these must be some kind of cheap "knock-off" of the real thing, I began to read the customer reviews. But people who owned them RAVED about them. Again and again, I read similar comments about how these guitars were every bit as good as their Gibson brethren, but for a half to a third of the price. Often, these comments were from players who had owned both. Further research bore out these glowing reviews--I read excellent things about the quality and playability of the Epi Elitist LP's from a variety of sources. Though produced in Japan rather than Nashville, it appeared that these instruments were made from premium materials and components by master luthiers who took exceptional pride in their craft.

I bought mine in early December and have been absolutely thrilled with it. Not only is it a gorgeous guitar boasting flawless workmanship, but it plays like an absolute dream. About the only feature I'm not particularly impressed with are the pickups. Though these Elitist LP's use USA-produced humbuckers, I find their sound to be on the tame side. I'm leaning toward upgrading to the Seymour Duncan "Hot Rodded Humbucker" set, consisting of an SH-2n Jazz model at the neck and a high-output SH-4 JB model at the bridge. (Advice on this or other pup upgrade alternatives welcomed!)

So while I certainly don't consider myself an expert, I have been extremely pleased with my Epi Elitist LP Standard and consider them to be one of the finest values available in a high quality electric guitar. Unfortunately, Musiciansfriend doesn't carry them anymore, though they do have the Elitist LP Standard Plus, starting at $800.

Great review man, it made me to go and look at MusiciansFriend for one, but hei, this is $1,149. I guess you got a great deal then.

Epiphone Elitist Les Paul Standard Plus Guitar:



Sound of Epiphone Elitist Les Paul Standard Plus Electric Guitar
* the tone is great;
* the bridge P/U sounds a little harsh;
* crisp, clean, and brilliant, rich, smooth tone;
* the pickups aren't that great for heavy distortion, but sound really good for clean/blues/rock;
* the pick-ups are more than adequate, from sweet and clean to growling distortion (but not heavy);
* you can play classical or thrash metal, classic rock, blues;
* great sounds from Duane Allman slide, to greasy honky-tonk to ZZ Top-like pick harmonics to the tone Mark Knopfler used on "Brothers in Arms" and "on every street".

You may find interesting the following review on Epiphone Elitist Les Paul Standard Plus guitar :

• Pros of Epiphone Elitist Les Paul Standard Plus Electric Guitar
• Cons of Epiphone Elitist Les Paul Standard Plus Electric Guitar
• Suggestions for this Epiphone Guitar
• Features + Technical Specs

[Brian Krashpad]

Lots of good advice and comments here.

Oddly, I've never owned an Epi LP. I did own an Epi G400 SG for a short while. It was certainly gigworthy, though the pickups I found a little bland/biteless. Obviously I could have dropped different pickups in, but I'm not a modder. I sold it as redundant when an Agile P-90 Valkyrie II (their SG-inspired then-model) became available new on closeout for $99. I'd found the Epi G400 in a pawn shop for $175 US, and got that back on resale.

My first budget LP-type guitars were DeArmond M-series MIK models. Both were bought for around $200 US, one new and on used on consignment in a local mom&pop. I had an M-75 (solid agathis with arch maple cap, harp tailpiece) and an M-72 (chambered mahogany with flat maple top and straight peg tailpiece). They were too similar sounding (both having the same DeArmond made-in-USA Gold Tone HB pickups) to justify keeping them both, so I sold the M-75, which was heavier and not as pretty (the M-75 was ebony, the M-72 a burst). Here's a pic of the M-72:



Sadly, I'm selling that guitar as I need the bucks and now have some Gibson LP's, plus I can get a very similar tone from (yet) another DeArmond, my Jet Star (which looks very unlike an LP). But for someone looking for a budget Les Paul-type guitar, I would recommend considering a used DeArmond M-series, which are actually based on the old Guild Aristocrat/Bluesbird, rather than a Les Paul. Build quality is at least equal to non-MIJ Epi's, and you get a US-made PAF-style alnico-magnet pickup you will not have to replace.

I have two Gibson Les Pauls, both of which are humbucker (rather than P-90) models. Both were good deals on the local used market. I got a Gibson Les Paul Studio Doublecut for $525 US (w/hsc), and a Les Paul Classic w/ohsc for $725. These are my 2 most expensive guitars, and I'll probably not spend that much again on any guitar:





Since these are fairly different looking and have different pickups (490/498 "hot" alnico in Studio DC, hotter 496/500 ceramic in LP Classic), I can justify having the both of them. For more vintagey PAF sounds I can use my Jet Star (I don't play the M-72 since I'm selling her and don't want to get too attached), even though it does not look like an LP:



Speaking of sounding like an LP but not looking like one, I'll close with the last of my humbucker LP-type "family" (I'll leave my P-90 guitars for another thread), my Fernandes Ravelle Deluxe. I was very skeptical about paying what I did ($400 US, w/non-Fernandes gigbag) for a used (albeit pristine) MIC guitar, but this thing rocks!



These things come with Seymour Duncan Jazz/JB pickups stock (this is the non-Sustainer model Ravelle). I found mine tagged for $450 US in a local mom&pop and let it sit several months until my birhday came around, then went in, played it and bought it for 4 bills even. I've heard of others getting these used in the $300 US range, but feel mine was well worth the price I paid.