Epiphone vs Gibson

[warren0728]

i'm pondering the epi vs. gibson thing right now....and partly for a completely different reason! We are thinking of taking our summer vacation with the kids to nyc and my 9 year old son really wants to go see less paul at the iridium. I don't own a les paul but am thinking of getting one to have les sign (he stays after the show to sign autograhs and talk to everyone who wants to.

Sooooo.....do i spend the big bucks on a true gibson les paul or settle for the budget epi les paul. Since i know the guitar will be signed and personalized (to warren, etc) i am leaning towards a true gibson....

crazy reason to buy a guitar....i know but i have to do it! Wished i would have had one the first time i saw him....and since he is at least 90 this will probably be the last time i see him.

thoughts?

ww

[r_a_smith3530]

i'm pondering the epi vs. gibson thing right now....and partly for a completely different reason! We are thinking of taking our summer vacation with the kids to nyc and my 9 year old son really wants to go see less paul at the iridium. I don't own a les paul but am thinking of getting one to have les sign (he stays after the show to sign autograhs and talk to everyone who wants to.

Sooooo.....do i spend the big bucks on a true gibson les paul or settle for the budget epi les paul. Since i know the guitar will be signed and personalized (to warren, etc) i am leaning towards a true gibson....

crazy reason to buy a guitar....i know but i have to do it! Wished i would have had one the first time i saw him....and since he is at least 90 this will probably be the last time i see him.

thoughts?

ww

Well, since you asked, here's my $.02 (devalued in the current market because it wasn't invested in Halliburton stock). I buy and own guitars to play them. One of my pet peaves are the "collectors" who have driven the price of old Gibson's (and indirectly the new ones as well) out of the range of average working musicians. Many a great budding guitarist never gets a chance to play or own a Gibson because collectors horde these instruments away to park them next to their bearer bonds in the vault. When I was a teen, I had friends my age who owned and played Gibson Les Paul's, Explorer's, Flying V's, etc. I lived in a lower middle class neighborhood. Today, most of my kid's friends could not even dream of such a thing, and I live in a better neighborhood now! There's something wrong with that.

Buying a guitar to get it signed and then turning it into a "closet queen" as an investment goes against everything that I believe in. Spending a couple of grand for this purpose just seems even more obscene. Spending that kind of money, having it signed, and then beating it to death with day in and day out play seems truly beyond bizarre.

OK, you've gotten my $.02. Now, if you are still going to do this, I would either buy a white guitar, or, try to find an absolutely mint 2004 Epiphone Les Paul 50th Anniversary Edition. It has a picture of Les silkscreened on the back. Wouldn't that be the thing for him to sign? I don't recall a Gibson version of this anniversary model ever being produced.

[warren0728]

Well, since you asked, here's my $.02 (devalued in the current market because it wasn't invested in Halliburton stock). I buy and own guitars to play them. One of my pet peaves are the "collectors" who have driven the price of old Gibson's (and indirectly the new ones as well) out of the range of average working musicians....

Buying a guitar to get it signed and then turning it into a "closet queen" as an investment goes against everything that I believe in. Spending a couple of grand for this purpose just seems even more obscene. Spending that kind of money, having it signed, and then beating it to death with day in and day out play seems truly beyond bizarre.

OK, you've gotten my $.02. Now, if you are still going to do this, I would either buy a white guitar, or, try to find an absolutely mint 2004 Epiphone Les Paul 50th Anniversary Edition. It has a picture of Les silkscreened on the back. Wouldn't that be the thing for him to sign? I don't recall a Gibson version of this anniversary model ever being produced.

thanks for your opinion...i am not a collector, i am just a home player who loves music. I agree that gibsons are way overpriced but i think it's more because huge collectors like GC are buying them up and then reselling them at higher than market value. My guess is that "normal folks" like me (i am certainly not wealthy) who get the chance to have a legend like les paul sign a guitar are not the ones driving up the price of gibsons.

I hate the fact that if i want to get a gibson i probably won't be able to get any other guitar equipment this year and thats why i am considering an epiphone. The trips not until may/june so i don't have to rush out and buy one. I wanted a les paul anyway so i am going to lay it buy ear....if a decent gibson turns up at a decent price i will go for it but if not i will end up getting an epi instead.

ww

[r_a_smith3530]

GC (Guitar Center I am assuming) is not a collector, nor is it a collector/investor. A collector, by definition is someone who "gathers as a hobby." When you add investor to that mix you get someone who gathers, in this case certain guitars, as a hobby, in order to eventually see a profit. By definition, this would be someone holding on to that property for a period of time. Guitar Center buys and sells instruments on a constant flow basis for profit, as a business.

I don't know if you've been following Gibson's recent business activities, but many little mom & pop music stores have been forced out of their Gibson franchise/dealerships. Gibson appears poised to market their goods almost exclusively through large retailers like Musician's Friend/Guitar Center, Music123, and only the largest of retail dealers. I have heard that they are putting a line of guitars into Costco although I have yet to see this.

Anyway, Guitar Center is not causing Gibson's prices to rise. They actually sell their Gibsons for below Gibson suggested list. No, it is private investors that are creating the rise in the price of a Gibson, and it is Gibson that then takes advantage by also increasing the price of a brand new "vintage" or "relic" guitar way beyond its realistic value.

Guitar Center also sells Squier, and if your statement were accurate, then these would be selling for more also. Right now, a Squier Affinity Strat sells at Musician's Friend (GC's online store BTW) for $149.99, the same price my daughter paid for hers two years ago.

No, it is not GC, but rather, individuals and Gibson, independently of each other, plus a small cadre of middlemen who are fueling the increase in the price of a Gibson, used or new.

BTW, if you just want Les' signature on an instrument as a cool family curio, then buy a Gibson LP Junior. Sure, it probably won't become worth thousands (you say you're not in it for the money) as an investment, but you also won't break the bank, or your annual guitar budget, to purchase it (currently $649.00 @ MF).

A Japanese Orville by Gibson could also be used, but these too are beginning to become the latest "victims" of the collector market.

Remember that the original guitar that Les Paul developed with Gibson was constructed froma 2x4. That might just give you an idea for something quite unique that Les could sign. I'll bet that if it actually played, it would tickle him pink and really make his night as well!

[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.

[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