Your honest opinion on Epiphone guitars

[Jimi75]

What to think of Epiphone? Is Epiphone really the only alternative to the real deal? I haven't tried many standard Epis, the Elitist series models I have tried were brilliant, but how about the standard?

There is so many rumours about good and bad, and I still have my problems with the design of the headstock.......

[Tone2TheBone]

The headstock of the Epi LPs doesn't bother me actually. I think the "Epiphone" inlay on the headstock looks classy. What bothers me today on the brand new Epi Standards is the shape of the cutaway. They're thicker/wider than a real Gibson and even thicker/wider than the older Epi LPs I've seen from people's collections here and elsewhere. To me that ruins it for me. I'm really picky though. However the Epi Elitists seem to have the correct Gibson Les Paul shape at the cutaway.

I had one for a brief time and as beautiful as it was I couldn't keep the guitar in tune and couldn't intonate it no matter what I did. The nut was probably to blame for the staying in tune part...unless the Grover tuners on the guitar were faulty. I tried tightening up the Grovers and that seemed to help. As far as the intonation went I went through 4 sets of brand new strings in less than 2 weeks when I first got it. I tried 9s...then tried 10s...then another brand of 11s....and finally a custom set of 10 hybrids. Each time I reset the intonation and would play the guitar for hours yet it was always just off enough to bug me. I've never had any intonation problems with my Gibson LP Studio so I had specific expectations. What finally disapointed me about the LP was that the truss rod nut at the headstock was almost all the way loose. The neck was slightly curved out and I tried to loosen the truss rod to get more neck relief but I couldn't do that because the nut would just spin freely. Even with 11 gauge strings the neck wouldn't bend up. My wife told me that I spent more time screwing around with adjusting the guitar than I did playing it. That was it...I took it back for something else. I might have gotten a bad guitar and it really made me feel bad. I wanted another LP with a sunburst flame top but....it just wasn't to be. I think I would have been happier with an older model Epi LP Standard.

Having said all this I look on Ebay for Epi Elitists almost all the time. But if I was to spend more money on an Epi Les Paul Elitist I may as well spring a little more for another Gibson.

[Danzego]

I actually just got a brand new Epiphone LP Standard (Cherry Sunburst) less than two weeks ago and I think it's great. Just like any brand of guitars, though, there are going to be some dogs out there. Of course, with a cheaper brand, you may find MORE dogs than normal, but maybe I just got lucky.

I intended to get a Custom and was playing a couple of those, but the action was a bit on the high side, though there were a frets getting buzz. I didn't want to make a 650 dollar bet that straightening the neck would fix the problem (it didn't look bad just sighting it down). I started looking at Standards and wanted a Cherry, so the dude pulled a couple out of boxes from the back. He handed one to me and I knew that was the one. It just felt and played perfect, the intonation was on...the whole nine yards. The only problem was that there's what looks like a smudge and some scratching on the fretboard right below the nut, but it isn't real evident from a step away (or when you're playing), so I got the salesdude to knock 60 bucks off for that.

I put it on layaway and started getting second thoughts about that smudge looking thing, so when I went back to pick it up, I played a few others around the store, and then asked him to bring that one out. Again, as soon as it was in my hands, I knew I HAD to get it.

Moral of the story is ummm....I dunno. As with most guitars, it'll probably need a setup out of the box (I'm sure it wouldn't hurt to do a small tweaking with mine, but I'll wait on that), but there are some gems out there if you care to look. Don't let accidentally sitting down with a bad one deter you.

Finally *gasps for breath* I hear of a few people changing the tuners and the guys over at Epiphone's forums highly suggest getting a bone nut (they say the latter almost always fixes any tuning stability probs), and a lot like to change over to Gibson pickups. As for the cutaway, I couldn't say whether it's wider than a Gibson or not, but that would make sense. My Epi is the first guitar I've had in years where I can actually reach the upper frets comfortably.

So yeah, I recommend Epi's.

[Tone2TheBone]

Danzego - you lucky dog you got a good one! I should clarify that the horn part of the cutaway itself is wide and thick...not the distance between the neck and horn. I read your post and I felt that excitement of getting a new guitar so I know you're pleased. Lucky!

[Spudman***]

I have an Epi LP from the early mid 90's. Pictured here http://homepage.mac.com/sunvalleylaw/PhotoAlbum2.html

Very nice to play. More so than any Gibson LP I have ever tried. I swapped out pickups soon after I got it second hand because the stock ones were microphonic.

The action and neck are beautiful. Very low and smooth and no buzzing. The neck profile is a little flatter and thinner than another style LP I have which has a very thick round neck.

The finish is nice flame cherry sunburst and the neck and body are bound with cream binding. However, compared to my Agile 2500 the finish work is not as good. They look like they were made in the same factory, but the binding on the Agile goes all the way around the headstock. On the Epi it doesn't. The tuners aren't Grovers on mine, but are the square vintage tulip style whatever they are. They hold a tune well enough.

Mine is just a big ol' chunk of mahogany so it sounds like a big ol' chunk of mahogany. It's lighter and a little more resonant than the Agile so it may have a little chamber thing going on. It's not fully chambered I'm pretty sure, but the body does project well acoustically. It sounds different than the Agile if you rap on the top with your knuckles.

One of the most toneful guitars I have ever had the pleasure to play was an Epi Sheraton from the late 80's or early 90's. I still think about that guitar and wonder if my old friend still has it.

I tried several new Epi Les Paul Standards at Guitar Center not long ago and thought they were some of the nicest guitars in the store. They looked good, played good and had great acoustic tone and projection. I'm not sure if like Tone says the cutout was a different shape or not. I almost bought a now discontinued Korina Epi LP new in 2002. I really wish I would have because it was an excellent guitar in every respect.

I regularly go into a large music store near where I live and check out their line of Gibsons. I've been doing this for 5 years, and in those 5 years I have not found one single Gibson electric that knocked my socks off, but I have found at least 6 Epiphones that I would be proud to own. They felt and played better.

Bottom line is I think they are a very good value and high quality, but I'm sure that they have lemons from time to time. I haven't personally come across an Epi lemon yet.

[marnold***]

I played an Epiphone LP for the first time yesterday. It had a transparent blue finish over a flame maple top. It looked nice and played nice. I wasn't really in the market for one, but I could see what all of the fuss is about.

[duhvoodooman***]

I own two Epiphones--a 2004 Elitist LP Standard that I bought new from Musician's Friend and a 2000 Dot that I got used on eBay. Both of them play great, seem to hold tune quite well, and intonate just fine. I changed the pickups on the LP (Duncan Pearly Gates at the bridge and a '59 at the neck), since the stock ones were pretty bland, and rewired it pretty extensively w/ push/pull pots for coil-cutting, phase reversal, etc. The Dot came with upgraded p'ups (including a nice Duncan Jazz at the neck), but I changed the bridge to a Duncan JB for more bite, and rewired that one, also. Sounds fabulous now. I have been extremely satisfied with both guitars and consider them to be great values. Being a play-at-home amateur, I'm just not willing to drop $2000+ on a Gibson LP or 335, so these Epiphones have allowed me to own what I consider to be the next closest thing to these two classic humbucker models. I have a buddy here at work who is a gigging musician with an extensive collection of guitars. I've played a couple of his Gibson LP's and as nice as they were, I didn't think either one played any better than my Epi Elitist.

The only problem I've had is that the 3-way toggle on the LP is on it's way out, and I have to do a lot of wiggling to get the neck p'up to work on its own. I have a replacement switch, but just haven't gotten around to making the swap.

[Danzego]

Ah yes, that's another thing I've seen. The toggle switch is typically the first thing to go. Brand new Epi's have a lifetime guarantee and the company is pretty cool about sending out a new one if you should encounter such a prob, but most I've seen just buy a better switch and be done with it, instead of getting stuck in a never ending toggle replacement loop.

tone2thebone, you nailed it there. I definitely AM excited about my new guitar (wow...I didn't think that came through. How perceptive of you. ) The only kind of semi-regret I've had in the last couple weeks, though, is that I've started listening to a lot of SRV lately, so now I'm getting really major Strat GAS...which is crazy since I've always been an anti-Strat sort of guy. I also really want a couple more Epis LP's, one of those Blue ones that marnold mentioned and a Vintage Sunburst one.

I'd also like to get a real Gibson someday, but I don't think ANY of those things will be happening anytime soon, me being a poor returning college student and all (going for Education to get a teaching degree). I HATE having GAS, but only 12-16 hours a week to work at a low paying job. Christmas needs to hurry up and get here.

[Spudman***]

Danzego
Start listening to more Gary Moore, Dave Meniketti and John Sykes. That will get you into your Les Paul. Stevie isn't going anywhere and will be there for your Strat acquisition.

[marnold***]

Ah yes, that's another thing I've seen. The toggle switch is typically the first thing to go. Brand new Epi's have a lifetime guarantee and the company is pretty cool about sending out a new one if you should encounter such a prob, but most I've seen just buy a better switch and be done with it, instead of getting stuck in a never ending toggle replacement loop.

Actually, now that you mention this, the Les Paul that I played had that problem. I switched it from middle to neck and it just cut out entirely. After I wiggled the switch, it kicked in.

[Spudman***]

Actually, now that you mention this, the Les Paul that I played had that problem. I switched it from middle to neck and it just cut out entirely. After I wiggled the switch, it kicked in.

Try a shot of DeoxIT or similar contact cleaner into the switch before replacing the switch.

[Danzego]

Danzego
Start listening to more Gary Moore, Dave Meniketti and John Sykes. That will get you into your Les Paul. Stevie isn't going anywhere and will be there for your Strat acquisition.

John Sykes? Wasn't he in Whitesnake, before the actual recording band got the boot for a prettier, glammy one?