Epiphone Elitist

[Bilsdragon]

I've been looking at the Epi LP Elitist for a while now. I have never seen one in person. After seeing this thread I really have been on a mission to convince the mrs. that I neeeeed one of these beauty's. Well, some good groveling payed off, my new baby will be here to tomorrow. I'll have to post some pictures when she arrives. : Thanks Just Strum for the heads up, I was going to wait until March of 09. Getting one may have been a little more challenging.

[just strum]

I've been looking at the Epi LP Elitist for a while now. I have never seen one in person. After seeing this thread I really have been on a mission to convince the mrs. that I neeeeed one of these beauty's. Well, some good groveling payed off, my new baby will be here to tomorrow. I'll have to post some pictures when she arrives. : Thanks Just Strum for the heads up, I was going to wait until March of 09. Getting one may have been a little more challenging.

Congrats on the purchase. If you don't ming me asking, where did you purchase yours?

[Bilsdragon]

I ordered it from Musician's Friend on Sunday and it just arrived here at work about a half hour ago. I got the last vintage burst model they had in stock. It looks great, I can't wait to plug it in at lunch.

[just strum]

I ordered it from Musician's Friend on Sunday and it just arrived here at work about a half hour ago. I got the last vintage burst model they had in stock. It looks great, I can't wait to plug it in at lunch.

Well you are one lucky individual. You will have to post some pics later.

[Bilsdragon]

I uploaded my pics of the new baby and her sisters.

I put this fat bottom girl on the digital postal scale at work and she weighs in at 9.7 lbs. Now that's a fat bottom. She sustains notes and chords forever too.

[Duff]

I think that these manufacturing people are always thinking. They need to be competetive and stay on top. They do that by coming out with new lines, cheap and expensive lines.

There will be new expensive Epis and Gibsons coming out, they are already being planned and maybe even made.

People will always want good Gibsons and will not be satisfied with comparable ESP LTD's and such; even though Schecter and others are making some outstanding guitars, but they cost just as much it seems. Epiphone still makes some great regular line standards, plus tops, customs and so forth. Gibson has some super great models. They aren't stupid. They definitely have a plan. Fender has a plan. And the competition has plans to and keeping their prices down is very very difficult; that's why nice ESP's and Schecter's and so forth are so expesive.

Think about it: in order for Gibson to survive it has to make really nice guitars that people want, that look good, feel good, play good, and have some special aura about them. Same is true with Epiphone. You can spot a cheap one a mile away. You can feel how bad they are and how off they sound. When you play a nice one you immediately know you have found something special and try to snag it before it gets away or gets lost or hidden.

There are some examples of the cheap models that sell for big bucks but close inspection can usually reveal the true nature of the guitar. You will get the vibe. You can see it in the finish, feel it, hear it. The better you get and the more experienced you get the easier it is to spot the really nice things.

It is true, however, that some really nice things are coming from some companies that are not on the top of the heap but that are making exceptional instruments. It's hard for them to get the average buyer to recognize their outstanding quality though and they sit in the racks untouched. Like a goldtop P ninety Washburn idol type that sits in a store by me that is absolutely incredible. It's only four hundred or so but it sits there and people buy the G and L's all day and the Scecter's and so on.

A lot of younger kids I know have some awesome shredding equipment and I notice that they are slowly appreciating Gibsons and other more traditional high quality guitars as they mature. They are moving to PRS's and Gibsons and Epi's and Tele's and Strats. They see what these pros are playing at the big concerts and start to think about things. They start recording and learn about other things.

But the real deal is that the big companies know what the market is about and they think they know what they have to do to capture their projected share. They constantly develop new things like that triple bucker Epi LP: is it a success for the company or a liability? They know the answers. They will try to stay in business and take survival very seriously. They will roll with the times.

Notice how Squire keeps rolling out one hit after another? They don't stand still. Epi can't stand still either, plus those Prophesy guitars look and probably sound great, and the Ultra LP is lighter for us older guys just like I like that affinity strat I hot rodded because, in part, it's a lot lighter than the Squire standard size strats.

Why do people keep buying old style guitars with f holes in them? They are a big success. I just got an Ibanez AS seventy three in cherry transparent and it sounds unbelievable with the stock vintage bucker Ibanez pups, looks and feels great. It has a look of quality that you can't fake.

Even companies like Rondo are doing very well. They have a mahogany body strat right now with either P nineties or buckers for less than 120. You don't see too many manogany strats. They are well made. A lot of us have great SX'es some modded some straight up. SX constantly changes what they offer and comes back with some of the big sellers and they sell out in a few days.

Epiphone and Gibson do the same thing but are very large volume sales companies and they can release new lines more slowly; more tested designs that are better thought out and meet all the requirements that get us customers to really really like. They'll keep the traditional standby designs and add superior parts to them and tweak them to make them lighter or heavier or better sounding or better looking and they will hope that what they do works. But they will come out with new premiere lines and Epiphone will not fall into mediocrity just like Squire is emerging from its past to occupy a solid place in the world of great guitars.

There's nothing like a great sounding great playing guitar and you can't hide them or obscure them. People like us will find them and buy them and the word will get out. Gibson and Epiphone and Fender know what they are doing and they will do everything possible to be competitive in a very very highly competitive market with places like China putting out some outstanding guitars. Maybe the Epi plan is as simple as to kick up the quality to a higher level and sell a lot of product as a result of it; streamlining and producing large volumes of superior products from better run factories under closer superision. A lot of the Squires sound better and are better built than some of the MIM counterparts; there is a reason for this. Production quality control and direct supervision over production is definitely part of it. New designs of superior quality is another contributing factor. The Mexican part of Fender and the Asian parts of Gibson can't fall asleep or let the overseas factory managers and engineers run the show and they won't. All the evidence points to way more company involvement and direct supervision and adherence to product specifications and the use of special pickups, often made in America and shipped to the remote locations.

It has been read over and over that we are living in the Golden age of Guitars. The Epiphone Elite's are already being superceded by some of the new designs. Even in tough economic times like this they are apparently flourishing right in the middle of really really intense competition by overseas companies that are making some super good guitars.

It would be way easier than the average person thinks for any one of these so called guitar giants to be left behind in the dust in this atmosphere of really quality competition from companies like ESP, Schecter, Agile, SX, Ibanez, and so many others; even unknown names are producing guitars that you will play that will enchant you and you'll buy it on the spot probably for a really reasonable price: but it won't say Epiphone, Gibson, Fender, or even Squire on it and that makes a difference to a lot of people.

I hope this sharing of some of my ideas helps relax some of us. I used to be an industrial designer and know first hand how hard it is to stay in business AND to make a super high quality product at the same time. FIRST you have to stay in business, then you can do what you really want to do, and that is to make the product of your dreams. But you have to compromise and make some other products that will produce the ability to stay in competition with the other guys. And sometimes you can't make those products of your dreams because you are required to hold your place in the big scene. But rest assured, those owners and dreamers are still dreaming and designing and planning and have assembly lines already being set up to bring out their next dream; and the dreams are always the super high quality things, not the mediocre ones that they try to make the best they can, or the mediocre ones that they never wanted to make to begin with and will never be the best they could be. But some of us might be able to find a good one and make it our own dream and make it something awesome, something to be proud of.

Duffy

[Rocket]

When Epiphone's new manufacturing facility was built a few years ago, it was intended that the name "Masterbilt" would replace "Elite" as the moniker for the select Epiphone models... it's just finally coming about.
Nothing else changed... Masterbilts/Elites will still be made of the top-grade materials and additional Quality Control scrutiny at affordable price point. I would expect that Masterbilts will soon outsell Gibson, (parent company,) mostly because of bang-for-buck, but also for Gibson's recent & well known failing quality control & manufacturing problems.

Who knows... maybe they'll finally get the picture!

[just strum]

When Epiphone's new manufacturing facility was built a few years ago, it was intended that the name "Masterbilt" would replace "Elite" as the moniker for the select Epiphone models... it's just finally coming about.
Nothing else changed... Masterbilts/Elites will still be made of the top-grade materials and additional Quality Control scrutiny at affordable price point. I would expect that Masterbilts will soon outsell Gibson, (parent company,) mostly because of bang-for-buck, but also for Gibson's recent & well known failing quality control & manufacturing problems.

Who knows... maybe they'll finally get the picture!

Are you saying that the discontinued Elitist guitars may be released as Masterbilt? I'm not sure I am following you.

Gibson CS told me that there is no plans to replace the Elitist line. However, this is the same CS that said the Valve Sr was going to be released in September.

[Rocket]

Gibson CS told me that there is no plans to replace the Elitist line. However, this is the same CS that said the Valve Sr was going to be released in September.

You mean the $0.65/hr Filipino that answered the phone didn't give you the straight-scoop on Gibson's manufacturing details? Surprising... huh?

[just strum]

You mean the $0.65/hr Filipino that answered the phone didn't give you the straight-scoop on Gibson's manufacturing details? Surprising... huh?

He sounds very similar to the guy that answers the phone at Sweetwater. I guess marketing a product has exceeded actually having the product. A little touch of Washburn strategy.

[ragnarpk]

man am i happy i got my elitist last year and didnt decide to wait

[Algonquin]

The Elite/Elitist line are very nice guitars indeed. I saw a used Elite LP go up for sale on a site the other day, and it was gone within hours.

[DrumBob]

I had an Epi Elitist Les Paul Standard. It looked beautiful, but the neck was so bad, I coudn't get rid of the buzzing no matter what I did or who adjusted it. I sumped it on Ebay. Too bad. My Tokai LS-85 LP copy licks it's *** in all ways.

[Duffy]

The new Tributes and 59's are supposed to be built in the same factory as the elitists, at least according to conjecture and are marked with date of mfg., etc., very similarly to the elitists. There may be some quality comparitson between these two types of Epiphones.

My Tribute is outstanding.

[Gregzy]

The new Tributes and 59's are supposed to be built in the same factory as the elitists, at least according to conjecture and are marked with date of mfg., etc., very similarly to the elitists. There may be some quality comparitson between these two types of Epiphones.

My Tribute is outstanding.

Not quite...the Tributes are made in China. Elitists were made at either Fuji gen (solid bodies) or Terada (semi hollows) in Japan. What has happened is Epiphone took the marketing points of the higher-end, Japanese-made Elitists and applied them to the Chinese-made Les Paul Tributes. The Tribute is being marketed on these "features", not the intrinsic guitar. Epiphone is hoping for the conjecture and wishful thinking such as the "made in the same factory as the Elitists" which does seem to happen with a great deal of frequency with Epiphone, there always seems to be some conjecture, rumor or "secret knowledge" that a particular instrument is more than what it actually is, which obviously they exploit in their marketing strategy if not actually initiate.

I was once lead to believe that the so-called "USA Series" Lennon Casinos were going to be made in Nashville. When I found out they were actually made in Japan and only had some final assembly done here, I canceled my order (for two of them) as did the dealer I was ordering them through. Those are great guitars but I thought the marketing approach was a sham.

That's not saying that the Tribute isn't a viable guitar, I'm saying that Epiphone is hoping its customers will arrive at a conclusion which perhaps differs from the actuality.

I also did notice that the serialization of the Tribute models that I've seen at on line dealer sites does begin with the alpha character "F" which previously denoted a Fuji-gen-made Elitist guitar and that only furthers my low opinion of Gibson/Epiphone as a corporation since this is an out-right deception.

I'm sure your Tribute is a wonderful guitar...maybe you just didn't notice that "Handcrafted In China" sticker on the back of the headstock and I'm pleased that you're pleased but it's not a Elitist or made at the Elitist factory and it's very important to keep it real. People deserve to get what they pay for...not pay for what they think they're getting or have been lead to believe they're getting through deceptive marketing practices or what someone says on a guitar forum...Just keeping it real.

Greg

[Duffy]

I totally agree that Gibson has and is practicing unethical business practices.

What first got my attention in a serious way was the way they deceived customers for many years, not just a few years, by advertizing their LP's as "solid body" guitars, which I think they still do, even though they were drilling weight relieving holes in them and later massively chambering them in order to make them "seem" lighter and of higher quality mahogany species which are lighter. The chambering scheme showed up at airport x-ray machines, much to the surprise of the guitar owners. Years later Gibson made the practice known and widely states in a lot of their advertizing that the LP's are indeed almost all chambered. But I think they call them chambered "solid body" guitars. This just doesn't seem right. Seems deceptive.

Then a couple months ago the FBI raided the Nashville operation and confiscated a quantity of rare wood from Honduras that is illegal to import into the US. I think it came thru Canada. It was either mahogany or rosewood I think. The newly elected president of Honduras had decided to ignore the international and Honduran laws regarding the export of these endangered woods. Gibson was complicit in the illegal activity.

I definitely think Gibson has ethical problems but their reputation is like Harley Davison, Gibson is more than a guitar, it is a symbol, part of a lifestyle, and definitely a status symbol. Unlike Harley's, Gibsons are still great guitars, despite the unethical behavior.

The Tribute is definitely a nice guitar, even though.