Does Epiphone count?

[ShortBuSX]

My buddy just bought a Vintage Faded SG 400 from MF, first ones neck was broke...2 weeks later(even I lost sleep!) he got another...thing is BADNESS!!! But hes hardheaded and the the setup is terrible. He brought it to "jam night" and I played a couple tunes on it...as I was playing "the Rover" I could hear the intonation...action high, trying to accomodate the truss rod adjustment, rear humbucker raised and slanted. I offered my services...even offered a new set of Elixcers(hes never tried em) to try and get my hands on to rectify the (set up)situation...but this guy knows more about nothing, and nothing about something...hes helpless and for no good reason!

Well since(I talked him into financing his) Ive had my eye on these....I even found a great SG forum...Ive been drooling seriously! Did you know ALL of these are NITRO'd?!? Ive gotta have one! Ive even considered that this is a 5 week pay period!! BUT today, to my surprise, I found Ive paid off a credit card...and am seriously considering financing one of these...but I dont want the "vintage" but the BLACK SG 400 Epi...even the Goth model has my attention.

Im really trying to vent some GAS, but I think Im gonna bite the bullet...any opinions, ideas or suggestions. Im kinda findin it strange that the SG 400 is $100 more than the "vintage"...but I gotta have that BLACK!!! And no matter the model...Im thinkin Toni Iommi's, so the pups and pots arent an issue and easily remidied in the not so distant future.

PS I have no intentions to mail order this!

[ShortBuSX]

Now Im itchin for en Epiphone Les Paul...maybe a Standard or Plain top...I dunno...but Im feelin a new Epiphone in the near future.

[sunvalleylaw]

Now Im itchin for en Epiphone Les Paul...maybe a Standard or Plain top...I dunno...but Im feelin a new Epiphone in the near future.

Which leads me right back into the Epi vs. Agile vs. Samick LP deal. Gotta save up for a nice one and then decide.

[duhvoodooman***]

Hey, Short, methinks you need one of THESE....

[ShortBuSX]

Hey, Short, methinks you need one of THESE....

Yeah, I NEED one of those...but I was thinking more along the lines of THIS

MY buddy's set up was so bad that I couldnt play it long, he didnt have a strap so I had to play it seated...but after reading a couple reviews, I get the impression that its neck heavy, so Im kinda second guessing that choice...kinda makes the Les Paul even more desireable.

[Spudman***]

Play an SG with a strap on standing up before you buy one. They can be neck heavy which makes playing them a bummer sometimes. Just some advice.

[r_a_smith3530]

Yeah, I NEED one of those...but I was thinking more along the lines of THIS

MY buddy's set up was so bad that I couldnt play it long, he didnt have a strap so I had to play it seated...but after reading a couple reviews, I get the impression that its neck heavy, so Im kinda second guessing that choice...kinda makes the Les Paul even more desireable.

How about a compromise? How about one of THESE?

[ShortBuSX]

So I went to Sam Ash last night...to my dissapointment they dont carry epiphone, but I was able to try out a couple of used Standard LPs...Im gonna bite! By now my delima is where do I get it from? There is no place local for me to get it. I dont want a broken one sent via UPS from MusiciansFriend, I dont trust that combo after seeing my buddys busted SG and the hellish(3 week) wait to get the situation rectified...but I tend to blame UPS moreso cause they recently lost a package of mine from MF in the same week.
So whos a good mail order outlet...or do you believe these to be isolated incidents?

[duhvoodooman***]

Here's a B-stock Epi LP Std. with the flame maple "Plus Top" from Music123 for $400 and free shipping:

http://www.music123.com/Epiphone-Les...-i102841.music

These B-stock guitars generally have very minor flaws and are an excellent value. Music123 ships by FedEx and from what I've seen, the vast majority of those Fullerton and Aria close-out guitars they've been shipping have been arriving in good shape....

[ShortBuSX]

Here's a B-stock Epi LP Std. with the flame maple "Plus Top" from Music123 for $400 and free shipping:

Whats a "plus top"?

These B-stock guitars generally have very minor flaws and are an excellent value. Music123 ships by FedEx and from what I've seen, the vast majority of those Fullerton and Aria close-out guitars they've been shipping have been arriving in good shape....

If I could see the damage before purchasing, Id likely do it.

And I like the idea of knowing that they are consistantly arriving in good shape...as opposed to 2 botched orders in a matter of days.

[duhvoodooman***]

Whats a "plus top"?

Just denotes an upgrade over the standard maple top. Flame maple is prettier.

If I could see the damage before purchasing, Id likely do it.

And I like the idea of knowing that they are consistantly arriving in good shape...as opposed to 2 botched orders in a matter of days.

B stock is usually not damaged, but rather minor imperfections as manufactured. A lot of people who buy them end up saying "I can't even find the flaw." I've read that comment again & again....

[ShortBuSX]

So its flame maple? That I understand...I think

[Plank_Spanker]

Every transaction I've had with Musician's Friend has been positive. I ordered my SG and both Les Pauls from them - no hassles, no broken / bad instruments, no lost orders. The only issue I have with MF is backordering - sometimes it takes a while to get what you order if it's not already in stock.

Considering my experience, and the flood of orders MF takes every day, I think your buddy's experience was the exception.

One caveat - every guitar I've ordered from MF shipped with a hard shell case. That in itself is major shipping protection.

[ShortBuSX]

Considering my experience, and the flood of orders MF takes every day, I think your buddy's experience was the exception.

You know I tend to agree with you to some degree...I really feel its UPS thats the problem, and more specificlly its likely just the Jacksonville facility, I KNOW thats where mine got lost...and I suspect his was damaged there too.

One caveat - every guitar I've ordered from MF shipped with a hard shell case. That in itself is major shipping protection.

I think you might be onto something...that I wouldnt have even considered, as I would have waited to get a case for it. Thanks!

[ShortBuSX]

Im currently looking for a buyers guide for LPs...Im browsing the forums, and interestingly enough I found this.

First off I just bought a Les Paul Standard in Vintage Sunburst. I love the thing but you see, I ordered it off the internet...

I usually avoid this but Musicians Friend has treated me good in the past so I opted to go with them again. I have had terrible luck with this one though. First time it was the wrong finish, second time one of the pickups was sunken into the guitar. Third time, one of the tone knobs did not work at all. I just got my fourth replacement yesterday and it seems fine so far.

But then I found this(sorry no link)

I purchased my last ANYTHING from Music123! I ordered a '57 Les Paul Junior reissue from them on May 2nd and it's still sitting in their warehouse. When I contacted their customer service they are very unresponsive at best (rude at worst). The market is too competitive for them to act like this. The salesman that I worked with originally said that they have been purchased by Guitar Center.

So I dunno, I guess every place has thier horror stories...but I did just get a healthy line of credit form 123...so its all over but the decidin! B stock Plus Top or Standard in black???

[R_of_G]

Today's rambling post from R_of_G, the story of the diamond in the rough, or always play before you pay.

I can think of at least two circumstances under which the "lesser" brand like epiphone or squier have yielded the better guitar for the player. the first story is my friend curtis' [the single greatest funk bass-player i have ever met, and one hell of a guitar player to boot]. fyi - i am 100% self-taught, but it was curtis who taught me how to teach myself. anyway, he has a mexican strat knock-off [not a mexican fender or squier, just a knock off]. that thing is one of the easiest to play and organic sounding electric guitars i have ever played. he loaned it to me for two diff 6 month periods before i owned my own electric, and it is the guitar i learned a LOT of riffs playing. the only adjustment he made to the way it came was to put a very thin piece of wood underneath the bridge whch gave the guitar a natural distortion and more play with thick strings than should be allowed a beginner. i still miss that guitar though i now have had 2 electrics of my own for years. which, brings me to story #2, the black sparkle strat.

a few yrs back my parents gave me money for hannukah. they told me not to use it for anything i needed, but to use it for something fun [knowing full well i would put it towards something music related as they have been very supportive of my playing since i began 7 yrs ago]. "buy yourself a toy," was my interpretation and off to guitar center i went [my toys r us]. i played every single guitar in my price range, but about 5 guitars in i found a squier black/silver sparkle strat that played better than any american or japanes or mexican fender strat i have ever played. i continued to play more guitars [and a bass or two] but every 3 or 4 i'd come back to that strat and every single time it played better than whatever i thought was the best of the last batch. i never even bothered to really look at the price tag i just knew from the other guitars around it that it would be in my range. then i did look. then i looked again. i may as well have stolen it, because for $125, i cannot begin to tell you what that guitar has meant to my playing. anyone who plays it [and i know and hang out with several other guys who play] all hate to have to give it back to me when i come back from having a cig or trying to be social at parties and not just dork out with my guitar buddies.

the lesson is ALWAYS play any instrument you are considering buying because what one may discount as a discount brand axe may be the one with the tone, or action, or bendable fretboard, or whatever it is you have been looking for. i was looking for a toy, and that strat is so easy to play that it may as well be. if i ever have a child that wants to play, they can learn on it.

ok virtual guitar buddies, enough of my manic side.

[Spudman***]

RofG

While I agree with your principle it is not always the case. If it is possible to play something before buying then you should do so. That way you know for sure.

That said...

Sometimes it is not always possible to do that. That has been my case. I have at least 20 guitars that I never played ahead of buying that I absolutely love. Out of all that I have purchased unplayed I have run across 3 or 4 duds, which isn't bad considering that has been out of a pool of 40 or so guitars.

Your suggestion makes sense for the majority of purchases and certainly for less experienced players, but maybe it doesn't always have to be be the rule.

[R_of_G]

agreed spudman. i don't hold it [or anything else] to be a hard and fast rule. simply saying that often if the only differentiating factor between two guitars is the brand, play em both, you may be surprised. you may not. or you may find one you know will sound good no matter what, or hope so. big risk, but your exp shows it is often worth it.

RofG

While I agree with your principle it is not always the case. If it is possible to play something before buying then you should do so. That way you know for sure.

That said...

Sometimes it is not always possible to do that. That has been my case. I have at least 20 guitars that I never played ahead of buying that I absolutely love. Out of all that I have purchased unplayed I have run across 3 or 4 duds, which isn't bad considering that has been out of a pool of 40 or so guitars.

Your suggestion makes sense for the majority of purchases and certainly for less experienced players, but maybe it doesn't always have to be be the rule.

[Duff]

What quilt top deal did you get at 123?

Duff