Decadent Dan
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The latest from JoBo
- Thread starter DrBGood
- Start date
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Decadent Dan
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Jun 15, 2021
- Messages
- 1,949
- Reaction score
- 1,659
In your dreams
MR D
Well-Known Member
YES, every Epiphone I've played sounded like plastic un-plugged, except a 2018 CASINO that was $3200 and a really sharp axe! B-B-B But.......... I still bought the ES-335.
Col Mustard
Well-Known Member
I absolutely LOVE my Epiphone ES-339 P-90 pro...
I bought mine in 2015 for $339.00. Which was what we
might expect from a Chinese made copy of a Gibson
design.
Guitar marketing wisdom states: "
"The inexpensive entry level guitars will sell more than
the "premium" or "elite" or "artist signature" models by a
ratio of maybe 8:1"
Gibson knew this way back in the day, when they designed the
ES-125 (which cost $125.00). ...and when they designed the
Les Paul Junior, and the Melody Maker and other "cheap" guitars
including the "Kalamazoo" line.
There is a place in the world for inexpensive but playable and
useful instruments.
Epiphone historically was NOT a bargain brand, but was an
arch rival to Gibson, making excellent instruments in New
York City and competing with Gibson for the Professional
Musician market.
Mr. Les Paul was a friend of Epaminondas Stathopoulos
who ran the company after his father (the founder) died in
like 1915. They made fine instruments, and Les Paul did a
lot of his experimentation after hours in the Epiphone factory
in New York.
It might have been Mr. Les Paul who first suggested that Gibson
buy Epiphone in the late fifties. Epiphone was in trouble then, with
two of Epi's brothers trying to run the company and failing.
IMHO the positioning of Epiphone as Gibson's "bargain brand"
was Gibson's revenge for how much competition and anxiety the
New York company had caused Gibson in the past five decades.
Think about that...
Anyway, when Gibson was going broke in 2018, I found myself
suggesting to the world that Epiphone ought to buy Gibson and
keep all the workers working and keep all the production going
and get rid of excess top weight in the front office.
No one listened. *shrugs
I am a Gibson fan, but I do love my Epi. At the time I bought mine,
a Gibson ES-339 was priced at $2800, which is like eight times what
I paid for my Epi, and they are both plywood guitars. You do the math.
I upgraded my lovely Epi ES-339 with all the best of everything I could
buy or make, so my Epi is a few grades above the normal "production"
guitars coming out of TsingTao. Still, for me, the advantage of buying
an Epiphone is the affordability, and the ability to upgrade the instrument
a little at a time as you can afford it. Epiphone guitars are normally
quite serviceable and playable as issued.
For the hardworking and underpaid guitarist, this has a powerful appeal
IMHO. Epiphone sells them by the boat load world wide. Which Gibson
cannot say. Gibson has aimed their production at the elite market, hoping
to sell fewer guitars but at such an obscene markup that the company can
afford to pay their high officers (in suits) obscene bonuses.
I listened to the guitar review posted above. I listened with interest.
I have worked on three Epiphone guitars, and each of them was solid
value IMHO. The one I kept is the one I pictured. My ES-339.
That one can take its place onstage next to guitars costing ten times as much (OR MORE)
and not give up a thing. Killer tone, well made, excellent action, lovely
binding and fret work... I can't complain about it. (Or else I would not still
own it).
But is the Epiphone SG above worth so much money? I don't think so.
I'm not a Joe Bonomassa fan, so that colors my attitude.
I don't fall for the "artist signature" model scam anyway.
I want to sound like me. Not interested in sounding like someone else.
So I would never pay so much.
When I bought my ES-339 P-90 pro for $339.00 from M/F with free
shipping, I thought that was a good deal. I had been looking at buying
an Epiphone Casino, which was twice the price. In the end, I loved the
smaller body. My Epi has the same kind of tones as the Casino
but the smaller body makes for a much better guitar IMHO.
Very worth the money.
Not like the Joe Bonomassa SG above. I don't want one.
I don't need one. I own two Gibson SG specials, both of which were
priced in the $600.00 range in the past. I'm sure either one of my
SG specials is better than the "Three p'up monstrosity" above.
It's just over the top, over-priced, over-blown, over kill.
I don't get it, obviously. So I'll pass it by.
I bought mine in 2015 for $339.00. Which was what we
might expect from a Chinese made copy of a Gibson
design.
Guitar marketing wisdom states: "
"The inexpensive entry level guitars will sell more than
the "premium" or "elite" or "artist signature" models by a
ratio of maybe 8:1"
Gibson knew this way back in the day, when they designed the
ES-125 (which cost $125.00). ...and when they designed the
Les Paul Junior, and the Melody Maker and other "cheap" guitars
including the "Kalamazoo" line.
There is a place in the world for inexpensive but playable and
useful instruments.
Epiphone historically was NOT a bargain brand, but was an
arch rival to Gibson, making excellent instruments in New
York City and competing with Gibson for the Professional
Musician market.
Mr. Les Paul was a friend of Epaminondas Stathopoulos
who ran the company after his father (the founder) died in
like 1915. They made fine instruments, and Les Paul did a
lot of his experimentation after hours in the Epiphone factory
in New York.
It might have been Mr. Les Paul who first suggested that Gibson
buy Epiphone in the late fifties. Epiphone was in trouble then, with
two of Epi's brothers trying to run the company and failing.
IMHO the positioning of Epiphone as Gibson's "bargain brand"
was Gibson's revenge for how much competition and anxiety the
New York company had caused Gibson in the past five decades.
Think about that...
Anyway, when Gibson was going broke in 2018, I found myself
suggesting to the world that Epiphone ought to buy Gibson and
keep all the workers working and keep all the production going
and get rid of excess top weight in the front office.
No one listened. *shrugs
I am a Gibson fan, but I do love my Epi. At the time I bought mine,
a Gibson ES-339 was priced at $2800, which is like eight times what
I paid for my Epi, and they are both plywood guitars. You do the math.
I upgraded my lovely Epi ES-339 with all the best of everything I could
buy or make, so my Epi is a few grades above the normal "production"
guitars coming out of TsingTao. Still, for me, the advantage of buying
an Epiphone is the affordability, and the ability to upgrade the instrument
a little at a time as you can afford it. Epiphone guitars are normally
quite serviceable and playable as issued.
For the hardworking and underpaid guitarist, this has a powerful appeal
IMHO. Epiphone sells them by the boat load world wide. Which Gibson
cannot say. Gibson has aimed their production at the elite market, hoping
to sell fewer guitars but at such an obscene markup that the company can
afford to pay their high officers (in suits) obscene bonuses.
I listened to the guitar review posted above. I listened with interest.
I have worked on three Epiphone guitars, and each of them was solid
value IMHO. The one I kept is the one I pictured. My ES-339.
That one can take its place onstage next to guitars costing ten times as much (OR MORE)
and not give up a thing. Killer tone, well made, excellent action, lovely
binding and fret work... I can't complain about it. (Or else I would not still
own it).
But is the Epiphone SG above worth so much money? I don't think so.
I'm not a Joe Bonomassa fan, so that colors my attitude.
I don't fall for the "artist signature" model scam anyway.
I want to sound like me. Not interested in sounding like someone else.
So I would never pay so much.
When I bought my ES-339 P-90 pro for $339.00 from M/F with free
shipping, I thought that was a good deal. I had been looking at buying
an Epiphone Casino, which was twice the price. In the end, I loved the
smaller body. My Epi has the same kind of tones as the Casino
but the smaller body makes for a much better guitar IMHO.
Very worth the money.
Not like the Joe Bonomassa SG above. I don't want one.
I don't need one. I own two Gibson SG specials, both of which were
priced in the $600.00 range in the past. I'm sure either one of my
SG specials is better than the "Three p'up monstrosity" above.
It's just over the top, over-priced, over-blown, over kill.
I don't get it, obviously. So I'll pass it by.
MR D
Well-Known Member
I did exactly that one day back in the mid-90's.....the one that sounded like plastic unplugged ? that was the Epiphone.
Mark Seven
Member
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- Aug 6, 2022
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- Reaction score
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I don't doubt that. 25+ years later it seems overall quality of most brands is much better. But vintage still has it's appeal.
DrBGood
Well-Known Member
You didn't replace the P90s didn't you ?
LetSGo!
New Member
- Joined
- Apr 27, 2022
- Messages
- 8
- Reaction score
- 10
Just reading this thread now,
Last year I finally A/B'd
my 2018 Epiphone '66 G-400 Pro ( Alnico Pro Classic Humbuckers), with my buddy's ( maybe 2006) Gibson '61 SG RI.
His guitar was the SG I played whenever he hosted jams at his house ( he collects and no one needs to bring ANY gear!).
Note: After owning a bunch of other earlier Epiphones, always buying & selling, & disappointed in their sound - I had never thought to try an SG- Gibson or Epiphone.
Bottom line, I gig a lot but always a Fender player, on a budget, wanting ONE decent ' Gibson style guitar'
When I played my buddy's SG' I decided I really loved an SG; promised I get an Epiphone SG asap...
It took years, but in the meantime from about 2014 forward, Epiphone really stepped up the quality with their pickups & pots, and in 2020 I got this 2018 SG and it is remarkable.
It sounds identical ( clean and dynamic) to my buddy's Gibson ( '57 Classics, I believe), and I think mine has better action/setup- comfy!
The necks were very similar.
