Gibson/Epiphone

[PaulWarning]

I tried an Epiphone SG, the neck dive made it unplayable standing up (for me anyway), maybe I was unlucky, but judging by internet comments it's a common problem 

[neepheid]

20 minutes ago, Lozz196 said:

Agree, back in the 90s I had an Epi Les Paul Custom, when I bought a Gibson Les Paul Studio the jump in quality, playability, tone, well it was very noticeable. Now that jump isn’t so much, aside from price tag of course.

 

I'd agree with that assessment.  Epiphones have got better and better over time, Gibson's output has stagnated IMO both in terms of quality and general lack of giving a fig.

[police squad]

there are some very good cheaper guitars out there

I gigged last weekend using my Vintage SG with vibrola trem. Very good bit of kit. I have 4 Vintage 6 strings and they are all good

[MacDaddy]

I A/B'd my Epiphone Jay Jay French LP with a Gibson LP standard. There was not £1,000 worth of difference despite the price. The Gibson was a tad heavier and sounded a tad brighter. 

 

FWIW I'm not anti-Gibson, and own a Gibson Flying V.

 

[Lozz196]

Well just played it for about an hour, and again am just blown away by this guitar. Did a bit of looking up and they come stock with Gibson Brite Wires, which have been my string of choice for electric guitars for years so s good there.

[Stub Mandrel]

I see an Epiphone Embassy in my future...

[Maude]

I'm picking up a Epiphone AJ 210ce for a work mate today. 

His daughter started playing guitar about a year ago but only has a £10 charity shop spanish guitar. She's stuck at it and wants something she won't be embarrassed taking to school, but with a young family etc, my mate hasn't got a lot of spare cash. He asked me to keep my eyes open for anything suitable. 

The guitar looks great and comes with an Epiphone hard case, appears to be like new just not getting played, you know the score, only £80. 

I reckon it'll be a great guitar to progress on. 

[Waddo Soqable]

I don't do guitar as such, but handy to have around in case I want to suss out something or whatever.. I've got a set neck Epiphone les paul studio thing that I picked up ages ago for about 80 quid or something.. its very well put together considering....the Epiphone guitars of all kinds seem pretty good to me, and can be had for not a lot of cash, wouldn't think you could go far wrong with anything by them.

[Maude]

I picked up the Epiphone acoustic today and have just finished setting it up for my mate's daughter. 

Tidied the fret ends and rounded the binding edge slightly, polished all the frets and burnished the binding so it's all silky smooth. Took the saddle and nut down a touch and took some relief out of the neck so it's a bit easier on little fingers. It now plays so easily and feels really comfy. Sin of all sins I oiled the fretboard 😉, polished the body and fitted the new strings that came with it. 

For £80 it's a magnificent guitar and really looks like new, well it was only 12 months old anyway. 

Hopefully she'll be over the moon with it. 

 

And just to prove karma is out there, after chatting with the seller and saying I was a bassist (after displaying my embarrassing guitar playing) he said he had an old 80s bass that needs some fixing, but I was welcome to it if I wanted it. 

He's just sent me some pictures of it and it's an old Kay (here we go again 😆). It's a natural wood, neck through PJ in the Aria SB, Westone Thunder style. 

Another fun project awaits. 

 

 

 

 

[TheGreek]

A few years ago a friend of mine came into an inheritance - straight up to Denmark St looking for a Les Paul.

 

He recounted going into one of the shops where the salesperson was astute enough to literally do a blind fold test - kept handing him different models of LP by different manufacturers without telling him the make or cost.

 

He eventually bought a quite low end model ( I forget which) because "it felt and played better" even though he had the cash for the real thing.

[Waddo Soqable]

16 minutes ago, TheGreek said:

A few years ago a friend of mine came into an inheritance - straight up to Denmark St looking for a Les Paul.

 

He recounted going into one of the shops where the salesperson was astute enough to literally do a blind fold test - kept handing him different models of LP by different manufacturers without telling him the make or cost.

 

He eventually bought a quite low end model ( I forget which) because "it felt and played better" even though he had the cash for the real thing.

I bet the bloke in the shop was working out his weeks notice !

[pst62]

On 18/08/2021 at 09:43, SteveXFR said:

When I bought my Thunderbird I went to the shop with the intention of buying a Gibson which was discounted to £1500. I tried it and liked it then just out of curiosity I tried the Epiphone Vintage Pro Thunderbird which was £499 and thought there really wasn't a grand worth of difference. I preferred the sound of the Epiphone as well so I went home with that and the shop dude was regretting mentioning how good the Epiphone was.

I've also seen recent photos of Alice Cooper's bassist playing the Epiphone for live shows.

This ^ exactly! Back in 2012 I went into Hartnoll's in Taunton with all intent and purpose of buying a Gibson Thunderbird, they were £1199 at that time, and like SteveXFR, after the Gibson I tried out an Epiphone, this model being their newly released Classic Pro Thunderbird IV, neck through with the Gibson pups (£499) so little was the difference, (the Gibson had a slightly thinner neck) I saved myself from paying an extra £700 for basically a Truss rod cover with "Gibson" on it!

[pst62]

On 18/08/2021 at 12:43, ubit said:

I have always loved Thunderbirds but couldn't justify the price. I bought an Epiphone Thunderbird and was completely unimpressed. It was underpowered and sounded poor. The Vintage Pro must be a step up,

Which onel was it? If it was the bolt on neck model, they are terrible and feel nothing like a Thunderbird.

[SH73]

I've picked up a 90's  Korean build Epiphone Gold top for a good price. I cannot fault it. The quality and playability is superb.

[Stub Mandrel]

13 minutes ago, pst62 said:

On 18/08/2021 at 12:43, ubit said:

I have always loved Thunderbirds but couldn't justify the price. I bought an Epiphone Thunderbird and was completely unimpressed. It was underpowered and sounded poor. The Vintage Pro must be a step up,

Which onel was it? If it was the bolt on neck model, they are terrible and feel nothing like a Thunderbird.

 

If it wasn't the vintage pro, it was the lesser bolt-on version.

 

I've decided to get an Embassy when the next batch eventually arrives in the UK.

[Maude]

3 minutes ago, Stub Mandrel said:

 

I've decided to get an Embassy when the next batch eventually arrives in the UK.

 

I really like the look of those Embassy basses. 

They look like fantastic value for money. 👍

[Stub Mandrel]

20 minutes ago, Maude said:

 

I really like the look of those Embassy basses. 

They look like fantastic value for money. 👍

 

Set neck, not through, but the same 'Probucker' pickups as the Vintage Pro Thunderbird.

[pst62]

31 minutes ago, Stub Mandrel said:

 

If it wasn't the vintage pro, it was the lesser bolt-on version.

 

I've decided to get an Embassy when the next batch eventually arrives in the UK.

I've heard that Epi are on so much of a go slow that they won't be shipping anything before January.

Edited August 22, 2021 by pst62

[Geek99]

On 17/08/2021 at 19:31, Crawford13 said:

I often get tempted to offload my highend gear and buy more modest equipment. 

It always passes, but sometimes the mood  takes me that I don't need thousands of £'s of gear. Luckily my wife always tells me to stop being silly and that I have worked hard to have nice things. 

 

But then I see stories like this and the loop starts all over... 

no, I’ve just texted her and told she can spend the money saved by your downgrade on shoes and handbags. 👍

Know a good bubble wrap supplier ?   

[Geek99]

On 18/08/2021 at 09:17, ubit said:

All I know is I built a Strat, and two basses out of bits from eBay. I bought the electrics and pick ups from KiOgon and they sound as good as the American standards that I also own.

You should keep quiet about that first one though. We do burn witches around here from time to time

[Geek99]

52 minutes ago, SH73 said:

I've picked up a 90's  Korean build Epiphone Gold top for a good price. I cannot fault it. The quality and playability is superb.

Years ago When I was young and stupid I bought one of these too but in flame maple sunburst (tiger?) . I sold it for a pittance because I didn’t want guitars anymore (don’t all tell me I’m wrong at once…) but it was an amazing instrument 

[ubit]

3 hours ago, Geek99 said:

You should keep quiet about that first one though. We do burn witches around here from time to time

 

 

As I am also a member of Guitarchat, I stand tall with my choices.

[ubit]

4 hours ago, Stub Mandrel said:

If it wasn't the vintage pro, it was the lesser bolt-on version.

 

 

 

Yeah, it was the bolt on neck non Vintage Pro version. Whenever I changed over to it from any other bass I had to turn up at the amp. It just felt cheap and nasty.

[neepheid]

5 hours ago, ubit said:

 

 

 

Yeah, it was the bolt on neck non Vintage Pro version. Whenever I changed over to it from any other bass I had to turn up at the amp. It just felt cheap and nasty.

 

The neck through Epiphones* (the Vintage Pro/60s Thunderbird - the one with the separate bridge and tailpiece - in particular) are leagues ahead of the bolt on thing.  The bolt on is cheap - it's half the price and the only part of the Thunderbird experience you're getting with it is the body shape.  Nothing else about it is even remotely legit.  The controls are also VVT - I'm really scraping the bottom of the barrel now for similarities

 

There was the Classic Pro, which had the 3 point bridge and Gibson TB+ pickups (the same ones which were used on the Gibson T-bird at the time) - that was similar to the contemporary Gibson model but some might say even it has lost its way somewhat.

 

* I'd rather ignore the active "Pro" model with the very obvious neck laminations - it's a generic active bass in a Thunderbird body.  Still better than the bolt on, mind.

 

TL:DR - get a Vintage Pro/60's and THEN decide if you like Thunderbirds.

[ubit]

35 minutes ago, neepheid said:

 

The neck through Epiphones* (the Vintage Pro/60s Thunderbird - the one with the separate bridge and tailpiece - in particular) are leagues ahead of the bolt on thing.  The bolt on is cheap - it's half the price and the only part of the Thunderbird experience you're getting with it is the body shape.  Nothing else about it is even remotely legit.  The controls are also VVT - I'm really scraping the bottom of the barrel now for similarities

 

There was the Classic Pro, which had the 3 point bridge and Gibson TB+ pickups (the same ones which were used on the Gibson T-bird at the time) - that was similar to the contemporary Gibson model but some might say even it has lost its way somewhat.

 

* I'd rather ignore the active "Pro" model with the very obvious neck laminations - it's a generic active bass in a Thunderbird body.  Still better than the bolt on, mind.

 

TL:DR - get a Vintage Pro/60's and THEN decide if you like Thunderbirds.

 

 

I might splash out on one at some point. I am going to have to get rid of a few before buying anymore. I think I would rather have three or four guitars and basses that I really like/ want rather than loads of ones that I quite like.