Gibson or Epiphone

I think that nowadays it is hard to juatify the price difference between the two (for me at my level of playing) unless buying a custom shop guitar. YMMV
 
If it's a guitar that I'd take to gigs, rehearsals, jam sessions ... I'd go with the Epi.

If I wanted it as a stay-at-home guitar for playing, recording, and admiring ... I'd go with the Gibson.
 
The only limit is your wallet.

My used 2019 Gibson smokes the 3 Epi's I tried last week, and I really wanted to like them.

You could tour and record with both those guitars, and no one would know which one you used on the record.
 
I agree with others here.

You MUST play them to see how they feel and play in your hands.

I did this same test back in April and ended up with an epiphone LP Custom Limited edition Silverburst.

I played 15 different LP style guitars from Epiphone, Gibson, Schecter, Ltd, PRS, and a couple of others.
Ultimately the Epiphone sounded best even unplugged and felt amazing in my hands, plus it had zero weight relief and sustained like Nigel from Spinal Tap dreamed of. Even the Gibson standard LP's didn't hold a candle to this epiphone as far as feeling went, with my style and how I wanted the guitar to play and feel.
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There is absolutely no comparison, the only and I mean ONLY similarity is the shape. The Eppi is multiple pieces of generic hardwood glued together and painted in thick plastic with garbage hardware and terrible pickup/electrics and if it sounds good it is purely by coincidence. A far better way to buy a cheap Les Paul is an old studio before they started weight relief, 1000% better than any Eppi. The one possible exception is the FugiGen MIJ models.
 
I wonder why Joe Bonnamassa doesn't play his Signature Epiphone Les Pauls's (he has several) in his concerts? Must keep them at home for safe keeping. Just teasing...a bit.
 
@Andy Eagle I always have a listening ear when you post comments.
"The Eppi is multiple pieces of generic hardwood glued together and painted in thick plastic with garbage hardware and terrible pickup/electrics"

Here is what is stated on the Epiphone website.
"The new Les Paul Custom is part of Epiphone’s Inspired by Gibson Collection and honors the 1950s classic designed by Mr. Les Paul himself in 1954 as the “tuxedo” version of his groundbreaking solid body masterpiece. Featuring the traditional Custom bound all-mahogany body, 60s SlimTaper™ neck profile, ebony fingerboard with block inlays, gold Epiphone LockTone™ Tune-O-Matic™ bridge and Stop Bar tailpiece, a pair of critically acclaimed Epiphone ProBucker™ humbuckers, and Custom split-diamond inlay on the headstock. This Epiphone Inspired by Gibson model also has the 60s style Kalamazoo headstock, rolled neck for a comfortable feel, Graph Tech® NuBone® nut, era-appropriate wiring, and CTS® pots."

Are you speaking about a new Epi LP Custom?
Comparing the Gibson & Epiphone specifications side by side, a lot of the descriptions are the same. Sure the Gibson has some nicer appointments.
Can you speak to the thick plastic paint? I really don't know what that is. Thank you.
 
I wonder why Joe Bonnamassa doesn't play his Signature Epiphone Les Pauls's (he has several) in his concerts? Must keep them at home for safe keeping. Just teasing...a bit.
Actually, he does, just not nearly as often as his old ones. It also seems to be not long after one of them comes out.

When I saw him in October, his merch stall was selling a lot of the Lazarus models. He did not play one on stage, at least not that I noticed. For whatever that's worth.

IDK....I have a Standard 50s of each, and I prefer the Gibson (USA, not CS). It feels nicer. It sounds better. Both of mine have changed electronics, though not identical electronics. They both sound better than stock. My PRS S2 is a better-made guitar than either, though it still sounds different.

The short version of my thought between them is that I'm really happy that I bought the Epi...it was my first LP and let me learn just how much I loved LPs. But, I don't really play it anymore and am probably going to sell it. That's pretty much my thought of the difference.
 
Anyone else care to chime in?
Yeah, I will. I hesitate to say this, but I feel if you're in the US, you should try your best to buy US-made guitars. I'm not trying to start a political debate, and I couldn't justify that price difference either. Maybe that's part of the reason I'm happy with discovering EBMM, and no longer buying new US-made PRS or Gibson. I feel for comparable guitars, your money goes further with EBMM.
If I really wanted a high-end guitar, and was facing that large of a difference in price, I'd buy the US-made model, but from the used market.

And I'd say the same thing to someone in the UK looking at the price difference between a Marshall and a Mesa Boogie. Buy the one made in your country (although in that example, the economics are backwards, so the choice should be much easier.)

Maybe someday the lawmakers will find a way to level the playing field somewhat, without resorting to tariffs that just make everything more expensive. (Although they worked well for Harley Davidson back in 1984 and the next few years.) You're not truly comparing apples to apples, but the regulations do play a part.
 
Different animals really. Worlds apart in terms of quality. I've owned (and still own) a couple of each and there is no comparison as far as build quality, finish and feel go. However, ideally you should play them both (or an example of each) to see how you like them. I've sold every Epi I bought - including two Bonamassa versions - but have kept my custom shop Les Paul 58 VOS. There is truth to the idea that works for you is what you should go for. Good luck!
 
Yeah, I will. I hesitate to say this, but I feel if you're in the US, you should try your best to buy US-made guitars. I'm not trying to start a political debate, and I couldn't justify that price difference either. Maybe that's part of the reason I'm happy with discovering EBMM, and no longer buying new US-made PRS or Gibson. I feel for comparable guitars, your money goes further with EBMM.
If I really wanted a high-end guitar, and was facing that large of a difference in price, I'd buy the US-made model, but from the used market.

And I'd say the same thing to someone in the UK looking at the price difference between a Marshall and a Mesa Boogie. Buy the one made in your country (although in that example, the economics are backwards, so the choice should be much easier.)

Maybe someday the lawmakers will find a way to level the playing field somewhat, without resorting to tariffs that just make everything more expensive. (Although they worked well for Harley Davidson back in 1984 and the next few years.) You're not truly comparing apples to apples, but the regulations do play a part.

So....people do know that SE-Asian guitars are cheaper because they generally treat/pay their workers like/with dirt, right?

I'm not saying that American/Mexican/whatever factories are absolute joys to work in, but...there is a bit of a difference there.

The disposable nature of a lot of cheap products is just....irksome....to me. I'm about to the point that I need a new studio desk, and I'm pretty sure I'm just going to go buy parts and build it with friends rather than try to figure out which pile of fiberboard and bolts is the least junk-y.

Are modern Gibsons overpriced? Well....their QC is lacking. But, they're actually not really more expensive than 50s guitars adjusted for inflation. And the originals were all over the map too. Nothing has really changed all that much. PRSs are more/less depending on the line, but....they're really fantastically made guitars and IMHO the S2s at least are absolutely worth it, even with electronics upgrades. But, then, I'm not a collector and I'm not into ticking boxes or variety for variety's sake. Since I got my first electric (which was an Epiphone), they've all been "luxury" purchases. And, I'm more than willing to save up for what I really want.

If anything has come out of all the "wood doesn't matter" or "all guitars sound the same" videos/articles/whatever, at least for me, it's confidence that I don't need to tick all the boxes, that I can just play whatever I like, and if I can't afford something I want, I can either wait until I can or just not worry about it and play the guitars that I already love.

Is my Gibson worth more than 5 Epiphones? To me....yes. Because I place no value on having 5 Epiphones. Or 5 Gibsons, for that matter. Is it worth more than an Epiphone and 2 grand worth of other stuff....well, that's a tougher choice. But, at least when I bought it, still yes. And now that I have it, I'm not in a rush to optimize that sunk cost. I'll just keep it as long as I enjoy it. And, fortunately, I'm in a financial situation that allows me to do that.
 
...or SIRE


...or Schecter

I tried the Schecter Solo II models (I liked the Chris Poland signature better out of other Solo II models), they sounded very good and sustain was good, but to me feel and resonance just wasn't there. The Solo IIs have some serious weight relief and for me a Les Paul has always been and should be a heavy guitar.
The Sire is a killer guitar, but just wasn't as well done as others.

If you are looking at clones the Firefly on the inexpensive end and the Burny Les Paul on the higher end. The Burny is awesome, but I couldn't get a new one and the used price wasn't what I wanted to pay for a clone when I could get the high end Epiphone that I played and felt was right for me even side by side with Gibson Customs, for a similar price.

Or...

The Fernandez Les Paul. That I would look at very seriously. You can even get the resonator pickups in them. And this is a favorite of Steve Hackett.

 
Went out a some years ago to buy a Gibson 61 SG Reissue, they also happened to have a Epi Elitist 61 SG hangin there, which ended up coming home with me, not due to the price difference, it was just the better guitar, at least against the Gibson’s I could compare it too. Geess… I didn’t see that one coming! Around that same period they took the Epi Elitist 61 SG out of the program, probably because it was stealing Gibson the show.
 
Man you couldn't pay me to play a Les Paul. Heavy weight is not a feature, it's an injury. They aren't classic, they're outdated. And this doesn't even touch QC or ethical issues which Gibson also suck at.
You can keep your logs, I'll keep the Parkers!
 
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