How is the quality of Epiphone guitars these days??

gb74 · Post by **gb74** » Thu Feb 07, 2013 11:46 am

I've been thinking about getting a SG with P90's and I was considering getting an Epi, because I simply don't play P90's enough to justify buying a Gibson. I owned an Epi LP in the 90's that was terrible, but that was 20 years ago. How is the quality today? Would I have to upgrade everything on the guitar or is it decent enough stock?

This is the model I am considering (there is an used one for $199 locally)

http://www.music123.com/productDetail/p ... uctads-sku^H74556000002000-adType^PLA-adid^15721671787#

decent? :crap:

?

100 watt · Post by **100 watt** » Thu Feb 07, 2013 11:50 am

Their SG's arent so bad, but the LP's feel alittle "off" to me.

LTD makes some P90 Vipers that are nice & priced nice

gb74 · Post by **gb74** » Thu Feb 07, 2013 11:54 am

100 watt wrote:Their SG's arent so bad, but the LP's feel alittle "off" to me.

LTD makes some P90 Vipers that are nice & priced nice

I bought one of those and returned it the same day. If the Epis are the same quality as the LTD Viper, DNW :sick:

100 watt · Post by **100 watt** » Thu Feb 07, 2013 11:57 am

No shit. Maybe the LTD quality is starting to go down hill. I played one @ Sam Ashe in Nashvegas and it played & sounded good. If thats the case, that sucks. LTDs used to be great bang for the buck. I've got a Viper 400 that I'd put up against alot of Gibsons. Had a 301 that killed as well.

gb74 · Post by **gb74** » Thu Feb 07, 2013 11:59 am

100 watt wrote:No shit. Maybe the LTD quality is starting to go down hill. I played one @ Sam Ashe in Nashvegas and it played & sounded good. If thats the case, that sucks. LTDs used to be great bang for the buck. I've got a Viper 400 that I'd put up against alot of Gibsons. Had a 301 that killed as well.

Yeah I think the 400 series is a different story. The one I had was a 256 or something like that. It wasn't horrible but it was a completely bland and uninspiring guitar.

Devin · Post by **Devin** » Thu Feb 07, 2013 11:59 am

Idk, I bought a $100 Epi LP Custom 7 or 8 years ago strictly to flip, but I thought it was a nice guitar. Pickups were really the only thing I didn't like about it.

I know it ain't the same as an SG, but I also know you like your Hamers so you could always get one the p90 Sunburst/Archtop models

jangle-unchained · Post by **jangle-unchained** » Thu Feb 07, 2013 12:00 pm

for not too much more, why not look into this?
http://www.music123.com/guitars/gibson-sg-junior-60s-electric-guitar

100 watt · Post by **100 watt** » Thu Feb 07, 2013 12:01 pm

Yeah. Ive played some lower end LTDs that I wasnt crazy about. Usually, anything 400 series & up is kosher. I do wish they'd lay off the abalone

:schectered:

Snowstorm · Post by **Snowstorm** » Thu Feb 07, 2013 12:01 pm

I have an Epi Les Paul which I think is good for the money. I'm surprised to hear people not having much luck with them. I played a new Epi Les Paul at GC and I thought it felt pretty good. I don't know much about the SG's though. I played one like a year ago and I wasn't quite impressed with it. It felt weird to me. I guess you have to remember that it's a $400 guitar. I would think there are better options. I like the LP's though but I know that's not what you're looking for.

gb74 · Post by **gb74** » Thu Feb 07, 2013 12:03 pm

jangle-unchained wrote:for not too much more, why not look into this?
http://www.music123.com/guitars/gibson-sg-junior-60s-electric-guitar

yeah or the tribute series... well it's not that much more when you consider the price of them new but I found the Epi used for $199... so then it is 3x more.

But still, I should just buy the Gibson and be done with it. I'm not sure if I can justify it for a P90 guitar, which is something I will use maybe a few times in the studio.

I love the P90 tone but it just doesn't fit my band's music.

Snowstorm · Post by **Snowstorm** » Thu Feb 07, 2013 12:04 pm

There is this guitar for about $450 on Ebay. Might not be what you're looking for but I'd really like to try this guitar. It's a G&L Ascari.

jangle-unchained · Post by **jangle-unchained** » Thu Feb 07, 2013 12:15 pm

guitarbilly wrote:
yeah or the tribute series... well it's not that much more when you consider the price of them new but I found the Epi used for $199... so then it is 3x more.

I missed that part

If I had a chance to try the guitar out locally, I would probably give it a whirl. I never turned down an epiphone just cos it was an epiphone.
I had a MIC flying v I swore would be a worthy contender to the guitars well above it's price range. Others needed setup work. On the most part epi's are a crapshoot.

Dave · Post by **Dave** » Thu Feb 07, 2013 12:26 pm

Billy, look for a used prs se soapbar guitar. Kills anything epiphail has out.

BleedingWhiskey · Post by **BleedingWhiskey** » Thu Feb 07, 2013 12:34 pm

I think Epiphone has really stepped up their game in the past few years. My buddy recently picked up a new Epiphone ES-335 PRO reissue and took it to me to setup up the guitar to the gauge of strings he likes. This guitar is incredible. Not a single flaw on it and it played pretty decent coming from the factory. Good fret job, no flaws any where, and pretty good hardware. Nothing on this guitar felt cheap. My only gripe was the pickup, but this is usually the case with budget guitars anyway.

I've also recently played a few Epi's at Guitar Center and found them to be way better than the Epiphones I have owned and played a decade ago. Good Epiphone guitars have been around in the past 20 years, but they were much harder to come by due to the poor QC they had then.

Snowstorm · Post by **Snowstorm** » Thu Feb 07, 2013 12:53 pm

Chuck Nutz wrote:Billy, look for a used prs se soapbar guitar. Kills anything epiphail has out.

I completely agree with this. I love the PRS SE models. There is the Korina single cut with a P-90 in the bridge. They just came out with a P-90 SE 245 model. Bet that one is awesome. Again, these are LP style guitars but they are very good.

IAmTheKurgan · Post by **IAmTheKurgan** » Thu Feb 07, 2013 1:02 pm

the stock pups are kinda bland, but after upgrading pickups, the bridge to a tone pros and a custom filed bone nut, it plays and sounds killer. a few other people have played my Epi LP as well; it sounds the part.

granted, its no P90 guitar but mine definitely sounds really good for what i paid for it and have invested in.

its also worth mentioning that i A/B'd it against Clint's Gibson LP Supreme and it sounded/played just as well if not better.

soundgardener75 · Post by **soundgardener75** » Thu Feb 07, 2013 1:55 pm

guitarbilly wrote:
100 watt wrote:No shit. Maybe the LTD quality is starting to go down hill. I played one @ Sam Ashe in Nashvegas and it played & sounded good. If thats the case, that sucks. LTDs used to be great bang for the buck. I've got a Viper 400 that I'd put up against alot of Gibsons. Had a 301 that killed as well.

Yeah I think the 400 series is a different story. The one I had was a 256 or something like that. It wasn't horrible but it was a completely bland and uninspiring guitar.

I would prefer the 256 over this Epi you're looking at Billy. It's not a knock on Epis, jeez I have four of them, but I would take any LTD over Epi any day.

You know me and my cheap gear. :lol:

Loop Bizkit · Post by **Loop Bizkit** » Thu Feb 07, 2013 2:03 pm

The older (90s IIRC) MIJ Epis were the BOMB.

I had a MIJ LPS that blew my Gibby Standard away. No joke. Find one.

ZEEGLER · Post by **ZEEGLER** » Thu Feb 07, 2013 6:10 pm

I was always very skeptical of Epis based on what I'd heard, but I found a nice LP Standard Plus that I really like. It's a well made guitar, plays nice, and sounds great after I swapped out the shitty stock pickups. I paid $300 used, and it holds it's own against my more expensive stuff. The nice thing is, I don't have to worry about anything happening to it.

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How is the quality of Epiphone guitars these days??

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