Epiphone help

Antisocialiser · 06-12-2003 11:18pm #1

hey ive been seeing epiphones going really cheap on the net these past few weeks and ive been thinkin of buying one. Like the G400 gothic sg is only 169 sterling on a site - is this guitar ****e? I own a MG100DFX and a jackson warrior wat would it be like compared to this? Also anyone know wat a pierced sg is? Please post your comments or answers to the questions

thanks in advance lads

ferdi · 07-12-2003 1:44am

the lead guitarist in me band has a epi. les paul, nothing compared to the real deal of course but it does the job good.

feylya · 07-12-2003 2:14am

Epi's are actually quite good. No where near Gibson level but still good. The G400 seems to be quite decent. Mahogany body, neck, dual humbuckers. If you have that sort of money hanging around, I'd say get it and if you don't like it, sell it!

The pierced SG has a big X cut in the body. Don't know why Pierced SG

ferdi · 07-12-2003 2:18am

hey, that looks kinda cool

feylya · 07-12-2003 2:20am

Yeah, with it's "TONE HOLE". It's a joke imo. It looks horrible, and probably doesn't sound that great.

Ancient1 · 07-12-2003 2:35am

i can see the Misfits with that guitar...:)

feylya · 07-12-2003 2:36am

Na, the Misfits had style. And pointiness.

Ancient1 · 07-12-2003 3:45am

u're right actually...this "sound hole" looks like a helicopter landing pad !

Antisocialiser · 07-12-2003 2:06pm

Ta lads i think ill buy one, its mostly as a second guitar that i can downtune just checking if it was any good. keep the comments comin

mirv · 07-12-2003 2:36pm

The Pierced has a bolt on neck, and only 17-19 frets clear of the body, unlike the g400 which has all 22 frets clear of the body and a set neck, much like the real thing.

Antisocialiser · 07-12-2003 5:31pm

Anyone know what a sa160 ibanez with a EMG hz pickup on the bridge would be like? for about 350 euros second hand in mint condition?

feylya · 07-12-2003 6:03pm

SA160 Ibanez tend to make pretty decent lower end models. Although it's $333 at Music123 brand new. Although take into account VAT, shipping and import, you're looking at about €500. I reckon just play the guitar if you can and see if you like it. The EMG HZ's aren't bad but I'd change them for an 81 and 2 SA's if you want to stay with EMG pickups.

Don1 · 09-12-2003 12:55pm

The main differences in Epi and Gibson is the wiring. The skeleton is basically the same. Rewire an Epi and you'll be pleasantly surprised. If the label on the head isn't too important this is a much cheaper way of getting that classic rawk tone!

Buy the SG. Dirt cheap.

That X-hole thing will serve no purpose apart from removing a huge chunk of the guitars tone. Less wood = less tone. Hence Jack White's plastic bodied Sears Airline having none at all!

mirv · 09-12-2003 3:43pm

What about pickups, type of neck, machine heads, body and tonewood? My gibson sounds a helluva lot better than epiphones for not just the wiring.

fitz · 10-12-2003 10:39am

I agree mirv, Don1, that's a load of pants.
Build quality, hardware, neck and fretboard quality are all far superior on Gibsons to Epis.
To make an Epi even vaguely comparible you'd need to remove to bridge, pickups and wiring, machine heads and replace them all.
Hardly a worthwhile excercise, when you can buy a proper Gibson (faded SG) for a reasonable price from thomann.de

Don1 · 10-12-2003 3:05pm

I said the main difference. And basically the same.

Tone wood = mahogony
Top = Maple
Fret board = rosewood
For both.
Obviously a real Gibson is goin to have better build quality. I was just sayin that for meer mortals a reworked Epi is as close as you can get for a fraction of the price.

fitz · 10-12-2003 4:24pm

The wood qualities also differ.
Do you really think they use the same grade of wood for an Epi Les Paul and Gibson Les Paul Supreme?
Same for the fretboard.
Rosewood or ebony, it's one or the other. Fretboards are all about build quality.
I agree, you can get a much better sound out of an Epi if you rework it, but still doesn't compare to a Gibson...
And yes, I'm a guitar snob.

Doctor J · 10-12-2003 6:27pm

Originally posted by Don1
The main differences in Epi and Gibson is the wiring. The skeleton is basically the same. Rewire an Epi and you'll be pleasantly surprised.

Man, there is a fooooookin huge difference between Gibsons and Epiphones, it's more than just a couple of cheap pots and some crappy soldering. There is no comparison. Epiphones, in the grand scheme of things, are generally decent lower-mid range guitars which, if you invest in some decent electronics, can return some useable tones but they are not, not even nearly, professional standard instruments (apart from the very top of the range Epi's). If you don't belive me play a real Gibson, then play an Epi. Gibson use the finest woods, the finest materials, the finest electronics and the finest skilled craftsmen to make their guitars with intense quality control and an incredible legacy to maintain. Epiphone are like the Ford model T, they're made quickly, efficiently and with a minimum of fuss. Hence, if you want a decent Les Paul, you'll expect to pay at least €1500, and maybe €1000 less for the Epi. It's not just wiring and pickups!!!

feylya · 10-12-2003 6:30pm

However, there are Gibsons that are far worse than higher range Epi's. I've played a Gibson Standard I think and I was very disappointed.

dabhoys · 10-12-2003 8:00pm

I once upon a time thought that my epiphone was a gibson but just with a few corners cut. That was before I tried a real one. I bought a Epi LP Custom. It was great and did the job fine. I replaced the Bridge with a JB-4 and it was grand. But then I played a Real gibson and I've realised that there is a massive difference.There is a reason for the price tag. I've since sold the guitar to my mate. There was nothing wrong with it and I Was sad to see her go but I'm upgrading to a PRS McCarty and by god the difference is immense and I needed the extra cash to finance it!!!

If its your first time buying an Epi the biggest worry is the frets!!! Make sure before you buy that you check them. Then the pots are the next culprits! Can be as bad a DJ scracthing a deck if your not to careful. I mean they do the job and there is nothing wrong with an Epi I'll never shoot them down.

But I did get shot down on my belief that they were just Gibson's made in Korea!!! Oh boy did I fall hard. There is ten fold difference!!! But there a grand instrument for starting out.

Word to the wise check out some Japanese made guitars. There well capable of making some sweet guitars. Ibanez and a few other have Jap made one. Check them out....

Epiphone help

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