Les pauls Gibson vs Epiphone

[lespaul]

I have heard several different opinions on the differences in quality between the Gibson Les Paul and the Epi. I have and epi les paul and I love it, but I did notice a few differences in the gibson. First off the Gibson I played had hotter pickups, The alnico classics in my epi are good but not great. The Gibson did play a little smother than my epi but a good setup on my epi might cure that. My epi did stay in tune better than the Gibson, I can play hard for a week and it will still be in tune.

I think that for the money you get more bang for the buck with an epi. That doesn't mean that I will never own a Gibson les paul, infact that will probably be my next guitar. They're the original classic it's like owning a piece of history but thats just my opinion What's your?

[Marc]

When I was considering what type of hollow body guitar to buy (I was looking at the Epiphone ES-335, an Ibanez, and Oscar Schmidt and a couple of others), i looked at guitar center and musiciansfriends reviews.  Review after review the owners said how guitar of a guitar it was and close to a Gibson with a few mods.  The mods that were made was dressing the nut or replacing it with a bone one, leveling the frets, and replacing the pickups.

On a $400 guitar and droping a few hundred dollars on some tweeks you would have an axe on par with a $2000 one.  I've played a Gibson ES-335 dot and my epipy is real close. 

I've got a gibson maruader with an f-ed up paint job, but someday I would like a real gibson.  I figured a Les Paul Studio or a faded SG is feasible but droping $2000 is out of the question on my budget.

[lespaul]

I will probably go $1200 to $1400 for a used Gibson Les Paul someday.

[Matthew]

I got an Epiphone les paul and it is sweet. It is the only electric that I have ever gotten used to playing on. I am sure that a Gibson Les Paul would be a better guitar however it is a lot more expensive. I bought my epi around 2000 and it cost me 700 new then. The Gibson's are almost twice that.

[lespaul]

I got an Epiphone les paul and it is sweet. It is the only electric that I have ever gotten used to playing on.

I know what you mean. I learned to play on a paul now when I pick up a strat it's like trying to play a completely different instrument.

[goodtunes]

product value versus price, the eternal question.

here is a youtube video i came across while back gibson 335 vs epi dot(stock pickups)

Gibson 335 vs. Epiphone DOT	LQ | LQ+ | HQ

[goodtunes]

anyone hear a difference?  how much and what kind?

[Phip]

GT, I heard some difference in favor of the Gibson but not much. The Gibson sounded a bit brighter. Maybe you have to be there in the room to really hear the difference (not sure). The other thing you really can't tell is how each guitar "plays"; action etc. But, yeah, i couldn't hear a big difference!
Phip

[Carl Snow]

Maybe you have to be there in the room to really hear the difference (not sure). The other thing you really can't tell is how each guitar "plays"; action etc. But, yeah, i couldn't hear a big difference!
Phip

YUP

i can't/wont make a tonal decision based on youtube...

and yeah. the same room same amp (set clean w/ flat eq) comparison is the way to go

[JJones]

the main differences between the two are the wood and the electronics.

The Gibson will have a much higher quality of wood for the body. Increasing sustain and sometimes brightness. It will also have higher quality pots, caps, wiring, and pickups.

The Epi can easily be rigged up to sound as good if not better the a Gibson. I mod my Squiers that I buy to be as good as the American's with less than $400.

Truth be told, you are paying for a name. A good tech can make your Epi better than gold.