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Hey folks, wondering, have any of you been disappointed with your Epiphone purchase? I have NEVER been a fan of Epiphone because I believe you do not get what you pay for when you buy a Gibson. As such, I have avoided Epiphone thinking if I was not impressed with Gibson it could only go downhill with the Epiphone. Thoughts anyone?
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Not at all. I have a 2004 Epi Elitist Byrdland and a 1998 Epi Zephyr Regent (made by Peerless). Both are excellent guitars. That doesn't mean that all Epi's at all price levels are great guitars. But the 2 that I have are certainly good.
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I have never owned any of the Epi guitars aimed at the mainstream rock market (LP, SG, Zakk Guy and Ace Frehley Sig. models, etc.), but they seem fine based on the ones I have worked on.
For the archtops, I think they are really quite good in most cases. The regular Broadway is a really fine guitar. The Joe Pass really plays and sounds great. The Joe Pass box reworked into the Swigster (or something like that) is maybe excessively derivative of a derivative, but it really sounds remarkably good with some very useful electronics. The old Howard Roberts was also a fine guitar.
The Elitist Broad and Byrd were absolutely superb. I ended up concluding that the Byrdland configuration was not for me, but the guitar itself was fantastic. I owned two when they were going for low $$$, but ended up selling them to happy new owners. Oddly enough, both went to new owners outside the US.
I also had a Wildcat for a while and liked it quite a bit - also liked that it was more of an Epi original. I should not have sold it, but it went to a kid who really liked it and played it very well. So I have done stupider things.
>>> I have avoided Epiphone thinking if I was not impressed with Gibson it could only go downhill with the Epiphone.
Can't say as I follow this reasoning, but if it somehow works for you then that's great.
Chris
Last edited by PTChristopher; 04-16-2012 at 11:28 PM.
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Thank you, sincerely, for taking time to write. I get what you are saying with regard to price point. The one I am looking at is about $500. Not sure really where that is on the Epi scale. I just don't want junk goes without saying I suppose..
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Chris. Thinking Epi reproduced Gibson at a known lower quality. If I was not excited in what Gibson had to offer, I figured I would be unimpressed with the knock off. Not great reasoning now that I read it back.
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It may be fine reasoning, I just don't see it myself. It's like dairy products - most people love them, but I have trouble recognising them as edible.
Really, get what you want. Not wanting a Gibson-light might be as good a way as any to narrow your choices.
Chris
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I think Epiphones are a great alternative to pricey Gibsons. They can get you reasonable close to a gibson, you just have to keep an eye on quality. I've owned several but due to GAS sold them to try other things. My only regret is that i didn't send one back when its finish work was flawed. I didn't notice in the store but when I got home I saw it and after that it was all I could see. Nice starting point, if the build quality is good, electronics could be upgraded if need be. Good instruments to learn electronic DYI on as well.
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I regret selling an Epi Zephyr Regent. It was a great playing guitar and very live acoustically as compared to my ES 175. I felt like it lacked a bit of sustain in the upper register but all in all, I miss it more than the 175.
Always thought about upgrading the pickup but never got around to it.
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A couple years back I bought an Epi Wilshire (reissue) for a little over $300 because it weighs very little and the mini-humbuckers don't sound all that bad. I bought it and use it as a travel guitar, and it's been on a few road trips with me. No regrets, but it's not something I'd play in public.
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My own experience with Epis is rather good. On and off i owned a les paul tribute, an es 175, a Joe Pass and an elitist Byrdland. The latter is a superb guitar, en par with any other high quality instrument (would love a elitist Broadway but missed it on several ebay occasions).
The les paul tribut came with upgraded electronics and 57 humbuckers and is just fine although i never played it much. The es175 and Joe Pass both suffer a bit from the cheapo parts like the plastic nut. I upgraded the pickups on both and they play fine (prefer the Joe Pass), look nice, sound nice.
None of my Epis had any QC issues - none of the things that one reads (and sees) so much about Gibsons. However, i will also say that none of them had that "wow" vibe that settles in upon stumbling across a great Gibson (yet, most Gibsons don't have that vibe either). I don't think one goes terribly wrong with the epis - i just wish they were allowed to make the wonderful high quality instruments that they surely can make - the elitist series is proof of that.
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I currently have two Epis, a Masterbilt flattop and a Korean Howard Roberts Custom and am satisfied with both. I even find myself using my Howard Roberts for acoustic swing rhythm more than my Artist Award, probably at least in part due to the fact that my practice area is rife with possible ding makers. In the past I had a late 40s Zephyr Deluxe Regent that was a fine guitar (admittedly pre-Gibson) and one of my cousins has an early 60s Epi flattop that is a great guitar.
Brad
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Frank and Brad. Thanks to both. I have put this question out on several different boards and all the responses have been (surprising good). Most even agree that Gibson does not give you what you pay for.
Thank you.
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I have an Epi Es-295..great guitar in my opinion..well worth the money
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Any of you all use a solid body of theirs?
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I'll be the voice of dissent...I really regretted buying a Emperor Regent about 10 years ago...nothing wrong with it, but I played other budget jazzboxes afterwards that made me rethink it's value...seems like you're still paying for a name a bit with Epiphone...
Which bums me out, as well as Epiphone now being seen as "budget Gibsons." I got to play some vintage archtops the other day at Chicago Music Exchange, and the Epiphones were better than the Gibsons in every way.
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Used epi emp reg (96.. peerless).
I DONT regret buying it.
I KINDA regret how much I paid used for it (but I was impatient so there)
I DO regret buying a vintage vibe for it (dont ask)
I still play it quite a bit, great for banging around the house.
I wont sell it because it is worth more to me than the price I would get for it.
EDIT: Khindheano reminded me: I had a 2002 LP Standard. Lovely flame, meh hardware, thin neck. Just never bonded with it. At the same time a buddy bought a 2002 LP Studio and except for the neck profile mine blew his out of the water. But... just didnt do it for me.
Last edited by SamBooka; 04-17-2012 at 11:44 AM.
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I have an '07 Emperor Regent that I gig with alot. Love it *almost* as much as my Korean D'Angelico. Also have a '10 Broadway that I use when I play with the blues band. I just like the way the neck feels on both of those, and I get a great jazz tone from the Emperor. As for solids, I used to have a LP Special that I was not in love with. Gave it away. I currently have a LP '56 Goldtop Reissue that I like to sit down with on a Saturday afternoon, along with a bottle of Jack, and wail to some blues backing tracks. I'm keeping that one. I haven't regretted buying any of them, even the LP Special, I got $199 worth out of it 
I think the Emperor and the Broadway were well worth the money.
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I've had two Epiphones, an acoustic Bluegrass biscuit-bridge resonator, and a Sheraton II electric. I was not impressed with either one. They were competently put together, with decent action and necks, but there was something missing, and I'm not sure what it was. Both got traded off, and the Sheraton replaced by a Gibson ES-335. I loved the Gibson the minute I played it.
With the two instruments side by side, it was obvious that a lot of effort went into the Epi's bling, and a lot less effort into its construction and -- especially -- electronics. I got it in '09, when it was 15 years old, and the pots and the pickup switch were long gone: scratchy in the case of the pots, and intermittent in the case of the switch. I rewired it with Seymour Duncans and quality parts (a major hassle, by the way, since everything must pass through the treble f-hole) but that didn't help. It was still a cheap guitar, and felt and sounded like one. I understand that some are better than others, but I wouldn't consider one at this point.
It's great the Gibson makes their thoroughly-designed instruments at a price point affordable to many, but don't kid yourself: you're not getting a Gibson.
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I have owned an Epi DOT335 and a Joe Pass both from 1994 both were very good guitars for the money. I ended up selling them. Then in '05 I bought an Epi DOT 335 again but I didn't like the neck which felt giant to me. The quality of the guitar was fine it just wasn't a good for for me. I think if you do a little research you kind find alot of good Epiphone guitars, they aren't the worst that's for sure... Good Luck!!
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Never heard anyone say anything bad about an Elitist, regardless of the model. What Elitist models are still being made?
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No Lord no, thank you so much for your honesty. I was hoping for more dissent.
Let er' rip folks I would like to hear it all before I commit.
What I struggle with the most is when you buy a guitar you have to add an extra $75 on for a setup because you know you will hate it as is from the factory. Then it comes down to if it will hold a set and I have had some really expensive guitars not hold a set for crap.
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I've had a few.
I traded away a 47 Broadway for a 38 L-12 and was happy to do it.
I traded away a fantastic early Gibson Epi Sorrento for an even more fantastic 1953 Hofner 464.
I'm happy with my most recent Epi purchase - I put a shallower bridge on it and a set of TI .12s and it's now a barrel of CC fun:
Last edited by Hammertone; 04-17-2012 at 03:14 PM.
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Not at all my epiphone Sheraton 2 is my workhouse. It is reliable has a strong tone and is a looker.
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Had a zephyr regent, like a 1 pickup 175. Put in a duncan pickup and schaller closed machines. Serious workhorse guitar. Woody, true to play on, warm, and it inspired me each time I picked it up. It was made in Korea. I pay attention to country of origin.
I had an old Casino. Full hollow double cutaway. Another magical instrument. Old one, competed with the Gibson 330 I believe. Classic serious instrument on par with the Gibson, mine was very well played in and really warm, and great to play.
And I had one of those black semi hollow Les Pauls. Elite I think it was called? Great size. Well built (Korea again) and again I changed the electronics and wound up with one of my best working guitars. Tiny, not heavy, jazzy semi hollow sound, and with Duncan pickups, a voice people always asked me about.
I have no need for the lower end Chinese guitars so no experience but they do look good for the money, with the usual cost cutting in the PU dept.
I'd feel good counting them as a viable choice.
David
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Not a great data point, but I bought a very inexpensive Epiphone acoustic to leave on a stand for the kids to play, to take camping, and just to have an always at hand knock-around guitar. Paid around 125.00 at guitar center 5 years ago. It's made very well. Set up nicely out of the box. Sturdy. Frets finished clean. No regrets at all.
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