Gibson vs Epiphone Semi-hollows

**Tal_175** · 07-28-2018, 03:55 PM

I tried a bunch of Epiphone and Gibson 335's and 339's the other day at a local guitar store. They all sounded a bit different of course as all guitars do. They were all very excellent in quality, playability and tone. But for the life of me without looking at the name on the head stock I wouldn't be able to tell which one was which. I can tell an American Fender from a squire from a mile away (MIM not so much), but quality difference here isn't anything like it. Epi's didn't seem like budget guitars at all. Well they weren't that cheap either.
I liked some guitars more, but they were all due to personal preferences like neck profile, bluesy/snappy vs mellow attack etc. Some were Epi's some were Gibson's.
I mean I didn't do a detailed inspection for the smoothness of the knobs and switches or lacquer vs poly finish and what not, I was more focused on the feeling and tone. Also I only tried semi-hollows, no LP's or hollows.
So is this where things are at with the Epi semi-hollows these days or am I just too thick to get the difference?

**blille** · 07-28-2018, 04:56 PM

It depends on the Gibson but IMHO there’s about the same difference between Epi and Gibson as there is between Fender MIA and Squier Vintage Modified. It boils down to specs more than “better” or “worse”, the weaker point being usually the electronics. Archtops are trickier.

**wmachine** · 07-28-2018, 08:15 PM

It is hard (for me) to understand what your experience was unless you tell exactly what year and models you compared.

**Tal_175** · 07-28-2018, 08:23 PM

Originally Posted by wmachine

It is hard (for me) to understand what your experience was unless you tell exactly what year and models you compared.

Like I said in the OP they were 335's and 339's. I'm not sure the years but they were all brand new in a big store, so I'm guessing 2018 and 2017 models. Epi 339 had the coil tapping (I think that's what it's called) where you can pull the knob and single coil it.

**blille** · 07-28-2018, 08:29 PM

Originally Posted by Tal_175

the coil tapping (I think that's what it's called) where you can pull the knob and single coil it.

Coil split.

**Tal_175** · 07-28-2018, 08:34 PM

Originally Posted by blille

Coil split.

Right. Looks like coil tapping is a bit different but similar concept:
What Is Coil Tapping? | Seymour Duncan

**blille** · 07-28-2018, 08:38 PM

Originally Posted by Tal_175

Right. Looks like coil tapping is a bit different but similar concept:
What Is Coil Tapping? | Seymour Duncan

Exactly. They each have their place. Most people say tapping but mean splitting

**wmachine** · 07-28-2018, 08:52 PM

Originally Posted by Tal_175

Like I said in the OP they were 335's and 339's. I'm not sure the years but they were all brand new in a big store, so I'm guessing 2018 and 2017 models. Epi 339 had the coil tapping (I think that's what it's called) where you can pull the knob and single coil it.

The point is that there are many different models of both Gibson and EPI (that also can differ year to year) that without knowing exactly what you compared, it is still too general to make any call on your experience.

**Jimmy Mack** · 07-28-2018, 11:38 PM

I'll call it! You play one guitar vs. another. The better one wins.
I've had a few Epiphones in the last 30 or so years, some Gibsons, Guilds, and Fenders + Squiers.
Some good and some bad in each.
The Epiphones, to me, were pretty much always worth a thorough investigation.
Lately, they are incredible values for the money you pay. And then you can tweak, or carry them to gigs, without much worry about the value. But mine sound great, and play extremely well, which is what you want a good guitar to do.
Cosmetics have been top-notch too.

**wmachine** · 07-29-2018, 02:10 PM

Originally Posted by Jimmy Mack

I'll call it! You play one guitar vs. another. The better one wins.
I've had a few Epiphones in the last 30 or so years, some Gibsons, Guilds, and Fenders + Squiers.
Some good and some bad in each.
The Epiphones, to me, were pretty much always worth a thorough investigation.
Lately, they are incredible values for the money you pay. And then you can tweak, or carry them to gigs, without much worry about the value. But mine sound great, and play extremely well, which is what you want a good guitar to do.
Cosmetics have been top-notch too.

I can go along with all of this.
I'd like to add that it can be difficult to fairly evaluate guitars in a store. In a store to pick one vs another is less difficult. When "down to one" comes, nothing beats an at home evaluation, so getting one with a good and easy return policy can be a big help and comfort to the decision process.

**Inglese** · 08-03-2018, 01:35 AM

I have a 1997 Samik made Epiphone DOT and I'm really Happy with it. More than one pro player and luthier told me is a really good guitar.
I tried several other DOTs but never found one as good as mine so I'm sure quality can vary a lot.

**Alter** · 08-03-2018, 05:55 AM

I think Epiphones are good entry level guitars, they are decent in every way and hassle free for years. In the medium price and quality category though, I think they fare worse than the competition from brands like Ibanez, Wasburn, Yamaha, etc. In my personal experience, I didn't find comparisons with Gibsons viable.

**lammie200** · 08-03-2018, 11:18 AM

I have two great guitars that are very comparable - a Gibson ES-390 and an Epiphone Casino Coupe. They are both pro playable after tweaking the set ups correctly. The Epi is a great copy, but overall inferior in every way. Is it 25% of the Gibson in every way? I would say that it is more like 65-75%. Good craftsmanship and a decent (not extremely thick) finish. It was 25% of the price of the Gibson, however. And now that things are shaking out at Gibson the prices of good used ones are rising. Gibsons can be looked at as slight investments. Epi's won't appreciate I am sure, although I have seen the Casino Coupe model retain its value OK.

**Tal_175** · 08-03-2018, 11:40 AM

I agree Ibanez, Yamaha and Eastman are even better than Epi's most of the times.
It's hard to notice all the quality differences when playing in stores unless you're specifically looking for them. I'm sure people who own both brands who commented above have more reliable insights.
Somebody above said 65/75% of the quality of Gibson's is there in Epi's. I wonder how much of that is cosmetic factors and how much of it is tone and playability. Of course those other "cosmetic" factors are also important, but not worth the big bucks for some. For electric guitar there is also the option of upgrading the electronics and pickups for a few hundred dollars.
Tone also is not easy to judge in stores. How a guitar feels is the most obvious and reliable thing to detect in stores (if it's set up reasonably well), in that regard I don't see a winner.

**lammie200** · 08-03-2018, 12:23 PM

Originally Posted by Tal_175

...
Somebody above said 65/75% of the quality of Gibson's is there in Epi's. I wonder how much of that is cosmetic factors and how much of it is tone and playability...

It is all of the above IMHO.

**DanielleOM** · 08-03-2018, 12:41 PM

How were the necks? The last time I looked at Epiphone guitars in the store the ones I saw had D profile necks that seemed almost flat on the bottom. I think they were designing them for lap steel players.

**Jimmy Mack** · 08-03-2018, 06:25 PM

Stop guessing, and go play a few!

**lammie200** · 08-04-2018, 12:47 PM

Originally Posted by DanielleOM

How were the necks? The last time I looked at Epiphone guitars in the store the ones I saw had D profile necks that seemed almost flat on the bottom. I think they were designing them for lap steel players.

If you are talking to me I can only say that I have never understood very much about the differences with what are labeled as C, D, U, etc. necks. The Epi Casino Couple that I have has a fairly flat neck back and a medium front to back thickness. The Gibson is close to the same flatness and a tiny bit thicker.

**DanielleOM** · 08-04-2018, 01:18 PM

I am not sure that I have ever seen a U shaped neck. When I first saw the D, I was rather surprised at how flat they seemed to be. The sales people at the store advised they were D shaped. To satisfy my curiosity I took a quick on line and saw some Epiphone DOT 335 style noted as having D shaped necks. I saw a new Sheraton with a C.