Epiphone ES-175 Pickup

[SamBooka]

What I NEVER think is "Will my Epi ES-175 be as good as a Gibson ES-175 if I put Gibson and other good bits on it and do some work on it?." I don't care about that-I just want it to be the best that it can be, in it's own right.

50 words or less:

+1, best-that-it can be within reason. Not sure I would pay to have the fretboard planed and refretted on a 600$ guitar but 100$ for a pickup that I can pull at any time for another guitar? NP.

[randyc]

Adding "within reason" does set some sensible limits

[tonedeaf]

In my case, the decision to buy new was driven by the fact that I had been away from guitars for a long time. I had no idea what to look for used and if I had found something, I would not have known how to evaluate its worth. And (assuming a perfect world) I wanted something I could pick up and play and if any bad sounds came out, they would be my fault.

I also had a value equation with an upper limit (which had to include everything; amp, cables, extra strings, etc). About the only thing I knew for sure was that I wanted a hollow body since most of my favorite jazz players used them. I eventually settled on the Epi ES 175 (probably for reasons both good and bad). There were just a lot of reviews indicating that the guitar was a good value even with new p-ups, so I included that cost in my equations. And, compared to other guitars in the price range, it just seemed to have a little more soul and people talking about them just seemed more positive and excited.

I probably could have gone into a good shop and told the guy what I wanted and come out as well or better off. But I would have missed a good education.

Will I buy another guitar? Maybe. Will I consider used? Certainly (now that I know a little). But first, my playing has to get a whole lot better to justify anything a lot better. (Maybe I can buy one as an "investment" and earn the scourage of the whole forum.)

[randyc]

Tonedeaf, you certainly would earn no scorn from me; LOTS of encouragement. That's a forthright description of how you started at "A", ended at "C"and it's probably typical of a lot of our experiences.

Regarding "collecting" or "investing" I don't perceive it in the way that much of our membership seems to view it. Purchasing a value instrument, in my opinion, is really a simple decision: I get to own and play a wonderful, sweet-sounding example of my country's musical history and craftsmanship (universally imitated) for NOTHING ! Because it can be sold for far more than I paid + inflation + any reasonable estimate of interest.

There are converse arguments, many, but I think that most realize (in their hearts) that what I've stated is substantially correct. The difficult part is coming up with the money to obtain a quality instrument. Believe me, I remember what it's like. I recall having to pawn my '61 Les Paul for rent money in 1962 and it was VERY difficult to scrape up the cash to redeem it.

And naturally there is always the automatic defense or why one bought such and such for whatever reason - there is a suggestion that a decision was based on insufficient thought.

Here's a "test" that I've frequently used in the past to evaluate priorities; it goes something like this:

A. I'm committed to becoming a proficient jazz guitarist and realize that a better instrument will provide better motivation. I know that the instrument will be worth considerably more than I paid for it if I resist the temptation to buy "from the wall".

B. I need a fine ride, after all lots of people "judge" me by what I drive and where I live.

To which I reply: compared to "B", coughing up the money for "A" is mice nuts.

cheers,
randyc

[tonedeaf]

Well I think I can finally declare victory. All the changes I made resulted in an improved guitar. I was really happy with what I had but there were still a couple of areas where the tone was not quit what I wanted and I still had a little bit of annoying lack of consistency. So, I was finally able to find and contact a good guitar man in my area and get done what I probably should have done first, get a good set up. The setup cleared up the last of the issues and when I got it home I was really nicely surprised at not only the improvments in the guitar but the improvment in the fluidity with which I was able to play it.

So, I guess I can answer the question of whether I should have just put out $1,000 in the first place for a better quitar. My answer is that I think I would have had to buy used to get as good or better for the grand I spent. But, since this was my first electric I would have had no idea what that guitar might have been, or known it if I would have found it. And second, if I had found the guitar, I would have missed a great education (well worth the additonal amount I spent on the quitar).

Thanks to everyone for all the suggestions. And (being a aquisitive individual) I am not sure how long I will be able to put off inquiring about suggestions for the next unit.

[randyc]

tonedeaf:

You're a woodworker and you know that the journey can be the purpose, not the destination, LOL ! (Thanks for remaining connected to this topic throughout ... The final chapter is always the most satisfying.)

cheers !

[tonedeaf]

tonedeaf:

You're a woodworker and you know that the journey can be the purpose, not the destination, LOL ! (Thanks for remaining connected to this topic throughout ... The final chapter is always the most satisfying.)

cheers !

randyc:

Well, most of my woodworking was interior finishes of high-end homes being built for rich folks who wanted everything yesterday. So, it sometimes seemed more like a forced march than a journey (and sometimes I was too exhausted to know if the journey had an destination or a purpose).

BTW, did you ever make it to the Garden City Club (Saratoga just off San Tomas)? Home of the best steak and smarmyest jazz players in the south bay. (Don't know why this popped into my head after 20 years.)