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Inspired by Gibson. Open book headstock. Custom buckers and 50's wiring from the factory. $1300 for a '59 ES355. I'm thinking this is pretty competitive pricing for someone looking for a mid priced semi hollow. Not crazy about the paint job but I could buff it to a shine. Even comes in white! Your only other options that I can think of in that price range are japanese order guitars, Edwards and Seventy Seven.
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04-06-2024 12:47 PM
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Sweetwater:
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You can't buy a new made in Japan Seventy Seven for that price. You could get a JT series in that price range though. B
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I try to avoid buying stuff made in China when I can.
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The only new models I've seen are all the JT line unless it's a Tochi. I was referencing the JT line, but yes I am familiar with the superior MIJ models. Foolishly passed on an exrubato jazz cause I wasn't willing to go another hundred bucks. Was tired of getting squeezed on everything so I walked on the offer.
Originally Posted by Top of the Arch!
Stringswinger, I know everyone says they don't/won't buy chinese stuff but you are posting from a computer or a phone made there. Unless you live in a cave and make your own clothes and hunt your own food you are consuming chinese goods.
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No doubt, there are a lot of goods made in China that I use and mostly it is stuff where I have little choice but to buy and use the products made in China. But guitars are one product where I still have a choice. And when it comes to guitars, you also have that choice. It does not cost much more to buy a Korean made guitar. South Korea is our friend. China is not. Originally Posted by DawgBone
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Apportion your opprobrium accurately. Originally Posted by Stringswinger
China did not conquer us and force us to purchase goods made there.
American (and other) business leaders decided to move much of their production to China.
American (and other) consumers went along.
And here we are.
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You are correct. Our government and corporate leaders made those (IMO bad) choices. Our government is now scrambling to create the necessary industries and supply chains as conflict with the Chinese communists seems likely. And unlike Russia and Iran, our economy would suffer greatly if we were cut off from Chinese supply chains. Originally Posted by dconeill
We can survive just fine without Chinese made guitars.
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I will say for the $ it sure is hard to beat Eastman guitars on all of their models. As a player they are way more affordable for the gigging musician.
Im 66 years old and backin the day a used Johnny Smith L-5CES would maybe set you back around $1000 give or take. Probably equal $4000 nowadays. But good luck finding one at that price now.
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I have yet to purchase a Chinese made instrument.
American greed, importers, distributors,
is the reason for the increase in imports and decrease in quality.
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I think it would be more like $5000 in today's dollars and no doubt, Gibson archtops have exceeded inflation and Gibson has become a luxury brand. But there are plenty of instruments that a working musician can afford, other than Gibsons, without having to support Team China. Originally Posted by jads57
I am 66 as well and I always scraped up the money to have at least one fine guitar throughout my entire adult life. I have done well (and married very well, that is the best trick
) and today have a guitar collection that is worth about as much as a nice SUV. I drive a 10 year old car. Cars/SUV's depreciate like crazy. My guitars are the only toys that holds there value quite well, and in the case of my Gibson guitars, they have exceeded inflation.
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You know that Eastman employs a bunch of Americans in California.A lot of the assembly of their guitars are done here in this country.Now they are building guitars entirely in this country also abeit at a higher price.I don't see why their guitars should be ostrasized when i'm sure you have electonics,clothes etc that are made in China.I love my Eastman's,their Romeo model has made my es 335 stay in it's case. Originally Posted by Stringswinger
I think it would be more like $5000 in today's dollars and no doubt, Gibson archtops have exceeded inflation and Gibson has become a luxury brand. But there are plenty of instruments that a working musician can afford, other than Gibsons, without having to support Team China.
I am 66 as well and I always scraped up the money to have at least one fine guitar throughout my entire adult life. I have done well (and married very well, that is the best trick ) and today have a guitar collection that is worth about as much as a nice SUV. I drive a 10 year old car. Cars/SUV's depreciate like crazy. My guitars are the only toys that holds there value quite well, and in the case of my Gibson guitars, they have exceeded inflation.
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To answer OP's question, even vaguely, yes I have tried one at a guitar shop but without plugging in. If I hadn't already bought six or so absolutely last guitars, this one might well rest on my lap. However, my Epi ES-339 Pro has all the quality and qualities I need from a thinbody. Ibanez makes great guitars around and below this price point. That this thread immediately derailed to the country of manufacturing is anachronistic and reveals a parochial US bias on this Belgian-domiciled forum. If I'm not mistaken, Epi's parant company is Gibson. They moved production from Korea to China around 15 years ago. Nixon went there some 30 years earlier.
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South Korea's guitar makers are also exploitative, let's be real. Originally Posted by Stringswinger
I won't sink SUV money into something I will beat on at 100-200-300 per man gigs. To me a guitar is a semi disposable piece of gear. A tool to make money with. It can be damaged or stolen. What would you rather have stolen, an Epi or a Gibson? Since I am actually attempting to make the larger share of my income through music, affordable instruments are where I shop so when I see an ES with factory Gibson pickups and wiring for 1300 bucks it's gonna get my attention. Those custom bucker pickups are $500 a set from Gibson.
When it's dollars and cents gear goes from fun hobby to business expense so the whole mindset has to change from "let me indulge myself" to "what will get the job done?" Most of the guys I know who are actually out there gigging aren't doing it on 5000 dollar Gibsons. They are doing it on mid line 1000-1500 dollar guitars cause it makes sense on all fronts. Finally we have a mid priced Epiphone that can hopefully compete with some of the japan offerings, because actual ES shapes of quality at affordable pricing are tough to find in country.
I've had a few Epi's now. The guts were always the weak point so it's great to see Epiphone has finally come around. I'm definitely gonna try to find one of these to check out in person. The machine they turn the Sheraton and ES bodies out on is an amazing piece of high tech equipment. I have a feeling these will probably be a pretty damn nice guitar.
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Originally Posted by bohemian46
But... asian imports have INCREASED in quality. ALOT.
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I wish there were. However, European guitar manufactures began to vanish 50 years ago, to virtual extinction. They could not compete with Japanese instruments - an era now viewed with nostalgia. By now, China has lost its lowest-cost status to Indonesia and Vietnam. Mind you, it's American or Japanese parent companies that foot or at least support the investment in latest technology there, while US makers (are forced to) take pride in decades-old equipment on home ground. I understand and underwrite the geopolitical concerns caused by China's economic and military ascent. Could it have happened without billions and billions of USD investments over half a century? To be precise, Nixon went to China in 1972. Which tree to bark at? Originally Posted by AllanAllen
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Well Globalization is complicated and has lots of problems as well as benefits. I totally get how people wouldn’t want to support a hostile government.
The ES-355 looks really good, and reminds me of the 1959 one I had back in 1974. I’d love to try one for sure, to see how close they got to it.
Even the Historic CS Gibson versions seem a bit different feeling than what I remember. But That was 50 years and several hundred guitars ago,Lol!
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If Gibson will not do it an Epi 175 would be nice again. My 2 cents.
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Amen! This is the golden age of affordable guitars. When I started playing in ‘66, an affordable guitar was junk, a playable guitar for an 11 year old was out of reach. Originally Posted by ruger9
I did own a ‘21 IBG Les Paul Custom. Its build quality was as good or better than my ‘78 LP Deluxe or ‘92 LP 40th Anniversary. Sounded great. Played great. Never fully bonded with it and it was traded in to fund my MIK D’Angelico Throwback Style B. Now that is the best guitar I ever owned.
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On (most of) their flat-top steel-string acoustics, yes. I'm not so sure it's the case for their archtops. When I was looking for an archtop a lot of the AR8xxce with the electric gadgets not set on/in the top (so already by definition 2nd-hand specimens) were well upwards of 2k€ with quite a few located closer to me closer to 4k€. And at the time someone like Elferink still asked under 5k€ for a 16" instrument... Originally Posted by jads57
How literally should that be taken, i.e. is that wiring with well-matured copper? Originally Posted by DawgBone
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If you want to get literal, there isn’t any new copper. It’s all as old as time itself. Originally Posted by RJVB
How literally should that be taken, i.e. is that wiring with well-matured copper?
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The whole Epiphone ES body line is pretty nice right now. The Emily Wolfe Sheratons, Marty Schwartz 335, the regular sheratons, 150th anniversary sheratons, sheratons with frequensator tailpieces, etc and now these. A real smorgasbord.
Here's the older factory tour I mentioned.
The presses are about 5:30
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There's a lot like here for $1300. Ebony fretboard, mahogany neck, US made switches and pots, Gibson humbuckers (no telling how they will compare to current 57 and 59 HB's). Made to actually look like a Gibson with the inlays and headstock. If they came out with a ES175 copy using this approach I would buy one. Originally Posted by DawgBone
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It wasnt that long ago when Japan had the same reputation for low quality (made in Japan meant crap) to "americans", didnt take long till their manufacturing surpassed the US in nearly every product category and now american manufacturers (including some very highly regarded guitar makers) source their guitars and parts there. Then it was time to diss the Koreans but Peerless aptly demonstrated how misguided that was in fact the Peerless Epi regent has been owned and played and complimented by many very good players with really nice guitars right here on this site and if your being honest their laminate body archtops were every bit as good as many boutique guitars costing many times more. The Chinese goods are following the same path, they have demonstrated their ability for top quality capability but it seems QC has been a challenge. It seems company's like Epi and Eastman are trying to remedy that. It wont be long till their low quality reputation is forgotten and their goods deemed very desirable. Then it will be time to pick on the next low cost asian manufacturer. Im an old man now, the last time US made goods were something to brag about was the generation before me. I dont have any recent experience with Epi or Eastman but I wouldnt write off Chinese goods from company's with a stake in reversing that idea.
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But they did, didn't they? I think they had a 2 year run and stopped making them because they were too good? Originally Posted by vinnyv1k
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