Let me answer it for you, it’s because most people can’t afford Gibson…

My first guitar was an Epiphone Les Paul. I put some Seymour Duncan Pearly Gates Humbucker in it. When the guitar tech gave it back to me he said, "this sounds better than any Gibson in here. It just never stayed in tune lol

Isn’t it obvious? Guitar players choose Epiphone because guitar players have no money!

I bought an Epiphone Les Paul Standard Pro my Sophomore year in HS. I never felt self conscious about gigging it because it was my dream guitar in a more affordable format and played every bit as good as I would have liked it. The only time I felt hesitant to mention it was when I would talk to other guitar players who had a lot nicer set ups and were more talented than me. Almost a decade later, I have recently bought my first Gibson, but it was more for the sentimental value of finally buying a dream guitar rather than having anything lacking with my Epiphone Les Paul. I'm so thankful for the Epiphone option as it was the perfect guitar for where I was in life and what I could afford. I really don't see anything wrong with playing an Epiphone at any level as they are made so well and really have the characteristics of everything you may want in a guitar. Thought I'd share, I still have my Epiphone and I never plan on selling it.

I work at Gibson. I thought your video was spot on. Not everyone needs a Gibson level guitar… Epiphone is made more consistent today than ever before. A historical fact that a lot of people forget is Epiphone was much more successful in the golden era (50’s and 60’s) than Gibson. The reason Gibson acquired Epiphone is because they were killing Gibson’s sales of L-4, Super 400’s, and yes… Les Pauls. They were leading the market in stand up bass and a huge threat to Fender and Gibson because of the Beatles.

Love my casino. Btw, it’s not a semi hollow, it’s fully hollow.

Jack White playing a $100 Airline? Where can I get one of THOSE!

Hey! How did your friend set up the microphones to record this session!! It's sooo creative! i can see mic and bass-traps!!

Great episode man. I’m in my 40’s. My Time Machine trip would be to go back in time and play the Squire strat my mom bought me when I was 13 that I played everyday, at every band “gig” my friends and I had until I was 19 and bought a USA fender strat and put the squire under my bed. Flash forward, mid 30s my mom died and helping my dad clean out the house I found the squire in my old closet. I took it home and played that guitar every day until my apartment got broken into and it got stolen. It’s not the brand, it’s the time of life that guitar was there for you.

Epiphone signature models are some of the best guitars I’ve played. Love my Emily Wolfe Sheraton

Great content. These videos are really fun and relaxing to watch. Thank you!!

Nice video, thanks, so interesting to see your journey with these different guitars. I have a blond Epiphone 335 Pro, a somewhat upgraded version of the Dot with coil splitting and (after I switched out the plastic nut for Tusq and ditched the pickguard a la Lennon) I absolutely love it. I found the neck kinda wobbly at first, as my other guitar has a chunky maple neck, but now that just comes into the way I play it. Beautiful dark fingerboard, almost looks like ebony but I guess its some kinda rosewood. And I love that I can let loose in a jam and not worry too much about scratching up the finish like I would that of a 4 grand guitar. A lot of love for this Epi, it's very versatile and comes with tonnes of mojo as standard!

I've been playing guitar since I started checking out my older brother's Gibson ES125 when i was about 12. When I was in my twenties I worked at a music store and bought a 1967 Gibson ES330 Cherry red. It's sitting right beside me. My newest guitar is an Epiphone SG, also red. Love them both. The shorter scale length works with my small hands. I find with Strat style guitars that extra 3/4" makes a huge difference. I'm 69 now and still playing guitar regularly.

I've had my cherry red Epiphone dot since 2009. My first electric guitar. Still playing it.

i started out with the epiphone les paul special ii back in 2013 (now the E-1 special ii). after going thru a few s and t-types throughout the years and retiring the les paul, i came back full circle and got the sg special with p-90s in pelham blue. far too many sleep on epiphone because of the brand and recent QC mishaps, but i'd say that the epiphone of now is so much better than what i had 11 years ago.

The Epiphone name has always been legendary to me. Growing up my dad's preferred guitar was his prized 1975 Epiphone Texan, the model Paul used to write and perform Yesterday. Because of this I always associate the Epiphone logo with guitars and my dad. My first guitar was in fact an Epiphone Dot! I got it for my 16th birthday back in 1997 (in the tobacco sunburst finish) and picked it out with my dad. It's body just called out to me and I still play it regularly to this day. I regret not putting the Gary Clark Epiphone Black and Blue 335 or the John Bonamassa "Amos" Epiphone Flying V on a credit card while they were available. Epiphone quality control has been consistently better than their more expensive brethren as well.

Playing Get Back on a Casino is as good as it gets

- There is a Gibson like that, it is the Gibson 330. - The Casino and 330 are fully hollowed, the 335, 345 and 355 are semi-hollowed. - Back to the future had a 345. I went to a store downtown, I wanted to try some PRS SEs. I have always been a Strat/SG guy. I liked the McCarty 594 but I did not like the rest of them. There was this Epi on the wall and I loved it. It sounded and felt great, not only "great for the money", actually a great guitar that you can practice, rehearse, record and go on stage with no worries.

I have an Epiphone Les Paul std plus top from 2015. Never failed me since I bought it. Absolute keeper for recording, and playing in a small band. Almost 10 years to the day and the thing looks amazing and sounds amazing too. Loved this video. Do you have a video on your strat?

The Beatles' Casinos were made in Kalamazoo, the old Gibson factory, but you're right - there is no Gibson Casino, only the equivalent hollowbody 330. When it comes to the name on the headstock, I'm afraid I have to plead guilty when it comes to single coils: I always buy Fender, never Squier. But in the case of humbuckers, I own an Epiphone Les Paul that I have heavily modded, and, weirdly, I am not interested in ever upgrading to a Gibson. I also own a Casino, and because it resonates so well unplugged, I pick it up more than any of my other guitars. Hope you enjoy yours.

I have that same guitar. It's definitely a weapon. I love that you can also play it acoustically because it's hollow.

1) people cant afford gibsons

I love your channel bro, super talented on guitar and as a content creator, a real creative. Inspired me in a major way!

Here's the specs on the 2021 epiphone modern figured Sg that's been recently discontinued and on sale what's left....very high end build Electronics hardware all high end and once they are gone they will go way up in value on the used market....The SG Modern Figured from Epiphone's Inspired by Gibson™ Collection has the classic SG™ body profile made from mahogany and a maple cap with an AAA-figured maple veneer. Powered by a pair of Epiphone's ProBucker™ humbucker™ pickups with coil-splitting, phase switching, and a treble bleed circuit for a multitude of tones. It also features an ebony fingerboard, asymmetrical SlimTaper™ neck profile with contoured heel, world-class Grover® Locking Rotomatic® 18:1 ratio tuners, and a Graph Tech NuBone™ nut.Body Style SG Body Shape SG Body Material Mahogany Top 3/4" Maple with AAA Flame Maple Veneer Body Finish GlossProfile Asymmetrical Slim Taper Scale Length 628.65 mm / 24.75 in Fingerboard Material Ebony Fingerboard Radius 304.8 mm / 12 in Fret Count 24 Frets Medium Jumbo Nut Material Graph Tech® Nut Width 43.0 mm / 1.692 in Inlays Trapezoid Joint Glued in, Set NeckFinish Nickel Bridge LockTone Tune-O-Matic Tailpiece LockTone Stop Bar Tuning Machines Grover locking Rotomatic; 18:1 Truss Rod Adjustable Control Knobs Clear Top Hats with Ridge Switch Tip Black Strap Buttons 2 - bottom and shoulder Pickup Covers NickelNeck Pickup ProBucker 2™ humbucker w/coil-splitting Bridge Pickup ProBucker-3™ humbucker w/coil-splitting Controls 2 Volume (2 Push/Pull coil-splits); 2 Tone (1 Push/Pull Phase) Pickup Selector 3-way Epiphone toggle Output Jack Epiphone Heavy Duty 1/4"

Buy the guitar you want and can afford. Don’t let anyone else convince you otherwise. Everyone is on their own journey and shouldn’t feel bad buying a cheaper or more expensive guitar. Be honest with yourself and you’ll save time and money in the long run.

Great video! Just saw you in the latest Sweetwater catalog, nice job!

I remember my first guitar in high school in the mid 60's... a Sears Silvertone single cutaway hollow body thin line. I taught myself to play it and wound up in Beatles cover bands in high school and college. I repainted it candy apple red and still have it today. It will always have great memories for me.

Nice, thanks for the info.

The way I feel is the same way I feel about Harley Davidson. Yeah there’s guys putting miles on new bikes and using them daily, but the main buyers are white collar guys like doctors and lawyers. The working man can’t afford nice new models or old vintage models. Epiphone fills that need with quality instruments at reasonable prices(for now but they’re climbing). I have a Casino Coupe and I love it. I play it every day. ES-390s I’m sure are nice but I don’t have the money for one or the need for one since the Epi sounds and feels amazing to me.

Your friend said it all. It's the whole enchilada. No one should have a crappy guitar but everyone should have a decent guitar that's set-up well. A $4000 guitar won't make me sound better but a good guitarist can still sound great on a budget brand. Can we stop giving backhanded compliments to the budget brands? It's the player that makes the difference. And no one is doing side by side comparisons while you are entertaining yourself and or others.

My first electrical guitar was a Special II model.Tons of fun. Full black one, really loved that one!

Don't know anything about Epiphones but I love your channel. You are one of the most thoughtful and articulate guitar reviewers on KZfaq. I love how you address all the nagging gear questions and biases that so many of us have struggled with. Thank you and please keep up the great work.

I occasionally still gig with my first ever guitar, a 96' epi les paul made in korea, still plays fantastic. I may need to add a casino to the collection now.

My first guitar ever was a 1998 Epiphone Les Paul Custom, and I still love it. Do I love it more than my Gibsons, Fenders, or PRS’s? No. But it is filled with nostalgia and fun to play, and still sounds fantastic. So I will always be one of my favorites.

Nice work with the upgraded production. You’re building a really nice channel here, Mike.

Hey! Have you ever thought about trying the orangewood guitarist?

I’m a huge Beatles guy, but aside from that I genuinely love my Casino, and find that it’s “that guitar” I just keep coming back to no matter what else I play

I’ve got my pre-order in for the Epiphone DG-335 signature. I can’t wait!

I have a Casino (natural finish) and I love it! I slapped a Bigsby and a set of light D'Addario flatwounds on it just for the hell of it. It's currently got a few problems -- the truss rod won't adjust properly and one of the volume pots is stuck at full volume -- but when you put P90s in a hollow body guitar you get something unique, tone-wise. Clean or dirty, it sounds fantastic, and when you really crank up the dirt, the hollow body gives it something extra that you don't get out of a solid body guitar. Good choice!

For semi hollow I have an Ibanez AS 83 violin burst and an Ibanez AS 73 in red. I absolutely love them both. The 83 is flamed maple front and back, a 3 piece neck, binding on the body, neck, headstock, and even on the f holes, pearloid inlays, it's so gorgeous. I bought them both used and they're my 3rd and 4th Ibanez, but I don't really like any other Ibanez guitars, especially their acoustics! But the AS stores are the best, most beautiful and best value semi hollow guitars.

Correct me if I’m wrong, but I’m pretty sure one of the only budget friendly Les Pauls that featured a Floyd Rose was the Epiphone Alex Lifeson signature from a couple years back. That guitar was hailed as one of the best Epiphones out there, due to all features on it, including a piezo, a neck cutaway to provide better fret access, and of course a Floyd Rose. Given that the guitar was under $800, that was one of best bang for your buck Epiphones on the market.

Hey Mike, great concept for a video. The casino definitely stands up on its own, I'd also suggest you try the Riviera. That's its own guitar like the casino, not just a budget casino. Great tone from both and they compare favourably to my Gibson es135. Word of caution though: I've had three recent Epis (casino, Riviera and SG special) and they ALL have needed work on the necks. The attention to detail in my experience isn't quite there.

Mike I just found your channel on KZfaq and you are amazing. Humble and open about your experiences and journey. God Bless you and keep it up. We are all out here rooting for you.

I've been a musician over 50 years. Never have I ever seen a time when musicians preferred Eppies over Gibbies.

I have the Epiphone Wilshire Phantom-O-Matic that is my go to and prized guitar. It’s Frank Iero of MCR’s signature model. It has a varitone switch, I swapped the pickups from the stock to a 59/JB combo. It rips. Everyone who plays it immediately falls in love with the tone, the weight, the feel. They don’t make it anymore and I will always hold on to it for dear life

I prefer Epiphone over Gibson any day, all day. The Gibson price and headstock angle really creep me out. And I love getting great tones out of an inexpensive guitar and make other players wonder "Why the heck did I spend so much extra money on a Fendson Gibber when I could have gotten 2 or 3 Epiphones with different pickup options and an amp." Yet another great video Mike !!!

It comes down to how it measures up to what you want in a guitar. Does it put a smile on your face, and those who may be listening to you? Mission accomplished. I've played and owned both Squiers and Epiphones, and I own the respective Fender and Gibson versions of some of them as well. I love 'em all. I do not treat them as investments, because that mindset can make you not want to use them for what they were made for. One additional upside to the budget guitars is, if you like to tech and mod, you can learn on a cheaper guitar and not worry about ruining something you paid a alot more for. It all boils down to this: Play what YOU love, and let others do the same. A lesson that can be applied over all of life, actually. Great video, sir! I really enjoyed hearing about your first guitar. I still have mine, after 42 years! :)

A couple Christmases ago, my wife gifted me an Epi SG Modern in trans black. I oogled at one in a guitar store and mentioned how much I adored the trans black finish. It’s a spectacular guitar all the way around, sounds fabulous (I play a punk rock Sex Pistols kind of thing). Compares just as good as the ‘79 335 I’d been using for 30 years. Love it! Great video BTW‼️

Branding is ultimately overrated in this golden age of cheap guitars unless you are concerned with resale value, collector's value, or how you will be perceived when playing live or just as relevant, money is of no concern. There's no shortage of Squires and Epiphones that for significantly less or equal cost, you can get a much better instrument if you know which "brand-x" guitars to buy. I have at least 30 guitars ATM and only 5 or 6 are name brand, but I also have a background in engineering and numerous technical trades, *so $70 or $700, I'm going to extensively hack and modify everything.* I play at a globally elite level, *so nobody gives a shit what I'm playing lol.*

I had a regular Casino, I preferred the Worn, same.color too. My daughter has the Worn. The Regular Casino sounds a little better than the USA model. It is also more vintage accurate too. The USA model is so unnecessary. Adjusting the pole pieces on the Casino Worn will make a massive difference and transform it into something special.

“Good love is on the way” is the riff I play when I’m soundchecking… that was fun to see him play that off the bat when he got handed the guitar.

Mike great content. Very relatable and one of the best channels I watch. Good luck and much success!

The LOG... Les Paul and Epiphone hit the first note of a musical revolution. Epiphone

Epiphone ruled over Gibson in the 1930's..40's..50:s..60's into the early 70's that's when Norlin ruined epiphone and deliberately..well in 2019 JC Curliegh put a end to that and restored Epiphone back to where they should have always been epiphone was never ever meant to be a budget brand in the first place and they weren't until Norlin ruined them when they took over Gibson..now the glory days of epiphone is back and once again smacking Gibson around just like they did in the good o'l days..and it's wonderful Gibson in reality could never match to epiphone history and its history with les Paul himself Les Paul and Epiphone are the sole reason why the Gibson solid body les Paul guitar even exist today..thats a historical fact so when you play a epiphone les Paul your really playing the real deal and the brand where it all began thats also a historical fact..so Gibson boys all you're lying about epiphone isn't working your bs ended with the Gibson lawsuit miserable failures..THE END

Howdy Mike, I like the video. Seeing more attention brought to brands that aren’t the big three. Have you checked out the Eastman equivalent to the 335?

Who's your Daddy Gibson? We all know the truth Now!! its Epiphone and Les Paul!!!

I'm 68, learning to play late after yearning to play forever. I mostly play acoustic, but a few years ago, I stumbled on to an Epiphone Special-II for $45. I snapped it up, and learned about electric setup and played it a lot. Last year, I added a $450 cherry red Epiphone ES-339 to my electric arsenal. I'm happy to have both of them, and doubt I'd happier to have spent 10 times as much on 2 Gibsons. 😊

Epiphone Casino is godlike.

Here's the specs on a 2021 Epiphone custom koa Les Paul with a real koa top..its been recently discontinued...its all high end premium electronics hardware and build....Les Paul Custom Bound All-Mahogany Body w/ Koa Top 24.75" Scale Rolled Mahogany Neck w/ Ebony Fretboard & Pearloid Inlays Dual ProBucker Humbucker Pickups Era-Appropriate Wiring & CTS Potentiometers Fixed Bridge, Graph Tech NuBone Nut '60s Style Kalamazoo Headstock & Grover Rotomatic 18:1 TunersThe new Epiphone Koa-topped mahogany body Les Paul Custom is part of Epiphone’s Inspired by Gibson Collection and honors the 1950s classic designed by Mr. Les Paul himself in 1954 as the “tuxedo” version of his groundbreaking solid body masterpiece! Featuring the traditional Custom bound all-mahogany body, 60s SlimTaper™ neck profile, ebony fingerboard with block inlays, gold Epiphone LockTone™ Tune-O-Matic™ bridge and Stop Bar tailpiece, a pair of critically acclaimed Epiphone ProBucker™ humbuckers, and Custom split-diamond inlay on the headstock. This Epiphone Inspired by Gibson model also has the 60s style Kalamazoo headstock, rolled neck for a comfortable feel, Graph Tech® NuBone® nut, era-appropriate wiring, and CTS® pots.BODY Body Type: Solidbody Body Shape: Les Paul Custom Body Material: Mahogany Top Material: Koa Body Finish: Gloss Color: Natural NECK Neck Material: Mahogany Neck Shape: Slim Taper Neck Joint: Set Neck Radius: 12" Fingerboard Material: Ebony Fingerboard Inlay: Pearloid Blocks Number of Frets: 22, Medium Jumbo Scale Length: 24.75" Nut Width: 1.693" Nut Material: Graph Tech NuBone HARDWARE Bridge/Tailpiece: Epiphone LockTone Tune-O-Matic Bridge with Stopbar Tailpiece Tuners: Kidney-style Tuners ELECTRONICS Neck Pickup: Pro Bucker 2 Humbucker Bridge Pickup: Pro Bucker 3 Humbucker Controls: 2 x volume, 2 x tone Switching: 3-way toggle pickup switch

Started on an Epiphone LP, eventually after several other guitars ended up with a repaired 69 LP Studio. What do I pick up for fun though? A late 70s Kay 335 copy with a Bigsby trem I retrofitted last year. Incidentally I did once borrow a very expensive 335 and LP from a friend for a recording session. They sounded great but weren’t setup for our style of playing and in the end took us longer to get to what we wanted. Setup is crucial.

I've had my Epiphone SG for nearly 30 years now and still play it regularly. I think they're a great buy and I have the Brent Hinds V which is one of the best guitars I've ever played. It's been great seeing them almost step out of being affordable Gibson's and become their own distinct brand in recent years. I actually considering a new one right now and I've no doubt that it'll do me just fine for as long as I keep playing 🙂

The casino is a hollowbody which means no center block. A semi-hollowbody has a solid center block in it to address feedback issues that high powered amps would have with hollowbody guitars. In other words, an es-335 is a semi hollowbody guitar with humbucker pickups traditionally while a casino is a hollowbody and traditionally with P-90 style single coil pickups. Personally I love the sound and weight of a casino. It is a great sounding guitar for blues music with a clean sound and reverb. If you give it a slight crunch then be aware you’re going to get feedback.

Fun video, lots of good points! I still have my 1968 LP Custom, played it live a lot in the '70s. I have recently bought a few modern Epiphones, Casino (modded with Lollar P90s), Cantrell 'Wino' (feels very familar - the neck and ebony board - this will get some Monty's Bethnal Greens soon) and the Epi / Gibson 1959 hybrid - my first 'Standard' thick neck. I've looked at a few Gibsons but none have grabbed me to point of buying - that may change, there's a 2011 'Long Island Iced Tea' that's quite nice, also the recent Deluxe Goldtop w. Mini-Humbuckers. To answer your question 'if I got signed and offered any guitar I want' I'd go for the Eastman SB59/v in a heartbeat. Mind you, seriously thinking about the Collings Julian Lage Signature - JL 470 . . . everything about that one screams (or maybe whispers) absolute class 🙂It never ends, of course . . .

Hey Mike, You asked which Epi guitar we got? I recently got an Epiphone Wildkat. Sounds great to me.

This coming from the guy who said he was done with Les Pauls because he didn't like his Tribute? The equivalent of calling a Challenger slow because you bought a 6 cylinder model...

What is with people's hang up on brand names ? If a guitar work, it freakin' works. People won't notice your guitar's brand name. They'll notice whether or not you practiced.

that guitar looks sweet! Love the tones you're getting out of it, man! Enjoy your gig!

Crazy. Epiphone dot was my first non-starter guitar. Bought it off eBay as 17th birthday present for myself. Sunburst, I still have it. I modded the heck out swapped pickups twice. But I still love the way it feels over a decade later.

I used to have a 1953 Gibson, Les Paul Custom. Nothing has compared to that guitar. I later bought a brand new 2006 Gibson Les Paul special and it played really nice. I've owned a 1974 Gibson SG and a 1983 Fender American Stratocaster. All of my American guitars have been better than all the China, Korean and Japanese guitars that I've owned. But I'm not some logo snob as I've played some really kickass Epiphone's, Squire's and LTD's. When it comes to tone woods, that only applies to acoustic instruments because the pickups are the heart of any guitar. If someone has a great fretboard, nut, bridge saddles and good tuners with proper action and perfect intonation it's going to play like butter. It doesn't matter who originally made it. But knock off guitars usually require some added money to get them perfect. But today the best USA guitars are the older ones. So if you're wanting a Gibson or an American Fender buy something older than 2009. That's my opinion. But if you're going to buy an Epiphone do your homework as a lot of the fretboard woods are truly shit these days. Rosewood fretboard Epiphones will run almost as high as a quality used Gibson.

Epiphone all day long over Gibson no Les Paul and Epiphone Gibson wouldn't have the Les Paul solid body guitar today JC Curliegh Restored Epiphone back to where they should have always been in 2019 and that was the beginning of Gibson downfall no one wants Gibson anymore they want the legendary Epiphone Gibson boys need to get over it its not going to ever change..

I have the exact same Adam audio monitors. Fantastic sound and clarity..

Love how passionate you are man 🤘🏻 and very knowledgeable

The casino is an epiphone brand not Gibson..

I've been playing for years. I went to college/university for modern music - guitar performance. I have played lots of guitars. I bought a Gibson Les Paul. I use heavy strings .12-.60 in Eflat @ A432hz. The neck felt like it was going to break. It is no longer with me. Currently, I use Epiphone, Ibanez, fender, Taylor, and squire. The best guitar I have is the one I made. Seriously, the best thing is learn to make everything for me. I found that (even though I'm not finished with it yet) is the neck through with a 5 piece neck through with your choice of timber for the body. When I flick the guitar it vibrates throught the guitar. I learned this trick from a guy that was making acoustic guitars that were nearing 5 figures. He said he could always figure out which guitars was going to sound the best when you would flick it and the entire guitar would resonate.

I love my Epiphones. I’ve got 4 of them. - Casino - Les Paul Plustop Pro - SG - Noel Gallagher Supernova (335) I would love to have a Telecaster as well, but it’s just being greedy. I’m very content with the Epiphones. The Casino has such a unique resonance & tone. It’s great amped up or acoustic. It’s great for songwriting. Paul McCartney even said it’s his favourite guitar. It was certainly John Lennon’s.

Awe man. Great video. I love your infectious love of guitar. I bought an epiphone dot in 1997 when i was 20 and LOVED it.. I got rid of it about 10 years ago and am sorry I did.. even though I have a nice collection now, i regret letting my old dot go.

Shit I play a first act I got at a pawn shop for $25. I’ve done a lot of work to it. It plays pretty nice. Well it did anyway. I recently hacked it all up and slapped a Floyd rose in it. Haven’t got it dialed in quite yet. Point is, expensive doesn’t mean good. Cheap doesn’t mean bad.

Ive owned epiphones and ive owned gibson (singular). And if theyre both set up correctly the difference is minimal. But the head stock is so much better on the gibson 😂.

My first serious guitar was an epiphone dot studio. Will always love the thing.

You made me think back to my first days of play guitar. My first guitar was a knock off Strat from a department store, it sounded like garbage, but I played it, eventually traded it in for a Cort "Strat". Over the years, I always wanted a "Real" Fender, definalyt a real Gibson Les Paul. I turned my nose up at the Epiphone Les Paul back in the day. When I got the chance, I acutally bought a Gibson Les Paul Studio, got it for $1000, I thought I was a big deal for sure. Months later, life happens, money gets tight, and I end up having to sell my guitar. I love it, soley on the fact that it was a Gibson...I also had acquired a Gibson SG and a 30th Anniversay USA Strat...anyway, I found myself without a guitar for a while, and one day I ended up in a Guitar Center, and talking to the guy as I was looking a the Gibsons, he says "Try this" and hands me a Epiphone Les Paul Custom. He says "If you liked your Gibson Studio, you'll love this." So, I tried it, and I loved it. The GC Guy was like "A high end Epiphone is much better than a low end Gibson", and he wasn't wrong. I have since sold that Silverburst Epiphone Les Paul, and now have a Limited Edition Lemon Burst one, it's better than the Custom I had, and now I'm on my way to pick up a Limted Edition Epiphone ES-335, which is almost exactly the same as the new Dave Grohl DG-335, it just doen't have the Gibson Pickups, and at $700 is less than the DG, and far less than the Gibson. So, yes I would chose a high end Epiphone over a low end Gibson, everyday.

The epiphone Quindoa facility is completely American owned and operated Scott Lewis is the facility manager along with American and Asian luthiers at the facility..so this Chinese made crap doesn't apply with Epiphone

Gibson isn't even slightly close to Epiphone history not even slightly

I have a epiphone dot which I’ve modded all the way, SD pickups, roller bridge, vibrola tailpiece, Schaller tuners.. I actually somewhat prefer it when recording over my 60s ES335 reissue I got recently. I’ve also still held on to my first ever guitar, a Harley Benton DC custom (one of the first ones). Nowadays I’ve got SG 61 reissue aswel. and to be honest, I still come back to the Harley Benton, not for the pickups (it only started sounding great when I put in the SD 59 customs), or for the weight balance (which was messed up, only kind of fixed when I replaced the tuners for a couple of Klusons). But the neck of it, it’s basically perfect, I may be biased because it was my first axe but it’s exactly the right shape for my hands. Both of those guitars (the dot and the DC) are also pretty much unbreakable, they can survive a nuclear blast. That’s why I still take the dot or even the DC to jams or gigs where I know things could get rough. I don’t mind dropping those guitars either.

how is the tuning stability? i had an epiphone Sg that was plagued with issues i ended up sending it back and ended up with a gretsch and now im somehow a bit shook with epiphone but there are a ton of well priced models im into

I put my 1990 modified Strat in to have it professionally set up. While it was away, I dragged out my 2010 Epi Dot. It had literally been under the bed for 12 years. I only ever bought it because it was heavily discounted (store going out of business) and I loved the look and color. Within the first two days of buying it, I began to question it's Chinese heritage and under the bed it went. When I pulled it out of the gig bag late last year, I was surprised to see the chrome on the stop piece had turned to crap, but I tuned it up and played it until my Strat came back. The funny thing was, I actually love the feel of the Dot neck. It's really smooth and the fret ends are pretty good too. Sure the original strings blacken my fingers and badly need replacing, but the stock pickups sound ok for what I do with a guitar. The Strat is amazing, but I still really like the color and style of that damned Dot, so I've bought replacement parts to replace the crappy chrome including steel inserts for the stop piece and bridge, rather than stay with the original pot metal ones. a new set of 9's and next week, it's off to the expert to perform his magic and he'll also suggest any other improvements he deems necessary. So in my long winded reply to Mike, yeah. I became quickly disillusioned by the country of origin, but having actually played the Epi for awhile, I've kind of developed a new perspective and I'm sure with a bit of work, it'll be a very good addition to my little guitar family.

Because Gibson Is FUCKING EXPENSIVE!

I've always wanted an SG because a local band that was popular where I'm from had an Epiphone Tony Iommi SG with the crosses in it in their breakthrough music video. Once I grew up and learned to nerd out on gear, I am highly envious of Epiphone Casino owners. That thing can do any genres be it tech death or bossa nova in a house show, and its charisma would outclass any guitar in the room. What a beautiful guitar. Also all the Beatles members have one on their shelves.

I got that exact same color and model about 18 months ago. I couldn't be happier - it sounds great, tunes great, light weight, good to be played acoustic and on top of that it's one of the coolest looking guitars out there. And it's a rock n' roll machine. It's a great great guitar

5:39 "Good tone?" Glenn Fricker has entered the chat

I will always be an Epiphone guy.

I had a very similar experience where, all that I was available to get my hands on as a young guitar player was cheap Strat copies, so the first time I was able to play 335 was an actual Gibson in my friends basement and I knew from that moment, that would be my first electric guitar. It took me another five years to be able to afford it, but I bought a brand new Korean made 335 off the wall at my local guitar store. Part of the reason for that is that the QC on the Epiphone’s was, in some cases better than the USA made guitars; speaking specifically about the Korean plant. Still have it because it was my first.

i have one of these - its got decent electronics. rubbed down the finish with high grade sandpaper - like 2000 grit and changed the pick guard to black - looks immense and sounds cool as...

Specs of the 2021 epiphone custom koa Les Paul..as you see very high end unfortunately this model has been recently discontinued and on sale what's left of them..... It's so easy to research it's called a computer.....A Les Paul Custom With a Koa Top Epiphone presents the Les Paul™ Custom in Koa. Featuring a mahogany neck with a SlimTaper™ profile, a mahogany body, ebony fretboard, a gorgeous natural koa top, and critically acclaimed ProBucker™ humbucker™ pickups, along with Les Paul Custom style gold hardware, Grover® Rotomatic® 18:1 tuners, CTS® potentiometers, a fully bound body, neck, and headstock, Graph Tech® nut, and pearloid inlaysBODY NECK HARDWARE ELECTRONICS MISCELLANEOUS Body Style Les Paul Body Shape Les Paul Body Material Mahogany Top Koa Binding Multi-ply Top and Back Body Finish GlossProfile Slim Taper Scale Length 628.65 mm / 24.75 in Fingerboard Material Ebony Fingerboard Radius 304.8 mm / 12 in Fret Count 22 Frets Medium Jumbo Nut Material Graph Tech Nut Width 43.0 mm / 1.692 in Inlays Custom Blocks Joint Glued in, Set NeckNeck Pickup ProBucker 2 Bridge Pickup ProBucker 3 Controls 2 Volume, 2 Tone, CTS Potentiometers Pickup Selector 3-way Toggle Output Jack 1/4"Finish Gold Bridge Epiphone LockTone Tune-O-Matic Tailpiece Epiphone LockTone Stop Bar Tuning Machines Grover Rotomatic 18:1 Pickguard 5-Ply, Black Truss Rod 2-way Adjustable Truss Rod Cover 2-ply "Les Paul Custom" Control Knobs Black Speed Knobs Switch Tip Cream Switch washer Black; Rhythm/Treble in Gold hot stamp Jack Plate Cover Gold Control Covers Black Strap Buttons 2 - bottom and shoulder Mounting Rings Black Pickup Covers Gold

A lot here are putting there foot in there mouths about epiphone I suggest you research epiphone before you open your mouth

I LOVE my Epiphone guitars! I have this exact model (love the challenge of working with the feedback), and the Emily Wolfe Sheraton- both are AMAZING guitars and seem to enjoy playing those over my Music Man Sting Ray, Fender Strats, and Gibson SG.

I have an epiphone Les Paul ‘56 gold top with p90 pickups. I love it. One advantage is that the headstock angle is not as steep, so it actually stays in tune

This is who actually owns Gibson and epiphone..... Gibson’s new primary owner and lender, the private equity firm KKR & Co.

I bought an Epiphone Custom Silverburst Les Paul about 15 years ago. Man, that thing was actually quite brilliant except for one thing, and this is just a small thing. My knowledge of scale sizes was kind of limited. I have always played Fender and I didn’t do my proper research, because I was young and dumb. I’m a tall guy with a large wingspan and I couldn’t get used to the smaller guitar, the muscle memory was too ingrained in me. So I sold the guitar at a local shop. A couple years later, I was playing a local festival and a band also on the bill’s singer/guitar player had the same model. We were talking back stage, I mentioned I had the same guitar but I sold the guitar. Turns out, he shopped at the same store I sold it to, 2 days later, this was my old guitar! He still has it to this day, gigs with it regularly and has recorded 2 albums with it. So glad it found a good home!

My first bass was an Epi T-bird. I sold it a few years ago, but I really think if I knew that it just needed a good setup back in the day, I might still have it. But the action was high and I just started to hate it. So by the time I had it properly set up, I already had a p-bass that I loved.

The high end Epiphones are the Customs.. modern figured.. prophecy.. Artist models..never Gibson always the legendary Epiphone..