SG Custom in black... the Epiphone vs Gibson question

[Maguchi]

Hey folks... I have the Epiphone model and think it is a decent guitar for the cash. Have been toying with an upgrade and just wanted to get an understanding as to how different the Gibson would be. Clearly I understand it will be of a better quality generally, but is it worth the extra cashola? Is the Epiphone built to the same spec as the Gibson but using cheaper materials? Or are there other differences?

I use to have a Epi G-400 and now I got a Gibby '61 Standard reissue. The Epi was a nice guitar and served it's purpose well at the time. If you're considering one, I'd say getting a Gibson is worth it.

The main differences are fit and finish, qualiity of fretwork (the Gibsons are Plek'd), the electronics and the hardware (bridge and tuners). Also I think the Gibby is a solid plank of wood, whereas the Epi maybe lanimated, so it resonates better.

 

[DrBGood]

The main differences are fit and finish, qualiity of fretwork (the Gibsons are Plek'd), the electronics and the hardware (bridge and tuners). Also I think the Gibby is a solid plank of wood, whereas the Epi maybe lanimated, so it resonates better.

View attachment 50901

You could have an Epiphone Plek'd anytime, so that's that.

The new 1961 Les Paul SG Standard comes with Gibson BurstBuckers, Switchcraft Toggle, CTS potentiometers and Mallory Capacitors.

The body is solid mahogany, no veneer. So, resonance ...

Finally ... apart from metric hardware, top of headstock and price ($900 vs $4300), not much difference.


https://www.epiphone.com/en-US/Electric-Guitar/EPIE517/Aged-Sixties-Cherry

 

[Maguchi]

You could have an Epiphone Plek'd anytime, so that's that.

The new 1961 Les Paul SG Standard comes with Gibson BurstBuckers, Switchcraft Toggle, CTS potentiometers and Mallory Capacitors.

The body is solid mahogany, no veneer. So, resonance ...

Finally ... apart from metric hardware, top of headstock and price ($900 vs $4300), not much difference.

View attachment 50902
https://www.epiphone.com/en-US/Electric-Guitar/EPIE517/Aged-Sixties-Cherry

$4300? Mine only costed like $1699 a coupla years ago. I din't go custom shop or nothin'. Think they're up a coupla hundred more now, but you can usually get 15% off at MF or Wildwood. Cheers.

 

[DrBGood]

$4300? Mine only costed like $1699 a coupla years ago. I din't go custom shop or nothin'. Think they're up a coupla hundred more now, but you can usually get 15% off at MF or Wildwood. Cheers.

Yeah, maybe I saw a Custom Shop, but still double the price for basically the same guitar.

 

[Maguchi]

Yeah, maybe I saw a Custom Shop, but still double the price for basically the same guitar.

By the time you Plek the frets, it's much closer in price. And with the Gibby, resale value is there for the owner or their heirs. Epis are good guitars, so are Gibsons. Diffrent tools for similar purposes.

 

[Carrion]

The Gibson vs Epiphone issue had been debated on this forum
over and over... as has the Fender vs Squier debate happened on my favorite Telecaster forum.

Many of us are weary of it, because it always resolves into a few
very subjective issues. It always reverts to the OP to make up his
own mind.

Personally, I'm a 'gimme both" kind of guy.
Gibson or Epi, Fender or Squier, Johnny Black or Johnny Red,
Plymouth or Boodles Gin, Sharon or her sister Karen, I'm still
"Gimme both, please..."

Gibsons are without question a top quality guitar.
Gibson bashers can pound sand.
You get what you pay for, unless you order something blind
on the internet, without seeing it or playing it. (then you get what they send you). I own three Gibson guitars, and have had good service
for years from them.
View attachment 50615

Epiphone guitars are sold world wide to players in many different cultures, who play widely diverse music on them. My experience with
Epiphone guitars has been mostly positive. And they are cheap enough that the buyer can afford to tell a good luthier to " make this right."

In my experience, Epiphone guitars are usually playable and sound
decent as issued. But also in my experience, Epi guitars respond really well to upgrades. The whole fol-de-rol about nitro lacquer vs
Polyurethane is nonsense in my opinion. Poly is a much more practical guitar finish, my Epi does not feel plastic-y and neither does my Mexican made Fender Tele. I scrubbed the backs of both their necks with a green kitchen scrubber and they both feel great and play beautifully. I've modified both of their wiring harness' and had them
professionally set up. They reward me with excellent tone and playability and I have zero worries about them getting scratched.
View attachment 50616
Epiphone bashers can pound sand. Likewise Mexico Fender bashers... This blonde/black duo gives excellent tone and looks great too. They were both affordable guitars, and they both responded very well to setup and upgrades, and they both can give great service in
dodgy taverns and road houses where the beer is cold and the chicks are hot. And THAT my friends, is what it's all about.

"my Epi does not feel plastic-y and neither does my Mexican made Fender Tele"

but yet .. you "scrubbed both necks with a Kitchen scrubber .. There obviously was something not correct with the product Poly.

I stand by the plastic feel of epis .. played too many Gibsons in my day not to notice

 

[Carrion]

One cool thing about Epiphone is they already break the neck and glue it back together so you don’t have to.

View attachment 50899

scarf scarf scarf

 

[Maguchi]

Hey folks... I have the Epiphone model and think it is a decent guitar for the cash. Have been toying with an upgrade and just wanted to get an understanding as to how different the Gibson would be. Clearly I understand it will be of a better quality generally, but is it worth the extra cashola? Is the Epiphone built to the same spec as the Gibson but using cheaper materials? Or are there other differences?

The Epiphone one gots a "laurel" fretboard instead a rosewood. I dig the feel a rosewood. The laurel ones I played felt a little mushy.

 

[papagayo]

A Gibson SG have a one piece mahogany neck, perfect for a good feeling and a good sound, that makes a big diiference.

 

[Gary Gretsch]

A Gibson SG have a one piece mahogany neck, perfect for a good feeling and a good sound, that makes a big difference.

I was just looking at specs. One exception Epiphone 61 Les Paul SG. reissue. They say it has a one piece neck. Too bad it is not a bit fatter.

 

[Norton]

There's no way Indian laurel feels mushy. Laurel has a nearly identical Hardness Scale number to Indian Rosewood and other rosewood species.

It looks a little different. But it's also easy to dye and darken if you need it to be. But there's Zero chance you can feel the difference.

Plek Machines are a thing too. First hand... they take way more time to set up to get good results than ANY factory would ever allow.

So each gibson gets time in the plek machine but they get a one size fits all treatment and that's ok, but it's not awesome. Sometimes it's not even very good. It really depends.

I'd love an epiphone SG custom.. or 61 les Paul SG. lemme know if you're unloading one.

 

[Gary Gretsch]

Feel I am not good enough to say. But if I put one of my guitars with Indian Laurl next to one of my guitars with Rosewood I can hardly see a difference. Especially if it is a lighter piece of Rosewood

 

[papagayo]

Hardy fretboard is tha best ...

 

[Bettyboo]

It's entirely down to the buyer - there's no better or worse choice.

The Epi is much much better value.

Personally, having owned both (2 Epis and 4 Gibsons), I dislike the poly finish and the veneers (often) found on Epis. There are endless things I dislike about Gibsons at their pricepoints, but I love nitro and I love to see the wood.

For a Gibson Custom, it's a big price increase over an Epi that I'm not sure I'd be prepared to pay. But, you just have to go to a shop and play both to see how you feel - your decision/choice with your money is the correct one...

 

[Gibbo SG]

I would search out a 2nd hand SG Custom from a reputable seller. Be advised that you'll need to have $5-6k ready, as most will set you back the same as a pre-owned Harley-Davidson Sportster, which you might enjoy more.

 

[papagayo]

I like the Ebony SG Custom, but 4500 €uros is high price...

https://www.thomann.de/fr/gibson_sg_custom_eb_gh.htm

 

[MR D]

Pickup a GIBSON Standard and then pickup an Epiphone.......the differemce will be obvious, both unplugged and amped.
I played one Epiphone G 400 in my entire life for about 20 seconds unplugged…. That was all it took to confirm to myself that I would never own one.

 

[Gary Gretsch]

I like the Ebony SG Custom, but 4500 €uros is high price...

https://www.thomann.de/fr/gibson_sg_custom_eb_gh.htm

And if you are in the USA you can't buy a Gibson or Epiphone from Thomann. Also the USA prices are higher than Thomann.

 

[MR D]

And if you are in the USA you can't buy a Gibson or Epiphone from Thomann. Also the USA prices are higher than Thomann.

You hav to shop around, ONLINE retailers and Guitar Centers are constantly discounting Gibsons…the last SG Standard I bought was $1250, But I had to swap the pickups I had in an axe I I was selling, add a HScase, Locking Tuning Machines and a Duesenberg LT-II Tremolo , so my SG Standard (Midern Series) actually cost me round about $1750, w/‘61R & ‘57 Classic, it’s a BAD A$$ Guitar right about now ! And it wasn’t cheap !if I had not had the pickups I would not hav bought the guitar !

Zzounds dot com discounts GIBSONS constantly as well, an LP CUSTOM can be had, in 2019 for under $4K !

 

[MR D]

I use to have a Epi G-400 and now I got a Gibby '61 Standard reissue. The Epi was a nice guitar and served it's purpose well at the time. If you're considering one, I'd say getting a Gibson is worth it.

The main differences are fit and finish, qualiity of fretwork (the Gibsons are Plek'd), the electronics and the hardware (bridge and tuners). Also I think the Gibby is a solid plank of wood, whereas the Epi maybe lanimated, so it resonates better.

View attachment 50901

Does that Guitar have the '61R & '61 T Burstbuckers ? IDK, but in 2019 that's what GIBSON USA spec sheet said....and now it sez '60's Burstbuckers....and I wonder if there is a difference ? I have '61R & '61T from a 2015 SG Special I got rid of and put them in two different SG Standard's, paired w/'57's and they sound BAD-A$$ ! Middle Toggle is Blisters ! '61 has Nickel Hardware like the '61 originally had ? WOW, that's SHARP A$$ AXE!!! THRU that Marshall I bet it growls !