Members CharleyDelta Posted April 24, 2015 Members Share Posted April 24, 2015 Question: Why would a knowledgable guitarist (assuming he/she was a reasonably prudent person who was careful about spending money) pay upwards of U.S.$3,000 for a Gibson Memphis ES-339 electric guitar vs. only U.S.$500 for an Epiphone ES-339 Pro? Admittedly the latter is assembled in China, but I've played both at a local music store and I can't see the U.S.$2500 differential. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members GAS Man Posted April 24, 2015 Members Share Posted April 24, 2015 Well, I've first got to mess with your math. You can get the Gibson for around $2,300 http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/ES33914AVSNH so it's an $1,800 difference. Better pickups (e.g. 57 Classics)- and installation on a semi-hollow would run you around $400. Techs usually want above 2x for installs on semi-hollows.(although I do think the latest Epi p'ups are better and that they are splittable is a nice plus) So now you're down to $1,400 worth of debatable differential. For that you pick from the following menu. a) Possibly more resonant due to better woods, construction details, including a lighter lacquer finish b) get to skip the Epi Headstock .png' alt='16x16_smiley-wink.png.ac1518ec0dabe458f31c1303ed9ec588.png' alt='smiley-wink'>.png'> c) resale value - will eventually (as in quite a few years) appreciate (after initial depreciation of playing it off the showroom floor.) d) likelihood of better action/playability. Better finished frets, possibly more level. But absolutely no guarantees there. I've had plenty of good and bad from both labels. e) name brand panache f) Yankee-doodle supporting the troops. That's all I got. I think you pretty much just have to love an Epiphone for being an Epiphone. I own around a dozen of them (including two Elitists) and I've found that for the most part I'm a happier camper if I go with their own voice rather than attempt to Gibson-ize them. Two of my faves are 2 Epi Korina Vs. They have more warmth and internal resonance to them than most mahogany Vs, and that characteristic Epi Humbucker tone creates a very good classic rock overdrive tone from the bridge position (neck p'up could use some definition though) that has a lot of girth to its tone. The 2nd one has Epi P-90s. Both are pretty cool as is in my book. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members onelife Posted April 24, 2015 Members Share Posted April 24, 2015 The short answer is Marketing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ido1957 Posted April 25, 2015 Members Share Posted April 25, 2015 I paid $1000 for a LP Custom in 1979. I was making 5000 a year. Now they cost 4000. I make a lot more than 20000. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members thatsbunk Posted April 25, 2015 Members Share Posted April 25, 2015 Currently can't afford the Gibson. That being said, my favorie guitar right now is my epi 339... Love the body size & coil splits. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Etienne Rambert Posted April 25, 2015 Members Share Posted April 25, 2015 Question: Why would a knowledgable guitarist (assuming he/she was a reasonably prudent person who was careful about spending money) pay upwards of U.S.$3,000 for a Gibson Memphis ES-339 electric guitar vs. only U.S.$500 for an Epiphone ES-339 Pro? Admittedly the latter is assembled in China, but I've played both at a local music store and I can't see the U.S.$2500 differential. 1. Resale Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members knotty Posted April 25, 2015 Members Share Posted April 25, 2015 I don't know, you newbs come on here trying to apply logic to guitar buying! .png.197c47f720636f02390cc2b0a33804da.png' alt='smiley-veryhappy'> In general the epi will be slightly inferior in every component and quality of construction. Raising that quality in every area is expensive. Plus all of the above. Mktg, resale, pups etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members CharleyDelta Posted April 26, 2015 Author Members Share Posted April 26, 2015 I may be a "newbie" on this website, but I've been playing guitar since I was 9 years old - and I'm now 71! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Bucksstudent Posted April 26, 2015 Members Share Posted April 26, 2015 Well, Mr. Charley, I love Epiphones and think they're a better value than their Gibson counterparts. After all, $2500 is a lot of ramen noodles. The new Epiphones are incredible. The old Epiphones are incredible too, but ten years ago they were still looked down upon by internet guitarists and junior high school players. What you have to decide is if the difference in the Gibson is worth the higher price compared to the Epiphone. To me, it never is. When it comes down to it, if you have a well setup guitar, it is about your playing rather than the guitar being made in America or what wood or pickups the manufacturer used in terms of quality. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Geeter Posted April 26, 2015 Members Share Posted April 26, 2015 I have an Epiphone ES-339 P90 Pro in vintage sunburst that I bought from Musicians Friend for $320. It is not an okay guitar. It is an excellent guitar. Plays like a dream and sounds great. Is it as good as a guitar that costs $2000 more? No, but I like it plenty and could actually afford it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members GAS Man Posted April 26, 2015 Members Share Posted April 26, 2015 The new Epiphones are incredible. The old Epiphones are incredible too, but ten years ago they were still looked down upon by internet guitarists and junior high school players. I also think it's interesting how much folks were in general diss'n the older Korean made Epiphones back in the 90s and after the Chinese factories opened up, then folks started singing the glory days of the fine craftsmanship from the luthiers at Sammick. Now the esteem of Korean made guitars has risen so much that there's the launch of MIK D'Agelicos selling new between 1300 and 1600 bucks. That (even deflated to late 90s dollars) would not have had much chance for success until the more recent change in perceptions. I did have a problem out of the gates with this particular MIC Epi, and actually the service was not great from Sweetwater on this one - I actually got a "what do you expect? It's an Epiphone" response when I told a tech there that I couldn't get the action down to a reasonable factory spec setting - but I took it to a luthier and he quickly spotted that the nut slots were cut too low. So with the help of warranty and a bit out of my own pocket, I had the luthier up-grade the git with a bone nut while he was at it. But no complaints since then. I liked the configuration of this guitar (i.e. SD Alnico II pickups) and other than that rough start out of the gate, this has been a pretty happy purchase. I think I find the more consistent issues between Gibson and Epiphone is less reliability with the Epi's on parts like the toggle switch and input jack. Easy enough fixes, but not if you're not soldering iron friendly. home-photo Sweetwater gallery pics of same git AND - This Epi is fun and rather unique. Pop-a-chubby sig V Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members wankdeplank Posted April 27, 2015 Members Share Posted April 27, 2015 I also think it's interesting how much folks were in general diss'n the older Korean made Epiphones back in the 90s and after the Chinese factories opened up, then folks started singing the glory days of the fine craftsmanship from the luthiers at Sammick. Now the esteem of Korean made guitars has risen so much that there's the launch of MIK D'Agelicos selling new between 1300 and 1600 bucks. That (even deflated to late 90s dollars) would not have had much chance for success until the more recent change in perceptions. Interesting. I've got three gits from the old Korean Sammick shop (two Washburns and a Carlo Robelli) and they're really fine guitars every one. I made the mistake of saying once on this forum that MIK was the new MIJ just referring to that very perception thing (a lot of initial resistance to those fine MIJ copies back in the day as well). ****************storm, Oh well, more a case of semantics and crossed wires though I assume. Heard good things about the Korean made G&Ls and Reverends as well as some of those old Korean made Sammicks also. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Caffeinated Cat Posted April 27, 2015 Members Share Posted April 27, 2015 Gibsons are so far out of my price range I don't even bother thinking about them. I think the resale argument is terrible - buy a new Gibson and walk out of the guitar store with it; you've just lost more money than the Epiphone cost. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members AlamoJoe Posted May 2, 2015 Members Share Posted May 2, 2015 This Cat loved his Epi's Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Ratae Corieltauvorum Posted May 5, 2015 Moderators Share Posted May 5, 2015 Go and pick up an 1963-1966 Epi Casino..............just take a lot of money with you. Right now I could just afford a 64 Gibson ES-330. I could not afford a 1964 Epi Casino, if I could find one. There's one on Ebay at the moment, in the US 8000 USD. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Ratae Corieltauvorum Posted May 5, 2015 Moderators Share Posted May 5, 2015 All the above points. You're paying for a guitar built in America, by US citizens earning US wages.You're getting a guitar made from CITES sourced wood )forget rosewoodgate)You're getting a guitar with a heritageYou're getting a guitar, into which with the Memphis range a lot of hand finishing by skilled craftsmen goes intoYou're getting a finish that costs a lot of time and a fair deal of money to applyIf you live in the US you're getting a Gold warrantyHandbuilding an archtop is no walk in the park, tuning that top is HARD. I've ruined 8-10 pieces of wood trying, and driven myself crazy The Chinese or Korean guitar is a very decent facsimile........but it is just that.....a facsimile. At the other end of the scale, if the Gibson USA isn't good enough for you, there's few folk who'll relieve you of a whole lot more of your hard earned salary, if money was no object, all my Gibson style guitars would be made by Nik Huber, my Fenders would be made by Gerard Melancon, and I'd be spending a lot of time in the ESP custom shop too. When all is said and done, you do get what you pay for. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Ratae Corieltauvorum Posted May 6, 2015 Moderators Share Posted May 6, 2015 This Cat loved his Epi's Actually it's probably worthwhile for the record, to point point out that Mr Lennon had no love affair with his Casino Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members GAS Man Posted May 8, 2015 Members Share Posted May 8, 2015 Actually it's probably worthwhile for the record, to point point out that Mr Lennon had no love affair with his Casino Yeah, I was going to say earlier on this thread, that I remember seeing a video where he was playing an Epi and when he was done went straight to lamenting the hand cramp it gave him. If I could have found that video, I just thought it would have been fun to post it here. I think I originally saw that vid from a posting another forum member put on here some time ago. Maybe someone here will remember it. It was kind of amusing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Bucksstudent Posted May 9, 2015 Members Share Posted May 9, 2015 I'm not sure why people point out Lennon and not also Macca and Harrison. Macca still uses his Casino. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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