Squier/Epiphone prejudice?

[Unfed]

(hell, i wouldn't even call myself a guitar player so it's not like it matters, but...)

 

anyone else feel some sort of subliminal prejudice against Squier or even Epiphone? a lot of the new stuff from Squier seems absolutely awesome, but i don't know how i'd feel about actually owning one. it doesn't make any sense, but it feels like there's some sort of stigma attached to the name. wtf?

[Poltergeist]

Squier CV's are great guitars, regardless of price. everything is there, especially the sound, i have a 50's Tele, love it. yeah, it could do with a nicer, heavier maple body or something, but that's about it.

 

Epiphones have their ups and downs, but after owning a Gibson LP Studio, for example, i can tell you for sure i'd rather have a Black Beauty or an Ebony Custom or their better guitars than the Gibsons. they sound and play right, so that's all that matters.

 

but, then again, i like cheap guitars that sound and play great, i don't give two {censored}s about what's on the headstock.

[Dr.Picklebottom]

i love my epi custom LP, i dont care what anyone thinks. usually if they play it they realize, with my upgrades, how little the headstock logo means.

[Urinate Forever]

It's all about what you're expecting to get when you pay $350.

[Akridosity]

This forums pretty keen on Epi's, especially on 335s, Riviera, semis etc etc.

[Poltergeist]

i find it way wierder that a lot of people buy really expensive guitars and then play them through {censored}ty amps.

 

if you have a good amp and know how to EQ it and get sound out of your guitar you'll do fine with a cheaper guitar, as long as the electronics don't sound like total {censored} and they play good, and get really great tones either way.

[RadioSilence]

I love Squiers. Of course the lower-end ones are pretty crap (but sometimes you can find a diamond in the rough) but there's always been a higher-end line, and some of them have been fantastic guitars.

I have an '09 CV Tele and a '91 Japanese-made Strat, and have owned an '87 Korean-made Bullet and a '97 Vista Musicmaster bass. All great playing and sounding guitars. Every bit as good as my '80s and '90s Japanese and Mexican Fenders.

[Zappa74]

When I was shopping Telecasters, I liked the Squier Classic Vibe Teles.

 

But then I got a MIM Fender for less money and the Squiers became irrelevant to me. They were pretty decent though.

[reverberlayed]

I don't discriminate against Squiers or Epiphones. Both are capable of making exceptional guitars.

[ToonHollow]

Love my Korean Epiphone Sheraton II and Chinese LP. Their electronics need upgrading but after that they're pretty keen. If I can down-tune and sound good, who cares what they cost.

[Phil O'Keefe]

To me, it's all about the individual models. Not all Squiers are built with the same players / market in mind, and there's a pretty big range of prices and quality available. Same thing with Epiphone. Since both brands are built overseas, and their prices tend to be lower, people assume they're not as good. And in some cases, IMHO, they aren't.

 

I think that kind of hurts them in the minds of some players - those who tend to view the brands (Epiphone and Squier) as "starter", "budget" or "student" guitars. That's certainly true of some, but by no means all of either company's offerings.

[MarkBastable]

I like Epiphone - or, a least I like my Epiphone LP - and I consider it a brother to my Gibson LP Studio. But towards Squiers I do have exactly the sort of irrational prejudice mentioned by the OP, and I wouldn't consider getting a Squier Strat as a sibling to my Fender US Standard.

[HeartfeltDawn]

 

anyone else feel some sort of subliminal prejudice against Squier or even Epiphone?

 

 

In this forum, there's way more prejudice against things that say 'Gibson Custom Shop' or 'PRS'. In the case of PRS, this prejudice is utterly correct.

[LSDis4me]

Squiers and Epiphones- exterminate with extreme prejudice.

[ItchyFingers]

Before Epi was owned by Gibson, they were pretty respectable, esp the semi-hollows. I think the stigma stems from the 80s and 90s where Epi and Squier were entry level, cheaply made guitars, but I feel like (at least Squier) has come along way in recent years. Every Epi I've tried (usually Dots) was pretty good, but I've never owned one. I have a Squier P/J bass and a Squier JM JM that both see regular use with some of my more expensive axes.

[Phil O'Keefe]

IMHO, some of the 80s era MIJ Squiers are some of the nicest guitars ever marketed with the Squier brand.

[the_woodoo_mule]

I`ve been working in a guitar store for the last couple of years part time-student job, and I have played just about every fender, squier, epiphone released recently and I very often go for the CV series squiers when trying new amps/pedals...they are just good guitars, regardless of the price tag. I didn`t care for the pre 2012 am. strandard fenders, to me they sounded flat, the new ones with fat 50 pickups sound alot better to my ears.

anyway...today I was trying out the new Excelsior fender amp with a 2011 older stock am standard tele and a CV squier tele, and we both with my co worker agreed that it sounds much better-the squier.

I would love a bit thicker necks on them, but aside from that I would use them as my main guitar anytime, If I wasn`t a long time SG fan.

The Epiphones are kinda hit or miss...today I was testing two identical 1960 LPs both with gibson pickups, and one sounded great and the other was just dead, felt like a brick as well. Wood really varies, we have this ony prophecy LP with EMGs and weighs a ton, sounds like crap. Even the zakk wylde wannabies can tell its crap, and its not the EMGs foult. The SGs are also a hit or miss, look for the ones with less neck dive, they tend to sound better and I have played at least a 100 of these. We don`t get as many semis, but I had a dot for a while when I was on a QOTSA kick and it was a superb guitar. Check out the new Hamer guitars, most sound and play way better than most Epis.

After owning a Gibson SG for the past 8 years(and probably will own this guitar for life) I can really say that I don`t care one bit what the headstock says...if it was an Epiphone or whatever and played as good as this one does I would keep it for life as well.

[One Man Banned]

To me, it's all about the individual models. Not all Squiers are built with the same players / market in mind, and there's a pretty big range of prices and quality available. Same thing with Epiphone.

 

Yep...I'm not normally a big fan of Epiphone but I just bought a black Jack Casady bass that sounds and plays great. The build quality is better than most Epiphones I've played...it's not outstanding but I took it apart and it's solidly built.

[AJ6stringsting]

I own a 1974 Gibson Les Paul Custom and a 2007 Epi Les Paul Custom, both have pickup up grades and more. I love them both equally.

[krish]

As has been said already, I feel that it comes down to each individual instrument. There are plenty of shockingly bad Gibsons and Fenders out there, perhaps less so than the number of rough Squiers and Epiphones, but there are some excellent examples from each company if you look around.

 

I'd be fantastically happy with any guitar that played, sounded, and felt right in my hands. Sometimes that means having to spend a lot, other times that can mean grabbing a stonking bargain.

 

Currently I own a Rickenbacker 360, a Gibson Les Paul Classic Plus, and a Fender CP 50s strat. I love them all equally, but every so often I remember how much I used to love my Epiphone Sheraton that I had to sell because of financial reasons a few years ago, and how awesome my Squier '51 was that I had to sell for the same reason.

 

I would be as proud to sport either a Squier or Epiphone as I would any of my other gear as long as I loved the guitar for what it was. If those new Squier offsets sound as good as they look, I can certainly see myself grabbing one without blinking!

[hangwire]

 

(hell, i wouldn't even call myself a guitar player so it's not like it matters, but...) anyone else feel some sort of subliminal prejudice against Squier or even Epiphone? a lot of the new stuff from Squier seems absolutely awesome, but i don't know how i'd feel about actually owning one. it doesn't make any sense, but it feels like there's some sort of stigma attached to the name. wtf?

 

 

yup, you are an idiot if you dismiss something because of name alone... guitars or anything in life.

[triviani]

There's also the perspective of how good guitar player the owner is.. I would feel lame playing myself live with a $4000 guitar, and I could say I'd be much confident if playing a Squier. Say that if you have an extraordinary instrument it could/should be expected that your playing is up to the level of the guitar.

 

How many times have you seen on live shows the guy that rocks good a cheap guitar, and the oposite, the boring guitarist with a $$$$ rig?.

 

 

At home, I really don't care what the headstock says, as long as it's a good guitar. But I see the point of the OP, there was indeed a brand recognition going on, although that has changed a lot with the later Squiers.

[valvestate]

I just recently bought my kid a Squire MINI guitar and it's pretty fantastic! I was trying it out on a Roland Jazz Chorus amp and a random guy went over me and can;t believe that it's a SQUIRE on the headstock!!

 

 

[9520575]

I had a squire hm3 which was butt ugly and an immatation.of an ibanez, that thing seriously rocked. I snapped the neck though fixed them sold it but what nice neck on that guitar.

 

I also have an epi classical, I love. It is from the 60s and made in the USA so.... Not really the same as their current product.

 

 

 

So no, I have zero prejudice. I buy what speaks to me, all else is superficial.

[jimtalkbox]

I love the Squiers and Epiphones that I have, but then again I've been pretty lucky to find some exceptional instruments:

 

Squier Pro-Tone Stratocaster

Squier J. Mascis Jazzmaster

Epiphone Sorrento

Epiphone G400 (Pelham Blue)

 

All are keepers! I can't wait to get some sort of Epi Dot in the future.