carmetal

Before I'd buy a Gibson, I'd by the Epi, rewire it, add GFS pickups, mod the hardware and have a guitar that plays and sounds so close to a high priced Gibson that it would make the stockholders sad. Also, I'd take my family to Disney World with the difference in Gibson price and what I spent. Besides which, I think most Epi Standards play well and sound pretty good anyway. I have an Epi Standard that has a gorgeous birdseye maple top, plays well and sounds much better after a pickup swap. It is not, however, a Gibson and no matter how extensively I mod it to try to come close, it never will be. Someday, perhaps... Oh, and I DID take the family to Disneyland....It rained all day and was a truly miserable experience....wet clothing, whiny kids and cranky wife....should have bought the Gibson:mad::mad:

Let's run with that. Many American workers today care more about the pay rate, benefits, and personal time than the actual work. 50 years ago that wasn't true but it is becoming a sad fact of life today. I love my country but the American work ethic is not close to what it used to be. I would not be suprised at all that many countries have passed us by in that department. When I landed my first job and was full of the enthusiasm of youth, I looked forward to the promise of moving up the corporate ladder by virtue of maintaining an excellent work ethic backed by solid job performance. My co-workers, on the other hand, were perfectly content with coasting by day in and day out, confident in the fact that they were guaranteed their meager pay raises and promotions based on the fact that they had longevity with the company and belonged to the union. I absolutely HATED it, and have always maintained that this kind of system is detrimental to the country's workforce.