Gibson or Epiphone for $1500?

Gibson or Epiphone for $1500? Strangely enough this is now a legit question, should you get the $1500 Epiphone guitars or save some money buying second hand Gibsons? In this video I tell you what I think and show you some examples available on Reverb!

Let me know what you think is the best option

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[RobbieF]

I would spend a couple hundred extra and get a Gibson Studio LP.

[MoeVanprick]

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 inlays. Optional hardshell and EpiLite™ cases are available

[rocktorrocks]

I’ve done both. I got my Gibson Les Paul Studio and SG special for around $1300. I also paid around that for my Epiphone Adam Jones Les Paul and Bonamassa ES-335. So I have two Epiphones and two Gibsons which cost about the same and I enjoy playing my higher end Epiphones as much as my lower end Gibsons. So I was okay with what I paid. They aren’t interchangeable but each has it’s strengths. The nitro finish and fret nibs feels nicer on the Gibsons but the Epiphones have unique specs and finishes that can’t be found on a lower end Gibson.

[Rocktalk]

well I will say this you can buy a way better schecter or esp ltd for the price of that greeny.

[thomasdempsey]

Ive been looking at eastmans to be honest. I have gibsons, i have epiphones, something different with great quality .

[axeslinger]

I purchased the Epiphone greeny and stand by my decision 100%

[craigtodd]

Who's to say what something is worth? Why cannot an Epiphone be any price? Is it because our minds are in closed little boxes?

[hozzer]

I just bought a pre -owned 2022 Gibson Les Paul 60 standard faded mint pro set up all case candy unopened for the same price as the Epiphone Greeny, you can see it in the profile pic, bridge pick-up has been changed to a Seymour Duncan 59 original pickup in the case.

[Megarobotsquadron]

I will say this.

I appreciate that there is a Les Paul at every price point from the epi Junior all the way up to a custom shop Murphy aged.

Do you have $600? You can get a quality Les Paul. $2000? You can get a quality Les Paul.

[anthonythornhill]

Hard to say. NEVER thought I would pay that much for an Epi, but I paid close to that on the new Joe B SG and I LOVE playing that guitar. I was hoping to not like it, but I love everything but the price

[scottbrower]

I've asked Santa Claus for both 😂

[MoeVanprick]

The SG of the Future
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. Hardshell or EpiLite™ cases are sold separately... here's another Dave another high end Epiphone..and I have two of the limited run modern figured Sg now discontinued and on sale what's left of them too.. your forgetting it was Gibson Norlin in the first place that ruined epiphone quality..JC Curliegh Restored Epiphone back to where they should have always been..

[michaeldionne]

Epiphone still make entry level guitars that are affordable to most people. Expanding the range actually makes sense.

[poodleguiderpeyes]

I like the look of an LP with white/cream binding, so I bought an Epi "Inspired by Gibson" 1959 Limited Editiion LP from Sweetwater, and saved some money. Sweetwater also had one at 8.4 lbs.I owned a Gibson LP Studio but I sold it, I didn't like the specs nor the missing binding. Love my Epi LP!

[MoeVanprick]

On the team in Qingdao and their work:
Scott: Currently we employ approximately 550 employees with 450 of those doing direct labor. As a team we have made some great strides that I am very proud of. Several bench marks have been reached including recently reaching our highest production month ever, an internal reduction of departmental reject’s and repairs to less than 5%, a reduction in backorders from over a year to one month and growing our production capabilities to include high end solid top acoustics and other key models such as the Casino, Les Paul Custom Signature models and others.

[ldfox]

I just bought a Epiphone ES-339 Pelham Blue new on Reverb for 466.09 US. Can't wait till it gets here

[benallmark]

Anybody know if there’s a livestream tonight or not ?

[MoeVanprick]

Gibson's semi-hollowbodies like the ES-335 and ES-339 have tops and backs constructed of layers (either 3 or 4) of maple veneer. My understanding is that the veneers are assembled in successive cross-grain layers with the top layer having its grain longitudinal to the length of the guitar. The tops and backs are approximately 1/4" in thickness after layup.

[shawn_ten_toes]

I totally get the value statement. Epiphones just aren't rationally worth more than $1, 000. Perhaps emotionally, they are, but not for me.

[michaelheller]

I think spending $1500 on an Epi is without question too much money. I don’t care if it’s a signature or not. The Greeny thing might have been cool a year ago, now it’s redundant. Don’t get me wrong, I am a Green and Moore fan, not Kirk sorry. I understand that Epiphone business wise needs to fill in the space so to speak. How about Gibson making USA guitars starting at 1199 or so. As far as other options on spending $1500? More expensive I would go for an SG Standard with batwing guard for $1799, SG ‘61 Standard at $1999. You have now custom colors to choose from. Less price? You have the Tributes at $1299 USA made if you can still get one. The Studio line is nice and still USA made. I can go on, but no for Kirk and Gibson making money on that one. PS: just about a week ago I got my Gibson ‘61 Standard in Translucent Teal! The guitar has a fast rosewood fingerboard, excellent pickups, hard case. The guitar quacks, chimes, and growls like a real SG should. Love love love it!