I thought this would be a no brainer upgrade but turns out i was wrong.

[Riff_King77]

I don't think that amp was the best thing to use for comparison purposes. Tesco sells them!. If your Epi sounds good that's all you need to think about. From what I've read Epis can vary a lot in quality but if you're lucky some of  them are really good.

Actually there rare as hens teeth those amps lol,look em up ;)

[itamar101]

I don't think that amp was the best thing to use for comparison purposes. Tesco sells them!. If your Epi sounds good that's all you need to think about. From what I've read Epis can vary a lot in quality but if you're lucky some of  them are really good.

Actually there rare as hens teeth those amps lol,look em up ;)

I just looked them up... Even maplin sell them :/
TS, if you we're lucky enough to get a good epiphone that's awesome for you, couldn't be happier, but playing through that amp is not gonna help for a proper comparison, and sound isn't the only thing to it, especially when plugged in because it is the easiest variable to change.
You also got to take into account build quality, playability, sustain and the unplugged sound and resonation.
All I'm saying is, if your epiphone is good for you - no worries, be happy, it could be excellent - but most of the time the Gibson will be better.

[Riff_King77]

Build quality was actually better on my Epi and as i said playability was practically identicle,only thing i never checked was how it sounded acoustically,however i don't buy an electric guitar to play acoustically lol i play it plugged into an amplifier that is their main purpose is it not,not trying to be smarmy about it just saying,so with that in mind the Gibson studio failed to deliver and far from met my expectations

[itamar101]

Build quality was actually better on my Epi and as i said playability was practically identicle,only thing i never checked was how it sounded acoustically,however i don't buy an electric guitar to play acoustically lol i play it plugged into an amplifier that is their main purpose is it not,not trying to be smarmy about it just saying,so with that in mind the Gibson studio failed to deliver and far from met my expectations

The point of trying them unplugged is not to see whether you'll have a good time playing it unplugged. It's so that you can see which guitar naturally sounds and resonates better, because the guitar that is better acoustically has far more potential to sound great when plugged in - even with cr@ppy stock pickups - because they can always be changed.

[dave_mc]

Yeah some good points guy's,the amp was a  Kustom 30 DFX that i was plugged into,maybe not the best for knowing for definite eh,maybe if i'd been playing through a DSL or Blackstar might have seen the significant difference should there have been one,not sure though.

yeah there's your problem.

that's not to say that all the price increase in gibsons is justified necessarily, but if you try a cheap and an expensive guitar into a cheap solid state practice amp there's not really gonna be a ton of difference.

[blue]

it sounds like you've been lucky with your Epiphone and gotten a good one.  there's also the fact that you're accustomed to playing it.  the Gibson may also have been a poor one.  really, you should try several Les Pauls, as they all tend to feel and sound a little different.  one of the best Les Pauls i've played was a satin finished brown Studio, it was a fabulous guitar, while the custom shop '59 reissue i tried along with it, costing almost 5 times as much, was pretty disappointing.

[Riff_King77]

It's crazy isnt it that,say a Custom LP going for a few grand and upwards yet like you say wasn't really a patch on a certain Studio Model that could be picked up for well under a grand,sometimes it isnt about gold hardwear and fancy names and add on's.


Interesting how each Studio model can vary so much but yeah the amp was probably the reason,had i been hooked up to something valved and a decent amp may have told a different story,one thing i will say though is i played a Gibson explorer hotted up with EMG 81-85's thru that exact Kustom 30 amp and man alive that guitar blew me away,sounded amazing and like a Gibson should sound so it's a tricky one to fathom.

[dave_mc]

oh yeah i mean it's entirely possible you played a bad gibbo, lol. and the amp won't affect how the thing feels etc.

[chrisola]

I had a wine red Gibson LP studio a few years ago - cost me about £500 2nd hand, was a very good guitar that i wish i'd kept. Later, i went back to LP's with £999 Gibson LP Classic. Worst guitar purchase decision i've ever made :E

About 3 years ago i fancied another LP so i got one the newer Tokai LP's - one of the Korean ones. It blew the Gibson away. I believe i then went with PRS SE with the Opeth guys signature single cut - excellent guitar and again better than the LP Classic i had.

I've also had a Tokai Explorer (not good) and an Epiphone 1984 Explorer (great!).

I'm rambling now but the moral of my story is - you have to take each guitar on it's own merits - forget the brand and go with the feel and how it plays. To echo everyone above - playing without the amp is a good way to really hear the guitar and how it sustains and resonates - is it just a dead slab of wood with no character or is it full of life?

I've chased brands and snubbed guitars based on price etc and regretted it - if you find a good one, keep it...if you are buying one then play as many as you can and leave it where it is if you're not sure - like you did with that Gibbo.

Maybe the next Gibbo you try will blow you away...if it does and you want it then buy it :P

[HTH AMPS]

I had a similar experience recently with Jazzmasters - tried the basic £250 Squier which played really nice and sounded good too.  Wasn't too happy about the strings popping off the bridge all the time though. 

I moved on to the J.Mascis Squier for £350 - neck not as nice, but pickups were better and the bridge was a tuneomatic, so no issues with the strings popping out.

Finally tried a Mexican Fender at £699, neck on par with the £250 Squier, but the pickups sounded horrid.  Had a tuneomatic too, so no strings popping off the saddles.  Generally it didn't inspire me though.

The J.Mascis one would be mine if it didn't have that awful satin finish on the neck, but I'd be just as happy with the £250 Squier and a tuneomatic bridge replacement.

[Philly Q]

I had a Les Paul Studio a couple of years ago - unfortunately I was going through one of my manic buying/selling phases and didn't keep it very long at all.  In retrospect, it was a pretty cool guitar (and weighed less than 8 pounds!).  There are certainly several much worse guitars still in my collection now!  Wish I'd kept it.  :(

Some of them are good 'uns, for sure. 

[Riff_King77]

I had a similar experience recently with Jazzmasters - tried the basic £250 Squier which played really nice and sounded good too.  Wasn't too happy about the strings popping off the bridge all the time though. 

I moved on to the J.Mascis Squier for £350 - neck not as nice, but pickups were better and the bridge was a tuneomatic, so no issues with the strings popping out.

Finally tried a Mexican Fender at £699, neck on par with the £250 Squier, but the pickups sounded horrid.  Had a tuneomatic too, so no strings popping off the saddles.  Generally it didn't inspire me though.

The J.Mascis one would be mine if it didn't have that awful satin finish on the neck, but I'd be just as happy with the £250 Squier and a tuneomatic bridge replacement.

yeah i used to own a mexican fender strat ughh it was horrid to be honest worst mistake ever buying that thing but we live and learn,my father has let me borrow his 67' Baldwin until i get something else and let me tell you this Baldwin has some serious punch and growl,it's unreal and as good as those gibbo's you seen Townshend use back in his day,sounds just like his old 3 pickup wine red LP actually.wish i could just keep this lol,and it sounds really responsive acoustically aswell with lots of sustain and resonanace.

[Telerocker]

I have a same experience with some Mexican Fender teles. Tried a bunch in a shop, walked out the door with a Fender American Series telecaster that has TONE, sustain, a great neck, fretboard and solid tuners.

[Riff_King77]

I have a same experience with some Mexican Fender teles. Tried a bunch in a shop, walked out the door with a Fender American Series telecaster that has TONE, sustain, a great neck, fretboard and solid tuners.

I hear the USA models are a totall different animal,i heard the Japanese versions are good too!

[Telerocker]

I have a same experience with some Mexican Fender teles. Tried a bunch in a shop, walked out the door with a Fender American Series telecaster that has TONE, sustain, a great neck, fretboard and solid tuners.

I hear the USA models are a totall different animal,i heard the Japanese versions are good too!

Yes. but if you have a vintage radius they're not quite for me.