If you can't tell the difference, even on UA-cam...then you won't ever NEED a $7000 Gibson. But..for $700 that Epiphone sounded pretty damn good to me!! ;)
I've owned a epi LP black beauty fantastic guitar and was the best chinese made epiphone I played it couldn't compete with the Korean LP's I owned though
When it comes to amplified and reproduced sound, especially when distortion is present, the differences may not be all that apparent. However, the biggest difference is in the FEEL of the instrument. As an owner/player of both Gibson and Epiphone guitars, there is no comparison. The Gibson feels more like a well-crafted precision instrument, whereas the Epiphone clearly feels like a budget import guitar.
In the real world when you add the gain and distortion effects to the Gibson and then crank it up to club volumes at a gig the Epiphone won't sound any different in the same invironment. The audience won't hear the difference because their hearing will be totally wrecked by the volume level. Not a criticism just an observation . Another thing , $700 adjusted to 1966 would be $88.60. I'd have loved to have found a guitar like that in 1966 for $88.60.
And I mean, most people in the audience probably cannot even tell a strat sound from a les paul sound (supposing most people don't play electric guitar seriously), let alone find the small nuances of a epi vs a gibby. But tbh, that isn't the only factor to take in consideration. Some people just want a gibby because they want that in headstock and those small nuances, then it is what it is. Also, you are buying a guitar to please yourself (normally), not the others or the audience. So, if someone has that amount of money to burn on the guitar, it's up to them. Anyway, don't want to sound harsh or anything, just whished to express my opiniond :D
@@lordPix3lUK could you elaborate more? I only ask because I've found different guitars are easier for me to play than other, but I don't know why because I lack that type is education/understanding.
I have owned and played both Gibson and Epiphone Les Paul's. Standards and Customs, and I can tell you that when you're playing live with the volume at a live gig volume, there is NO noticeable difference at all. I have 4 Epiphones. A Custom Pro Les Paul, a Standard Les Paul, a Standard Les Paul bass, and an SG 400. They are all great guitars and worth every penny. I won't waist my money on Gibson's anymore. Not because they're not great guitars, because they are great guitars, but the Epiphone versions are just as good for the money. Just my 2 cents...
Stephen White: 👍👍👍 I own a 2001 Indonesian Epi Custom that blew my (latest) 2009 GLP Standard plus top right out of the fkng water, build-wise. The Gibson came stock with Burstbucker Pro's, so fat that I had to change them out. That same used 2009 Gibson cost 2200 by the time I got done dropping in Mojo 59 pups in her (but love it now). Whereas, the used 2001 Epi CUSTOM cost 500 OTD in it’s original hard case, all in excellent used condition. Now...one guitar is not better than the other, sound-wise. But, the Epiphone is higher in quality! There’s nothing wrong with a good old Epiphone...
You're right, 7k is ridiculous, but no matter what you do to the Epiphone, it'll never be the Gibson - that's neither good or bad, the two are just different - what the Epiphone offers you may well be exactly what you're after, but if you want the Gibson, then no amount of tweaking will transform the Epiphone in to it.
What kind of people care what name is on their headstock? How many people in the audience do? Jimmy Page and Slash, for example, never got famous playing Gibsons. Jimmy played a Fender Telecaster at the beginning of Zeppelin and Slash played various guitars for the AFD album - including the maligned BC Rich Warlock. Slash played a 'fake' Gibson Les Paul made by a local luthier at the beginning!
@BWM - 100% agree! I have a Samick Torino TR1. It's designed by Greg Bennett - one of Gibson's former main luthiers. He designed the guitar to be an SG copy from the ground up. Everything about it is a higher-end SG: the wood, the quality tuners, the hardware, the fretwork. It has Seymour Duncan 'designed' pickups in it which are really, really, good! If I wanted to, I could slap a pair of Dimarzio super-distortion pickups on it and it would easily match anything Gibson has to offer. Even with just the 'designed' pickups in it, it matches nearly all the SG models Gibson puts out and over-charges for. And the kicker: I bought it for $50 used from an online ad! The guitar is my go-to axe out of my 23 electrics. Gibson, Ibanez, PRS, etc etc etc - they're just names on headstocks. The materials are basically the same - wood makes NO difference in tone with an electric guitar! You can only make pickups one basic way (or they don't work) and there are only a handful of different types of magnets. They can be made well. But, the basic way they're constructed doesn't change all that much. People have cognitive dissonance when it comes to brands. It doesn't matter what it is: guitars, electronics, clothes. Like those 'beats' headphones people were buying like crazy. They weren't any different than a decent set of Sony or Sennheiser headphones. But, they had that name on them and that design. So, people bought them as status symbols. I would put nearly ALL of my 'budget' guitars up against the higher end ones. I have a Shecter C-6 Plus, ESP Ltd MH10, and Jackson guitars, which EASILY match any PRS I've ever played - no matter the price!
Amongst my collection, I've got 8 Gibsons, one from each decade since the '50's. One of them is a Black Beauty from the '90's. Don't spend 7K on a new Gibson, buy an early '90's one. Mine's fantastic, it's my favourite guitar. The '90's LPs were still old growth wood, real ebony, long tenons etc.
epiphone.............................wait some years and you´ll will be surprizes about a warped neck, its not uncommon for cheap guitars to get warped necks.
Gibson definitely sounds warmer and thicker.. That being said go with the Epiphone and swap pickups and spend the $6,000 you saved on a rig and some pedals.
Lol….My job for forty years has been playing music. I’ve got lots of guitars. My absolute favorite is an Epi LP I’ve had since 1994. I put Duncan PAFs, switchcraft gear and a set of nos ‘58 caps in it. It’s been all over the US and a handful of countries with me. People are better off buying the Epi, taking all the money they saved and having it set up, taking lessons and going to school to learn theory and how to read. Tone is mostly in your fingers….
Greg D the more I read your comment the more it rings true, it's a good 'un. I own, play, and enjoy a whole variety of instruments whatever make or monetary value, purchased on sound, playability, feel, desirability, ones that offer something a little different. I love and appreciate them all. But playing and owning a good Gibson will always be something special, for me. Unlike many commenting here, I'm not the type who knocks them or prefers copies, I always yearned for the real thing. I wanted to own and look after a Gibson since being a kid, so it is like a type of marriage. I still get the massive 'wow' when I open the case and take it out, always will.
@@maxwellfan55 I've knocked them in past, as a joke, on a video where someone bought one and there were some flaws, and recently, but as I'm in the market for a new acoustic I've been browsing for months and, surprisingly to me, have pretty much decided on an SJ 200 anniversary model. Just waiting for them to come in. Might have gone with Fender but they don't make high end acoustics, and I'm too old to waste my time wishing I'd got something good. I'm gonna take my chances after hearing Greg Lake (and others) talk about why he likes them. Like you I want a Gibson in my collection. I come from a time when 90% of guitars in the store were either Fender or Gibson. They're like two brothers to me. They argue sometimes but deep down they love each other. In this comparison the Gibson sounded more sincere, like a lover who is wholly enthralled by the beloved. The notes and chords had a sort of ring of truth clarity, well spoken, dare I say authentic, like true love as if in response to the EPI: that's not how the chord sounds--- it sounds like this. Girls and things may come by the dozen, but that ain't nothin' but drugstore loving. The EPI just seemed to be trying to say all the right things. Thanks for sharing your sentiments. I feel the same.
@@gregdiprinzio9280 Cool. Hoping you love your SJ200 when it arrives. I recently sold my standard one, preferring instead the Taylor 618e which was just a better all round jumbo for my style, but the SJ200 is a classic, and a beauty. Still have a Hummingbird TV, another Gibson classic which actually I prefer the most. Happy playing brother.
@@maxwellfan55 618e looks like a fine instrument. Very classy. I'd name that one Brown Sugar. Ill bet you got a good chunk of change for the Gibson. I think they have good resale value. Happy playing, bro.
the Gibson's tone was richer and more pleasing to listen to then the Epi's but that could have been just the tone knob adjustment or the lower quality pickups, what really stood out to me was how much more he liked playing the Gibson, his whole presence was different when he had the Gibson in his hands and it showed in how much more comfortable and cleaner his playing was on the Gibson.....
From what I can tell, the Epi pickups seem louder, more on the low-mid range and tend to break up earlier. The Gibson pickups sound really articulate, balanced in frequencies and with less output. The sounds are quite different, but in no way they are bad compared to each other. The Epi seems to be a great guitar for a really good price, with a few adjustement it could become even greater!
The one Epiphone I have backs that up. The sounds that come out of that guitar can't be duplicated by the Standard I picked up 20 years later. It's funny that they're both guitars, but Apples v. Oranges as well. So, for more money, why don't they stay in tune? Help us, Gibson!
I´m telling you I have an Epiphone Black Beauty, and the fretboard is as dark as the Gibson. In addition mine is from 2012, first generation, where it reads "Les Paul Custom" instead of "Black Beauty" About the test, Gibson is clearly brighter, but it doesn´t mean Epiphone is bad - it´s a great choice for the price. I´m amateur and I record in my bedroom so my Epiphone is a great guitar for what I do.
steve dalzell I've got an Epiphone dot and a Gibson es335 and the tone difference is very noticeable, you'd need to change the rest of the hardware as well
These are two beautiful guitars. Personally, I would choose the Epiphone. It is in no way inferior to the Gipson and has an unbeatable price. I can't understand Gibson's pricing policy anyway. I can understand that guitars made in the USA have to be more expensive than those from Asia. But I no longer find ten times as understandable. I play the Epiphone Hummingbird Pro myself and I am happy with it. I would never pay the completely inflated price for the original in my life.
A custom shop guitar is quite literally hand made, out of solid woods with no veneer to make look better. Do you think an amish furniture store should charge more or less for a handmade chair than an IKEA fiberboard chair with a fake wood grain paint job? Do you hold the same standards for everything, or just Gibson? Is this a thing about private property? Like Vladimir Lenín or Trotsky? Or some kind of soccer mom participation trophy thing? Look, I love Epiphone. I've had them all my life, and they are relatively reliable. However, I've noticed Epis need more frequent truss rod adjustments, the electronics eventually crap out, the tuners aren't as responsive (probably a lower gear ratio), the tuners also wear out quickly, the pickups are not as articulate etc. The thing is, you could play this custom shop every day for 40 years and you still might not even need a refret. The electronics will sound as good as day one. The truss rod will be far from maxed out (unless you literally lean it up against the wall instead of on a stand or in a case). There are some things that Epiphone is better at. They don't use nitro, so you can play your Epi in an air conditioned room, and walk right out the door into the 100 degree summer heat without the finish cracking. Also modding an epi is likely to raise it's value rather than lower it. Epiphones (that you buy from a physical store like GC) always have great action from the start, and nice fast necks. I'm assuming this last part is because their real competition are brands like Ibanez. Imho, Epiphone is the best of the low priced brands. They start to lose some ground with the midrange. Ibanez makes great mid range guitars, especially on the electric side. A midrange Yamaha acoustic will blow an Epiphone Masterbuilt out of the water (though a hundred dollar epi acoustic could btfo the MB out too). Epis are not junk. Those old Gibson-Baldwin guitars were junk, not Epi. This problem I'm seeing is that there are apparently a bunch of Epiphone elitists out there, and I'm not talking about Elitist series guitars, but people. Implying that this custom shop LP is not superior in any way is the kind of thing I'm talking about. There's no way you can possibly believe this without being incredibly naive or delusional. As an Epiphone fan, I'm generally against snobbery, yet here I find multiple Epiphone snobs. Custom Shop= handmade by a human craftsman (adds scarcity to the price btw). Epiphone = Mass produced by machines (not even super advanced and highly accurate machines). (Not even Gibson USA is fully mass produced) In this case, Epiphone is the choice reflects soulless consumerism. The Custom Shop is the choice that supports skilled craftsmen. If you don't like how society is, you can't fix it by buying the cheap mass produced Wal-Mart stuff. The only way you can help is by buying products that are hand made. Buy boots from the cobbler, buy milk and produce from a farmer, buy chairs and tables from an actual carpenter, buy guitars from an actual luthier. In fact boutique is even a better option than the custom shop.
Another great comparison and demo. I like your words, very fair for each of those 2 guitars. Yes a Gibson Custom Shop is a dream while I sold my 2 Gibson series LP and SG from 2011, fed up with flaws and lack of tone. Meanwhile I kept my Epiphone Black Beauty 3 pick ups: made in Korea in 2012, ebony fretboard, C neck profile, absolutely perfect build. I changed the pick ups with SD SH2 neck, SH-PG1 middle and SH55 Custom bridge, rewired to Peter Frampton way. Probably not as good as the G custom shop, but fully pleases me . With trebble bleed added, Frampton wiring offers very clean tones when middle pick up blended with other 2 pick ups, just dialing the volume pots to your taste.
Currently got the Epiphone version and can honestly say I've got some amazing sounds/tones out of it. The difference between the two is very minuscule apart from the pickups. Buying a Gibson is literally that, buying the name half the time
Trust? They're selling BOTH guitars, you moron. They're demoing BOTH guitars so YOU can hear them; you don't even have to listen to the words coming out of their mouths. 🤣
@Jimmy Durex Gibson sucks Fender all the way. I can toss my Strat off a balcony and it'll stay intact.....sneeze and your Gibson's headstock will snap.
Usually when people use the term musical in this sense, they are referring to how responsive the pickup is to the touch of the player. The player can achieve better volume and tonal dynamics with merely touch on a more 'musical' pickup.
I've owned an Epi Black Beauty 3 since 2010, and I still love it. I replaced the neck pickup with a Seymour Duncan Jazz, and the middle with an Angus Young and I totally regret the AY pickup decision. If you want to swap out pickups to get more of a Gibson sound, try a Seth Lover in the middle with the Jazz on the neck, but leave the stock pickup in the bridge. That pickup totally rocks.
Just got a left handed Custom Pro and it's so damn good. Honestly, if you'd cover the headstock, you wouldn't even be able to tell if it's an Epiphone or a Gibson. Also got a Gibson Les Paul and honestly the Epiphone gives it a run for the money.
Being a 45+year guitarist, my main advise would be to talk in a more guitar oriented language. Talk sound clarity of individual strings, fret work, pickup frequency difference... Listening to these two guitars in this example really doesn't show much difference. While the guitarist playing was excellent, he never got aggressive to show the attack of each guitar. I own a gibson custom shop guitar and and two other gibson les Paul's and really don't hear or feel that much difference in a regular gibson les paul. I've owned an Epiphone elitist that blew them all away. So a more in depth comparison might give more valuable information instead of worrying about bad comments.
So the Gibson has a nice boost at 2500 Hz. That’s what they’re talking about when they say you’ll be able to cut through the mix. Idk if it’s coming from the PU or the ebony fretboard or probably (obviously) a mixture of both but that’s also why you’d be a front man with the Gibson rather the Epi. Also around 250 Hz you can hear a soothing boost in the Gibson as well that the Epi isn’t just a clean with. Overall I love both the Gibson and the Epiphone! I will definitely get the Epiphone and replace the “rosewood” fretboard with an ebony wood and then replace the PU with PAF or something similar. Thx guys! Great review!
I really dig my Epiphone Frampton Black Beauty. I did lose the probuckers or whatever it came with for a pearly gates set and a 59 bridge in the middle spot. This combo works really nice in that guitar. I agree with one of the comments that the D neck profile can make life a little difficult. Especially for those with short fingers.
I have one as well. I had it tricked out into the classic BB style and its perfect for me. Didn't have to mortgage my house to play and I truly love it. Cheers man. I like that pickup set you mentioned. I do want better pickups, than the stock, eventually.
Nice demo. But I can't, for the life of me, figure out why - - if clarity and /or voicing is the distinction between the two-- one wouldn't just buy the Epi and replace the pups... (cuz that's what I did, and I'm really happy...!)
This sounds great! I don’t understand all the EPI hate in the comments. Lol I’ve been playing both Gibson’s and Epis for awhile now and honestly, can’t really tell the difference later than that Gibson’s are way more expensive. Yes; it’s true that Gibson’s hold their value way more than Epis but I don’t feel like going bankrupt to buy a guitar just because it’s a Gibson or named brand guitar. Also, Gibson’s quality has declined pretty badly in the last few years, but still have high prices. I bought a Gibson guitar not too long ago with this problem and ended up sending it back. I’ve never been disappointed with epiphones though. The Epiphone Black Beauty looks like it’d be a fun guitar to mod out too. Thinking about putting a sustainiac bridge pickup and a bigsby on it as well. That’d be interesting.
first off, nice playing !!!!!! I need lessons lol. I have played many Epiphones and the quality is always top-notch they all play very similarly. I have also played many TURD Gibsons that just play like crap, go out of tune and some times the quality control is just not there. Don't get me wrong Gibson is Gibson and it has an aura but for my money, Epi is the jam
I run the sound from my PC with a decent sound card through my stereo receiver and vintage Klipsch speakers and the Gibson Black Beauty is much richer and warmer. I'd buy the Epiphone and change out the pickups.
i play my epi everyday and love it....but once quarantine is over and start gigging, I'll use the gibby for shows and epi for mostly practice and home.
Terrific playing! Exceptional. Getting the Epiphone Joe Bonamassa 1958 Black Beauty soon. A little different than this Epiphone model...but should be cool!
Nice playing , you could actually hear what the guitars sound like. Epiphone for me, my standard of playing I couldn't justify the expenditure for the Gibson, but I would be very happy with the Epi.
I can definitely hear that the Gibson pickups have more bite, but if your not a rockstar or rich person, I think the Epi holds a close second. I am a Epi Black Beauty owner, lol. Great guitar playing by the way.
Wow. I love them both! I do hear a little bit of difference in the lower end, the Gibson sounds Richer, but the Epiphone still stands its ground. I think I would buy the Epiphone now, and get the Gibson later.
It’s all in the player, if you pick up Santana’s guitar you won’t sound like Carlos at any time. Left hand is what you’ve learned, right hand is who you are! Don’t buy the marketing hype, guaranteed EVH could make the Epiphone sound like it was delivered by the heavens! Peace
an actual Les Paul black beauty from the 50's is definitely NOT cheaper. A 59 one went for almost 60.000$, while original 57 ones are estimated at around 100.000$. What in the world makes you say it would be cheaper??
I have an Epiphone (2 pickups). Not a Black beauty......I love it! My uncle passed and left me a 68 Mosrite Ventures and a 68 Fender Princeton Reverb amp. The amp is the magic ! The Princeton and my Epipheone are a great marriage! Side note: I played through one of the "new " Princeton and the sound is 180 degrees different. While really nice and fantastic amps, just not the same.
According to their website, the Epiphone pickups are the Alnico Classics, which are Epiphone's version of the 57 Classics. Good pickups, I have a set in my Epiphone ES 335 Pro. The difference compared to the Burstbuckers in my 2019 Original Collection 50's LP is subtle, but there. Custombuckers might be even better - but I don't have any to try. Comparing an Asian made generic LP to a Custom Shop LP is silly though. A more useful comparison would have been between a Production line LP and an Epi. Then, price is 4-5 times as much instead of 10 times as much, and the odds are that the comparison will yield closer results.
@BWM I absolutely can hear a difference and I am willing to prove it. If you can't hear it that means you have low taste. Just as some enjoy trash literature. Some enjoy trash guitars.
@BWM Not everyone has an ear to discern the subtleties that exist on the sonic spectrum. There are small things that music listeners love that you simply can't do with a budget guitar, my friend. It's no one's fault that you don't have ears to hear and that you're so embittered that you searched a video promoting a product by the company that shaped the sound of modern music just to trash it. That, my friend, indicates that you have some weird kind of inclination to make idols out of your budget guitars...it's weird. stop.
@BWM You don't think I've ever sent something back to Gibson? It's not about the headstock, which is why it's important to know what a good guitar is when you head to the shop. No one wants to waste money. No manufacturer is innocent. All this you're doing though is strange. I really wonder what animates people to make a religion out of their budget guitar. Bro, if you buy a low end American Fender even you'll hear and feel a difference immediately. So shut up and go learn.
Love that you can get a strat tone in the middle position. This is because in the middle position, both the bridge and middle pickup are active. Nice demo. I would never want to play anything over $1500 on a gig though.
I bought mic epi bb3 few days ago. It has a fantastic sound. Talking about sound may be pretty much adjective but the epi bb3 has more mushier, warm tones which I like. Gibson usually has that bite that sometimes is too much when you're in studio production recording.
I don't feel that the Gibson is worth $6700, but I get why it is. I have Epiphone Les Pauls, and they are good enough. I have even pumped money into bone nuts, locking tuners, and tried various pickups from SD, Dimarzio, Dean Zelinsky, and another local guy. The Epiphone tone isn't as nice as the Gibson, but still don't justify the price. You really can't take an Epiphone & with electronics make it sound anything like the Gibson, we've tried. We've made the Epiphone sound tremendous though, but that solid 1 piece body on the Gibson is the killer. I like these kind of vids, what it really proves is that you shouldn't be ashamed to play Epiphone & not a Gibson, get what you like & what you can afford & what will make you want to play. I just bought another Epiphone today, the Masterbilt DR-400-MCE. Umm, $400 for a complete solid body (top, sides & back), bone saddle & nut. After having it set up, my god. I was looking at Sub $1000 Taylor, Martin, Seagull, and Breedlove (a few others). Actually, those new Gibson G-45's are really nice, but I was blown away by the DR-400-MCE quality & price tag, so I got it. That leaves me room for my custom Tele & a Gretsch now \o/
@@AlamoMusic It's an amazing guitar out of the box, but I'm gonna get it a pro setup done on it to take it over the edge. I'm loving it, just gotta get used to playing acoustic after learning on an electric for the past 7 weeks :)
Rich Johnson I disagree. I have a epiphone 60s tribute with American electronics and 57 classics. It sounds as good as any of the 5 Gibson’s I’ve owned including a standard and a traditional.
You have to also change out your Epiphone's wiring to high qualty wire, CTS or Bourne pots & a Gibson (Switchcraft switch). The stock Epiphone wiring has higher capacitance which kills high end & that's the main reason you can't match the Gibson's tone.
I have Lucille's little sister, sounds fantastic in my bedroom through a low end fender amp. Epiphone guitars are fantastic at the price point. (I purchased my Epiphone "Les Paul" Black Beauty for 300$ from a craigslist sale in 2007) That Gibson custom shop sounds wonderful, 5 to one to the Epi. Not 10x imho. Great video guys, very objective, and the playing wow, wow, wow .. inspiring and much enjoyed. Subscribed!
They both sound amazing, the only difference I really hear is that the Gibson pickups are hotter and more full bodied. It’s all about which you prefer. I preferred the Gibson’s clean but the Epiphone dirty.
I wonder how different they would sound if you took both guitars apart and swapped over everything between the 2 bodies...??? Not sure I would try that with a $7k custom, but might be fun to try with a Gibson LP Standard and Epi LP Standard. I have an all stock Epiphone 1960 Tribute Plus that came with Gibson 57 classics and it sounds awesome! My first guitar teacher told me something I'll never forget... "if you want your guitar to sound better... practice more"...
I don't need to fully understand the nuances of an Epiphone or a Gibson. If it sounds good that's all that really matters. I'd rather put the money into my home studio.
I have a 2007 Epi LP standard I bought for $300. I put Seymour Duncans in it for $200 and it sounds great. The newer Epi pickups are better than my old ones for sure. That said, the Gibson here did sound better, but not even close to being worth the price difference. My next guitar will probably be an Epi ES 339 Pro, which is a great guitar for the money.
Take Your Eppi. And change over bridge to custom gibson set Ivory nut on top do custom wiring change out middle puckup To custom 490. And add I meg pods . And go custom switches . Clean up your fret wire let action low with no Buzz .. then you will understand .. plenty There Gizmo
i have the Epiphone and honestly I just love the thing. Cant stop picking it up and using it over my other guitars... the look, the feel, the tones *chef's kiss*
Yes to everything these guys have said….except for one, and really it isn’t what they are saying, rather, inferring. The Gibson is worth more than the Epi, no question, just not ten times more. Things are ultimately worth what people are willing to pay for them so it is by nature, subjective……but using common sense and experience, TEN TIMES THE PRICE?! C’mon! Sure, I’ll never buy the Gibson simply because its value isn’t so exponentially greater than the Epiphone’s to justify the exponential difference in price. Some people find that value and that’s awesome.
my experience with 3 cases : epis tend to be boomy and muddy towards the lower strings and funnily doesn't improve by replacing pickups - which goes with the reviewers' comment that epi won't cut through the sound mix. feels like the wood bounces off your attacks whereas gibson will absorb and resonate with your input nuances. however this has more to do with player's feel and when recording the tonal differences become less discerning which makes it practically not worth 10x price difference. interestingly this is not the case with similarly priced ESP LTDs or PRS SEs which shows that this maybe the intended tonal difference between Epi Gibson?
I don’t deserve the Gibson..been playin since 64,and I realize I just don’t have natural talent..The more I learn,the more I need to learn..the Gibson won’t make it easier,I know-I have gibsons
Thank you for the excellent demo I have always been interested in the Epi I have a Gibson LP standard. Can’t afford a real black beauty. This is close enough. Love the mojo of the custom shop. Again thank you for the clean playing the distortion fill solo stuff is not useful in decision making
These comparisons are nice, but the real comparison is live with the guitar in your hands. I don’t buy a guitar because of price, I select the sound I want, and choose the guitar that gives me that sound, feels good to play, and inspires me. Some guitars I simply get no connection from them, while other guitars inspire my creativity right away.
Ive played both the Epi and Gibson versions in person a few times and honestly, the Epi is great, especially at the price, but in person you can hear the Gibson difference. There's a bite you dont get from the Epi. The Gibson wants to rock and roll.
I would have liked to hear what the Epi sounded like with the Gibson pickups on it. I got an Epi LP tribute with Gibson 57 Classic pickups and it ain't bad.
I just bought a cort, strat style with Floyd rose locking tremelo for 300 euros brand new. It looks, sounds, and plays as good as any of the $1000 plus guitars I bought 20 years ago. Don't pay for names, pay for quality....
Mr Freedom And Prosperity I have a Cort Precision/jazz bass copy that my band mates and I bought over ten years ago... still kicks and still sounds just as good as the real thing.
I bought a epiphone 1275 double neck. I put the same pickups gibson puts in there 1275. The guitar plays and sounds awesome at a fraction of the cost. The epiphone pickups were real microphonic. Like to own the gibson but they were alot of money for a guitar l wasnt going to use on stage all night. A lot of other differences too, in my case it worked out well and i saved some money.
I'd expect that experts like you know that wood of the body and fingerboard has absolutely no effect on the sound of electric guitar..... and yes the Gibson pickups seem to have clearer definition, but with market saturated with aftermarket pickups I bet you can make the Epiphone sound same if not better, for a fraction of the Gibbo price
Nice! How does the pickup selector switch work? 1 position for the neck, 2 position for the middle, and 3 position for the middle and bridge together? Or is each selection of the switch for just one pickup only?
If you buy the EPI, make sure to add extended repair coverage. I used my EPI Modern 4x at home and it needed a pickup selector switch and there was a problem with the cable input jack.
As you should! Epiphone makes some great sounding guitars and is a company with the longest history dating back to the 1800s. The first Les Paul was actually created in an Epiphone factory 🏭🤟
If I was in the industry and playing music was my profession, 7K for a quality tool is quite reasonable and I would get the Gibson. To my ear, from the recording provided, compressed over youtube, and through bluetooth to my AirPods, the Gibson sounded warmer and crisper. I’m not in the industry and don’t make a living playing music so I’m glad they have the Epiphone option for me. It sounds great.
I actually own both. I have a Epi BB that I have modded with Seymour Duncan Seth Lover pickups, hand wired, Bumblebee caps, etc. Since then I also have a Gibson Custom Shop '57 RI. You can make the Epi sound better with upgraded electronics, but it will never feel or play like a Custom Shop Historic. But, for around $700 the Epi is a really good guitar.
The only issue I ever had with my epiphone les paul was the neck. I can't speak for this model specifically, but my standard had a very wide, "D" shaped neck and I found it harder to play than any of my fender guitars, despite having a shorter scale length. I ended up selling it because I just found it hard to play regular barre chords and "Ramones chords"
I think a better question would be why cant gibson put a abr1 bridge and abr mounted meaning the two small holes with the screws mounted directly in to the wood, long neck tenon and nylon nut on there $2500. To $ 3500 dollar guitars. My experience is these three ingredients make a guitar sound clearer and fuller.
Great video, guys ! I will never buy a more than 5000 $ guitar in my life, never, but I wished to try those 3 PU combination, so I bought for 3700 dollars + 300 dollars shipping a gibson historic reissue 57 with 3 PAF57 pickups (a cheap one, you agree ? ) a week ago without trying it before, assuming I would sell it back quickly in Europe right after trying it, since you don't find those babies easily there .... but I was not disappointed at all...now I wanna keep it, and gotta sell 2 epiphones, my first gibson LP , a standard from 2005, my (also gorgeous) alpin white gibson LP custom from 1998 and maybe even my CS slash piezo or my ernie ball JPXII... Gibson LP custom black beauties 3PU have tones like hell, if you 're a gibson fan, you fall in love with. I just put the middle PU at a lower level, so my pick goes not on the way. She has litterally bewitched me.
I have the Bonnamossa one and it has the ebony fingerboard and Probuckers 2 and 3. The two front pickups are wired out of phase for that Pete Green type of sound. It’s a great guitar.
It's crazy money for the Black Beauty but really $700 will get you a really nice S/H LP Studio that would knock spots off the Epiphone or save up some more and get a S/H Classic, Standard or Traditional. There are great guitars out there and they can even increase in value after a few years. Buy a new Epi and sell it for half what you paid!
The nice thing with econo anything is you can mod to make better and dont have to worry about accidentally messing it up vs the gibson would be stressed about changing anything.
I will never understand how people justify paying more than 500 bucks tops for a guitar. The reasons always seem to be so nitpicky and elitist to me ... like, if 99% of your audience can't tell the difference if its a Gibson or an Epiphone, does it really matter? As long as I have a few proper pedals and a good sound guy almost any guitar that isn't total garbage will do, in my experience. I bought a Fender strat 7 years ago for 200 bucks, used. Never had a problem with "cutting through a mix" ... also (off topic, I know), just in general: Fender ftw ... It doesn't murder my back, nor my wallet and just does what I want it to do. Serves me fine :)
The right guitar in your hands is the right guitar. Doesn't matter what the price is. You sound pretty insecure about this. Why do you care if someone buys a $7000 guitar? That's just as snobby as someone who looks down on others for playing cheap gear. You are also being nitpicky and elitist.
@@AlamoMusic yes it was! I saved up for a year in order to be able to afford one during my summer job when I was 16. It is my most cherished possession, it has scratches and bumps and a pot cap is missing, but I love it to death and I wouldn't wanna give it away for anything in the world! So even if I could sell it now for more than I bought it for, I would never part from it!
If you can't tell the difference, even on UA-cam...then you won't ever NEED a $7000 Gibson.
But..for $700 that Epiphone sounded pretty damn good to me!! ;)
I've owned a epi LP black beauty
fantastic guitar and was the best chinese made epiphone I played
it couldn't compete with the Korean LP's I owned though
When it comes to amplified and reproduced sound, especially when distortion is present, the differences may not be all that apparent. However, the biggest difference is in the FEEL of the instrument. As an owner/player of both Gibson and Epiphone guitars, there is no comparison. The Gibson feels more like a well-crafted precision instrument, whereas the Epiphone clearly feels like a budget import guitar.
@@arisl2370 lol, relax? Where in my comment did you sense anything that would indicate not being relaxed? Sounds like you're projecting. YOU RELAX
@@arisl2370 Ignorance is bliss.
I hate it when mommy and daddy fight.
In the real world when you add the gain and distortion effects to the Gibson and then crank it up to club volumes at a gig the Epiphone won't sound any different in the same invironment. The audience won't hear the difference because their hearing will be
totally wrecked by the volume level. Not a criticism just an observation . Another thing , $700 adjusted to 1966 would be $88.60. I'd have loved to have found a guitar like that in 1966 for $88.60.
It's how it plays more than it sounds tbh. Obviously sound is important but the epiphone won't play as well as the gibson.
And I mean, most people in the audience probably cannot even tell a strat sound from a les paul sound (supposing most people don't play electric guitar seriously), let alone find the small nuances of a epi vs a gibby. But tbh, that isn't the only factor to take in consideration. Some people just want a gibby because they want that in headstock and those small nuances, then it is what it is. Also, you are buying a guitar to please yourself (normally), not the others or the audience. So, if someone has that amount of money to burn on the guitar, it's up to them. Anyway, don't want to sound harsh or anything, just whished to express my opiniond :D
@@lordPix3lUK could you elaborate more? I only ask because I've found different guitars are easier for me to play than other, but I don't know why because I lack that type is education/understanding.
If the player is good it will sound good!🤘🔥🤘
Joe 370z exactly!
I agree 1000%
Exactly….I’d rather hear a good player on an Epi than a bad player on a Gibson
I have owned and played both Gibson and Epiphone Les Paul's. Standards and Customs, and I can tell you that when you're playing live with the volume at a live gig volume, there is NO noticeable difference at all. I have 4 Epiphones. A Custom Pro Les Paul, a Standard Les Paul, a Standard Les Paul bass, and an SG 400. They are all great guitars and worth every penny. I won't waist my money on Gibson's anymore. Not because they're not great guitars, because they are great guitars, but the Epiphone versions are just as good for the money.
Just my 2 cents...
Exactly! I'll raise it to 4 cents...
Stephen White: 👍👍👍 I own a 2001 Indonesian Epi Custom that blew my (latest) 2009 GLP Standard plus top right out of the fkng water, build-wise. The Gibson came stock with Burstbucker Pro's, so fat that I had to change them out. That same used 2009 Gibson cost 2200 by the time I got done dropping in Mojo 59 pups in her (but love it now). Whereas, the used 2001 Epi CUSTOM cost 500 OTD in it’s original hard case, all in excellent used condition. Now...one guitar is not better than the other, sound-wise. But, the
Epiphone is higher in quality! There’s nothing wrong with a good old Epiphone...
Never owned a Gibson but I do have an Epi Dot. Best guitar ever. Better than my '69 Hagstrom Viking. 👍
you are so correct there.
I’ll raise it to 6 cents
Buy the Epi, put some better pickups in it. $7k for a guitar is obscene.
The pickup s in , Epiphone, version areal not bad. The Sound is very very big and fat . Very very good Sound.
"But the headstock..." blah, blah
You're right, 7k is ridiculous, but no matter what you do to the Epiphone, it'll never be the Gibson - that's neither good or bad, the two are just different - what the Epiphone offers you may well be exactly what you're after, but if you want the Gibson, then no amount of tweaking will transform the Epiphone in to it.
What kind of people care what name is on their headstock? How many people in the audience do? Jimmy Page and Slash, for example, never got famous playing Gibsons. Jimmy played a Fender Telecaster at the beginning of Zeppelin and Slash played various guitars for the AFD album - including the maligned BC Rich Warlock. Slash played a 'fake' Gibson Les Paul made by a local luthier at the beginning!
@BWM - 100% agree! I have a Samick Torino TR1. It's designed by Greg Bennett - one of Gibson's former main luthiers. He designed the guitar to be an SG copy from the ground up. Everything about it is a higher-end SG: the wood, the quality tuners, the hardware, the fretwork. It has Seymour Duncan 'designed' pickups in it which are really, really, good! If I wanted to, I could slap a pair of Dimarzio super-distortion pickups on it and it would easily match anything Gibson has to offer.
Even with just the 'designed' pickups in it, it matches nearly all the SG models Gibson puts out and over-charges for. And the kicker: I bought it for $50 used from an online ad! The guitar is my go-to axe out of my 23 electrics. Gibson, Ibanez, PRS, etc etc etc - they're just names on headstocks. The materials are basically the same - wood makes NO difference in tone with an electric guitar! You can only make pickups one basic way (or they don't work) and there are only a handful of different types of magnets. They can be made well. But, the basic way they're constructed doesn't change all that much.
People have cognitive dissonance when it comes to brands. It doesn't matter what it is: guitars, electronics, clothes. Like those 'beats' headphones people were buying like crazy. They weren't any different than a decent set of Sony or Sennheiser headphones. But, they had that name on them and that design. So, people bought them as status symbols. I would put nearly ALL of my 'budget' guitars up against the higher end ones. I have a Shecter C-6 Plus, ESP Ltd MH10, and Jackson guitars, which EASILY match any PRS I've ever played - no matter the price!
9:00 is when they finally start playing
Thank you
Thx
😂😂 thank you for forwarding it
Thanks a lot!!! I hate the bla bla bla
Thanks, really helpful. 👍
Amongst my collection, I've got 8 Gibsons, one from each decade since the '50's. One of them is a Black Beauty from the '90's. Don't spend 7K on a new Gibson, buy an early '90's one. Mine's fantastic, it's my favourite guitar. The '90's LPs were still old growth wood, real ebony, long tenons etc.
That Epiphone ROCKS!!!
You can definitely be the frontman in a band with that!
Robert Sartino absolutely! ❤️
epiphone.............................wait some years and you´ll will be surprizes about a warped neck, its not uncommon for cheap guitars to get warped necks.
@@ohrofax my Epi black beauty is 12 years old and has no warping. If you can play like a boss then play it on whatever you want.
@@markstefano9237 the neck does no change with every guitar, but with gibson the probability is very low
@@ohrofax at least the Epi headstock will not snap off
Gibson definitely sounds warmer and thicker.. That being said go with the Epiphone and swap pickups and spend the $6,000 you saved on a rig and some pedals.
thats what i want to do. i figure the epi and a set of les paul pickups would still only run around 7 or 800
Hate Epiphone headstock
@@adrenalinejunkie9428 $7000 for a headstock?
@@leonardkrasner5811 I would by a Vintage V100 instead 😉
Lol….My job for forty years has been playing music. I’ve got lots of guitars. My absolute favorite is an Epi LP I’ve had since 1994. I put Duncan PAFs, switchcraft gear and a set of nos ‘58 caps in it. It’s been all over the US and a handful of countries with me.
People are better off buying the Epi, taking all the money they saved and having it set up, taking lessons and going to school to learn theory and how to read.
Tone is mostly in your fingers….
I have the Epiphone and I’m very happy with my choice.
Ok not the same sound as the Gibson but still a great guitar
The Gibson wants to marry you. The Epiphone wants to be friends with benefits.
Greg D the more I read your comment the more it rings true, it's a good 'un.
I own, play, and enjoy a whole variety of instruments whatever make or monetary value, purchased on sound, playability, feel, desirability, ones that offer something a little different. I love and appreciate them all.
But playing and owning a good Gibson will always be something special, for me. Unlike many commenting here, I'm not the type who knocks them or prefers copies, I always yearned for the real thing. I wanted to own and look after a Gibson since being a kid, so it is like a type of marriage. I still get the massive 'wow' when I open the case and take it out, always will.
Funny for true!
@@maxwellfan55 I've knocked them in past, as a joke, on a video where someone bought one and there were some flaws, and recently, but as I'm in the market for a new acoustic I've been browsing for months and, surprisingly to me, have pretty much decided on an SJ 200 anniversary model. Just waiting for them to come in. Might have gone with Fender but they don't make high end acoustics, and I'm too old to waste my time wishing I'd got something good. I'm gonna take my chances after hearing Greg Lake (and others) talk about why he likes them. Like you I want a Gibson in my collection. I come from a time when 90% of guitars in the store were either Fender or Gibson. They're like two brothers to me. They argue sometimes but deep down they love each other. In this comparison the Gibson sounded more sincere, like a lover who is wholly enthralled by the beloved. The notes and chords had a sort of ring of truth clarity, well spoken, dare I say authentic, like true love as if in response to the EPI: that's not how the chord sounds--- it sounds like this. Girls and things may come by the dozen, but that ain't nothin' but drugstore loving. The EPI just seemed to be trying to say all the right things. Thanks for sharing your sentiments. I feel the same.
@@gregdiprinzio9280 Cool. Hoping you love your SJ200 when it arrives. I recently sold my standard one, preferring instead the Taylor 618e which was just a better all round jumbo for my style, but the SJ200 is a classic, and a beauty. Still have a Hummingbird TV, another Gibson classic which actually I prefer the most.
Happy playing brother.
@@maxwellfan55 618e looks like a fine instrument. Very classy. I'd name that one Brown Sugar. Ill bet you got a good chunk of change for the Gibson. I think they have good resale value. Happy playing, bro.
the Gibson's tone was richer and more pleasing to listen to then the Epi's but that could have been just the tone knob adjustment or the lower quality pickups, what really stood out to me was how much more he liked playing the Gibson, his whole presence was different when he had the Gibson in his hands and it showed in how much more comfortable and cleaner his playing was on the Gibson.....
From what I can tell, the Epi pickups seem louder, more on the low-mid range and tend to break up earlier. The Gibson pickups sound really articulate, balanced in frequencies and with less output.
The sounds are quite different, but in no way they are bad compared to each other. The Epi seems to be a great guitar for a really good price, with a few adjustement it could become even greater!
The one Epiphone I have backs that up. The sounds that come out of that guitar can't be duplicated by the Standard I picked up 20 years later. It's funny that they're both guitars, but Apples v. Oranges as well.
So, for more money, why don't they stay in tune? Help us, Gibson!
I really respect the Epiphone. I like Epiphones. But the tones of the Gibson stirs my heart. It's a case of love.
I´m telling you I have an Epiphone Black Beauty, and the fretboard is as dark as the Gibson. In addition mine is from 2012, first generation, where it reads "Les Paul Custom" instead of "Black Beauty" About the test, Gibson is clearly brighter, but it doesn´t mean Epiphone is bad - it´s a great choice for the price. I´m amateur and I record in my bedroom so my Epiphone is a great guitar for what I do.
Well said!
Damn good video guys. I'm going to purchase the Epiphone soon.
Nice. Let us know! 👍
Great video and really well balanced. I'm hearing "Buy the epiphone, if you can afford it buy both" ;)
How about changing the pickups from the Gibson into the Epiphone and vice versa and then here the difference. This would be very informative!
steve dalzell I've got an Epiphone dot and a Gibson es335 and the tone difference is very noticeable, you'd need to change the rest of the hardware as well
The only Epiphones l own were sold factory fitted with Gibson pickups.
They obviously agree that its a cost effective improvement.
pickups AND all electronics mate
GREAT idea! Have never seen anyone do that kind of comparison. Wish someone would.
These are two beautiful guitars. Personally, I would choose the Epiphone. It is in no way inferior to the Gipson and has an unbeatable price. I can't understand Gibson's pricing policy anyway. I can understand that guitars made in the USA have to be more expensive than those from Asia. But I no longer find ten times as understandable. I play the Epiphone Hummingbird Pro myself and I am happy with it. I would never pay the completely inflated price for the original in my life.
A custom shop guitar is quite literally hand made, out of solid woods with no veneer to make look better. Do you think an amish furniture store should charge more or less for a handmade chair than an IKEA fiberboard chair with a fake wood grain paint job?
Do you hold the same standards for everything, or just Gibson? Is this a thing about private property? Like Vladimir Lenín or Trotsky? Or some kind of soccer mom participation trophy thing?
Look, I love Epiphone. I've had them all my life, and they are relatively reliable. However, I've noticed Epis need more frequent truss rod adjustments, the electronics eventually crap out, the tuners aren't as responsive (probably a lower gear ratio), the tuners also wear out quickly, the pickups are not as articulate etc. The thing is, you could play this custom shop every day for 40 years and you still might not even need a refret. The electronics will sound as good as day one. The truss rod will be far from maxed out (unless you literally lean it up against the wall instead of on a stand or in a case). There are some things that Epiphone is better at. They don't use nitro, so you can play your Epi in an air conditioned room, and walk right out the door into the 100 degree summer heat without the finish cracking. Also modding an epi is likely to raise it's value rather than lower it. Epiphones (that you buy from a physical store like GC) always have great action from the start, and nice fast necks. I'm assuming this last part is because their real competition are brands like Ibanez. Imho, Epiphone is the best of the low priced brands. They start to lose some ground with the midrange. Ibanez makes great mid range guitars, especially on the electric side. A midrange Yamaha acoustic will blow an Epiphone Masterbuilt out of the water (though a hundred dollar epi acoustic could btfo the MB out too). Epis are not junk. Those old Gibson-Baldwin guitars were junk, not Epi.
This problem I'm seeing is that there are apparently a bunch of Epiphone elitists out there, and I'm not talking about Elitist series guitars, but people. Implying that this custom shop LP is not superior in any way is the kind of thing I'm talking about. There's no way you can possibly believe this without being incredibly naive or delusional. As an Epiphone fan, I'm generally against snobbery, yet here I find multiple Epiphone snobs.
Custom Shop= handmade by a human craftsman (adds scarcity to the price btw). Epiphone = Mass produced by machines (not even super advanced and highly accurate machines). (Not even Gibson USA is fully mass produced)
In this case, Epiphone is the choice reflects soulless consumerism. The Custom Shop is the choice that supports skilled craftsmen. If you don't like how society is, you can't fix it by buying the cheap mass produced Wal-Mart stuff. The only way you can help is by buying products that are hand made. Buy boots from the cobbler, buy milk and produce from a farmer, buy chairs and tables from an actual carpenter, buy guitars from an actual luthier. In fact boutique is even a better option than the custom shop.
@@Mephilis78 custom shop gibson guitars are not hand carved they are cut out on machines like any other guitar why they are over priced ...,
Another great comparison and demo. I like your words, very fair for each of those 2 guitars. Yes a Gibson Custom Shop is a dream while I sold my 2 Gibson series LP and SG from 2011, fed up with flaws and lack of tone. Meanwhile I kept my Epiphone Black Beauty 3 pick ups: made in Korea in 2012, ebony fretboard, C neck profile, absolutely perfect build. I changed the pick ups with SD SH2 neck, SH-PG1 middle and SH55 Custom bridge, rewired to Peter Frampton way. Probably not as good as the G custom shop, but fully pleases me . With trebble bleed added, Frampton wiring offers very clean tones when middle pick up blended with other 2 pick ups, just dialing the volume pots to your taste.
Currently got the Epiphone version and can honestly say I've got some amazing sounds/tones out of it. The difference between the two is very minuscule apart from the pickups. Buying a Gibson is literally that, buying the name half the time
Bald guy: give me your money !! 💰
Guy with hair: The Epiphone is actually a descent guitar!
Luis Nunez Lol said the same thing.
@@Rshields388 Yeah lol . Good Sales person knows how to sugar-coat words but this guy is just direct
From a fellow balding man: someone's gotta pay for the implants.
@@andreborges2881 lol good one brother
Never trust a review made by someone who makes a living out of selling you that same instrument
You're right bro. 👍🏻
Trust? They're selling BOTH guitars, you moron. They're demoing BOTH guitars so YOU can hear them; you don't even have to listen to the words coming out of their mouths. 🤣
You can just hear the one-sidedness...
@Jimmy Durex Gibson sucks Fender all the way. I can toss my Strat off a balcony and it'll stay intact.....sneeze and your Gibson's headstock will snap.
@Jimmy Durex you suit your name
I should be able to afford the Gibson when I am done paying my kids college tuition.
Less musical?? Wtf does that mean??? Why are people always making up terms to define pickups lol
Usually when people use the term musical in this sense, they are referring to how responsive the pickup is to the touch of the player. The player can achieve better volume and tonal dynamics with merely touch on a more 'musical' pickup.
Chan Soman Music because just saying it’s better doesn’t tell you what the actual difference is?
I've owned an Epi Black Beauty 3 since 2010, and I still love it. I replaced the neck pickup with a Seymour Duncan Jazz, and the middle with an Angus Young and I totally regret the AY pickup decision. If you want to swap out pickups to get more of a Gibson sound, try a Seth Lover in the middle with the Jazz on the neck, but leave the stock pickup in the bridge. That pickup totally rocks.
Just got a left handed Custom Pro and it's so damn good. Honestly, if you'd cover the headstock, you wouldn't even be able to tell if it's an Epiphone or a Gibson. Also got a Gibson Les Paul and honestly the Epiphone gives it a run for the money.
If you covered the headstock you'd still notice that the Gibson has an ebony fretboard with real MOP, and that the Eppie doesn't.🙂
i gotta learn that riff. it's beautiful
Being a 45+year guitarist, my main advise would be to talk in a more guitar oriented language. Talk sound clarity of individual strings, fret work, pickup frequency difference...
Listening to these two guitars in this example really doesn't show much difference. While the guitarist playing was excellent, he never got aggressive to show the attack of each guitar.
I own a gibson custom shop guitar and and two other gibson les Paul's and really don't hear or feel that much difference in a regular gibson les paul.
I've owned an Epiphone elitist that blew them all away.
So a more in depth comparison might give more valuable information instead of worrying about bad comments.
Lol do it yourself then. The playing was excellent.
They certainly have the right guy demoing these. Great chops...pretty sure this fellow could make any guitar sound great.
So the Gibson has a nice boost at 2500 Hz. That’s what they’re talking about when they say you’ll be able to cut through the mix. Idk if it’s coming from the PU or the ebony fretboard or probably (obviously) a mixture of both but that’s also why you’d be a front man with the Gibson rather the Epi. Also around 250 Hz you can hear a soothing boost in the Gibson as well that the Epi isn’t just a clean with.
Overall I love both the Gibson and the Epiphone! I will definitely get the Epiphone and replace the “rosewood” fretboard with an ebony wood and then replace the PU with PAF or something similar. Thx guys! Great review!
Jerry Shubert damn how much would it cost to replace the fretboard?
A blind test would have been good.
I really dig my Epiphone Frampton Black Beauty. I did lose the probuckers or whatever it came with for a pearly gates set and a 59 bridge in the middle spot. This combo works really nice in that guitar. I agree with one of the comments that the D neck profile can make life a little difficult. Especially for those with short fingers.
I have one as well. I had it tricked out into the classic BB style and its perfect for me. Didn't have to mortgage my house to play and I truly love it. Cheers man. I like that pickup set you mentioned. I do want better pickups, than the stock, eventually.
Nice demo. But I can't, for the life of me, figure out why - - if clarity and /or voicing is the distinction between the two-- one wouldn't just buy the Epi and replace the pups... (cuz that's what I did, and I'm really happy...!)
This sounds great! I don’t understand all the EPI hate in the comments. Lol I’ve been playing both Gibson’s and Epis for awhile now and honestly, can’t really tell the difference later than that Gibson’s are way more expensive.
Yes; it’s true that Gibson’s hold their value way more than Epis but I don’t feel like going bankrupt to buy a guitar just because it’s a Gibson or named brand guitar.
Also, Gibson’s quality has declined pretty badly in the last few years, but still have high prices. I bought a Gibson guitar not too long ago with this problem and ended up sending it back.
I’ve never been disappointed with epiphones though. The Epiphone Black Beauty looks like it’d be a fun guitar to mod out too. Thinking about putting a sustainiac bridge pickup and a bigsby on it as well. That’d be interesting.
The Gibson is way better sounding, but I'd be happier with the Epiphone because the neck is what I'm used to.
first off, nice playing !!!!!! I need lessons lol. I have played many Epiphones and the quality is always top-notch they all play very similarly. I have also played many TURD Gibsons that just play like crap, go out of tune and some times the quality control is just not there. Don't get me wrong Gibson is Gibson and it has an aura but for my money, Epi is the jam
Big time fun review, I once had an Epiphone BB. Interesting comparison, guys.
I run the sound from my PC with a decent sound card through my stereo receiver and vintage Klipsch speakers and the Gibson Black Beauty is much richer and warmer. I'd buy the Epiphone and change out the pickups.
The dark finger board on the Gibson makes it look better than the lighter tone of the Epiphone finger board IMO
i play my epi everyday and love it....but once quarantine is over and start gigging, I'll use the gibby for shows and epi for mostly practice and home.
Terrific playing! Exceptional. Getting the Epiphone Joe Bonamassa 1958 Black Beauty soon. A little different than this Epiphone model...but should be cool!
95% the player, 5% the guitar!
Nice playing , you could actually hear what the guitars sound like. Epiphone for me, my standard of playing I couldn't justify the expenditure for the Gibson, but I would be very happy with the Epi.
I can definitely hear that the Gibson pickups have more bite, but if your not a rockstar or rich person, I think the Epi holds a close second. I am a Epi Black Beauty owner, lol. Great guitar playing by the way.
Wow. I love them both! I do hear a little bit of difference in the lower end, the Gibson sounds Richer, but the Epiphone still stands its ground. I think I would buy the Epiphone now, and get the Gibson later.
Nailed it Bob! ✌👍
It’s all in the player, if you pick up Santana’s guitar you won’t sound like Carlos at any time. Left hand is what you’ve learned, right hand is who you are! Don’t buy the marketing hype, guaranteed EVH could make the Epiphone sound like it was delivered by the heavens! Peace
Rick CBG never thought of the left and right hand like that! Very true!
I guess this video proves, that tone is in the hands of the beholder!!
an actual Les Paul black beauty from the 50's is definitely NOT cheaper. A 59 one went for almost 60.000$, while original 57 ones are estimated at around 100.000$. What in the world makes you say it would be cheaper??
I have an Epiphone (2 pickups). Not a Black beauty......I love it!
My uncle passed and left me a 68 Mosrite Ventures and a 68 Fender Princeton Reverb amp.
The amp is the magic ! The Princeton and my Epipheone are a great marriage!
Side note: I played through one of the "new " Princeton and the sound is 180 degrees different. While really nice and fantastic amps, just not the same.
That is a great amp. It's on my wishlist.
I have owned a Princeton amp in my life. Early 70's vintage all tube. I loved that amp to death.
That guy would sound great on a Kay or a Silvertone or whatever. I love my Electra!
According to their website, the Epiphone pickups are the Alnico Classics, which are Epiphone's version of the 57 Classics. Good pickups, I have a set in my Epiphone ES 335 Pro. The difference compared to the Burstbuckers in my 2019 Original Collection 50's LP is subtle, but there. Custombuckers might be even better - but I don't have any to try. Comparing an Asian made generic LP to a Custom Shop LP is silly though. A more useful comparison would have been between a Production line LP and an Epi. Then, price is 4-5 times as much instead of 10 times as much, and the odds are that the comparison will yield closer results.
I don’t know if I’m tricking myself but I can hear a difference, it’s enough to hear but not too much. Not $6,300.00 extra of a difference hahaha
I would buy the Epiphone all day. Anyday.
@BWM my friend, please, stop lying lol.
@BWM I absolutely can hear a difference and I am willing to prove it. If you can't hear it that means you have low taste. Just as some enjoy trash literature. Some enjoy trash guitars.
@BWM You wouldn't be at this video if Gibson wasn't Gibson.
@BWM Not everyone has an ear to discern the subtleties that exist on the sonic spectrum. There are small things that music listeners love that you simply can't do with a budget guitar, my friend. It's no one's fault that you don't have ears to hear and that you're so embittered that you searched a video promoting a product by the company that shaped the sound of modern music just to trash it. That, my friend, indicates that you have some weird kind of inclination to make idols out of your budget guitars...it's weird. stop.
@BWM You don't think I've ever sent something back to Gibson? It's not about the headstock, which is why it's important to know what a good guitar is when you head to the shop. No one wants to waste money. No manufacturer is innocent. All this you're doing though is strange. I really wonder what animates people to make a religion out of their budget guitar. Bro, if you buy a low end American Fender even you'll hear and feel a difference immediately. So shut up and go learn.
Love that you can get a strat tone in the middle position. This is because in the middle position, both the bridge and middle pickup are active. Nice demo. I would never want to play anything over $1500 on a gig though.
Middle and Bridge Out of Phase
I bought mic epi bb3 few days ago. It has a fantastic sound. Talking about sound may be pretty much adjective but the epi bb3 has more mushier, warm tones which I like. Gibson usually has that bite that sometimes is too much when you're in studio production recording.
I can hear the difference and its not bad at all. Both Guitars are excellent. I just bought a used Black Beauty and I will be changing the pick ups.
How's your guitar now?what pick up did you change to
I don't feel that the Gibson is worth $6700, but I get why it is. I have Epiphone Les Pauls, and they are good enough. I have even pumped money into bone nuts, locking tuners, and tried various pickups from SD, Dimarzio, Dean Zelinsky, and another local guy. The Epiphone tone isn't as nice as the Gibson, but still don't justify the price. You really can't take an Epiphone & with electronics make it sound anything like the Gibson, we've tried. We've made the Epiphone sound tremendous though, but that solid 1 piece body on the Gibson is the killer. I like these kind of vids, what it really proves is that you shouldn't be ashamed to play Epiphone & not a Gibson, get what you like & what you can afford & what will make you want to play. I just bought another Epiphone today, the Masterbilt DR-400-MCE. Umm, $400 for a complete solid body (top, sides & back), bone saddle & nut. After having it set up, my god. I was looking at Sub $1000 Taylor, Martin, Seagull, and Breedlove (a few others). Actually, those new Gibson G-45's are really nice, but I was blown away by the DR-400-MCE quality & price tag, so I got it. That leaves me room for my custom Tele & a Gretsch now \o/
The Dr400-MCE is one of our top rated guitars. We features it in our best of videos last year and can't believe the value you get. - Chris
@@AlamoMusic It's an amazing guitar out of the box, but I'm gonna get it a pro setup done on it to take it over the edge. I'm loving it, just gotta get used to playing acoustic after learning on an electric for the past 7 weeks :)
Rich Johnson I disagree. I have a epiphone 60s tribute with American electronics and 57 classics. It sounds as good as any of the 5 Gibson’s I’ve owned including a standard and a traditional.
You have to also change out your Epiphone's wiring to high qualty wire, CTS or Bourne pots & a Gibson (Switchcraft switch).
The stock Epiphone wiring has higher capacitance which kills high end & that's the main reason you can't match the Gibson's tone.
I have Lucille's little sister, sounds fantastic in my bedroom through a low end fender amp. Epiphone guitars are fantastic at the price point. (I purchased my Epiphone "Les Paul" Black Beauty for 300$ from a craigslist sale in 2007)
That Gibson custom shop sounds wonderful, 5 to one to the Epi. Not 10x imho.
Great video guys, very objective, and the playing wow, wow, wow .. inspiring and much enjoyed.
Subscribed!
Great video! Its for musicians with gifted ear to really know the difference between epi and les.
They both sound amazing, the only difference I really hear is that the Gibson pickups are hotter and more full bodied. It’s all about which you prefer. I preferred the Gibson’s clean but the Epiphone dirty.
I wonder how different they would sound if you took both guitars apart and swapped over everything between the 2 bodies...??? Not sure I would try that with a $7k custom, but might be fun to try with a Gibson LP Standard and Epi LP Standard. I have an all stock Epiphone 1960 Tribute Plus that came with Gibson 57 classics and it sounds awesome!
My first guitar teacher told me something I'll never forget... "if you want your guitar to sound better... practice more"...
IndyGlockMan
Why?
How about doing a 2020 Bonamassa Epiphone black beauty vs the gibson black beauty?
The Gibson pickups are hotter. Wonder how the Epi would do with a clean boost pedal on?
I don't need to fully understand the nuances of an Epiphone or a Gibson. If it sounds good that's all that really matters. I'd rather put the money into my home studio.
I have a 2007 Epi LP standard I bought for $300. I put Seymour Duncans in it for $200 and it sounds great. The newer Epi pickups are better than my old ones for sure. That said, the Gibson here did sound better, but not even close to being worth the price difference. My next guitar will probably be an Epi ES 339 Pro, which is a great guitar for the money.
Or Go to Eastman and have them make you a Custom Black Beauty .and pay half the price and get
A better Guitar
Really? Never knew Eastman made their own black beauty variant! I’ll have to look into that. Thanks!
Robert Shields they do. It’s called SB-57.
I have the , Epiphone, version. The Sound is very very fat and big. So I not understand. But Epiphone version is very very good.
Take Your Eppi. And change over bridge to custom gibson set Ivory nut on top do custom wiring change out middle puckup
To custom 490. And add I meg pods . And go custom switches .
Clean up your fret wire let action low with no Buzz .. then you will understand .. plenty
There Gizmo
i have the Epiphone and honestly I just love the thing. Cant stop picking it up and using it over my other guitars... the look, the feel, the tones *chef's kiss*
Yes to everything these guys have said….except for one, and really it isn’t what they are saying, rather, inferring.
The Gibson is worth more than the Epi, no question, just not ten times more.
Things are ultimately worth what people are willing to pay for them so it is by nature, subjective……but using common sense and experience, TEN TIMES THE PRICE?! C’mon!
Sure, I’ll never buy the Gibson simply because its value isn’t so exponentially greater than the Epiphone’s to justify the exponential difference in price. Some people find that value and that’s awesome.
my experience with 3 cases : epis tend to be boomy and muddy towards the lower strings and funnily doesn't improve by replacing pickups - which goes with the reviewers' comment that epi won't cut through the sound mix. feels like the wood bounces off your attacks whereas gibson will absorb and resonate with your input nuances. however this has more to do with player's feel and when recording the tonal differences become less discerning which makes it practically not worth 10x price difference. interestingly this is not the case with similarly priced ESP LTDs or PRS SEs which shows that this maybe the intended tonal difference between Epi Gibson?
I don’t deserve the Gibson..been playin since 64,and I realize I just don’t have natural talent..The more I learn,the more I need to learn..the Gibson won’t make it easier,I know-I have gibsons
Just think, you could own 10 Epiphones to the one Gibson!
Thank you for the excellent demo I have always been interested in the Epi I have a Gibson LP standard. Can’t afford a real black beauty. This is close enough. Love the mojo of the custom shop. Again thank you for the clean playing the distortion fill solo stuff is not useful in decision making
These comparisons are nice, but the real comparison is live with the guitar in your hands. I don’t buy a guitar because of price, I select the sound I want, and choose the guitar that gives me that sound, feels good to play, and inspires me. Some guitars I simply get no connection from them, while other guitars inspire my creativity right away.
Ive played both the Epi and Gibson versions in person a few times and honestly, the Epi is great, especially at the price, but in person you can hear the Gibson difference. There's a bite you dont get from the Epi. The Gibson wants to rock and roll.
I would have liked to hear what the Epi sounded like with the Gibson pickups on it. I got an Epi LP tribute with Gibson 57 Classic pickups and it ain't bad.
I just bought a cort, strat style with Floyd rose locking tremelo for 300 euros brand new. It looks, sounds, and plays as good as any of the $1000 plus guitars I bought 20 years ago. Don't pay for names, pay for quality....
Mr Freedom And Prosperity I have a Cort Precision/jazz bass copy that my band mates and I bought over ten years ago... still kicks and still sounds just as good as the real thing.
I bought a epiphone 1275 double neck. I put the same pickups gibson puts in there 1275. The guitar plays and sounds awesome at a fraction of the cost. The epiphone pickups were real microphonic. Like to own the gibson but they were alot of money for a guitar l wasnt going to use on stage all night. A lot of other differences too, in my case it worked out well and i saved some money.
I'd expect that experts like you know that wood of the body and fingerboard has absolutely no effect on the sound of electric guitar..... and yes the Gibson pickups seem to have clearer definition, but with market saturated with aftermarket pickups I bet you can make the Epiphone sound same if not better, for a fraction of the Gibbo price
Nice! How does the pickup selector switch work? 1 position for the neck, 2 position for the middle, and 3 position for the middle and bridge together? Or is each selection of the switch for just one pickup only?
You guys shouldve made a blind comparison to see how honest our ears are in judging the sound
Maybe we can try that next time!
If you buy the EPI, make sure to add extended repair coverage.
I used my EPI Modern
4x at home and it needed a pickup selector switch and there was a problem with the cable input jack.
I have a black epiphone custom elitist. I think it's all gibson parts. Only assembled in japan... I love my guitar!
As you should! Epiphone makes some great sounding guitars and is a company with the longest history dating back to the 1800s. The first Les Paul was actually created in an Epiphone factory 🏭🤟
I always change the most useable pick up or both
If I was in the industry and playing music was my profession, 7K for a quality tool is quite reasonable and I would get the Gibson. To my ear, from the recording provided, compressed over youtube, and through bluetooth to my AirPods, the Gibson sounded warmer and crisper. I’m not in the industry and don’t make a living playing music so I’m glad they have the Epiphone option for me. It sounds great.
I actually own both. I have a Epi BB that I have modded with Seymour Duncan Seth Lover pickups, hand wired, Bumblebee caps, etc. Since then I also have a Gibson Custom Shop '57 RI. You can make the Epi sound better with upgraded electronics, but it will never feel or play like a Custom Shop Historic. But, for around $700 the Epi is a really good guitar.
Whats the epiphone missing after the $700 electronics that still cant get that gibson sound ?
@@EM-km8em Like I said, you can get the sound, but not the feel. Your listeners won't know the difference but the player will. That's the difference.
@@johnh6532 oh gotcha! What electronics and bridge pick up would you recommend me for heavy metal/ punk ?
@@EM-km8em I play blues and rock so I can't answer that for you. Sorry.
The epiphone is a workhorse and get value for money, put it this way I would never take a 7000 guitar out to pub and club gigs lol
The only issue I ever had with my epiphone les paul was the neck. I can't speak for this model specifically, but my standard had a very wide, "D" shaped neck and I found it harder to play than any of my fender guitars, despite having a shorter scale length. I ended up selling it because I just found it hard to play regular barre chords and "Ramones chords"
I think a better question would be why cant gibson put a abr1 bridge and abr mounted meaning the two small holes with the screws mounted directly in to the wood, long neck tenon and nylon nut on there $2500. To $ 3500 dollar guitars. My experience is these three ingredients make a guitar sound clearer and fuller.
Great video, guys ! I will never buy a more than 5000 $ guitar in my life, never, but I wished to try those 3 PU combination, so I bought for 3700 dollars + 300 dollars shipping a gibson historic reissue 57 with 3 PAF57 pickups (a cheap one, you agree ? ) a week ago without trying it before, assuming I would sell it back quickly in Europe right after trying it, since you don't find those babies easily there .... but I was not disappointed at all...now I wanna keep it, and gotta sell 2 epiphones, my first gibson LP , a standard from 2005, my (also gorgeous) alpin white gibson LP custom from 1998 and maybe even my CS slash piezo or my ernie ball JPXII... Gibson LP custom black beauties 3PU have tones like hell, if you 're a gibson fan, you fall in love with. I just put the middle PU at a lower level, so my pick goes not on the way. She has litterally bewitched me.
9:39 Good lick and sound played here! I like how you slided here.
I have the Bonnamossa one and it has the ebony fingerboard and Probuckers 2 and 3. The two front pickups are wired out of phase for that Pete Green type of sound. It’s a great guitar.
I just bought the same guitar. Waiting to get it. I've wanted a black beauty ever since Frampton comes alive came out.
It's crazy money for the Black Beauty but really $700 will get you a really nice S/H LP Studio that would knock spots off the Epiphone or save up some more and get a S/H Classic, Standard or Traditional. There are great guitars out there and they can even increase in value after a few years. Buy a new Epi and sell it for half what you paid!
At the other side, I got a original Gibson Les Paul Black Beauty 1972 who sounds how it should! Wow!
Is the Epi you used in this test the Joe Bonamassa Black Beauty model?
The nice thing with econo anything is you can mod to make better and dont have to worry about accidentally messing it up vs the gibson would be stressed about changing anything.
Damn, when in the hell did you guys start a channel?! Nice! Live far and also so so close! Crazy! Keep up the good work!
I will never understand how people justify paying more than 500 bucks tops for a guitar. The reasons always seem to be so nitpicky and elitist to me ... like, if 99% of your audience can't tell the difference if its a Gibson or an Epiphone, does it really matter?
As long as I have a few proper pedals and a good sound guy almost any guitar that isn't total garbage will do, in my experience. I bought a Fender strat 7 years ago for 200 bucks, used. Never had a problem with "cutting through a mix" ...
also (off topic, I know), just in general: Fender ftw ... It doesn't murder my back, nor my wallet and just does what I want it to do. Serves me fine :)
poor people are funny
You get what you pay for. Plus, it’s yours forever.
The right guitar in your hands is the right guitar. Doesn't matter what the price is. You sound pretty insecure about this. Why do you care if someone buys a $7000 guitar? That's just as snobby as someone who looks down on others for playing cheap gear. You are also being nitpicky and elitist.
so happy I bought mine 16 years ago. I wouldn't want to afford one with the prices now. It's pretty close to double what I paid for it.
It was a good investment!
@@AlamoMusic yes it was! I saved up for a year in order to be able to afford one during my summer job when I was 16. It is my most cherished possession, it has scratches and bumps and a pot cap is missing, but I love it to death and I wouldn't wanna give it away for anything in the world! So even if I could sell it now for more than I bought it for, I would never part from it!
Good for you! That's the bond a guitarist and their guitar should have!