I've got an Epiphone Les Paul Jr. that I found in a flea market for $30 and this baby rocks ! Only mod I did was tuners . The poor need affordable instruments too .
But they're not winning the race, they're a budget guitar company. So they're cheap, they're made out of cheap materials. So were Danelectros back in the day. They were the cheapest guitar you could buy back in the 60's. They did everything they could to lower the price, they built them out of very cheap materials. Whatever wood they had lying around and they bought thousands of lipstick containers and designed a pickup to go in them. They're made out of masonite. But nothing quite sounds like a Danelectro. They ended up making something special. I can tell, you're on of those quality guys. Everything you have, you prefere the expensive one don't you. I bet you won't drink coffee with robusta beans. Nothing wrong with that. Quality is good. It's just that sometimes us poor type guys want to find the unexpected magic in the cheap or homemade. Hell, I reach for my fretless cigar box guitar made out of cull wood just about as often as I reach for an electric. And I'm not saying these are great guitars. I'm sure they are pretty rough. I'm also sure that someone can make some amazing music with it.
Hey I LOVE Robusto coffee! It's the heart & soul of Vietnamese coffee! As to Epiphone, they are not (or were) a budget line. They were 1 of the TOP American builders! Innovators too! I mean the Beatles LOVED their Casinos!
Paul TheSkeptic - I've been a guitarist since 1978 and guitar/gear snobs irritate me. Throughout my career, I had Fenders, Gibsons, etc. And THE best guitars I've owned were copies of those or the cheaper model lines of those companies. I love Squiers and I love the Ibanez GIO series of guitars. I have owned many Les Paul copies. Right now, I play a Monoprice 'Route 66' Les Paul style guitar. I threw some DiMarzio humbuckers in it and I'm working on replacing the 3 way switch (which met with an unfortunate accident... ;-) ). I've owned Cort Les Pauls, Hohner Strats, and many more off-brands. I've monkeyed with and adjusted all of them. I don't have to spend $1,000 for a name and I couldn't afford it anyway. So, I go with the cheap stuff. It surprised me to find out a LOT of recording artists who are famous play the cheaper guitars and mod them just like I do. Guns N Roses famous album 'Appetite For Destruction' only had an actual Gibson guitar on one song (My Michelle) and that was an SG. The rest of the album, Slash played a Les Paul Copy! Not a lot of people realize that!
@@Axess-sv8nq I'll be honest, I did have a really bad experience with a Squire I owned. The tuners were made out of plastic. One by one they broke. I bought new metal ones but then I discovered the holes they drilled for the plastic tuners were too small. I could've drilled bigger ones but by then, the whole guitar was looking pretty rough anyway. I think I used the pickups for some Frankenstein project. But on the other hand, I found a DeArmond Les Paul Junior shaped guitar at a thrift shop for $20, years ago, and I still play it today. It's right here. Even the Squire sounded good during its time though. But, I guess it's one of those box of chocolates situations. You never know what you're going to get. Lol.
I bought a $129 Epiphone to take with me for weekly business travel because I was afraid one of my other guitars would get damaged in the hustle of going through airports and airplanes. The “Cheapiphone” is one of my favorite guitars. One of the tuners was mounted crooked and it looks like a toy but it stands up to the rigors of travel and sounds and plays great as I received it. I understand you guys are in sales and want people blowing their money on high end stuff. It comes down to buyer beware, play a bunch of them till one works for you and you could find a gem. ...for $129
I got one of these on a whim because I think they will become collector's items. It's actually a damn good buy for the money. The frets were not poorly put in and it sounds really good with the single coils. The bridge, the pick-ups are well done on mine. The neck is a bolt on instead of those god awful set necks. The only set up mine needed was some truss rod adjustment and that's it. Like most Gibsons tuning issues remain, but for the price you can't really complain. After all a $3000 Les Paul will do the same for a lot more money.
In 45 years of playing guitar I've never ever ever cared about fret ends and any that stuck out the entire neck can be fixed by hand in under a minute ... all this talk about fret ends .. who cares. Never had a pickup go bad ... replace them because you want to try something else but they don't just go bad.
@Daniel leCamp I've tried that too, but some necks have finish there that I didn't want to sand away. Probably wouldn't make any difference given how cheap the guitar was. :)
I bought a sunshine yellow SL expecting, basically a melody maker-esc body/neck template for my own luthier work. Instead I got something that was great out of the box minus the strings (duh). Out of all the part he listed only the bridge may need to be replaced and that's a few years down the road and by then you either drop in a new one because you've fallen in love with it or move on because it was cheap.
Epiphone Special are great guitars. I did about 7 gigs in San Fran with one recently and it was as good as anything else I've played. As long as these have decent tuners the rest it up the to player. 😎👍
100% agree. I have two AND an R9. I also dig the fact its a bolt on neck so I can actually (easily) do fret work and adjust the action. Set neck guitars are totally overrated.
I am not saying anyone is a bad player, I am saying that the Epiphone Special II was one of the best LP guitars I have played and I had zero expectations about how it would sound. I dialled in my regular tone no problems and it really played great too. :-)
They talk about this like it is a new move. Epiphone has been doing this for years! My first guitar was an Epi from a starter kit purchased at Service Merchandise for $79 over 20 years ago. Epiphone has been trying to put entry level guitars in players hands for a very long time.
Same here! My first guitar was a hand me down from a bud (dates back to the early 90’s). I must say, AMAZING guitar even though it came as a “starter” kit
After waiting 2 months for my $99 SL to come in, I can say I love mine! I own guitars that cost from $300 to $6000, and to me it’s not about what the guitar costs, what it’s made out of, or what brand it is...It’s about do I love its tone, can I play it well enough to make music I like with it, and can I have fun with it! To ME, the SL looks way cool, is fun to play, and believe it or not, the neck pickup is to DIE for! It sounds great and I will definitely be recording with it! Yep, the frets are sharp but easily fixed if necessary, and yes, I might get new tuners, but for someone just starting out, this is a viable option that can be a lot of fun. So many haters....If ya don’t like it don’t buy it! Simple. No regrets here about my purchase.
I've got one of these. The fretwork is pretty good actually. $20 on Wilkinson tuners, $12 on Faber steel inserts, $45 on Faber wrap lock studs (which I buy for ALL wraparounds, irrespective of price) and $2 on better knobs. The pickups sound good. The pots feel awesome. So yeah, $69 worth of parts, plus I loosened the neck bolts a few turns while it was strung to pull the neck into the pocket tighter. I also oiled and polished the fretboard/frets, but that was free. Had to restring anyway when changing the inserts/studs. By the way, intonates perfectly with pretty low action. Also, a nice light guitar for someone with back problems! It's now one of my favorite guitars. And I've got several PRS, Music Man, G&L, and more expensive epis (JB Firebird I, Nighthawk, etc). I think this video is kind of BS.
Phil hit the nail on the head: If you think of this as a guitar kit for a DYI fixup project, it's a hell of a good deal. A decent kit with all of these parts will be well over $100.
Single cut on Thomann cost 114$. And with the kit you can start with the color you want. For example I can't stand opaque paint. For me it's a Chinese way of hiding the fact that body is made from 6 different parts glued together or plywood. Not to mention that on guitar fetish you could make your own guitar kit choosing necks and body.
Got one of these guitars recently. After polishing the frets and replacing the machine heads it's now a great wee player and the pick up sound is very gibson jr p90 sounding. Love it.
You guys definitely brought up a lot of good points about the $99 Epiphone. Pros: Budget friendly impulse buy to help fill out a guitar collection, learn how to mod, have something cheap to smash. Cons: Cheap guitar=cheap parts=very low quality, stores makes pocket change for profit unless they're flying off the shelves (which I doubt they are), and they take up the same amount of space as a more profitable guitar would.
More like 100% They buy them for $50. Sell them for $100 that's a doubling of the cost. Most items in that price range wholesale for 50% of retail price. The lower the price the bigger the margin until you get down to pennies. High end items may only get 75 - 50% or less.
For a cheap beater practice guitar they are ok. My Ibanez GIO is great for taking to the beach and no stress over it getting stolen or wrecked. Would not wanna take a 2k guitar there or to seedy area late at night.
Kevin McVann TRUE!!! I just bought a 2016 Gibson les Paul custom and had major fret buzz dead spots on the fretboard and sharp ass fret ends! He’s right if you don’t know how to fix these up your gonna end up even more out of money... and it was a freaking Gibson! From guitar center because I do not trust online wayyy to many fakes
#1 give away it's a fake, Gibson binds over the fret ends on all Custom models. There would be no exposed ends to be sharp if it was real. Best case it's a bad re-fret job by someone else but more likely a fake.
Mine too, I am a learner still, but I love the tones, I am getting, it stays in tune for long, Frets never caused me any injuries, so I suppose they are not 'sharp like razor blades' and it looks great.
I’ve been playing for almost two decades now, these are actually great when you look at it as you’re getting something with some potential. You get cheap guitars to mod and improve these days and I think a lot of the older cats don’t look it that way. I love mine personally.
Guys, did you ever consider perhaps that Epiphone is trying to attract younger students whose parents don't want to invest a ton of money into something that may, or may not, create a future musician? Looking at the volume of used gear available today, coupled with Fender buying up other guitar manufacturers, and Gibson's struggle in bankruptcy communicates perhaps musicianship is on the decline. Maybe Epiphone wants to revive a market to a new generation? Like the Squire once done. These should not attract seasoned players like yourselves. But, there is nothing wrong with Epiphone attempting to attract a future loyal customer that may upgrade from the $100 entry guitar into something more a year or two down the road.
You might want to check out some of the "reviews" of that $99 Epi. Especially John Bohlinger's for Premier Guitar..... So you walk in and pick up the guitar, and complain about the "fret sprout" ( sharp fret ends ). What you fail to mention is you could have picked up any "high-end" guitar in the shop and the same could be true of it... "Fret sprout" happens...! It, by and of itself, is not a fair way to judge.... Love both your channels, and watch them religiously.
Just bought a yellow one of these this Saturday.I was expecting to do work and enjoy the experience of doing some work but to my surprised there was no problems with the tuners,frets or fret board .All i did was change strings and set up.The pickups are my only complaint they sound thin and not a full sound.I am very happy with the guitar and enjoy playing it.
I bought one and while I wouldn't recommend for a beginner, after some upgrades I'm very happy with it. The GOOD: I love the color (Turquoise) and the finish was just fine on mine. Mine didn't have any sharp fret ends, the frets were level, and the neck feels great to me. I love the light weight of the poplar body. The pickups were okay. The BAD: The tuners were completely worthless and the strings were awful. The bridge isn't great, but it's adequate for now. CHANGES: I replaced the tuners with some economy sealed tuners that actually work. I also had SD Hot Rails bridge and neck pickups laying around, so I installed those. Also polished the frets, put on some decent strings, and installed some strap locks. The guitar now works, sounds, looks, and feels great! Way better than what I could have done with a kit. I don't really care if the SL is a good or bad deal for Gibson/Epiphone. It was a great deal for me.
I have a cheap LP Special II (2014) and the problem of the bridge sinking in the wood is real. It throws the intonation off, and you can't adjust it since it uses a pre-intonated wraparound bridge.
$100 - 150 guitars were made for beginners. I've had my own. Sure, they had some issues here and there, but they played fine, and the pickups are just fine for BEGINNERS. That's what they're for! With the exception of the particular guitar in this video, most beginner guitars get the job done. You're NOT going to refret, rewire, and all that bullshit. When you're done learning most of what you'll learn at first, you will upgrade, not replace (unless one wants to learn how to repair guitars as well as play them).
this is the first reviewer I 've seen that was TOTALLY negative about this guitar..everyone else says it's "okay" at worst, and a great cheap find if you try a bunch out and find a good one (where the tuners hold without slipping), or do a couple of quick mods (truss rod, string swap) and you;ve got yourself a player...plus he didnt even plug it in...oh well
I grabbed an Epiphone Les Paul Special P90 in TV Yellow at Guitar Center last Black Friday for $80 and its a pretty nice guitar. The stock P90s sound really good. It took a little fret work, but that's about it.
I would have no expectations for the guitar to be good, which is why I was shocked by the stuff that Monoprice has been selling. its actually Ok guitar gear.
I bought a Cozart strat for $110. and it is a great guitar for the money, I like it better than my regular Fender MIM standard Strat and would buy another anytime. I originally bought the Cozart to add a 65 vintage pick up pick guard to it. I haven't made the switch yet but I hope to soon. In the mean time it sounds and plays great!
Stuart K Reilly Absolutely, solid tuners, good pickups, and those necks are insane for that price, those frets are polished and everything, and the neck is in really tight, it's really solid.
Probably, but it costs 50% more. :) I'm happy with my SL (after modding), but I plan to get the Squier Bullet Mustang too. I'm waiting to see if they come out with some new colors for Christmas sales.
If you are buying a cheap guitar you MUST see it in person and play it. The biggest problem with them is they are so inconsistent. I had a Squier bullet about 8 years ago and got rid of it quick, it came in a box and I did not see it first. It was horrible and unfixable. Since then I have seen some decent cheap Squiers but they vary a lot.
What he pointed out about the bridge popping out of the body is happening to my Epiphone Sheraton - How can I fix it and what happens if it stays like that?
Anyone own or played an Epiphone Les Paul Special I? It's basically a Les Paul Junior w 2 P90s & a satin finish. I saw one on sale at GC & am curious about a P90-equipped guitar. I'm def a humbucker fan & actually kinda hate the LP shape, but it could be cool to have P90s when I want it. Anyone have any comments/suggestions/reviews on this guitar?
Perhaps the biggest improvement that can be made to Epiphones in this price range (>$250) is a better nut. They're usually poorly cut and cause tuning issues. Don't replace the tuners without also dealing with the nut. With a decently cut nut, even these super cheap tuners will do OK with "loop and lock" stringing since there's no trem involved.
I bought the yellow one for $97.00 with a 10% coupon. Phil is right, it was a impulse buy. Tuners suck, bridge is cheap and was hard to work with and setup was bad. But the neck was nice and pickups as well. I set it up with 11's and this thing sounds pretty good for the price. By the way, I also bought a new USA Gibson Les Paul Tribute 2018 for $1,200.00 and it had all kinds of problems including a big hump in the neck! The only guitars I don't have problems with are Fenders or Squier Classic Vibes...
I don't know. I'm thinking $99 now, $10 - $15 at a garage sale next week. I just don't think that guitar is a wise purchase. I know for fact I can find a used Squire at a Music Go Round for roughly the same price and have a much better starting point for a project guitar.
I found a Washbern that played and felt great but it had no price tag , I brought it to the counter and found out it was 99 bucks , I t's my second go to guitar under my 80s SG , if it feels good, plays good, requires little maintenance and looks good from 5 feet away buy it .
If this guitar feels like the Melody Maker, as I've heard, it'll be fine. My Melody Maker is one of my favorite guitars. I pick it up more than my Tele just because it feels great. It doesn't hold a candle to the Twisted Tele pickups for tone, but it feels great.
I would add that after you get comfortable doing your own setups, you become better at spotting flaws. I don’t need anyone telling me what is good or bad anymore. I love my Epiphone because it can be replaced for another$129. Didn’t buy it to upgrade anything either. ...and last night I played my much more expensive Les Paul and the difference is huge. ...so not saying it is as good as a high end guitar, but pretty damn good for about $100.
If someone isn't sure they want to play guitar, the 99 guitar is a good starter to see if you're going to be that devoted. It also will give you knowledge when you want to upgrade.
I read an article in Reverb that says the cost to make and ship to the USA for an overseas guitar is 1/4 of the retail. If that is the case this one is $24.50. Does it mean that GIbson's business is really on a down trend? Back in the day this kind of product was sold in Sears and certainly not by a major Manufacturer because you got what you paid for and hey, that's certainly still the case. The recent $499. Gibson models' parts were made in China and shipped over here. In a few web music companies price list for these have dropped to $399. There are a lot of complaints about detail in the finish product here in YT. Gibson is selling some of their warehouses in Nashville. Makes you wonder if all sales are going down.
I have two 100 dollar guitars out of 1000s ive tried that play well. In fact they play so well, I like them better than my 500 dollar guitars. Then I spent money on pickups and pots. So yeah you get what you pay for but, also price isn't always a determining factor.
I got an Epi "Junior" at the pawn shop in very low mileage shape for 60$. I prefer to repair-fix-sell budget instruments, rather than encourage more trees to turn into cheap-o guitars.
The Squire Bullet Mustang is the best Guitar under 150.- Dollar.I have them and I'm happy. For the price .. in Germany 129.- EURO, there is no other guitar that is better. Have some guitars tested and the Mustang has convinced me as the only one.
When i started to play guitar and wanted my first electric, i had no money. That was in the seventies, but sure there still are starting players who have not the money even to pay for a 200 dollar guitar for example.. so it's great to start of with before it falls apart and you know if you will continue playing and so buy a bit better one.. I even think this 99 dollar epiphone is a better quality than my (in 1978) 250 dollar Kinor les paul.. so.. why not?
It's better to get a cheap used guitar with the odd scratch/dent of better quality than a cheap new guitar BUT we should not generalize as there are decent to good quality new guitars sub $200 like Yamaha Pacifica and Squire Affinity Stratocaster
Jared does his thing and I like it, is he serious? only his talent is I guess. No matter how big of a goof ball he plays or "click baity" he is, he is a multi instrumentalist(yes I count Drums as an instrument) has millions of followers and Companies are willing to give him thousands of dollars of equipment to destroy knowing that there will be a backlash from a segment of the community! If I could play half as well as he does I would be very happy.
My problem with a guitar that cheap is when a student shows up with one and i say well your going to be looking at about $70(AUD) to bring it up to scratch the parents flip and say but the guitar cost me $99.....No wonder it cost $99
Haha yup! But it comes DOWN to ignorance. I mean even 'good' guitars need SOME custom set up and adjustment done to it to make it really playable! That's WHY so MANY beginners give up: Their instrument is unplayable. Luckily in our shop, we often include a basic set up when we sell a guitar, and a full set up and fret dress and new strings on our house branded instruments as a part of the price. You get a really well made acoustic/electric that is 100% playable! For a few $ more!
But the student gets the opportunity to learn how to set up and improve an instrument without fucking up a more expensive guitar. If it goes wrong, it only cost $99 right. When I grew up in the sixties, we all took our guitars to bits to see how they worked. None of us had any real idea of what we were doing. It's how you learn what to do, and what not to do. Simples, and when we weren't doing that, we were playing with our Meccano.... Lol
Watchman4u...I totally agree with you but back then a good used guitar was easy to find that was a brand name like Fender or Gibson even Gibson still made some cheaper priced new USA Epiphone's when I was younger. But there weren't any dealers around selling them at the time. Still I'd buy this Epiphone SL Les Paul in a heartbeat and make it play so that I would be happy that I owned it. Still I say the dealers can sell these NEW Epiphone SL guitars for a much cheaper price than $99 bucks just like Guitar Center has done with the Epi LP Special guitars with either 2 Humbuckers or 2 P-90 pickups in them. Gibson/Epiphone has put that as a MAP selling price to the dealers so they can still make a hell of a profit for what it only costs them to make those guitars these days in their Chinese Factory.
@ Jack Sparrow I picked up one of those and was surprised that they sold in a toy store! Frets were a rollercoaster, but I leveled them, amazing axe. Even has the full size Strat body while NONE of the Squiers do or ever did, even Classic Vibes. this guitar is now a keeper.
The Epi Les Paul SL's totally are like the older Gibson single cut Melody Maker with 2 single coil pickups right along with the shape of the pickguards on these new Epi guitars. I say buy one in every color that you can afford. I believe they're great little guitars but I know that they're not everyone's cup of tea these days. But...see that's OK too. : -)
I love cheap guitars like these, because I like a good project, but I see the point about first time buyers. I was going to get one of these, but last minute decided to spend the extra $50 on a Squier Bullet Mustang. Definitely worth the extra $50!
The Special is the 'real' $99 guitar imho. You can get one used in mint condition for less than $75. The frets are generally finished. The hardware is good enough quality to not need instantly replacing and the pickups sound great through a plexi (go watch Segeborn drill one).
It is true, you get what you pay for with cheap guitars. But there are some decent ones that with a little work are awesome. I am partial to B.C. Rich for that reason, they are cheap and with a little work become well worth the price.
I fixed the pulling-forward bridge problem on a B.C. Rich Mockingbird by (mis)drilling holes and making it a string-through body guitar. The wood on some of the Bronze-series guitars is too light to hold those wraparound bridges. :/
What I don't get with this new Epiphone Les Paul is why so cheap? They already have the Junior and Spacial II, which fits in their need for entry level guitars. This just seems like the want to compete with the likes of Amazon for having cheap electric guitars. I only see this guitar as being useful for learning how to fix guitars or customizing them with better parts sitting around!
I Shred Prestige as a guitar teacher, tech, and musician of 17 years, i recommend starting at $250 because the quality is better than a guitar at $150 Of course there some guitars that cost $150 that are really nice. I own quite a few expensive guitars, and a couple of $2000 guitars for my cheap ones. Not much of a difference in them, especially once you get over $2000
It's interesting to me because I had a friend some 20 years back buy one of these ultra cheep/low quality Epiphone guitars. It was such a horrible guitar that for about a decade I avoided Epiphone guitars because I thought they were all of that quality. So yeah I agree. This totally devalues the brand.
Rough spot. But they wouldn't care if it was a 65 strat with paint chips all over the place, pot holed maple fret board same thing with a gibson or martin
They'd be worth the money if I could actually buy one! I'm in Australia and can't even find anywhere to get them online :/ Have they actually come out yet or are they just being reviewed at this point?
Also, yeah they're cheap but they're the closest thing to a vintage looking pre-standard guitar (that isn't a teisco, old ibanez or something hard to find and over-expensive). I've bought so many guitars because they just feel nice and for once I want to make a petty sale based on looks, even if I'm technically losing out.
The Ibanez GIO guitars aren't the worst when it comes to the price to quality ratio. I've got an Ibanez even though it's out of service now, it's still my favorite. Even though it's got the cheap Ibanez made Dimarzio style pickups, the Ibanez Infinity single coil for the middle position is my favorite pickup
I had one of those little Epis, bought it for 20 bucks at a car boot sale, great little guitat, gave it to a mate that I owed a hundred bucks though :( Had to tidy it up like
when I was starting off $150 guitar which was a lot of money back then was a piece of crap the strings we're at least and half an inch off the deck there is a market for these and these are great times to start off learning to play the guitar,
There are brands that sell guitars for 2000$ or more and even then we find small details that have great importance in the sound we get from the guitar. A les paul at 99$ with single coil that has a great sound, even with stock pickups. Even if we find a fault, I'll buy it anyway! The consumer looks for quality with affordable price and that's what Epiphone gives with this guitar! An expensive guitar does not mean it's quality !!! My advice: Go to the store, play the guitars and if that's what you are looking for, just buy it !!! Regards everyone
Why make a $99 guitar ? Because someone in their marketing department said there was a demand. I see nothing wrong with it and the quality it is to be expected. But if you pay double that amount, you get much better guitars, which will last longer.
When you're a kid and just learning to play guitar, sometimes all you have is $100 - 150 to spend on a guitar. The video title is misleading. It should have said "Are $99 Epiphone guitars worth it?" There are plenty of decent guitars around at that starting price.
I agree with Philip. Epiphone shouldn't make a guitar with really crappy parts. It isn't good for beginners either with poor Tuners and poor fret work. It devalues their brand. Epiphone and Squire make some very good guitars. I own an Epiphone Les Paul and Squire Classic vibe telecaster.
I totally agree that $99 Epiphone guitars are definitely worth buying. I own a P90 Les Paul Special. I love it. I own a 1996 PRS Custom 24, Fenders and Les Paul Gibsons, I even build guitars. The Epiphone has a great finish and the fret ends are as smooth as Gibson. Although I am not a fan of the Epiphone SL I do think the P90 guitars are wonderful. The pickups sound hot and articulate. I am presently using one for recording. There is no need to replace pickups. I like these guys' reviews and I commend them on their info, but sometimes they are a little full of shit. Have fun. ; )
I have the answer for Gibson that they need. I would buy a LP IF they would make a classic 2 post tremolo to suit those of us who enjoy them. That's the ONLY reason I don't own a Gibson. And I know there are "retro-fit" type options but why not do it right from the start? End of story.
HEY TONE DING, WHY WOULD YOU BUY A HUNDRED DOLLAR GUITAR IN THE FIRST PLACE AND REPLACE THE THINGS YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT? WHY NOT BUY A GUITAR THAT MEETS YOUR EXPECTATIONS AND SPEND 4 GRAND, AND CALL IT A DAY, THIS IS A PERFECT GUITAR TO BUY YOUR KID WHO WANTS TO PLAY GUITAR, IF THEY DECIDE GUITAR IS NOT THIER THING, YOU SAVED A LOT OF MONEY, I DO NOT LIKE THE FEEL OF NITRO CELLULOSE FINISH ON MY $5000 DOLLAR GIBSON 25/50 ANNIVERSAY MODEL, COUSIN FIGEL
At this stage in my life, it's a lot harder for me to get excited about owning guitars in the lower end of the price spectrum. It doesn't mean I wouldn't ever buy one of these, but I'm fortunate to have a modest collection of pretty good stuff already, so there's not much reason to shell out beyond novelty or the outside chance that my mind is completely and utterly destroyed by the sheer awesomeness that I never saw coming. Honestly, I'd rather spend the money re-stocking strings or getting some extra patch cables! That said, I'm for anything that gets a usable guitar in someones hands. $99 is a very accessible price for a lot of people for something like this. The more experienced among us may see something relatively disposable or requiring a work to get closer to the same level we're used to with our more expensive instruments, but there's probably more than a couple people, kids in particular, who just see an electric guitar and that's enough to get them excited.* *At the same time, I'm a big proponent of beginners buying a mid-tier instrument they can grow into and foregoing the stuff mainly intended for beginners/inexperienced players.
I would imagine that the extreme lack of quality would be due to extremely tight restrictions on the amount of labor time that is allocated to each guitar to keep it this affordable.
Feedback: If some kid is banging on the drums, wait until he's done or ask him to pause while you make your segment. Also don't then replace the drum-kid with annoying elevator music that's too loud and impairs my ability to hear what you are saying. Other than that, good stuff!
They're business model seems to be to scoop out all the mids. Make a load of cheap, economically questionable guitars at one end of the market, and a bunch of uber high end custom shop stuff that few people can really afford at the other, whilst neglecting to really satisfy the middle ground in terms of what people say they want from a regular lineup. Somewhere in the middle, you have these "high performance" models with features that most people wouldn't miss if they had never been offered in the first place. On top of that they bought up a load of consumer electronics companies (i.e. Onkyo) hoping to branch out into lifestyle choices but nothing appears to have come from any of it It's all so scattershot, it's no wonder they're practically bankrupt. There appears to be no coherent plan at Gibson at a time when it needs one more than ever, because you don't dig yourself out of a half billion dollar debt easily.
A $99 ALDI guitar is better quality than this! I bought a T style from Aldi for the reduced price of $69! The fret work was near perfect, NO sharp ends, got a low action with only a very light sanding. 2 Piece body, good 1 p neck, in natural finish to keep the cost down, played well with just a few tweaks. All wiring was very well done, pick ups bargain barrel ceramics of course. Apart from that, couldn't fault it for the money! Has been reshaped into a double cut and had the neck pocket keyed for extra stability! Check my un-boxing here: ua-cam.com/video/FsApNWxfE_Y/v-deo.html
Not sure we need proof that a $99 epiphone guitar is junk. Actually if you want to go further, look at the Ammoon guitars out there for $50-$75, some people claim they are pretty well built for that price.
I think they are going too hard on a begginers/entry level guitar. If gibson in 2017 is selling crap that does not stay in tune and having to send back for rework and thats 3000plus for new gibby. Ive seen several reviews on those epiphones and they seem good for 100bucks. Hell i seen a guy in new orleans on one ,at a blues gig, and it was good sounding and great.
I think the issue for somebody on a budget is this is a false economy. You can get a pretty good guitar from a small brand for $200 that will serve you well. Sure you may still have to replace the heads and pickups somewhere down the line but the difference is that 200 dollar budget guitar will be worth spending the money on and when you upgrade you'll want to keep it as a second guitar and not throw it out like the $100 one. Go to $300 and you can get a pretty great guitar. Obviously the more you spend the higher the odds of getting a good instrument but there are some damn fine budget guitars out there and the $100 Epi isn't one of them.
What's the point of this video? Trashing something that is affordable because they can afford a 1200.00 Gibson? Its April 2020 and I have an SL. No problems with mine. Trashing a relatively good guitar because it doesn't live up to expensive expectations agrivates me. I could afford it so I bought it and I enjoy playing it.
The 99$ guitar is, for me, a sign that Epi and Gibson don't know what they're doing. For start having guitars in similar price range? Then they try to compete with badly made cheap guitars with badly made cheap guitars. There is nothing that distinguish those brands. There should be GLO at the bottom, then space, then Epi, space and then Gibson. If you blur the lines why buy Gibson? Just buy Epi and put Gibson hardware on it.
Here's a Les Paul Style Guitar for under $200 that ROCKS ... ua-cam.com/video/pT7j-aFF0S4/v-deo.html
great vid mate!
I've got an Epiphone Les Paul Jr. that I found in a flea market for $30 and this baby rocks ! Only mod I did was tuners . The poor need affordable instruments too .
But they're not winning the race, they're a budget guitar company. So they're cheap, they're made out of cheap materials. So were Danelectros back in the day. They were the cheapest guitar you could buy back in the 60's. They did everything they could to lower the price, they built them out of very cheap materials. Whatever wood they had lying around and they bought thousands of lipstick containers and designed a pickup to go in them. They're made out of masonite. But nothing quite sounds like a Danelectro. They ended up making something special.
I can tell, you're on of those quality guys. Everything you have, you prefere the expensive one don't you. I bet you won't drink coffee with robusta beans. Nothing wrong with that. Quality is good. It's just that sometimes us poor type guys want to find the unexpected magic in the cheap or homemade. Hell, I reach for my fretless cigar box guitar made out of cull wood just about as often as I reach for an electric. And I'm not saying these are great guitars. I'm sure they are pretty rough. I'm also sure that someone can make some amazing music with it.
Hey I LOVE Robusto coffee! It's the heart & soul of Vietnamese coffee!
As to Epiphone, they are not (or were) a budget line. They were 1 of the TOP American builders! Innovators too!
I mean the Beatles LOVED their Casinos!
I wonder how the SL would sound with some lipstick pickups?
Paul TheSkeptic - I've been a guitarist since 1978 and guitar/gear snobs irritate me. Throughout my career, I had Fenders, Gibsons, etc. And THE best guitars I've owned were copies of those or the cheaper model lines of those companies. I love Squiers and I love the Ibanez GIO series of guitars. I have owned many Les Paul copies. Right now, I play a Monoprice 'Route 66' Les Paul style guitar. I threw some DiMarzio humbuckers in it and I'm working on replacing the 3 way switch (which met with an unfortunate accident... ;-) ).
I've owned Cort Les Pauls, Hohner Strats, and many more off-brands. I've monkeyed with and adjusted all of them. I don't have to spend $1,000 for a name and I couldn't afford it anyway. So, I go with the cheap stuff. It surprised me to find out a LOT of recording artists who are famous play the cheaper guitars and mod them just like I do. Guns N Roses famous album 'Appetite For Destruction' only had an actual Gibson guitar on one song (My Michelle) and that was an SG. The rest of the album, Slash played a Les Paul Copy! Not a lot of people realize that!
Yep and people are paying big bucks for danos.
@@Axess-sv8nq I'll be honest, I did have a really bad experience with a Squire I owned. The tuners were made out of plastic. One by one they broke. I bought new metal ones but then I discovered the holes they drilled for the plastic tuners were too small. I could've drilled bigger ones but by then, the whole guitar was looking pretty rough anyway. I think I used the pickups for some Frankenstein project.
But on the other hand, I found a DeArmond Les Paul Junior shaped guitar at a thrift shop for $20, years ago, and I still play it today. It's right here.
Even the Squire sounded good during its time though. But, I guess it's one of those box of chocolates situations. You never know what you're going to get. Lol.
I bought a $129 Epiphone to take with me for weekly business travel because I was afraid one of my other guitars would get damaged in the hustle of going through airports and airplanes. The “Cheapiphone” is one of my favorite guitars. One of the tuners was mounted crooked and it looks like a toy but it stands up to the rigors of travel and sounds and plays great as I received it. I understand you guys are in sales and want people blowing their money on high end stuff. It comes down to buyer beware, play a bunch of them till one works for you and you could find a gem. ...for $129
I got one of these on a whim because I think they will become collector's items. It's actually a damn good buy for the money. The frets were not poorly put in and it sounds really good with the single coils. The bridge, the pick-ups are well done on mine. The neck is a bolt on instead of those god awful set necks. The only set up mine needed was some truss rod adjustment and that's it. Like most Gibsons tuning issues remain, but for the price you can't really complain. After all a $3000 Les Paul will do the same for a lot more money.
In 45 years of playing guitar I've never ever ever cared about fret ends and any that stuck out the entire neck can be fixed by hand in under a minute ... all this talk about fret ends .. who cares. Never had a pickup go bad ... replace them because you want to try something else but they don't just go bad.
I've had a few guitars with sharp ends and it just took an hour to file them smooth.
I DIG YOUR COMMENTS MAN, COUSIN FIGEL
@Daniel leCamp I've tried that too, but some necks have finish there that I didn't want to sand away. Probably wouldn't make any difference given how cheap the guitar was. :)
I bought a sunshine yellow SL expecting, basically a melody maker-esc body/neck template for my own luthier work. Instead I got something that was great out of the box minus the strings (duh). Out of all the part he listed only the bridge may need to be replaced and that's a few years down the road and by then you either drop in a new one because you've fallen in love with it or move on because it was cheap.
Epiphone Special are great guitars. I did about 7 gigs in San Fran with one recently and it was as good as anything else I've played. As long as these have decent tuners the rest it up the to player. 😎👍
intheblues agreed. squiers affinity/bullet too
100% agree. I have two AND an R9. I also dig the fact its a bolt on neck so I can actually (easily) do fret work and adjust the action. Set neck guitars are totally overrated.
I am not saying anyone is a bad player, I am saying that the Epiphone Special II was one of the best LP guitars I have played and I had zero expectations about how it would sound. I dialled in my regular tone no problems and it really played great too. :-)
I have one it rocks and i owned gibsons!
special II stays in tune no bad frets no sharp ends
They talk about this like it is a new move. Epiphone has been doing this for years! My first guitar was an Epi from a starter kit purchased at Service Merchandise for $79 over 20 years ago. Epiphone has been trying to put entry level guitars in players hands for a very long time.
Same here! My first guitar was a hand me down from a bud (dates back to the early 90’s). I must say, AMAZING guitar even though it came as a “starter” kit
After waiting 2 months for my $99 SL to come in, I can say I love mine! I own guitars that cost from $300 to $6000, and to me it’s not about what the guitar costs, what it’s made out of, or what brand it is...It’s about do I love its tone, can I play it well enough to make music I like with it, and can I have fun with it! To ME, the SL looks way cool, is fun to play, and believe it or not, the neck pickup is to DIE for! It sounds great and I will definitely be recording with it! Yep, the frets are sharp but easily fixed if necessary, and yes, I might get new tuners, but for someone just starting out, this is a viable option that can be a lot of fun. So many haters....If ya don’t like it don’t buy it! Simple. No regrets here about my purchase.
I've got one of these. The fretwork is pretty good actually.
$20 on Wilkinson tuners, $12 on Faber steel inserts, $45 on Faber wrap lock studs (which I buy for ALL wraparounds, irrespective of price) and $2 on better knobs.
The pickups sound good. The pots feel awesome.
So yeah, $69 worth of parts, plus I loosened the neck bolts a few turns while it was strung to pull the neck into the pocket tighter.
I also oiled and polished the fretboard/frets, but that was free. Had to restring anyway when changing the inserts/studs.
By the way, intonates perfectly with pretty low action. Also, a nice light guitar for someone with back problems!
It's now one of my favorite guitars.
And I've got several PRS, Music Man, G&L, and more expensive epis (JB Firebird I, Nighthawk, etc).
I think this video is kind of BS.
Phil hit the nail on the head: If you think of this as a guitar kit for a DYI fixup project, it's a hell of a good deal. A decent kit with all of these parts will be well over $100.
Single cut on Thomann cost 114$. And with the kit you can start with the color you want. For example I can't stand opaque paint. For me it's a Chinese way of hiding the fact that body is made from 6 different parts glued together or plywood. Not to mention that on guitar fetish you could make your own guitar kit choosing necks and body.
great review and al this without plugging it in to hear what it sounds like
Got one of these guitars recently. After polishing the frets and replacing the machine heads it's now a great wee player and the pick up sound is very gibson jr p90 sounding. Love it.
You guys definitely brought up a lot of good points about the $99 Epiphone.
Pros: Budget friendly impulse buy to help fill out a guitar collection, learn how to mod, have something cheap to smash.
Cons: Cheap guitar=cheap parts=very low quality, stores makes pocket change for profit unless they're flying off the shelves (which I doubt they are), and they take up the same amount of space as a more profitable guitar would.
Probably around 15%.
More like 100% They buy them for $50. Sell them for $100 that's a doubling of the cost. Most items in that price range wholesale for 50% of retail price. The lower the price the bigger the margin until you get down to pennies. High end items may only get 75 - 50% or less.
For a cheap beater practice guitar they are ok. My Ibanez GIO is great for taking to the beach and no stress over it getting stolen or wrecked. Would not wanna take a 2k guitar there or to seedy area late at night.
Sharp fret ends ,,,,,,you get those on a $1000 Gibson Les Paul lately
Kevin McVann TRUE!!! I just bought a 2016 Gibson les Paul custom and had major fret buzz dead spots on the fretboard and sharp ass fret ends! He’s right if you don’t know how to fix these up your gonna end up even more out of money... and it was a freaking Gibson! From guitar center because I do not trust online wayyy to many fakes
Knockoutguitarist, you are aware that many of these shops buy fakes and sell them right? At least where I'm from.
R A T C H E T if you buy them used sure
#1 give away it's a fake, Gibson binds over the fret ends on all Custom models. There would be no exposed ends to be sharp if it was real. Best case it's a bad re-fret job by someone else but more likely a fake.
YA, BUDDY TELL IT LIKE IT IS, COUSIN FIGEL
Mine is fine,fret ends are perfect,board is nice,tuners hold,new strings are needed like every other new guitar I've bought, I love it !
Mine too, I am a learner still, but I love the tones, I am getting, it stays in tune for long, Frets never caused me any injuries, so I suppose they are not 'sharp like razor blades' and it looks great.
I’ve been playing for almost two decades now, these are actually great when you look at it as you’re getting something with some potential. You get cheap guitars to mod and improve these days and I think a lot of the older cats don’t look it that way. I love mine personally.
Guys, did you ever consider perhaps that Epiphone is trying to attract younger students whose parents don't want to invest a ton of money into something that may, or may not, create a future musician? Looking at the volume of used gear available today, coupled with Fender buying up other guitar manufacturers, and Gibson's struggle in bankruptcy communicates perhaps musicianship is on the decline. Maybe Epiphone wants to revive a market to a new generation? Like the Squire once done. These should not attract seasoned players like yourselves. But, there is nothing wrong with Epiphone attempting to attract a future loyal customer that may upgrade from the $100 entry guitar into something more a year or two down the road.
Ricke Gurn so well said!!!! Right on!!!!
I totally agree with you . Phillip is out of touch with reality .
he made a great point at 4:20.... a great way to hone your skills on guitar repairs ect
If you want a solid cheap guitar, try a 2017 squiers mustang bullet !
Agree! Costs a little bit more, but much better build quality! There's a UA-cam clip from 60 Cycle Hum that compares them both.
You might want to check out some of the "reviews" of that $99 Epi. Especially John Bohlinger's for Premier Guitar..... So you walk in and pick up the guitar, and complain about the "fret sprout" ( sharp fret ends ). What you fail to mention is you could have picked up any "high-end" guitar in the shop and the same could be true of it... "Fret sprout" happens...! It, by and of itself, is not a fair way to judge.... Love both your channels, and watch them religiously.
Just bought a yellow one of these this Saturday.I was expecting to do work and enjoy the experience of doing some work but to my surprised there was no problems with the tuners,frets or fret board .All i did was change strings and set up.The pickups are my only complaint they sound thin and not a full sound.I am very happy with the guitar and enjoy playing it.
I bought one and while I wouldn't recommend for a beginner, after some upgrades I'm very happy with it. The GOOD: I love the color (Turquoise) and the finish was just fine on mine. Mine didn't have any sharp fret ends, the frets were level, and the neck feels great to me. I love the light weight of the poplar body. The pickups were okay. The BAD: The tuners were completely worthless and the strings were awful. The bridge isn't great, but it's adequate for now. CHANGES: I replaced the tuners with some economy sealed tuners that actually work. I also had SD Hot Rails bridge and neck pickups laying around, so I installed those. Also polished the frets, put on some decent strings, and installed some strap locks. The guitar now works, sounds, looks, and feels great! Way better than what I could have done with a kit. I don't really care if the SL is a good or bad deal for Gibson/Epiphone. It was a great deal for me.
For you, it's perfect tone king. There would be no difference for you to play a 99 dollar guitar, or a 9,000 dollar guitar.
I have a cheap LP Special II (2014) and the problem of the bridge sinking in the wood is real. It throws the intonation off, and you can't adjust it since it uses a pre-intonated wraparound bridge.
$100 - 150 guitars were made for beginners. I've had my own. Sure, they had some issues here and there, but they played fine, and the pickups are just fine for BEGINNERS. That's what they're for!
With the exception of the particular guitar in this video, most beginner guitars get the job done. You're NOT going to refret, rewire, and all that bullshit. When you're done learning most of what you'll learn at first, you will upgrade, not replace (unless one wants to learn how to repair guitars as well as play them).
this is the first reviewer I 've seen that was TOTALLY negative about this guitar..everyone else says it's "okay" at worst, and a great cheap find if you try a bunch out and find a good one (where the tuners hold without slipping), or do a couple of quick mods (truss rod, string swap) and you;ve got yourself a player...plus he didnt even plug it in...oh well
I grabbed an Epiphone Les Paul Special P90 in TV Yellow at Guitar Center last Black Friday for $80 and its a pretty nice guitar. The stock P90s sound really good. It took a little fret work, but that's about it.
I would have no expectations for the guitar to be good, which is why I was shocked by the stuff that Monoprice has been selling. its actually Ok guitar gear.
I bought a Cozart strat for $110. and it is a great guitar for the money, I like it better than my regular Fender MIM standard Strat and would buy another anytime. I originally bought the Cozart to add a 65 vintage pick up pick guard to it. I haven't made the switch yet but I hope to soon. In the mean time it sounds and plays great!
Squier Bullet Mustang shits all over it as far as a modding platform
Stuart K Reilly Absolutely, solid tuners, good pickups, and those necks are insane for that price, those frets are polished and everything, and the neck is in really tight, it's really solid.
Probably, but it costs 50% more. :) I'm happy with my SL (after modding), but I plan to get the Squier Bullet Mustang too. I'm waiting to see if they come out with some new colors for Christmas sales.
Stuart K Reilly yes I heard that's a much better guitar out of the box
If you are buying a cheap guitar you MUST see it in person and play it. The biggest problem with them is they are so inconsistent. I had a Squier bullet about 8 years ago and got rid of it quick, it came in a box and I did not see it first. It was horrible and unfixable. Since then I have seen some decent cheap Squiers but they vary a lot.
Did you actually try playing it? The Jr is better, especially after changing the spaghetti that passes for strings nowadays.
What he pointed out about the bridge popping out of the body is happening to my Epiphone Sheraton - How can I fix it and what happens if it stays like that?
So in 2017 Gibson bottom cheap guitar quality matches there top of the line High quality, awesome.
Anyone own or played an Epiphone Les Paul Special I? It's basically a Les Paul Junior w 2 P90s & a satin finish. I saw one on sale at GC & am curious about a P90-equipped guitar. I'm def a humbucker fan & actually kinda hate the LP shape, but it could be cool to have P90s when I want it. Anyone have any comments/suggestions/reviews on this guitar?
Yes... for beginners.. get those calluses on your fingers tips started! ;)
Perhaps the biggest improvement that can be made to Epiphones in this price range (>$250) is a better nut. They're usually poorly cut and cause tuning issues. Don't replace the tuners without also dealing with the nut. With a decently cut nut, even these super cheap tuners will do OK with "loop and lock" stringing since there's no trem involved.
I bought the yellow one for $97.00 with a 10% coupon. Phil is right, it was a impulse buy. Tuners suck, bridge is cheap and was hard to work with and setup was bad. But the neck was nice and pickups as well. I set it up with 11's and this thing sounds pretty good for the price. By the way, I also bought a new USA Gibson Les Paul Tribute 2018 for $1,200.00 and it had all kinds of problems including a big hump in the neck! The only guitars I don't have problems with are Fenders or Squier Classic Vibes...
most definitely. I've supported my family with a $99 guitar
I don't know. I'm thinking $99 now, $10 - $15 at a garage sale next week. I just don't think that guitar is a wise purchase. I know for fact I can find a used Squire at a Music Go Round for roughly the same price and have a much better starting point for a project guitar.
I found a Washbern that played and felt great but it had no price tag , I brought it to the counter and found out it was 99 bucks , I t's my second go to guitar under my 80s SG , if it feels good, plays good, requires little maintenance and looks good from 5 feet away buy it .
AGREED
If this guitar feels like the Melody Maker, as I've heard, it'll be fine. My Melody Maker is one of my favorite guitars. I pick it up more than my Tele just because it feels great. It doesn't hold a candle to the Twisted Tele pickups for tone, but it feels great.
I would add that after you get comfortable doing your own setups, you become better at spotting flaws. I don’t need anyone telling me what is good or bad anymore. I love my Epiphone because it can be replaced for another$129. Didn’t buy it to upgrade anything either. ...and last night I played my much more expensive Les Paul and the difference is huge. ...so not saying it is as good as a high end guitar, but pretty damn good for about $100.
If someone isn't sure they want to play guitar, the 99 guitar is a good starter to see if you're going to be that devoted. It also will give you knowledge when you want to upgrade.
I read an article in Reverb that says the cost to make and ship to the USA for an overseas guitar is 1/4 of the retail. If that is the case this one is $24.50. Does it mean that GIbson's business is really on a down trend? Back in the day this kind of product was sold in Sears and certainly not by a major Manufacturer because you got what you paid for and hey, that's certainly still the case. The recent $499. Gibson models' parts were made in China and shipped over here. In a few web music companies price list for these have dropped to $399. There are a lot of complaints about detail in the finish product here in YT. Gibson is selling some of their warehouses in Nashville. Makes you wonder if all sales are going down.
Maybe he should play it first and see if he likes it before making his "Informed Decision". That's the least I would do if I was reviewing a guitar.
I have two 100 dollar guitars out of 1000s ive tried that play well. In fact they play so well, I like them better than my 500 dollar guitars. Then I spent money on pickups and pots. So yeah you get what you pay for but, also price isn't always a determining factor.
I got an Epi "Junior" at the pawn shop in very low mileage shape for 60$. I prefer to repair-fix-sell budget instruments, rather than encourage more trees to turn into cheap-o guitars.
The Squire Bullet Mustang is the best Guitar under 150.- Dollar.I have them and I'm happy. For the price .. in Germany 129.- EURO, there is no other guitar that is better. Have some guitars tested and the Mustang has convinced me as the only one.
When i started to play guitar and wanted my first electric, i had no money. That was in the seventies, but sure there still are starting players who have not the money even to pay for a 200 dollar guitar for example.. so it's great to start of with before it falls apart and you know if you will continue playing and so buy a bit better one.. I even think this 99 dollar epiphone is a better quality than my (in 1978) 250 dollar Kinor les paul.. so.. why not?
It's better to get a cheap used guitar with the odd scratch/dent of better quality than a cheap new guitar BUT we should not generalize as there are decent to good quality new guitars sub $200 like Yamaha Pacifica and Squire Affinity Stratocaster
It's handy to have a guitar tech along when guitar shopping.
4:40 Am I the only that was expecting Phil to say: "Well, let's figure it out, let's drop it on the floor"? :)
+Phil Smith I think you caught us both thinking of splitting the cost to smash it in the parking lot. I chose to save my $50 bucks. Lol
LOL, I don't blame you... there was still the third solution, the savage way, drop it inside the store and just say: "Ooops, sorry... bye! :)" (j/k)
where can people donate to see these smashed? I mean Music Man gave Jared Dines a Majesty and a Stingray bass to smash
But WHO takes Jared Dines seriously?
Jared does his thing and I like it, is he serious? only his talent is I guess. No matter how big of a goof ball he plays or "click baity" he is, he is a multi instrumentalist(yes I count Drums as an instrument) has millions of followers and Companies are willing to give him thousands of dollars of equipment to destroy knowing that there will be a backlash from a segment of the community! If I could play half as well as he does I would be very happy.
My problem with a guitar that cheap is when a student shows up with one and i say well your going to be looking at about $70(AUD) to bring it up to scratch the parents flip and say but the guitar cost me $99.....No wonder it cost $99
Haha yup! But it comes DOWN to ignorance. I mean even 'good' guitars need SOME custom set up and adjustment done to it to make it really playable! That's WHY so MANY beginners give up: Their instrument is unplayable.
Luckily in our shop, we often include a basic set up when we sell a guitar, and a full set up and fret dress and new strings on our house branded instruments as a part of the price.
You get a really well made acoustic/electric that is 100% playable! For a few $ more!
But the student gets the opportunity to learn how to set up and improve an instrument without fucking up a more expensive guitar. If it goes wrong, it only cost $99 right. When I grew up in the sixties, we all took our guitars to bits to see how they worked. None of us had any real idea of what we were doing.
It's how you learn what to do, and what not to do. Simples, and when we weren't doing that, we were playing with our Meccano.... Lol
So what is the lowest amount a starting guitar player, (or parent,) should be prepared to spend on an instrument?
As kid I would love to be able to buy a $99 guitar.
Watchman4u me to. I paid 150 for a used JB player strat copy
Watchman4u...I totally agree with you but back then a good used guitar was easy to find that was a brand name like Fender or Gibson even Gibson still made some cheaper priced new USA Epiphone's when I was younger. But there weren't any dealers around selling them at the time. Still I'd buy this Epiphone SL Les Paul in a heartbeat and make it play so that I would be happy that I owned it. Still I say the dealers can sell these NEW Epiphone SL guitars for a much cheaper price than $99 bucks just like Guitar Center has done with the Epi LP Special guitars with either 2 Humbuckers or 2 P-90 pickups in them. Gibson/Epiphone has put that as a MAP selling price to the dealers so they can still make a hell of a profit for what it only costs them to make those guitars these days in their Chinese Factory.
@ Jack Sparrow
I picked up one of those and was surprised that they sold in a toy store! Frets were a rollercoaster, but I leveled them, amazing axe. Even has the full size Strat body while NONE of the Squiers do or ever did, even Classic Vibes. this guitar is now a keeper.
The Epi Les Paul SL's totally are like the older Gibson single cut Melody Maker with 2 single coil pickups right along with the shape of the pickguards on these new Epi guitars. I say buy one in every color that you can afford. I believe they're great little guitars but I know that they're not everyone's cup of tea these days. But...see that's OK too. : -)
absolutely
I love cheap guitars like these, because I like a good project, but I see the point about first time buyers. I was going to get one of these, but last minute decided to spend the extra $50 on a Squier Bullet Mustang. Definitely worth the extra $50!
Epiphone special Les Paul II is actually not a very bad guitar
They're not very good either.
BUT they're not bad!
The plastic nut can be a problem when it comes to the guitar staying in tune but that’s easy enough to change
seriously...a plastic nut? i didnt know.
The Special is the 'real' $99 guitar imho. You can get one used in mint condition for less than $75. The frets are generally finished. The hardware is good enough quality to not need instantly replacing and the pickups sound great through a plexi (go watch Segeborn drill one).
To add to my other post...the Floyd Rose model they have is not for everyone of course but a simple tremolo could be. God Bless fellas!
It is true, you get what you pay for with cheap guitars. But there are some decent ones that with a little work are awesome. I am partial to B.C. Rich for that reason, they are cheap and with a little work become well worth the price.
I fixed the pulling-forward bridge problem on a B.C. Rich Mockingbird by (mis)drilling holes and making it a string-through body guitar. The wood on some of the Bronze-series guitars is too light to hold those wraparound bridges. :/
Great points guys! Thanks TTK and Phillip!!!!🤘🏽🤘🏽🤙🏾🤙🏾🎸🎸
A little too distracting with the background music. On my phone, I could barely hear what Phillip said.
Can we plug it in and see how it is as a guitar instead of as fine furniture?
What I don't get with this new Epiphone Les Paul is why so cheap?
They already have the Junior and Spacial II, which fits in their need for entry level guitars. This just seems like the want to compete with the likes of Amazon for having cheap electric guitars.
I only see this guitar as being useful for learning how to fix guitars or customizing them with better parts sitting around!
I know beginners want a cheap guitar, but this is not the way to go. I would tell people not to spend under $250 on a guitar.
I wish someone had told my parents that when they bought me my first electric guitar in 1987.
Agreed! You can get a LOT of guitar for between $2-300 these days!
I Shred Prestige as a guitar teacher, tech, and musician of 17 years, i recommend starting at $250 because the quality is better than a guitar at $150 Of course there some guitars that cost $150 that are really nice. I own quite a few expensive guitars, and a couple of $2000 guitars for my cheap ones. Not much of a difference in them, especially once you get over $2000
I have a $300 Melody Maker that's almost exactly like this guitar..... but with Gibson on the headstock... and now doubled in value
Les Loranzan meanwhile I’m over here buy rondo guitars like a madman ;3
It's interesting to me because I had a friend some 20 years back buy one of these ultra cheep/low quality Epiphone guitars. It was such a horrible guitar that for about a decade I avoided Epiphone guitars because I thought they were all of that quality. So yeah I agree. This totally devalues the brand.
This guy needs to do a review on disposable paper cups!
What's the story with the Maestro guitars? Are they supposed to be at the same level as epiphone, or are they the ultra shitty lines?
Baad video. Too much truth. Phillip and TK rock! :-)
Rough spot. But they wouldn't care if it was a 65 strat with paint chips all over the place, pot holed maple fret board same thing with a gibson or martin
They'd be worth the money if I could actually buy one! I'm in Australia and can't even find anywhere to get them online :/ Have they actually come out yet or are they just being reviewed at this point?
Also, yeah they're cheap but they're the closest thing to a vintage looking pre-standard guitar (that isn't a teisco, old ibanez or something hard to find and over-expensive). I've bought so many guitars because they just feel nice and for once I want to make a petty sale based on looks, even if I'm technically losing out.
Any recommendations for a $200 guitar? My daughter is looking for a starter guitar for her husband and that is her budget?
The Ibanez GIO guitars aren't the worst when it comes to the price to quality ratio. I've got an Ibanez even though it's out of service now, it's still my favorite. Even though it's got the cheap Ibanez made Dimarzio style pickups, the Ibanez Infinity single coil for the middle position is my favorite pickup
SX (Essex) Strat or Tele style are VERY good, and in that price range.
2017 squier bullet mustang.
NOT every1 LIKES the diminutive Mustang!
DMSProduktions It's one of the best budget guitars, so regardless if you like the looks, it's a great choice.
I bought one and liked it
I had one of those little Epis, bought it for 20 bucks at a car boot sale, great little guitat, gave it to a mate that I owed a hundred bucks though :( Had to tidy it up like
Maybe the ones being made now are good. I just got one and nothing needs changed
when I was starting off $150 guitar which was a lot of money back then was a piece of crap the strings we're at least and half an inch off the deck there is a market for these and these are great times to start off learning to play the guitar,
There are brands that sell guitars for 2000$ or more and even then we find small details that have great importance in the sound we get from the guitar.
A les paul at 99$ with single coil that has a great sound, even with stock pickups. Even if we find a fault, I'll buy it anyway!
The consumer looks for quality with affordable price and that's what Epiphone gives with this guitar!
An expensive guitar does not mean it's quality !!!
My advice: Go to the store, play the guitars and if that's what you are looking for, just buy it !!!
Regards everyone
This guitar is meant for beginners or kids. it is light and it plays, it is not heavy for kids to carry to the guitar lessons.
Why make a $99 guitar ? Because someone in their marketing department said there was a demand. I see nothing wrong with it and the quality it is to be expected. But if you pay double that amount, you get much better guitars, which will last longer.
MAYBE.
When you're a kid and just learning to play guitar, sometimes all you have is $100 - 150 to spend on a guitar.
The video title is misleading. It should have said "Are $99 Epiphone guitars worth it?" There are plenty of decent guitars around at that starting price.
I agree with Philip. Epiphone shouldn't make a guitar with really crappy parts. It isn't good for beginners either with poor Tuners and poor fret work. It devalues their brand. Epiphone and Squire make some very good guitars. I own an Epiphone Les Paul and Squire Classic vibe telecaster.
I totally agree that $99 Epiphone guitars are definitely worth buying. I own a P90 Les Paul Special. I love it. I own a 1996 PRS Custom 24, Fenders and Les Paul Gibsons, I even build guitars. The Epiphone has a great finish and the fret ends are as smooth as Gibson. Although I am not a fan of the Epiphone SL I do think the P90 guitars are wonderful. The pickups sound hot and articulate. I am presently using one for recording. There is no need to replace pickups. I like these guys' reviews and I commend them on their info, but sometimes they are a little full of shit. Have fun. ; )
I have the answer for Gibson that they need. I would buy a LP IF they would make a classic 2 post tremolo to suit those of us who enjoy them. That's the ONLY reason I don't own a Gibson. And I know there are "retro-fit" type options but why not do it right from the start? End of story.
HEY TONE DING, WHY WOULD YOU BUY A HUNDRED DOLLAR GUITAR IN THE FIRST PLACE AND REPLACE THE THINGS YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT? WHY NOT BUY A GUITAR THAT MEETS YOUR EXPECTATIONS AND SPEND 4 GRAND, AND CALL IT A DAY, THIS IS A PERFECT GUITAR TO BUY YOUR KID WHO WANTS TO PLAY GUITAR, IF THEY DECIDE GUITAR IS NOT THIER THING, YOU SAVED A LOT OF MONEY, I DO NOT LIKE THE FEEL OF NITRO CELLULOSE FINISH ON MY $5000 DOLLAR GIBSON 25/50 ANNIVERSAY MODEL, COUSIN FIGEL
At this stage in my life, it's a lot harder for me to get excited about owning guitars in the lower end of the price spectrum. It doesn't mean I wouldn't ever buy one of these, but I'm fortunate to have a modest collection of pretty good stuff already, so there's not much reason to shell out beyond novelty or the outside chance that my mind is completely and utterly destroyed by the sheer awesomeness that I never saw coming. Honestly, I'd rather spend the money re-stocking strings or getting some extra patch cables!
That said, I'm for anything that gets a usable guitar in someones hands. $99 is a very accessible price for a lot of people for something like this. The more experienced among us may see something relatively disposable or requiring a work to get closer to the same level we're used to with our more expensive instruments, but there's probably more than a couple people, kids in particular, who just see an electric guitar and that's enough to get them excited.*
*At the same time, I'm a big proponent of beginners buying a mid-tier instrument they can grow into and foregoing the stuff mainly intended for beginners/inexperienced players.
Epiphone version of the Dodge/Chrysler K car?
I would imagine that the extreme lack of quality would be due to extremely tight restrictions on the amount of labor time that is allocated to each guitar to keep it this affordable.
YOU HAVE TO GO AND TRY ONE.DON'T BELIEVE ANYBODY'S OPINION.
excellent review..no candy-coating
NO IT'S NOT A GOOD REVIEW,THEY DIDN'T PLUG THEM IN.
Feedback: If some kid is banging on the drums, wait until he's done or ask him to pause while you make your segment. Also don't then replace the drum-kid with annoying elevator music that's too loud and impairs my ability to hear what you are saying. Other than that, good stuff!
Before Philip mentioned kit guitar, that was exactly what I was thinking.
They're business model seems to be to scoop out all the mids. Make a load of cheap, economically questionable guitars at one end of the market, and a bunch of uber high end custom shop stuff that few people can really afford at the other, whilst neglecting to really satisfy the middle ground in terms of what people say they want from a regular lineup.
Somewhere in the middle, you have these "high performance" models with features that most people wouldn't miss if they had never been offered in the first place.
On top of that they bought up a load of consumer electronics companies (i.e. Onkyo) hoping to branch out into lifestyle choices but nothing appears to have come from any of it
It's all so scattershot, it's no wonder they're practically bankrupt. There appears to be no coherent plan at Gibson at a time when it needs one more than ever, because you don't dig yourself out of a half billion dollar debt easily.
A $99 ALDI guitar is better quality than this! I bought a T style from Aldi for the reduced price of $69! The fret work was near perfect, NO sharp ends, got a low action with only a very light sanding. 2 Piece body, good 1 p neck, in natural finish to keep the cost down, played well with just a few tweaks. All wiring was very well done, pick ups bargain barrel ceramics of course. Apart from that, couldn't fault it for the money!
Has been reshaped into a double cut and had the neck pocket keyed for extra stability!
Check my un-boxing here: ua-cam.com/video/FsApNWxfE_Y/v-deo.html
you guys have a good chemistry
So I take it you like a Harley Benton more. Where to buy one is USA ?
I've only seen Harley Benton at Thomann in Germany, they do ship worldwide though
Yeah, I was trying to get away from that high shipping cost, thanks for response.
Not sure we need proof that a $99 epiphone guitar is junk. Actually if you want to go further, look at the Ammoon guitars out there for $50-$75, some people claim they are pretty well built for that price.
I think they are going too hard on a begginers/entry level guitar.
If gibson in 2017 is selling crap that does not stay in tune and having to send back for rework and thats 3000plus for new gibby.
Ive seen several reviews on those epiphones and they seem good for 100bucks.
Hell i seen a guy in new orleans on one ,at a blues gig, and it was good sounding and great.
I think the issue for somebody on a budget is this is a false economy. You can get a pretty good guitar from a small brand for $200 that will serve you well. Sure you may still have to replace the heads and pickups somewhere down the line but the difference is that 200 dollar budget guitar will be worth spending the money on and when you upgrade you'll want to keep it as a second guitar and not throw it out like the $100 one.
Go to $300 and you can get a pretty great guitar. Obviously the more you spend the higher the odds of getting a good instrument but there are some damn fine budget guitars out there and the $100 Epi isn't one of them.
What's the point of this video? Trashing something that is affordable because they can afford a 1200.00 Gibson? Its April 2020 and I have an SL. No problems with mine. Trashing a relatively good guitar because it doesn't live up to expensive expectations agrivates me. I could afford it so I bought it and I enjoy playing it.
Get a harley benton my man. Great value.
The 99$ guitar is, for me, a sign that Epi and Gibson don't know what they're doing. For start having guitars in similar price range? Then they try to compete with badly made cheap guitars with badly made cheap guitars. There is nothing that distinguish those brands. There should be GLO at the bottom, then space, then Epi, space and then Gibson. If you blur the lines why buy Gibson? Just buy Epi and put Gibson hardware on it.