Cool blindfold idea: take 3 expensive guitars and set them up poorly , then take 3 cheaper guitars and set them up great and see if the expensive guitars can still be noticeable.
@timjenkins502 it's true though man. Dave Simpson turns this 'expensive guitar, expensive valve amp' snobbery completely on its arse. The better you get as a player, tbe better you get your equipment to sound.
Man, that Epiphone burst looks and sounds absolutely amazing. But then again, for just 2000 bucks extra you get a slightly thinner layer of lacquer on the neck so it's a tough choice
Eh... did you not HEAR them too? The Gibson was whooosh bam right off the bat. That's the feeling you get when you also hear an amazing tone, either live or in a record. Very small, but it's there.
Agreed. Gibsons always have a wider more dynamic range of expression. I'm happy I got my Gibson LP back in 2014. I found a NOS leftover for just $1400 because they were trying to push the robot tuners on everyone for 2015. Mine has the same pickup set as the Custom for that year. Phenomenal dynamic range. Nowadays I'm seeing Epiphones higher than my Gibson was from 10 years ago.
Gibson and Epi Les Paul's have always sounded different and its part of the strategy. Switch the tone pots and put some Lollars in there and you have a Gibson with an Epiphone logo. They will always sound different stock and that is by design.
@devDarkest yeah they sound slightly different. It's a similar base tone, sort of like looking at a photo of the same landscape, one photo taken on a cloudy day and the other on a sunny day.... also the nitro vs urethane feels and ages differently, which is actually cool because now you can have either. To me, there's almost no comparison when you think of the natural accoustic ring, frequencies and clarity you get from the Gibsons. But also... that Epiphone is only $600 or so. That's one kickass price for a very good Les Paul.
@@keshermedia exactly. I started playing 3 months ago and Im already as good as any Rock star. Its not that difficult there is only, what 5 or 6 strings, 7 or 8 chords, easy.
@@keshermediaI’ve been playing for a while, not a long time but more than a couple years and yes just playing guitar without being able to see isn’t very hard after you get a little experience. But what they do really well and can be really hard is playing while moving around the fretboard and staying in the same key lol. You may start in A minor at the 5th fret and go to slide up to the 12 fret and you miss by a fret or two and end up playing in Ab or E#. Of course you can hear it and adjust your position up or down but they usually are able to do it without messing up and having to adjust. Like I said, I’m not an amazing player and it’s probably a lot easier for people who are, which is kind of the whole point of the original comment. 👍🏻👍🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻
I think it's important to note - when the differences are this small in isolation, imagine how small they will be in a mix. Like at the end of the day it's wood and metal - it's a guitar with humbuckers in it - are any of these differences ever gonna be that noticeable in any relevant context beyond a/b testing ? To me they both sounded like *guitars* and what's not to love about that
It's important for people to justify to themselves when they spend more money than they needed to on a guitar that sounds the same as one 1/10 of the price
@@iamme625You could just as easily say that people justify not working harder and saving up for the guitar they really want, by saying the cheap version is just as good. And to the OP: are you listening to this on a phone speaker? Because the difference in sound is very clear.
Yeah the big difference is the pickups. The probuckers are paf recreations. Where as the burstbuckers are modern more high output than a paf based humbucker.
Theres an acoustic set he did with Myles Kennedy and someone requested Sweet Child and he seemed genuienly happy to play it. It was kinda heartwarming@@althejazzman
The thing to remember here is that Rob made his decision on which was which, not by the sound, but the feel of the fret ends, the neck gloss, and the tuners, together with what must be the unmistakable nitro smell. It’s sometimes presented as ‘can you detect the quality’ when the reality is it’s actually ‘can you detect the known differences in spec that will feel or smell differently’.
well he is a guitar builder. that's how a guitar builder will detect. and honestly it's a more wholistic approach. it's not just sound for us players. it's also about feel of the instrument.
I have my nose exactly between my Gibson and Epiphone Flying V and I can't smell the Gibson from more than 30 cm or so, much closer than I'd hold it to play. But feel of the finish I would instantly know, touching the body. The one that feels strong like glass is the Epiphone, the one that feels fragile is the nitro. Necks would be obvious one is 58 neck the other 60s. Frets are the same but the Epiphone is a very nice one, made in Korea with very fancy pickups and electronics.
Nah you can tell his reaction at 10:18 That's a $2,000+ dollar feeling right there, if its worth it to you. The Epiphone can never give you that. And I say that as a guy who has both, Gibsons on stage, Epiphone everywhere else.
@@djjazzyjeff1232 2000€ feel is just a really well made guitar it's not by price necessarily. I have a Gibson which is wonderful but it is no better than my Epiphone 58 V, which has frets as good as any. Pups were aweful but Tonerider AC2 and now it sounds better than the Gibson, which will receive the same pups. I have an Indonesian made LTD Les Paul, I got it cheap but it was 700 bucks I think. It feels like two grand. You hold it and in one second you just know. This is a good one. Don't matter what the price tag says if the fretwork, neck feel, electronics, pups, sunburst, hardware and everything else is perfect. From the same factory (Cort Indonesia, they make Ibanez too and some others) I have a Les Paul which cost 370€. Came with EMG FAT 55 pups. It feels exactly like a 3 grand guitar. It's so well made, sounds so good. Even really wonderful knock off Schaller locking tuners. I tell people it cost more than the Gibson and no one doubts it. Not a famous brand so they just assume it's a boutique Les Paul, which I would too. There was a really bad time for Epiphone, after they stopped making them in Korea and moved they began to be quite bad. Mine is a 2005 Made in Korea 58 Flying V. I wouldn't trade it for a Gibson (okay maybe the Custom shop 10 grand 58 V haha) it's mine and I love it. The pickups are so good I'm selling all my Gibson, Seymour and DiMarzios, since they're half the price and sound as good as Custombuckers. Burstbuckers are not as good though they are fantastic but the price... for a hunk of cheap as dirt alnico, 3 bucks in copper and a few bits and pieces. Name brand pups are such a rip off, go for mass produced boutique stuff. I wouldn't trade it for a real set of PAFs. Unless I can sell them buy 100 sets of AC2 and a 50s Les Paul. I would love one but 3 grand and it doesn't feel better than my other great guitars. The labour just cost a lot more. Skill is skill. If it's employed by Gibson or Epiphone, I don't care as long as the guitar is perfect. Don't get me wrong there are aweful Epiphones but made in Korea and modern "Inspired by Gibson". And they are better because they have polyurethane finish!!!! Nitro is antiquated and not near as durable. I have to lay a cloth over my Gibson because the swear already is eating the nitro. It's a huge pain. In theory it's easier to repair but you repair and you loose half the value so may as well do poly. You can spray it thin and matte or medium gloss. Damn near impossible to differentiate other than smell. I don't know why they coat the poly guitars so thick. I do woodwork and you can go thin with poly, like a film. I do it all the time on model ships, 3 mm of lacquer wouldn't be too scale. I spray a thin film of medium gloss and polish it. I'm willing to bet most people couldn't tell if they don't smell it. You can do thick and glossy nitro like poly and thin and matte poly like nitro... only in guitars is it still used because of sentimentality. But I like my guitars to last. My Epi and G are the same age. One looks new the other does not. Guess which... I love the Gibson but it stays at home, warm and cozy and nice and humid. I'm not taking it out into that dry air!!! And forget leaving it in the sun or sudden temperature changes...
Recently tried out the Adam Jones Epiphone non-art Les Paul (£1500) and I loved it. At the same time I tried a Gibson Les Paul Tribute (£1200). The discussion with my mate after went something along the lines that the Gibson was nice but I'd only be buying it because it's a Gibson in my price range. The Epiphone, however, was the type of instrument that felt good and got me excited and I wanted to buy it because of how it felt to play and how it sounded. Value is what we assign and I'm more likely to spend more if it feels and sounds good as opposed to buy the brand
I bought the Aj (non art) 1979 that you tried, not with any reservations, given the price.. and I have to say it's crazy! I almost abandoned my 1998 Les Paul Gibson Standard.
For a blind sound testing, record them and then try hear the difference. However, a guitar is also about feel so it is important to not only hear the guitar but feel it too. Love this kind of testing fun.
Good to see Rob and Lee back together again. Haven't lost the connection you two have when presenting. Also, I have the epiphone modern in burgandy, what a guitar. Bought it to mod actually, about two years ago. Still haven't touched it. Sounds great the way it is, leaving it alone. I also own a 60'S LP Standard and apart from the looks, I honestly cannot pick one from the other as a favourite. Both awesome guitars. I wish epiphone would bring out some more of their own designs again since they uped the quality. I know they have a couple out there. But the double cut would be a great place to start.
Hearing Rob playing Dorje riffs on an epiphone LP reminded me so much of being sat in my bedroom as a kid with my Epiphone trying to learn Dorje songs.
I think Rob knew straight away that he holds real deal the Gibson, smell, nitro, sustain. He has amazing pair of ears and tons of experience with guitars so he knew from when first guitar landed on his lap. Still enjoyable to watch, I love these guys:)
i would agree... as an advanced player, there is a feel thing that is inescapable... even blindfolded, and fresh out of the box, a 400 dollar guitar compared to a 2500 dollar one should "feel" obvious (fret material, intonation,overasll setup, tuning stability, etc). Now of course an exception would be running a test like this after a "pro setup /dressing, etc) -A good setup and a couple tweaks, can make "cheap" guitars play and sound way better than expensive guitars. fact.
Whatever makes you think it's worth putting that much money into a guitar makes you happy. I mean, they've had a hard time picking out the really expensive custom shop ones in many blind tests before.
Sustain? Sustain depends on string tension, gauge, weight of guitar and interface between strings and guitars. It's coupled vibrations, the guitar dampening the string vibration. Lighter guitar has more sustain. Yet these things are all identical.
It was about time to see a video with someone else than Lee & Pete... A time ago some.people commented that L&P were the perfect match,, and haven't seen anyone else anymore.... Glad to see the good old Chappers !!!
I have 11 Les Paul's. 10 are Gibson, one is an Epiphone Custom Les Paul. The fit and finish of the Epiphone is excellent, but I didn't like the tone. So I replaced all the electronics. 50's wiring, no PCB, and nice 3rd party boutique pickups. Now it sounds, generally, as good as my Gibson's. When I take it out certain places, it sounds really good, and if it gets bumped, it's not as bothersome.
I love all these shootouts of whatever you guys do. I can binge on these videos all afternoon long! I wouldn't part with my 2016 LP Standard even at gunpoint. It was the first year Gibson came to their senses got their shit together and started getting serious about their guitars QC and especially the LP again...
It's always reassuring to see an old gentleman who is well versed in Rock and Blues playing. He nailed it with his analysis pointing pointing out the similarities and the subtle differences. I enjoyed the second pass on both guitars.
The feel is very different between the 2. It’s easy to pick out. A real test would be if Captain is playing it and Chap was blindfolded trying to identify which was which.
If epiphone wants to be perceived as a higher quality guitar, then put effort into the frets to make them feel nicer, and also use rosewood again. I had an Epi standard pro, was great actually! Just the slim taper wasnt my thing. But tried one of the 50's, and didnt like it very much. Was ok, but nothing thta made me want to get it.
I have a 99 epiphone made in korea ltd ed and i noticed the new epis neck is more flush with the neck pickup housing. mine looks to be about 2mm or so higher. i raised the tailpiece up about 1/4" and it feels better. its all stock and sounds killer but its bright. thinking about sticking a homemade treble bleed mod on the tone knob, it cuts it down to sound nice n creamy. it does have orange caps on it and 500k pots all around.
The Gap between how a cheap guitar sounds and how an expensive guitar sounds is becoming smaller every year. And that's fantastic, because there's so many great quality options for a new player to get started with.
Well that's because this isn't a realistic comparison of a cheap guitar with an expensive one. Epiphone are not a cheap guitar brand any more and Gibson are only expensive because of middle-aged boomers buying the brand - they're not using any of that extra money to make the guitar any better. You can easily tell the difference between a high quality musical instrument and a cheap one - Gibson don't make musical instruments - they make guitar furniture for old men to look at and maybe (like Lee) occasionally bend the G string at the 7th fret and think to themselves "I wish I could play the guitar" - you know 50 years ago the coolest guy on the planet was a guy wearing a black jump suit playing a Gibson Les Paul call James Patrick Page. Today he sits in his house and runs out shouting at lorries that come past that the vibrations will make his house fall down and trying to stop Robbie Williams building a swimming pool. The instrument couldn't be less cool now if they made Anne Widdecombe a Gibson signature artist (and in giving Rick Beato a signature Gibson they more or less have)
I'd Love to see you guys do this challenge but swap the pickups out to be the same on both guitars regardless of price...i'd be happy to throw in for some pickups :) Love the videos as always chaps!
when I hear this, I am happy I made the right choice with my two Epiphone LPs and did not use a lot of money for a Gibson LP, since I was not able to do a real comparison like this myself. I once bought a Gibson SG special faded for under 1000 € I think i could have also chosen the Epiphone Counterpart. Or does anyone have experienced if the Gibson 490 and 498T Humbuckers are better than the Epi ones? Do the Epiphone SGs even have similar pickups?
I’m an experienced Gibson owner. There is a difference, especially long term (my R7 I bought new in 2010 and it’s aging well playability and tone wise). That being said Epiphone has upped its game and much like the new higher end PRS SE line (own a SE McCarty 594 too) they are well worth the money.
I think it’s worth noting that the two also use different magnets; Alnico II in the Epiphone, Alnico V in the Gibson. I tend one of each, and I love both, but they are always going to sound different even if they are intended to be voiced similarly.
I have had both of these guitars. Still have the Gibson. There was very little difference in how they play, I didn't care for the veneer the epi used for the top, but that was my only quibble. It sounded great, and in my case the epi had a bit better sustain. If I didn't come into the money for the Gibson, I would have been happy to stay with the epi no problem. It was a great guitar.
This reminded me of how much I really miss those good days when there was a new video available starting with "Greetings, I'm Chappers." "And I'm the Captain."
Great vid as always. BTW. you guys have NEVER tested the Gibson vs Epiphone Les Paul Custom Black Beauties. Would be really great if one day you do a comparison on those. Cheers.
Chap is pretending he doesn't know which one is Gibson while you literally can smell the difference 😅 Also, the nitro finish has a different feeling compared to polyurethane
I think Rob could come immediately feel which one was the Epiphone based on the difference in feel between nitro lacquer vs what's on the Epiphone. I think this was a good test but you would have to sand the necks down for Rob to not be able to tell. With that said it could have been the pickups too. Pickups in most of the epiphones I've owned or played doesn't sound quite as full as Gibson pickups... but some models are getting closer...
I just bought the Epi les paul 50s a few weeks ago. It just convinced me in the store and I just couldn't justify the price of a Gibson. Great Guitar with an incredible value! Greetings from germany!
Through my studio monitors the Gibson sounds a whole lot better than the Epi. And I do like epiphones I just think they are cheapening out on pickups because they use to sound much better.
I've tried it. It gets close, but somehow something's still missing. Don't know if it's just bias or what, but my actual Gibson still sounds better even tho I put Classic 57 plus on the Epi
I have had the 60's epiphone for a few years now and have a Seymour Duncan in the bridge, it's a great guitar. Once you play them in and in my case dress the frets ever so slightly, it's a smooth playing guitar
Just bought an Alex Lifeson Epiphone Les Paul. A work of art. Great neck, Maple veneer and top-of-the-line hardware. Only thing is it weighs a ton! Best buy I ever made
Cool blindfold idea: take 3 expensive guitars and set them up poorly , then take 3 cheaper guitars and set them up great and see if the expensive guitars can still be noticeable.
This is a great idea
This idea needs to be higher.
And play them through a line 6 spider mark 1 lol
@@jameseverall 🤣🤣
@timjenkins502 it's true though man. Dave Simpson turns this 'expensive guitar, expensive valve amp' snobbery completely on its arse. The better you get as a player, tbe better you get your equipment to sound.
Man, that Epiphone burst looks and sounds absolutely amazing. But then again, for just 2000 bucks extra you get a slightly thinner layer of lacquer on the neck so it's a tough choice
Eh... did you not HEAR them too? The Gibson was whooosh bam right off the bat.
That's the feeling you get when you also hear an amazing tone, either live or in a record. Very small, but it's there.
To be honest, Gibson sounded a lot better. This is coming from a guy who ll never dish out that money for Gibson.
Agreed. Gibsons always have a wider more dynamic range of expression. I'm happy I got my Gibson LP back in 2014. I found a NOS leftover for just $1400 because they were trying to push the robot tuners on everyone for 2015. Mine has the same pickup set as the Custom for that year. Phenomenal dynamic range. Nowadays I'm seeing Epiphones higher than my Gibson was from 10 years ago.
Gibson and Epi Les Paul's have always sounded different and its part of the strategy. Switch the tone pots and put some Lollars in there and you have a Gibson with an Epiphone logo. They will always sound different stock and that is by design.
@devDarkest yeah they sound slightly different. It's a similar base tone, sort of like looking at a photo of the same landscape, one photo taken on a cloudy day and the other on a sunny day.... also the nitro vs urethane feels and ages differently, which is actually cool because now you can have either. To me, there's almost no comparison when you think of the natural accoustic ring, frequencies and clarity you get from the Gibsons. But also... that Epiphone is only $600 or so. That's one kickass price for a very good Les Paul.
I’m always amazed at how well the Anderton’s crew can play blindfolded.
anybody can after a few months... np
@@keshermedia exactly. I started playing 3 months ago and Im already as good as any Rock star. Its not that difficult there is only, what 5 or 6 strings, 7 or 8 chords, easy.
@@keshermediaI’ve been playing for a while, not a long time but more than a couple years and yes just playing guitar without being able to see isn’t very hard after you get a little experience. But what they do really well and can be really hard is playing while moving around the fretboard and staying in the same key lol.
You may start in A minor at the 5th fret and go to slide up to the 12 fret and you miss by a fret or two and end up playing in Ab or E#. Of course you can hear it and adjust your position up or down but they usually are able to do it without messing up and having to adjust. Like I said, I’m not an amazing player and it’s probably a lot easier for people who are, which is kind of the whole point of the original comment. 👍🏻👍🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻
@@alexsmart5452lmao bro I can promise you , you aren’t even close to any rock star .
@@terrorizedmars8922 Learn to spot obvious sarcasm.
I think it's important to note - when the differences are this small in isolation, imagine how small they will be in a mix. Like at the end of the day it's wood and metal - it's a guitar with humbuckers in it - are any of these differences ever gonna be that noticeable in any relevant context beyond a/b testing ? To me they both sounded like *guitars* and what's not to love about that
It's important for people to justify to themselves when they spend more money than they needed to on a guitar that sounds the same as one 1/10 of the price
@@iamme625You could just as easily say that people justify not working harder and saving up for the guitar they really want, by saying the cheap version is just as good.
And to the OP: are you listening to this on a phone speaker? Because the difference in sound is very clear.
@@knowwhey7559Blind tests show the first one is right
What would make the difference is how great something feels to play. IOt will show in your playing in the music.
Yeah the big difference is the pickups. The probuckers are paf recreations. Where as the burstbuckers are modern more high output than a paf based humbucker.
This video brings back some nostalgia. :D
nostalgia isn't what it used to be.
As soon as Gibson gives us a new LP smell cologne, we can have fair and balanced blindfolded challenges.
They would also need to start using poly. That plasticity feel on the Epiphones is unmistakable.
Gibson guitars smell like carmex lip balm. Just polish the epiphone in carmex before the blindfold test and he’ll never smell the difference.
I just received a custom made tele body that was finished in nitro. It's all I can smell in my office. I'd wear that as a cologne
The way Gibson market to old men I'm surprised that hasn't happened yet.
That would be a smart business decision, so they're never gonna do it. They'll keep peddling $50,000 reissues and guitar NFTs.
I see chappers, I see blind fold challenge, I click 🤷♂️
I do the opposite....
@@TurfShifter yet here you are lol
You’re a fool.
I do the opposite as well. I literally came to the comment section solely to say that. I did not watch nor will I watch the video.
@@michaelrains64295 you guys are so edgy
Hi, Lee and Rob!!! I ABSOLUTELY MISSED YOUR COLLABORATIONS!!!!!!!!!! THANK YOU FOR THIS!!!!!!!!!!
I'd love it when Slash himself came to Andertons to meet the Captain and wasn't allowed to play his own lick.
Fortunately he hates that song, but Axl made him turn a picking exercise into a full song.
Theres an acoustic set he did with Myles Kennedy and someone requested Sweet Child and he seemed genuienly happy to play it. It was kinda heartwarming@@althejazzman
@@althejazzman hweworked it out ithe chord arrangement with Izzy
@@newkurosawa you mean the D-C-G? Kidding
Pretty sure axl made slash and the rest sign their rights away…
Nice to see Rob back and you old palls bonding again , after all it was Rob who started your journey on youtube Captain.
Isn't it just swell!?
Another Rob and Chappers blindfold video, I’m like a kid on Christmas morning! Thanks guys
I needed a little Captain and Chappers in my day!
The best thing about this was hearing some classic Dorje riffs! So good.
Awesome when Rob and the Captain do a video the OGs of reviewing gear on UA-cam!!
The thing to remember here is that Rob made his decision on which was which, not by the sound, but the feel of the fret ends, the neck gloss, and the tuners, together with what must be the unmistakable nitro smell.
It’s sometimes presented as ‘can you detect the quality’ when the reality is it’s actually ‘can you detect the known differences in spec that will feel or smell differently’.
Did you even watch the video? He said repeatedly that the Gibson sounded better
well he is a guitar builder. that's how a guitar builder will detect. and honestly it's a more wholistic approach. it's not just sound for us players. it's also about feel of the instrument.
I have my nose exactly between my Gibson and Epiphone Flying V and I can't smell the Gibson from more than 30 cm or so, much closer than I'd hold it to play. But feel of the finish I would instantly know, touching the body. The one that feels strong like glass is the Epiphone, the one that feels fragile is the nitro.
Necks would be obvious one is 58 neck the other 60s. Frets are the same but the Epiphone is a very nice one, made in Korea with very fancy pickups and electronics.
Nah you can tell his reaction at 10:18 That's a $2,000+ dollar feeling right there, if its worth it to you. The Epiphone can never give you that. And I say that as a guy who has both, Gibsons on stage, Epiphone everywhere else.
@@djjazzyjeff1232 2000€ feel is just a really well made guitar it's not by price necessarily. I have a Gibson which is wonderful but it is no better than my Epiphone 58 V, which has frets as good as any. Pups were aweful but Tonerider AC2 and now it sounds better than the Gibson, which will receive the same pups. I have an Indonesian made LTD Les Paul, I got it cheap but it was 700 bucks I think. It feels like two grand. You hold it and in one second you just know. This is a good one. Don't matter what the price tag says if the fretwork, neck feel, electronics, pups, sunburst, hardware and everything else is perfect.
From the same factory (Cort Indonesia, they make Ibanez too and some others) I have a Les Paul which cost 370€. Came with EMG FAT 55 pups. It feels exactly like a 3 grand guitar. It's so well made, sounds so good. Even really wonderful knock off Schaller locking tuners. I tell people it cost more than the Gibson and no one doubts it. Not a famous brand so they just assume it's a boutique Les Paul, which I would too.
There was a really bad time for Epiphone, after they stopped making them in Korea and moved they began to be quite bad. Mine is a 2005 Made in Korea 58 Flying V. I wouldn't trade it for a Gibson (okay maybe the Custom shop 10 grand 58 V haha) it's mine and I love it. The pickups are so good I'm selling all my Gibson, Seymour and DiMarzios, since they're half the price and sound as good as Custombuckers. Burstbuckers are not as good though they are fantastic but the price... for a hunk of cheap as dirt alnico, 3 bucks in copper and a few bits and pieces. Name brand pups are such a rip off, go for mass produced boutique stuff. I wouldn't trade it for a real set of PAFs. Unless I can sell them buy 100 sets of AC2 and a 50s Les Paul. I would love one but 3 grand and it doesn't feel better than my other great guitars. The labour just cost a lot more. Skill is skill. If it's employed by Gibson or Epiphone, I don't care as long as the guitar is perfect.
Don't get me wrong there are aweful Epiphones but made in Korea and modern "Inspired by Gibson".
And they are better because they have polyurethane finish!!!! Nitro is antiquated and not near as durable. I have to lay a cloth over my Gibson because the swear already is eating the nitro. It's a huge pain. In theory it's easier to repair but you repair and you loose half the value so may as well do poly. You can spray it thin and matte or medium gloss. Damn near impossible to differentiate other than smell. I don't know why they coat the poly guitars so thick. I do woodwork and you can go thin with poly, like a film. I do it all the time on model ships, 3 mm of lacquer wouldn't be too scale. I spray a thin film of medium gloss and polish it. I'm willing to bet most people couldn't tell if they don't smell it. You can do thick and glossy nitro like poly and thin and matte poly like nitro... only in guitars is it still used because of sentimentality. But I like my guitars to last. My Epi and G are the same age. One looks new the other does not. Guess which... I love the Gibson but it stays at home, warm and cozy and nice and humid. I'm not taking it out into that dry air!!! And forget leaving it in the sun or sudden temperature changes...
Recently tried out the Adam Jones Epiphone non-art Les Paul (£1500) and I loved it. At the same time I tried a Gibson Les Paul Tribute (£1200). The discussion with my mate after went something along the lines that the Gibson was nice but I'd only be buying it because it's a Gibson in my price range. The Epiphone, however, was the type of instrument that felt good and got me excited and I wanted to buy it because of how it felt to play and how it sounded.
Value is what we assign and I'm more likely to spend more if it feels and sounds good as opposed to buy the brand
I bought the Aj (non art) 1979 that you tried, not with any reservations, given the price.. and I have to say it's crazy! I almost abandoned my 1998 Les Paul Gibson Standard.
Love these videos, guys. I thought maybe the fret nibs would give it away but we shall see...
I put Bareknuckle mules on a mate's Epiphone Les Paul. The transformation in tone was extraordinary.
For a blind sound testing, record them and then try hear the difference. However, a guitar is also about feel so it is important to not only hear the guitar but feel it too. Love this kind of testing fun.
Good to see Rob and Lee back together again. Haven't lost the connection you two have when presenting. Also, I have the epiphone modern in burgandy, what a guitar. Bought it to mod actually, about two years ago. Still haven't touched it. Sounds great the way it is, leaving it alone. I also own a 60'S LP Standard and apart from the looks, I honestly cannot pick one from the other as a favourite. Both awesome guitars. I wish epiphone would bring out some more of their own designs again since they uped the quality. I know they have a couple out there. But the double cut would be a great place to start.
Love to see Chappers and The Captain at their games again. Excellent.
LOVE IT..... THE BEST PAIR OF GUYS TO WATCH AT ANDERTONS EVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hearing Rob playing Dorje riffs on an epiphone LP reminded me so much of being sat in my bedroom as a kid with my Epiphone trying to learn Dorje songs.
The boys are back!! When these two are together they make the best videos because they are just funny together. ☮️❤️🎸
This is why I will always go Epiphone. I work hard for my money.
I could watch the Captain and Chappers all day
Love how honest you guys are, given that your job is to literally sell guitars. Awesome stuff. 👌
I think Rob knew straight away that he holds real deal the Gibson, smell, nitro, sustain. He has amazing pair of ears and tons of experience with guitars so he knew from when first guitar landed on his lap.
Still enjoyable to watch, I love these guys:)
i would agree... as an advanced player, there is a feel thing that is inescapable... even blindfolded, and fresh out of the box, a 400 dollar guitar compared to a 2500 dollar one should "feel" obvious (fret material, intonation,overasll setup, tuning stability, etc). Now of course an exception would be running a test like this after a "pro setup /dressing, etc) -A good setup and a couple tweaks, can make "cheap" guitars play and sound way better than expensive guitars. fact.
Whatever makes you think it's worth putting that much money into a guitar makes you happy. I mean, they've had a hard time picking out the really expensive custom shop ones in many blind tests before.
Sustain? Sustain depends on string tension, gauge, weight of guitar and interface between strings and guitars. It's coupled vibrations, the guitar dampening the string vibration. Lighter guitar has more sustain. Yet these things are all identical.
Missed these so much! Love it when you guys do these... so fun!
Great review, as ever, gentlemen
Rob Chappers!!! We love this.
Great seeing you guys together again!
Always love seeing the two of you in these videos.
I feel like Chappers needs to have a Les Paul phase now, because damn that sounded good in his hands.
Love these kinds of tests! And the new 'Do looks Chaptastic.
It was about time to see a video with someone else than Lee & Pete... A time ago some.people commented that L&P were the perfect match,, and haven't seen anyone else anymore.... Glad to see the good old Chappers !!!
I have 11 Les Paul's. 10 are Gibson, one is an Epiphone Custom Les Paul. The fit and finish of the Epiphone is excellent, but I didn't like the tone. So I replaced all the electronics. 50's wiring, no PCB, and nice 3rd party boutique pickups. Now it sounds, generally, as good as my Gibson's. When I take it out certain places, it sounds really good, and if it gets bumped, it's not as bothersome.
They both sound amazing
I love all these shootouts of whatever you guys do. I can binge on these videos all afternoon long! I wouldn't part with my 2016 LP Standard even at gunpoint. It was the first year Gibson came to their senses got their shit together and started getting serious about their guitars QC and especially the LP again...
I'd say both are great instruments. I still feel the Gibson wins for me 😊
Yeah the tone was a lot better. More clarity, more texture.
I have a 59 Epiphany Les Paul and it is a great great guitar. Looks great, sounds great, plays great.
I have a Gibson Les Paul Tobacco Burst 50's and I also have the Epiphone 59 and the 59 is no slouch
9:59 is a perfect example of what made us all fall in love with these pieces of wood
I actually bought an Epiphone LP Plus Top Pro after you guys reviewed it years ago, and I never regretted it. Luvs my Epiphone LP
Hotdog!!! Bring it on!! Love these videos so much!!!
It's always reassuring to see an old gentleman who is well versed in Rock and Blues playing. He nailed it with his analysis pointing pointing out the similarities and the subtle differences. I enjoyed the second pass on both guitars.
This is the worst comment I've ever read
Rob's 48, hardly old
@@leemeyer7629 hmm well there was no intent to make anyone feel bad.
@@Niteratzclubthe worst ever? He is a gifted and talented guitarist and a friendly chap.
Great stuff! :)
It's too bad we didn't hear...what they sounded like...CLEAN.
As a long time fan, ive never clicked on skmething so fast, yall are si entertaining and inspiring
The feel is very different between the 2. It’s easy to pick out. A real test would be if Captain is playing it and Chap was blindfolded trying to identify which was which.
Agree 100%
That's a great idea!
For me the nitro feel vs the poly and the fret nibs vs the nickel frets on the edge would give it away.
Yeah but you're probably a Les Paul guy. Chappers said he doesn't play LPs, so maybe that's why he wasn't feeling/looking for that little detail...
@@emartinezrchappers absolutely plays a les paul. You couldn't be more wrong.
Nitro feels different straight away, for sure
@@johnelcanrab21144:27 he says he's not a les paul player.Your totally wrong.
Brings me back to high school sitting in my spanish class binge watching these
If epiphone wants to be perceived as a higher quality guitar, then put effort into the frets to make them feel nicer, and also use rosewood again.
I had an Epi standard pro, was great actually! Just the slim taper wasnt my thing. But tried one of the 50's, and didnt like it very much. Was ok, but nothing thta made me want to get it.
Spot on, the Epiphone fretwork lottery........
@@TheRafared Yep, and thats also why I love my PRS SE as much or almost as much as I like my Core models.
Love a video with Chappers and the Captain 👍 minor thing, please move the db meter from behind the greenery 😂
Shrubbery! 😂
I have a 99 epiphone made in korea ltd ed and i noticed the new epis neck is more flush with the neck pickup housing. mine looks to be about 2mm or so higher. i raised the tailpiece up about 1/4" and it feels better. its all stock and sounds killer but its bright. thinking about sticking a homemade treble bleed mod on the tone knob, it cuts it down to sound nice n creamy. it does have orange caps on it and 500k pots all around.
The Gap between how a cheap guitar sounds and how an expensive guitar sounds is becoming smaller every year.
And that's fantastic, because there's so many great quality options for a new player to get started with.
Well that's because this isn't a realistic comparison of a cheap guitar with an expensive one. Epiphone are not a cheap guitar brand any more and Gibson are only expensive because of middle-aged boomers buying the brand - they're not using any of that extra money to make the guitar any better. You can easily tell the difference between a high quality musical instrument and a cheap one - Gibson don't make musical instruments - they make guitar furniture for old men to look at and maybe (like Lee) occasionally bend the G string at the 7th fret and think to themselves "I wish I could play the guitar" - you know 50 years ago the coolest guy on the planet was a guy wearing a black jump suit playing a Gibson Les Paul call James Patrick Page. Today he sits in his house and runs out shouting at lorries that come past that the vibrations will make his house fall down and trying to stop Robbie Williams building a swimming pool. The instrument couldn't be less cool now if they made Anne Widdecombe a Gibson signature artist (and in giving Rick Beato a signature Gibson they more or less have)
Nice to see Rob doing what he does best
Was the blindfold sound effect at the start lifted from the old Amiga game "The Chaos Engine"?
Another great Andertons video. Any chance you could do a cheap v expensive guitar that have both been plekd?
Yay～I like Rob and the Captain ！！ This guys jam is very cool ！ Thank you.
I'd Love to see you guys do this challenge but swap the pickups out to be the same on both guitars regardless of price...i'd be happy to throw in for some pickups :) Love the videos as always chaps!
Can you do this with the Slash models and see if it's a noticeable difference?
His comparison of the pickups was spot on
when I hear this, I am happy I made the right choice with my two Epiphone LPs and did not use a lot of money for a Gibson LP, since I was not able to do a real comparison like this myself. I once bought a Gibson SG special faded for under 1000 € I think i could have also chosen the Epiphone Counterpart. Or does anyone have experienced if the Gibson 490 and 498T Humbuckers are better than the Epi ones? Do the Epiphone SGs even have similar pickups?
Since your remaking videos, I'd love to see a remake of the Fender Machete review. Is it still amazing?
I can smell this video even before it's done loading
I’m an experienced Gibson owner. There is a difference, especially long term (my R7 I bought new in 2010 and it’s aging well playability and tone wise). That being said Epiphone has upped its game and much like the new higher end PRS SE line (own a SE McCarty 594 too) they are well worth the money.
The first Andertons video I ever watched, ( back on Robs channel ) was an Epiphone Vs Gibson challenge, nice to see it back 😊
Funny to see robs playing is exactly the same as it was in the first blindfold video 😅
would like to see a remake of the fender strat video where rebrea picked from squire to custom shop fender
Does anybody know the riff Rob plays at 11.48? he's played it for years but I cant find where its from. Cheers
Woooooooooo i looooove these, and the two OG's too.
👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏
that epic really wails guys, loved the vid ,m.
I think it’s worth noting that the two also use different magnets; Alnico II in the Epiphone, Alnico V in the Gibson. I tend one of each, and I love both, but they are always going to sound different even if they are intended to be voiced similarly.
It would be a tall order, for sure, but this same test trying both the Gibson and Epiphone versions of Greeny would be VERY VERY interesting.
I have had both of these guitars. Still have the Gibson. There was very little difference in how they play, I didn't care for the veneer the epi used for the top, but that was my only quibble. It sounded great, and in my case the epi had a bit better sustain. If I didn't come into the money for the Gibson, I would have been happy to stay with the epi no problem. It was a great guitar.
This reminded me of how much I really miss those good days when there was a new video available starting with "Greetings, I'm Chappers." "And I'm the Captain."
Is the binding over the fret not a huge giveaway in feel? I know I can feel that on my Gibbo whilst playing.
What was the song choppers played on the Gibson?
Great vid as always. BTW. you guys have NEVER tested the Gibson vs Epiphone Les Paul Custom Black Beauties. Would be really great if one day you do a comparison on those. Cheers.
Interesting pickup comment.
I have owned both, I own a 50s standard.
All I've owned have been great guitars.
Be great if you'd do a similar test, but swop out the Epiphone pickups for Gibson, or better yet, Lollar ones.
Chap is pretending he doesn't know which one is Gibson while you literally can smell the difference 😅 Also, the nitro finish has a different feeling compared to polyurethane
What song is the lick from at 3:43 ?
ZZ Top ?
It‘s „just got paid today“ from ZZ Top. Joe Bonamassa does a great cover. ua-cam.com/video/0ThfM81Y0ng/v-deo.htmlsi=E7oyHHc6ShQPM_8w
Chappers, blindfold, YES PLEASE!
Great video, thanks
I think Rob could come immediately feel which one was the Epiphone based on the difference in feel between nitro lacquer vs what's on the Epiphone. I think this was a good test but you would have to sand the necks down for Rob to not be able to tell. With that said it could have been the pickups too. Pickups in most of the epiphones I've owned or played doesn't sound quite as full as Gibson pickups... but some models are getting closer...
I just bought the Epi les paul 50s a few weeks ago. It just convinced me in the store and I just couldn't justify the price of a Gibson. Great Guitar with an incredible value!
Greetings from germany!
Both guitars was very cool robs fingers was awsome
Through my studio monitors the Gibson sounds a whole lot better than the Epi. And I do like epiphones I just think they are cheapening out on pickups because they use to sound much better.
ammm… what about the binding? 😯
Would be interesting to hear Epi with same pickups as Gibson.
Just put gibson pickups in the epi, everyone saves all the money
@@ClarenceCRazorit’s not just pickups.
@@kenthhamner2641 yes because wood makes a difference in an ELECTRIC guitar
I've tried it. It gets close, but somehow something's still missing. Don't know if it's just bias or what, but my actual Gibson still sounds better even tho I put Classic 57 plus on the Epi
@@EthanRom Could be the pots?
Always great to watch you shred. I keep getting distracted so I can’t play❤
I've always wanted to see if Rob can determine which guitar is which by taste alone
Yeah, that was fun. But now please do the same with one of the new 1+k Epis with the Gibson Pickups.
They sound great....
What a great outro jam
The wry smile when he felt the fret ends of the Epiphone… dead give away before he even played it
The Epiphone sounded fantastic, kept up with the Gibson & looks beautiful.
I have had the 60's epiphone for a few years now and have a Seymour Duncan in the bridge, it's a great guitar. Once you play them in and in my case dress the frets ever so slightly, it's a smooth playing guitar
Just bought an Alex Lifeson Epiphone Les Paul. A work of art. Great neck, Maple veneer and top-of-the-line hardware. Only thing is it weighs a ton! Best buy I ever made
How is the actual weight in kg?