Marty can You please do a lesson of Jungle by Jimi Hendrix form the album 'Both Sides of the Sky' I really want to learn it but I can't find any lessons or a good tab anywhere
@@Stanley_Vandelake 500 you can get a mia fender. Thats 1000 bucks and you will have 1000 bucks left. With gibson you will pay for the name, just saw the andertons blindfolded test and they thought the epiphone was the gibson and they also said it isn't worth the difference.
Just avoid newer gibsons. Basically everything after 1959. Epiphones did get better. The 80s something gibsons were pretty good though and maybe some of the 90s. Everything else, hit and miss. Some contemporary epiphones I'd take over the gibson. That is disgusting for such and expensive brand. I am sure that they did make even more money, easier with the epiphone brand...who knows. They had money problems, wood problems. Personality problems. Logo problems. Tuner fascist problems...Gibson. Could slap lol after gibson.
@@81giorikas It's quite simple... Just try a guitar before you buy it. That's what you're supposed to do anyway. There still are some good Gibsons, and even before the 2000s some of them sucked. What does suck about Gibson is their quality control and prices... Buy a second hand one and there's no issue anymore.
I don't make a lot of money. But let me tell you this.... saving your money, being patient, and getting the real deal Gibson is not only worth it, but the feeling you will get when you do buy it, and every single time you play it goes beyond words. Because you did take the time to save, and truly earn it. You'll cherish it forever, and pass it down for generations to come. The cheap copy will always be that. No real satisfaction, but always knowing you cheeped out. People can hear the difference. I did. I can't live with that. I will save my money, and one day, like I did for my Cobra stang, I'll have me a Gibson Les Paul, and drive around with it in my Cobra! ;) You get so much from saving. More then what your actually buying. It's what you get inside.
@@starbattles1 I'll tell ya you are so right. I'm 50 years old and wanted a Gibson Les Paul since I was 14. I finally but the bullet and bought one. I have an epiphone standard and love it. But I'm telling you the Gibson hands down plays so much nicer and smoother. Definitely no buyers remorse. Well worth every penny spent.
I owned an Epiphone Les Paul until 2004 , I then purchased a Gibson Les Paul and was very disappointed , particularly with the build. The Epiphone was far superior. I have recently purchased an Epiphone 335 and I am very impressed with it. To my mind Gibson are way over priced , yes they are nice guitars but so are Epiphone and a lot more wallet friendly
Except the inherent design flaw of the les Paul which makes the g string constantly go out of tune, even the very best ones. The sound of them is amazing and unique though
I saw Thom Yorke play street spirit on the Epiphone LP at Glastonbury 2017 (look it up) and if it’s good enough for Radiohead @ Glastonbury then I think it will do for me in my bedroom.
Everybody knows that audiences would never be able to tell a sound difference between the two. Expensive guitars are luxury items mostly to show off like cars. An ace player could make any guitar sound great within reason...
Your are right a good musician can make any Guitar sound good , Some people would argue and others would not put as much effort in their playing when using a low cost guitar just try and prove their US made Gibson is better then they Asian made one . They are both Gibson's so why compare , If Epiphone was not Gibson they would no longer be in business because they would be betting sued for using the Gibson trade mark and name .
I like the way Marty switches quickly between guitars so your memory of the previous guitar is not forgotten. Much easier to compare guitars than with other you-tubers who ramble on between guitars so you forgot what the previous one sounded like. This is what video editing can do and should be used more! :)
well...that would be good advice if the folks who bought guitars actually could play these guitars, but my experience in fretted instrument repair tells me that only 1 out of 20 guitar owners can even sort of play guitar. So having an expensive guitar hanging on the wall might be better than having an economy guitar hanging on the wall. Here is a test: Strum "Happy Birthday" in the key of C#. I will help; it is a I;V;I IV progression. Truth is, most guitar buyers couldn't even do that. It is like a bunch of guys buying unicycles and hangin' em on the wall but none of em can really ride the damn thang. Most folks need a Squier and some REAL guitar lessons.
This is a great point. Gotta play em first, there's a huge difference between guitars of the same make and model much less different brands altogether. Also I'm surprised Marty shops at Guitar Center, he strikes me as a locally owned music store kind of guy. I just demoted him from Really Awesome Guy to Mostly Awesome Guy.
Exactly. I've played on some really expensive guitars that sound like crap TO ME and really affordable ones that sound amazing and vice versa. My buddy has about 30+ guitars. Some sound like pure crap...but on certain songs they sound amazing. Just depends on what you're going for. Buy for the tone, not the name brand. I can guarantee you the pro's will tell you the same thing. So many people hate Jackson guitars but Children Of Bodom used them for a long time and they sounded dope. BUY FOR TONE.
I don’t think this is a fair comparison. You’d need an Epiphone Standard vs a Gibson Standard (or another model with equivalents like Slash LP from both brands) with similar specs to get the best idea how they compare. Taking a high end Gibson Standard vs. a mid-priced Epi with different specs doesn’t really give the Epiphone a chance.
If you want a really good comparison channel check out the guitaristas channel. Colin checks out like for like and strips them down as well as play them.
I'm a proud owner of a Epiphone Les Paul,I love it,but it's no Gibson !! I can afford a Gibson but I'm not gonna spend 3000 buks ,I have kids to spend on. Got my epi for 500 ,the end.
I agree with reasonable statements like,....."I Love it, but it's no Gibson" But people that act like there is this other worldly, huge difference are not being genuine. Like you said , you love your Epiphone Les Paul. That means that something could be better but there is no reasonable or logical way for it to be very significant and would lean towards subtle, at best.
Should have just went new mim fender strat or mia used ... It might be a little more but then at that point at least your instrument will hold at least a little bit of value over the years.
@@wandamiancrucifixplate568 I have been playing for 36 years and I have never viewed a guitar as an investment....This is always people's argument against taking something like a 350 dollar Epiphone Les Paul and putting 150 - 200 dollars in it for upgrades. My contention is that in this scenario, I now have a 550.00 guitar that is likely better than any other guitar in that price range and potentially more in line with 1,000.00 dollar guitars. I own 4 different Epiphone Les Paul models and I have spent money on all of them ranging from 50.00 to 200.00 and they all play as good and sound as good as my boutique guitars. In fact my favorite looking, playing and sounding guitar of all in my collection is an Epiphone Les Paul Standard...I put an aftermarket bridge and nut on the guitar. I have 695.00 in the guitar. It is a phenomenal guitar and I am not going to sell it. I haven't sold any guitar that I have made into a great guitar.
Holy shit hearing the two together the difference at least to me is insane the Gibson sounds amazing the epi still sounds great but putting the Gibson next to it blew me outta the water. I’m still buying the epi cuz I’m broke lmfao
Think this is the epi Standard. Spend a but more and get one with the pro buckers and it'll be closer. If you can firk out and get thw tribute it'll have the same pickups as the gibson and very close in build quality.
Forty year session player here……I’d rather hear a good player on a ‘cheap’ guitar than a bad player on and ‘expensive’ guitar. Buy the cheapest Epi you can, have it set up good and you’ll be a happy camper. Then, take lessons! Learn to read, learn theory and your little Epi will make you smile! I’ve got around 25 guitars…..my absolute favorite is my epi LP I’ve had since 1994. Tone is in your fingers, not your wallet.
@@charlesbronson2104 I would say that, but when there are thousands of other guitars that produce the same sound, or even better, you should think about buying the gibson one more time. I personally love this guitar, its shape, its rocky sound, but there are quite a few honest opponents...
I have a Custom Shop Black Beauty that is just a special guitar. The look, the feel and the sound are exquisite! I also have a Jimmy Page No. 1 that is amazing. Worth the money
I have a Gibson Les Paul Standard and an Epiphone Les Paul 1960 Tribute Plus. I love my Gibby, but the Epi is my go to. I use it for gigs all the time and it jams!
I think the epi is a wonderful guitar for the price, I myself have a epi explorer and it's a great guitar, it plays wonderfully. But listening to it back to back with that gibson. wow. Just... That gibson sounds crazy good. the tones were so warm and full, and crunchy at the same time... Love it. One day man.
I might be in the minority, and that’s ok because we all have different tastes, but I felt like the epiphone sounded wayyyy cooler. It was darker, way less round, less gain, and more mids. I’m not knocking the superior quality Gibson, but for the music I play, mixed with my 70’s ampeg tube amp, Sometimes with a fuzz when needed, I’m going for the epiphone
You can change the pickups and caps in a guitar to get the sound you want. There are probably 50 people in the world that could tell the difference in the wood of an electric guitar lol
I feel like the epiphone has way cooler in clean tones, it kinda feels like a strat, sure, it does well on o.d, but it's better clean, meanwhile the Gibson gives you a crunchier sound with o.d, but isn't as good in clean, the Gibson is more to be played with high distortion, I feel like a real heavy fuzz would give it just the tone
Hey man, I remember watching your videos during your golden years. Good to find myself watching another one of your vids since my interest has peaked again over 10 years later. Keep rocking
Many will hate the Gibson Les Paul because of the price tag but it truly is a wonderful instrument. It's true, the Gibson variant definitely does not cost a couple thousand dollars to manufacture but its name and body shape are simply just iconic. The guitar has a short yet rich history, it's headstock has been passed down to many guitarists over many years. Legendary musicians have played it, hard workers have played it, the people with passion for music have played it etc. The Gibson name is unarguably one of the biggest names in music and definitely one of the most prestigious. You work endless shifts to buy the instrument and once it's finally in your hands, you have no regrets. Yes, it's a real, legitimate Gibson made in a Gibson factory. Then there comes that feeling where you won't need to buy another guitar for a while, because this single instrument is valuable enough to become a family heirloom and good enough to last you decades. Dust will rise, sweat will pour and blood will fall, this instrument will become a part of you and you won't ever stop looking at it or coming back to it.
I'm with you man. After working 70 hours a week, seeing the name Gibson on the case and on the headstock reminds me of all my hard work. I earned this guitar. I've worked my ass off for everything I have. One time I had enough to buy an actual Gibson, did it. Never looked back.
My Korean made Epiphone Les Paul Standard (2002) is a much superior guitar in tone and feel, and build quality compared to my Gibson Les Paul Studio (1995).
At least I'm not the only person who thought the Gibson was more jangly, ringy, and crisp, that said the Epi was more full and warm sounding. Could be strings but Marty likely has the same strings on each....but he didn't say. PS I an't Marty and never will be. Thanks Marty
Even though they look similar in the first glance, both guitars are made to provide different sounds. The different pickups is what makes them sound different- mostly.
Its pretty simple: Money's no issue and you want a finely crafted guitar with a great sound? Get a Gibson. Money's a bit of an issue and you want a good guitar with great sound? Get a Epiphone and put Gibson/SD Pickups in it Money's tight and you want a good guitar with good sound? Get a Epiphone.
xMaoxoaMx there not impossible to find. In seconds I found tokai love rock on reverb.com or the top guitars.com in the $500 range to 1,000. You can still pay $800 or more for Epiphone w real Gibson pickups
I would buy the Epiphone, change out the pickups, pots and caps for under $500, it would sound every bit as good as the Gibson and I would still be ahead by a cool $2000. It’s a no brainer. The other alternative would be to buy an MIJ Epiphone which is every bit as good as a Gibson.
It's a good thing to do if you're comfortable with the playability and feel of the Epi, i bought my Gibson a while ago and ended up selling the Epiphone i had because of it... Also, to me polyurethane finished guitars look plastic-ish and don't age as well as the nitro finished... That being said, it's good to mention that to change the pots you have to drill the wholes wider because the chinese made guitars use metric system pots
I have an older Gibson, and as an older person I tend to hang on to guitars. I bought an Epi with the intent of modifying it. My Gibson is a better guitar, but I’m not too comfortable screwing around with my higher end instruments. That being said, I love my Epi. Slap different electronics, hardware, whatever you want, and since it has no real resale value, you can really make it yours.
@@DrCatacus Yeah, I think you'd be foolish to mod a Gibson, unless you had all kinds of money and were a Grade AAA performer, because as soon as you change the durables (as opposed to strings), you're bringing down the value.
Robert Sprawls That’s it. I wouldn’t dare screw a pickup into my classic Martins and Gibson’s. Martin has some really nice acoustics in the $600 range though. I’m just an old guy who was rejected by The Beatles, and all of a sudden my stuff had value.
i actually bought an epiphone les paul as my first guitar for $360. what was cool about it was that it had gibson burstbucker pros when i got it. amazing sound.
The best Epiphone Les Pauls to buy are the Joe Bonamassa lmtd editions , the Slash lmtd editions, the Joe Perry bone yard or the Tributes. They all have improved wiring, switches and American made pick ups. These are the ones that sound much much better 👍
I agree completely. Try this demo with an Epiphone 1960 LP Tribute. I own a Gibson 2013 Standard with Burstbuckers and I own two Epi Tributes with Gibson Classic 57 pickups and the sound is as nearly the same as the Gibson LP Standard. I bought one Tribute when they first came out at $600 and a second one used (mint condition) for $500 a year later. That's a huge savings over a $3000 Gibson LP Standard.
The MKH and Bjorn Geolette Custom models have really good build quality (I'd put them a good bit over a prophecy, slightly better than a 60s tribute) if you're into the emg thing. They have ebony fingerboards, too. My mkh has had the fingerboard re radiused to 14", extra jumbo fretwire, gold hardware (including the bridge having a matching 14" radius, was also a roller bridge) gold emg 81-60's (as opposed to the black 81-85's), a bone nut, and I modded the knobs to be dime traction knobs. Soon to get gold tuners, and gold jackplate. It almost plays itself. It might rebind the fingerboard to have nibs, and refinish it in nitro, as well. Wanted to finish it white, anyways..
Rickholly74 I traded my 1960 Epi Tribute with ‘57 Classics for a Gibson 70’s Tribute and I had the Epi set up with a bone nut at the Herb David shop in Ann Arbor too. Something about covering wood with plastic (poly) just kills the vibration of the instrument and the Gibson sounds miles better, even though the guitars were similarly priced
Are the stock pickups a big contribution to sound difference? If you put better pickups in an Epiphone and worked on the truss rod/action, would it make a difference? Or would the Gibson still be miles ahead?
I put 57 Classic pickups in my Epiphone ES 339. It sounds amazing and plays like a dream. I just can't justify 3000 dollars for a guitar that sounds slightly different. If I spend that it will be on a hand made boutique brand.
You mean like a Gibson? Until you've owned one, you don't truly know what you've got. I used to feel the same, then I bought a gibson les paul 60s, I have since not made a comment like yours. There's no "slight" difference in sounds hahaha that Gibson blows that epiphone away.
@@ericvaughn903 It's not that cut & dried. I've been playing for 39 years and own 3 Gibson Les Paul Standards and 4 Epiphone Les Paul Standards. I've invested extra money for the Epiphones,...Pickups, nut, and bridge. Costs between 150 - $200 The result is the Epiphones are fantastic guitars and every bit as good "tangibly" and tone-wise as my Gibsons.
@@ericvaughn903 I would put my made in Korea Epiphone les paul with up graded pups against any Gibson...spending the 3 grand is definitely not worth it. I owned many Gibson guitars and sold them all
My Epi LP Standard Pro sounds a bit muddy with the original Probucker PUs, so i changed them to Tonerider Rocksong Alnico II open coil PUs, that makes a big difference, now the sound is clearer, more defined, brighter. Love my Epi Les Paul 👍
See that's what I'm thinking is the best route to take. Instead of dropping thousands on a name brand guitar, Find a really cool guitar that fits your style with good playability, and just invest in nice pickups.
Thanks. The big difference in sound is the pick ups. I got hold of a used Epiphone Les Paul 1960 Tribute Plus, which has Gibson '57 pickups, and it blows the Epi in that video away. Sadly, they stopped making them; maybe they were a bit too good, lol.
I bought an epiphone les Paul standard, spent about 500 putting Better pickups in it and upgraded tuners and electronics and it is the perfect guitar for thousands less than a Gibson
Nick Crodelle now that’s they way to do it. I just bought a Epiphone Dot Deluxe with the same plans, plus its fun to really put what you want in a guitar.
@@skeys79 ok....I hafta brag...I just picked up a 2008 Epi L.P. studio for 60 bucks at my local pawn shop. It was missing the back switch cover and right now the back pickup is reading 6 k ohms so a coil is dead. This is a nice guitar but the set-up is a w f u ll !!! The nut is factory and after adjusting the truss and bridge, the big E is .060 at fret 1 Man! i'd love to have heard the past owner strumming some open chords. It'd be worse than water-boarding. lol....Do other folks experience awful factory set-ups? especially nut height issues? Ive bought Tursers and Washburns coming out of the Seien plant in China(same factory as Epi) and they have decent factory set-ups.
I just picked up a 2016 traditional pro II in mint condition for $350 yesterday and since I am only a hobbyist musician, this is my lifetime les Paul....I love it !
Honestly I’ve played guitar nearly all my life. I still don’t feel I have the skill level to justify spending that kind of doe on a Gibson guitar. I can suck just as easily on a cheaper guitar as I can on an expensive one.
Or you can spend money on lessons, ans thats not to sound sassy! Cause i did that after playing for over 15 years. The trainer Said to me "improvise something for me" and i Froze and felt so bad, 2 months later we were jamming out! Its no shame in getting help! Good luck Brother!
@@ricktan4635 It depends what you're looking for. Right now the top Epiphone models that I would recommend are the 59 model and the prophecy series. These are top spec models with great pickups. Prophecy series will have a more slimmer neck and more modern feel and the 59 model will be a thicker neck and more of a classic look to it. Can't go wrong either way, but even just going with a cheaper used one will work great, just get it set up and if you can upgrade the pickups and you'll be good to go.
Since my early years of playing, the first Les Paul I knew was Epiphone. It was my dream to own Epiphone Standard in late 90's and it still is. As the time went by, I have purchased many expensive guitars including Gibson Les Paul. Very nice guitar and I like it very much, but the neck head angle makes it hard to keep in tune and honestly, in this comparison still wins Epiphone for me, also with it's non-aggressive sound. So, maybe I will end like you 😉 Epiphones are amazing secret weapons ❤️
Nothing beats Gibson LP, but I have Slash’s signature model Epiphone anaconda & it’s very impressive . Also modify an epiphone LP with EMG or Seymour Duncans pickups gives a very close sounding Gibson LP. Great Vid as always Marty. Thanks brother
It's cool that you're showcasing some affordable options. It can be really overwhelming when you're brand new at guitar not wanting to get the wrong thing.
I sell several brands and I have had customers tell me they like their higher end Epiphone LP, Custom Pro and on up, better than their Gibson. To say the Epi model is a learning guitar is, in my opinion, snobbery at its best, put it in a band and play it and very few people, if any, will tell the difference between the 2 brands. I owned Gibsons back when they were expensive but reasonable, now they are one of the most over priced brands on the planet, definitely not worth the thousands they want for them
@Davis Cummins Read my post I didn't say the Gibson wasn't better, although I have had customers like their Epi better, my point was that the higher end Epi LP is not a beginner guitar, that is where the snobbery comes in. Too many people are impressed with what is on the headstock rather than how the guitar plays. Some Epi's play great some not so great, and the same can be said for Gibson some great and some not so great. And is the Gibson worth a couple of grand more is what the video was about. and in my opinion for most players it is not, just an opinion, which is what the guy making the video has, his opinion
@Davis Cummins You obviously are too stupid to understand or grasp my point so I am done wasting time trying to educate you, go smoke some more dope or whatever you do to mess your brain up
@@Fretjoe You are right, most people will prefer an expensive guitar and swear it sounds better just because it is more expensive :D So the brand makes them sound better because they read "Gibson" and think "Oh, so this one is the better sounding one"
@@LZcool well it is the better sounding one honestly he’s saying an epiphone isn’t a beginners guitar and sounds just about as good which is true especially for the price you can find them at guitar center for 400-600 dollars just depending on which one
Oooh, how i wish you had compared the Epiphone 1960s Tribute Plus, as it has *Gibson USA 57 Classics* pickups, and is built to a better standard than the lower-end Gibsons. One day..... One day.....
Marty! The Mad Man from Music City himself! How are ya? Okay, I saw the thing you had up about Gibson and Epiphone Les Pauls and here's where I'm coming from: you basically have two camps, the "I've Got to Have a Gibson!" and the equally passionate "I can buy 4 high quality Epiphones for the price of a Gibson!" Ultimately the whole thing just boils down to personal preferences, financial considerations and individual goals. I can tell you this: love what you play and play what you love. Nobody knows what's better for the player than the player himself. I know that I could walk on a stage any where with my Epiphone slung on and ready to rock with no apologolies as to the brand name on the headstock, and never would.☮
marty ive been watching your videos since i was 13 years old! you rock! thanks for being such a rad guy and inspiring and helping me as well as others!
His face impressions when playing the beginning riffs on both guitars already tell the story. When he plays the Gibson les paul, he feels that amazing sound and makes those impressions to show he’s into it, where in the Epiphone he isn’t really making those impressions.
Great Video Marty ! The Epiphone sounds muddier when distorted on all pickup settings but sounds warmer at lower volume, again on all settings. An Epiphone hotted up with a set of Seymour Duncans or DiMarzios sounds a LOT better.
Here's my 2 cents from buying/selling tons of guitars. The probably $2,500 - $3,000 (maybe more) Gibson he's playing there has wayyyyyy better humbuckers on it vs. that Epiphone. But, before I drop that much for a Gibson...I'll take that $500 Epiphone and replace the humbuckers with some really nice Gibson 57 Classics or Seymour Duncan 59s (or whatever your flavor is) and then replace the plastic nut with a bone one. So, $500 for the base model Epiphone, $200 - $300 for the new pickups, and $20 for the nut puts you at $820 max total....and you'll have a guitar that sounds darn near as good (maybe even better) than that Gibson he's playing. Or....you can just buy a Epiphone Les Paul 1960s Tribute Plus that has Gibson 57 Classics stock for $850 and just replace the plastic nut. The point is, lately with Gibson your plopping down $2,000+ just for the Gibson name. Trust me, I own two of them - but mine are lesser expensive Studios that I've modified. I live by the credo - buy a solid guitar (but don't blown your wad on one) and spend your money on a damn good amplifier. That has served me damn well. Yes, Gibson's are better crafted vs Epiphone...but it's not a HUGE gap anymore...just like Marty said.
This really helped with my decision thank you! I have always wanted a Gibson Les Paul since I was a kid, but I just can't bring myself to blow $2500 on a guitar that is rumored to not be as good in terms of quality as it was back in the day. Upgrading an Epiphone sounds like a nice compromise paired with a good amp! Any amps you would recommend for the setup you suggested? Was thinking a Fender 65' Deluxe Reverb, just getting into gear and it's a little overwhelming on what to get lol.
@@jordancech9918 Man, that's really all about taste. You gotta play a bunch of them to see what fits you. I play mostly hard rock so my Blackstar HT Club MKII suits me. If you're in the Fender vein you may want to try out the Fender Blues Jr 3 or 4 (the earlier ones had sucky reverb). It takes pedals well and won't bust the bank. You can mic it if you ever play a club. If you like more hard rock, the Fender Hot Rod Deville is really good, too. Any of the Fender reverb models ('65 Deluxe or Twin Reverb, etc.) are great, but are $$$$. But again, I would spend your money on an amp - not blow it on a guitar.
So true, you're paying american wages and for a name with Gibson I own some Gibson lps and Epiphone lps and after doing some humbucker changes and a few things the epiphones are better
this is actually what i did, my 2011 epi les paul standard's pickups sounded kind of fluffy and i couldn't get any clarity out of them, all the notes would kind of just blend together into this mush of sound (especially on the neck pickup). once i swapped them for '57 classic pickups it sounded great i hear these new epi les pauls are better than those early 2010s ones (they're almost double the price now though)
I bought a Stagg Les Paul copy in 2005. I had it professionally set up and added P90s and Grover locking tuners. I consider myself a bit of a tone snob. I took it into a shop looking for a new amp and compared my guitar with a Les Paul standard, the real one played better of course but the tones, the same. Not only that, my Stagg doesn't have the crazy headstock angle so it's less likely to break.
I bought an Epiphone Les Paul 1960 Tribute model (summer 2020) - rainbow finish. Astounding for $850! For this instrument they pulled out the stops... Gibson '57 pickups, Grover tuners, Switchcraft switch, CTS pots, great caps, Beauty" three pickup guitar sometime in January, 2021. Anyway the quality of the Tribute Plus Epiphone is exceptional! Continued quality improvement
I have a 1995 epi LP after replacing the pick ups, re-wiring it is one of the best sounding guitars I’ve ever played, it’s heavy just like a real Gibson, stays in tune amazing. I have played other epi that feel cheap, don’t stay in tune and sound like crap. I have always been a fan of buying a mid grade guitar and doing some modifications to get it up to par so u get that great sounding, playing guitar for a much cheaper price and you don’t feel scared about playing live with it. I would never want to play a guitar I paid thousands for live I would be too scared of ruining it or someone stealing it. I have a Mexican strat too but it also needed the pick ups changed but after that it’s a great guitar.
@@MTG776 red burst… it’s not limited edition. I forgot to say that I did change the pick ups it has a dirty fingers bridge and pearly gates neck. This guitar was chosen for rhythm guitar on my last bands album, we tried a bunch of guitars and this was it. The studio owner laughed when he seen it was an epiphone then was absolutely shocked at the sound.
For a few hundred you could upgrade all the electronics in the epiphone to Gibson quality and improve the sound and still come in thousands cheaper.. I have a 2015 epiphone les paul custom pro with Duncan 59s, cts pots, orange drops, switchcraft toggle and jack, gotoh Nashville bridge and it sounds killer.. bought it used for $315 dropped around another $300 into, worth every dollar it's a beautiful guitar..
I have a 2014 model. I absolutely love it and i have played gibsons and other "higher end" instruments but after i got it and set the intonation and sorted out the fretboard it played like a dream, still does today.
Definitely setup is important. I've had guitars that have not felt great to play, then I spend some time setting them up and suddenly they feel completely different. If a guitar has high action its going to feel tough to play, if intonation is bad its going to sound out of tune, none of which makes it good to play.
I started out with an Epiphone Les Paul and it’s absolutely fantastic but I knew I would always want a Gibson so I saved up and bought a used Studio :). I would say you could definitely buy a used Gibson for about the same price as a new Epi.
Exactly! I'm glad people are satisfied with their guitar, but really there's a fairly big difference. All this "Epiphone > Gibson now" talk on UA-cam and on forums is delusional. And like you said, you can buy a used Gibson for close to what you'd pay for a new Epiphone so why wouldn't you?
And let's not forget that Les Paul was associated with Epiphone since the early 1940's and he worked on his solid body guitar AKA the Log in the Epiphone factory Not Gibson...Epiphone was also one of Guitar companies who invented the electric guitar back in 1931 along with Rickenbacker....Epiphone also played a major role in the shaping of early Rock n Roll music....the Epiphone factory in China is owned and operated by American supervisors and luthiers are at the China facility Scott Lewis is the plant manager... Gibson has taken credit for things they didn't do like the open book headstock and the Les Paul body shape Gibson did not invent either one and there so called innovations of the past 3 decades have been total Failures the Auto tuners stand out as just one out of many Gibson headstocks are very weak constantly issues with electronics and finishing many of us don't buy into the Gibson BS
The 2021 Epiphone les Paul's Standards are absolutely brilliant 1959 era correct neck CTS electronics Maple Cap not veneer brilliant pickups Scott Lewis has done a fantastic job of crafting these Les Paul's
Absolutely agree these Les Paul's are the real deal Scott Lewis and his American and Chinese craftsman did a incredible job Les Paul himself would have been very proud of these
I watch a lot of these lessons from various instructors about gear, theory and chops. The information presented is always secondary to the instructor showing how well he can play :) It's like walking into a Guitar Center. There's always some guy with the amp cranked up who thinks he's Hendrix. You're trying to talk to a salesman and there's a Metallica concert blowing your ears out from an amp 10 feet away.
Here's where I have to differ on this. I have a 2010 Gibson Les Paul studio and a 2004 Zakk Wylde Epiphone Les Paul. The Gibson is the Arctic white with ebony ebony fretboard. And the Epiphone has Rosewood. To be honest I did put composite nuts on both guitars and a Zakk Wylde set of Emgs in the Epiphone. My Epiphone blows the Gibson out of the water hands down. Sound, durability and especially staying in turn. The Gibson has the notorious tuning issues and the Epiphone stays in tune all the time. I've owned both these guitars since they were new , not used. I definitely go to town on my Epiphone far more. Just my two cents, great video and I definitely heard the sound difference in your video. I run my home audio through Cerwin Vega D-7s. I noticed you used the Gibson Standard, I found that the Studio was a closer match to compare to Epiphone. I think a lot of it all comes down to the inconsistency that has plagued Gibson for well over a decade now too. Great video, cheers!
A high end epiphone can be better than a low end gibson. A les paul standard (or especially a custom, which zakk wylde's is based on) would blow your epi out of the water
@@mike06250 well yes and no, problem is that even the "high end " Gibbons are so inconsistent with quality control it's still hit or miss. I've try several. A buddy of mine has 4 Zakk Wylde signature Gibbons and there not all great lol
I recently purchased an Epiphone ES335 Pro at a pawn shop for 280$. I Think i've had to tune it once and thats only because I wanted to try an open tuning. It NEVER falls out of tune(which is my biggest pet peeve when it comes to a guitar) and Marty is 100% correct, Epiphone has really stepped up their game with regard to guitars. If this was a Gibson ES335 it would have been 2K easily...Way to go Epiphone
The Epiphone Les Paul Traditional Pro II is actually on the lower end of the Epiphone Les Paul range. These are Guitar Center exclusive models and are on sale today for $399. I would upgrade to the Epiphone Les Paul Standard Plustop Pro which is $599 at most Epiphone dealers. With the Plustop Pro you get a maple cap with a veneer flame top (the Tradition Pro II is all mahogany with no cap). You also get much better pickups. The Plustop Pro would be a better comparison to the Gibson model.
Or go for Epi Les Paul Tribute with Gibson pick-ups and pots. There is a huge difference between Epis Alnico and Probucker pick-up range too... This video succeded in one thing and that is demonstrating how huge impact pick-ups have on the overall sound.
I bought a used Epiphone Les Paul Standard plus top with coils splits and I have to say that guitar is pretty damn good. The setup on it is really good and it sounds and plays beautiful. Can't complain for $450 with a sweet Roadrunner hard case to boot. My buddy just spent $2000 on a Gibson and I played them both one after the other and the difference was minimal. The Epiphone has a better setup so it actually played better than the Gibson.
I have one of each, my Gibson is truly amazing, but .... my Epiphone has a great sound and feel to it so I'm happy with it as a back up on stage , also, all the way from Northern England, Thankyou Marty for the tutorials, you're my 'go to guy' for the nuts and bolts of a lot of the songs my band covers. Keep em coming 🎸🤘
Watching this video once again, I think for most of us who are just at home musicians, an Epiphone sounding guitar is all we really need. However for people who want to start a music career and perform on stage in front of a lot of people, it may be best to upgrade to an actual Gibson sometime down the road with an actual following.
Most of the difference on this video is in the pick ups but even if you put the exact same pick ups in it you have better quality wood and workmanship in the Gibson. It would be about 95% the same though.
@@raymondkidwell7135 As long as they're both of the one piece neck/body design any small difference in resonance would probably depend on just how 'microphonic' those pickups are. Personally, I'm perfectly happy to trade that 5% difference (and all the extra weight) and just pocket the extra 2 G's! ;-)
@@hotstuff7049I have an Epiphone les paul where the pick ups were switched out with active EMGs ($200 upgrade). It sounds a lot better compared to original pick ups. But the guitar is unusually heavy (not a big deal unless you actually play live then the weight can wear you out). The neck cracked (doesn't effect the playing). One knob is almost coming off. This is why I was able to buy it cheap used. These are common issues with the Epiphone. The workmanship and quality on a $500 guitar does not match that of a $1500-$2000 guitar. But sound wise yes 90% of the difference is in the pick ups. I still have to say in comparison to similar priced guitars this is a very good guitar with really nice neck action.
Great video!😁 Being able to compare the sounds without the 10 minute 'waffle' between plays was fantastic. You can hear the definite tone change between the two!👍 I would love a Gibson. But my wallet says NO at my stage of learning. Been going 5 years now and you have helped me a lot with your tutorials.👍 Thanks Marty & keep Rocking!👍👍👍🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸
I have an Epiphone and to my amateur ears sounds great. Listening to you play it sounds great too. The Gibson definitely kicked it's butt in the side by side though. Just a fuller more complete sound. I'll still putt around on my Epiphone till I hit the lottery. Great video!
There is definitely more treble and clarity from the Gibson. You can definitely get close with an Epiphone via adjusting the equalizer settings on your amp or messing around with an equalizer pedal, or swapping in a good set of pickups. Whatever your choice, please rock on !
The pickups make a big difference. The pickups in that Gibson sell for half what the whole Epiphone guitar does. I put pro pickups in my Epiphone and it gets you a lot closer. That said, my Gibson’s seem to have that certain something I can’t put my finger on, and I do not believe in “tone wood”. I still love the Epiphone though! ua-cam.com/video/pLNw9ASJ4Cw/v-deo.html
I ordered just this morning a Epiphone Limited Edition Les Paul Quilt Top Pro Electric Guitar, Translucent Blue. It was on sale for 469 and then I got another discount of $79 and free shipping via federal express so $390. I think that is a bargain!
@@twantheunisz9281 That is a great guitar! I'm a retired fretted instrument tech. If you live in an area that has a luthier or guitar repair shop,bring it in to have it set up. These new Epis are a bit like buying a new bicycle. They ALL require a bit of fine-adjusting especially the nut height. Sometimes it is difficult to find a reputable repairman. Just because a guy works at a guitar store and is wearing a shop apron and calls himself a repairman...ain't necessarilly so. Look and ask around. The final set-up is so overlooked today because folks order guitars on-line. In the old days when a guitar was hanging on a rack and buisiness was slow, that guitar would be pulled to the set-up bench and set up professionally. A guitar with a 100-150 dollar setup sells itself. It will F E E L so much better than everything, it will sell. Now guitars are delivered to your door. No old man got to spend 2 hours setting the thing up to play like butter. Too bad!! It is difference in buying a corvette off the lot and a corvette out of a performance pro shop.
I went to Guitar Center on Sunday right before Christmas. Big mistake. The store was jammed packed with people and everyone was having a mini concert playing just about all the Epiphone Les Paul’s that the store had. I really wanted to try a Epi Standard. I got to take a couple off the rack and feel the necks and pluck some strings, not bad at all. So then I asked to see a Gibson Les Paul Traditional. Yeah, big difference. It felt like a Les Paul should. But it was $2600, and the Standard HP was $3400. Just too much money for my wallet. The $499 Epi Standard was nice, but not there yet for me to purchase it and be satisfied.
@@edwardmonsariste4050 I'm not sure but i wonder if the main difference wasn't simply that the Gibsons set-up was better. I bought an Epi L.P. a few weeks back. The nut height was .060 !!!! you could almost stick a dime between the first fret and the Big E string. that tollerance should be 1/3 that!!! (.025) It is just plain WRONG to sell a customer a guitar with that shitty a set-up. Sadly almost EVERY guitar in Guitar Center is that way. Folks!!! a guitar like that WILL NOT play an open chord in tune. Your kids will cry when they have to play an F chord for the first time. I will cry when you are strummin' that thing in a bar to your new song you just wrote. (EEEK our local songwriters night is worse torture than waterboarding) what is really weird is that i find local players on stage with guitars set up this awful and YES!! Those open chords they are playing are Gawwwd-awful out of tune. If they didn't have their friends and relatives to applaud them, the place would be empty. I've done fretted instrument repair most of my life. Here is an easy test: The distance from the big E to the 1st fret should be around .025" slightly less for an electric. This gap will decrease as we go to the smaller strings. the gap at the little E should be around .015. maybe a bit less on electric maybe a tiny bit more if the guy plays slide. A good tech will ask to see you play and ask you if you play slide. He will set your neck relief according to how hard you play. (If you've never had your guitar set-up by a REAL luthier/tech, you might be amazed at what he can do for your guitar and tone) Now; tune the big E. Now with a GOOD tuner , play an F(1st fret) and see if it is an in-tune F or if it is slightly sharp. The bridge intonation will not be affected much at fret 1 through 6 or so, btw. If the note is sharp it is because the string is literally being bent down to the fret so much that it is bent sharp. This will make open chords sound awful and music stores rarely have a guy that has the expertise to cut a nut so they just overlook this, adjust the truss rod and bridge and call that a set-up. That is just plain wrong, they deserve to go out of buisiness for that. If you are a beginner; 95% of your playing will be down by the nut. Shitty/lazy/un-professional/dis-honest retailers seem to NEVER tell you how important proper nut height is. If they were moral, they'd say, ." Hey, as soon as you buy this guitar, you REALLY need to take it to a REAL guitar tech and have it set up." Btw if you don't have feeler guages to measure .025 " a D string on a set of 10-46 is .026. Use that as a standard. a dime is about .065" a .80 mm pick is about .030 " Merry Christmas!!
The first thing I do when I buy most guitars and basses is switch out the control pots, caps and install custom hand wound pickups. There are a lot of great pickup winders out there. Compare them after that.
I have an Epiphone Les Paul Special II, one or the most cheap guitars in Epiphone and I'm so in love with it, it's confortable and well finished. I don't need other guitar, I have everything I need from her 🤩
Im happy with any les paul as long as the pickups have seymore duncan pearly gates pickups..they sound amazing!! Doesnt matter if its epiphone, those new epis 50/60s inspired models look quite good, just swap the pickups!! The thing i dont like about gibson is the crap nitro finish..if i wanted to spend a few grand on a guitar i dont want it to look like crap how many years later...maybe have nitro and poly options on the bursts but the black customs and gold tops need to be protected far better...a poly finish works on those!!.. Stock gibsons are not made by skilled guitar builders..only the custom shop models are crafted...the stock models are production line semi skilled workers..no craftmanship is needed..just because it says made in USA doesnt make it superior!! Obviously more expensive woods are used, and your paying extra for the crap nitro finish and better hardware and pickups, but alot of people switch pickups anyway, well i do!! but do the differences of the gibson warrant the price gap? Do they hell!! Gibson know they are ripping people off, epiphone could easily make better guitars, they could make the headstock even more like gibsons..but why would they? Gibson own epiphone they dont want to hurt their own sales!! People would start buying the epiphone..lets face it, alot of people hate the epi headstock, they want it too look like a gibson.. People want their gibson bursts to age, they want it to look vintage over time, to the point they want to relic their hardware, but a black les paul custom with a nitro finish is the most stupidest decision..how many people want their shiny black custom with gold hardware to age? I for one believe a black custom or gold top should stay looking new..a poly option should be given for those colour models!! Much better protection.. I like both makes, epi and gibson but for sound, after swapping the pups its too close to call..so its down to snobbery. I have seen it time and time again, people on line comparing their flame bursts, the depth of shading, its seems to me that they treat the guitar like a painting rather than a musical instrument, .as though its a work of art..just play the thing!! How they convince their wives to allow them to spend thousands on a guitar i will never know..it sits on a stand and they take hundreds of photos trying to capture it in its best colour form. I can just imagine the mrs saying to herself, you cant even play guitar you dick head!! Lol.. If your a professional muscian i can understand why a gibson would be the first option, but its really image!! The epiphone could easilyvhandle the task!!
Thanks for the support everybody! Also Courses at my site www.MartyMusic.com
Marty can You please do a lesson of Jungle by Jimi Hendrix form the album 'Both Sides of the Sky' I really want to learn it but I can't find any lessons or a good tab anywhere
Kiss for Brasil Marty! I love my Epiphone Tradicional Pro *Les Paul is the best❤️!
What is the second riff
Marty Music can you do a tutorial on some music by highly suspect? Preferably not my name is human
You should do yellow ledbetter by pearl jam
I'd rather buy 500$ of Epiphone and spend the remaining money on drugs like a true rockstar..
500$ for Epiphone and 500$ for squier strat or tele
@@Stanley_Vandelake 500 you can get a mia fender. Thats 1000 bucks and you will have 1000 bucks left. With gibson you will pay for the name, just saw the andertons blindfolded test and they thought the epiphone was the gibson and they also said it isn't worth the difference.
Nope, thats wrong
Good call
Ron or you just get a sugar daddy
Epiphone sounds good. Until you hear the Gibson.
Until you slam some p-rail seymour Duncans in there, making it just as versatile as the Gibson.
Just avoid newer gibsons. Basically everything after 1959.
Epiphones did get better.
The 80s something gibsons were pretty good though and maybe some of the 90s. Everything else, hit and miss.
Some contemporary epiphones I'd take over the gibson.
That is disgusting for such and expensive brand. I am sure that they did make even more money, easier with the epiphone brand...who knows. They had money problems, wood problems. Personality problems. Logo problems. Tuner fascist problems...Gibson. Could slap lol after gibson.
@@UmVtCg P-rails are shit to EQ. If you played live you would most likely never put these in your guitar, unnecessary versatility
@@81giorikas It's quite simple... Just try a guitar before you buy it. That's what you're supposed to do anyway. There still are some good Gibsons, and even before the 2000s some of them sucked. What does suck about Gibson is their quality control and prices... Buy a second hand one and there's no issue anymore.
Good luck getting a 59 gibson without killing your walet.
Buying epiphone: you slap the guitar
Buying Gibson: your wife slaps you
😂😂😂
Nice one!
조아따 ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
haha
Wrong. Your wife will still slap you even if you buy an Epiphone...
My heart says Gibson. My wallet says Epiphone. :)
And that's the truth .
You are right
I don't make a lot of money. But let me tell you this.... saving your money, being patient, and getting the real deal Gibson is not only worth it, but the feeling you will get when you do buy it, and every single time you play it goes beyond words. Because you did take the time to save, and truly earn it. You'll cherish it forever, and pass it down for generations to come. The cheap copy will always be that. No real satisfaction, but always knowing you cheeped out. People can hear the difference. I did. I can't live with that. I will save my money, and one day, like I did for my Cobra stang, I'll have me a Gibson Les Paul, and drive around with it in my Cobra! ;)
You get so much from saving. More then what your actually buying. It's what you get inside.
@@starbattles1 I'll tell ya you are so right. I'm 50 years old and wanted a Gibson Les Paul since I was 14. I finally but the bullet and bought one. I have an epiphone standard and love it. But I'm telling you the Gibson hands down plays so much nicer and smoother. Definitely no buyers remorse. Well worth every penny spent.
I owned an Epiphone Les Paul until 2004 , I then purchased a Gibson Les Paul and was very disappointed , particularly with the build. The Epiphone was far superior. I have recently purchased an Epiphone 335 and I am very impressed with it. To my mind Gibson are way over priced , yes they are nice guitars but so are Epiphone and a lot more wallet friendly
The les paul is just such a nice guitar in general
What Brand amp is that? Tube or solid state?
Jere Andrews It’s a divided by 13 amp, and yes it’s tube.
Except the inherent design flaw of the les Paul which makes the g string constantly go out of tune, even the very best ones.
The sound of them is amazing and unique though
"its not about the size of the axe, its how you swing it."
It’s not about the size of the di-
@@justaguy6415 it’s how big your plastic surgeon makes it 😂
I saw Thom Yorke play street spirit on the Epiphone LP at Glastonbury 2017 (look it up) and if it’s good enough for Radiohead @ Glastonbury then I think it will do for me in my bedroom.
@@justaguy6415 its just how you use the force
Everybody knows that audiences would never be able to tell a sound difference between the two. Expensive guitars are luxury items mostly to show off like cars. An ace player could make any guitar sound great within reason...
Ace? Ace Frehley?
@@alexthehooligan I don't think he meant Ace Frehley in this case but Ace does endorse both Gibson and Epiphone lol
watch this video! you will love it ! How to create a Les Paul in Solidworks
ua-cam.com/video/2ranrRm0Vw8/v-deo.html
Sounds like someone hasn't been playing guitar very long.
Your are right a good musician can make any Guitar sound good , Some people would argue and others would not put as much effort in their playing when using a low cost guitar just try and prove their US made Gibson is better then they Asian made one . They are both Gibson's so why compare , If Epiphone was not Gibson they would no longer be in business because they would be betting sued for using the Gibson trade mark and name .
I like the way Marty switches quickly between guitars so your memory of the previous guitar is not forgotten. Much easier to compare guitars than with other you-tubers who ramble on between guitars so you forgot what the previous one sounded like. This is what video editing can do and should be used more! :)
Imagine working at guitar center and hearing “hey what’s up guys Marty Schwartz here”
XD that would be so cool!
Today we're gonna learn stairway to heaven 😤
Wouldnt he make the best neighbor
Stadium/studio=Gibson les Paul
Clubs/jamming= epiphone les Paul
Otherwise nothing’s wrong with either take your pick
Same
I’ve done 5000 gigs with an Epi….it’s in your fingers, not the guitar
Don't buy a guitar based on the name on the headstock (unless you're an investor). Buy it based on sound and feel.
well...that would be good advice if the folks who bought guitars actually could play these guitars, but my experience in fretted instrument repair tells me that only 1 out of 20 guitar owners can even sort of play guitar. So having an expensive guitar hanging on the wall might be better than having an economy guitar hanging on the wall.
Here is a test: Strum "Happy Birthday" in the key of C#. I will help; it is a I;V;I IV progression. Truth is, most guitar buyers couldn't even do that. It is like a bunch of guys buying unicycles and hangin' em on the wall but none of em can really ride the damn thang.
Most folks need a Squier and some REAL guitar lessons.
This is a great point. Gotta play em first, there's a huge difference between guitars of the same make and model much less different brands altogether. Also I'm surprised Marty shops at Guitar Center, he strikes me as a locally owned music store kind of guy. I just demoted him from Really Awesome Guy to Mostly Awesome Guy.
Okay in that case ill get the gibson
Exactly. I've played on some really expensive guitars that sound like crap TO ME and really affordable ones that sound amazing and vice versa. My buddy has about 30+ guitars. Some sound like pure crap...but on certain songs they sound amazing. Just depends on what you're going for. Buy for the tone, not the name brand. I can guarantee you the pro's will tell you the same thing. So many people hate Jackson guitars but Children Of Bodom used them for a long time and they sounded dope. BUY FOR TONE.
Hallelujah!
I don’t think this is a fair comparison. You’d need an Epiphone Standard vs a Gibson Standard (or another model with equivalents like Slash LP from both brands) with similar specs to get the best idea how they compare. Taking a high end Gibson Standard vs. a mid-priced Epi with different specs doesn’t really give the Epiphone a chance.
I absolutely agree! And even the difference in his playing of both guitars didn’t help
Darell Braun does a very good review on the epiphone as well as other lower end brands.
Also agree w this statement. It’s like comparing a studio to a special
If you want a really good comparison channel check out the guitaristas channel. Colin checks out like for like and strips them down as well as play them.
Agree. standard 50's or 60's of both brands . This is nothing....
I'm a proud owner of a Epiphone Les Paul,I love it,but it's no Gibson !! I can afford a Gibson but I'm not gonna spend 3000 buks ,I have kids to spend on. Got my epi for 500 ,the end.
I agree with reasonable statements like,....."I Love it, but it's no Gibson"
But people that act like there is this other worldly, huge difference are not being genuine.
Like you said , you love your Epiphone Les Paul. That means that something could be better but there is no reasonable or logical way for it to be very significant and would lean towards subtle, at best.
Should have just went new mim fender strat or mia used ... It might be a little more but then at that point at least your instrument will hold at least a little bit of value over the years.
Agreed. I upgraded the pots and caps on my epi, sounds awesome now, total costs: less than € 20,- and 30 mins soldering by myself
@@wandamiancrucifixplate568
I have been playing for 36 years and I have never viewed a guitar as an investment....This is always people's argument against taking something like a 350 dollar Epiphone Les Paul and putting 150 - 200 dollars in it for upgrades.
My contention is that in this scenario, I now have a 550.00 guitar that is likely better than any other guitar in that price range and potentially more in line with 1,000.00 dollar guitars.
I own 4 different Epiphone Les Paul models and I have spent money on all of them ranging from 50.00 to 200.00 and they all play as good and sound as good as my boutique guitars.
In fact my favorite looking, playing and sounding guitar of all in my collection is an Epiphone Les Paul Standard...I put an aftermarket bridge and nut on the guitar.
I have 695.00 in the guitar. It is a phenomenal guitar and I am not going to sell it. I haven't sold any guitar that I have made into a great guitar.
Lesson: Dont get married and have kids. Be single and you can buy as much guitars you want for the rest of your life
Holy shit hearing the two together the difference at least to me is insane the Gibson sounds amazing the epi still sounds great but putting the Gibson next to it blew me outta the water. I’m still buying the epi cuz I’m broke lmfao
Think this is the epi Standard. Spend a but more and get one with the pro buckers and it'll be closer. If you can firk out and get thw tribute it'll have the same pickups as the gibson and very close in build quality.
@@chrisasmith75 its gib standard vs epi traditional pro, not really a fair comparison
I think it would be a better choice to just get the epiphone anyways
Gibson Les Paul definitely sounds better but its probably not worth thousands.
No that's just cause the pickups are different. They should have compared the two with same pickups.
@@pradyumnamukunda9222 if they switched the pickups it would be more of a mod video than an actual guitar price difference
You hit the nail on the head, there. Are the small nuances in detail in the tone worth a couple thousand bucks? Not for me.
Chief _ Some of the limited edition and regular high end Epiphones have Gibson pickups in them. Mine does
@@eog5217 how much did you spend?
It hurts to watch this and know which one i can afford
you and me both
none
mod the epi i did that and it sounds amazing
And me it hurts when I listen how good he is playing in comparison how I can play.
Forty year session player here……I’d rather hear a good player on a ‘cheap’ guitar than a bad player on and ‘expensive’ guitar. Buy the cheapest Epi you can, have it set up good and you’ll be a happy camper. Then, take lessons! Learn to read, learn theory and your little Epi will make you smile! I’ve got around 25 guitars…..my absolute favorite is my epi LP I’ve had since 1994.
Tone is in your fingers, not your wallet.
Based on what I’m hearing, the Gibson sounds nicer
Duh
@About7 8rocks , of course it does, but keep in mind that it costs approximately 550$ more!!!
@@angelosk.9332 Worth every penny.
@@charlesbronson2104 I would say that, but when there are thousands of other guitars that produce the same sound, or even better, you should think about buying the gibson one more time. I personally love this guitar, its shape, its rocky sound, but there are quite a few honest opponents...
@@angelosk.9332 I think you mean $2000 more at least Lmao
I have a Custom Shop Black Beauty that is just a special guitar. The look, the feel and the sound are exquisite! I also have a Jimmy Page No. 1 that is amazing. Worth the money
I have a Gibson Les Paul Standard and an Epiphone Les Paul 1960 Tribute Plus. I love my Gibby, but the Epi is my go to. I use it for gigs all the time and it jams!
All the tone comes from the headstock shape.
thats for shure man ;) ;) ;) ...and from the brand logo!
I just can't get over the headstock on an epiphone I've never played Epiphone I don't really care to the headstock is just wrong.🤪😵
I thought the tone came from the color. Lol.
@@gtrman69777 that's Billy Corrigan 😵🤪🤪😵🤪😵🤪😵🤪
The tone is dependent on the type of lino you have in the kitchen
I think the epi is a wonderful guitar for the price, I myself have a epi explorer and it's a great guitar, it plays wonderfully. But listening to it back to back with that gibson. wow. Just... That gibson sounds crazy good. the tones were so warm and full, and crunchy at the same time... Love it. One day man.
Just picked up a epiphone les Paul special yesterday and it sounds great :)
EDIT: wow it’s been a while since I posted this
Nicee
it is crap
@@stefanbabic4450 i disagree mate
@@stefanbabic4450 no it's not
Well Worth it know are good axes! Enjoy it!
I might be in the minority, and that’s ok because we all have different tastes, but I felt like the epiphone sounded wayyyy cooler. It was darker, way less round, less gain, and more mids. I’m not knocking the superior quality Gibson, but for the music I play, mixed with my 70’s ampeg tube amp, Sometimes with a fuzz when needed, I’m going for the epiphone
You can change the pickups and caps in a guitar to get the sound you want. There are probably 50 people in the world that could tell the difference in the wood of an electric guitar lol
I feel like the epiphone has way cooler in clean tones, it kinda feels like a strat, sure, it does well on o.d, but it's better clean, meanwhile the Gibson gives you a crunchier sound with o.d, but isn't as good in clean, the Gibson is more to be played with high distortion, I feel like a real heavy fuzz would give it just the tone
There's definitely a tone difference between the two, but they both sound really good.
Fender strat vs Squeir Strat Next
he already did that btw
@@astrog7361so he did
@@jacklalor3672 👍
Did he do American Strat vs Mexican Strat vs Squire Strat?
Fender >>>>>> squier
so just add a bit more high end eq in the mix - and get the epiphone - maybe restring 🙌😈
Hey man, I remember watching your videos during your golden years. Good to find myself watching another one of your vids since my interest has peaked again over 10 years later. Keep rocking
That's awesome!
I just love les Pauls- you can play anything on them. Metal, blues, classic rock, they for sure are the coolest
Many will hate the Gibson Les Paul because of the price tag but it truly is a wonderful instrument. It's true, the Gibson variant definitely does not cost a couple thousand dollars to manufacture but its name and body shape are simply just iconic. The guitar has a short yet rich history, it's headstock has been passed down to many guitarists over many years. Legendary musicians have played it, hard workers have played it, the people with passion for music have played it etc. The Gibson name is unarguably one of the biggest names in music and definitely one of the most prestigious. You work endless shifts to buy the instrument and once it's finally in your hands, you have no regrets. Yes, it's a real, legitimate Gibson made in a Gibson factory. Then there comes that feeling where you won't need to buy another guitar for a while, because this single instrument is valuable enough to become a family heirloom and good enough to last you decades. Dust will rise, sweat will pour and blood will fall, this instrument will become a part of you and you won't ever stop looking at it or coming back to it.
C'mon..you can give Eric Clapton or Slash Epiphone Les Paul and just hide that headstock and name on it..they wouldn't know a shit or difference..
I like the emotive style of your writing. Maintain the music ;-)
I'm with you man. After working 70 hours a week, seeing the name Gibson on the case and on the headstock reminds me of all my hard work. I earned this guitar. I've worked my ass off for everything I have. One time I had enough to buy an actual Gibson, did it. Never looked back.
My Korean made Epiphone Les Paul Standard (2002) is a much superior guitar in tone and feel, and build quality compared to my Gibson Les Paul Studio (1995).
Doesn’t justify the price tag. It’s more of a luxury item at that point. It is what it is but damn, it’s a shame it’s so expensive.
Gibson feels more " ringy" and "crispy" I would say.
Fits better in Blues
That's just because of the different style of pickups.
At least I'm not the only person who thought the Gibson was more jangly, ringy, and crisp, that said the Epi was more full and warm sounding. Could be strings but Marty likely has the same strings on each....but he didn't say. PS I an't Marty and never will be. Thanks Marty
Its Gib standard vs Epi tradition pro, very different I believe
Even though they look similar in the first glance, both guitars are made to provide different sounds. The different pickups is what makes them sound different- mostly.
Its pretty simple:
Money's no issue and you want a finely crafted guitar with a great sound? Get a Gibson.
Money's a bit of an issue and you want a good guitar with great sound? Get a Epiphone and put Gibson/SD Pickups in it
Money's tight and you want a good guitar with good sound? Get a Epiphone.
Bros at sweetwater will even swap the pickups for you
@@bwedges
Where do you think you are?
@@notrelevant1800
Feel free to name the place where you can get an Edwards, Tokai, Orville or FGN guitar for the price of an Epiphone.
xMaoxoaMx there not impossible to find. In seconds I found tokai love rock on reverb.com or the top guitars.com in the $500 range to 1,000. You can still pay $800 or more for Epiphone w real Gibson pickups
@@paulhamrick9092 Aria lp copies too.
Les Paul started working in the Epiphone plant before he worked with Gidson. His "Log" guitar .. Epiphine is keeping Gidson a float right now..
I would buy the Epiphone, change out the pickups, pots and caps for under $500, it would sound every bit as good as the Gibson and I would still be ahead by a cool $2000. It’s a no brainer. The other alternative would be to buy an MIJ Epiphone which is every bit as good as a Gibson.
kromedge I have a mid 90s Korean Epi LP and that joker is sweet as hell too
It's a good thing to do if you're comfortable with the playability and feel of the Epi, i bought my Gibson a while ago and ended up selling the Epiphone i had because of it... Also, to me polyurethane finished guitars look plastic-ish and don't age as well as the nitro finished... That being said, it's good to mention that to change the pots you have to drill the wholes wider because the chinese made guitars use metric system pots
I have an older Gibson, and as an older person I tend to hang on to guitars. I bought an Epi with the intent of modifying it. My Gibson is a better guitar, but I’m not too comfortable screwing around with my higher end instruments. That being said, I love my Epi. Slap different electronics, hardware, whatever you want, and since it has no real resale value, you can really make it yours.
@@DrCatacus Yeah, I think you'd be foolish to mod a Gibson, unless you had all kinds of money and were a Grade AAA performer, because as soon as you change the durables (as opposed to strings), you're bringing down the value.
Robert Sprawls
That’s it. I wouldn’t dare screw a pickup into my classic Martins and Gibson’s. Martin has some really nice acoustics in the $600 range though. I’m just an old guy who was rejected by The Beatles, and all of a sudden my stuff had value.
i actually bought an epiphone les paul as my first guitar for $360. what was cool about it was that it had gibson burstbucker pros when i got it. amazing sound.
Marty just wanted to say thank you for what you do , you make our guitar journeys fun
The best Epiphone Les Pauls to buy are the Joe Bonamassa lmtd editions , the Slash lmtd editions, the Joe Perry bone yard or the Tributes. They all have improved wiring, switches and American made pick ups. These are the ones that sound much much better 👍
I agree completely. Try this demo with an Epiphone 1960 LP Tribute. I own a Gibson 2013 Standard with Burstbuckers and I own two Epi Tributes with Gibson Classic 57 pickups and the sound is as nearly the same as the Gibson LP Standard. I bought one Tribute when they first came out at $600 and a second one used (mint condition) for $500 a year later. That's a huge savings over a $3000 Gibson LP Standard.
Lee Malia epiphone!
The MKH and Bjorn Geolette Custom models have really good build quality (I'd put them a good bit over a prophecy, slightly better than a 60s tribute) if you're into the emg thing. They have ebony fingerboards, too. My mkh has had the fingerboard re radiused to 14", extra jumbo fretwire, gold hardware (including the bridge having a matching 14" radius, was also a roller bridge) gold emg 81-60's (as opposed to the black 81-85's), a bone nut, and I modded the knobs to be dime traction knobs. Soon to get gold tuners, and gold jackplate. It almost plays itself.
It might rebind the fingerboard to have nibs, and refinish it in nitro, as well. Wanted to finish it white, anyways..
Rickholly74 I traded my 1960 Epi Tribute with ‘57 Classics for a Gibson 70’s Tribute and I had the Epi set up with a bone nut at the Herb David shop in Ann Arbor too. Something about covering wood with plastic (poly) just kills the vibration of the instrument and the Gibson sounds miles better, even though the guitars were similarly priced
I have one of the first-run gold Bonamassa guitars. People tell it’s nearly as good as a Gibson, I still want a Gibson though!! Boo.
I have a Gibson and an Epiphone Les Paul. Love em both. It's ultimately up to you to find the value in your instruments
Are the stock pickups a big contribution to sound difference? If you put better pickups in an Epiphone and worked on the truss rod/action, would it make a difference? Or would the Gibson still be miles ahead?
I put 57 Classic pickups in my Epiphone ES 339. It sounds amazing and plays like a dream. I just can't justify 3000 dollars for a guitar that sounds slightly different. If I spend that it will be on a hand made boutique brand.
You mean like a Gibson? Until you've owned one, you don't truly know what you've got. I used to feel the same, then I bought a gibson les paul 60s, I have since not made a comment like yours. There's no "slight" difference in sounds hahaha that Gibson blows that epiphone away.
@@ericvaughn903
It's not that cut & dried.
I've been playing for 39 years and own 3 Gibson Les Paul Standards and 4 Epiphone Les Paul Standards.
I've invested extra money for the Epiphones,...Pickups, nut, and bridge. Costs between 150 - $200
The result is the Epiphones are fantastic guitars and every bit as good "tangibly" and tone-wise as my Gibsons.
@@ericvaughn903 I would put my made in Korea Epiphone les paul with up graded pups against any Gibson...spending the 3 grand is definitely not worth it. I owned many Gibson guitars and sold them all
My Epi LP Standard Pro sounds a bit muddy with the original Probucker PUs, so i changed them to Tonerider Rocksong Alnico II open coil PUs, that makes a big difference, now the sound is clearer, more defined, brighter. Love my Epi Les Paul 👍
See that's what I'm thinking is the best route to take. Instead of dropping thousands on a name brand guitar, Find a really cool guitar that fits your style with good playability, and just invest in nice pickups.
Thanks. The big difference in sound is the pick ups. I got hold of a used Epiphone Les Paul 1960 Tribute Plus, which has Gibson '57 pickups, and it blows the Epi in that video away. Sadly, they stopped making them; maybe they were a bit too good, lol.
I bought an epiphone les Paul standard, spent about 500 putting Better pickups in it and upgraded tuners and electronics and it is the perfect guitar for thousands less than a Gibson
Nick Crodelle now that’s they way to do it. I just bought a Epiphone Dot Deluxe with the same plans, plus its fun to really put what you want in a guitar.
@@skeys79 ok....I hafta brag...I just picked up a 2008 Epi L.P. studio for 60 bucks at my local pawn shop. It was missing the back switch cover and right now the back pickup is reading 6 k ohms so a coil is dead. This is a nice guitar but the set-up is a w f u ll !!! The nut is factory and after adjusting the truss and bridge, the big E is .060 at fret 1 Man! i'd love to have heard the past owner strumming some open chords. It'd be worse than water-boarding. lol....Do other folks experience awful factory set-ups? especially nut height issues?
Ive bought Tursers and Washburns coming out of the Seien plant in China(same factory as Epi) and they have decent factory set-ups.
Night and day difference. I recently bought a PRS les paul style guitar and it screams! I'd like to see a comparison between a PRS and Gibson
I just picked up a 2016 traditional pro II in mint condition for $350 yesterday and since I am only a hobbyist musician, this is my lifetime les Paul....I love it !
Honestly I’ve played guitar nearly all my life. I still don’t feel I have the skill level to justify spending that kind of doe on a Gibson guitar. I can suck just as easily on a cheaper guitar as I can on an expensive one.
Or you can spend money on lessons, ans thats not to sound sassy! Cause i did that after playing for over 15 years. The trainer Said to me "improvise something for me" and i Froze and felt so bad, 2 months later we were jamming out! Its no shame in getting help! Good luck Brother!
I would never go over 1,000$ on a guitar unless you're in a decent band
I'd rather suck with a quality Guitar in my hands..sucks less
@@drewthompson5036 shit imma have to sell all my Jackson's
I finally made the jump from Epiphone to a Gibson this year, sold the Gibson a few months later. Wasn't impressed vs my Epiphone with Gibson pickups.
Can you advise which Epiphone Les paul should I buy ? There are so many models out there.
@@ricktan4635 It depends what you're looking for. Right now the top Epiphone models that I would recommend are the 59 model and the prophecy series. These are top spec models with great pickups. Prophecy series will have a more slimmer neck and more modern feel and the 59 model will be a thicker neck and more of a classic look to it. Can't go wrong either way, but even just going with a cheaper used one will work great, just get it set up and if you can upgrade the pickups and you'll be good to go.
@@MiguelGuitars thank you. Appreciate your advice.
Since my early years of playing, the first Les Paul I knew was Epiphone. It was my dream to own Epiphone Standard in late 90's and it still is. As the time went by, I have purchased many expensive guitars including Gibson Les Paul. Very nice guitar and I like it very much, but the neck head angle makes it hard to keep in tune and honestly, in this comparison still wins Epiphone for me, also with it's non-aggressive sound. So, maybe I will end like you 😉 Epiphones are amazing secret weapons ❤️
I had two gibsons and two epis…..the epis are still with me, one of them since ‘94
Got my dads late 80's epiphone as a hand me down when he saw me get into guitar about 4 years ago, great bit of kit love that thing
Nothing beats Gibson LP, but I have Slash’s signature model Epiphone anaconda & it’s very impressive . Also modify an epiphone LP with EMG or Seymour Duncans pickups gives a very close sounding Gibson LP. Great Vid as always Marty. Thanks brother
It's cool that you're showcasing some affordable options. It can be really overwhelming when you're brand new at guitar not wanting to get the wrong thing.
I sell several brands and I have had customers tell me they like their higher end Epiphone LP, Custom Pro and on up, better than their Gibson. To say the Epi model is a learning guitar is, in my opinion, snobbery at its best, put it in a band and play it and very few people, if any, will tell the difference between the 2 brands. I owned Gibsons back when they were expensive but reasonable, now they are one of the most over priced brands on the planet, definitely not worth the thousands they want for them
@Davis Cummins Read my post I didn't say the Gibson wasn't better, although I have had customers like their Epi better, my point was that the higher end Epi LP is not a beginner guitar, that is where the snobbery comes in. Too many people are impressed with what is on the headstock rather than how the guitar plays. Some Epi's play great some not so great, and the same can be said for Gibson some great and some not so great. And is the Gibson worth a couple of grand more is what the video was about. and in my opinion for most players it is not, just an opinion, which is what the guy making the video has, his opinion
@Davis Cummins You obviously are too stupid to understand or grasp my point so I am done wasting time trying to educate you, go smoke some more dope or whatever you do to mess your brain up
@@Fretjoe You are right, most people will prefer an expensive guitar and swear it sounds better just because it is more expensive :D
So the brand makes them sound better because they read "Gibson" and think "Oh, so this one is the better sounding one"
@@LZcool well it is the better sounding one honestly he’s saying an epiphone isn’t a beginners guitar and sounds just about as good which is true especially for the price you can find them at guitar center for 400-600 dollars just depending on which one
Oooh, how i wish you had compared the Epiphone 1960s Tribute Plus, as it has *Gibson USA 57 Classics* pickups, and is built to a better standard than the lower-end Gibsons. One day..... One day.....
I have a 2014 Epiphone LP & am very pleased with it. Next comparison: No beard Marty vs bearded Marty. :)
@@suzienava4898 It's extremely controversial. We should vote on it. :)
Beard is really the only choice
Marty! The Mad Man from Music City himself! How are ya?
Okay, I saw the thing you had up about Gibson and Epiphone Les Pauls and here's where I'm coming from: you basically have two camps, the "I've Got to Have a Gibson!" and the equally passionate "I can buy 4 high quality Epiphones for the price of a Gibson!"
Ultimately the whole thing just boils down to personal preferences, financial considerations and individual goals. I can tell you this: love what you play and play what you love. Nobody knows what's better for the player than the player himself. I know that I could walk on a stage any where with my Epiphone slung on and ready to rock with no apologolies as to the brand name on the headstock, and never would.☮
I got that exact same Epiphone, and it's amazing...
marty ive been watching your videos since i was 13 years old! you rock! thanks for being such a rad guy and inspiring and helping me as well as others!
THE BEST side by side comparison I've heard!
His face impressions when playing the beginning riffs on both guitars already tell the story. When he plays the Gibson les paul, he feels that amazing sound and makes those impressions to show he’s into it, where in the Epiphone he isn’t really making those impressions.
Lol,..impressions,....it's expressions.
I love epiphone it’s a bit darker and heavier
Great video. I play a 2012 Epiphone Les Paul Custom from China but they still used quality mahogany and rosewood.
Great Video Marty ! The Epiphone sounds muddier when distorted on all pickup settings but sounds warmer at lower volume,
again on all settings.
An Epiphone hotted up with a set of Seymour Duncans or DiMarzios sounds a LOT better.
Here's my 2 cents from buying/selling tons of guitars. The probably $2,500 - $3,000 (maybe more) Gibson he's playing there has wayyyyyy better humbuckers on it vs. that Epiphone. But, before I drop that much for a Gibson...I'll take that $500 Epiphone and replace the humbuckers with some really nice Gibson 57 Classics or Seymour Duncan 59s (or whatever your flavor is) and then replace the plastic nut with a bone one. So, $500 for the base model Epiphone, $200 - $300 for the new pickups, and $20 for the nut puts you at $820 max total....and you'll have a guitar that sounds darn near as good (maybe even better) than that Gibson he's playing. Or....you can just buy a Epiphone Les Paul 1960s Tribute Plus that has Gibson 57 Classics stock for $850 and just replace the plastic nut. The point is, lately with Gibson your plopping down $2,000+ just for the Gibson name. Trust me, I own two of them - but mine are lesser expensive Studios that I've modified. I live by the credo - buy a solid guitar (but don't blown your wad on one) and spend your money on a damn good amplifier. That has served me damn well. Yes, Gibson's are better crafted vs Epiphone...but it's not a HUGE gap anymore...just like Marty said.
This really helped with my decision thank you! I have always wanted a Gibson Les Paul since I was a kid, but I just can't bring myself to blow $2500 on a guitar that is rumored to not be as good in terms of quality as it was back in the day. Upgrading an Epiphone sounds like a nice compromise paired with a good amp! Any amps you would recommend for the setup you suggested? Was thinking a Fender 65' Deluxe Reverb, just getting into gear and it's a little overwhelming on what to get lol.
@@jordancech9918 Man, that's really all about taste. You gotta play a bunch of them to see what fits you. I play mostly hard rock so my Blackstar HT Club MKII suits me. If you're in the Fender vein you may want to try out the Fender Blues Jr 3 or 4 (the earlier ones had sucky reverb). It takes pedals well and won't bust the bank. You can mic it if you ever play a club. If you like more hard rock, the Fender Hot Rod Deville is really good, too. Any of the Fender reverb models ('65 Deluxe or Twin Reverb, etc.) are great, but are $$$$. But again, I would spend your money on an amp - not blow it on a guitar.
So true, you're paying american wages and for a name with Gibson I own some Gibson lps and Epiphone lps and after doing some humbucker changes and a few things the epiphones are better
this is actually what i did, my 2011 epi les paul standard's pickups sounded kind of fluffy and i couldn't get any clarity out of them, all the notes would kind of just blend together into this mush of sound (especially on the neck pickup).
once i swapped them for '57 classic pickups it sounded great
i hear these new epi les pauls are better than those early 2010s ones (they're almost double the price now though)
I bought a Stagg Les Paul copy in 2005. I had it professionally set up and added P90s and Grover locking tuners. I consider myself a bit of a tone snob. I took it into a shop looking for a new amp and compared my guitar with a Les Paul standard, the real one played better of course but the tones, the same. Not only that, my Stagg doesn't have the crazy headstock angle so it's less likely to break.
Your tutorials changed my life. I've finally become good enough for an electric guitar. Thank you Marty❤️
thanks my friend!
Swap the pickups, or maybe have the same pickups in each guitar.. that be even better
I bought an Epiphone Les Paul 1960 Tribute model (summer 2020) - rainbow finish. Astounding for $850! For this instrument they pulled out the stops... Gibson '57 pickups, Grover tuners, Switchcraft switch, CTS pots, great caps, Beauty" three pickup guitar sometime in January, 2021. Anyway the quality of the Tribute Plus Epiphone is exceptional! Continued quality improvement
Just to clarify, this is Gib LP Standard vs Epi traditional pro? Not standard vs standard??
The gibson really stands out yet again. Notes seem to have way more attack than that of the epiphone
I have a 1995 epi LP after replacing the pick ups, re-wiring it is one of the best sounding guitars I’ve ever played, it’s heavy just like a real Gibson, stays in tune amazing. I have played other epi that feel cheap, don’t stay in tune and sound like crap. I have always been a fan of buying a mid grade guitar and doing some modifications to get it up to par so u get that great sounding, playing guitar for a much cheaper price and you don’t feel scared about playing live with it. I would never want to play a guitar I paid thousands for live I would be too scared of ruining it or someone stealing it.
I have a Mexican strat too but it also needed the pick ups changed but after that it’s a great guitar.
Is the Les Paul one of the Limited Edition models? Colour?
@@MTG776 red burst… it’s not limited edition. I forgot to say that I did change the pick ups it has a dirty fingers bridge and pearly gates neck. This guitar was chosen for rhythm guitar on my last bands album, we tried a bunch of guitars and this was it. The studio owner laughed when he seen it was an epiphone then was absolutely shocked at the sound.
The more I tune you in on UA-cam, I’m very impressed on your playing skill. You also explain things slowly and clearly. Keep it up!
For a few hundred you could upgrade all the electronics in the epiphone to Gibson quality and improve the sound and still come in thousands cheaper.. I have a 2015 epiphone les paul custom pro with Duncan 59s, cts pots, orange drops, switchcraft toggle and jack, gotoh Nashville bridge and it sounds killer.. bought it used for $315 dropped around another $300 into, worth every dollar it's a beautiful guitar..
I have a 2014 model. I absolutely love it and i have played gibsons and other "higher end" instruments but after i got it and set the intonation and sorted out the fretboard it played like a dream, still does today.
Definitely setup is important. I've had guitars that have not felt great to play, then I spend some time setting them up and suddenly they feel completely different. If a guitar has high action its going to feel tough to play, if intonation is bad its going to sound out of tune, none of which makes it good to play.
I started out with an Epiphone Les Paul and it’s absolutely fantastic but I knew I would always want a Gibson so I saved up and bought a used Studio :). I would say you could definitely buy a used Gibson for about the same price as a new Epi.
Exactly! I'm glad people are satisfied with their guitar, but really there's a fairly big difference. All this "Epiphone > Gibson now" talk on UA-cam and on forums is delusional. And like you said, you can buy a used Gibson for close to what you'd pay for a new Epiphone so why wouldn't you?
And let's not forget that Les Paul was associated with Epiphone since the early 1940's and he worked on his solid body guitar AKA the Log in the Epiphone factory Not Gibson...Epiphone was also one of Guitar companies who invented the electric guitar back in 1931 along with Rickenbacker....Epiphone also played a major role in the shaping of early Rock n Roll music....the Epiphone factory in China is owned and operated by American supervisors and luthiers are at the China facility Scott Lewis is the plant manager... Gibson has taken credit for things they didn't do like the open book headstock and the Les Paul body shape Gibson did not invent either one and there so called innovations of the past 3 decades have been total Failures the Auto tuners stand out as just one out of many Gibson headstocks are very weak constantly issues with electronics and finishing many of us don't buy into the Gibson BS
Are you aware that Epiphone belongs to Gibson, mate?
Vinnisl a are you aware that Epiphone was its own company before right?
The 2021 Epiphone les Paul's Standards are absolutely brilliant 1959 era correct neck CTS electronics Maple Cap not veneer brilliant pickups Scott Lewis has done a fantastic job of crafting these Les Paul's
Absolutely agree these Les Paul's are the real deal Scott Lewis and his American and Chinese craftsman did a incredible job Les Paul himself would have been very proud of these
I watch a lot of these lessons from various instructors about gear, theory and chops. The information presented is always secondary to the instructor showing how well he can play :)
It's like walking into a Guitar Center. There's always some guy with the amp cranked up who thinks he's Hendrix. You're trying to talk to a salesman and there's a Metallica concert blowing your ears out from an amp 10 feet away.
Here's where I have to differ on this. I have a 2010 Gibson Les Paul studio and a 2004 Zakk Wylde Epiphone Les Paul. The Gibson is the Arctic white with ebony ebony fretboard. And the Epiphone has Rosewood. To be honest I did put composite nuts on both guitars and a Zakk Wylde set of Emgs in the Epiphone.
My Epiphone blows the Gibson out of the water hands down. Sound, durability and especially staying in turn. The Gibson has the notorious tuning issues and the Epiphone stays in tune all the time. I've owned both these guitars since they were new , not used. I definitely go to town on my Epiphone far more.
Just my two cents, great video and I definitely heard the sound difference in your video. I run my home audio through Cerwin Vega D-7s. I noticed you used the Gibson Standard, I found that the Studio was a closer match to compare to Epiphone. I think a lot of it all comes down to the inconsistency that has plagued Gibson for well over a decade now too.
Great video, cheers!
A high end epiphone can be better than a low end gibson. A les paul standard (or especially a custom, which zakk wylde's is based on) would blow your epi out of the water
@@mike06250 well yes and no, problem is that even the "high end " Gibbons are so inconsistent with quality control it's still hit or miss. I've try several. A buddy of mine has 4 Zakk Wylde signature Gibbons and there not all great lol
I recently purchased an Epiphone ES335 Pro at a pawn shop for 280$. I Think i've had to tune it once and thats only because I wanted to try an open tuning. It NEVER falls out of tune(which is my biggest pet peeve when it comes to a guitar) and Marty is 100% correct, Epiphone has really stepped up their game with regard to guitars. If this was a Gibson ES335 it would have been 2K easily...Way to go Epiphone
The Epiphone Les Paul Traditional Pro II is actually on the lower end of the Epiphone Les Paul range. These are Guitar Center exclusive models and are on sale today for $399. I would upgrade to the Epiphone Les Paul Standard Plustop Pro which is $599 at most Epiphone dealers. With the Plustop Pro you get a maple cap with a veneer flame top (the Tradition Pro II is all mahogany with no cap). You also get much better pickups. The Plustop Pro would be a better comparison to the Gibson model.
Or go for Epi Les Paul Tribute with Gibson pick-ups and pots. There is a huge difference between Epis Alnico and Probucker pick-up range too... This video succeded in one thing and that is demonstrating how huge impact pick-ups have on the overall sound.
I recently got the Traditional pro III lmtd edt pro plus top and it came with Gibson 57 pickups and I love it
Totally agree, the Plus Top Pro is an awesome guitar for the money.
Its all about electronics and pickups.
Thanks I needed to hear them both solo and I can definitely hear the difference.
The Gibson sounds treblier, but swapping pu's in the epi can fix that. The Gibson probably plays better, but again, a setup can fix that on the epi.
I bought a used Epiphone Les Paul Standard plus top with coils splits and I have to say that guitar is pretty damn good. The setup on it is really good and it sounds and plays beautiful. Can't complain for $450 with a sweet Roadrunner hard case to boot. My buddy just spent $2000 on a Gibson and I played them both one after the other and the difference was minimal. The Epiphone has a better setup so it actually played better than the Gibson.
I have one of each, my Gibson is truly amazing, but .... my Epiphone has a great sound and feel to it so I'm happy with it as a back up on stage , also, all the way from Northern England, Thankyou Marty for the tutorials, you're my 'go to guy' for the nuts and bolts of a lot of the songs my band covers. Keep em coming 🎸🤘
Watching this video once again, I think for most of us who are just at home musicians, an Epiphone sounding guitar is all we really need. However for people who want to start a music career and perform on stage in front of a lot of people, it may be best to upgrade to an actual Gibson sometime down the road with an actual following.
Wise words
All in the pickups
Most of the difference on this video is in the pick ups but even if you put the exact same pick ups in it you have better quality wood and workmanship in the Gibson. It would be about 95% the same though.
Simply and demonstrably wrong. It is the whole guitar.
@@raymondkidwell7135 As long as they're both of the one piece neck/body design any small difference in resonance would probably depend on just how 'microphonic' those pickups are. Personally, I'm perfectly happy to trade that 5% difference (and all the extra weight) and just pocket the extra 2 G's! ;-)
@@hotstuff7049I have an Epiphone les paul where the pick ups were switched out with active EMGs ($200 upgrade). It sounds a lot better compared to original pick ups. But the guitar is unusually heavy (not a big deal unless you actually play live then the weight can wear you out). The neck cracked (doesn't effect the playing). One knob is almost coming off. This is why I was able to buy it cheap used. These are common issues with the Epiphone. The workmanship and quality on a $500 guitar does not match that of a $1500-$2000 guitar. But sound wise yes 90% of the difference is in the pick ups. I still have to say in comparison to similar priced guitars this is a very good guitar with really nice neck action.
Great video!😁
Being able to compare the sounds without the 10 minute 'waffle' between plays was fantastic. You can hear the definite tone change between the two!👍
I would love a Gibson. But my wallet says NO at my stage of learning.
Been going 5 years now and you have helped me a lot with your tutorials.👍
Thanks Marty & keep Rocking!👍👍👍🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸
Gibson has that increase in sound quality that you'd pay the extra for if you have money in excess that you don't know what to do with.
I have an Epiphone and to my amateur ears sounds great. Listening to you play it sounds great too. The Gibson definitely kicked it's butt in the side by side though. Just a fuller more complete sound. I'll still putt around on my Epiphone till I hit the lottery. Great video!
upgrade the pickups on an epiphone and your good
There is definitely more treble and clarity from the Gibson. You can definitely get close with an Epiphone via adjusting the equalizer settings on your amp or messing around with an equalizer pedal, or swapping in a good set of pickups. Whatever your choice, please rock on !
The pickups make a big difference. The pickups in that Gibson sell for half what the whole Epiphone guitar does. I put pro pickups in my Epiphone and it gets you a lot closer. That said, my Gibson’s seem to have that certain something I can’t put my finger on, and I do not believe in “tone wood”. I still love the Epiphone though!
ua-cam.com/video/pLNw9ASJ4Cw/v-deo.html
I ordered just this morning a Epiphone Limited Edition Les Paul Quilt Top Pro Electric Guitar, Translucent Blue. It was on sale for 469 and then I got another discount of $79 and free shipping via federal express so $390. I think that is a bargain!
That is an absolute bargain dude. I hope you're gonna love it!
@@twantheunisz9281 That is a great guitar! I'm a retired fretted instrument tech. If you live in an area that has a luthier or guitar repair shop,bring it in to have it set up.
These new Epis are a bit like buying a new bicycle. They ALL require a bit of fine-adjusting especially the nut height. Sometimes it is difficult to find a reputable repairman. Just because a guy works at a guitar store and is wearing a shop apron and calls himself a repairman...ain't necessarilly so. Look and ask around. The final set-up is so overlooked today because folks order guitars on-line. In the old days when a guitar was hanging on a rack and buisiness was slow, that guitar would be pulled to the set-up bench and set up professionally. A guitar with a 100-150 dollar setup sells itself.
It will F E E L so much better than everything, it will sell. Now guitars are delivered to your door. No old man got to spend 2 hours setting the thing up to play like butter. Too bad!! It is difference in buying a corvette off the lot and a corvette out of a performance pro shop.
Twan Theunisz that would be dudette 👩🏼🤣
I went to Guitar Center on Sunday right before Christmas. Big mistake. The store was jammed packed with people and everyone was having a mini concert playing just about all the Epiphone Les Paul’s that the store had. I really wanted to try a Epi Standard. I got to take a couple off the rack and feel the necks and pluck some strings, not bad at all.
So then I asked to see a Gibson Les Paul Traditional. Yeah, big difference. It felt like a Les Paul should. But it was $2600, and the Standard HP was $3400. Just too much money for my wallet. The $499 Epi Standard was nice, but not there yet for me to purchase it and be satisfied.
@@edwardmonsariste4050 I'm not sure but i wonder if the main difference wasn't simply that the Gibsons set-up was better. I bought an Epi L.P. a few weeks back. The nut height was .060 !!!! you could almost stick a dime between the first fret and the Big E string. that tollerance should be 1/3 that!!! (.025)
It is just plain WRONG to sell a customer a guitar with that shitty a set-up. Sadly almost EVERY guitar in Guitar Center is that way.
Folks!!! a guitar like that WILL NOT play an open chord in tune. Your kids will cry when they have to play an F chord for the first time. I will cry when you are strummin' that thing in a bar to your new song you just wrote. (EEEK our local songwriters night is worse torture than waterboarding)
what is really weird is that i find local players on stage with guitars set up this awful and YES!! Those open chords they are playing are Gawwwd-awful out of tune. If they didn't have their friends and relatives to applaud them, the place would be empty.
I've done fretted instrument repair most of my life. Here is an easy test:
The distance from the big E to the 1st fret should be around .025" slightly less for an electric. This gap will decrease as we go to the smaller strings. the gap at the little E should be around .015. maybe a bit less on electric maybe a tiny bit more if the guy plays slide. A good tech will ask to see you play and ask you if you play slide. He will set your neck relief according to how hard you play. (If you've never had your guitar set-up by a REAL luthier/tech, you might be amazed at what he can do for your guitar and tone)
Now; tune the big E. Now with a GOOD tuner , play an F(1st fret) and see if it is an in-tune F or if it is slightly sharp. The bridge intonation will not be affected much at fret 1 through 6 or so, btw. If the note is sharp it is because the string is literally being bent down to the fret so much that it is bent sharp. This will make open chords sound awful and music stores rarely have a guy that has the expertise to cut a nut so they just overlook this, adjust the truss rod and bridge and call that a set-up. That is just plain wrong, they deserve to go out of buisiness for that.
If you are a beginner; 95% of your playing will be down by the nut. Shitty/lazy/un-professional/dis-honest retailers seem to NEVER tell you how important proper nut height is. If they were moral, they'd say, ." Hey, as soon as you buy this guitar, you REALLY need to take it to a REAL guitar tech and have it set up."
Btw if you don't have feeler guages to measure .025 " a D string on a set of 10-46 is .026. Use that as a standard. a dime is about .065" a .80 mm pick is about .030 " Merry Christmas!!
The first thing I do when I buy most guitars and basses is switch out the control pots, caps and install custom hand wound pickups. There are a lot of great pickup winders out there. Compare them after that.
You’re right the epiphone’s are better quality now, what amp were you using?
It's funny how he likes your comment, yet, doesn't reply to your question.
Im fallen in love with the gibson, but probably should try the epiphone too
Epiphone is by gibson, so its the same but cheaper. :)
I have an Epiphone Les Paul Special II, one or the most cheap guitars in Epiphone and I'm so in love with it, it's confortable and well finished. I don't need other guitar, I have everything I need from her 🤩
Nice comparison. I'd love to hear them side by side with the Epiphone's pickups swapped up for the Burstbuckers or whatever's in the Standard.
It's all in the pickups, epiphone pickups aren't great! Swap em for some Duncan's and it'll sound as good!
Even on you tube it’s easy to hear the Gibson is far and away a superior sounding instrument 👍 thank you for the video
Im happy with any les paul as long as the pickups have seymore duncan pearly gates pickups..they sound amazing!!
Doesnt matter if its epiphone, those new epis 50/60s inspired models look quite good, just swap the pickups!!
The thing i dont like about gibson is the crap nitro finish..if i wanted to spend a few grand on a guitar i dont want it to look like crap how many years later...maybe have nitro and poly options on the bursts but the black customs and gold tops need to be protected far better...a poly finish works on those!!..
Stock gibsons are not made by skilled guitar builders..only the custom shop models are crafted...the stock models are production line semi skilled workers..no craftmanship is needed..just because it says made in USA doesnt make it superior!!
Obviously more expensive woods are used, and your paying extra for the crap nitro finish and better hardware and pickups, but alot of people switch pickups anyway, well i do!!
but do the differences of the gibson warrant the price gap? Do they hell!!
Gibson know they are ripping people off, epiphone could easily make better guitars, they could make the headstock even more like gibsons..but why would they?
Gibson own epiphone they dont want to hurt their own sales!!
People would start buying the epiphone..lets face it, alot of people hate the epi headstock, they want it too look like a gibson..
People want their gibson bursts to age, they want it to look vintage over time, to the point they want to relic their hardware, but a black les paul custom with a nitro finish is the most stupidest decision..how many people want their shiny black custom with gold hardware to age?
I for one believe a black custom or gold top should stay looking new..a poly option should be given for those colour models!! Much better protection..
I like both makes, epi and gibson but for sound, after swapping the pups its too close to call..so its down to snobbery.
I have seen it time and time again, people on line comparing their flame bursts, the depth of shading, its seems to me that they treat the guitar like a painting rather than a musical instrument, .as though its a work of art..just play the thing!!
How they convince their wives to allow them to spend thousands on a guitar i will never know..it sits on a stand and they take hundreds of photos trying to capture it in its best colour form.
I can just imagine the mrs saying to herself, you cant even play guitar you dick head!! Lol..
If your a professional muscian i can understand why a gibson would be the first option, but its really image!!
The epiphone could easilyvhandle the task!!