The burst finish is called Iced Tea. I have the very same model. I worked at the Gibson Custom Shop. My Epi is just as good as any guitar in that shop. Thanks for a great video!
That’s awesome man! I just bought the Epi LP trad pro in satin red. Omg does she scream! I TOOK IT HOME ON THE SPOT. Played it against my Gibson 61 SG reissue and the sound quality was up to par.
Thanks, that's quite interesting that you also find this model to be that good. Oh, and I just subscribed to your channel. You have a great band there. I would recommend to check The Watson Brothers Band to anyone reading this. Cheers!
Fujigen made the Elitist Les Pauls for Gibson. Their quality control is way above Gibson. I have 7 Elitists 7 LP's and one SG. All of them have Brazilian fretboards and are far better than most Gibsons. They quit making them because they were better than Gibsons costing much more than the Elitists.
My son has one it's a beast of a guitar but I can't admit it because I'm the fool who spent all my wages a gibson😢😢😢 the gibson is fantastic instrument BUTso is my sons 😊 there I admitted it
Hi! I did the same thing. I got a 59' Epiphone and ended up selling my Gibson Les Paul Standard because the Epi felt better and sounded better than my Gibson. No regrets at all!
@@jameshughes6049 If it’s so good how come this guy changed absolutely everything. All the electronics , pickups tuners etc ?? 😂🤣 yes in conjunction to my ass. Get serious! They maybe breath ofer them. Don’t believe everything advertising says
@@jameshughes6049 Yes! That's why it's so good. Though some Epi's don't have Gibson parts the Epiphone 50's Standard nonetheless is a very good guitar.
@@dwstoeckel4740 Good idea, I should probably try and make something from a band rehearsal. Will have to think a bit on how I best can do that and check if the guys in the band will be OK with it.
.....that's too late for me, unfortunately........like a Mormon in latter days with so many wives, there must be one in the evening rotation that pleases you most.......i look at my collection and say, "yep, all i really needed was you"
@@GUITARSGIZMOS Also I forgot to thank you for letting me know how to find out where my Epiphone Casino was manufactured.. yours had the “S” in the serial number.. so I looked up what the “R” in mine meant.. turns out it’s out of the “Peerless” factory, so it’s 90s Korean made as well. I did a bit of research and found that the peerless factory was held in high regard for their quality as well..( probably why I love my casino and always gravitate back to it) .. anyways thank you for helping me find out how to trace that back . I didn’t know what those letters in the serial number meant
This is the first video of yours I have watched. When I heard you talking at first I could tell you were going to be able to play well and it turned out to be true. Good job.
I came here for the guitars. . . and stayed for the wonderful playing! Thank you Thor, I love your style and your dedication to the art of guitar playing. I have just recently acquired an 2010 Epiphone Les Paul Standard Cherry burst made in China and it is a fantastic guitar, so reasonably priced too.
I bought the Epiphone '59 LP and it came with Gibson hum buckers that I think are pretty good. It's very nearly as good as my Heritage 150 limited edition.
I have a student who has an Epiphone LP and it’s honestly one of the best I’ve ever played. I also bought my son a Mexican player plus Tele for Christmas and it’s so much better than my US one! Cheaper guitars have never been better than they are right now and represent great value!
A lot of people are not ready to hear that guitar making has only gotten better over time. Some people think the American Standard Fenders were better made than the American Professional II series of today. Its just not true. The Mexican Player Plus are definitely some amazing instruments, though I dont love the pickups
That guitar is beautiful. I have the same one, a 2001, Korean Epiphone Les paul, exact same finish. However, being a BIG Billy Gibbons fan, I changed the stock pickups to, Seymour Duncan Pearly Gates, The tuners to hipshot classic Pearl Tuners and I kept the same bridge assembly. Play this 1 more than my 2 Gibson LP's. Enjoy
After playing a Strat for 30yrs, I recently bought a Korean Made 04 Epiphone Les Paul Standard, +top with a Inch thick Flamed Maple Cap, Grover tuners, Rosewood fretboard, with Burst-bucker pick ups and it's a beautiful Guitar in Root-Beer Burst?!? with its own Hard Case, they are so well made there were 2/3 factories at the Time that just Knew what they were doing. Cracking Guitar
Very thorough and insightful video! thanks for that! I played several hi-end and vintage Gibsons (Les Paul, ES335, SG) in my 55+ years as a professional musician and now, since we are mainly talking about Les Pauls, I ended up with a (fasten seatbelt!) 2019 Korean made Guild Bluesbird in Iced Tea Burst. That guitar has a very high quality standard, its lightweight chambered mahogany body (with a flamed maple top) allows for improved resonance and great comfort, making this guitar one of the lightest in its class. It is also equipped with Seymour Duncan USA '59 SH-1N and JB SH-4 pickups, TonePros locking tune-o-matic bridge and stopbar tailpiece and Grover tuners, which I replaced with smoother working GraphTech Ratio tuning machines. The neck is a vintage C-shaped one, nice and fast-playing. I play mostly Jazz and jazzy Blues music, but from time to time I also play Fusion and Rock. The Buesbird can do it all! Historical fact: much of the initial Guild workforce consisted of former Epiphone workers who lost their jobs in 1951. Cheers from Australia 😊 🇦🇺🦘
I bought my Epiphone Les Paul new in 1997. It's a Birdseye sunburst. I've never seen another Gibson or Epiphone with a similar Birdseye burst. The Gibson truss rod cover came standard from the factory. I still have it today.
Many years ago - 1973 - I went hunting for a good guitar in London during my lunch hour at work, I ended up seeing a beauty hanging up on a wall that was a LP, and fell in love with it straight away, guess how much it cost?.....£50! Yep just £50, it was Epiphone Korean and had such quality to it. I got it home and plugged it in to my tape recorder which was the only amp I had, and it sounded so dark and rich, just superb, even my dad commented on the lovely tone. I wish I never sold it, but that's life. Thank you for this video.
Antique Burst. I love my made in Korea Les Paul Classic 1994 Birdseye top. In fact, I sold 3 Gibson Les Pauls and a Japanese Gibson (Orville) Les Paul because I preferred the Epi. I changed ALL the electronics, and it now has gorgeous Manlius Landmark PAF pickups with aged nickel covers.
I have 92 korean standard, changed pickups, pots with 50s wiring and Gotoh bridge. Gibson tuners, well not much difference to original ones, should have gone with Grovers maybe. Great guitar. Just wish it had 43mm neck and not 42mm.
@@GUITARSGIZMOS Sounds really nice and I love the finish on the Body. If the tuners give you any more problems, remove them and drill the screw holes out, oversize and tap in some wooden Dowel and Glue and re-fit the Tuners without drilling The Dowel and that should be a permanent cure.
Very fine video, nice playing, very soulful. I can confirm that Epiphone has some great guitars done. I am a collector of Epiphone Bohemia guitars, made in Tchech Republic from 1997 to 2002 I think. To my collection are belonging all out of Korina wood made, 3 Flying Vs, 2 Explorers and 1 SG. The serial no.are starting with a B in the beginning. I changed the tuners, pickups and pots. On some of my guitars I build in ABM bridges out of brass. Because I am more playing Hard Rock old school, I have mostly Gibson Dirty Fingers from the 80ies pickups installed, 16 KOhms. Once more my biggest compliments for your great advices.
Love your guitar journey's Thor! It's such a fun part of playing guitar and sometimes we win and sometimes we lose! The guitar sounds so much better with those pickups and it looks great too. It has a "brilliance" on the plain strings that is really nice with no harshness. You won't believe this but I have had a set of Classic 57's in a drawer since 2007!! I took them out of a Larry Carlton 335 and they sat there ever since. Just this Saturday, yes this week, I put them in to a 90's Vester LP project guitar of mine and I was blown away by them, so much so that I tried them in my LP replica and I am honestly so happy in how they just suit that guitar. I have always looked down on them...oops....but I hear that chime in your guitar too and I owe them an apology. I can tell you are going to get that guitar just perfect and look forward to hearing more of it and watching how the journey unfolds. Great playing as always and your band rocked !!
Thank you Brian, I think the 57s need more praise, and that they are often neglected and put aside in favour for more "boutique" brands that I find sometimes to be a bit over hyped. I will be curious to hear what you think of your 57s after you've been playing them in your guitar now for a while. Thanks for mentioning the band. It was good fun and I like to think we were quite OK to listen to in our heydays 😇 Cheers mate!
First great video, and of course playing 👍🏻 The Epiphone is good value for money. I got myself an Epiphone LPJ 🙈 my God I thought, how can this playability be so good 😊. What upgrades did I do. I replaced the hardware with vintage FABER guitar parts. I replaced all pots, wiring, capacitor with vintage parts. The pickup I used, Bare Knuckle Nantucket P90 dogear, I even replaced the screws from zinc to nickel screws. The sound is absolutely brilliant, a lot cheaper than a Gibson custom shop, it’s as good 👍🏻 probably my favourite guitar.
I have an Epiphone Gold Top Les Paul that is 10 yrs old...I swapped the pickups out and put Seymour Duncan Pearly Gates in it and that thing is a beast.All in for about $700.
Enjoyed the video and your playing! I’ve got an epi LP and SG, inspired by Gib, that I feel every bit as good as the gibs. Their QC, along with fend’s are dropping off, while the budget brands are improving steadily. I prob have purchased my last New gibs, and fend’s, because of such.
Lovely Les Paul. Lovely finish, fantastic playing. I wish I had such touch. I have a 2001 Korean Epi LP that I bought new. It has always been a great guitar to play, though I had it re-fretted in 2018 with slightly bigger frets (medium jumbo or something) & I feel I've never been able to play it in quite the way as I could before. I did have the tuners changed after only a couple of years as they weren't holding tune well. Had some fairly decent solid tuners from an old acoustic I had at the time put on in their place, thinking I'd likely swap them out again at some point down the road, but they're still on there till this day as I've never had any tuning issues with them. I did have the pick-up switch replaced fairly early on also, & I swapped out the scratchy volume pots 3-4 years back myself. My guitar has a 'flame top' finish going through a cherry(?) sunburst (similar to yours), but I think the finish on yours is far more pleasing. You're certainly right about the nice quality of these Korean Epi's (aside from mentioned above) My Epi LP used to be my fav, my go to, but I've been far more a Strat player in recent years. I really need to make an effort to play it more often.
Great video and really interesting. I too have the Epiphone, about 12 years old now and it is super stable and weighs a lot! Very nice playing, whole video a pleasure.
I had a Korean-made Epiphone burst just like yours. Mine was from the early 2000's and had the Gibson truss rod cover as well. The build quality was top notch. It even had Grover tuners. I put in some 500k pots and swapped the pickups. I recently sold it to a friend, as he was lusting rather fiercely for a Les Paul. I wouldn't have sold it had I not been in the process of building one. I dig your playing and loved that video with the 5e3 and clips of your hometown. Magic. I'm going to buy that same amp. Apparently if I make the purchase before the Chinese New Year they'll throw in my choice of a delay or reverb pedal. 😀 A nice touch.
Hi and thank you😊 It's interesting that yours also had the Gibson truss rod cover. I hope your build turned out great. The 5E3 amp is really good and I'm very happy with my purchase. The Celestion Blue made a clear difference for me, but it really worked well with the other speakers I tested as well. Fingers crossed that yours will be equally good and that the shipping goes well. Cheers!
@@yiranimal I have never thought about it so it must be quiet 😄 It’s more often down to the signal chain and if the guitar has single coil pickups that noise will occur.
Sounds lovely. Playability is my number one - even over tone. I choose playability. So IF playability here is good I have no issues. I guess I am about your same age - mid 50s; I grew up with these things. Looks are great but that bridge AND the headstock
Epiphones are great guitars! I bought a new one 13 years ago and with a few upgrades and a good setup it easily outperforms any stock Gibson i tried! Having said that a Gibson is a Gibson
I too have a 97 Korean made Epi in red sparkle on which I have made the same mods as you and it became a killer guitar. I have installed a set of 57 classics and a Stew Mac 50's wiring harness with orange drop caps and CTS pots. I've switched the tuning machines to Gotoh ones and that's it... But I'm keeping my 60's Les Paul (Gibson) though... Great video and playing.
Thanks, and how cool that you have a similar guitar and have installed 57 classics. I'll look into getting some decent CTS pots and probably orange drop caps as well. Cheers!
I have a stock Epiphone Les Paul Standard Plustop PRO with ProBucker Pickups and Coil-Splitting, in Honey Burst. I remember being bowled over by the quality and look of the instrument when I got it home and played it for the first time. Good Epiphones are amazing guitars and way more than I will personally ever need in a Les Paul. Love the sound of your LP, what a beautiful example, and your playing is amazing. Thank you for the entertaining and highly informative video. Just subscribed.
I suggested changing magnets to alnico 4 in the pickups. I have an Epiphone Korean. It was always too bright no matter what pickups I used until I switched magnets in my Sheptone 6t8 to A4.
Recently purchase a 2004 Epiphone LS Custom in white. Absolutely beautiful paint, finish and frets. Took it apart and it had Gibson pickups. Replaced the wiring with an Obsidian Wire and now it sounds as good as any other Les Paul I have ever played.
I walked into the music store and saw a goldtop Epiphone Slash. I was looking for a strat, but when my son brought the Slash to play, I fell in love. It is hands down the best Les Paul I have ever played. Period. And it is made in , gulp, China!
Great playing, thanks for you upload. I got me an exact same model, a 1994 Korean made Epiphone. Replaced the tuners by Grover, put T-top humbuckers and 50’s wiring with vintage CTS 550k pots in it. Changed the bridge for a Faber abr-1 type. All worth the investment. It brings me all I need in a Les Paul guitar.
Very nice instrument and sounds really good. The 'S' at the beginning of the serial number means the guitar was made in the Samick factory in South Korea and are known for their quality. I had a beautiful Sheraton from 1996 made at the same plant. I would say the top is sprayed in a cognac burst, but then I'm just making that up.
You can also see it's a Samick made Epiphone by the way the stop tail and bridge are further apart than usual for a Les Paul and the control knob spacing is 'off' also.
Oh, if it is Samick it makes perfect sense to me, because I had a Samick ES-335 model many years ago and that was a really good guitar. And Cognac burst sounds just right to me 😁 Thank you!
I have a Samick (branded under their own name) version of an L5. It is amazing. Seems to be what they made for Epi as the Joe Pass model. Buying a Gibson is just for those that need it to say that on the headstock and they have not had the best quality at ten times the price as everyone knows. Either be a player or be the lawyer/dentist that hangs your rock hero's guitar model on the wall behind your desk.
@@ranchodelreyband167 Amen and btw those are great guitars. !!! The Cort built jazz boxes from that time are great too. And if you ever see an old Aria jazz box from a bit before that time grab it!
I got an Epi LP Standard at a pawn shop a while ago, and it's got just the best feeling neck of my guitars. Great playability. I can't compare it to a Gibson, because I've never owned one, but I can't imagine what a guitar $1K more would improve enough to make it worth it.
Bought a used Epi and did the same, changed everything, and added a string butler to take out the angle of 3rd and 4th string so stays in tune amazingly. Had frets filed because I dented one dropping the guitar. Best guitar I have now. And total about $600 have other guitars over 4000. Thank you for your video Sir.
Epiphone are really producing some very high quality guitars. I have an Epiphone Casino, Epiphone LP Jr, Epiphone SG, a Fender Tele and a Washburn LP. My two favorite electrics are the Jr which has a humbucker, and the Casino which has two P90s of course. I play the Jr every day I just love it. I also sold a Seagull Maritime, a superior acoustic, and another Casino so I could buy an Epiphone Excellente, which is the very best playing and sounding acoustic I've played in over 45 years. I also have a great Yamaha FG 340 a really solid guitar and just a great mid tone guitar I play often, and a project Teisco mustang looking guitar I intend on refinishing. Epiphones are turning up on stages of many high profile bands, they really are great guitars at ridiculously low price! Thanks for this video you've got a really nice wee axe there brother! And you've got great chops!! Jack ~'()'~ Canada
I have a 2002 Korean made Epiphone Les Paul Standard. I sold my 79 Gibson Les Paul Standard after owning it 1 year. My Epiphone has been with me over 20 years and I'm not planning on selling it any time soon. Upgraded the pickups and electronics. It totally killed my "need" for a Gibson.
Great video. Other Epiphones with different initials in their serial numbers were also made in Korea and are very good too. For example, I have a Korina Explorer made in 2001 in the Unsung factory with a serial number starting with U. I'm in the process of changing electronics as the stock ones are way too dark for me. Thanks!
Thank you very much for your very detailed and enlightening video. ❤ Most of all: thank you for your beautiful playing! ❤ By the guitars you presented I fell so much put back to my life the last 30 years. Unfortunately my journey started with selling the Korean Epiphone 🙈 (.....and yes, I had a Hagstrom too! 😂). Today I have found my perfect companion: the Gibson Les Paul Special! The P90s are so expressive, but without losing any sustain. The Mahagony body warms the clang of the single coils and is so beautifully light: you can walk around playing for hours in your flat without a pain in your back even at my age 😊
Thank you 😊 I agree, the weight has a lot to say for a Les Paul. I've had a couple that was pretty heavy compared to this one. Your Les Paul with P90s sounds to be a lovely guitar. Cheers!
Years ago i bought a shaftsbury les paul in dorchester UK it cost me 60 pounds set it up and thought it very nice and it had a thin kneck and i was very pleased with it ,i later sold it for a gibson LP deluxe and was dissapointed ,the kneck was like holding a log and keeping it in tune was a beast and the action and bridge were a night mare 😢😢😢
Nice find, the modifications are awesome sounded bell like after the pickups were changed. And the nickel hard ware is perfect. Hope you didn’t spend too much money for it but I’m sure it was nowhere near what a Gibson would be. Those greedy bastards… I have three Epiphone LPs and one 339, four Gibson LPs, they are the bottom tear models, studio, tribute, double cut junior, and a Custom that wasn’t bottom tear, but a Custom with a Floyd Rose. Nice playing btw, enjoyed it very much. Take care, 🎸🤓🌎☮️🥓
Changing to 500k pots would have a noticable effect on tone. Allowing more highs thru. Increased presence. I bought a 2019 Classic Worn, it came with small pots despite advertising. I had pots changed to 500k. Big difference. Especially the neck position. No more muddy.
Hi, you are right that it will let through the high frequencies in a guitar with lower value potentiometers. This guitar had 500k pots originally and the ones I replaced them for are also 500k. Happy to hear you had a successful replacement in your guitar. Cheers!
@@GUITARSGIZMOS ah, I see. When you mentioned small pots, I assumed 250k. And it admittedly sounded too good for 250k. It does sound improved with the pickups. Very nice playing !
You R Right!I Love Playing Guitar!So Play 1,Not A Museum Piece.I Get It!I Vintage Wire and Vintage Tone Cap,and use the 50s or 60s wiring diagrams,with Seymour Duncan Pickups!My Epiphones,and I,Have 1,like you got,but made in 2021,as well as Others!I'm goin to Get some CTS,Meg Potts,for some of my Guitars!for Loud Brightness!Take care,now!
I have an MIK Epiphone Sheraton that has great build quality. The original pups were severely microphonic, so I've replaced them. I also had an MIK DeArmond S73 which was great. I have several Reverend guitars which are MIK. From my experience, MIK guitars are really good.
Such a good circa for Korean guitars, especially Epiphone. The other way to always identify a Korean build - the vertical GIBSON embossed on the truss cover… and also a serial that begins with ‘U’.
I have a 2004 Epi LP MIK that I got in 2006 as Epiphone was changing their manufacturing from Korea to China and IMO at that time the China made were not at all as well made as the Korean (they've since improved a great deal). I really wasn't in the market for an LP but I knew if I got one I'd want it to be MIK so I got it. It was made in the Saein factory. Yours was made by Samick. I have a 1996 Samick SG, the Artist Series Edition, which I'm very happy with.
Yep, here we go again, and another great video....😊.....every guitar we have or have had has a story attached to it, haven´t they. I find it very hard to part with any of the guitars I have because of the memories. Anyway, that Epi looks great, with a sort of vintage flavour....much better tone with the new pickups, I agree. But I must admit I liked the tone of your Gibson CS as well 😉. I hope you´ll be happy gigging with that guitar. I am interested to hear the story of the new pots, maybe?
Hi Marcello, I agree that the 57s lifted the tone to a new level, and that the CS Gibson's also sounded and played good. The thing is that I find these budget guitars so appealing because I don't have to treat them as valuables but more as the tool and instrument they really are. I also enjoy modifying my guitars to see if there is more mojo to get from them by tweaking pickups or electronics and so on, and that feels better to do with an Epiphone than a CS. It's of course very likely that I will document how the different potentiometers will sound when I replace them 😉 Cheers!
After playing way to expensive fender/gibson/martin guitars for more then 40 years i have sold them all and now have an sigma DR 28 acoustic and a squire strat , they play and sound just as good as all the expensive guitars i once had , now i am looking for a les paul type guitar from epiphone and then i am done , the lesson from all off this : a guitar does not have to cost 3000 euro's to sound and play well , if you take you're time you can find really good guitars between 300 -700 euro's on the 2e hand market , and the advantage off going for the B brands ( squire / epi /sigma ) of the biggies ( fender/gibson/martin ) is that they have the same headstock shape , and i do not care anymore what name is on there .
I thought I'd be able to substitute a Les Paul Studio for my Les Paul Standard. I sold the Standard and bought the Studio, pocketing the 800 dollars. I happened to visit a guitar shop a year later, where I saw a Les Paul Custom made in the Gibson Custom Shop. I bought it for 4200 dollars. My Studio is for sale. I'm convinced that there's a very discernable difference in tone, feel, and playability, between the lower dolaar guitars and those from the Custom Shop. Granted, there's a significant dollar difference. However, if one can afford it, there's a benefit that money can't measure. It has to do with the confluence of all of the various parts of the guitar that make up the whole, excellent materials and components, which may be beyond the ability of the lower lines to achieve, that allows the player to be inspired to play to the best of his ability. That's my take.
Very cool Les Paul! My '02 Korean Epiphone Les Paul is one of the best guitars I've owned. It is really incredible compared to some Gibsons for 10x the price. However, the jack, potentiometers, and most often the pickups need to be changed out from any guitar less than $1000.
The video is very interesting and touches on a topic dear to many guitarists. I own a real Gibson LP and also an Epiphone Modern LP. When playing in the living room at home the Epi gives the Gibson a run for the money. But when I play in a noisy club with the band, the Gibson's tone comes through better than the Epi. I think that is ultimately the key difference. I will try replacing Epi pickups with Gibson's burstbuckers , let’s see if this will at least partially solve my problem.
Im not a great player, but I love my Epiphone LP. It is an older one, so I switched out the pups with some Seymour Duncans, Custom (bridge) Jazz (neck). The newer Epis have much nice pups than the stock pups in the older one i have. Good thing about cheaper guitars is that you have no buyers remorse.
Very cool my friend. I have a Samick and an Unsung Les Paul, both Korean built and BOTH are awesome. You play very well bro, great video. Epiphones can be just as good as Gibsons if you do the right upgrades and set up.
As a strat abd tele player I have my eyes on a Epiphone les paul modern versatile enough with coil tapping and comfortable and just 650 euros it is the les paul i woildnhave
I had a Gibson Les Paul Custom and an Epiphone Les Paul Custom. I felt the Epiphone played and sounded better. I debated internally what to do, so I sold the Gibson. I was wondering if it was me, but I’m glad I’m not. I put some new Seymour’s in the Epiphone and it’s an unbelievable guitar. No regrets here. I bought a few nice pieces of gear with the profits.
I have a 95 Birdseye top Epi Les Paul (Korean Samick). It plays really well and I will probably never sell it (I have changed the pickups, tuners and wiring). I have a USA Les Paul and USA Studio.
Well, this is a typical case of " I buy something , then I will change the pots/wiring/pups" and I will have a "customer shop quality for a fraction of the cost". It does not work like that. Ask me how I know. The real answer is to PLAY a guitar before you buy it and buy the one that talks to you...and nothing else. I have owned - bought and sold hundreds of guitars and ended up with a closet full of " rare species" those are the guitars that survived the time and kept my attention ( that's called a collection) . My two cents? You get what you pay for and the very small differences between the various "grades" of a guitar are worth the money IF you can afford it. It's all about the connection between the player and the wood! I ended up with guitars that have a sound themselves. That means a distinctive sound that rings your bell. If the instrument is not sonically intact ( and you ears will tell you that) it's a dud. Hence, in my opinion buying instruments that "sound like X or Y " is the wrong thing. Buy the brand BUT play the darn thing before you buy it. That "connection" is what will make it a keeper ...or not !!
Maybe it’s just a case of him enjoying the process of making it his. I have PTSD from the military and was recommended to get a relaxing hobby, so I buy really cheap guitars and completely redo them with upgraded parts. It’s the journey not the destination for me and perhaps for Thor as well. Just my 2 cents.
I own 3 Korean LES Paul's... If you notice the pots are widely spaced compared to Gibson's pots. The holes were grouped tighter than Epiphone. By 1997 Epiphone changed the holes for the pots more so like the Gibson. I would replace all the wiring and pickups. The Koreans made nice guitars but the electronics were suspect. Other than the electronics...if you like jumbo frets then that would be my only other modification and maybe a plek. Enjoy your Epiphone!
The burst finish is called Iced Tea. I have the very same model. I worked at the Gibson Custom Shop. My Epi is just as good as any guitar in that shop. Thanks for a great video!
That’s awesome man! I just bought the Epi LP trad pro in satin red. Omg does she scream! I TOOK IT HOME ON THE SPOT. Played it against my Gibson 61 SG reissue and the sound quality was up to par.
Oh wow, that’s great to hear from someone with that experience…
Thanks, that's quite interesting that you also find this model to be that good. Oh, and I just subscribed to your channel. You have a great band there. I would recommend to check The Watson Brothers Band to anyone reading this. Cheers!
@@GUITARSGIZMOS thanks for that recommendation Thor, I just checked their channel.. great band indeed..
Thank you kindly sir!@@GUITARSGIZMOS
I currently have 1 guitar, an Orville - Les Paul made in the Fujigen factory and I am content.
Fujigen made the Elitist Les Pauls for Gibson. Their quality control is way above Gibson. I have 7 Elitists 7 LP's and one SG. All of them have Brazilian fretboards and are far better than most Gibsons. They quit making them because they were better than Gibsons costing much more than the Elitists.
Man, these Orville and Orville By Gibson are the real ones!!! Especially the Les Paul Custom, which I desire so much.
My son has one it's a beast of a guitar but I can't admit it because I'm the fool who spent all my wages a gibson😢😢😢 the gibson is fantastic instrument BUTso is my sons 😊 there I admitted it
Fujigen are an incredible factory. Top notch.
Hi! I did the same thing. I got a 59' Epiphone and ended up selling my Gibson Les Paul Standard because the Epi felt better and sounded better than my Gibson. No regrets at all!
Watch the video. He replaced absolutely everything. And I mean everything on the guitar he brought.
So the guitar comes as 💩
Keep kidding yourself boys
@vintagepipesnightmares The '59 Epiphone Les Paul is all Gibson/high end electronics. It was made in conjunction with the Gibson custom shop.
@@jameshughes6049
If it’s so good how come this guy changed absolutely everything. All the electronics , pickups tuners etc ??
😂🤣 yes in conjunction to my ass. Get serious!
They maybe breath ofer them. Don’t believe everything advertising says
@@jameshughes6049 Yes! That's why it's so good. Though some Epi's don't have Gibson parts the Epiphone 50's Standard nonetheless is a very good guitar.
I’m mostly just a one guitar kinda guy.. and it’s nice to see great players like yourself playing brands like Epi… appreciate the video …
Thanks DW, I dig this guitar and will bring it to a rehearsal with my band tomorrow. It will be interesting to test it in a band setting. Cheers!
@@GUITARSGIZMOS man I love “behind the scenes” band rehearsal vids! Please bring a camera!! 😁👍🏻
@@dwstoeckel4740 Good idea, I should probably try and make something from a band rehearsal. Will have to think a bit on how I best can do that and check if the guys in the band will be OK with it.
.....that's too late for me, unfortunately........like a Mormon in latter days with so many wives, there must be one in the evening rotation that pleases you most.......i look at my collection and say, "yep, all i really needed was you"
@@GUITARSGIZMOS Also I forgot to thank you for letting me know how to find out where my Epiphone Casino was manufactured.. yours had the “S” in the serial number.. so I looked up what the “R” in mine meant.. turns out it’s out of the “Peerless” factory, so it’s 90s Korean made as well. I did a bit of research and found that the peerless factory was held in high regard for their quality as well..( probably why I love my casino and always gravitate back to it) .. anyways thank you for helping me find out how to trace that back . I didn’t know what those letters in the serial number meant
This is the first video of yours I have watched. When I heard you talking at first I could tell you were going to be able to play well and it turned out to be true. Good job.
Man I could tell from the first chord that the guitar sounds Killer, CONGRATS 🎉
To be honest I thought it sounded good out the box, your playing is smooth, which helped.
I came here for the guitars. . . and stayed for the wonderful playing!
Thank you Thor, I love your style and your dedication to the art of guitar playing.
I have just recently acquired an 2010 Epiphone Les Paul Standard Cherry burst made in China and it is a fantastic guitar, so reasonably priced too.
Thank you and congratulations on your Les Paul 😊
I bought the Epiphone '59 LP and it came with Gibson hum buckers that I think are pretty good. It's very nearly as good as my Heritage 150 limited edition.
I have a student who has an Epiphone LP and it’s honestly one of the best I’ve ever played. I also bought my son a Mexican player plus Tele for Christmas and it’s so much better than my US one! Cheaper guitars have never been better than they are right now and represent great value!
A lot of people are not ready to hear that guitar making has only gotten better over time. Some people think the American Standard Fenders were better made than the American Professional II series of today. Its just not true. The Mexican Player Plus are definitely some amazing instruments, though I dont love the pickups
@@Squall6575 yep, a cnc machine works just as well in Mexico or China or Indonesia as it does in USA…
That guitar is beautiful. I have the same one, a 2001, Korean Epiphone Les paul, exact same finish. However, being a BIG Billy Gibbons fan, I changed the stock pickups to, Seymour Duncan Pearly Gates, The tuners to hipshot classic Pearl Tuners and I kept the same bridge assembly. Play this 1 more than my 2 Gibson LP's. Enjoy
After playing a Strat for 30yrs, I recently bought a Korean Made 04 Epiphone Les Paul Standard, +top
with a Inch thick Flamed Maple Cap, Grover tuners, Rosewood fretboard, with Burst-bucker pick ups
and it's a beautiful Guitar in Root-Beer Burst?!? with its own Hard Case, they are so well made
there were 2/3 factories at the Time that just Knew what they were doing. Cracking Guitar
Before modifications awesome playing, after modifications awesome playing. 👌
Thank you 😊
I like your playing style a whole lot better that so many other illustrators I’ve heard on TH-cam 👍
Very thorough and insightful video! thanks for that! I played several hi-end and vintage Gibsons (Les Paul, ES335, SG) in my 55+ years as a professional musician and now, since we are mainly talking about Les Pauls, I ended up with a (fasten seatbelt!) 2019 Korean made Guild Bluesbird in Iced Tea Burst. That guitar has a very high quality standard, its lightweight chambered mahogany body (with a flamed maple top) allows for improved resonance and great comfort, making this guitar one of the lightest in its class. It is also equipped with Seymour Duncan USA '59 SH-1N and JB SH-4 pickups, TonePros locking tune-o-matic bridge and stopbar tailpiece and Grover tuners, which I replaced with smoother working GraphTech Ratio tuning machines. The neck is a vintage C-shaped one, nice and fast-playing. I play mostly Jazz and jazzy Blues music, but from time to time I also play Fusion and Rock. The Buesbird can do it all!
Historical fact: much of the initial Guild workforce consisted of former Epiphone workers who lost their jobs in 1951.
Cheers from Australia 😊 🇦🇺🦘
I bought my Epiphone Les Paul new in 1997. It's a Birdseye sunburst. I've never seen another Gibson or Epiphone with a similar Birdseye burst. The Gibson truss rod cover came standard from the factory. I still have it today.
Many years ago - 1973 - I went hunting for a good guitar in London during my lunch hour at work, I ended up seeing a beauty hanging up on a wall that was a LP, and fell in love with it straight away, guess how much it cost?.....£50! Yep just £50, it was Epiphone Korean and had such quality to it. I got it home and plugged it in to my tape recorder which was the only amp I had, and it sounded so dark and rich, just superb, even my dad commented on the lovely tone. I wish I never sold it, but that's life. Thank you for this video.
I have just bought a Epiphone 1959 les paul and its just good as my 3 USA built Gibsons
No it's not
Antique Burst. I love my made in Korea Les Paul Classic 1994 Birdseye top. In fact, I sold 3 Gibson Les Pauls and a Japanese Gibson (Orville) Les Paul because I preferred the Epi. I changed ALL the electronics, and it now has gorgeous Manlius Landmark PAF pickups with aged nickel covers.
I have 92 korean standard, changed pickups, pots with 50s wiring and Gotoh bridge. Gibson tuners, well not much difference to original ones, should have gone with Grovers maybe. Great guitar. Just wish it had 43mm neck and not 42mm.
Looks like an Ice Tea Burst. I really like how your Epiphone Les Paul looks and sounds after the improvements. Nice find!! Enjoy!
Thanks, after checking some images on google, I think you might be correct on the tone of the burst. Cheers!
@@GUITARSGIZMOS Sounds really nice and I love the finish on the Body. If the tuners give you any more problems, remove them and drill the screw holes out, oversize and tap in some wooden Dowel and Glue and re-fit the Tuners without drilling The Dowel and that should be a permanent cure.
Very fine video, nice playing, very soulful. I can confirm that Epiphone has some great guitars done. I am a collector of Epiphone Bohemia guitars, made in Tchech Republic from 1997 to 2002 I think. To my collection are belonging all out of Korina wood made, 3 Flying Vs, 2 Explorers and 1 SG. The serial no.are starting with a B in the beginning. I changed the tuners, pickups and pots. On some of my guitars I build in ABM bridges out of brass. Because I am more playing Hard Rock old school, I have mostly Gibson Dirty Fingers from the 80ies pickups installed, 16 KOhms. Once more my biggest compliments for your great advices.
I have an 97 Epiphone Les Paul Limited Edition in black, made in the Tchech Republic. I bought it in Germany in 98. Fantastic guitar 😀
Nice to see that I'm not the only one who plays while holding the guitar with the headstock lower than the body!!!
Splendid. Thank you. I like it even better that it sounds so good and says epiphone
Love your guitar journey's Thor!
It's such a fun part of playing guitar and sometimes we win and sometimes we lose! The guitar sounds so much better with those pickups and it looks great too. It has a "brilliance" on the plain strings that is really nice with no harshness.
You won't believe this but I have had a set of Classic 57's in a drawer since 2007!! I took them out of a Larry Carlton 335 and they sat there ever since. Just this Saturday, yes this week, I put them in to a 90's Vester LP project guitar of mine and I was blown away by them, so much so that I tried them in my LP replica and I am honestly so happy in how they just suit that guitar. I have always looked down on them...oops....but I hear that chime in your guitar too and I owe them an apology.
I can tell you are going to get that guitar just perfect and look forward to hearing more of it and watching how the journey unfolds. Great playing as always and your band rocked !!
Thank you Brian, I think the 57s need more praise, and that they are often neglected and put aside in favour for more "boutique" brands that I find sometimes to be a bit over hyped. I will be curious to hear what you think of your 57s after you've been playing them in your guitar now for a while. Thanks for mentioning the band. It was good fun and I like to think we were quite OK to listen to in our heydays 😇 Cheers mate!
First great video, and of course playing 👍🏻 The Epiphone is good value for money. I got myself an Epiphone LPJ 🙈 my God I thought, how can this playability be so good 😊. What upgrades did I do. I replaced the hardware with vintage FABER guitar parts. I replaced all pots, wiring, capacitor with vintage parts. The pickup I used, Bare Knuckle Nantucket P90 dogear, I even replaced the screws from zinc to nickel screws. The sound is absolutely brilliant, a lot cheaper than a Gibson custom shop, it’s as good 👍🏻 probably my favourite guitar.
I have an Epiphone Gold Top Les Paul that is 10 yrs old...I swapped the pickups out and put Seymour Duncan Pearly Gates in it and that thing is a beast.All in for about $700.
Enjoyed the video and your playing!
I’ve got an epi LP and SG, inspired by Gib, that I feel every bit as good as the gibs.
Their QC, along with fend’s are dropping off, while the budget brands are improving steadily.
I prob have purchased my last New gibs, and fend’s, because of such.
Lovely Les Paul. Lovely finish, fantastic playing. I wish I had such touch.
I have a 2001 Korean Epi LP that I bought new. It has always been a great guitar to play, though I had it re-fretted in 2018 with slightly bigger frets (medium jumbo or something) & I feel I've never been able to play it in quite the way as I could before.
I did have the tuners changed after only a couple of years as they weren't holding tune well. Had some fairly decent solid tuners from an old acoustic I had at the time put on in their place, thinking I'd likely swap them out again at some point down the road, but they're still on there till this day as I've never had any tuning issues with them. I did have the pick-up switch replaced fairly early on also, & I swapped out the scratchy volume pots 3-4 years back myself.
My guitar has a 'flame top' finish going through a cherry(?) sunburst (similar to yours), but I think the finish on yours is far more pleasing. You're certainly right about the nice quality of these Korean Epi's (aside from mentioned above)
My Epi LP used to be my fav, my go to, but I've been far more a Strat player in recent years.
I really need to make an effort to play it more often.
Great video and really interesting. I too have the Epiphone, about 12 years old now and it is super stable and weighs a lot!
Very nice playing, whole video a pleasure.
Fantastic video! Teaches that an epi can be modded to s great guitar, and that most important is to link with the instrument
I had a Korean-made Epiphone burst just like yours. Mine was from the early 2000's and had the Gibson truss rod cover as well. The build quality was top notch. It even had Grover tuners. I put in some 500k pots and swapped the pickups. I recently sold it to a friend, as he was lusting rather fiercely for a Les Paul. I wouldn't have sold it had I not been in the process of building one.
I dig your playing and loved that video with the 5e3 and clips of your hometown. Magic. I'm going to buy that same amp. Apparently if I make the purchase before the Chinese New Year they'll throw in my choice of a delay or reverb pedal. 😀 A nice touch.
Hi and thank you😊 It's interesting that yours also had the Gibson truss rod cover. I hope your build turned out great. The 5E3 amp is really good and I'm very happy with my purchase. The Celestion Blue made a clear difference for me, but it really worked well with the other speakers I tested as well. Fingers crossed that yours will be equally good and that the shipping goes well. Cheers!
@@GUITARSGIZMOS Just one question:
Do you find the 5e3 to be relatively quiet, as in being low in amp hiss? Thanks
@@yiranimal I have never thought about it so it must be quiet 😄 It’s more often down to the signal chain and if the guitar has single coil pickups that noise will occur.
Sounds lovely. Playability is my number one - even over tone. I choose playability. So IF playability here is good I have no issues. I guess I am about your same age - mid 50s; I grew up with these things. Looks are great but that bridge AND the headstock
I hear you, new epiphones are stellar, specially the 150th anniversary
I have an identical Epiphone from Korea, produced in 98 - and I wouldnt trade it for any Gibson. Its perfect.
one of my absolute favorite videos on this entire site. ive got a korean made epi las paul custom and its just such a nice guitar.
it is so chilling watching your demo.
Epiphones are great guitars! I bought a new one 13 years ago and with a few upgrades and a good setup it easily outperforms any stock Gibson i tried! Having said that a Gibson is a Gibson
I too have a 97 Korean made Epi in red sparkle on which I have made the same mods as you and it became a killer guitar. I have installed a set of 57 classics and a Stew Mac 50's wiring harness with orange drop caps and CTS pots. I've switched the tuning machines to Gotoh ones and that's it... But I'm keeping my 60's Les Paul (Gibson) though... Great video and playing.
Thanks, and how cool that you have a similar guitar and have installed 57 classics. I'll look into getting some decent CTS pots and probably orange drop caps as well. Cheers!
I don't know much about guitars, and i can't play a guitar, but there was a big jump in brightness with the new pickups. Lovely guitar and playing.
I have a stock Epiphone Les Paul Standard Plustop PRO with ProBucker Pickups and Coil-Splitting, in Honey Burst. I remember being bowled over by the quality and look of the instrument when I got it home and played it for the first time. Good Epiphones are amazing guitars and way more than I will personally ever need in a Les Paul. Love the sound of your LP, what a beautiful example, and your playing is amazing. Thank you for the entertaining and highly informative video. Just subscribed.
Now i want one ! Thanx for good video Guy sweden
I suggested changing magnets to alnico 4 in the pickups. I have an Epiphone Korean. It was always too bright no matter what pickups I used until I switched magnets in my Sheptone 6t8 to A4.
Recently purchase a 2004 Epiphone LS Custom in white. Absolutely beautiful paint, finish and frets. Took it apart and it had Gibson pickups. Replaced the wiring with an Obsidian Wire and now it sounds as good as any other Les Paul I have ever played.
I walked into the music store and saw a goldtop Epiphone Slash. I was looking for a strat, but when my son brought the Slash to play, I fell in love. It is hands down the best Les Paul I have ever played. Period. And it is made in , gulp, China!
Great playing, thanks for you upload. I got me an exact same model, a 1994 Korean made Epiphone. Replaced the tuners by Grover, put T-top humbuckers and 50’s wiring with vintage CTS 550k pots in it. Changed the bridge for a Faber abr-1 type. All worth the investment. It brings me all I need in a Les Paul guitar.
i love how you play, sounds amazing. i bought an epi lp custom yesterday wishing enjoy my guitar like you did with your epi.
I have an 06 epi Les Paul classic. Love that guitar. Feels great, plays great, sounds great.
Very nice instrument and sounds really good. The 'S' at the beginning of the serial number means the guitar was made in the Samick factory in South Korea and are known for their quality. I had a beautiful Sheraton from 1996 made at the same plant. I would say the top is sprayed in a cognac burst, but then I'm just making that up.
You can also see it's a Samick made Epiphone by the way the stop tail and bridge are further apart than usual for a Les Paul and the control knob spacing is 'off' also.
Oh, if it is Samick it makes perfect sense to me, because I had a Samick ES-335 model many years ago and that was a really good guitar. And Cognac burst sounds just right to me 😁 Thank you!
Definitely improved after the mods. Much clearer tone.
Have a 2000 Epiphone Les Paul...just bought a new Epiphone Les Paul custom..both great guitars.. highly recommend..my 2000 is my axe of choice still..
Great playing and video
you're playing is smooth and melodic. Very nice!
Those Samick built MIK guitars can be Wonderful.
The Avion Samicks ( Les Paul-ish) from that period are great too.
I have a Samick (branded under their own name) version of an L5. It is amazing. Seems to be what they made for Epi as the Joe Pass model. Buying a Gibson is just for those that need it to say that on the headstock and they have not had the best quality at ten times the price as everyone knows. Either be a player or be the lawyer/dentist that hangs your rock hero's guitar model on the wall behind your desk.
@@ranchodelreyband167 Amen and btw those are great guitars. !!!
The Cort built jazz boxes from that time are great too. And if you ever see an old Aria jazz box from a bit before that time grab it!
I got an Epi LP Standard at a pawn shop a while ago, and it's got just the best feeling neck of my guitars. Great playability. I can't compare it to a Gibson, because I've never owned one, but I can't imagine what a guitar $1K more would improve enough to make it worth it.
great playing, that's what matters most
Bought a used Epi and did the same, changed everything, and added a string butler to take out the angle of 3rd and 4th string so stays in tune amazingly. Had frets filed because I dented one dropping the guitar. Best guitar I have now. And total about $600
have other guitars over 4000. Thank you for your video Sir.
Epiphone are really producing some very high quality guitars. I have an Epiphone Casino, Epiphone LP Jr, Epiphone SG, a Fender Tele and a Washburn LP. My two favorite electrics are the Jr which has a humbucker, and the Casino which has two P90s of course. I play the Jr every day I just love it.
I also sold a Seagull Maritime, a superior acoustic, and another Casino so I could buy an Epiphone Excellente, which is the very best playing and sounding acoustic I've played in over 45 years.
I also have a great Yamaha FG 340 a really solid guitar and just a great mid tone guitar I play often, and a project Teisco mustang looking guitar I intend on refinishing.
Epiphones are turning up on stages of many high profile bands, they really are great guitars at ridiculously low price!
Thanks for this video you've got a really nice wee axe there brother! And you've got great chops!!
Jack ~'()'~ Canada
Very enjoyable to listen to you play !
I have a 2002 Korean made Epiphone Les Paul Standard. I sold my 79 Gibson Les Paul Standard after owning it 1 year. My Epiphone has been with me over 20 years and I'm not planning on selling it any time soon. Upgraded the pickups and electronics. It totally killed my "need" for a Gibson.
Great video. Other Epiphones with different initials in their serial numbers were also made in Korea and are very good too. For example, I have a Korina Explorer made in 2001 in the Unsung factory with a serial number starting with U. I'm in the process of changing electronics as the stock ones are way too dark for me. Thanks!
Thank you very much for your very detailed and enlightening video. ❤ Most of all: thank you for your beautiful playing! ❤ By the guitars you presented I fell so much put back to my life the last 30 years. Unfortunately my journey started with selling the Korean Epiphone 🙈 (.....and yes, I had a Hagstrom too! 😂). Today I have found my perfect companion: the Gibson Les Paul Special! The P90s are so expressive, but without losing any sustain. The Mahagony body warms the clang of the single coils and is so beautifully light: you can walk around playing for hours in your flat without a pain in your back even at my age 😊
Thank you 😊 I agree, the weight has a lot to say for a Les Paul. I've had a couple that was pretty heavy compared to this one. Your Les Paul with P90s sounds to be a lovely guitar. Cheers!
Years ago i bought a shaftsbury les paul in dorchester UK it cost me 60 pounds set it up and thought it very nice and it had a thin kneck and i was very pleased with it ,i later sold it for a gibson LP deluxe and was dissapointed ,the kneck was like holding a log and keeping it in tune was a beast and the action and bridge were a night mare 😢😢😢
Nice find, the modifications are awesome sounded bell like after the pickups were changed. And the nickel hard ware is perfect. Hope you didn’t spend too much money for it but I’m sure it was nowhere near what a Gibson would be. Those greedy bastards… I have three Epiphone LPs and one 339, four Gibson LPs, they are the bottom tear models, studio, tribute, double cut junior, and a Custom that wasn’t bottom tear, but a Custom with a Floyd Rose. Nice playing btw, enjoyed it very much. Take care, 🎸🤓🌎☮️🥓
Changing to 500k pots would have a noticable effect on tone. Allowing more highs thru. Increased presence. I bought a 2019 Classic Worn, it came with small pots despite advertising. I had pots changed to 500k. Big difference. Especially the neck position. No more muddy.
Hi, you are right that it will let through the high frequencies in a guitar with lower value potentiometers. This guitar had 500k pots originally and the ones I replaced them for are also 500k. Happy to hear you had a successful replacement in your guitar. Cheers!
@@GUITARSGIZMOS ah, I see. When you mentioned small pots, I assumed 250k. And it admittedly sounded too good for 250k. It does sound improved with the pickups. Very nice playing !
@@Tilbily Oh, that makes sense. Of course it will sound like I meant a smaller value 😄 Thanks for mentioning my playing. Much appreciated 😊 Cheers!
Great playing, I do love a Les Paul. I had an epi 50s gold top from the current range that blew my twice as expensive japanese Tokai away.
Changing the pick ups appears to have given the guitar a warmer harmonic sound. My Chineses Epi seems to lack the sustain and colour you are getting.
Hi, yes I agree, the new pickups added a new dimension to the tone I think. Do you have the original Epiphone pickups in yours?
How nice to hear a reviewer playing rather than hiding behind distortion and crash chords.
You R Right!I Love Playing Guitar!So Play 1,Not A Museum Piece.I Get It!I Vintage Wire and Vintage Tone Cap,and use the 50s or 60s wiring diagrams,with Seymour Duncan Pickups!My Epiphones,and I,Have 1,like you got,but made in 2021,as well as Others!I'm goin to Get some CTS,Meg Potts,for some of my Guitars!for Loud Brightness!Take care,now!
I have an MIK Epiphone Sheraton that has great build quality. The original pups were severely microphonic, so I've replaced them. I also had an MIK DeArmond S73 which was great. I have several Reverend guitars which are MIK. From my experience, MIK guitars are really good.
Such a good circa for Korean guitars, especially Epiphone. The other way to always identify a Korean build - the vertical GIBSON embossed on the truss cover… and also a serial that begins with ‘U’.
I have a 2004 Epi LP MIK that I got in 2006 as Epiphone was changing their manufacturing from Korea to China and IMO at that time the China made were not at all as well made as the Korean (they've since improved a great deal). I really wasn't in the market for an LP but I knew if I got one I'd want it to be MIK so I got it. It was made in the Saein factory. Yours was made by Samick. I have a 1996 Samick SG, the Artist Series Edition, which I'm very happy with.
Great review,,thanks for sharing your insight and experience.⭐️
Yep, here we go again, and another great video....😊.....every guitar we have or have had has a story attached to it, haven´t they. I find it very hard to part with any of the guitars I have because of the memories. Anyway, that Epi looks great, with a sort of vintage flavour....much better tone with the new pickups, I agree. But I must admit I liked the tone of your Gibson CS as well 😉. I hope you´ll be happy gigging with that guitar. I am interested to hear the story of the new pots, maybe?
Hi Marcello, I agree that the 57s lifted the tone to a new level, and that the CS Gibson's also sounded and played good. The thing is that I find these budget guitars so appealing because I don't have to treat them as valuables but more as the tool and instrument they really are. I also enjoy modifying my guitars to see if there is more mojo to get from them by tweaking pickups or electronics and so on, and that feels better to do with an Epiphone than a CS. It's of course very likely that I will document how the different potentiometers will sound when I replace them 😉 Cheers!
I have two gibsons 1 classic and 1 traditional standard. Both amazing guitars. I don’t need anything else.
Incredible playing and tone.
After playing way to expensive fender/gibson/martin guitars for more then 40 years i have sold them all and now have an sigma DR 28 acoustic and a squire strat , they play and sound just as good as all the expensive guitars i once had , now i am looking for a les paul type guitar from epiphone and then i am done , the lesson from all off this : a guitar does not have to cost 3000 euro's to sound and play well , if you take you're time you can find really good guitars between 300 -700 euro's on the 2e hand market , and the advantage off going for the B brands ( squire / epi /sigma ) of the biggies ( fender/gibson/martin ) is that they have the same headstock shape , and i do not care anymore what name is on there .
I thought I'd be able to substitute a Les Paul Studio for my Les Paul Standard. I sold the Standard and bought the Studio, pocketing the 800 dollars. I happened to visit a guitar shop a year later, where I saw a Les Paul Custom made in the Gibson Custom Shop. I bought it for 4200 dollars. My Studio is for sale. I'm convinced that there's a very discernable difference in tone, feel, and playability, between the lower dolaar guitars and those from the Custom Shop.
Granted, there's a significant dollar difference. However, if one can afford it, there's a benefit that money can't measure. It has to do with the confluence of all of the various parts of the guitar that make up the whole, excellent materials and components, which may be beyond the ability of the lower lines to achieve, that allows the player to be inspired to play to the best of his ability. That's my take.
Your stock set up sounds fine.IF IT AINT BROKE,YOU KNOW THE REST.
Order some Hipshot Locking Tuners 3 + 3 . They come with a mounting bracket that doesn’t require you drill holes .
The 90s were a golden age for Gibson and apparently Epiphone (which I've never really looked at before).
You can easily rebuild and strengthen the screw hole with a bit of baking soda and crazy glue. You would have a stronger hole than the original wood.
Very cool Les Paul! My '02 Korean Epiphone Les Paul is one of the best guitars I've owned. It is really incredible compared to some Gibsons for 10x the price. However, the jack, potentiometers, and most often the pickups need to be changed out from any guitar less than $1000.
Brownburst. S is the Saein factory. Peerless is also a fine manufacturer of Epiphone.
The video is very interesting and touches on a topic dear to many guitarists. I own a real Gibson LP and also an Epiphone Modern LP. When playing in the living room at home the Epi gives the Gibson a run for the money. But when I play in a noisy club with the band, the Gibson's tone comes through better than the Epi. I think that is ultimately the key difference. I will try replacing Epi pickups with Gibson's burstbuckers , let’s see if this will at least partially solve my problem.
I have two vintage Epiphone guitars that say Gibson on the neck and Epiphone. Sounds great ❤.
Im not a great player, but I love my Epiphone LP. It is an older one, so I switched out the pups with some Seymour Duncans, Custom (bridge) Jazz (neck). The newer Epis have much nice pups than the stock pups in the older one i have. Good thing about cheaper guitars is that you have no buyers remorse.
Very cool my friend. I have a Samick and an Unsung Les Paul, both Korean built and BOTH are awesome. You play very well bro, great video. Epiphones can be just as good as Gibsons if you do the right upgrades and set up.
As a strat abd tele player I have my eyes on a Epiphone les paul modern versatile enough with coil tapping and comfortable and just 650 euros it is the les paul i woildnhave
I had a Gibson Les Paul Custom and an Epiphone Les Paul Custom. I felt the Epiphone played and sounded better. I debated internally what to do, so I sold the Gibson. I was wondering if it was me, but I’m glad I’m not. I put some new Seymour’s in the Epiphone and it’s an unbelievable guitar. No regrets here. I bought a few nice pieces of gear with the profits.
I have a 95 Birdseye top Epi Les Paul (Korean Samick). It plays really well and I will probably never sell it (I have changed the pickups, tuners and wiring). I have a USA Les Paul and USA Studio.
What a beautiful Les Paul colored burst 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼
I have a Bonamassa Lazarus, and a '55 with P 90's. Love them both.
Well, this is a typical case of " I buy something , then I will change the pots/wiring/pups" and I will have a "customer shop quality for a fraction of the cost". It does not work like that. Ask me how I know.
The real answer is to PLAY a guitar before you buy it and buy the one that talks to you...and nothing else. I have owned - bought and sold hundreds of guitars and ended up with a closet full of " rare species" those are the guitars that survived the time and kept my attention ( that's called a collection) . My two cents? You get what you pay for and the very small differences between the various "grades" of a guitar are worth the money IF you can afford it. It's all about the connection between the player and the wood! I ended up with guitars that have a sound themselves. That means a distinctive sound that rings your bell. If the instrument is not sonically intact ( and you ears will tell you that) it's a dud. Hence, in my opinion buying instruments that "sound like X or Y " is the wrong thing. Buy the brand BUT play the darn thing before you buy it. That "connection" is what will make it a keeper ...or not !!
Maybe it’s just a case of him enjoying the process of making it his. I have PTSD from the military and was recommended to get a relaxing hobby, so I buy really cheap guitars and completely redo them with upgraded parts. It’s the journey not the destination for me and perhaps for Thor as well. Just my 2 cents.
I found a 1998 epiphone has Gibson on nut cover but it has great tone made also in Korea
I own 3 Korean LES Paul's... If you notice the pots are widely spaced compared to Gibson's pots. The holes were grouped tighter than Epiphone. By 1997 Epiphone changed the holes for the pots more so like the Gibson. I would replace all the wiring and pickups. The Koreans made nice guitars but the electronics were suspect. Other than the electronics...if you like jumbo frets then that would be my only other modification and maybe a plek. Enjoy your Epiphone!
Very easy, to get good guitarsounds you need these:
1. A good player, 2.good electronics, good amp, wood does not matter on solidbodys.
Could it be an "Iced Tea" finish? Korean? Their workmanship & QC are usually very good😊!
Very nice! Looks just like my Solo kit I put together. I'm not into paying high dollar for name brands. Plus I like upgrading and make it mine.
This is Honey Burst color. I have one like that. I changed the pickups to Seymour Duncan Seth Lover pickup.
you are so truthfull thanks