your show is still the best its a great format to sell guitars. sadly norms rare guitar is stale it gibson day everyday there. i wait up ever night to watch your show.
It would be an honor to receive any guitar from Trogley!... Trogley's Guitars your #1 Gibson and all things Les Paul reviewer.... In the world... btw : there's an awesome guitar store mgr reviewer ...(not mark agnesi) from Germany ....he's awesome too! he also does Not favor Epi's. ...he's a shredder... gotta rememer his channel....
I have to say all the routing cavity looks very impressive and the CTS pots is nice addition but still a Epiphone guitar at least you can switch out the pickups at ease
That has more to do with him (as well pretty much any musician with unique tone) not caring about keeping a guitar “vintage” and hot rodding hell out of them
My experience with Epiphone has always been good; this model is no exception. Flawless finish and other than a few tweaks of the bridge, all was good from the get go. This is an excellent guitar for 600 bucks. Sustain for days, pups are super sweet ; unplugged this guitar has that "karang" that you can feel as well as hear; solid guitar, worth every penny. Gets a very strong recommendation from this old geezer guitar geek- player for 50+ years, guitar geeking, tech-ing and collecting for the past 30
This review is wayy too Gibson (or at least customshop crafted guitars) biased, in my opinion. I'm no rich guy, but I did save some money to buy a Gibson Les Paul Standard. After seeing these new guitars from Epiphone, I'm damn well not going to buy an expensive Gibson next time around. These guitars are amazing in terms of looks (finally some cheaper models which actually tries to look like the old models from the 50´s and looks like it too, without costing f**@ing 2000 dollars). And they actually sound really great. Not as sensitive or allround as the Gibson ones, but it all comes down to playing in the end. And who the hell cares about a noisy toggle switch? You're playing loud enough already, the instrument itself is supposed to be noisy ;). The binding you're nit-picking at, if you are planning on hanging it up on a wall, maybe you should care about millimeters. Otherwise, the new Epiphone range looks amazing, sounds great, and works JUST FINE.
I agree with you 1000%! This was the best $600 I ever spent on a guitar and it is hard to justify spending an additional $1800 for the US Gibson version. This review is so elitist. My Epiphone 1950’s LP is now my main guitar. I can get the Clapton Bluesbreakers tone and feel at a fraction of the cost of a Gibson.
Yeah I agree. The only thing that is still weird is Epiphone's QC. Squier, Yamaha, Gretch, etc, all have really good QC, all of their guitars have no setup issues that can't be fixed in less than 5 minutes at most, but Epiphone seems to have pretty big ones randomly that need actual professional level work to fix, and it's a lottery basically. One might come perfectly and another might come with a lot of issues.
@@elsienova4269 I totally agree on that you have to be lucky to get a perfect one when buying lower-budget guitars by some brands (including epiphone). But they are not alone in that problem. I’ve played a lot of mexican fenders and squiers, and some of thise guitars also have some major setbacks when it comes to QC. I even once played a 3000 dollar Gibson Les Paul Custom which had terrible fretboard work, which dissapointed me deeply. These overall incidents accross brands all point to a relativity in quality and craftmanship, along with one’s own subjectivity. I would personally still buy the cheaper ones, maybe send them to a local luthier, and they would be perfect for at least 5-10 years until the next time I send them back for inspection. But it all comes down to one’s own preferences, I think. I’m not a rich guy (I’m biased too), therefore I do not see the point in having a 3000 dollar guitar that I would not dare to play the heck out of.
@@elsienova4269 Yes my Standard 60's I purchased to match my Gibson came with dead frets all through out the neck. I ended up sending it back for a replacement. Still needed a fret job....Little bit of a let down TBH.
Just buy a midrange Tokai. Damn near Gibson minus the expensive finishing. Leagues better than Epiphones, and its faithful to the Gibson shape and everything. No ugly shallow cutaway.
Some time ago I met in person someone who was posting on a site extremely detailed info,specs,advices about the importance of each guitar part etc..Judging from his posts you would say he is a guitar guru.He was a big snob about anything MIC and Epiphones of course.When I met him he plugged his guitar in the amp and ...He was an awful player with his Gibson CS.Then I took my decision.Don't listen to any wise man outhere.Try as many guitars as possible,no matter the origin,pick up a guitar that you like visually with a comfortable neck for YOUR hand, an amp that you like it's tones ,shut the fuck up and play.The new Epiphones are awesome and many guitar heroes from the 60s,70s,80s would be blown away by such a quality/price ratio.
In the early 2000s when I was a teen, me and my friends lusted after Gibsons but it just wasnt possible for us. We all rocked epiphone LPs and they did the job just fine. When I got my Gibson LP as an adult it made me feel like a kid again. It's an absolute howler of a guitar. Epiphones fill that void and owning a Gibson wont make you a better player but damn if it's not a better guitar.
Same here. I correctly put the majority of my money into a good amp/pedal setup as that was more important for tone and just rocked an Epi SG when I played in bands as a teen. An Epi SG through my mesa rectifier was 1000x better tone than running a gibson custom LP through a line6 spider... Then I got older and made money and now rock a real gibson LP through the same mesa stack that is still kicking... it really is the magic. I would say about 15% better tone going from Epi to Gibson.... but that 15% is real magic and worth every penny.
Oh yeah. I think a lot of people buying the $600-800 Epiphones would be well served to try the $1,100 Gibson Les Paul Tribute. So much guitar for the money!
I just like the design of the LP. I greatly prefer 24.75" over 25.5" because it's got a low tension feel and less fret buzz at a given action. But today's Epis with ebony and rosewood and with pickups that don't demand replacing are excellent choices.
I took a chance and ordered this exact model from American Music Supply and received it yesterday. It’s absolutely beautiful. I can’t find any flaws. Zero fret issues. Setup to my liking also, which again can be changed. I am extremely happy.
I might get an epiphone les paul as my first electric, I'm really into the single cut look. I will just look around to see if there is anything better for the same price
Trogoly - There are many things I enjoy about your reviews: they are open, honest and USUALLY unbiased. This review really left me disappointed. This was the first time that your opinion seemed very biased, and slanted. I do not think it's fair to compare a $600 Epiphone to a $1200 (or more) Gibson. I think that companies such as Epiphone and Squier should be allowed to stand on their own merits, they have certainly earned the right. I've never thought of Epiphone as a lesser Gibson. Your total disappointment in this guitar really came through in the video.
I definitely agree with the pro-Gibson bias here. He fails to talk about the pros of this guitar but remains talking about dislikes, nitpicking oddities, and frustrations as compared to Gibson. This review certainly confirms I wont watch him for reviews from here on
Don't forget about eppiphones 0 resale value you can't give those things away.. So if you like to buy sell trade and try different gear don't buy one of these you're gonna live with it
It's just a week since l bought my Epiphone 50s Les Paul Gold Top and I love this guitar... And l can say that after 20 years playing my 1991 Gibson Les Paul Standard... Two great guitars 👍👍👍😎😎😎
@@celestelongway7315 I highly doubt that haha, just as someone that knows guitars and has played many expensive fenders I'd just like to hear what he thinks of the current line up of the CV range. No need for brand snobbery
@Sunflower Seeds I would defo get a harley Benton, but I hate the look of the bit that's not cut out. Especially on the back, it looks wrong imo, but either way it's a nice ass guitar
I literally got my first Epi yesterday, the explorer, in black. Like everybody else says, i have owned almost every guitar under the sun, from budget, to ridiculous, but this guitar has absolutely blown my mind. I am a metal guy, so most of my guitars are of the high end of ESP, Jackson, type, but i have always have had a Les Paul of some iteration and it was just the Epiphone name that scared me off. Nobody wants a knock-off of something great, and thats how I saw Epiphone. But i am now a fan. Its my first Epi, so mabey i got lucky, but 20 minutes of set up, and this thing is phenomenal. Of course, the shitty pups are getting thrown out for some EMGs, or Fishmans, and i am going to make it "mine" by changing out all of the hardware with smoked, black chrome pieces, but for $600 buyers remorse is not imaginable. I am still WAY on the fence about getting an Epi Les Paul. It still feels like i would be cheating on a hot girlfriend, with a skanky slut.
Yeah, but you do realize this is a $600 guitar compared to a $2,400 Gibson 50’s traditional? Lol it’s expected not to be the exact same as a Gibson, and people know that. The question is if it’s worth the price. I think so. But, of course your biased to a Gibson. Who isn’t?
Gibsons are mediocre at best. They were good guitars back in the day but every post '95 gibson I've ever played has left MUCH to be desired. The action is horribly high, they feedback horribl when introduced to any gain at a decent volume, and the tuning stability is absolutely god awful. And usually, you have to pay $2000 before you can even get a decent set of pickups. Gibson deals in nostalgia, not good products.
@@logancrocker4194correct! My “two cents”? I think these Epi’s are amazing guitars, not just for the price but just great guitars period. The fact that they are affordable is just icing on the proverbial cake. I have $4000 guitars that aren’t perfect as well but they’re wood and steel and not everything needs to be perfect. Epiphone is really coming around last few years. I buy them to play just like my expensive ones and they all get out of the house to play.
Austin, couldn't help but notice the new b-roll shots, panning, shadow fade in, and editing. Your videos are constantly improving, and have come a long way since the early guitar-on-carpet-floor days. Looks like your recent investments in video gear is making a noticable difference. Keep up the great work. Thanks for your teaching and entertainment. I look forward to my daily dose of guitar information.
Tbh even most guitars from Gibson don’t come from factory with a good setup. If they do it’s because it usually got a setup at the shop you bought it from
I prefer poly because well I spray it on guitars lol. That high gloss just appeals to me and they have better UV protection so the finish should remain unchanged longer. It’s not like I hate worn or yellowing colors but I personally prefer it to stay truer.
I have an Epi Les Paul Standard '59. One of the things I like about it over a Gibson Les Paul is the string breakover angle on the headstock, which is a shallower angle. A little less pressure on the nut, easier to tune.
The high angle is responsible for tuning issues in Les Pauls (graphite lube and wider nut slot in the back solves that) so I prefer that on Epiphones they tend to stay in tune nicely even unlubed. A pencil works too just put some in the slot below the string
having owned both an Epi and now having Gibsons, the fit and finish on the Gibson is noticeable. Gibsons can be found cheap if you look, skip on the Epis and save a little more for the Gibson
Nope, still buying dat Epi Worn SG with the P90s because even used prices on the Gibson equivalent are too pricey. Plus I can mod it anyway I see fit to make it better for me and not feel bad about decreasing value and still come under the price of the stock used guitar. :P
I’d rather pay 3,000 to have my lutheir build me a Les Paul, then buy Gibson’s over priced crap. Even epiphones elitist series are just as good as Gibson’s; they’re hand made in Japan and better yet... a fraction of the price (used market wise.)
I own an epi standard and may think different. As far as price u cant beat it also considering i always change the pick ups ( something fron Seymour Duncan) on most guitars i buy right after purchase. I would buy a used Gibson tho but not a les Paul. Definitely want a gibson es 335 or a flying v.
I watched your unboxing on this guitar. like I told you mine is perfect for a Epiphone. I got rid of the string in the first hour I owned it the shitty strings actually left tarnish stripes on my fingers. I put ghs .009 to .042s on it polished the back of the neck with Gibson guitar polish that ive used since the 80s and the guitar plays and sounds great and looks even better. for 1 forth the price of a Gibson at 2500.00 you can buy 4 of these and do what ever you want and still have money. these will kill Gibson sales so buy them while you can Gibson will kill these to save Gibson. that's my opinion and ill stand buy it. im a les paul player since 1976
but it sounded awful ? and gibson sound ok in general ..its the same with all epi LP'S ,,not so much the semi hollows ..epi are amazing semi's ..if your looking for a cheap version of a LP that outplays a gibbo on all levels almost ... buy a vintage ..epi have not got LP's down right at all and never has imo..The best epi was the 60's tribute plus that was closer...rest its nah for me ..offensive to my ears :)
You know what I would really like to see on this channel? A guitar ranking list. I hear what you're saying about this Epiphone, but I still have no idea how good it is compared to, say, a Gibson LPJ which runs a lot cheaper nowadays. Or even an older Les Paul Studio. Is it worth the price jump? What about a The Paul? Is a The Paul better than an early Studio? As a potential buyer, a video where you list out the differences and rank them by which one you think is better is a lot more valuable than knowing what kind of wires the pickups use. Though these videos are great, too
I own both an Epiphone Standard and a Gibson Les Paul Studio. I got the studio for about $650 used, and the Epiphone for $400. Right out of the gate, the Gibson played much better, and you can really feel the difference in quality between the two. I definitely had to do more upgrade work to the Epi. I definitely would keep the Studio if I had to choose.
One of the biggest differences are spending the money to buy a Gibson as you can get 60 to 70% of your money back when you buy a brand new guitar more when you buy used... The differences are not as great to a new player but an experienced player can feel the difference in a Gibson.. Or should I say one that is made right
This is why I pay $65-$85 to have my guitars setup because I do buy the lesser expensive guitars. My $150 Epi LP set up is really awesome (this was setup by a small music store, so $150 setup). Before I got it I tried ESP, Ibanez, Gretsch, and a couple of others. Not a single one out of the box was good enough or better than the $150 LP. If you get a guitar out of the box that is setup the way you like it, you got lucky. So far the best inexpensive guitars out of the box I have tried have been Michael Kelly and Breedlove. A lot of the $300+ Squires were also pretty good. I have tried the online inexpensives (Firefly, HB, and one other that escapes me) and they weren't good at all. After a setup they played better but the electronics weren't good, then again, my $150 Epi LP has crap electronics too. Seems all inexpensive humbuckers either sound like fingers down a chalkboard or throwing your stereo system in the pool to listen to it.
This tear down review is so disappointing and elitist/snobbish. It’s a $600 guitar. You are comparing it to a $2500 guitar. Of course there are going to be differences, and coming from the Chinese factory, of course it isn’t going to be set up as well as an American Gibson. But dude, this is without out the absolute best $600 guitar on the market today. I bought one and I love it. It has become my main guitar right now. It plays great and the tone is awesome through a good overdriven tube amp. For most players today, it would be hard to justify the $1800 difference in purchasing a Gibson, because to the average ear the difference isn’t noticeable. To the average player, the difference is negligible. You could tear down a brand new Fender Strat and say, “Well this doesn’t come close to the 64 Strat,” but it is still a damn good guitar. My 1950’s Epiphone LP is the best $600 I have ever spent on a guitar. Zero regrets, and I still have $1800 in my bank account. You should consider how you frame things because it has an impact on beginners and average players.
@@C0urne 🤣 As a Gibson and Epiphone owner... That shit is funny! 👍🏻 That whole bunch of bullcrap they pulled was hilariously bad for PR. One of the dumbest stunts I've ever seen a guitar company do...And they haven't stopped yet, with all the bullshit lawsuits trying to sue small companies with patents that aren't even originally their's. Shame on you Gibson... Shame shame shame...
Owning both Gibsons & Epiphones, I wish they would mix them both together... Give the Epiphone a Gibson headstock, but put the Epiphone headstock angle on the Gibson guitars... My Gibson LP just doesn't stay in tune like my Epiphone LP does.
I appreciate your review but would love to see a blindfold comparison with a Gibson, as other players couldn’t tell the difference, unless they could see the logo, maybe you could easily tell the difference, but I am not so sure
I have bought five of these hings since NAMM 2020. Les Paul Standard 60s in ice tea and bourbon burst, Les Paul Classic in Heritage Cherry Sunburst, Les Paul classic Worn goldtop and a Les Paul Studio in Smokehouse Burst. I love all of them. They really improved the neck, and while the fit and finish may not be perfectly flawless, you get Grover Tuners, a high quality nut, great wiring, pots, pickups and switches. And I think the new finishes look great. A huge improvement from 2019s offerings. The head stock looks better, but I didn't really mind the old head stock. I don't think there are better guitars out there for the money. Around $600 fro a set neck with great looks and great pickups? I think they are very competitive with the PRS SE models and they cost significantly less. Get a good set up and all variants are amazing guitars.
Yeah? I've been hearing great things but this video was a bit disappointing, seems likenmy 2005ish era Epiphones, great guitars but far from flawless. Had I not bought an absolutely flawless Harley Benton SC550+ I would be less critical but that obe has fretwork like my Gibson and MIJ Ibanez for 400 bucks along with brand name pickups and finish is perfect with one tiny scratch but I got 30€ off B stock price for that. So at almost 700€ I would like an Epiphone to be of that same quality, just no nitro finish, not made in US and high quality but not necessarily brand name hardware (which seems to be the case). Both my Les Pauls, the HB and the LTD are modern 60s style so I would love an Epiphone for that classic 59 Les Paul feel and look and sound but if the finish is that shoddy (for the price)... I was hoping since he mentioned it's an early run that things improved? Yours are more nicely made? I don't mind a few imperfections but at least the top, binding and frets should be flawless at that price, an Ibanez for 700€ does NOT have issues like that. I get that HBs have the housebrand and mass production and none famous brand discount but that's why I'm comparing a 700€ guitar to a 370€ one. If it can't match that it would be disappointing. I have Epiphones like that but they cost a lot less back then. 700€ used to by a Gibson Les Paul Studio, maybe display model or lightly used. And those did not have fret that looked like these in the close up. Fret work is the only luthier skill I learnt with a master and it is not hard at all. It's just a matter of a little extra time and care at the end which "Handcrafted in China" definetly allows for. I know Chinese luthiers, I studied fretwork with one. They are no less capable of low action buzz free frets. So this feels rushed and lacking in QC. These days I buy online but maybe Epiphones still need the prepurchase in person inspection. I thought that had been relegated to guitars below 300 bucks and even those can come with real nice necks these days. Jackson makes great necks at 300€. Feels like a 1500€ Ibanez.
I have had my epiphone les paul since the 90 s and love it.I also have a gibson les paul.fender strat and tele.I am not as pickey as you .I like all guitars.
I have an Epiphone Les Paul Standard PlusTop Pro and it'san awesome guitar. Sure it's not a Gibson but it is a Les Paul and it plays very well. I'm a fan of Epiphones and if I could afford a Gibson Les Paul Standard, I'd love to own one, but I think Epiphone Les Pauls are a great value and the one good thing about them is that on the used market one can be had a very reasonable price.
Remley my friends dad gave him one in junior high school about 12 years ago.. was a 1980 in a wine colour. He decided he wanted a blue guitar and sanded it and spray painted it blue. Turned out awful lol.
The difference between 50's and 60's wiring has nothing to do with using quick connects or not. It's how the tone capacitor is wired. In 50's wiring the tone cap is wired from the output lug of the volume pot to the input lug of the tone pot. In 60's wiring the tone cap is connected directly to the input lug of the volume pot, which is connected to the pickup, and then to the input lug of the tone pot. 50's wiring gives the guitar a brighter sound.
About fret levelling. I wouldn't sweat too much over it. To be honest top notch but small production luthiers swear that they ship guitars with perfect low action etc and they arrive to the owner with a high fret or two. We are talking about metal pieces glued in wood...So. It can pop up etc. After years of playing guitar you can actually, a) have the shop do a setup and "small" fret levelling issues to be addressed before buying the guitar. b) Pay someone else later or do this yourself, most know, some even fret level guitars themselves after years of practising. c) Play the fuck out of it. It starts to level itslef lol, not kidding on this one I've noticed it to a lot of guitars. The more you play them the better for the fretwork. As if you do the levelling slowly every day. Not as drastic as a good fret level but still... So try before you buy. IF you find fret problems even in very expensive guitars don't blame the construction from the get go. Some builders will even pay for their NEW guitar to be levelled in a local luthier if they ship it very far away and it arrives slightly problematic, they do know in advance that the differences in the weather humidity etc can bring problems.
My experience with these new epiphones is that they are slagged off online by gibson users but as someone who hasn't even played a gibson these are good. I was amazed by my SG standard in white
Man I like epiphones I have a couple that I had fixed up (Basically had them refitted and finished) and it was worth it. I pretty much expect it with epiphone I literally just consider it apart of the purchase, after you have it done by a real luthier mind you it's a Great guitar compared against other guitars and gibsons. If you bought this guitar for example and spent another $150 to $200 on a fret leveling and the set up that goes along with it you'll have a great les paul. So call it $800 buck's for a les Paul. I have one id put up against any Gibson but it came with burstbucker pickups.
23 Heathrow glad you got a good Epiphone Special. I found a Special original that was very comparable to my 97 Gibby Double-cut in playability. It had a more hefty neck than other specials I have seen, but the action is buttery, the tuners hold all day and the frets are ok. It’s waiting for some better pups. People who bark about Epi Specials haven’t come across one of the gems. Keep looking.
I have a epiphone les paul vintage edition, that I got super cheap that plays and sustains better than my gibson standard. Which is quite sad. All I did was put new pickups in it and it even sounds better wtf?
@@Silkaz7 All that and a bolt-on neck! I mean, I could shim it if it wasnt perfect. I could have neck adjusted on my DC ... for a large fee. I want one with P90s now. Both Rock AND Roll!
The 59 re issue they have out now is great. Gibson USA burstbuckers vintage wiring, Mallory capacitors, switch craft switches satin Finnish triple A flame cap, hard case can’t go wrong.
Epiphone's been sketchy as hell about fingerboards since the Rosewod ban took effect. I bought a 339 from them last year, which Guitar Center listed as having a rosewood fretboard, but Epiphone's site didn't list it at all. Turned out to be Pau Ferro.
The price makes it a Great deal, but I would buy the higher up 59 model outfit for $200.00 more. As I want the USA Gibson humbuckers, because I like their tone, sound, etc.. Also, other features are in the upgraded model that make it worth the more $.
And even then,..You could buy at least 3 of them for the cost of a Gibson Les Paul Standard.. I've been playing guitar for 37 years and own a beloved 1997 Gibson Les Paul Standard tobacco burst. In 2018, I bought a 2018 Epiphone LP Standard plus top pro in the Mojave fade with subtle flamed maple. Adjusted the neck relief, fixed a couple of high frets, installed a graph tech nut and a tonepros bridge at a total cost of $65.00 So, that brought that guitar's cost to basically $700.00 Anyway, after setup and the nut and bridge,...At that point, it was the best guitar I had ever owned or played....Today, I have 4 Epihone Les Pauls,..The 2018, a 2019 and two 2020 models. All recieved the same nut and bridge upgrades and I of course, handle any high frets.. They are all FANTASTIC GUITARS, regardless of the great value in pricing.
@@stricknine8623 I Hear you, and I think Epiphone Les Paul's are great guitars also. I have one, and I dig it a lot. I prefer Fender Stratocasters overall.
@@davidg4726 I would like Strats if it weren't for the location of the volume pot. I can't begin to explain how bad that it is IN MY WAY. Something about the pick hand style I use. I think Strats have an important sound that Les Pauls can't do and I think that Les Pauls have and important sound and feel that a Strat just can't do. But I have thought seriously about finding a good Strat and relocating the volume pot and have a custom pick guard made to accommodate the new location while of course covering up the hole left behind from the old volume pot location. It doesn't bother most people at all and in fact many would tell you that its conveniently located. But there are also many guitarists that share the same issues I have with it.
@@stricknine8623 I agree about how Les Paul's and Strats have Great sounds. I dig them Both for different sounds, styles, songs, etc. I also understand how things can bother you. The volume pot is great for me on a strat. I don't care for the placement of the 3 way toggle on a Les Paul. It gets in my way sometimes. So, it is not great for me, but Ilive with it. My real problem is with a Floyd Rose trem system, because I hit my knuckles on them while I strum sometimes. Ouch!
Have you ever done a review of an Epiphone Les Paul Traditional PRO-III Plus Limited Edition Electric Guitar? Made in the USA Gibson '57 Zebra Pickups. If not, here is one vote for a review of it.
@@Les537 the new version isn't. I have the old one from the 90's but the new ones are mahogany with a set neck. And they go for about $450 in Canada where I am
I notice no recent comments so hope you're still there because I like your review style, kinda reminds me of Colin on 'Guitaristas.' Re: Epi Les Pauls, & other models too really... generally they compete head-up in their price class and as mass-produced factory items you stand a fair chance of getting one below or above standard but likely will get a very good guitar that may need a little tweak but so does your new car. Same with Gibson, etc. I have a '21 Epi LP Studio thats kicks the ass of my 'real' Custom, total range of tones, easy to play. Love it. I saw/heard you liking yours. Get over the poly varnish and realize the advantages. Everybody- get yourself an Epiphone.
Austin, about the fretboard. I think that might be Pau Ferro. Epiphone used those on past and they might have some old stock to use. So they could be using both of Indian Laurel and Pau ferro so they don't advertise because you know false advertisement can result and customers suing them.
I have heard nothing but problems with frets, it sounds good thats for sure, i like the way those probuckers sound, definitely lower output sounding. Sounds like alnico 2
I've been playing an epi 2018 lp for a while now, and honestly for 600 bucks, it feels like a good guitar, the probuckers are nice, fretwork is fine, it's perfectly playable. I think that reviewing these instruments that are often 1/3rd the price of their gibson counterparts, and being nitpicky about things like the headstock shape(not in this video, but in general) and the finish not being perfect is absurd imo. All i care about a guitar is does it sound nice, doesnt it stay in tune, how long will it last and does it play well? (I'm glad that trogly acknowledges that this is the important stuff).
I picked up an Gibson SG tribute new for $699. I don't really see a reason to buy an Epiphone when the fit and finish isn't quite there. Atleast for ones at this price point.
Haha. Not to make you feel bad about your instrument, but anything below like the pricepoint of a studio, which these days is higher than ever before, is a subpar gibson which actually falls behind some of the epiphones. I mean when you get a Gibson you'd expect a neck binding (and body binding if its a LP), glossy finish, and an actual inlay for the logo instead of a cheap decal for crying out loud. Gibson tributes are a joke. Haha i even remember one year they went with dot inlays...horrendous. IMO if you want to get an "authentic" gibson experience (most people do), you'd be lookin at about $1500/2000
Jose Anything at that price point for a Gibson is made from sub par material - You’ve essentially just purchased a guitar because it says Gibson when you could get a really nice Epiphone
@@dk70 Most tribute models sport the dot inlays the last few years. You have to buy a Studio or better for the square inlays. I sometimes see them in older Special Sgs.
killer guitar man you should be proud of it but like others have said the tribute/studio/faded stuff is really just starting to dip your toes into the SG goodness, eventually you’re gonna wanna plop down the cash for the Standard & beyond...you’ve been warned, plus Gibson guys won’t respect you for having a “lower end” model anyway haha so just play what you like & what sound good lol regardless of brand
Blake Burress all that really matters is what sounds good to your ears, I’m sure we all know a player that makes store rack squier bullets sound amazing
Have you thought about the difference between the Epiphones and the Epiphone Custom Shop, or signature models? (Lizzy Hale, MKH, Ritchie Faulkner, etc?)
@@guitarocd9984 Yeah. Gotta love a Casino. The announcement of the Casino wasn't very big so it's understandable you didn't hear about it. Although I'm excited about the new Casino, I can't afford one.
I'm more a fan of the red, orange to yellow sunburst finish, but this axe has sweet tones for certain. The price is icing on the cake. Not bad at all. It seemed to stay in tune real good too. This will definitely hold a player for a good long time. '
Thx for detaling the 50s LP standard, I'm glad you gave the assessment of the pickup s. I heard them exactly as you had them sound and quality wise. I've been window shopping the 60s version by EPIPHONE. And could certainly use your understanding and insight on that model..
I doubt it has to do with price and more quotas, these 2020 models have been hyped and are in demand. I imagine this led to Epiphone trying to make a lot in a shorter time frame than normal, QC would be the first thing to suffer. Edit: spelling correction
@@iagobroxado Good thing you've never spent more than $500 on a guitar so you don't have to worry about that. Don't pretend you wouldn't buy a Gibson if it was the same price. No one buys Epiphone because they like it more, they buy it because that's all they can afford.
BoatLoadOfSeamen I know people that buy an Epiphone because Gibson’s are seriously over priced but of course if you had the money why not buy a Gibson? Did you get a badly QC’d Gibson :( cry more
I'd expect the Slash standard to be superior, at least, you'd darn well hope so given the price point difference between the Epi LP and the Gibson Slash std! Easy to nitpick quality differences when there's a couple of grand difference. :-p
A good honest review. Most of the bad points raised in this review could be applied to an Epiphone 60s Tribute Plus that I bought a few years ago. Like this Standard my guitar had paint overlapping the binding and uncomfortable sides to the neck profile . It also needed work on the frets in order to play nicely. It seems to me that the main selling feature of the new Epiphones is the revised headstock shape, otherwise most everything else remains just about the same. With new Epiphone prices being what they are I’d look around for a nice used Gibson Studio model rather than anew Epiphone.
You can't really give it a bad review. I mean your comparing a $700 guitar to a 3200.00 guitar. I've seen this guitar played and the exact one made by Gibson. Their was a bit of a difference but not a great deal like I thought their would be especially for the price. Gibson's sounded a bit better on the pickups but it should for the price point but Epiphone sounded really good too. But spending the 3X more on a Gibson for a tiny bit of sound difference, I'm not so sure if it's really worth it, especially if you're not a famous guitar player.
I think it was 2017 or 18. I tried both Gibson and Epiphone Std. Gibson $3200 Cdn. Epiphone,$675Cdn. Epiphone sounded and played better than the Gibson. Why? Weight releived imo sounds like SHIT. If you're gonna play a Lp,play a solid body unless, there's a decent sound from weight releif.
Aah! Gibson has more flaws and bad quality control for the last decade or so! So quit bragging up Gibson and putting down Epiphone! Bottom line, I much more would rather pay for an Epiphone and pay much less for their flaws and still get a great guitar, rather than pay for a Gibson and their expensive flaws! I find Epiphones fun to play and I just don't get that fun feeling playing a Gibson! Gibson snobs don't help the situation either!
After playing Strats for about thirty five years, I recently switched back to a Les Paul. I have arthritis in both hands and the shorter scale neck's reduced string tension helps quite a bit. For obvious financial considerations I went with a $599 Epiphone Les Paul Standard Plustop PRO over a $2500 Gibson LP Standard. I've got to say, I'm as happy as a pig in shit with the overall quality vs cost. Mine is a 2019 so it's the last year before the headstock change which is fine with me. It sings through my Marshall and that's all that matters.
Yep! I don't get why people put Gibson on a pedestal when they have had a long history of crappy quality control, treating their workers badly, making horrible business decision after horrible business decision leading them into chapter 11 bankruptcy. They are certainly not worth the price premium they fetch when there is better out there.
trogly's opinions on Gibson are like, a friend digging dome dirt on another friend when they're drunk at a bar. he puts all the nasty stuff, but you can see his love for the brand is unwavering. keep up the good content.
Brother Trogly, you are a marketing department's worst nightmare and that's what I love about your videos. Just the facts, I would think if you weren't doing this you would be an engineer either software or NASA. Thanks for another great episode.
I hate those squared off neck carves. Anywho, my harley benton sc 400 goldtop came with 0 finish flaws, no high frets, no sharp frets, properly cut nut and tuners that work perfectly fine. The pickups arent the best I ever I heard but they sound better than these. I paid 141 bucks for it, brand new, sent to my door. I tuned it up and played with the cheap ass strings that came with it for a couple weeks to get a feel for it until one string broke. Then I did a proper set up and slapped on a set of ernie balls 8's and boom I was done. I MIGHT swap out pickups for a set of dimarzio 36th anniversary paf's but I probably wont cuz im lazy 😆. Moral of the story, at 599... An Chinese Epiphone should be PERFECT.
Thank you! I have a 400 dollar Agile that comes with a one piece body, one piece neck, CTS pots, pleced frets, ebony board and not that laurel/ pau ferro crap they use now. I don’t get it.
@@firemarshal2629 Gibson is still in a ton of debt. They are in the drivers seat with this style of guitar through the magic of branding. They can charge what they want for whatever piece of crap they put out. They know the name alone will sell enough of them. Those Agile guitars are pretty damn nice. I played a used p90 equipped 3000 in that ocean blueburst finish. Man o man that was a brilliant sounding guitar that was set up right. Didnt vibe with the neck so I didnt buy it, but man tbh, I'll never spend more than 400 bucks on a new guitar again. There is just no need. The rest is all hype. I just bought a Squier Bullet FSR butterscotch tele recently too for 158 shipped. Again, no bad or sharp frets, the tuners and pickups work perfectly, nut was cut right, the hardware is fine and it sounds like Keef when I plug it in 😆. With all these cheap guitars, I'll just play them until something breaks and then upgrade it. In 5 years, I might have to replace a pot or a tuner and just get high end shit then. Still cheaper than the real deal. Spend the money on the speaker in your amp if your gonna mod anything.
Purchased 3 of them and ALL of them went back. Absolute junk. One neck was badly twisted, the second the pickups were dead and the last the neck had cracks. Screw that. I can understand Agile being a surprisingly good guitar given the money but HB just out right blows. The more expensive ones might be better but at that point there are still better choices.
@@clamus68 thats the thing when you go cheap. Its more of a crap shoot on the qc. Mine was fine and was their lowest costing lp copy, but ive heard stories like yours too. I love mine. Maybe I got lucky idk but I dig them.
Good choice of playing examples. The neck pickup is nice and mellow yet clear in the cleanest settings. The others are quite good and professional sounding. A little tweak of the truss rod or at worst a cheap level and dress. I'd do it myself at that price.
Having owned quite a few of both Epi's & Gibsons, I'm gonna dip my toe into this. Epi's are decent beginner/intermediate guitars but, in all fairness they are quite pricey & there are definitely better options out there at their price point, especially considering Gibson themselves now offer entry-level models for not much more & they're going toe-to-toe with Fender MIM's & PRS SE's, which are quite frankly, much better guitars. There will always be outliers, some really well made Epi's or Gibsons that are absolute dogs but in general, I don't really see the justification for buying an Epi unless the looks are what drives you for wanting one (definitely a smart move by Gibson sorting that headstock, always hated that shape). I've got an old Epi Casino that I'd never part with (massive Lennon fan) but comparing vintage Epi's with modern ones is like apples & oranges. I bought Epi's when I first started playing & I've tried a few others over the years but personally, I wouldn't buy another. The budget guitar market has exploded over the last few years & there are just too many better options available for the money.
Everytime people don't tell you NOTHING Except for the Headstock has Changed! it still uses Import metric specs. People are all Like WOW This is FANTASTIC AND NEW!! BS.....
@@TheSolfilm You can't upgrade the Bridge, tailpiece, nut, tuners and possibly pickup rings without issues. Sometimes the pots will be smaller thus requiring enlarging the holes. Also you need import pickguards as well as the holes don't line up.
@@polaritypictures Can't you just adapt empire to metric ? Are you implying that the standard metric pieces of gear like the brodge are not the same size as the "US/UK "ones?
@@TheSolfilm no, it won't fit. you have to move the posts. unless there is a maker that sells conversion parts but I doubt it. same with Squier/Fender parts aren't the same. I would like to see Epiphone Rise above and be a better company with Great Products, but Shining a turd up and making people believe it's new and fresh is wrong.
Absolutely agree with the Gibson originals feeling special, I got that exact same feeling when I first picked it up....in fact so much so I walked out of the shop with it...
My son bought a Epiphone LP custom 5 months ago.....I'll be at his house in 3 weeks.....those frets better be somewhat level. I'll be using a rocker....If not I'm going on a rampage! It came from sweetwater. What are you 6 for 7 now in the last few weeks for bad epiphone frets? That's a disgrace!
Sweetwater’s checkpoint inspections leave a LOT to be desired. Did you get one that has level fridge, it’s not because Sweetwater did anything to it, you’ve just gotten lucky.
@@blkjakk I'm relentless on frets.... Epiphone is just plain stupid these days. There are CNC machines to get the fingerboard correct for fret installs.
@@12south31 I love buying them used.....I get them for 50.00 all the time on craig's list. People get rid of them cause they hate the bad frets. Got two Jr's recently...one for 40 and one for 50.00. Pretty much new. Upgraded tuners, replaced pick up, bone nut, glued in and leveled frets. Costs about 75.00 to upgrade with chinese 498T gibson copy bridge PU and locking Jin ho tuners from guitar fetish (not the chinese knock off's...they're Korean). They play as well as any 1000.00 guitar now. One thing about epiphone is usually they don't install the bridge way off....they usually intonate okay....unlike the chipson's LP copies. They should be embarrassed about those trapaziod tuners they put on the Jr's. They are the worse tuners in the world. I redid a 50.00 ebay strat that had great low end tuners. That cheap guitar turned into a monster when I was done. It stays in tune....they could get the same cheap tuners.....they refuse...they don't give a crap about the customer. I got 100.00 bucks in that ebay special and I replaced everything...including the pots. why would I give epiphone more then 50.00 for their disrespect. There's a ton of good chinese pickups these days. Those probuckers aren't the cat's meow. They don't cut through the sonic landscape of a band playing heavier music.
Almost caught some stranglehold vines when the distortion first kicked in. Great demo as usual going through everything, pointing out the good and the bad.
I have an 04 Korean Epiphone Les Paul Standard with Gibson pick ups and it feels better and sounds better than a lot of the actual Gibsons my son and I have tried at out local used shop. I haven't played an "authentic" Les Paul that made me want to spend my authentic money on. With that being said i only touch the Les Paul's up to $1,200.
I bought an Epiphone Les Paul Tribute plus 1960 in 2018. One of their highest end guitars at the time. The frets started feeling "scratchy" when bending and they started showing small divots after only 2 months.
Yeah, I know that there are a lot of Great Epiphones out there......But, I am really concerned about the quality control on these new ones.....Some are ok, and some not???.....Trogly has had one after another of these new ones that have had Fret issues.....I am just not willing to part out my own money for an on-line Epiphone that I may need to return because of Frets........:)
My theory is that, because of all the hype surrounding the new Epis, their factory was cranking out guitars as fast as possible to meet the demand - therefore the QC went down, at least temporarily. I bought a new G-400 Pro right around the time Epiphone released their new range, and it has all the issues the new ones reportedly have, issues that weren't there on another G-400 I bought brand-new in 2012. The same thing happened with the Fender Player series, there were horror stories around the time they came out where stores were getting in guitars with busted electronics and unevenly-cut nuts, among other things.
@@Greg-vd5om That really goes with any guitar, especially ordering them online.. All the epiphones i've ordered were better CC than my fenders, but i'm sure there are ppl out there w/the opposite experience
Cool, I really liked the alien green finish. I thought it sounded decent but like you said, there are a lot of other choices a guy can make in that price range too. Great info. Thanks.
Poly inherently looks different because it reflects light differently. Nitro doesn't distort light as much and it simply looks better because it's lacquer. Poly also tends to reflect blue light a bit more.
@@marfg12345 Depends on the poly blend. I've seen some water base and 2-part polys that are clear as glass, and thickness matters a ton. A thin poly finish and a nitro finish look quite similar, it's just that they seem to dump a solid 1/8" finish on.
🔴Want My Demo Model? reverb.com/item/32627283-video-2020-epiphone-50s-les-paul-standard-vintage-sunburst?_aid=growsumo&gs_partner=Trogly
🐕 Episode Guide:
0:15 - New Epiphone 2020
0:33 - Original Collection LPs
1:00 - 50s Gibson vs 50s Epiphone
1:56 - 50s vs 60s Epiphone
2:24 - First Impressions
4:37 - Inside Look / Specs
12:48 - Tone Demo
16:33 - Final Thoughts
18:51 - Blacklight
19:19 - Box + Candy
📹 Mentioned Videos:
Gibson 50s Standard p90: th-cam.com/video/ez0JOBzZcBM/w-d-xo.html
Epiphone Unboxing: th-cam.com/video/BL3pzVGxIl8/w-d-xo.html
Gibson 60s Standard: th-cam.com/video/7a4cSNCw7BY/w-d-xo.html
Epiphone SG Classic: th-cam.com/video/fKG_H7As_ic/w-d-xo.html
Broadcaster 2020 Fender: th-cam.com/video/9e_5tl28JiM/w-d-xo.html
your show is still the best its a great format to sell guitars. sadly norms rare guitar is stale it gibson day everyday there. i wait up ever night to watch your show.
The Trogly's Guitar Show can you review the American made epiphone casino and compare it to the Chinese made one
Be nice to see Epip, come out with some custom's that would Blow Gibson out of the water .
It would be an honor to receive any guitar from Trogley!...
Trogley's Guitars your #1 Gibson and all things Les Paul reviewer....
In the world...
btw : there's an awesome guitar store mgr reviewer ...(not mark agnesi) from Germany ....he's awesome too! he also does Not favor Epi's. ...he's a shredder...
gotta rememer his channel....
I have to say all the routing cavity looks very impressive and the CTS pots is nice addition but still a Epiphone guitar at least you can switch out the pickups at ease
Bottom line.. If Jimmy Page played an Epiphone Les Paul instead of a Gibson, he would still sound like Jimmy Page.
Even Jimmy doesn't sound like Jimmy anymore
A lot of us don't sound like we used to!!!...lol
That has more to do with him (as well pretty much any musician with unique tone) not caring about keeping a guitar “vintage” and hot rodding hell out of them
Agreed! Gear worship is fun and all. But the player makes the soul of the music, and the tools are secondary.
even a harley benton
My experience with Epiphone has always been good; this model is no exception. Flawless finish and other than a few tweaks of the bridge, all was good from the get go. This is an excellent guitar for 600 bucks. Sustain for days, pups are super sweet ; unplugged this guitar has that "karang" that you can feel as well as hear; solid guitar, worth every penny. Gets a very strong recommendation from this old geezer guitar geek- player for 50+ years, guitar geeking, tech-ing and collecting for the past 30
This review is wayy too Gibson (or at least customshop crafted guitars) biased, in my opinion. I'm no rich guy, but I did save some money to buy a Gibson Les Paul Standard. After seeing these new guitars from Epiphone, I'm damn well not going to buy an expensive Gibson next time around. These guitars are amazing in terms of looks (finally some cheaper models which actually tries to look like the old models from the 50´s and looks like it too, without costing f**@ing 2000 dollars).
And they actually sound really great. Not as sensitive or allround as the Gibson ones, but it all comes down to playing in the end. And who the hell cares about a noisy toggle switch? You're playing loud enough already, the instrument itself is supposed to be noisy ;). The binding you're nit-picking at, if you are planning on hanging it up on a wall, maybe you should care about millimeters. Otherwise, the new Epiphone range looks amazing, sounds great, and works JUST FINE.
I agree with you 1000%! This was the best $600 I ever spent on a guitar and it is hard to justify spending an additional $1800 for the US Gibson version. This review is so elitist. My Epiphone 1950’s LP is now my main guitar. I can get the Clapton Bluesbreakers tone and feel at a fraction of the cost of a Gibson.
Yeah I agree. The only thing that is still weird is Epiphone's QC. Squier, Yamaha, Gretch, etc, all have really good QC, all of their guitars have no setup issues that can't be fixed in less than 5 minutes at most, but Epiphone seems to have pretty big ones randomly that need actual professional level work to fix, and it's a lottery basically. One might come perfectly and another might come with a lot of issues.
@@elsienova4269 I totally agree on that you have to be lucky to get a perfect one when buying lower-budget guitars by some brands (including epiphone). But they are not alone in that problem. I’ve played a lot of mexican fenders and squiers, and some of thise guitars also have some major setbacks when it comes to QC. I even once played a 3000 dollar Gibson Les Paul Custom which had terrible fretboard work, which dissapointed me deeply. These overall incidents accross brands all point to a relativity in quality and craftmanship, along with one’s own subjectivity. I would personally still buy the cheaper ones, maybe send them to a local luthier, and they would be perfect for at least 5-10 years until the next time I send them back for inspection.
But it all comes down to one’s own preferences, I think. I’m not a rich guy (I’m biased too), therefore I do not see the point in having a 3000 dollar guitar that I would not dare to play the heck out of.
@@elsienova4269 Yes my Standard 60's I purchased to match my Gibson came with dead frets all through out the neck. I ended up sending it back for a replacement. Still needed a fret job....Little bit of a let down TBH.
Just buy a midrange Tokai. Damn near Gibson minus the expensive finishing. Leagues better than Epiphones, and its faithful to the Gibson shape and everything. No ugly shallow cutaway.
Some time ago I met in person someone who was posting on a site extremely detailed info,specs,advices about the importance of each guitar part etc..Judging from his posts you would say he is a guitar guru.He was a big snob about anything MIC and Epiphones of course.When I met him he plugged his guitar in the amp and ...He was an awful player with his Gibson CS.Then I took my decision.Don't listen to any wise man outhere.Try as many guitars as possible,no matter the origin,pick up a guitar that you like visually with a comfortable neck for YOUR hand, an amp that you like it's tones ,shut the fuck up and play.The new Epiphones are awesome and many guitar heroes from the 60s,70s,80s would be blown away by such a quality/price ratio.
In the early 2000s when I was a teen, me and my friends lusted after Gibsons but it just wasnt possible for us. We all rocked epiphone LPs and they did the job just fine. When I got my Gibson LP as an adult it made me feel like a kid again. It's an absolute howler of a guitar. Epiphones fill that void and owning a Gibson wont make you a better player but damn if it's not a better guitar.
Same here. I correctly put the majority of my money into a good amp/pedal setup as that was more important for tone and just rocked an Epi SG when I played in bands as a teen. An Epi SG through my mesa rectifier was 1000x better tone than running a gibson custom LP through a line6 spider... Then I got older and made money and now rock a real gibson LP through the same mesa stack that is still kicking... it really is the magic. I would say about 15% better tone going from Epi to Gibson.... but that 15% is real magic and worth every penny.
Oh yeah. I think a lot of people buying the $600-800 Epiphones would be well served to try the $1,100 Gibson Les Paul Tribute. So much guitar for the money!
I just like the design of the LP. I greatly prefer 24.75" over 25.5" because it's got a low tension feel and less fret buzz at a given action. But today's Epis with ebony and rosewood and with pickups that don't demand replacing are excellent choices.
I took a chance and ordered this exact model from American Music Supply and received it yesterday.
It’s absolutely beautiful. I can’t find any flaws. Zero fret issues. Setup to my liking also, which again can be changed.
I am extremely happy.
You have problems with the zero fret? That’s a shame ;)
@@TealScarab . I think he nebt there are no fret issues.
I might get an epiphone les paul as my first electric, I'm really into the single cut look. I will just look around to see if there is anything better for the same price
@TealScarab yeah that zero fret is always a problem.
But yes, “No, None, zilch, nada,” issues with fret buzz.
@@TealScarab 🥁
Trogoly - There are many things I enjoy about your reviews: they are open, honest and USUALLY unbiased. This review really left me disappointed. This was the first time that your opinion seemed very biased, and slanted. I do not think it's fair to compare a $600 Epiphone to a $1200 (or more) Gibson. I think that companies such as Epiphone and Squier should be allowed to stand on their own merits, they have certainly earned the right. I've never thought of Epiphone as a lesser Gibson. Your total disappointment in this guitar really came through in the video.
I definitely agree with the pro-Gibson bias here. He fails to talk about the pros of this guitar but remains talking about dislikes, nitpicking oddities, and frustrations as compared to Gibson. This review certainly confirms I wont watch him for reviews from here on
Don't forget about eppiphones 0 resale value you can't give those things away.. So if you like to buy sell trade and try different gear don't buy one of these you're gonna live with it
AGREED! Thanks for putting it so plainly, definitely different instruments, comparing apples and oranges.
Think what you want, but the fact is epiphone is a cheaper gibson, literally. Doesn't matter how you see it.
@@keithadams812 Your not real bright, or heavy on facts are you.
It's just a week since l bought my Epiphone 50s Les Paul Gold Top and I love this guitar... And l can say that after 20 years playing my 1991 Gibson Les Paul Standard... Two great guitars 👍👍👍😎😎😎
I'd really like to see what Troglys opinion of a Squier Classic Vibe guitar!
OMG HA ha ....trog with a C Vibe Strat! ...... he'll faint.....
@@celestelongway7315 I highly doubt that haha, just as someone that knows guitars and has played many expensive fenders I'd just like to hear what he thinks of the current line up of the CV range. No need for brand snobbery
locky828 I have a 50’s classic vibe tele. Awesome guitar.
@@TheQakman I had a Squier 60s Strat CV and I miss it to this day. Killer guitar. Buying a J Mascis Jazzmaster soon which sounded insane!
locky828 those J Mascis models are very underrated.
If it had some sweet p-90's i'd be down.
get the inspired by 55 LP custom. best epi LP if you want one with P90s, comes with Gibson ones
Flood There is a P-90 Les Paul Special in Epiphone's lineup, but it doesn't have the same beautiful finish as this one..
well a good soldering is always an option
@Sunflower Seeds I would defo get a harley Benton, but I hate the look of the bit that's not cut out. Especially on the back, it looks wrong imo, but either way it's a nice ass guitar
I literally got my first Epi yesterday, the explorer, in black.
Like everybody else says, i have owned almost every guitar under the sun, from budget, to ridiculous, but this guitar has absolutely blown my mind.
I am a metal guy, so most of my guitars are of the high end of ESP, Jackson, type, but i have always have had a Les Paul of some iteration and it was just the Epiphone name that scared me off. Nobody wants a knock-off of something great, and thats how I saw Epiphone.
But i am now a fan.
Its my first Epi, so mabey i got lucky, but 20 minutes of set up, and this thing is phenomenal.
Of course, the shitty pups are getting thrown out for some EMGs, or Fishmans, and i am going to make it "mine" by changing out all of the hardware with smoked, black chrome pieces, but for $600 buyers remorse is not imaginable.
I am still WAY on the fence about getting an Epi Les Paul.
It still feels like i would be cheating on a hot girlfriend, with a skanky slut.
I must have missed the ‘sponsored by Gibson’ bit
Yeah, but you do realize this is a $600 guitar compared to a $2,400 Gibson 50’s traditional? Lol it’s expected not to be the exact same as a Gibson, and people know that. The question is if it’s worth the price. I think so. But, of course your biased to a Gibson. Who isn’t?
Gibsons are mediocre at best. They were good guitars back in the day but every post '95 gibson I've ever played has left MUCH to be desired. The action is horribly high, they feedback horribl when introduced to any gain at a decent volume, and the tuning stability is absolutely god awful. And usually, you have to pay $2000 before you can even get a decent set of pickups. Gibson deals in nostalgia, not good products.
@@logancrocker4194correct! My “two cents”? I think these Epi’s are amazing guitars, not just for the price but just great guitars period. The fact that they are affordable is just icing on the proverbial cake. I have $4000 guitars that aren’t perfect as well but they’re wood and steel and not everything needs to be perfect. Epiphone is really coming around last few years. I buy them to play just like my expensive ones and they all get out of the house to play.
great closeup camera shots dude!
Austin, couldn't help but notice the new b-roll shots, panning, shadow fade in, and editing. Your videos are constantly improving, and have come a long way since the early guitar-on-carpet-floor days. Looks like your recent investments in video gear is making a noticable difference. Keep up the great work. Thanks for your teaching and entertainment. I look forward to my daily dose of guitar information.
I got the Epiphone 60’s Les Paul Standard... loving it.
Way to go
Which color did you get? The black looks really nice.
They could use the labour time applying those hideous veneers to the backs to instead improve the fretwork and hand finishing.
kabukiman69 exactly. The backs don’t need any veneer at all. It’s just...S I L L Y.
Chicen exactly! Those SGs look absolutely awful with the veneers on the front and back.
Totally agree. You hardly see the join lines between the 2 or 3 pieces of backs. The veneer just screams cheap.
Tbh even most guitars from Gibson don’t come from factory with a good setup. If they do it’s because it usually got a setup at the shop you bought it from
Hamer guitars left the factory fully set up. Amazing axes
Gibson aren't great there just made of better select woods and it's the pickups that make the difference.
I prefer poly because well I spray it on guitars lol. That high gloss just appeals to me and they have better UV protection so the finish should remain unchanged longer. It’s not like I hate worn or yellowing colors but I personally prefer it to stay truer.
Idk why his channel makes me happy
Edit: OOF The number of replies
its all good vibes
He leaves his ego at the door
Women have the Kardashian’s -guitar guys have something that’s actually real-we have Trogly’s!!!
passion is a nice thing to see
A new guitar is always a reason to be happy
I have an Epi Les Paul Standard '59. One of the things I like about it over a Gibson Les Paul is the string breakover angle on the headstock, which is a shallower angle. A little less pressure on the nut, easier to tune.
those 59 Standard's are essentially Gibsons. To get the same spec sheet on a Gibson, you have to go to the Custom Shop stuff.
The high angle is responsible for tuning issues in Les Pauls (graphite lube and wider nut slot in the back solves that) so I prefer that on Epiphones they tend to stay in tune nicely even unlubed. A pencil works too just put some in the slot below the string
having owned both an Epi and now having Gibsons, the fit and finish on the Gibson is noticeable. Gibsons can be found cheap if you look, skip on the Epis and save a little more for the Gibson
I agree. Instead of having 10 guitars invest in one or two good ones. You can only play one at a time anyway.
Nope, still buying dat Epi Worn SG with the P90s because even used prices on the Gibson equivalent are too pricey. Plus I can mod it anyway I see fit to make it better for me and not feel bad about decreasing value and still come under the price of the stock used guitar. :P
I’d rather pay 3,000 to have my lutheir build me a Les Paul, then buy Gibson’s over priced crap. Even epiphones elitist series are just as good as Gibson’s; they’re hand made in Japan and better yet...
a fraction of the price (used market wise.)
I own an epi standard and may think different. As far as price u cant beat it also considering i always change the pick ups ( something fron Seymour Duncan) on most guitars i buy right after purchase. I would buy a used Gibson tho but not a les Paul. Definitely want a gibson es 335 or a flying v.
@Fethz No need to flex with your custom luthier guitars. This is about epiphone vs gibson. Not about how much money u have.
A lot of sustain and vintage sound the Epiphone 50's! 🤩
I watched your unboxing on this guitar. like I told you mine is perfect for a Epiphone. I got rid of the string in the first hour I owned it the shitty strings actually left tarnish stripes on my fingers. I put ghs .009 to .042s on it polished the back of the neck with Gibson guitar polish that ive used since the 80s and the guitar plays and sounds great and looks even better. for 1 forth the price of a Gibson at 2500.00 you can buy 4 of these and do what ever you want and still have money. these will kill Gibson sales so buy them while you can Gibson will kill these to save Gibson. that's my opinion and ill stand buy it. im a les paul player since 1976
but it sounded awful ? and gibson sound ok in general ..its the same with all epi LP'S ,,not so much the semi hollows ..epi are amazing semi's ..if your looking for a cheap version of a LP that outplays a gibbo on all levels almost ... buy a vintage ..epi have not got LP's down right at all and never has imo..The best epi was the 60's tribute plus that was closer...rest its nah for me ..offensive to my ears :)
I want a huge band like Metallica, Aerosmith etc to secretly record an album using epiphone guitars. I am pretty sure no one would know.
Tommy Thayer of KISS uses an Epiphone Les Paul.
wheezer has used epiphone guitars for a long time
Doesn’t seem fair to compare a 600$ guitar to one that’s costs 3-4 as much. Still rather have an sg
I really want to see the epiphone sg custom. They look awesome. Would love to see you review one and see if their worth the extra scratch.
I love the Epiphone standard pro I just bought! It's amazing.
You know what I would really like to see on this channel? A guitar ranking list. I hear what you're saying about this Epiphone, but I still have no idea how good it is compared to, say, a Gibson LPJ which runs a lot cheaper nowadays. Or even an older Les Paul Studio. Is it worth the price jump? What about a The Paul? Is a The Paul better than an early Studio? As a potential buyer, a video where you list out the differences and rank them by which one you think is better is a lot more valuable than knowing what kind of wires the pickups use. Though these videos are great, too
I own both an Epiphone Standard and a Gibson Les Paul Studio. I got the studio for about $650 used, and the Epiphone for $400. Right out of the gate, the Gibson played much better, and you can really feel the difference in quality between the two. I definitely had to do more upgrade work to the Epi. I definitely would keep the Studio if I had to choose.
One of the biggest differences are spending the money to buy a Gibson as you can get 60 to 70% of your money back when you buy a brand new guitar more when you buy used... The differences are not as great to a new player but an experienced player can feel the difference in a Gibson.. Or should I say one that is made right
This is why I pay $65-$85 to have my guitars setup because I do buy the lesser expensive guitars. My $150 Epi LP set up is really awesome (this was setup by a small music store, so $150 setup). Before I got it I tried ESP, Ibanez, Gretsch, and a couple of others. Not a single one out of the box was good enough or better than the $150 LP. If you get a guitar out of the box that is setup the way you like it, you got lucky. So far the best inexpensive guitars out of the box I have tried have been Michael Kelly and Breedlove. A lot of the $300+ Squires were also pretty good. I have tried the online inexpensives (Firefly, HB, and one other that escapes me) and they weren't good at all. After a setup they played better but the electronics weren't good, then again, my $150 Epi LP has crap electronics too. Seems all inexpensive humbuckers either sound like fingers down a chalkboard or throwing your stereo system in the pool to listen to it.
This tear down review is so disappointing and elitist/snobbish. It’s a $600 guitar. You are comparing it to a $2500 guitar. Of course there are going to be differences, and coming from the Chinese factory, of course it isn’t going to be set up as well as an American Gibson. But dude, this is without out the absolute best $600 guitar on the market today. I bought one and I love it. It has become my main guitar right now. It plays great and the tone is awesome through a good overdriven tube amp. For most players today, it would be hard to justify the $1800 difference in purchasing a Gibson, because to the average ear the difference isn’t noticeable. To the average player, the difference is negligible. You could tear down a brand new Fender Strat and say, “Well this doesn’t come close to the 64 Strat,” but it is still a damn good guitar. My 1950’s Epiphone LP is the best $600 I have ever spent on a guitar. Zero regrets, and I still have $1800 in my bank account. You should consider how you frame things because it has an impact on beginners and average players.
Thank you for doing a review on this. I wanted to see what this looked like and sounded like.
I’d love to get a Les Paul Special!!!! I love the P90s and TV Yellow. I’d love to see a review of one!!
Great Video. Really liking the new Epiphones!!
Not sure why they just dont do the full Gibson headstocks on the epiphones. Squier uses the Fender headstocks.
That's because you need to pay the Gibson price to play authentic.
I don't understand why the gibsons one doesnt have long tennon
@@C0urne 🤣 As a Gibson and Epiphone owner... That shit is funny! 👍🏻
That whole bunch of bullcrap they pulled was hilariously bad for PR. One of the dumbest stunts I've ever seen a guitar company do...And they haven't stopped yet, with all the bullshit lawsuits trying to sue small companies with patents that aren't even originally their's. Shame on you Gibson... Shame shame shame...
Owning both Gibsons & Epiphones, I wish they would mix them both together... Give the Epiphone a Gibson headstock, but put the Epiphone headstock angle on the Gibson guitars... My Gibson LP just doesn't stay in tune like my Epiphone LP does.
I like the Japan made epiphone’s they have the full Gibson headstock so they are out there
I appreciate your review but would love to see a blindfold comparison with a Gibson, as other players couldn’t tell the difference, unless they could see the logo, maybe you could easily tell the difference, but I am not so sure
I have bought five of these hings since NAMM 2020. Les Paul Standard 60s in ice tea and bourbon burst, Les Paul Classic in Heritage Cherry Sunburst, Les Paul classic Worn goldtop and a Les Paul Studio in Smokehouse Burst. I love all of them. They really improved the neck, and while the fit and finish may not be perfectly flawless, you get Grover Tuners, a high quality nut, great wiring, pots, pickups and switches. And I think the new finishes look great. A huge improvement from 2019s offerings. The head stock looks better, but I didn't really mind the old head stock. I don't think there are better guitars out there for the money. Around $600 fro a set neck with great looks and great pickups? I think they are very competitive with the PRS SE models and they cost significantly less. Get a good set up and all variants are amazing guitars.
Agree you can read what I said
Yeah? I've been hearing great things but this video was a bit disappointing, seems likenmy 2005ish era Epiphones, great guitars but far from flawless. Had I not bought an absolutely flawless Harley Benton SC550+ I would be less critical but that obe has fretwork like my Gibson and MIJ Ibanez for 400 bucks along with brand name pickups and finish is perfect with one tiny scratch but I got 30€ off B stock price for that.
So at almost 700€ I would like an Epiphone to be of that same quality, just no nitro finish, not made in US and high quality but not necessarily brand name hardware (which seems to be the case). Both my Les Pauls, the HB and the LTD are modern 60s style so I would love an Epiphone for that classic 59 Les Paul feel and look and sound but if the finish is that shoddy (for the price)... I was hoping since he mentioned it's an early run that things improved? Yours are more nicely made? I don't mind a few imperfections but at least the top, binding and frets should be flawless at that price, an Ibanez for 700€ does NOT have issues like that. I get that HBs have the housebrand and mass production and none famous brand discount but that's why I'm comparing a 700€ guitar to a 370€ one. If it can't match that it would be disappointing. I have Epiphones like that but they cost a lot less back then. 700€ used to by a Gibson Les Paul Studio, maybe display model or lightly used. And those did not have fret that looked like these in the close up. Fret work is the only luthier skill I learnt with a master and it is not hard at all. It's just a matter of a little extra time and care at the end which "Handcrafted in China" definetly allows for. I know Chinese luthiers, I studied fretwork with one. They are no less capable of low action buzz free frets. So this feels rushed and lacking in QC. These days I buy online but maybe Epiphones still need the prepurchase in person inspection. I thought that had been relegated to guitars below 300 bucks and even those can come with real nice necks these days. Jackson makes great necks at 300€. Feels like a 1500€ Ibanez.
I have had my epiphone les paul since the 90 s and love it.I also have a gibson les paul.fender strat and tele.I am not as pickey as you .I like all guitars.
I have an Epiphone Les Paul Standard PlusTop Pro and it'san awesome guitar. Sure it's not a Gibson but it is a Les Paul and it plays very well. I'm a fan of Epiphones and if I could afford a Gibson Les Paul Standard, I'd love to own one, but I think Epiphone Les Pauls are a great value and the one good thing about them is that on the used market one can be had a very reasonable price.
I'm saving for a Green Fender Lead II !
Tanner Green those look great, haven’t played one yet but I hear good things about them.
Remley my friends dad gave him one in junior high school about 12 years ago.. was a 1980 in a wine colour. He decided he wanted a blue guitar and sanded it and spray painted it blue. Turned out awful lol.
Tanner Green I like the purple one
I ordered a white Lead 3. Should arrive later this week.
I bought a sienna sunburnt leadIII.... nice set up right outta the box! Very nice!
The difference between 50's and 60's wiring has nothing to do with using quick connects or not. It's how the tone capacitor is wired. In 50's wiring the tone cap is wired from the output lug of the volume pot to the input lug of the tone pot. In 60's wiring the tone cap is connected directly to the input lug of the volume pot, which is connected to the pickup, and then to the input lug of the tone pot. 50's wiring gives the guitar a brighter sound.
About fret levelling.
I wouldn't sweat too much over it.
To be honest top notch but small production luthiers swear that they ship guitars with perfect low action etc and they arrive to the owner with a high fret or two.
We are talking about metal pieces glued in wood...So. It can pop up etc.
After years of playing guitar you can actually,
a) have the shop do a setup and "small" fret levelling issues to be addressed before buying the guitar.
b) Pay someone else later or do this yourself, most know, some even fret level guitars themselves after years of practising.
c) Play the fuck out of it. It starts to level itslef lol, not kidding on this one I've noticed it to a lot of guitars. The more you play them the better for the fretwork. As if you do the levelling slowly every day. Not as drastic as a good fret level but still...
So try before you buy. IF you find fret problems even in very expensive guitars don't blame the construction from the get go.
Some builders will even pay for their NEW guitar to be levelled in a local luthier if they ship it very far away and it arrives slightly problematic, they do know in advance that the differences in the weather humidity etc can bring problems.
Maaan, thanks for being so honest. This is what makes your channel so special.
My experience with these new epiphones is that they are slagged off online by gibson users but as someone who hasn't even played a gibson these are good. I was amazed by my SG standard in white
It would be nice to know if it lost treble when the volume pots are tuned down - often a problem with older Epiphones.
Man I like epiphones I have a couple that I had fixed up (Basically had them refitted and finished) and it was worth it. I pretty much expect it with epiphone I literally just consider it apart of the purchase, after you have it done by a real luthier mind you it's a Great guitar compared against other guitars and gibsons. If you bought this guitar for example and spent another $150 to $200 on a fret leveling and the set up that goes along with it you'll have a great les paul. So call it $800 buck's for a les Paul. I have one id put up against any Gibson but it came with burstbucker pickups.
I'm 100% ordering in the blue SG/g400 special when the time comes. That thing looks amazing and I've been wanting an SG with p90s for a while
That neck pickup sounds really good on the clean sound. It's got a lot of beef even though it's clean.
Bro you are so close to 100k subs!! Contrags trogly and thanks for the awesome vids
I have an Epiphone Les Paul Special II-LE (complicated name i know) and i'm perfectly content with it, despite it being a starter guitar.
23 Heathrow glad you got a good Epiphone Special.
I found a Special original that was very comparable to my 97 Gibby Double-cut in playability. It had a more hefty neck than other specials I have seen, but the action is buttery, the tuners hold all day and the frets are ok. It’s waiting for some better pups.
People who bark about Epi Specials haven’t come across one of the gems. Keep looking.
I have a epiphone les paul vintage edition, that I got super cheap that plays and sustains better than my gibson standard. Which is quite sad. All I did was put new pickups in it and it even sounds better wtf?
@@Silkaz7 All that and a bolt-on neck! I mean, I could shim it if it wasnt perfect. I could have neck adjusted on my DC ... for a large fee. I want one with P90s now. Both Rock AND Roll!
The 59 re issue they have out now is great. Gibson USA burstbuckers vintage wiring, Mallory capacitors, switch craft switches satin Finnish triple A flame cap, hard case can’t go wrong.
Epiphone's been sketchy as hell about fingerboards since the Rosewod ban took effect. I bought a 339 from them last year, which Guitar Center listed as having a rosewood fretboard, but Epiphone's site didn't list it at all. Turned out to be Pau Ferro.
This is definitely not pau ferro. Looks better than many 2019 Gibson fretboards I've seen though.
Yes but
w h y d o e s i t m a t t e r
Il Neige So is that not Guitar centres fault If Epiphone never listed it as Rosewood?
"tonewood" is a joke
@@escapeape5573 tonewood aside though, darker fretboard just look better in most cases.
Awesome review of the Epi LP....The BEST I ever saw on TH-cam...I subscribed!!!
The price makes it a Great deal, but I would buy the higher up 59 model outfit for $200.00 more. As I want the USA Gibson humbuckers, because I like their tone, sound, etc.. Also, other features are in the upgraded model that make it worth the more $.
And even then,..You could buy at least 3 of them for the cost of a Gibson Les Paul Standard..
I've been playing guitar for 37 years and own a beloved 1997 Gibson Les Paul Standard tobacco burst.
In 2018, I bought a 2018 Epiphone LP Standard plus top pro in the Mojave fade with subtle flamed maple.
Adjusted the neck relief, fixed a couple of high frets, installed a graph tech nut and a tonepros bridge at a total cost of $65.00
So, that brought that guitar's cost to basically $700.00
Anyway, after setup and the nut and bridge,...At that point, it was the best guitar I had ever owned or played....Today, I have 4 Epihone Les Pauls,..The 2018, a 2019 and two 2020 models. All recieved the same nut and bridge upgrades and I of course, handle any high frets..
They are all FANTASTIC GUITARS, regardless of the great value in pricing.
@@stricknine8623 I Hear you, and I think Epiphone Les Paul's are great guitars also. I have one, and I dig it a lot. I prefer Fender Stratocasters overall.
@@davidg4726
I would like Strats if it weren't for the location of the volume pot.
I can't begin to explain how bad that it is IN MY WAY. Something about the pick hand style I use.
I think Strats have an important sound that Les Pauls can't do and I think that Les Pauls have and important sound and feel that a Strat just can't do.
But I have thought seriously about finding a good Strat and relocating the volume pot and have a custom pick guard made to accommodate the new location while of course covering up the hole left behind from the old volume pot location.
It doesn't bother most people at all and in fact many would tell you that its conveniently located.
But there are also many guitarists that share the same issues I have with it.
@@stricknine8623 I agree about how Les Paul's and Strats have Great sounds. I dig them Both for different sounds, styles, songs, etc. I also understand how things can bother you. The volume pot is great for me on a strat. I don't care for the placement of the 3 way toggle on a Les Paul. It gets in my way sometimes. So, it is not great for me, but Ilive with it. My real problem is with a Floyd Rose trem system, because I hit my knuckles on them while I strum sometimes. Ouch!
Have you ever done a review of an Epiphone Les Paul Traditional PRO-III Plus Limited Edition Electric Guitar? Made in the USA Gibson '57 Zebra Pickups. If not, here is one vote for a review of it.
Those cleans actually sound pretty great!
Btw...WHEN ARE YOU GONNA REVIEW AN EPIPHONE JUNIOR??
Spend the 100 bucks. What are you hoping for? It's one of the cheapest guitars you can buy, but it's still decent starter guitar. End of story.
@@Les537 the new version isn't. I have the old one from the 90's but the new ones are mahogany with a set neck. And they go for about $450 in Canada where I am
AFTER HE REVIEWS CHEPIPHONES AND CHIBSONS.
@@Megarobotsquadronthe Epiphone LP Junior is $700 with tax here in Canada 🇨🇦 now. They’re all great instruments.
@@truckmonkey68 Holy smokes you're right. They're double what they were when I posted this originally
I notice no recent comments so hope you're still there because I like your review style, kinda reminds me of Colin on 'Guitaristas.' Re: Epi Les Pauls, & other models too really... generally they compete head-up in their price class and as mass-produced factory items you stand a fair chance of getting one below or above standard but likely will get a very good guitar that may need a little tweak but so does your new car. Same with Gibson, etc. I have a '21 Epi LP Studio thats kicks the ass of my 'real' Custom, total range of tones, easy to play. Love it. I saw/heard you liking yours. Get over the poly varnish and realize the advantages. Everybody- get yourself an Epiphone.
Austin, about the fretboard. I think that might be Pau Ferro. Epiphone used those on past and they might have some old stock to use. So they could be using both of Indian Laurel and Pau ferro so they don't advertise because you know false advertisement can result and customers suing them.
I have never seen such a dark and uniform piece of pau ferro in my life. Looks much more like laurel or rosewood. (Some brands are back using it).
@@iagobroxado Conterraneo?
@@modergav não sei!!!
Thank you very much for this awesome detailed review!! You cover all that I wanted to know!!
Bought one and enjoy it greatly
I love these videos because they make me feel like I geeked out with a friend about my favorite guitar company
I have heard nothing but problems with frets, it sounds good thats for sure, i like the way those probuckers sound, definitely lower output sounding. Sounds like alnico 2
The Epiphone LP may not be the greatest guitar in the world but you definitely made it sound really well.
It seems like it’s difficult to make a set neck, flame top, bound LP at this price point. I’d love to see your review of the Epi Les Paul Special
scott3402 Agile does it for less $$, better QC and better hardware / electronics.
I've been playing an epi 2018 lp for a while now, and honestly for 600 bucks, it feels like a good guitar, the probuckers are nice, fretwork is fine, it's perfectly playable. I think that reviewing these instruments that are often 1/3rd the price of their gibson counterparts, and being nitpicky about things like the headstock shape(not in this video, but in general) and the finish not being perfect is absurd imo.
All i care about a guitar is does it sound nice, doesnt it stay in tune, how long will it last and does it play well? (I'm glad that trogly acknowledges that this is the important stuff).
I picked up an Gibson SG tribute new for $699. I don't really see a reason to buy an Epiphone when the fit and finish isn't quite there. Atleast for ones at this price point.
Haha. Not to make you feel bad about your instrument, but anything below like the pricepoint of a studio, which these days is higher than ever before, is a subpar gibson which actually falls behind some of the epiphones. I mean when you get a Gibson you'd expect a neck binding (and body binding if its a LP), glossy finish, and an actual inlay for the logo instead of a cheap decal for crying out loud. Gibson tributes are a joke. Haha i even remember one year they went with dot inlays...horrendous.
IMO if you want to get an "authentic" gibson experience (most people do), you'd be lookin at about $1500/2000
Jose Anything at that price point for a Gibson is made from sub par material - You’ve essentially just purchased a guitar because it says Gibson when you could get a really nice Epiphone
@@dk70 Most tribute models sport the dot inlays the last few years. You have to buy a Studio or better for the square inlays. I sometimes see them in older Special Sgs.
killer guitar man you should be proud of it but like others have said the tribute/studio/faded stuff is really just starting to dip your toes into the SG goodness, eventually you’re gonna wanna plop down the cash for the Standard & beyond...you’ve been warned, plus Gibson guys won’t respect you for having a “lower end” model anyway haha so just play what you like & what sound good lol regardless of brand
Blake Burress all that really matters is what sounds good to your ears, I’m sure we all know a player that makes store rack squier bullets sound amazing
Have you thought about the difference between the Epiphones and the Epiphone Custom Shop, or signature models? (Lizzy Hale, MKH, Ritchie Faulkner, etc?)
Just wanna know when the American made Epi Casino is dropping and hoping the price is < $1500.
Andy Rodriguez sweeteater said late July and 2600
Yeah, excited for that as well.
@Conor Winston I wouldn't mind. The casino deserves to be high quality.
@@guitarocd9984 Yeah. Gotta love a Casino. The announcement of the Casino wasn't very big so it's understandable you didn't hear about it. Although I'm excited about the new Casino, I can't afford one.
The Korean Casino is 2k but Im with ya.
I'm more a fan of the red, orange to yellow sunburst finish, but this axe has sweet tones for certain. The price is icing on the cake. Not bad at all. It seemed to stay in tune real good too. This will definitely hold a player for a good long time.
'
Please tell me I'm not the only one who kinda liked the old headstock
No you are not the only one
I liked it, but I prefer the new one by far
Gotta say it really doesn’t matter it’s just the corners that are cut lol
I did
Mine has it
Thx for detaling the 50s LP standard, I'm glad you gave the assessment of the pickup s. I heard them exactly as you had them sound and quality wise. I've been window shopping the 60s version by EPIPHONE. And could certainly use your understanding and insight on that model..
I really have been disappointed with the quality control with these Epiphones but I guess that’s what you get for the guitar to be cheaper.
I doubt it has to do with price and more quotas, these 2020 models have been hyped and are in demand. I imagine this led to Epiphone trying to make a lot in a shorter time frame than normal, QC would be the first thing to suffer.
Edit: spelling correction
Worse is spending over 2.000 on a guitar and still having very noticeable QC issues.
@@iagobroxado Good thing you've never spent more than $500 on a guitar so you don't have to worry about that. Don't pretend you wouldn't buy a Gibson if it was the same price. No one buys Epiphone because they like it more, they buy it because that's all they can afford.
@@iagobroxado I agree with you 100% on that !!!
BoatLoadOfSeamen I know people that buy an Epiphone because Gibson’s are seriously over priced but of course if you had the money why not buy a Gibson? Did you get a badly QC’d Gibson :( cry more
I appreciate your videos so much, man. They are always super helpful.
I'd expect the Slash standard to be superior, at least, you'd darn well hope so given the price point difference between the Epi LP and the Gibson Slash std! Easy to nitpick quality differences when there's a couple of grand difference. :-p
A good honest review. Most of the bad points raised in this review could be applied to an Epiphone 60s Tribute Plus that I bought a few years ago. Like this Standard my guitar had paint overlapping the binding and uncomfortable sides to the neck profile . It also needed work on the frets in order to play nicely. It seems to me that the main selling feature of the new Epiphones is the revised headstock shape, otherwise most everything else remains just about the same. With new Epiphone prices being what they are I’d look around for a nice used Gibson Studio model rather than anew Epiphone.
You can't really give it a bad review. I mean your comparing a $700 guitar to a 3200.00 guitar. I've seen this guitar played and the exact one made by Gibson. Their was a bit of a difference but not a great deal like I thought their would be especially for the price. Gibson's sounded a bit better on the pickups but it should for the price point but Epiphone sounded really good too. But spending the 3X more on a Gibson for a tiny bit of sound difference, I'm not so sure if it's really worth it, especially if you're not a famous guitar player.
I think it was 2017 or 18. I tried both Gibson and Epiphone Std. Gibson $3200 Cdn. Epiphone,$675Cdn. Epiphone sounded and played better than the Gibson. Why? Weight releived imo sounds like SHIT. If you're gonna play a Lp,play a solid body unless, there's a decent sound from weight releif.
If you’re famous you get a free one.
I am digging it! Thanks for your honest opinion. I have a few Gibson's and Epi's... Thank you!
Aah! Gibson has more flaws and bad quality control for the last decade or so! So quit bragging up Gibson and putting down Epiphone! Bottom line, I much more would rather pay for an Epiphone and pay much less for their flaws and still get a great guitar, rather than pay for a Gibson and their expensive flaws! I find Epiphones fun to play and I just don't get that fun feeling playing a Gibson! Gibson snobs don't help the situation either!
After playing Strats for about thirty five years, I recently switched back to a Les Paul. I have arthritis in both hands and the shorter scale neck's reduced string tension helps quite a bit.
For obvious financial considerations I went with a $599 Epiphone Les Paul Standard Plustop PRO over a $2500 Gibson LP Standard.
I've got to say, I'm as happy as a pig in shit with the overall quality vs cost. Mine is a 2019 so it's the last year before the headstock change which is fine with me. It sings through my Marshall and that's all that matters.
Yep! I don't get why people put Gibson on a pedestal when they have had a long history of crappy quality control, treating their workers badly, making horrible business decision after horrible business decision leading them into chapter 11 bankruptcy. They are certainly not worth the price premium they fetch when there is better out there.
@@joehahn8817 I agree, I get a lot of joy out of mine too
trogly's opinions on Gibson are like, a friend digging dome dirt on another friend when they're drunk at a bar.
he puts all the nasty stuff, but you can see his love for the brand is unwavering.
keep up the good content.
After your help with this guitars siblings, you know that i wasn't going to miss this vid!
Brother Trogly, you are a marketing department's worst nightmare and that's what I love about your videos. Just the facts, I would think if you weren't doing this you would be an engineer either software or NASA. Thanks for another great episode.
I hate those squared off neck carves. Anywho, my harley benton sc 400 goldtop came with 0 finish flaws, no high frets, no sharp frets, properly cut nut and tuners that work perfectly fine. The pickups arent the best I ever I heard but they sound better than these. I paid 141 bucks for it, brand new, sent to my door. I tuned it up and played with the cheap ass strings that came with it for a couple weeks to get a feel for it until one string broke. Then I did a proper set up and slapped on a set of ernie balls 8's and boom I was done. I MIGHT swap out pickups for a set of dimarzio 36th anniversary paf's but I probably wont cuz im lazy 😆. Moral of the story, at 599... An Chinese Epiphone should be PERFECT.
Thank you! I have a 400 dollar Agile that comes with a one piece body, one piece neck, CTS pots, pleced frets, ebony board and not that laurel/ pau ferro crap they use now. I don’t get it.
@@firemarshal2629 Gibson is still in a ton of debt. They are in the drivers seat with this style of guitar through the magic of branding. They can charge what they want for whatever piece of crap they put out. They know the name alone will sell enough of them. Those Agile guitars are pretty damn nice. I played a used p90 equipped 3000 in that ocean blueburst finish. Man o man that was a brilliant sounding guitar that was set up right. Didnt vibe with the neck so I didnt buy it, but man tbh, I'll never spend more than 400 bucks on a new guitar again. There is just no need. The rest is all hype. I just bought a Squier Bullet FSR butterscotch tele recently too for 158 shipped. Again, no bad or sharp frets, the tuners and pickups work perfectly, nut was cut right, the hardware is fine and it sounds like Keef when I plug it in 😆. With all these cheap guitars, I'll just play them until something breaks and then upgrade it. In 5 years, I might have to replace a pot or a tuner and just get high end shit then. Still cheaper than the real deal. Spend the money on the speaker in your amp if your gonna mod anything.
You get way more value with Harley Benton Guitars. I have 8 of them and they are fantastic instruments.
Purchased 3 of them and ALL of them went back. Absolute junk. One neck was badly twisted, the second the pickups were dead and the last the neck had cracks. Screw that. I can understand Agile being a surprisingly good guitar given the money but HB just out right blows. The more expensive ones might be better but at that point there are still better choices.
@@clamus68 thats the thing when you go cheap. Its more of a crap shoot on the qc. Mine was fine and was their lowest costing lp copy, but ive heard stories like yours too. I love mine. Maybe I got lucky idk but I dig them.
Damn Austin, you're really close to your silver play button! Good on you brother keep it up.
It's high time you start reviewing Chibsons.
Good choice of playing examples. The neck pickup is nice and mellow yet clear in the cleanest settings. The others are quite good and professional sounding.
A little tweak of the truss rod or at worst a cheap level and dress. I'd do it myself at that price.
Man those are both beautiful guitars wow.
I've been highly interested in the 2020 standard 50s les paul by epiphone for a while now and trogly is the only youtuber who gives 100% honest review
Having owned quite a few of both Epi's & Gibsons, I'm gonna dip my toe into this. Epi's are decent beginner/intermediate guitars but, in all fairness they are quite pricey & there are definitely better options out there at their price point, especially considering Gibson themselves now offer entry-level models for not much more & they're going toe-to-toe with Fender MIM's & PRS SE's, which are quite frankly, much better guitars. There will always be outliers, some really well made Epi's or Gibsons that are absolute dogs but in general, I don't really see the justification for buying an Epi unless the looks are what drives you for wanting one (definitely a smart move by Gibson sorting that headstock, always hated that shape). I've got an old Epi Casino that I'd never part with (massive Lennon fan) but comparing vintage Epi's with modern ones is like apples & oranges. I bought Epi's when I first started playing & I've tried a few others over the years but personally, I wouldn't buy another. The budget guitar market has exploded over the last few years & there are just too many better options available for the money.
Everytime people don't tell you NOTHING Except for the Headstock has Changed! it still uses Import metric specs. People are all Like WOW This is FANTASTIC AND NEW!! BS.....
It looks completely horrible with that cheap cheap wood
What's the problem with metric ?
@@TheSolfilm You can't upgrade the Bridge, tailpiece, nut, tuners and possibly pickup rings without issues. Sometimes the pots will be smaller thus requiring enlarging the holes. Also you need import pickguards as well as the holes don't line up.
@@polaritypictures Can't you just adapt empire to metric ? Are you implying that the standard metric pieces of gear like the brodge are not the same size as the "US/UK "ones?
@@TheSolfilm no, it won't fit. you have to move the posts. unless there is a maker that sells conversion parts but I doubt it. same with Squier/Fender parts aren't the same. I would like to see Epiphone Rise above and be a better company with Great Products, but Shining a turd up and making people believe it's new and fresh is wrong.
Absolutely agree with the Gibson originals feeling special, I got that exact same feeling when I first picked it up....in fact so much so I walked out of the shop with it...
5:10 It's ProBucker 1 and ProBucker 2
Nice catch. Every Epi dealer website has this wrong in their specs. The 60s LP has the 2&3 set.
@@jefmanroxx2414 : O is there a bug on the epiphone official website? : O
Super close to the big 100k Austin! Best of luck in getting there soon!
My son bought a Epiphone LP custom 5 months ago.....I'll be at his house in 3 weeks.....those frets better be somewhat level. I'll be using a rocker....If not I'm going on a rampage! It came from sweetwater.
What are you 6 for 7 now in the last few weeks for bad epiphone frets? That's a disgrace!
Let me know how they are when you see it!
Sweetwater’s checkpoint inspections leave a LOT to be desired. Did you get one that has level fridge, it’s not because Sweetwater did anything to it, you’ve just gotten lucky.
@@blkjakk I'm relentless on frets....
Epiphone is just plain stupid these days. There are CNC machines to get the fingerboard correct for fret installs.
David Kennedy I understand completely. I expect the frets to be right as well. I’m a big fan of Plek’d guitars.
@@12south31 I love buying them used.....I get them for 50.00 all the time on craig's list. People get rid of them cause they hate the bad frets.
Got two Jr's recently...one for 40 and one for 50.00. Pretty much new. Upgraded tuners, replaced pick up, bone nut, glued in and leveled frets. Costs about 75.00 to upgrade with chinese 498T gibson copy bridge PU and locking Jin ho tuners from guitar fetish (not the chinese knock off's...they're Korean). They play as well as any 1000.00 guitar now. One thing about epiphone is usually they don't install the bridge way off....they usually intonate okay....unlike the chipson's LP copies.
They should be embarrassed about those trapaziod tuners they put on the Jr's. They are the worse tuners in the world. I redid a 50.00 ebay strat that had great low end tuners. That cheap guitar turned into a monster when I was done. It stays in tune....they could get the same cheap tuners.....they refuse...they don't give a crap about the customer. I got 100.00 bucks in that ebay special and I replaced everything...including the pots. why would I give epiphone more then 50.00 for their disrespect. There's a ton of good chinese pickups these days. Those probuckers aren't the cat's meow. They don't cut through the sonic landscape of a band playing heavier music.
Almost caught some stranglehold vines when the distortion first kicked in. Great demo as usual going through everything, pointing out the good and the bad.
Happy to be the first troglodyte of the day
I have an 04 Korean Epiphone Les Paul Standard with Gibson pick ups and it feels better and sounds better than a lot of the actual Gibsons my son and I have tried at out local used shop. I haven't played an "authentic" Les Paul that made me want to spend my authentic money on. With that being said i only touch the Les Paul's up to $1,200.
A new Epiphone = "Fret Fear"..............ugh.......What's with the quality control........:(
I bought an Epiphone Les Paul Tribute plus 1960 in 2018. One of their highest end guitars at the time. The frets started feeling "scratchy" when bending and they started showing small divots after only 2 months.
Yeah, I know that there are a lot of Great Epiphones out there......But, I am really concerned about the quality control on these new ones.....Some are ok, and some not???.....Trogly has had one after another of these new ones that have had Fret issues.....I am just not willing to part out my own money for an on-line Epiphone that I may need to return because of Frets........:)
Perhaps I should buy it from Trogly?
My theory is that, because of all the hype surrounding the new Epis, their factory was cranking out guitars as fast as possible to meet the demand - therefore the QC went down, at least temporarily. I bought a new G-400 Pro right around the time Epiphone released their new range, and it has all the issues the new ones reportedly have, issues that weren't there on another G-400 I bought brand-new in 2012. The same thing happened with the Fender Player series, there were horror stories around the time they came out where stores were getting in guitars with busted electronics and unevenly-cut nuts, among other things.
@@Greg-vd5om That really goes with any guitar, especially ordering them online.. All the epiphones i've ordered were better CC than my fenders, but i'm sure there are ppl out there w/the opposite experience
Cool, I really liked the alien green finish. I thought it sounded decent but like you said, there are a lot of other choices a guy can make in that price range too. Great info. Thanks.
In all fairness, it's not the fact that it's poly - it's just super thick poly.
Thick polyurethane reminds me of those poured on epoxy countertops. Yuck.
Poly inherently looks different because it reflects light differently.
Nitro doesn't distort light as much and it simply looks better because it's lacquer. Poly also tends to reflect blue light a bit more.
@@marfg12345 Depends on the poly blend. I've seen some water base and 2-part polys that are clear as glass, and thickness matters a ton. A thin poly finish and a nitro finish look quite similar, it's just that they seem to dump a solid 1/8" finish on.
Nice video quality ! Great focus , panning , colours etc. Really nice. :)
The headstock change is nice. Always try before you buy !