I hope you have a great experience with it. Me? I bought a Bonomassa Lazurus (two actually. Had to send one back). Decent enough guitar, but no where near any of my USA Les Pauls.
Glad you enjoyed the review! I’m trying to be honest, point out the facts, and if something really stands out as either bad or good I’ll point it out, but I’m not interested in trashing either guitar. 👍
Great review. The Epiphone looks really nice, better than most of the still pics I've seen. I have the Gibson version, i got lucky and got a one of a kind killer top on it. It's an awesome Les Paul..put the whole "greeny" thing to bed as none of them are like the original. Was somewhat suprised in that they both sound nearly identical, i closed my eyes during you're playing demo and couldn't hear a difference. I will more than likely purchase one of the Epiphone's, as I'm on a quest to stack lp's to the roof! Again...great review...
That’s awesome about your Greeny. Would love to see the top! Yes, I agree, they sound really identical for about 90% of the clip, but every once in a while they react a bit different to certain styles of play. Thanks again for checking out the video!
I don’t think my Greenys sound very much alike. Definitely not as much as in this video. The Gibson version is unbelievable sounding, but the Epiphone sounds good. I like the playability and looks better on the Epi. If people weren’t used to the Epis being cheap, no one playing this would question. There are cheaper options, but for me personally-a huge Peter Green fan that plays along with his music every day- it’s totally worth the price
@@thelolguy007 I got a good deal on mine and paid less than $1400 USD. It is an excellent guitar, and the points made in this video back that up. I'm happy with my purchase.
It is a good guitar. Don’t let the xenophobia get to you. Meanwhile, everyone’s walking around with Chinese made phones and clothes made in Bangladesh, but when it comes to guitars, suddenly THATs where we draw the line on where things are made, right? Glad you’re enjoying your guitar! 🤘🏽
@@jgudzik enjoy you're new guitar. Screw the haters, i got the same crap for buying the Gibson version. It's my favorite lp & I've got a lot of them! 👍🏼😁
I purchased an Epiphone 1959 Les Paul in a Guitar Center exclusive Lemon Burst finish m at a close out price of $749, added the miss matched knobs, removed the pickguard, forget the out of phase Greeneybuckers, this one comes with Burstbuckers 2-3, and designed my own Greeney! Fantastic…
Great review, very informative for anyone wishing to purchase a Gibson or Epiphone Greeny. I think the playing/tone was very close, glad they both play great for you.
My feedback no pun intended is that I like the fact that you have both the Gibson and the Epiphone on hand to do your review. Also you pointed out all the major differences and did it objectively not saying you hate something but what you would prefer. To my ears the Gibson had a bit of a tighter crunch sound and didn't fade as much as the Epiphone. I use orange drop caps in my guitars. I don't think many guitar players that I know would ever say high end Epiphone guitars are junk and what I think and hear the most is get a guitar that you like to hold and play a lot. Les Paul's have proven that they can do it all in good hands. They are both Les Paul standard guitar's be proud of your guitar.
Thanks for checking out my video. I agree - both guitars are good! And I’m confident in much more capable hands than mine, each guitar can sing properly! Cheers!
i put greenybuckers in my Lazarus , Wow it took the guitar to the next Level of Superb the sustain and gain is Flawless i was blown away, i also bought Trogly's epi Greeny , and will get a David Neely set up and compare to the Lazarus as soon as My Epi greeny arrives, once again Ben Great review cheers from Playa Del Rey Ca,
Really like how you approach this. The elephant in the room is why not just get an Epiphone 1959 Les Paul, sell its Gibson pickups and buy a set of Greenybuckers. You'll save over $500. The key difference would be the neck profile, but otherwise this feels like a tweaked 1959, but with significant price hike because of the headstock shape.
@@bluesman545 fair enough. The neck can make a massive difference, but at these prices, can probably find a small luthier who can make one of higher quality for the same money. I'm a big fan of Epiphone, just think they need to step up their game at this price point.
@trianglepyramid4045 the 59 does have a long neck tenon, but not a single piece neck. I guess if that's worth the extra money for you, that's fair enough.
Great video!! Absolutely fantastic. I just got the Epiphone version, so I haven’t had much time to compare them, but one thing with mine that you didn’t mention is-the Epiphone is much less nasally in the middle pickup selection than the Gibson. It takes a lot of effort to get mine to have that sound, whereas my Gibson and Vintage Greeny models are much more apparent. My first impression was “This isn’t out of phase!” When I first tried it. I’m still surprised by how much different it is than the others. On my others, the out of phase is difficult to dial out if you want a normal tone. With the Epiphone, I only get that sound if both volumes are around 8 and both tones around 5
That’s true. Very insightful information you have there. I honestly wish I would have spent more time playing with the sounds, but I wanted to get the review up and I was having some shoulder issues. Thanks for checking it out! Which vintage greeny do you have?
@@CompanyGripGuitar I have the relic one that looks very much like Greeny. I think it’s beautiful. The neck isn’t particularly comfortable to me though. It’s definitely a bargain for what I paid ( I think $700 on eBay about 12 years ago)
@@JamieClaguesNoise I may change them on the Epiphone, but I doubt it. It’s actually really usable that I can have just a slight difference in volume between the neck and bridge and it’s not nasally, but can easily flip both to around 8 and it sounds more like Peter. It’s really quite a nice guitar. Doesn’t sound quite as “Greeny” as the $3199 version. But still really cool. I’m glad I didn’t get scared off by the price tag
I've had my Epiphone Greeny now for 3 weeks and it's an awesome guitar. It actually feels like I'm playing an old Les Paul as that I have played a number of them. Epiphone has knocked this one out of the ball park in feel, playability and tone. It also has a very beautiful flamed maple veneer with some good movement in it.
I really think people should try both before knocking Epi price point nowadays. I tried the Epi 58 Explorer and found it better than most Gibsons that I have played, for example.
The Gibson has a darker, more traditional tone - which I like - than the Epiphone, which is obviously brighter... that's probably due to the pots and capacitors. I also like the finish on the Gibson better. Both are great guitars, though.
Awesome review…I just pre ordered the January batch of the Epiphone greeny off of sweetwater. I’m having the Grover rotomatics tuners replaced with Kluson tuners because I like the vintage vibe better. Again awesome review and appreciate your input. Keep rocking!
great video and compairison of these guitars I think everyone that has negative things to say about the epiphone greeny really needs to see this video.
Wow!! JUST FOUND THIS! Liked it and commented cause I know you ROCK, and I wanna come back to it when I get a minute!!! Keep rocking man, you have an awesome style and I value your opinion!! Hope you’re having a great day!
@CompanyGrip Ben, thanks for the honest review. Sad that after all your positive words towards the Epiphone that there are still people here dissing the Epiphone because of where it’s built meanwhile they are using a $1000+ iPhone made in the very same country.
@@CompanyGripGuitarglad I found your channel. May I say this… in Canada this guitar is over $2000; I gladly paid it simply because of the quality, the way it sounds and plays. It’s amazing! I am STOKED that it says Epiphone on the headstock. I don’t care about little things like laurel or 3 screw truss covers; those are only important on paper. Keep the content coming bud!! Cheers
I know a lot of people are complaining about the price but it's not just a standard Epi 59, it's a replica of the Greeny and when you go to the resale market, the Epi Greeny will probably 1.5x in values vs the 59 that you can get for 600 bucks used. Also epiphone still makes their cheaper standard 50s and 60s models for 600 as well
I bought bonomosa “Lazarus” 2 yrs ago for like $900 and turned into Greeny by getting ox4 Greeny pickups and I’m content on it. Probably plays better then the “Greeny” ep..I would never spend $1600 on a china made epiohony. Company’s keep getting away with ripping people off b/c people keep buying it!
Good review! Check out! I don't know why but Gibson intentionally cuts the end of the neck for Epiphone. The scale lengths of both are the same but because of the cut, Epiphone guitars(except Inspired by Gibson 335/355 lines) have pickups mounted on more neck-side against Gibson's pickup position. I think this makes a difference in between Gibson sound and Epiphone sound, cuz you know the pisotion of pickup gives a huge different sound(like front/bridge pickups). Indian Laurel? Well okay... but different pickup mount position because of different neck end?😢 I have Shinichi Ubukata 355 epi ver1 and 2 both. Ver2 was released after Inspired By Gibson, so it has more Gibson-like pickup position while Ver1 not. So Ver2 has a little bit more open high and unmessy mid low. I hope someday Epiphone's SG and Lespaul models get uncut neck like Gibson ones.
BTW Murphy Lab model is 20K. Gibson USA model is 3200. Apparently they all have same pickups. That set of pickups is more than 600 bucks. 1500 for the Epiphone sounds much. Though Gibson USA is not much more than faded model with those pickups. Epiphone has long tenon and 3200 bucks guitar doesn’t have it. Sure veneer flame maple is cheaper than a slab of flamed maple. Also poly vs nitro. But it seems they all share same pickups. I do not think 1500 is crazy price for this Epiphone.
You are so right about the charm the Epi gives off. The QC on the recent models is top notch. I have the Greeny and the Jim James ES335 and the Bonamassa SG. I think China is the new Japan in terms of workmanship. These guitars look and play fantastic and the Greeny in Middle Position cranked is goosebumps.
I have a small army of epiphones and gibsons. I liked the epiphone greeny but own the gibson. When i picked up the gibson version i knew within thirty seconds of playing it id be walking out with it. For me it was THAT good. People spend alot of time critiquing and moaning about whats better, whats worth more, whats rarer... i couldnt give a shit. For real players all you have to ask yourself is when you play it, is it perfect for you or not. Its that simple. Epiphone have truly stepped up the quality in the past few years giving the consumer something theyve never had before: a real choice. No longer is it the choice of cheaply made crappy entry level replica or mega expensive real deal. So whatever your choice is, just buy whats right for you, it doesnt matter what others buy, where its made, what its worth on resale, just what does it do for you and do you not want to put it back on the shelf. Simples.
Headstock is definitely a plus. Idk about the finish on either one though. Honestly, it’s a fair price compared to the rest of the Epiphone lineup. Comes with case, headstock/ neck, and pickups for just $500 more. That’s a lot of production just for this guitar. I’m all for cutting down greed, but this honestly doesn’t seem unreasonable. Idk, I’m an Ibanez guy.
Thank you for the kind words! That guitar means so much to me. It’s traveled the country with me, I’ve learned the most on it! It means so much to me that I don’t play it as much anymore because I’m afraid of something happening to it! 😆
Great comparison, thanks for referring me to it! The Epi has a lot going for it and the identical pick-ups is a definite plus! I'll try to spend a bit of time with it at the Gibson / Epi flagship here (in HK) and with a bit of luck check out the USD 20K version - they have 2. That said, I think I'll stick to my original plan of grabbing some Bethnal Greens and/or PG Blues for my Epi 'Wino' or maybe the Epi '59, which is also nice but not so keen on the thicker neck. I just have a feeling the Bethnal Greens with the Ebony neck will give me the middle position clean sound I love on earlier Peter Green stuff (with the obligatory stacks of reverb a lot of the time! 🤣).
Some Gibson’s came from the factory in out of phase setup. Some with the P90 pickups were coming apparently in out of the phase setup per design. Some were just mistake. Though some people have had access to Greeny original and even its pickups. If I am not wrong Matt Glissen from Monty knows tons about it and makes great replica pickups. Apparently Greeny neck pickup was broken. It was rewound with different type of wire and out of the phase issue was created then. Peter Green liked it and kept it as it is. Out of the phase thing is not that self canceling as people think and just by rolling off one volume knob a bit it is sounding way more as in phase middle position.
@CompanyGrip Impressed with all the details you included in this video. Stuff I didn't even know about like the body size, scale, input jack plate and more. Good stuff mate! This guitar screams. It's so sensible to the notes I play (soft vs hard). It blows my mind! Don't have this type of feeling with my Ibanez, LTD, Schecter.
Nice review but the humbuckers must be tested without overdrive or fuzz! We want to hear their natural sound! By anyway The Epiphone has got real 1959 Les Paul size on the body and neck.
The problem with Epiphone besides the prices nowadays for me was always the " binding reveal" meaning it is not really pronounced if you look at the guitar straight from the front. My gripe was never the headstock but the binding. I dont get why they would not do it properly since every other brand even with their chinese branches (Tokai,Burny etc) do the binding justice.
No doubt we have the phone is far more accurate in terms of the greeny Guitar And I really enjoyed this video, right up to the point where you were playing, where everything was just really distorted and I couldn’t totally hear any difference Would’ve much preferred to hear some Cleaner playing with the tones and the volumes and I assume the epic phone had the out of phase. Peter Green sound, but I couldn’t tell from the video 😮
You got me! Truth is I’ve been having some shoulder pains for a few weeks, so I did the distorted stuff first, as that’s where the phase sound is most noticeable, and I just couldn’t find a rhythm after that. Pain for a few days. Been looking into getting some guest guitarists in the future as my body is just giving up on me. There are good days and bad days. 😂 Thanks for checking out the video!
What I see is that Kirk's Epi has shallower cutaway horn/singlecut, shorter fretboard, & the space between bridge PU & tuneomatic is too far. So both pickups slightly move to the neck side, it'll cause different string sonic capture, I think..
Gibson refers to 24 ¾" for their standard guitar scale, but since they've used fret spacing formula(s) different from the modern standard, Gibson uses the Rule of 18 for fret spacing while the rest of the industry uses the Rule of 17.817. This change in the calculation results in scale lengths shorter than a traditional 24 ¾" from most other makers. Gibson's modern boards end up the equivalent of a 24.57" scale length.
Just got the lemon epi 59...I absolutely love it. I have a custom with probuckers . I changed out all the jacks and pots caps...It was slightly muddy but with the upgrade its sound better than the burstbuckers on the 59ri. Should i cange out the caps on the 59 too? I was going to get mojotone paper and oil..but i have orange caps . Maybe its worth ? Anyway i can justify paying gibson the extra money. If anything I'd buy the epi and put gibson pups in. Again those probucker 3s are fantasic. Epis are starting to cost too much. Seem other than the pickups the greeny isn't all that different from the 59ri and lazirus?
You’re right about the greenys not being to special outside of the pickups. I think that is probably most people’s biggest complaints about them - and they are correct for the most part. The Epiphone *seems* like it might be a bit more tailored to be like the original greeny in terms of neck cut and carve, but overall, don’t know if it’s worth the overage if the name doesn’t matter to you.
I love how everyone always mentions the "collaboration" with the Gibson custom shop while in all actuality the Custom shop had absolutely nothing to do with this guitar other than maybe a long distance China to America phone call.
I'd given them an open pore satin finish on the back and the neck, and a semi-gloss on the top and face of the headstock, as well as a slightly yellow-tinted laquer. That way you get both a somewhat worn feeling and look without getting into the relic-territory
Great review! Some great points of comparison. So my question, is this a fantastic guitar at half the price of the gibson? They sound the same and the epi has 50s wiring too! A lot of negative feelings as the price on the epi is high, but the price on the gibson is high too. A faded 50s is a great value gibson lp standard. Conclusion if you cant justify the cost of the gibson the epiphone is a really good value greeny copy that sounds the same and plays great.
Exactly! It’s a great guitar in its own right, but also it’s a great guitar if you can’t afford the Gibson or dont want to spend the money on a Gibson on principle!
While that is true and very helpful, they also mention in their literature that the LockTone stuff is there to increase connection between posts and stopbar and thus, enhances sustain. It’s that particular part of the claim that I question. Thanks for checking out the video!
@@CompanyGripGuitarI am with you on that… I doubt a couple clips help with any sound quality. Curious what strings you use that have 200 lbs of tension? Are they 15-60’s? 😂
@@truckmonkey68 Yeah, it’s probably closer to about 100lbs with regular mediums. Haha. Sometimes my deadpan delivery negates any sarcasm I’ve thrown in. Cheers!
Over the last couple years Epiphone has really stepped up its game and has been making some very well made guitars. The Epiphone Greeny even removes the headstock tax part of the equation. You really can't go wrong with it.
Agreed. People are losing their minds over the price tag, but this guitar is WAY better than my old Gibson Tribute LP, and a much better value than the Gibson $3199 version. The Gibson version sounds amazing, but my is much more of a ‘58 plain top finish, the body edges are sharp and uncomfortable to play, and the nut is sharp if you in open position. It’s not a quality made guitar. I’ve bought cheap foreign guitars that aren’t sharp on the body edges and nut. There’s no excuse for it. It’s drastically overpriced. This Epiphone is a legit $1500 guitar if it had a different name on the headstock. It plays great and sounds really good.
@@CompanyGripGuitar looking forward to the review! I truly love the pickups in it, after adjusting them. They came right up against the strings from the factory and I didn't think they'd last. After dropping the neck down to flush with the ring and the bridge to the height of roughly an RI ring height I couldn't imagine different pickups in it now. FWIW, the neck came in at 7.43 and the bridge at 7.41.
I’d like to see a comparison between the Epiphone greeny and the Epiphone slash signature appetite burst. Since they look similar. I seen the slash appetite burst is on sale for $719 at AMS and zzounds. Still $799 at sweetwater though.
I’m located in Tokyo…. My LP Standard Greeny came in two days ago and I went to the shop to verify the guitar- Not to take it home. Reason being, I’m having the Luxe bumblebee caps and CTS pots put in. I have several Les Pauls, the only one I have with modern wiring kinda is my son’s Adam Jones Standard-She has upgraded pots though. If it weren’t for the veneer, I’d probably grab an Epiphone version… I think it’s well worth the money and China is catching up fast these days. IMO- Gibson USA is sloppy with their wiring, perhaps intentionally to protect Custom Shop sales. Honestly, I kinda buy in the Custom Shop mysticism at times.
This comparison is appreciated but the thing I notice about all these "Greeny" guitars is that none of them sound as good a Greeny. Something about those PAFs... The ones in Greeny sound awesome even with the rewind but original PAFs are unmatched. Or maybe it's the bodies. I've seen restorations that have modern pickups in them and they don't really get there. 50's P90s are wild too but I feel we've gotten pretty good at nailing that sound. I see how people spend a lifetime chasing tone.
There’s definitely some mojo in the real Greeny for sure, no denying that. I do appreciate the concept of the Greeny guitar though, and while I know it will never replace “Greeny”, I think it’s a cool release. I think it serves better as a limited release than an official line-up model, but that’s just me. Thanks for checking out the video! Cheers!
Excellent review I must say the Epiphone is growing on me and you can Polish the epiphone satin finish up to look even better bet it would look brilliant professionally aged abit to .Thought it was over priced at first but picking one up in the flesh looked and felt really nice so changed my mind .just thought it looked to new 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣Has a charm about it to
Are both those guitars Greeny Pickups Potted? I know the Greeny Buckers they are selling are Unpotted, but found out that the the Epiphone Greeny Buckers are potted in a recent video. The person stated that the Gibson Greeny Standard has Unpotted Greeny Pickups, but some think the Gibson Standard Greeny comes with Potted Greeny Buckers.
I made a similar comparison with the Slash models, but the Epiphones that I got my hands on were downright awful in comparison. My avatar is of my Slash. Anyway, good video. The new Greeny Epiphone is great, and a lot of $$ can be saved. If I didn't have a bunch of Les Pauls, I would definitely get the Epi just to add it to the lot!
@@CompanyGripGuitar I think my biggest complaint with the epiphone is just the combo of satin finish with the maple veneer. I think that combination often seems lacking in appearance and in some cases it just looks kind of cheap. I have a few Gibson LPs and I chose them in apart due to having flamed tops that I loved. If you check out my avatar, thats a wildwood LP standard and it has a sick wide flame top. But I also know that all these tops can look vert different on camera and depending on the lighting. Great video!
Really nice video- couldn't find anywhere on the web to say if the Gibson was long or short tenon. I do think it's about time Gibson put the long tenon on their 50s standards, tbh- the custom shops can then be the aging and Beaty of the Burst models maybe. I do think both are overpriced- the Epiphone more so, but given the choice, I would likely go Epi here. I wonder if some of that is licensing fees for Kirk's name...
they'll never give a USA model a long neck tenon (or gold Gibson logo, tall bridge pickup ring, drilled posts for ABR-1, single piece back etc) ... because they need these features as selling points for the Custom shop re-issues. if they start putting these features on USA models....it'll hurt the Custom shop market. as it stands though.... the long / short neck tenon makes zero difference to a guitars tone or playability. why sweat it @thedonal
No way is the eoiphone headstock better. Its not even debatable imo. Thats nuts to want the epiphone. Lmao. I want a les paul dakento look as much as a Gibson as possible. I love the Gibson headstock. Great video thanks for sharing.
People gotta chill on the price of the Epi, it’s apples and oranges oranges in terms of premium appointments when compared to the Gibson, arguably the epi even has more premium appointments where it matters (long neck tennon etc). It’s worth just playing both init. Expensive for an epi, sure, it’s still half the price of the Gibson.
They sound praticaly similar for the price i take the epi. I think it could be fun to compare this grenny epi withe 59 epi new version headstock for me they are praticaly the same neck and boddy just different electronique. Nice video good review good job and thank a lot 😉👍
Epiphone uses a true 24.75 rule of 18 scale. Gibson uses a 24.56 true rule of 18 scale. Old Gibson 59 are 24.56 scale but the use a rule of 17.84 which isn't quite equal temperament. The frets run slightly sharp around 9th fret but are adjusted true by the bridge intonation.
I have the Gibson, it's brighter and more resonant than any of my other guitars (Gibson or Epiphone). I replaced the Greenybuckers and rewired it with new harness and bumblebee caps. It's a really good guitar but it's just a AAA topped Satin 50s Standard...
@@CompanyGripGuitar Wolfetone Legends, I reworked it away from the Greeny thing though. I use my middle position too much for it to be always out of phase.
That makes sense if you are trying to get away from it. Just out of curiosity, why did you opt for a Greeny instead of a 50s lemon burst or something just to save a couple hundred bucks? I guess a positive is you can always turn it back into an official Greeny release if you need to.
They didn't have quite what I was looking for at the time, the 50s Faded I didn't like any of the tops at the shop. So I played a few of the Greeny they had found a top and neck that I liked and went from there. 2 weeks later the 50s Standard in Honey Amber was released lol.
@@gregdunn6040 Thanks for explaining. I was honestly curious what the reason was and I was sure there must have been one. That makes sense! Glad you got one you like too! Nothing *feels* better than groovin with a guitar.
I don't see what all the fuss is about the headstock considering Epiphone used the open book headstock decades ago.... also, they've used the exact same headstock as Gibson on some models made in Japan back in the 80's maybe even earlier. Either way, I think the headstock of the normal Epiphones looks cheap and they'd look better with the normal Gibson headstock. Gretsch, Fender, PRS, etc... all use the same headstock design for their lower price models.
I don’t disagree with you. For myself, I think the Gibson headstock looks better, but I like the way the Epiphone headstock has evolved into looking like a variation of the Gibson headstock, where as before the newest version(not Greeny) it looked a bit goofy to me. But everyone has their reasons. Thanks for checking out the video!
I've got Gibson's and a few Epi's and they all play different. Some of the Epi's play the same as the Gibson's. I for one play my 1990 Studio model as my main guitar and it plays and sounds better than any of the Epi's and better than some of the Standards and Customs I have. Other players who have played that Studio love it as well. So, it's all a personal preference but I do like the Headstock on the Greeny.
Also, your video was great and very informative. Some great information and pinpoints a bunch of structural differences and parts differences, etc... Great Video A++
Thank you for checking it out! That’s awesome about your Les Paul studio. Admittedly, I haven’t played that many of them. There’s supposedly a new LP Studio Modern coming out soon that I’d like to try!
Amazing content, nobody compared these two yet. I also see improvement about the consistency of tops on the Epiphone, if you remember well Lazarus owners complained a lot about getting almost plain tops when it was advertised quadripple A lol. Still new headstock or not, 1500 US for any china made guitar is a lot (ok you can buy an Eastman for more) and any used Gibson could be a serious contender for your pocket, and if you ask me it is a better value to buy. But it is also not fair against the Greeny to compare used prices to a brand new instrument.
That’s a good point! It’s a good guitar. I understand the price is expensive, but I really found it to be made pretty darn well! Thanks for checking out the video!
Me and my friends unboxed one today and wow, the flimsy knobs, flimsy weight and we didn't neeed to plug it in. We agreed this thing is worth $500 USD. Crazy market and marketing.
@@CompanyGripGuitarI had the Gibson USA. I really liked everything about it - except the neck - hated that. I dont fully understand the internet kerfuffle about the Matte finish on the USA version. Thanks for the rundown!
All the Epiphone Les Pauls should have the Gibson headstock 🤦🏻♂️ all the Fender guitars have a Fender headstock regardless of price range all PRS guitars have the PRS headstock regardless of price range all G&L guitars have the G&L guitars have the G&L headstock regardless of the price range so for Epiphone to it’s own unique headstock is mind boggling 🤔
My Epiphone Greeny arrives Thursday! I’m pretty stoked about it. Thanks for the in-depth reviews, they are all great!
That’s awesome! Let me know what you think about it after play around for a while!
I hope you have a great experience with it.
Me? I bought a Bonomassa Lazurus (two actually. Had to send one back). Decent enough guitar, but no where near any of my USA Les Pauls.
How is it mate?
Fantastic, a very detailed comparison that is a lot more differentiated than many other related videos. Great job! 👌🏻
Thanks for checking out the video. Glad you enjoyed it!
Thank you for a very fair review of both these guitars and not trashing the Epiphone which seems fashionable amongst other reviewers.
Glad you enjoyed the review! I’m trying to be honest, point out the facts, and if something really stands out as either bad or good I’ll point it out, but I’m not interested in trashing either guitar. 👍
Great review. The Epiphone looks really nice, better than most of the still pics I've seen. I have the Gibson version, i got lucky and got a one of a kind killer top on it. It's an awesome Les Paul..put the whole "greeny" thing to bed as none of them are like the original. Was somewhat suprised in that they both sound nearly identical, i closed my eyes during you're playing demo and couldn't hear a difference. I will more than likely purchase one of the Epiphone's, as I'm on a quest to stack lp's to the roof! Again...great review...
That’s awesome about your Greeny. Would love to see the top! Yes, I agree, they sound really identical for about 90% of the clip, but every once in a while they react a bit different to certain styles of play. Thanks again for checking out the video!
I don’t think my Greenys sound very much alike. Definitely not as much as in this video. The Gibson version is unbelievable sounding, but the Epiphone sounds good. I like the playability and looks better on the Epi. If people weren’t used to the Epis being cheap, no one playing this would question. There are cheaper options, but for me personally-a huge Peter Green fan that plays along with his music every day- it’s totally worth the price
Just got my Epi Greeny yesterday. Thanks for this comparison, it definitely eases any buyer's remorse I may have had!
Glad to help! Thanks for checking out the video. It’s a great guitar!
€1,700 for a Chinese Epiphone? Are you new to guitars?
@@thelolguy007 I got a good deal on mine and paid less than $1400 USD. It is an excellent guitar, and the points made in this video back that up. I'm happy with my purchase.
It is a good guitar. Don’t let the xenophobia get to you. Meanwhile, everyone’s walking around with Chinese made phones and clothes made in Bangladesh, but when it comes to guitars, suddenly THATs where we draw the line on where things are made, right?
Glad you’re enjoying your guitar! 🤘🏽
@@jgudzik enjoy you're new guitar. Screw the haters, i got the same crap for buying the Gibson version. It's my favorite lp & I've got a lot of them! 👍🏼😁
I purchased an Epiphone 1959 Les Paul in a Guitar Center exclusive Lemon Burst finish m at a close out price of $749, added the miss matched knobs, removed the pickguard, forget the out of phase Greeneybuckers, this one comes with Burstbuckers 2-3, and designed my own Greeney! Fantastic…
Nice! Sounds like a great guitar. Those Burstbuckers 2-3 are pretty nice too. Have you played the 60s Burstbuckers?
Great review, very informative for anyone wishing to purchase a Gibson or Epiphone Greeny. I think the playing/tone was very close, glad they both play great for you.
Agreed about the sound. Thanks for checking out the video!
My feedback no pun intended is that I like the fact that you have both the Gibson and the Epiphone on hand to do your review. Also you pointed out all the major differences and did it objectively not saying you hate something but what you would prefer. To my ears the Gibson had a bit of a tighter crunch sound and didn't fade as much as the Epiphone. I use orange drop caps in my guitars. I don't think many guitar players that I know would ever say high end Epiphone guitars are junk and what I think and hear the most is get a guitar that you like to hold and play a lot. Les Paul's have proven that they can do it all in good hands. They are both Les Paul standard guitar's be proud of your guitar.
Thanks for checking out my video. I agree - both guitars are good! And I’m confident in much more capable hands than mine, each guitar can sing properly!
Cheers!
i put greenybuckers in my Lazarus , Wow it took the guitar to the next Level of Superb the sustain and gain is Flawless i was blown away, i also bought Trogly's epi Greeny , and will get a David Neely set up and compare to the Lazarus as soon as My Epi greeny arrives, once again Ben Great review cheers from Playa Del Rey Ca,
That’s awesome! Congrats! Curious how the David Neelys will be. Let me know. Cheers!
Really like how you approach this. The elephant in the room is why not just get an Epiphone 1959 Les Paul, sell its Gibson pickups and buy a set of Greenybuckers. You'll save over $500. The key difference would be the neck profile, but otherwise this feels like a tweaked 1959, but with significant price hike because of the headstock shape.
That’s true too! Thanks for checking out the video!
All about the neck….
@@bluesman545 fair enough. The neck can make a massive difference, but at these prices, can probably find a small luthier who can make one of higher quality for the same money.
I'm a big fan of Epiphone, just think they need to step up their game at this price point.
@trianglepyramid4045 the 59 does have a long neck tenon, but not a single piece neck. I guess if that's worth the extra money for you, that's fair enough.
@trianglepyramid4045 and right back at you 🕊️🤘🏻🎸
Brilliant comparison. Thankyou.
Your riffs are right up my street, excellent rythym and timing 🤟
Thanks for checking it out! Cheers!
Great video!! Absolutely fantastic. I just got the Epiphone version, so I haven’t had much time to compare them, but one thing with mine that you didn’t mention is-the Epiphone is much less nasally in the middle pickup selection than the Gibson. It takes a lot of effort to get mine to have that sound, whereas my Gibson and Vintage Greeny models are much more apparent. My first impression was “This isn’t out of phase!” When I first tried it. I’m still surprised by how much different it is than the others. On my others, the out of phase is difficult to dial out if you want a normal tone. With the Epiphone, I only get that sound if both volumes are around 8 and both tones around 5
That’s true. Very insightful information you have there. I honestly wish I would have spent more time playing with the sounds, but I wanted to get the review up and I was having some shoulder issues.
Thanks for checking it out!
Which vintage greeny do you have?
@@CompanyGripGuitar I have the relic one that looks very much like Greeny. I think it’s beautiful. The neck isn’t particularly comfortable to me though. It’s definitely a bargain for what I paid ( I think $700 on eBay about 12 years ago)
Could be the tolerances on the pots! Every one is different! ‘Balancing’ when not on 10 with out of phase is quite the art form!
@@JamieClaguesNoise I may change them on the Epiphone, but I doubt it. It’s actually really usable that I can have just a slight difference in volume between the neck and bridge and it’s not nasally, but can easily flip both to around 8 and it sounds more like Peter. It’s really quite a nice guitar. Doesn’t sound quite as “Greeny” as the $3199 version. But still really cool. I’m glad I didn’t get scared off by the price tag
I've had my Epiphone Greeny now for 3 weeks and it's an awesome guitar. It actually feels like I'm playing an old Les Paul as that I have played a number of them. Epiphone has knocked this one out of the ball park in feel, playability and tone. It also has a very beautiful flamed maple veneer with some good movement in it.
Very cool! Yeah - it’s a quality machine for sure! Thanks for checking out the video!
Great video and it made my mind up on the Greeny. For what you are getting the Epiphone is worth the 1400.
I really think people should try both before knocking Epi price point nowadays. I tried the Epi 58 Explorer and found it better than most Gibsons that I have played, for example.
I agree. I’m a reformed anti-Epiphoner. I’ve really grown to respect them more lately.
Fantastic review, I have an Epi. Greeny and it has mojo that the previous 50 plus Epi's I've had never did. I love my Greeny
Thank you for the nice compliment. Cheers!
Im real glad I got one, it does not feel like an Epiphone.. and i own a 1959 Standard Epiphone too
Love your easy going vibe and dedication to editing your vids! Subbed ❤❤❤
Thank you for the kind words and for the sub! Cheers!
This channel deserves more subscribers
Great video
Thank you for the kind words! Thanks for checking out the video!
This was a really great and honest review! Thanks man!
Thank you for checking it out! Do you have a Greeny or are you looking to get one?
Approach the research and valuable information. 😎👍🏽
Thank you for checking it out!
The Gibson has a darker, more traditional tone - which I like - than the Epiphone, which is obviously brighter... that's probably due to the pots and capacitors. I also like the finish on the Gibson better. Both are great guitars, though.
Awesome review…I just pre ordered the January batch of the Epiphone greeny off of sweetwater. I’m having the Grover rotomatics tuners replaced with Kluson tuners because I like the vintage vibe better. Again awesome review and appreciate your input. Keep rocking!
great video and compairison of these guitars I think everyone that has negative things to say about the epiphone greeny really needs to see this video.
Thank for the kind words! Please feel free to share the video if you feel compelled. Thanks for checking it out also!
Man your Gibson greeny looks astonishing… really! Congrats!
Wow!! JUST FOUND THIS! Liked it and commented cause I know you ROCK, and I wanna come back to it when I get a minute!!! Keep rocking man, you have an awesome style and I value your opinion!! Hope you’re having a great day!
Thank you for the kind words and for checking out the video! Cheers!
@CompanyGrip Ben, thanks for the honest review. Sad that after all your positive words towards the Epiphone that there are still people here dissing the Epiphone because of where it’s built meanwhile they are using a $1000+ iPhone made in the very same country.
Thanks for the kind words. Believe me, the irony of what you say is not lost on me. Cheers!
@@CompanyGripGuitarglad I found your channel. May I say this… in Canada this guitar is over $2000; I gladly paid it simply because of the quality, the way it sounds and plays. It’s amazing! I am STOKED that it says Epiphone on the headstock. I don’t care about little things like laurel or 3 screw truss covers; those are only important on paper. Keep the content coming bud!! Cheers
I know a lot of people are complaining about the price but it's not just a standard Epi 59, it's a replica of the Greeny and when you go to the resale market, the Epi Greeny will probably 1.5x in values vs the 59 that you can get for 600 bucks used. Also epiphone still makes their cheaper standard 50s and 60s models for 600 as well
I’m a big fan of the standard 50’s. Great guitar for the money.
I bought bonomosa “Lazarus” 2 yrs ago for like $900 and turned into Greeny by getting ox4 Greeny pickups and I’m content on it. Probably plays better then the “Greeny” ep..I would never spend $1600 on a china made epiohony.
Company’s keep getting away with ripping people off b/c people keep buying it!
Very thorough review. I really enjoyed that.
Thank you for the kind words and for checking out my video. 🙏
Good review! Check out! I don't know why but Gibson intentionally cuts the end of the neck for Epiphone. The scale lengths of both are the same but because of the cut, Epiphone guitars(except Inspired by Gibson 335/355 lines) have pickups mounted on more neck-side against Gibson's pickup position. I think this makes a difference in between Gibson sound and Epiphone sound, cuz you know the pisotion of pickup gives a huge different sound(like front/bridge pickups). Indian Laurel? Well okay... but different pickup mount position because of different neck end?😢
I have Shinichi Ubukata 355 epi ver1 and 2 both. Ver2 was released after Inspired By Gibson, so it has more Gibson-like pickup position while Ver1 not. So Ver2 has a little bit more open high and unmessy mid low. I hope someday Epiphone's SG and Lespaul models get uncut neck like Gibson ones.
BTW Murphy Lab model is 20K. Gibson USA model is 3200. Apparently they all have same pickups. That set of pickups is more than 600 bucks. 1500 for the Epiphone sounds much. Though Gibson USA is not much more than faded model with those pickups. Epiphone has long tenon and 3200 bucks guitar doesn’t have it. Sure veneer flame maple is cheaper than a slab of flamed maple. Also poly vs nitro. But it seems they all share same pickups. I do not think 1500 is crazy price for this Epiphone.
You are so right about the charm the Epi gives off. The QC on the recent models is top notch. I have the Greeny and the Jim James ES335 and the Bonamassa SG. I think China is the new Japan in terms of workmanship. These guitars look and play fantastic and the Greeny in Middle Position cranked is goosebumps.
Thanks for checking out video! Glad you enjoyed it!
Excellent review and demo !
I have a small army of epiphones and gibsons.
I liked the epiphone greeny but own the gibson.
When i picked up the gibson version i knew within thirty seconds of playing it id be walking out with it.
For me it was THAT good.
People spend alot of time critiquing and moaning about whats better, whats worth more, whats rarer... i couldnt give a shit.
For real players all you have to ask yourself is when you play it, is it perfect for you or not.
Its that simple.
Epiphone have truly stepped up the quality in the past few years giving the consumer something theyve never had before: a real choice.
No longer is it the choice of cheaply made crappy entry level replica or mega expensive real deal.
So whatever your choice is, just buy whats right for you, it doesnt matter what others buy, where its made, what its worth on resale, just what does it do for you and do you not want to put it back on the shelf.
Simples.
Agreed! Couldn’t have said it better! Thanks for checking the video out!
Great review. Epi wins this one I guess, middle position sounded definitely "greener"
Excellent, excellent review - great job
Thank you for checking it out. 🙏
Headstock is definitely a plus. Idk about the finish on either one though. Honestly, it’s a fair price compared to the rest of the Epiphone lineup. Comes with case, headstock/ neck, and pickups for just $500 more. That’s a lot of production just for this guitar. I’m all for cutting down greed, but this honestly doesn’t seem unreasonable. Idk, I’m an Ibanez guy.
I hear ya. It’s a good guitar for sure. Thanks for checking it out!
Dude, thanks for the great rundown on these axes, but I can't help but GAWK at your Voodoo, that guitar is sick!
Thank you for the kind words! That guitar means so much to me. It’s traveled the country with me, I’ve learned the most on it! It means so much to me that I don’t play it as much anymore because I’m afraid of something happening to it! 😆
@@CompanyGripGuitar Exactly, just be careful with it especially now that it's so cool, someone would love to get their sticky hands on it!
Great comparison, thanks for referring me to it! The Epi has a lot going for it and the identical pick-ups is a definite plus! I'll try to spend a bit of time with it at the Gibson / Epi flagship here (in HK) and with a bit of luck check out the USD 20K version - they have 2. That said, I think I'll stick to my original plan of grabbing some Bethnal Greens and/or PG Blues for my Epi 'Wino' or maybe the Epi '59, which is also nice but not so keen on the thicker neck. I just have a feeling the Bethnal Greens with the Ebony neck will give me the middle position clean sound I love on earlier Peter Green stuff (with the obligatory stacks of reverb a lot of the time! 🤣).
Nice! Thanks for checking out the video!
Get the USA . The epi is 2.6 k here in New Zealand , too expensive for a epi .
Some Gibson’s came from the factory in out of phase setup. Some with the P90 pickups were coming apparently in out of the phase setup per design. Some were just mistake.
Though some people have had access to Greeny original and even its pickups. If I am not wrong Matt Glissen from Monty knows tons about it and makes great replica pickups.
Apparently Greeny neck pickup was broken. It was rewound with different type of wire and out of the phase issue was created then. Peter Green liked it and kept it as it is.
Out of the phase thing is not that self canceling as people think and just by rolling off one volume knob a bit it is sounding way more as in phase middle position.
One thing that bothered me about the Gibson Greeny was the color of the back and sides compared to 2 more expensive Gibson Greeny versions..
Agreed. I like the Epiphones back and sides better! Thanks for checking out my video.
Love my epi greeny! Great video comparison, btw!
Awesome! Thanks for checking it out!
@CompanyGrip Impressed with all the details you included in this video. Stuff I didn't even know about like the body size, scale, input jack plate and more. Good stuff mate! This guitar screams. It's so sensible to the notes I play (soft vs hard). It blows my mind! Don't have this type of feeling with my Ibanez, LTD, Schecter.
@@yannickcharron3193 agreed! It’s an awesome guitar at half the price!
Nice review but the humbuckers must be tested without overdrive or fuzz! We want to hear their natural sound! By anyway The Epiphone has got real 1959 Les Paul size on the body and neck.
The problem with Epiphone besides the prices nowadays for me was always the " binding reveal" meaning it is not really pronounced if you look at the guitar straight from the front. My gripe was never the headstock but the binding. I dont get why they would not do it properly since every other brand even with their chinese branches (Tokai,Burny etc) do the binding justice.
I feel like for the price epiphone should have put a nitro finish on these.
The thin binding, oversized pickup rings, screw bridge posts, and that chonky cutaway and horn gives away an Epiphone every time.
No doubt we have the phone is far more accurate in terms of the greeny Guitar
And I really enjoyed this video, right up to the point where you were playing, where everything was just really distorted and I couldn’t totally hear any difference
Would’ve much preferred to hear some Cleaner playing with the tones and the volumes and I assume the epic phone had the out of phase. Peter Green sound, but I couldn’t tell from the video 😮
You got me! Truth is I’ve been having some shoulder pains for a few weeks, so I did the distorted stuff first, as that’s where the phase sound is most noticeable, and I just couldn’t find a rhythm after that. Pain for a few days. Been looking into getting some guest guitarists in the future as my body is just giving up on me. There are good days and bad days. 😂 Thanks for checking out the video!
What I see is that Kirk's Epi has shallower cutaway horn/singlecut, shorter fretboard, & the space between bridge PU & tuneomatic is too far. So both pickups slightly move to the neck side, it'll cause different string sonic capture, I think..
The vid i needed! Love this
Thanks for checking it out! 🤘🏽
Gibson refers to 24 ¾" for their standard guitar scale, but since they've used fret spacing formula(s) different from the modern standard, Gibson uses the Rule of 18 for fret spacing while the rest of the industry uses the Rule of 17.817. This change in the calculation results in scale lengths shorter than a traditional 24 ¾" from most other makers. Gibson's modern boards end up the equivalent of a 24.57" scale length.
Ah! Thank you for the information!
I hear the epi little more bright in the bridge pick up, but in the middle both have the same tone, I can't hear the difference. Cool video.
It’s pretty darn close, isn’t it! Thanks for checking it out.
Just saw Kirk’s doing an Elton John cover with the greeny. I’m now in the market for one of these bad boys.
Just got the lemon epi 59...I absolutely love it.
I have a custom with probuckers . I changed out all the jacks and pots caps...It was slightly muddy but with the upgrade its sound better than the burstbuckers on the 59ri.
Should i cange out the caps on the 59 too?
I was going to get mojotone paper and oil..but i have orange caps . Maybe its worth ?
Anyway i can justify paying gibson the extra money. If anything I'd buy the epi and put gibson pups in. Again those probucker 3s are fantasic.
Epis are starting to cost too much.
Seem other than the pickups the greeny isn't all that different from the 59ri and lazirus?
You’re right about the greenys not being to special outside of the pickups. I think that is probably most people’s biggest complaints about them - and they are correct for the most part. The Epiphone *seems* like it might be a bit more tailored to be like the original greeny in terms of neck cut and carve, but overall, don’t know if it’s worth the overage if the name doesn’t matter to you.
Completely agree with what you said about epiphone having a bit of its own “identity” guess the proper Gibson headstock sells more
I love how everyone always mentions the "collaboration" with the Gibson custom shop while in all actuality the Custom shop had absolutely nothing to do with this guitar other than maybe a long distance China to America phone call.
It was a package with thousands of pickups and assembly instructions. Prices are outrageous for what it is.
yes I will buy the epiphone greeny today it sounds great too
I'd given them an open pore satin finish on the back and the neck, and a semi-gloss on the top and face of the headstock, as well as a slightly yellow-tinted laquer. That way you get both a somewhat worn feeling and look without getting into the relic-territory
That would look pretty cool! Thanks for checking it out.
Great review! Some great points of comparison. So my question, is this a fantastic guitar at half the price of the gibson? They sound the same and the epi has 50s wiring too! A lot of negative feelings as the price on the epi is high, but the price on the gibson is high too. A faded 50s is a great value gibson lp standard. Conclusion if you cant justify the cost of the gibson the epiphone is a really good value greeny copy that sounds the same and plays great.
Exactly! It’s a great guitar in its own right, but also it’s a great guitar if you can’t afford the Gibson or dont want to spend the money on a Gibson on principle!
Is it true that epi players buy epiphones and pretend it’s a Gibson ?
My Epiphone Greeny doesn’t have cherry back & sides. It has the light brown wood grain
That’s interesting for sure! Thanks for checking out the video!
I think it looks good! Maybe $1099 not $1499😂 lol. But its fun!
My 2020 epi 50’s Rocks! Fabulous quality
The clips on the stop tailpiece are there to keep the tailpiece from falling off when you have all the strings off at the same time.
While that is true and very helpful, they also mention in their literature that the LockTone stuff is there to increase connection between posts and stopbar and thus, enhances sustain. It’s that particular part of the claim that I question.
Thanks for checking out the video!
@@CompanyGripGuitarI am with you on that… I doubt a couple clips help with any sound quality. Curious what strings you use that have 200 lbs of tension? Are they 15-60’s? 😂
@@truckmonkey68 Yeah, it’s probably closer to about 100lbs with regular mediums. Haha. Sometimes my deadpan delivery negates any sarcasm I’ve thrown in. Cheers!
Over the last couple years Epiphone has really stepped up its game and has been making some very well made guitars. The Epiphone Greeny even removes the headstock tax part of the equation. You really can't go wrong with it.
Yeah even with a case. Only bad thing is epis 59 being almost the same only 500 dollars less
Agreed. People are losing their minds over the price tag, but this guitar is WAY better than my old Gibson Tribute LP, and a much better value than the Gibson $3199 version. The Gibson version sounds amazing, but my is much more of a ‘58 plain top finish, the body edges are sharp and uncomfortable to play, and the nut is sharp if you in open position. It’s not a quality made guitar. I’ve bought cheap foreign guitars that aren’t sharp on the body edges and nut. There’s no excuse for it. It’s drastically overpriced. This Epiphone is a legit $1500 guitar if it had a different name on the headstock. It plays great and sounds really good.
My Gibson 60s Standard has a .86 to a .94. Very interesting to see how close it is to that 50s neck.
What year is your 60s std?
@@CompanyGripGuitar 2020
Gotcha. Just was curious. I have a 60s SG that just got here a few days ago. I’ll see what measurements I pull off it later today.
@@CompanyGripGuitar looking forward to the review! I truly love the pickups in it, after adjusting them. They came right up against the strings from the factory and I didn't think they'd last. After dropping the neck down to flush with the ring and the bridge to the height of roughly an RI ring height I couldn't imagine different pickups in it now. FWIW, the neck came in at 7.43 and the bridge at 7.41.
Thanks for the information! I really appreciate it! - as I love documenting all this stuff!
Cheers!
I’d like to see a comparison between the Epiphone greeny and the Epiphone slash signature appetite burst. Since they look similar. I seen the slash appetite burst is on sale for $719 at AMS and zzounds. Still $799 at sweetwater though.
I’m located in Tokyo…. My LP Standard Greeny came in two days ago and I went to the shop to verify the guitar- Not to take it home. Reason being, I’m having the Luxe bumblebee caps and CTS pots put in. I have several Les Pauls, the only one I have with modern wiring kinda is my son’s Adam Jones Standard-She has upgraded pots though. If it weren’t for the veneer, I’d probably grab an Epiphone version… I think it’s well worth the money and China is catching up fast these days. IMO- Gibson USA is sloppy with their wiring, perhaps intentionally to protect Custom Shop sales. Honestly, I kinda buy in the Custom Shop mysticism at times.
Great review, very thorough and balanced.
Thank you for checking it out!
Mine just came in and it's perfect!
That’s awesome! Glad to hear. Rock on!
This comparison is appreciated but the thing I notice about all these "Greeny" guitars is that none of them sound as good a Greeny. Something about those PAFs... The ones in Greeny sound awesome even with the rewind but original PAFs are unmatched. Or maybe it's the bodies. I've seen restorations that have modern pickups in them and they don't really get there. 50's P90s are wild too but I feel we've gotten pretty good at nailing that sound. I see how people spend a lifetime chasing tone.
There’s definitely some mojo in the real Greeny for sure, no denying that. I do appreciate the concept of the Greeny guitar though, and while I know it will never replace “Greeny”, I think it’s a cool release. I think it serves better as a limited release than an official line-up model, but that’s just me. Thanks for checking out the video! Cheers!
Excellent review I must say the Epiphone is growing on me and you can Polish the epiphone satin finish up to look even better bet it would look brilliant professionally aged abit to .Thought it was over priced at first but picking one up in the flesh looked and felt really nice so changed my mind .just thought it looked to new 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣Has a charm about it to
Are both those guitars Greeny Pickups Potted? I know the Greeny Buckers they are selling are Unpotted, but found out that the the Epiphone Greeny Buckers are potted in a recent video. The person stated that the Gibson Greeny Standard has Unpotted Greeny Pickups, but some think the Gibson Standard Greeny comes with Potted Greeny Buckers.
Both guitars have potted Greeny pickups. They are not the same as the Custom shop models. Thanks for checking it out!
If they did a floyd rose version with a frt1000 and that headstock I'd buy it.
I made a similar comparison with the Slash models, but the Epiphones that I got my hands on were downright awful in comparison. My avatar is of my Slash. Anyway, good video. The new Greeny Epiphone is great, and a lot of $$ can be saved. If I didn't have a bunch of Les Pauls, I would definitely get the Epi just to add it to the lot!
Sorry to hear about your Slash models! That’s a bummer. Thanks for checking out the video, I do enjoy the new Greeny in both iterations! Fun guitar.
@@CompanyGripGuitar I think my biggest complaint with the epiphone is just the combo of satin finish with the maple veneer. I think that combination often seems lacking in appearance and in some cases it just looks kind of cheap. I have a few Gibson LPs and I chose them in apart due to having flamed tops that I loved. If you check out my avatar, thats a wildwood LP standard and it has a sick wide flame top. But I also know that all these tops can look vert different on camera and depending on the lighting. Great video!
I think the Epi around myself definitely sounds better to me but would love to have the maple cap but still best bang for the buck
Great video!
Thank you for checking it out!
Epi had a bit more twang and sizzle in the middle position
Really nice video- couldn't find anywhere on the web to say if the Gibson was long or short tenon. I do think it's about time Gibson put the long tenon on their 50s standards, tbh- the custom shops can then be the aging and Beaty of the Burst models maybe. I do think both are overpriced- the Epiphone more so, but given the choice, I would likely go Epi here. I wonder if some of that is licensing fees for Kirk's name...
No doubt he’s getting something for his name. Thanks for checking it out!
they'll never give a USA model a long neck tenon (or gold Gibson logo, tall bridge pickup ring, drilled posts for ABR-1, single piece back etc) ... because they need these features as selling points for the Custom shop re-issues. if they start putting these features on USA models....it'll hurt the Custom shop market. as it stands though.... the long / short neck tenon makes zero difference to a guitars tone or playability. why sweat it @thedonal
They should have kept the Kalamazoo Headstock for the Epiphone model. This elevated Epiphone for me in 2020.
That’s what I think too, but I got a lot of opposition on that. 😂 Thanks for checking out the video.!
No way is the eoiphone headstock better. Its not even debatable imo. Thats nuts to want the epiphone. Lmao. I want a les paul dakento look as much as a Gibson as possible. I love the Gibson headstock. Great video thanks for sharing.
People gotta chill on the price of the Epi, it’s apples and oranges oranges in terms of premium appointments when compared to the Gibson, arguably the epi even has more premium appointments where it matters (long neck tennon etc). It’s worth just playing both init. Expensive for an epi, sure, it’s still half the price of the Gibson.
I agree with you. Thanks for checking out the video. Cheers!
They sound praticaly similar for the price i take the epi. I think it could be fun to compare this grenny epi withe 59 epi new version headstock for me they are praticaly the same neck and boddy just different electronique. Nice video good review good job and thank a lot 😉👍
Thank you!
Hello : What's up with the black Les Paul ? Thanks
Haha! That old thing… well, it’s certainly seen better days. It’s a 1995 Epiphone LP Standard, but it needs a lot of work.
Epiphone uses a true 24.75 rule of 18 scale. Gibson uses a 24.56 true rule of 18 scale. Old Gibson 59 are 24.56 scale but the use a rule of 17.84 which isn't quite equal temperament. The frets run slightly sharp around 9th fret but are adjusted true by the bridge intonation.
Thanks for the info!
excellent comparison now if i can pull away from my Lazarus i will get a Epi Greeny
😆 nice!
I have the Gibson, it's brighter and more resonant than any of my other guitars (Gibson or Epiphone). I replaced the Greenybuckers and rewired it with new harness and bumblebee caps.
It's a really good guitar but it's just a AAA topped Satin 50s Standard...
Interesting. What did your replace the pickups with?
@@CompanyGripGuitar Wolfetone Legends, I reworked it away from the Greeny thing though. I use my middle position too much for it to be always out of phase.
That makes sense if you are trying to get away from it. Just out of curiosity, why did you opt for a Greeny instead of a 50s lemon burst or something just to save a couple hundred bucks?
I guess a positive is you can always turn it back into an official Greeny release if you need to.
They didn't have quite what I was looking for at the time, the 50s Faded I didn't like any of the tops at the shop. So I played a few of the Greeny they had found a top and neck that I liked and went from there. 2 weeks later the 50s Standard in Honey Amber was released lol.
@@gregdunn6040 Thanks for explaining. I was honestly curious what the reason was and I was sure there must have been one. That makes sense! Glad you got one you like too! Nothing *feels* better than groovin with a guitar.
great comparison
Thanks for checking it out!
Nice review. I thought the Gibson sounded better - but not twice the price worth.
Now do a comparison of the Epiphone Adam Jones 1979 Les Paul Custom vs the Gibson model
Need more money… 😝 Thanks for checking out the video!
@@CompanyGripGuitarwe’ll be eagerly waiting.. keep up the good work
Yeah good point cuz it seems like 200 + pounds of string tension outta be enough to maintain good contact.
Thousands versus hundreds!
Thanks for the breakdown, but I will NEVER buy a signature model. These prices are crazy,
Totally understand. Thanks for checking out the video!
I don't see what all the fuss is about the headstock considering Epiphone used the open book headstock decades ago.... also, they've used the exact same headstock as Gibson on some models made in Japan back in the 80's maybe even earlier. Either way, I think the headstock of the normal Epiphones looks cheap and they'd look better with the normal Gibson headstock. Gretsch, Fender, PRS, etc... all use the same headstock design for their lower price models.
I don’t disagree with you. For myself, I think the Gibson headstock looks better, but I like the way the Epiphone headstock has evolved into looking like a variation of the Gibson headstock, where as before the newest version(not Greeny) it looked a bit goofy to me.
But everyone has their reasons. Thanks for checking out the video!
I've got Gibson's and a few Epi's and they all play different. Some of the Epi's play the same as the Gibson's. I for one play my 1990 Studio model as my main guitar and it plays and sounds better than any of the Epi's and better than some of the Standards and Customs I have. Other players who have played that Studio love it as well. So, it's all a personal preference but I do like the Headstock on the Greeny.
Also, your video was great and very informative. Some great information and pinpoints a bunch of structural differences and parts differences, etc... Great Video A++
Thank you for checking it out! That’s awesome about your Les Paul studio. Admittedly, I haven’t played that many of them. There’s supposedly a new LP Studio Modern coming out soon that I’d like to try!
The epiphone headstock logo will be a decal
It all in the hands
Thanks for checking out the video!
Amazing content, nobody compared these two yet. I also see improvement about the consistency of tops on the Epiphone, if you remember well Lazarus owners complained a lot about getting almost plain tops when it was advertised quadripple A lol. Still new headstock or not, 1500 US for any china made guitar is a lot (ok you can buy an Eastman for more) and any used Gibson could be a serious contender for your pocket, and if you ask me it is a better value to buy. But it is also not fair against the Greeny to compare used prices to a brand new instrument.
That’s a good point! It’s a good guitar. I understand the price is expensive, but I really found it to be made pretty darn well!
Thanks for checking out the video!
Me and my friends unboxed one today and wow, the flimsy knobs, flimsy weight and we didn't neeed to plug it in. We agreed this thing is worth $500 USD. Crazy market and marketing.
If my greeny had that neck - I might still have it. Mine was .9 to .10 and a very very full c.... Did not like it. Loved the pickups though
You had the Gib or Ep?
@@CompanyGripGuitarI had the Gibson USA. I really liked everything about it - except the neck - hated that. I dont fully understand the internet kerfuffle about the Matte finish on the USA version. Thanks for the rundown!
All the Epiphone Les Pauls should have the Gibson headstock 🤦🏻♂️ all the Fender guitars have a Fender headstock regardless of price range all PRS guitars have the PRS headstock regardless of price range all G&L guitars have the G&L guitars have the G&L headstock regardless of the price range so for Epiphone to it’s own unique headstock is mind boggling 🤔
You’re not wrong, and it looks like things will be going that way too!