The problem with Epiphone no one tells you
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 26 ก.พ. 2024
- Epiphone guitars have been on a roll lately. But there is a big problem that has plagued the brand for years, which is never talked about openly in the guitaring press. This is something Epiphone needs to fix if we want to remain competitive with the likes of PRS SE
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Great video. Its not just the fretwork, its the material they use for the frets. And yet ESP and Schecter are able to put stainless steel frets on their similairly priced models.
That's a very good point . Now that you mention it, the fret material does also feel cheaper
The idea that an Epiphone purchaser will wear the frets out with normal use is fundamentally bat crap cra cra. This is a case of elitists creating a problem for budget guitars that does not exist.
@@benburnett8109 You'd be surprised how much dedicated guitar players spend so much time woodshedding and wearing down frets. Some of them just have the one guitar that gets worn down.
@@gsauce132able In the movies yes. In real life, no. I"ve been in guitar repair for almost 35 years. Never had to do a fret job due to "worn" frets. AND none of this changes the fact that this YT poster is just here for clicks and drama. It is likely he can't even play a 1-4-5 progression.
@@benburnett8109 What "movies" have anyone wearing frets down? Are you on crack?
Ten minutes for paraphrasing the fact, that Epiphones have "bad fretwork" and "bad switches", but I didn't understand what exactly is the problem with the frets (I have - among other guitars - an Epiphone LP for more than 20 years).
High frets, sharp edges. The finish work was not done properly.
Uneven and dead frets. He’s absolutely right. Most are hard work until a decent luthier gets hold of them. Then they’re great.
@@m00plank90 You're saying that you're incapable of doing a little work?
Epiphone fanboy is mad because someone dare speak facts about the shitty Chinese guitars.
@GenericUser833 the reason chinese guitars are shitty is because the money goes to the chinese communist party (ccp). Fuck a commie.
The quality can be amazing or shitty just like American guitars. Just watched a video about a chinese guitar that costs $2199. It looked kinda cheesy (dyed blue fretboard, bolt-on neck) but glen said the fit and finish was phenominal. Not for me though.
Like myself, most people are buying these guitars and upgrading them and still have a guitar that's way, way under what a gibson costs. Once you have learned to do fret work, these things can be awesome.
I've done that several times. It's an effective method to get a very close Gibson at half the cost, give or take.
Fully agree on the fret side. Takes me about 4 hours to remove all the sticky stuff from the fretboard and straighten and polish the frets. Depends on the material of the frets and wether any sticky stuff is ON the frets. Sometimes, it takes 3 or even 4 runs of full polish for them to stay shiny. What you can’t fix is the sticky paintjob.
As for the upgrading of the electrics: it’s only worth it if you keep that guitar forever. If you have to sell it at any point in time, KEEP THE ORIGINAL PARTS! For whatever reason, original is worth more than better. Don’t ask, people iz crazy
What’s the problem with the fretwork on epiphones? They don’t usually buzz. Maybe the ends are a little sharp. For me the epiphone finish is what I can’t get over. I absolutely hate an opaque 1/8” thick poly finish on guitars. Even the Gibson standards are way too thick, even though they’re nitro.
for the $$ they want these days theres ZERO excuse for the frets and setup to not be spot on- heck the 179 dollar baretta specials from indonesia come set up and fretwork very well done
@@Delboydunno for $500+ there shouldnr be sharp fre ends
It would be helpful if people mention where they bought their epiphone, what region, what manufacturing year, date of purchase, etc. Just to see if there’s been any patterns on where and when the problem epiphones are popping up.
I have a Korean Epi Les Paul and a Hamer Echotone Korean model 90s I guess. In both guitars, frets have come loose. I do live in the desert of Las Vegas though I do keep my house humidified in the winter.
I feel like with a lot of guitar brands recently it's been a roll of the dice as to whether the fret work will be decent. This is why when I find a guitar now that doesn't have fret buzz from uneven frets or sharp edged frets I make sure to keep hold of it because I'll know it's a keeper regardless of how much it cost.
I have two Epis, a 1990 Sheraton II and a budget Les Paul with a set neck, dot inlays and no binding -- some kind of Studio. Both were almost flawless. I did have to very gently file one note on one fret on the Sheraton. Otherwise, the fretwork and electronics are fine. Does Epiphone send their seconds to Singapore and reserve the better ones for the U.S. market? 😅
same here, acoustic and semi-hollow, both excellent in sound and finish
IMO it depends on when it was made. 90’s epiphones seem to hold up well. There’s a run from 2000-2015/17 where they only produced garbage. The quality has improved in recent years. I have not played a “bad” epiphone that was manufactured between 2018 and 2021.
You might laugh at the notion that Epiphone reserves the best stock for US, but I think that there is actually some truth in that for multiple brands. Can’t speak specifically to Epiphone but I have seen this happen with some brands, that save some of their best stock for either home markets or another market where they can charge a bit more of a premium.
Korean and Japanese made Epiphones are very good.
I had a 1985 Epiphone Sheraton, I miss it so much.
I was very impressed with ESP especially when compared to epiphone. You’re definitely right about your experience and findings.
Schecter, too. Their Solo II IS is an outstanding take on the Les Paul. Comes equipped with excellent locking tuners, too. Ebony fretboard. Beautiful guitars. They feel just great in my hands, like a much more expensive guitar.
ESP is kinda owning Schecter so no wonder of their quality
Also, stainless steel frets…
@@spidgeb3292 I didn’t even know that they had that, I’ll need to take a look. I’m a big fan of ebony and the les Paul body style
I wont even compare Ltd with Epiphone. From my experience, esp is way above Gibson when it comes to many things. I would trade any day a lp standard over an e2 Eclipse.
You live in Japan and are not playing an Orvile old Ibanez Burny Tokai etc? I live in the USA and these guitars are superb
I tried a Burny LP and it was awsesome with low action and no buzz. Felt much better than the Gibson LP custom I had in the 90's .
Also Edwards.
I recently purchased an Epiphone Inspired by Gibson Firebird with a free Plek job from Sweetwater. It is awesome.
This x100. Get the PLEK done from Sweetwater. Made a world of difference on my Epi.
Every new guitar needs a set up. This video is a joke.
Sweetwater sets em up alright!
I got one of the Les Paul moderns from Sweetwater a couple of years ago and I still love it.
And "I" saved $200 on my car insurance!!!
You can take the boy out of corporate but you can't take the corporate out of the boy! The Jacket!
Yep, and when he mentioned he is in marketing and that almost justified the poor build quality, I knew where he was going. If you're willing to pay the _artist tax_ because of a philosophical belief in marketing then you deserve what you get. That's usually the first hurdle that players need to get over in order to get a good value for their money.
Disclaimer: I come from software development background so marketing generally ruins _most_ things for me.
His mistake is going with a white tee.
forgive him, he's just Indian😎
@@yargnad Unfortunately, our entire world is run by marketing now. It's basically the world you see in Wall-E. That was the only thing Gibson improved.
In trogly's unboxing of the 58 Flying V he discovered that the frets were magnetic. MAGNETIC??? How!? What are they using? Steel?
I actually love the sound of stainless steel frets, a lot of import guitars have been using them I think.
There is such a thing as magnetic stainless.
Most frets are magnetic, give it a try.
the real problem is that it says, "Epiphone" on the headstock
i dont know if i've just been lucky but i havent had these issues you mentioned with any of the epiphones ive had or played. I should add i have 50+ guitars in my collection and 6 or 7 are epiphones. Of the newest i have 3 of the matt heafy models. My oldest epiphone is from the mid 90s, its still all stock and frets are still all working great. That was my main gigging guitar for 10 years. But for years ive heard these complaints so there must be something to it, ive just managed to dodge the bad ones somehow.
99% of the people out there do not experience the problems that these elitists complain about. This is simply click bait material designed for views and clicks. so this guy bought a 600.00 epiphone and wants it to have fretwork from a 3k guitar built in the Heavens. Click-bait. Drama. Trust me when I tell you this............there is nothing to this. THis is a hit piece of clickbait material designed to sell "higher quality" guitars.
I agree. I borrow guitars from my friend. She has Epiphone electric and acoustics that range from $699-$899 (she paid less with dealer discounts/promos). So far, there’s been no issues. They are immaculate in every way, and punch well above their class in terms of quality, playability, and tone. I would love stainless frets, but the nickel ones really aren’t having any issues so far (and she and I both tend to dig in deep and are not gentle in the slightest, lol). I don’t know why people dog Epiphone guitars themselves - the only legit complaint these days is the pricing that’s skyrocketing especially on artist models. That’s unacceptable for guitars that aren’t much different (if at all) than the ones that are $599-$999 depending on the model when Epiphone became a budget brand since Gibson took over the company decades ago. Artists can still get paid royalties sub $1000 and Gibson will still earn a healthy profit, as will dealers. There are still artist models under $1000, so there’s no excuse. Honestly, the best electric guitar value is the Epiphone Modern line - the LP Modern Figured is an insanely high quality guitar with all kinds of tone options and amazing playability for $699 street price. I’ve also heard great things about the Emily Wolfe Sheraton. The Slash J-45 is killer for an acoustic.
Same, I think people get off on bashing a brand and comparing one guitar to a top end and expectations should be the same!, I've had several Les Paul that needed work as well I had an ESP that had wiring problems! Yeah truly tired of these " non judgemental" comparison that turn into a passive aggressive tone
The thing is, you can pick any Epiphone / Gibson and compare that with whatever you get from another brand for the same price and you'll typically get either, if not all: better finishes, better paint jobs, better frets, better bridges, better tuners, better electronics. You name it.
@@chipcaronte thats not true. i currently have a prs which is fairly expensive and 3 epiphones in the same price range and the prs is the one with issues. i collect guitars and im a luthier and lemme tell ya, no brand is safe from issues. especially if you come at the guitar with a bias, youll find a problem.
So basically, if you by an Epi, take it to a luthier, have the frets leveled and dressed, pull out and replace the switches and voila---or spend the same amount on something esls?
yeah I don't get all the fuzz.
No. I recently got an Inspired By Gibson 59 Epiphone Les Paul and Firebird. These guitars came with CTS pots and switch craft switch’s. The frets were perfect, intonation was perfect and neck straight and action good on both of them. Epiphone makes great guitars. If you buy a guitar for $399, you get what you pay for. The better Epiphones cost more but are worth it. I got rid of by Gibson Les Paul because it was junk. Hell I’ve had $2000 guitars arrive and need a setup and intonation set.
I mean, you shouldn't really have to- unless you are looking for something somewhat unconventional or a straight upgrade. If you are paying $1000+ for a guitar, it should be of a good and functioning quality without problems straight out of the box and shouldn't need an overhaul by a luthier immediately. Sure I can accept some lackluster fretwork or switches on a $350 guitar, but $1000+ like he was talking about? Those problems shouldn't be problems from the get-go.
If I buy a brand new car it should run right off the lot. I shouldn't have to replace the ignition coil and get a wheel alignment or take it to a mechanic to get it to run right. Why should anyone expect to have to do that with a guitar?
@@bks252 I bought an Epiphone Les Paul Custom Pro and it has the CTS pots in it also. I have absolutely no issues with the pots or the frets on mine but I also thoroughly go over the guitar in person before buying them. Mine also has the coil splitter and phase flip on the knobs push/pull style...Excellent guitar to this day...
I have a 2019 Epi Standard Pro Plus Top with Probuckers, I love it. Made in China.. The toggle switch was having static so I took it out and adjusted the tension of the contact. If your LP is 20 years old was it made in Indonesia? Korea? Great video dude.
This is very quickly becoming one of my favourite guitar channels. You talk about important issues and it's clear that you're passionate about the subject matter but also give a very balanced overview of the topic. You're also a realist, and understand the reality of the guitar business - it's exhausting sometimes to hear people who either completely discount the need for budget instruments or the opposite, those who sneer at the idea that a brand or marketing can add any value to a product whatsoever. I was ready to chime in and say that it's not entirely fair to compare a Made in Japan ESP on discount to a full price Epiphone but you said everything yourself. (In saying that, it IS insane that those two instruments were even in the same ballpark and this is where I definitely lean towards the opinion that no brand name is going to add THAT much value, especially when ESP isn't exactly a no-name in the industry)
But yeah, you're 100% correct. Epiphone is 100% a pipeline to Gibson - if someone absolutely falls in love with their Epiphone then the logical step when it comes time for an upgrade is obvious. And it seems entirely logical that it's worth cutting a few percent off of the immediate profit in order for those instruments to feel great and be something that a beginner, working musician starting out or in a developing country can rely on. Otherwise they are looking at a future where less and less guitarists are growing up with Epiphone/Gibson as a brand they care about and not something they value and in 20 years the 'blues lawyers' of tomorrow aren't buying $50,000 Greenie reissues because they just don't care.
Anyway, great video. I'm excited when I see new uploads from you now.
Thank you. I really appreciate you watching and the kind words. This encourages me to put in the time to make these videos
The root of the problem is...Epiphone is owned by Gibson.
💯
Exactly. Epi's are great, I have a few but they are Gibson authorized Chibsons.
This is why Gibson is raising Epi prices to make up for low Gibson sales. Epi's used to be more affordable but no more.
It's a push pull proposition.
That's not a problem. That is a good thing. Gibson ensures Epiphone's quality stays high for the buyers on budgets. Over the last 2 decades, Epiphone's quality has mirrored Gibson's strict design and manufacturing standards. Quality differences now are merely where they are manufactured along with some cosmetic manufacturing processes, weight, and lower cost electronics. The lower cost electronics now rival high cost competitors. I have a 300 dollar LP Studio that matches a Gibson 10 times higher in price in both visual quality and sound.
@@Gr8FriknApe We're talking about cost here. Epiphones have been made by numerous different Asian manufacturers over the years with varying results. I have a 2004 Epi LP Standard which I bought in 2006 because it was Korean made (in the Saein factory) and Epiphone had switched to being China made and in my opinion, far lower in quality (that has changed significantly). I wasn't really in the market for an LP at the time but felt if I was to get one I'd prefer the Korean made quality so bought it when it was available. I assume your LP Studio is an Epiphone. When the Gibson LP Studio premiered it was $600. What do they cost now??
My local music shops have told me PRS (including SE) have been top notch when delivered followed by foreign guitars like Yamaha, ESP, Ibanez, then Jackson Schecter and they said Epiphone has improved but Fender and Squire show up lose strings and not setup and one of the store’s I mentioned are big Fender strat/tele fans and are upset with the issues with Fender. One customer ordered straight from Fender shop and the guitar showed up not setup and needed neck adjustment, frets addressed. I don’t know how long term Epiphone electronics hold up now.
I go poop in the morning. You should go poop as well.
Fender has been turning out some sub par work over the last 2 to 3 even 4 yrs.. It goes like that.. up and down.. (some are getting a little better lately..).. Really, it always comes down to the individual instrument.. Does it play well..? Does it "speak to you" or not..
i have a 2004 epi SG that i bought new. the fret edges are honestly the smoothest factory fret edges i have ever felt on a guitar. however the frets are not level and very low from the factory so that i need to refret that thing rather then just level the frets :/
For the cost of a refret you could almost buy a used current version of the SG, which are very nice!
@@pharmerdavid1432 certainly! i will resolve to refretting it myself. hopefully i can get the fret ends as nice as they were from factory.
that guitar is somewhat of a wall hanger since i got a gibson. i just sometimes pick it up for nostalgic reasons. we will see if it gets played more frequently with new frets
I have an Epiphone DC 90 Pro that a friend was selling with a hardshell case. I got it for $400
and I like it a lot. It plays very smooth, but there may be a glitch in the pickup switch. I tend to
just use the bridge pickup but sometimes I would prefer to have them both on, so the center position of the switch. It could be there's a problem with the neck humbucker but
I don't know.
I think Epiphone are inconsistent but if you got a good one. Great
Spot on.. Bought a new BJA LP JR last year.. the wiring was awful and not even done correctly.. and the frets were atrocious.. needed a full level and recrown. I got it working great and it rips but it was hours and hours on the frets.
as someone who has been playing on and off for about 25 years I think fretwork has gotten worse in general. I never had frets chew my hands up when I was younger, now I see it all the time, what the hell happened? I got a jackson two years ago that was so fucked up i got it replaced.
The cost of labor is going up, plus the labor force is getting lazier and sloppier over time because of the frustrations of the cost of living going up faster than wages.
@@RumpleStiltzkin-bu5he It's more a numbers game. There are far more guitars being produced today than ever before. That means the defect rates, even if they remained steady from 20 years ago, will result in many more duds entering the market. QC is not great on budget brands either. Couple that with the fact that many guitars are sold direct to customers, after sitting in a warehouse for months, and a local shop is NOT inspecting them and correcting for potential issues means that a good majority of those guitars make it into the hands of players without ever having been seen by a professional first.
@yargnad the professionals are supposed to be the manufacturer...
Still not an excuse. I dont care why its happening, it needs to just not happen at no extra cost.
I dont buy 9 eggs for the price of 12 because whatever egg farm issues...
yeah i got a harley benton i paid like 120 bucks for and the frets were pristine like what the hell@@RumpleStiltzkin-bu5he
@@RumpleStiltzkin-bu5he Eggs have the USDA looking out for them. Plus, eggs are eggs. They don't have a plethora of options that determine their pricing and they're sold in bulk.
There is no equivalent guitar regulatory body that ensures all guitars are held to a particular standard, no matter what the price or who's the manufacturer. I get your point, but there's a huge difference.
Reasonable, knowledgeable and polite. Great video!
Thank you. Appreciate it
I recently bought two Epi LP's, one LP Special, an SG, and a Flying V and have had to do fret work (Leveling and smoothing fret ends.) on all of them and change out a pot. But I was somewhat expecting that and now I love my Epi's. Yes so agree with you. Very informative video. Subscribed!
Exactly.
any guitar ya get needs your own refining to adjust it for your needs that's part of the charm and fun!
Yes, this is a dumb post with no point.
what a comparison, Epiphone LP standard/ Heafy to ESP E-II eclipse, really ? please tell me where to buy that brand new 7 string E-II Eclipse at 180K JPY ?
I'm no Epiphone fanboy but have not had any issue with them for very long time (both LP standard and Matt Heafy LP), very great P/P in my opinion
I love my Casino too, but you're right! The frets are not consistent especially closer to the body and my guitar suffered a problem with the bridge pickup connector too.
When you mention difficulty in bending strings on your Epi LP, and also the same with your Casino, what do you mean by difficulty more specifically? The terrible fretwork that you are describing would only make string bending more difficult if they were shaped closer to square waves than flat radiused curves . I'm wondering if your guitar world would easily change drastically by using lighter strings. What gauge set are you using?
This guy is a moron. Don;t place any real trust in what he does. He is an entry level player trying to get youtube views. Hence the clickbait title
Strings were either 9 or 10s. Not an issue of having strings that are too heavy. Just uneven fret finishing leading to scratchiness
@@ministryofguitar Stainless Steel frets. I wish more budget level guitars came with them, even if the price had to go up a bit.
@@ministryofguitar Polishing the frets takes less than an hour...What's your point? Also buy Dr. Duck's axe wax and string lube. Put it on the strings and frets after polishing them. Also put a drip in the top nut for all the strings to tune easier. Problem solve quickly and cheaply...
came to your channel since you had a video about your experience with richlite fretboards and had to sub bc you discuss a lot of guitar topics 😊
Thanks a lot . Appreciate the support
Love your channel man, I’ve owned several epiphones and agree with the QC issues. I had two LP standards that I basically ripped apart and replace all the electronics, hardware and had to do full blown fret jobs on each Epi I owned. I loved them… eventually but I also learned how to do setups, fret leveling, soldering etc just to get it playable for gigs. New players don’t know how to do all of that and it’s a usually a big ask especially for the price point that Epiphone has been charging recently. I agree that there are other quality brands selling guitars at similar or cheaper prices putting out a quality product.
I have tried maybe a dozen Epiphones in various music stores over several years. They always feel wrong on the fret board, so I have never bought one. I used to think the contour on the back of the neck was the problem.
Yep, that's the square neck shape that some of the neck shapers churn out😂 it sucks so bad that any Epiphone with that neck shape sounded great but I just couldn't stand the neck so I never got one with a square neck shape. 😊 All of my Epiphone have the classics modern Gibson neck shape that is super comfortable and super consistent with all the guitar with this neck shape !
I've just sold my Les Paul copy and I was the same, I just couldn't get on with the neck, it just felt wrong. The guitar was well made and looked great but there was just something wrong with the neck.
@@peter7624i had an epiphone eb-0 bass that I just couldn't warm up to, because of the neck, something just felt off...saved up and replaced it with a gibson sg bass, problem solved
I've had this problem with a couple of Epiphones before but I learned to level frets and work on guitar electronics so doesn't bother me that much. The last 2 Epis ive bought are a 2020 and a 2023 and they have no issues.
I have an Epiphone Korina Explorer. It is I bought it in 1998(I think). I have different pots, caps, pickups. Lots of custom work. I have two questions. 1 the neck is fabulous but I believe it is a 2 piece neck but not sure. Would anyone know?
2. Is the neck worth refretting?
opinions welcome. This guitar has a unique sound and its playability is fabulous.
I own 2 pro les Paul's, one a standard the other a custom. Both were built in Korea over 20 years ago and they both play and sound great! Have only had to replace the tone pots and the capacitor in the standard. Not bad for the amount of play they have seen over the years! Great guitars.🎸
The switch on my PRS SE Baritone just failed last week. Not a pass to epiphone as ive had the same issues but im just putting it out there.
it can happen for sure. also I don't like SE nut material
Great channel. I enjoy your videos 👍
I'm not sure what you mean by fretwork not being good on Epiphone guitars. Can you elaborate?
Just to put it into context, I am a repair tech, so I see about 2,000 guitars every year, on my workbench.
I actually see many issues with Gibson fretwork. Gibson has issues with fretwork prior to the introduction of PLEK and now with PLEK-ing they have other issues.
The polishing of the frets is actually rougher on Gibson guitars, compared to Epiphone. But the frets are not always leveled on Epiphone guitars. Is that what you are referring to?
My bigger issue with Epiphone is the nut, i.e. the string slot height.
All that said, you are 100% correct about the switch. The cheap "import" switch in the Epiphone guitars can't compare to the solidly-built Switchcraft brand in a Gibson. They are like night and day, for sure.
Cheers...
Thanks for the question. I find that the higher frets on the epiphone feel like they aren't finished properly making it difficult to bend the strings without a scratchy feeling. Gibson's fretwork ain't perfect either but in a different league
Agreed with the band fret work and electronics. Also I have found the Epiphone stock pickups to not good. Can't put my finger on exactly what it is, but they just sound bad. Lacking a clarity you find in similarly price guitars.
Hi. I'm listening with interest, is Epiphone an arm of Gibson so to speak?
Yes
Honestly I'm really happy to hear this! I've loved Gibsons and own two really nice American made Gibsons, a J-200 and an S-1. I've always wanted to get a Les Paul and an SG but never really liked the Epiphone versions of these guitars.
I was recently looking to buy a semi hollow body guitar and everyone told me I should buy an Epiphone ES335. I went to Guitar Center and tried one out, side by side with a Gretsch G5622t and to me there was no comparison. I loved the Gretsch and didn't like playing the ES335 at all. It just seemed like a bad version of a Gibson. I'm anxiously awaiting the delivery of the Sapphire Blue Gretsch I pre-ordered.
I was at a vintage guitar show a couple of months ago and played an old Epiphone ES335 with a patched together broken neck and really liked it. I'd much rather have that one than the new one I played at Guitar Center.
The difference came completely into view when my cousin gave me an Affinity Squier Strat a couple of years ago. That guitar is a really nice instrument that quickly became my favorite, goto solid body. It was really good from the factory and made me want to put a bunch of money into upgrading it to perfection.
I got a Plek setup on it. I put in a Freeway switch 10 position pickup selector blade switch. I added a treble bleed pot to replace one of the tone pots. I gave it locking tuners too. I wouldn't have done that though, if I hadn't loved playing it first.
A lot of people that talk big about Epihpine being better than Gibson have simply never played them side by side. The Epiphones do feel like a cheap version of a Gibson. Just the overall feel is much more plastic and cheap feeling. I still like Epiphone but is ridiculous these days how people boast that they’re better then a Gibson
@@allstopblue5717 Gibsons are better IF you get a good one, Epiphone seems to have better quality control lately? Some say Gibson is improving.
To add on what epiphone could do better: Don't discontinue certain models of guitars that are in high demand. I really wanted an explorer 1984 reisue with emg pickups, either white or black. And if you want one that is used, good luck finding one being under 1000 US dollars. Back when I was 18 years old, they cost under 500 euros.
I currently have about a dozen epi guitars, Les Pauls, Explorers, Flying V's, etc. Most of this herd was bought in pawn shops or private sales. The fret work is fine, the switches are fine, the guitars hold their own, play and sound great. With the manufacturing processes and equipment currently being employed these days guitars have come down in price, and up in quality. The big difference between the guitars of today are the names on the headstock and little else.
I went into this video not sure what you were going to talk about specifically but I had a hunch it was going to be about the frets on the Epiphones lol. I am actually a drummer who plays guitar and have always owned Fenders or Squiers. I recently bought a 2020 Epi Les Paul Custom brand new w/ the ebony fretboard from Sweetwater which did their "55 point inspection" and the frets were horrible on it. Within a few days of playing it I noticed I was getting metal shavings coming off the frets when I would do bends.. esp in the 12th fret "pentatonic box" region like you stated. You could actually see where I was mostly playing on the neck because certain frets were rounded then around the 12th fret they were completely flat and pitted. This was my first time ever owning a Epiphone and was not aware that this is an actual problem with Epiphones frets. I was told this when I brought to my local luthier to get it refretted. Im not even a gigging musician either, or a player who digs in hard when playing. I am a bedroom player who plays maybe 3+ hours or more a day esp during the pandemic I was playing a lot more. I bought the les paul brand new and I think it was around 800$? Its not the most expensive guitar but for that type of money I never wouldve thought the frets would wear out that fast. Within 6 months of playing the frets were already done. Im not even sure how long frets should last, but I still have my very first Squier strat I got back in 02 brand new for like 250$ that Ive played thousands of hours on and played countless shows on in high school and I've never had to change the frets.. and that is a entry level cheap squier lol.
I just ordered a 1979 Yamaha Studio Lord SL500 from Japan, I heard they were good quality so hoping for the best...shipping $170 guitar was $379.
Have you played the Schecter Solo custom ii?
I have. I like it. I have two of them.
@@Jonathan-ih7qp nice 👍
me too:)
I’m thinking of buying a third one :)
Haha, my "third" one is a Blackjack ATX Solo-II instead. Opted on something similar but a still a bit different.@@jturquoise
@@Jonathan-ih7qp nice 😊
Two years ago i bought a Sire L7. After playing it for about an hour, both my Epiphone LPs went up for sale. Same experience you had except the L7 was $700 USD. There are great alternatives that don’t break the bank if you seek a bit.
Youre 100% correct about everything i heard you say.
Thanks. Appreciate the kind words
@ministryofguitar i dont get to say them often, so youre welcome.
The prices of import guitars is out of fricken control.
I bought an
SG G-400 in 2007. The fretwork was really good. Ten years after the plug jack failed, so I did some soldering. Not a bad a deal at all, still rocks
Yeah there is no doubt the problems can be solved by someone handy
I had a SG that in my opinion made that thing scream, later played a Gibson SG, and thought for the price Epiphone nailed it. No regrets.
You are correct about the high fret work being shoddy. On 3 of the 4 Epiphones I bought new, beyond the 15th fret any bent note would get choked due to unlevel frets. Some leveling and re-crowning remedied this. All 3 of them are 'Artist' models. I've never had an issue with fretwork on any Gibson I've owned.
Very well said. I completely agree. Thanks!
Thank you. Appreciate the kind words
I agree with the second complaint, the switches on Epiphones simply don't stand up over time. As far as the fret work, I bought a Epi Les Paul 60's Tribute Plus 8 years ago and the fret work is impeccable... I did upgrade all the switches less than 6 months after buying it, but the fretwork is flawless.
I have an Epiphone Les Paul; it was made in Korea by Samik plant in 2002 before production was transferred. The factory bought Valley Arts Guitars; I believe. The action is sublime, and it stays in tune incredibly well and no fret problems. Very nice instrument well made.
Samick are a class act.
Have the 58 Epi v also,broke in the frets,truss adjustment,in 1998,ain,t parting with it
I was completely blown away by how good the fretwork was on my ltd ec256. which was bought as a scratch and dent from Amazon. if you would've seen how bad the packaging was...? loose inside the box, and still fret work was immaculate and the set up was better that any epiphone I have ever played. that says something.
How would bad packaging affect the fret work???
@@benburnett8109 A string could cause a dent in a fret if banged.
@@benburnett8109 I was referring to how well the guitar endured being shipped across the country, all while being completely loose inside the box. Not that the packaging itself influences fretwork. And I was contrasting the guitar's apparent durability to others that arrived completely secure in their packaging.
PRS SE fretwork and tonal quality in upper frets is to me the best I’ve found. I have played plenty of cheap-to-expensive, new-to-vintage guitars and they ALL are lacking in the bass-side wound upper frets, some more or less than satisfactory. But only one guitar in 40 years achieved unobtainium - a PRS SE CE24 from 2008 that I tried in a whim at GC because I had never gave PRS a real look before. It turned out to be a GC ‘exclusive’ with ebony fretboard!! And it was marked down to $650!! Amazing 😎
I have an Epiphone Les Paul Custom. I had the PLEK done to it and it is smooth, soooo smooth.
I had gone to a Guitar store and checked one out and the fret were harsh and I did not like it. The PLEK did add $299 but it made the fret great.
You're not wrong about their cheap switches. My epi prophecy V and Les Paul both had the switch go, after little playing. Never had that problem with another guitar (and PRS SEs are really quality guitars).
Does replacing a generic chinese 3 way toggle switch on a chinese les paul for a switchcraft improve sound quality on a guitar? Or only the way it feels when switching positions ?
It doesn't improve the sound quality, it does feel a little "better". The main thing though is that it will actually work, and not stop working after 6 months of use.
@@jordanpratt3821 dam i have chibese les paul copy
I already put a gibson pick up
Cts pots
High quality jack
Bumble capacitor
It still sounds muddy
Only thing left stock is chinese 3 way switch and wires
What an i missing ?
@@EM-km8em damn I don't know. Is it your amp? Is this your only guitar, or do you have other guitars that sound good through the same amp?
@@jordanpratt3821 I have a gibson studio with same pick up and compared to my chinese knock off it sounds muddy.
In starting to thick Gibson Do really have something unique to them.
@EM-km8em yeah I'm no guitar tech but I've always felt like there is more to it than upgrading the hardware n what not.Putting expensive parts in a cheap guitar doesn't make it the same thing as a high end model.
What if I told you the top carve , binding scrape and small pin into body bridge were much more authentic to Gibson on a 2003 Epiphone Elite Lee Paul I just purchased for $1200 used?
It's widely known Epiphone elite/elitist Japanese made guitars are superior to Gibson production models, more authentic to original design (except finish).
Man you NAILED it. The Epi inspired by Gibson have upgraded electronics, but the fret work is spotty at best. I have 8 or 9 Epi's right now. One was purchased used, the others all new. Every one of them has needed fret work.
All epiphone or Gibson epiphone, i ve played on even a copy one (understanding ) you have to blow the pick up treble knob sometimes to get a sound if it gets blocked or muted .
I have an Epi, but bought it used, and it did need some fretwork, but otherwise it was good.
With the frets done it plays great, and I play it more than anything other guitar.
But getting it used I have no idea what the frets were like new.
The electronics are good on mine.
Over the years, I've played some nice guitars and some not so nice. When I was younger, I remember buying my first new electric guitar. Price and quality were important. It was 1985, and after playing since 1976, I deserved a new guitar. I bought a Carvin DC150 with a fine tuner bridge. Carvin used to make some great guitars, and then they became Kiesel and lost their way. My next guitar was from a company that wouldn't exist if it were not for Gibsons lack of quality in the 70s. The Hamer Chaparral Custom was one of the best guitars that I have ever owned. The Chaparral Custom was the one that got away. Unfortunately, Hamer is a thing of the past, like Carvin. I picked up a Fender Stratocaster from a friend who needed cash, and I became a constant work in progress. I considered buying an Epiphone, but quality was my concern. Then, one day, while I was browsing the used guitars, I came across a Gibson Les Paul Studio Faded T series. It was like new with a hardshell Gibson case. May it's a fluke, but it plays and sounds amazing. It is wired like an old school, Les Paul, and was $599 USD. Both Gibson and Epiphone have gotten out of hand with price versus quality. This video was worth listening to. Maybe Epiphone and Gibson will someday consider offering a guitar that the average person could afford.
I have an Epiphone Les Paul Prophecy, I had to fix some issues but after fixing them it is a really nice guitar, that's the only epiphone I own. I went hard buying Charvel and Solar guitars tho.
For guitar companies, it's SO DIFFICULT to combine high quality ..... with low price. Where will the savings come from? GIBSON / Epiphone always face this challenge with Les Pauls and other guitars. They have a $700 Les Paul. Then they have a $3,000 Les Paul. Their problem now is ............ they WANT the EXPENSIVE guitars to sell. HOW, without DENIGRATING the lower priced option? ALSO: Materials ............. cost for options, wood, pickups, inlays, electronics, hardware ..... FOR EACH INSTRUMENT. HOW LOW in quality can we afford to go on Epiphone hardware, etc.......? What are the margins on these lower-priced guitars? Soooo I'm glad I'm not Gibson/Epiphone. Thanks for your great content!
I watched this and got that "itch" to buy a good, affordable recording guitar. I did the research and bought a new LS LT Epiphone electric guitar for my studio. It arrived on time and is the epitome of quality. All my frets were well polished and perfectly crowned all the way down the neck. No set up issues. Its sound matches professional Gibson guitars at 10 times the price. Happy as hell here. Epiphone is still rocking the quality they are known for.
Nice man. Glad you got a good one
I agree that the prices of these high-end Epiphones are totally delusional. $1700 for an Epiphone is beyond a joke. There's an endless list of guitars that are better quality in that price range.
Very enjoyable video and fair points. I bought an epiphone SG 61 recently and it has CTS pots etc. The switches appear solid, pro buckers are a bit weak compared to the Tim Shaw's on my 81 custom, but the fret work is not great up high. Have you ever looked at the Trev Wilkinson 'Vintage' brand? They are very usable and very reliable well.made work horses for $400 mark.
I agree with you whole hearted. I have 23 guitars. I have Epiphone, Gibson, Schecter, ESP, Ibanez and my own builds. I have learned alot and do my own fret work and such. When I got my Epiphone SG G400 I thought it was great, needed some fret work. Same with some of my others, even the new Gibson SG that I got. The ones I had no work to do on were: Schecter, ESP and Ibanez. They were perfect work right out the gate. Your statement at the end was dead on, what they are doing won't last forever. I even have a Chibson LP that I had them install stainless steel frets on and I had to do work on it also (burned out some diamond files doing that work), but the quality was still there. Had my own custom serial number done and I put the EMG 77's in there. Now it smokes most everything I got and stands toe to toe with the ESP.
The fret material makes a world of difference. My now 14 year old shecter has great frets as they are stainless but electronics gave out. I have a Yamaha pacifica from a year after the shecter purchase that the frets are worn to buzz but the electronics held up. Its always a gamble until time shows whether the premium price is worth the rig. As with any long time player its what feels right to you, whether its price all the way down to materials. Oh also im now an Ibanez player so test the waters it never hurts.
My 2020 Les Paul Standard has CTS pots in it, also my 2023 Epi TV Yellow Les Paul Special has CTS pots in it too.
Fretwork was ok, no fret sprout or anything, but I don't mind working on my guitars.
Great video! You hit it on the head. What I've Bern saying about both Gibson and Epiphone. In my opinion, if you are paying over $600 (USD) for a guitar, the frets and electronics should be flawless. Schecter and ESP/LTD have proven you can have excellent quality at even less than $600.
I only have one epi: a Dot Deluxe. I have not experienced the issues you describe with it. Thanks for your video.
I have 4 Epiphones and I have never had any problem with any of them and one of them is over 40 years old. The newer ones are fine too and they all play easy and sound great. I have had many fret and neck problems with expensive Taylors.
I’m an acoustic player and epiphone has never let me down. But I have heard some bad things about a few electric models.
I find the fret issue on Epiphones a problem as well. I usually find them too low and my finger tips drag on the fret board when bending. I dont have this problem with other big name brands.
Totally agree. I love Epiphones, but this is definitley an issue. I had a G310 (the low end SG) which was so bad, it felt like an Encore. The G400 was a lot better but still not great up the neck. I play a Riviera currently which is actually excellent, but it did require a full set up and fret dress to be comfortable.
Going over to the dark side, I bought a Squier JM Jazzmaster a few years ago, and it has the most playable neck. So if Squier can do it, there is no excuse for Epiphone not to.
I'd have to agree with some of the comments. I have ALWAYS upgraded electrics on my Epiphone collection. Have not had issues with last few, but if I were to buy another I'd focus on factory id "23" which denotes the Samick factory in Korea.
I AGREE WITH YOU 100%. I BOUGHT 2 OF THE 58' KORINA EPI EXPLORERS YEARS AGO & BOTH OF THEM WERE USELESS TO PLAY ABOVE THE 14TH FRET. EVEN WITH TRUSS ROD ADJUSTMENT. HAD TO SET THE ACTION SO HIGH THAT THEY WERENT WORTH PLAYING. SAD DEAL.
The pots, the frets, the toggle, the nut. For real I wore the frets down in my Epi LP in about 5 years. Refretting is no snall matter
Great video. Thank you.
Brother, I could have fixed the fretwork on two Epiphones in the amount of time it took you to come out and say that the problem is the fretwork 😂
But you're right. I just got an Inspired By Gibson 335 and everything is perfect except the frets are rough as sandpaper
I would expect some fretwork to be necessary on almost all new guitars below a certain price point. And in 16 or 17 years of doing set ups and repairs I've seen a few high end guitars which have needed something doing. If I couldn't do it myself I'd factor in the cost of a set up into the budget for a guitar. It's one way the factories keep costs down. Set ups and fret dressing is time consuming and hence expensive. And it's the single most important thing in whether or not you'll enjoy the guitar.
I agree. I spent a day doing a fret level, crown and polish, on an Epiphone Les Paul - couldn't believe the difference....
I can imagine
Imformative video.
I bought my first Epiphone a couple of years ago. A Korina Explorer Bass. Long story short, I absolutely love this bass. When I first received the bass, it did have some issues with the upper frets as well. Electronics seemed OK.
The first thing was to set up the neck and dress the frets along with new strings. Perhaps I was lucky.
But I continued to replace the hardware by changing the crappie tuners and bridge with Grovers and a Leo Quann Badass iii bridge all in gold to match. It's now beautiful and such an inspiring joy to play.
I suppose that it could be hit or miss. But statistically, if there are more misses than hits, then there's always room for improved quality.
Yup and sadly in my experience, mostly misses
Ever since guitars started coming from Korea, Indonesia, the Philippines, and China (especially china) I have had countless brand new and just passed warranty guitars in my shop that could not be setup well without fretwork, and not just all of the new brands made there, but well known brands "Alternatively priced" (so no way just the price) instruments! So far two of them were PRS's, one Hagstrom, and many Ibanez's, Epiphone's, Squire's... you name it. Not only is the fretwork all over the place, but they often have truss rods already maxed out and on edge of stripping out the treads, or installed too close to the fingerboard (one way rods) to where they are not very effective...
All that talk about "because they are made on CNC's they are more accurate" and that cheep guitars are just as good as expensive ones other than maybe spending $300 on new electronics and pickups. Well that's just a crock of shit, and always has been: No CNC machine can do jack about what can and will happen when you slap instruments together with woods that were not dried properly, truss rods that are made of weak alloys, and in necks that can't already hold most of the tension without one; A truss rod is not supposed to be a reinforcement of the neck itself, but an adjustment of the relief so they can handle different gauges of strings (different tensions). Once inspected, even if good, that is irrelevant, because the problems gradually start showing their ugly face, especially when they are shipped from the factories that are almost all in very humid areas (jungle climates), to much dryer areas in the world. BTW: Scheckter's and a few others are sent here to the US to dress frets and what not before sale, but even those have not had enough time to settle when you get them, they only have fewer problems out of the box; you just wait! The only thing a CNC can guaranty is faster and much easier production, so you need fewer people, and people with less skill, and even a poorly maintained CNC, bits that are not very sharp... can trow off the accuracy quite a bit too.
In the end many who ask me to install a few hundred bucks in new parts, add my time for the work, on their $300 guitar brings it up to a $600+ guitar, and that is just the least of their problems, because a fret level and re-crown can easily go over $250, so now the owners cost is ~$900 to $1000! I often can't even recommend doing fret work in knowing the instrument is still not stable, and needs another year or two to do so, and so even my own meticulous fret work can be in vain, as well as my reputation on the line, for being blamed for stuff completely out of my control. I had to greatly expand my service agreement to outline that these problems can be expected, and why I cannot be held responsible for them if you don't heed my warnings, and also log any of my findings as to expectable failures in the repair log so the customer has written record of it, and with it as juxtaposed to may warranty that covers my work, and not the shortcomings of instruments I didn't make!
I bought an Epiphone Classic two weeks ago. It needed fretwork all along the bottom of the neck. $600 for the guitar.
I bought a firefly strat a month before the Epi. $198 to my door. Impeccable, ball end frets. Custom shop level frets.
We're paying entirely to much for inferior work.
I bought an e.s.339 Epiphone last year. I do my own setups.
I couldn't believe how low i can make the action with no fret buzzing. It is unbelievable. My Gibson L.P. couldn't get that low of action without fret buzz. It took me hours of adjusting the truss rod and raising and lowering the bridge. Not with the Epiphone. I had a great setup in under 15 mins. It could be maybe luck, idk. But i know the Epi has c.t.s. pots. So does my Gibson, but on a circuit board. My Epi was hand wired. Now, when i get some time, I'll have to pull the boards out and hand wire them myself. The board works fine, but i might want to change things around in the future. Dont get me wrong. I love my Gibson, but the Epiphone line inspired by Gibson, they are awesome. In my humble opinion.
Thanks for bringing this up. I have little experience with Epiphone, aside from a Les Paul Studio that I got back in 2005 expecting a high-quality instrument and being quite disappointed with it. Likewise I now play ESP LTD guitars that are much better quality and more bang for the buck.
I have a couple of Epis, and have had several in the past, even a n early 2000s DOT, and NONE of them, have/had these issues you speak of. The frets were all well dressed, and polished, with little to no fret sprout. And never had any electronic issues, and even though the switches aren't the highest quality, I've never had to replace them, over the past 10-15 years.
I've played a 1990 Gibson Les Paul Studio for over 30 years now.... It's not the best model but it's great in my opinion.... Along the way I've bought multiple Epiphone Les Pauls as a backup on stage. BUT, every Epi LP I've played felt like I was about to break it. It felt flimsy and like I was going to break it or something. It also didn't have the output of my LP Studio. So I quit buying the Epiphone Les Pauls and tried to Epiphone SG models. Same thing. They felt flimsy and the neck didn't feel like a Gibson SG. The neck on a Gibson SG is flat down by the heal of the neck. The Epi SG felt fat all the way down. And you are correct about the switches, etc.... they are cheap, not inexpensive, I mean CHEAP......
Sure you'd expect the frets to be done correctly but it's a simple fix. Not really a problem. And you can find really great switches that are really inexpensive. I don't see any problems here.
Very good points! Will they listen? We can hope.
I bought a 59 epiphone, and I love it. Granted, I did get those frets in shape right out the box and upgraded the hell out of it (thing bites). You can get a decent epiphone and make an amazing guitar with a little work.
yes. you do need to know your way around with the tools a bit though
I bought an Epiphone Custom Pro Koa top Les Paul a little less than 2 years ago in 2022. Right out of the box , the guitar played well and also sounds very good. The action seemed a bit stiff to me at first, prompting me to contemplate having it in the shop for a set up. After playing it for a bit , I decided not to because to me , it feels fine. The only thing I might have done is to change the volume control pots because they are not as graduated as the ones on a Gibson. I could change all of the guts and still not spend as much as I would on a Gibson. I showed it to the luthier who does my work and he was impressed with the quality in relation to the price point. Gibson USA has made their guitars virtually unreachable with price tags over $3000. If I paid that much for a guitar, of course I would be convincing myself that I've got the best guitar on the market. Since I already own a Gibson ES 135 that I paid $1000 for brand new in 1994, I couldn't justify spending over $3000 when I was looking for a Les Paul. I bought my Epi and am quite glad that I did.
I bought the same guitar 6 months ago and had to replace the switch, the old one just fell apart. The new one they sent me was much better quality. Just glad I know how to solder. lol.
I just bought an Epiphone Les Paul Classic with the worn finish, don't like it as much as the Custom but bought it mainly to keep from banging up the Custom and to cut down on the polishing of the fingerprints. lol.
@@PhilipRichard1013 I understand, hit or miss with the switches and controls. Right now mine is ok . If something fails I'll replace it with original Gibson parts or high quality aftermarket parts.
It is a beautiful guitar though, the last guitar I will be buying (this month anyway).@@rick1450
Dude... pretty much all the new epiphones if it's not in their beginner model line come standard with CTS electronics and very high quality craftsmanship for the dollar. The 1959 model you mentioned as well as the other higher end epiphones come standard with Gibson USA pickups.
I own two epiphones as well as a PRS se custom 24 and two Fenders and I've never had any issues out of my epiphones.... and one was built in 2005.
I have an SG that is great. The only problem I had with it was the 3 way switch was scratchy when I didn't play it for a while. I sprayed it and it was fine. just lucky I guess.
I bought a quilt top classic epi in 2007 I think and immediately had fret work done to it and yes the switches are low quality.
I have 2 stock tele mins and they suffer from the exact problems . To make them stage worthy I ended up replacing pus and all wiring and switches + hours of fret work
I recently bought an Epiphone Les Paul 60s and it's the best guitar i've tried in that price range, nice finish, no sharp frets and didn't even need a setup.
I was thinking on some upgrades before i bought it but in my opinion it doesn't need any.