Epiphone vs Gibson
How do the Epiphone versions of the Dove and Hummingbird measure up against their big brothers? Any thoughts?
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Epiphone is wholly owned by Gibson. However, prior to Gibson buying out the Epiphone guitar company, in the early to mid 50's, Epiphone had a long and storied history of its own, and they made some spectacular guitars - archtops in particular, that rank among the best ever made. Some of those old Epis can still be purchased and for a great price. I have had several.
Next, the current Epiphone Dove or Hummingbirds don't come close to the Gibson version, however, I would caution that the Gibsons are not themselves all that. The Hummingbird is not one of the better or more successful Gibson designs, imo. I have yet to play one I would buy, though I admit they look cool. |
IMHO the Epi acoustics don't even come close to the Gibsons in sound or playability. They look pretty nice and play well but not the the ease of a Gibson.
Electrically I would argue that the differences between an Epi and Gibson are much narrower of a margin. I would take a LP Custom Epi over a Gibson Studio LP. The differences between the two at the same price point favors the Epi since they do make a quality guitar and they have the same style with comparable quality. Id say acoustically I haven't been really blown away by the Dove or Hummingbird. They look very nice and seem well put-together but they just didn't quite grab me when I played them, so to speak. This has happened with certain Gibsons too, but I would say not much, aside from private luthiers, can match up with a Gibson Acoustic. The Epi Masterbilts however really surprised me with the playability and tone, with more of a traditional look. Would not hesitate to pull the trigger on those. Hope that helps. |
yeah, the Epi Masterbilts are really good, but they don't make a Masterbilt Dove or Hummingbird. Every H-bird I have ever played including a vintage '67 H-bird has pooped out past the third or fourth fret. If you do nothing but strum open chords, you might enjoy one, but I haven't been convinced that they are good for anything else.
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Like a Chihuahua measures up to a Bull Mastiff. Like a Piper J3 Cub measures up to a P-51D Mustang. Like Zimbabwean dollars measure up to British pounds. Like a Quarter Pounder measures up to a king cut of prime rib. Like the common cold measures up to Ebola virus. Sugar Bear :D |
Well, I can't match the pure pulpit eloquence of Sugar Bear's list of comparisons, (Preach it, Brother Bear! Can I get a witness?!?) but what he and everyone else have said so far in this thread can be boiled down to this:
The Epiphone versions of those model guitars are entry level instruments designed to appeal to a beginner's sense of flash and visuals, rather than professional quality guitars. In no category are they the equals of the American-made versions: not in materials, tone, volume, musical utility or fit and finish. If you're looking for a guitar more or less in that price range that can give you a whole lot more value for your money, you'd do well to consider the Seagull line. Here's a dreadnought... http://www.sonicftp.com/news/images/...l_artburst.jpg Here's their Mini Jumbo, which I think offers the most versatility in their product line... http://image.www.rakuten.co.jp/ikebe...293135831.jpeg And another jumbo, this one without the pickguard. (If you happen to get this model, it's a good idea to add a pickguard, especially if you're a beginner. Even if you yourself play flawlessly, one enthusiastic hamhanded friend playing the guitar can scar up the top within seconds - it can still happen with a pickguard, but its much easier to do without one.) http://www.mamut.net/gitargleden/gtr...gerusticmj.jpg And here's another dread... http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/...500_AA280_.jpg These all feature solid wood tops, which will give you better tone. They're simply a lot more guitar for the money. I deliberately picked out photos of Seagull models with darker finishes, to give you a bit of that Gibson aesthetic. They also come in transparent natural finishes. Hope this helps. Wade Hampton Miller |
Thanks for all the feedback. I actually went out and played a couple today, and it simply confirmed all of your responses. I was thinking of getting a 2nd guitar to keep in DADGAD, but I'm afraid it won't be either of these.
And Sugar Bear? You've really got to work on that whole shy/unwilling to express an opinion thing :-) |
Didn't Keith play a Hummingbird on the Rolling Stones' "Stripped" set?
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The original early 60's Hummingbirds make great rhythm guitars, and the Epiphones that the Beatles played were made in Kalamazoo and were basically just budget Gibsons.
I've never been a fan of the cosmetic appointments of Gibson Hummingbirds and Doves, but Gibson is making them properly again, and - allowing for the variations you'll find with any solid wood factory-made guitars - some of them are excellent guitars these days. You just have to pick and choose, like any other guitars out there. whm |
The Hummingbird was essentially Gibson's second attempt to make a non-Gibson like sounding guitar (the first was the Epi Frontier). Ted McCarty who was a big Martin fan plopped a Martin dread down on Larry Aller's desk and told him to make a copy of it with a Gibson logo.
The result was probably the first Gibson that even a bluegrass player might consider buying. The difference between an HB and a Gibson slope shouldered jumbo is like night and day. I think the Epi versions of the square shoulder guitars are actually closer in sound to the original Gibson versions than are their versions of say a J-45. And I would jump all over one of those little Epi Blues Masters if I could find one. These suckers were great little guitars and could actually give a LG-2 a good run for its money. |
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WOAH!!
Haven't any of you guys ever heard of Epiphone "Elitist" guitars??? These guitars are first-rate copies of Gibson guitars that are made in Japan. Many of them are hand-crafted and blow away their American-made counterparts in quality. Lots of people swear by them. As a matter of fact, most consider the Elitist Les Pauls to be superior to an American made Gibson Les Paul. How about the Epiphone Elitist Paul McCartney "Texan" acoustic? That's a sweet plank of wood and it costs nearly $3K You boys need to get a Googlin' :wink: |
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