Riaan wrote
How shall I phrase this question....
Is a genuine Gibson Les Paul that much better than an Epiphone as suggested by the huge difference in price? Or to put it another way: Dollar for dollar (or rand for rand or whatever): Which one is the best value for money?
I've never played a real Gibson, but I've played a friend's Epiphone Les Paul and it's a great guitar, well worth the price IMO. Will spending several thousand rands more on a real Gibson add that much in terms of tone, playability or anything else to a Les Paul?
well in my humble opinion, it should be about what you want to do with the instrument.......... an Epi is great and i know many pro guitarists who use em for pro gigs.....
so yeah i believe much to many's dismay it's the player makes the guitar not the opposite....
and yes if you have R40 000 lying around in your bank earmarked for a new guitar.. then buy a Gibson top of the line model... but if not i would not bankrupt myself for a guitar when an Epi is available for so much less...... and as everyone will say might not be 100% as good as a gibson but you will get the gibson tone and vibe from it ....and maybe some really yummy pick up replacements and you have a fab guitar.........
TOO MANY PEOPLE ARE NAME CONSCIOUS......... AND I HAVE PLAYED AND OWNED MANY NAME GUITARS THAT SUCKED........ and i truly believe a great guitar and a classic guitar can be an investment....... and the resale will be higher ...... but IT WILL NOT MAKE YOU A BETTER PLAYER............
as a player I will sound as good on a cheap pawn shop special (that has tone and a good setup) as i would on a custom desgned and built guitar......... the skill is in your fingers.........
BUT YOU DO NEED A PLAYABLE GUITAR..................meaning one without a horrid action or twisted neck or bottom of line pickups if you electric....... but case in point i just bought a R600 classical guitar in pawn shop and using it at live gigs in favour of my top of line yamaha more than 10 times the price and me and many others prefer the new guitars tone ...so it's now being used by me at my pro gigs....... so i am living proof of what i just said above......
but this is where i must say the advertising wheels do turn ..........and shops and magazines and websites and even our fellow players do put pressure on one to always be buying top end gear with famous brands on the headstock...or you not a good enough or worthy enough player................... almost like the fashion magazines do to lure the women who read em to spend 1000"s on clothes and accessories they truly don't need........... SAME WITH GUITARS......... we call it GAS .......
but really i believe if you find a guitar you like even if it's not a famous brand ........ F@#k it just use it and sound fabulous....... no need to own the fender /gibson/taylor whatever
so yeah to sum up if you have spare cash as in a 'chunk of change" lying around that buying a Gibson will not effect your budget too much then get one and enjoy it...
if not the Epi is a great guitar ....
and when if you ever get that famous that you 'need " a gibson .... you will have the money to buy whatever you want heheheh so the wembly concert can have you playing that Gibson..........
but while you playing in some small club in jhb an Epi is just perfect ...........
peace and light
Keira
