Gibson... Epiphone... ?

Question

Right, I want to buy a Genuine Gibson Les Paul, but everywhere is offering Epiphone Les Pauls. Is Epiphone a cheap version of the proper Gibson LP, or is Epiphone the proper name for it?

As I've found Gibson LPs are roughly £1000 but Epiphones are around £200-£400.

Help please? =]

Answer 1

I have had both Gibson and Epiphone Les Pauls and have to say for the money the Epiphone is the best buy. Gibson makes good guitars but are way overpriced for what you get. Both manufacturers us cnc machines to for the majority of the work. Yes Gibson uses a higher grade of materials.But both guitars are licensed Les Pauls and the Epiphones sound great for the price.It seems Gibsons "craftsmanship" is programmed in the machines anymore.

Answer 2

Ah, my specialty.  Epiphone and Gibson are both authorized les paul makers.  Epiphone makes Les Paul in an affordable price, meaning the materials used aren't as high quality as the gibson materials.  Most of the time, Epiphone Les Pauls give a sound very similar to a Gibson Les Pual.  If you have the money for a Gibson, then you should get it.  But if you don't have the money or don't want to pay as much, you should definitely go with the Epiphone.

Answer 3

Epiphone is a cheaper version of the Gibson.

Gibson's in my opinion are extremely better for the price,

my cousin had an Epiphone and had many problems with it,

plus, sound wise a Gibson sounds better.

Answer 4

"Les Paul" is a brand name that is owned by Gibson. they also own  Epiphone, which is their lower cost, made in china product line.  So, yes, both are trully "Les pauls".  But, the Gibson version is considered the top-of-the-line industry standad.

Answer 5

hmmm im in somthing like that too...except its a bit diffrent i want a gibson robot instead of a les paul. but i wud work my but off for either of them.heheh anyways if u really want a gibson at this moment but dont have the money for one then just settle for the Epiphone for now and wait till u have enouph money for one n even sell ur epiphone if it wud help[if u where to go with this idea]. orr u can just  wait and save up for a gibson..idk...did this make sence? haha well i hope i helped u a bit

Answer 6

gibson is the genuine version of the LP but epiphone is simply a whole other guitar which is almost identical to the gibson version. My friend owns an epipone SG (it's an identical of the Gibson SG) and it is still an amazing quality guitar.

so, in my opinion you should GO FOR THE EPIPHONE as it is still amazing and almost identical. Besides, the only reason true Gibsons are so expensive is because of the name. once you put a famous name on something its value doubles or even triples.

Answer 7

I am answering only the part about the Les Paul Studio.  That is a specialty guitar with low-impedance outputs, and (possibly) stereo outputs.  It is used in recording only, really.  It is unlikely to be what you want at all!