Guitars

[joachim1965]

3 hours ago, Bellend Sebastian said:

BUMP! 

 

I've still not bought a new guitar because stupid things keep getting in the way like buying food for my children and getting the boiler fixed. 

 

I'm still at the fun stage of debating what I really want, and as well as the above I've got a couple of alternatives on my radar. 

 

Some current Les Paul Studios are down to £1299 at the moment, so only slightly more expensive than the new IBGC Epiphones. But are they sexier? Debatable. 

 

Also, as this is a largely unnecessary exercise anyway, I could save money and buy a used Studio, which with a bit of care and perhaps compromise on condition, can be had from about £700. As usual, some years are supposedly better than others, but I don't get the sense any are real dogs.

 

What would YOU do? And if you say, play them all and choose which one you like best then that's a completely sensible answer

 

 

Buy them all, sod the food and the boiler. 

[Bellend Sebastian]

36 minutes ago, joachim1965 said:

Buy them all, sod the food and the boiler. 

At last some sense 

[Bellend Sebastian]

- So I went for a little jaunt to Guitar Guitar in Brum this afternoon to self consciously road test an Epiphone Inspired by Gibson Custom Shop 1959 Les Paul Standard reissue after the price has been dropped by 200 quid.

 

Really good shop, I have to say - very accommodating, very helpful and very low pressure from a sales point of view.

 

I get there and - what are the chances - some kid is already playing it, but that's no bad thing as he's good and it sounds GREAT.

 

I then get to have a go and I really like it. Yes it's an Epiphone but the quality and finish seem pretty nailed on to me and it's quite a lovely looking beast, with a nice top and almost satin finish. 

 

Felt a bit strange pulling the trigger on a purchase having played one guitar in a shop full of them, so out of curiosity I try a Gibson Les Paul Studio, surely I'm going to have to like it A LOT more to spend an extra £300.

 

So here's the thing - I sort of do. It is possibly slightly better put together, and it didn't sound significantly different to me (and it shouldn't be worlds apart as the Epi has proper Gibson pickups in). I was also a bit distracted by it having lighter strings (more what I'm used to) but the real difference is in the neck - the Studio has the 1960s slimmer neck, and although the '59 isn't as chunky as earlier models (they had a '57 reissue that I didn't even bother trying) it did feel a little unwieldy in comparison.

 

So where are we left? With me going back next week to compare an Epiphone 1960 reissue and a Blueberry Burst (surely the sexiest finish) Gibson LP Studio, which helpful has £300 off it at the moment

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Free Falling Foxes]

Keep getting YouTube notifications for this young lad. There's even videos of him aged just six playing like a seasoned pro.

Not only plays well, but with feeling.

 

[Flamey]

1 hour ago, Bellend Sebastian said:

- So I went for a little jaunt to Guitar Guitar in Brum this afternoon to self consciously road test an Epiphone Inspired by Gibson Custom Shop 1959 Les Paul Standard reissue after the price has been dropped by 200 quid.

 

Really good shop, I have to say - very accommodating, very helpful and very low pressure from a sales point of view.

 

I get there and - what are the chances - some kid is already playing it, but that's no bad thing as he's good and it sounds GREAT.

 

I then get to have a go and I really like it. Yes it's an Epiphone but the quality and finish seem pretty nailed on to me and it's quite a lovely looking beast, with a nice top and almost satin finish. 

 

Felt a bit strange pulling the trigger on a purchase having played one guitar in a shop full of them, so out of curiosity I try a Gibson Les Paul Studio, surely I'm going to have to like it A LOT more to spend an extra £300.

 

So here's the thing - I sort of do. It is possibly slightly better put together, and it didn't sound significantly different to me (and it shouldn't be worlds apart as the Epi has proper Gibson pickups in). I was also a bit distracted by it having lighter strings (more what I'm used to) but the real difference is in the neck - the Studio has the 1960s slimmer neck, and although the '59 isn't as chunky as earlier models (they had a '57 reissue that I didn't even bother trying) it did feel a little unwieldy in comparison.

 

So where are we left? With me going back next week to compare an Epiphone 1960 reissue and a Blueberry Burst (surely the sexiest finish) Gibson LP Studio, which helpful has £300 off it at the moment

 

 

 

 

 

 

Well.....if it was me (based on what you have said) I'd have to get the Gibson....the burden of knowledge (about the neck) being the a factor.  Plus, you may well not feel quite satisfied...sure you will initially...but will the thirst for a Gibson resurface in a year or two? 

[Bellend Sebastian]

2 hours ago, Flamey said:

Well.....if it was me (based on what you have said) I'd have to get the Gibson....the burden of knowledge (about the neck) being the a factor.  Plus, you may well not feel quite satisfied...sure you will initially...but will the thirst for a Gibson resurface in a year or two? 

That's pretty much what the guy in the shop said. It's a funny one as I'm guessing the 1960 Epi neck will be the same and in terms of looks has the edge (no pun intended, but binding on the body as well as the neck, the inlaid logo etc) but there was something about the Gibson that I couldn't quite put my finger on that makes me think that's what I'll go for. I'm going to allow myself plenty of time and probably go with my gut in the end but I'm not expecting it to be an easy choice

[Dr Marco]

" Sarina had a dream,

she built an England team,

she comes from Netherlands now she's one of our own,

we sit at the back, and counter attack,

champions of Europe,

you make us sing that"

[Libertine]

26 minutes ago, Dr Marco said:

" Sarina had a dream,

she built an England team,

she comes from Netherlands now she's one of our own,

we sit at the back, and counter attack,

champions of Europe,

you make us sing that"

Wrong thread? 

[Flamey]

1 hour ago, Dr Marco said:

" Sarina had a dream,

she built an England team,

she comes from Netherlands now she's one of our own,

we sit at the back, and counter attack,

champions of Europe,

you make us sing that"

Got the guitar tab for it? 😂

[Pliskin]

On 27/07/2025 at 18:49, Bellend Sebastian said:

- So I went for a little jaunt to Guitar Guitar in Brum this afternoon to self consciously road test an Epiphone Inspired by Gibson Custom Shop 1959 Les Paul Standard reissue after the price has been dropped by 200 quid.

 

Really good shop, I have to say - very accommodating, very helpful and very low pressure from a sales point of view.

 

I get there and - what are the chances - some kid is already playing it, but that's no bad thing as he's good and it sounds GREAT.

 

I then get to have a go and I really like it. Yes it's an Epiphone but the quality and finish seem pretty nailed on to me and it's quite a lovely looking beast, with a nice top and almost satin finish. 

 

Felt a bit strange pulling the trigger on a purchase having played one guitar in a shop full of them, so out of curiosity I try a Gibson Les Paul Studio, surely I'm going to have to like it A LOT more to spend an extra £300.

 

So here's the thing - I sort of do. It is possibly slightly better put together, and it didn't sound significantly different to me (and it shouldn't be worlds apart as the Epi has proper Gibson pickups in). I was also a bit distracted by it having lighter strings (more what I'm used to) but the real difference is in the neck - the Studio has the 1960s slimmer neck, and although the '59 isn't as chunky as earlier models (they had a '57 reissue that I didn't even bother trying) it did feel a little unwieldy in comparison.

 

So where are we left? With me going back next week to compare an Epiphone 1960 reissue and a Blueberry Burst (surely the sexiest finish) Gibson LP Studio, which helpful has £300 off it at the moment

 

 

 

 

 

 

I would say go for the Gibson studio. The Epiphone’s are excellent guitars, but the LP studio has dramatically improved since the early 2000’s…. So much so that is literally becomes the choice of instrument for a lot of studio based musicians. The LP will I imagine have slightly better pickups too, also o really like the finish of modern day LP’s too. 
 

What I will say is this, go and try big for yourself again, play them both, pick some songs, to play on both and compare the two. I can sit here and say buy the LP, but you need to feel them both and try to go with which one you prefer playing and prefer the sound of, don’t just go with what is perceived to be better. 
 

The LP will be the slightly better of the two, but it will boil down to personal preference, I’ve got a Gibson LP, and my go to guitar is my Mexican Strat from 2004! Because I just love playing it. 
 

It probably hasn’t helped you at all, but my advice would be play both, and see where you’re at, but I would imagine you’ll prefer the LP when you play it! They’re truly cracking guitars the studios. 

[Bellend Sebastian]

On 29/07/2025 at 18:31, Pliskin said:

I would say go for the Gibson studio. The Epiphone’s are excellent guitars, but the LP studio has dramatically improved since the early 2000’s…. So much so that is literally becomes the choice of instrument for a lot of studio based musicians. The LP will I imagine have slightly better pickups too, also o really like the finish of modern day LP’s too. 
 

What I will say is this, go and try big for yourself again, play them both, pick some songs, to play on both and compare the two. I can sit here and say buy the LP, but you need to feel them both and try to go with which one you prefer playing and prefer the sound of, don’t just go with what is perceived to be better. 
 

The LP will be the slightly better of the two, but it will boil down to personal preference, I’ve got a Gibson LP, and my go to guitar is my Mexican Strat from 2004! Because I just love playing it. 
 

It probably hasn’t helped you at all, but my advice would be play both, and see where you’re at, but I would imagine you’ll prefer the LP when you play it! They’re truly cracking guitars the studios. 

Well they've both come into the shop now so I'll go along on Sunday to try them out. 

 

I'm expecting it to be quite difficult choice. The Epi has Gibson Custombuckers in it so no real advantage for the Studio there, and all the nice cosmetic bits of a more expensive Les Paul. Soft rather than hard case with the Gibson which actually has some appeal as hard cases are not the easiest to store, are they?

 

Think I'm just going to have to shut my eyes and go on feel.  The boring part of me is thinking about potential resale value (I have a fair amount of money tied up in instruments given my limited ability) but they're close enough together that I think it will be difficult to make a choice I regret.

 

Getting a bit excited now

 

 

 

 

 

[Flamey]

22 hours ago, Bellend Sebastian said:

Well they've both come into the shop now so I'll go along on Sunday to try them out. 

 

I'm expecting it to be quite difficult choice. The Epi has Gibson Custombuckers in it so no real advantage for the Studio there, and all the nice cosmetic bits of a more expensive Les Paul. Soft rather than hard case with the Gibson which actually has some appeal as hard cases are not the easiest to store, are they?

 

Think I'm just going to have to shut my eyes and go on feel.  The boring part of me is thinking about potential resale value (I have a fair amount of money tied up in instruments given my limited ability) but they're close enough together that I think it will be difficult to make a choice I regret.

 

Getting a bit excited now

 

 

 

 

 

It certainly feels like 'the Gibson/epi battle' is going reach it's conclusion after all this time! 😂. My money (well potentially your money) is on the Gibson! Hope you pick the 'right one' either way. 👏

[Bellend Sebastian]

So the deed has been done, and I have defied my own expectations and gone for the Epi.

 

I thought it played at least as well as the Gibson LP Studio, it looks particularly ace (we ordered the colour without being especially confident about what it looked like, and out the case  I just went WHOA), was £300 less and the real clincher was it sounded better - just a bit more bite when driven

 

 

Edited 3 August 2025 by Bellend Sebastian

[Flamey]

2 minutes ago, Bellend Sebastian said:

So the deed has been done, and I have defied my own expectations and gone for the Epi.

 

I thought it played at least as well as the Gibson LP Studio, it looks particularly ace (we ordered the colour without being especially confident about what it looked like, and out the case  I just went WHOA), was £300 less and the real clincher was it sounded better - just a bit more bite when driven

 

 

Congrats!! I've been awaiting this result more than today's friendly 🤣

[Bellend Sebastian]

2 hours ago, Flamey said:

Congrats!! I've been awaiting this result more than today's friendly 🤣

Ha! I doubt that but cheers.

 

I was just pleased that it was a relatively easy decision in the end.

 

The Studio was very, very nice, but when it came to the crunch there was no obvious quality advantage (there were actually more finish imperfections on it than the Epi) and pathetically the Epi just shouted CLASSIC ROCK in a way the Gibson just didn't.

 

I'll muck about with it for a couple of days and then take it to Danny the guitar guy for a set up - not that it desperately needs much of one

[Flamey]

11 hours ago, Bellend Sebastian said:

Ha! I doubt that but cheers.

 

I was just pleased that it was a relatively easy decision in the end.

 

The Studio was very, very nice, but when it came to the crunch there was no obvious quality advantage (there were actually more finish imperfections on it than the Epi) and pathetically the Epi just shouted CLASSIC ROCK in a way the Gibson just didn't.

 

I'll muck about with it for a couple of days and then take it to Danny the guitar guy for a set up - not that it desperately needs much of one

Excellent reasoning in my opinion, sounds like the only 'advantage' the Gibson had was the letters on the headstock.  Good old Danny will give an excellent service as always, shame he isn't on FT, he'd be useful on here! Plus he is a big Fox fantastic an an all round fantastic chap ..and his Mrs (Nat) is also highly knowledgeable on guitars too.

[Flamey]

@Bellend Sebastian well...how's the honeymoon going? 🤔😂

[Bellend Sebastian]

1 hour ago, Flamey said:

@Bellend Sebastian well...how's the honeymoon going? 🤔😂

It's not, really! 

 

I think it's got really crappy strings on it and goes out of tune if you so much as look at it, and though it played pretty well out of the box really is screaming for a set up now.

 

Beyond occasionally opening the case and gazing lovingly at it, I'm not really playing it until that work's been done - it's going in on Thursday. As I saved quite a lot on the list price I don't begrudge that

[The Year Of The Fox]

On 27/07/2025 at 19:17, Free Falling Foxes said:

Keep getting YouTube notifications for this young lad. There's even videos of him aged just six playing like a seasoned pro.

Not only plays well, but with feeling.

 

Wow 😂😂

[Pliskin]

I’ve been in the market for a budget noisy bastard, I was looking at Schecter Omen’s the Ibanez RG series and Jackson. Around the £500-600 mark.

 

Andertons then put a Black Friday deal for a PRS SE custom 24, with an original Floyd Rose to boot. It’s excellent. Build quality is excellent and it sounds pretty good… neck is slim and fast and it does feel like a proper shredding machine despite not being one. 
 

Eventually I’ll fit it with some Fishmans Fluence’s at some point to give it some bite, but for £600 it’s an absolute bargain!

[Raj]

My lad is 12 and been having lessons for the last couple of years(only once a week) and he practices a couple pf times a week too.

When he reads music and strums on his guitar i feel so proud and wish i had taken it up myself.

 

Keep telling him he will pull loads of birds when he's older when he plays his guitar but he's at that stage where he hates girlsbless him!!

[RoboFox]

On 04/12/2025 at 13:09, Pliskin said:

I’ve been in the market for a budget noisy bastard, I was looking at Schecter Omen’s the Ibanez RG series and Jackson. Around the £500-600 mark.

 

Andertons then put a Black Friday deal for a PRS SE custom 24, with an original Floyd Rose to boot. It’s excellent. Build quality is excellent and it sounds pretty good… neck is slim and fast and it does feel like a proper shredding machine despite not being one. 
 

Eventually I’ll fit it with some Fishmans Fluence’s at some point to give it some bite, but for £600 it’s an absolute bargain!

I've got one. It's a great all-rounder and can pretty much do anything if you've got a split coil. I find the finished neck can be a bit sticky at times but you can't go wrong with these guitars at that price point. 

 

5 hours ago, Raj said:

My lad is 12 and been having lessons for the last couple of years(only once a week) and he practices a couple pf times a week too.

When he reads music and strums on his guitar i feel so proud and wish i had taken it up myself.

 

Keep telling him he will pull loads of birds when he's older when he plays his guitar but he's at that stage where he hates girlsbless him!!

It's not too late Raj! 

[Raj]

3 minutes ago, RoboFox said:

I've got one. It's a great all-rounder and can pretty much do anything if you've got a split coil. I find the finished neck can be a bit sticky at times but you can't go wrong with these guitars at that price point. 

 

It's not too late Raj! 

He does teach me a few chords and its brilliant.

 

I'm living my life through him, he's going to make me a fortune as the Brown Ed Sheeran!!!

[Spudulike]

Had a loft clear out and found my old Yamaha acoustic guitar - FG-110, red label from the 60's. Bought it second hand in the late 70's with the intension of learning and joining a punk band. Never did master it.

 

I've had it restrung, been told it plays very well and is in very good nick for a 60 year old guitar.

 

Don't think I've got the talent to play it or the patience to learn. What to do with it?

[Dr Marco]

any kids from your family/friends willing to learn?