[johliatay]

Being a novice in comparing Gibson to Epiphone I want to apologize for my question up front.

Is there a big enough of a differnece between these guitars to warrant the $3000 difference?

I really love the guitar but can not justify paying that big of a differrnce if I am getting a quality guitar in the epiphone??

Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

 

[jaken777]

Being a novice in comparing Gibson to Epiphone I want to apologize for my question up front.

Is there a big enough of a differnece between these guitars to warrant the $3000 difference?

I really love the guitar but can not justify paying that big of a differrnce if I am getting a quality guitar in the epiphone??

Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

Bro, epiphone are good guitar's the boneyard's sound is the same as in a Gibson, they both have the same picups from Gibson, if your just starting out to play don't buy a $3000 guitar! you can buy a guitar , a amp & efects board , 4 track recorder, this is a good way to get started, yes i have 4 epiphone's lps & the boneyard is one of them & it kicks BUTT!
cheers -Jake.

 

[King Knall]

Well, the Gibby Boneyard is hand-made in Gibson's Custom Shop, has higher quality woods, has a mahogany neck, and is a Gibson.

The Epi Boneyard, is produced on an assembly line in Korea, using lower quality woods, has a maple neck, and is liscensed by Gibson.

Why not try an Ibanez AR2000/3000? They look much nicer than the Boneyard, is crafted by Fujigen in Japan, and can be found in the $1000 range. Even the cheaper Korean AR300 looks nicer.

 

[JESTER700]

If you're a novice I REALLY think you shouldn't spend $$ on either of these brands, unless you get a good used deal so you can get all your money back if ou sell later. There are lots of Korean Les Paul knockoffs out there for $500 if you need to buy new (or you can get them even cheaper used). Once you are SURE this is the way you want to go, go to a BIG store where you can play a few Gibsons (expensive as they are, their quality control is crappy) and pick the best one. Then cherish it and pretend that it's really better than a guitar half its price...

 

[elpingua]

The ibanez iceman is not a bad starter guitar IMO. It has mahogony like gibsons, also has the same type of bridge and is also a set neck. Also looks pretty sharp =)

 

[johliatay]

Thanks everyone. I have been playing about 20 years but never had much interest in Gibson or Epiphone so please forgive my ignorance. My local shop had a Gibson Boneyard and an Epiphone Boneyard side by side and I could not believe how much they looked alike. I played both and other than severe weight difference and some slight sound differences; I could not understand the $3,000 difference in price.

I realize one is limited edition, hand made with better quality woods, but I just can not see spending that much of a difference in an instrument that seems pretty similar in looks and feel.

 

[JESTER700]

Oops. I thought you meant you were a novice overall. After 20 years I guess you'd have an idea about what you like.

These high end Gibbys are like Fender relics and such - you pay a LOT for a little extra spitshine, name, and not much else. The "better quality woods" could have been put on the guitar for well under that $3k premium, but that doesn't increase the profit margin. Is there another store that carries Epis? You might find one with a weight more to your liking.

 

[johliatay]

Thanks Jester700. I have played a few Zakk Wylde Epis and found that they weigh a lot less too.

I will scout around and see if I can find anyone else with the Boneyard.

I have to say I love the guitar and just wanted to make sure the quality is still there.

 

[jaken777]

Thanks everyone. I have been playing about 20 years but never had much interest in Gibson or Epiphone so please forgive my ignorance. My local shop had a Gibson Boneyard and an Epiphone Boneyard side by side and I could not believe how much they looked alike. I played both and other than severe weight difference and some slight sound differences; I could not understand the $3,000 difference in price.

I realize one is limited edition, hand made with better quality woods, but I just can not see spending that much of a difference in an instrument that seems pretty similar in looks and feel.

Sorry bro, you didn't say you played for 20 year's, anyway, i play for a live'n
& sometimes the music call's for diffrent sounding guitar's,ok if you want a $3k Gibson boneyard then play the hell out of it, risk devalue after you knock it about, it don't make sence for $3k doze it? i got the epiphone because it did the same job as the Gibson, there really isn't much of a diffrence apart from the woods used to make them & small design diffrence's, epiphone made in japan are made better than -( some )-of the US Gibson's & have the same head stock Shape, the neck is set deeper into the body with thicker mapel cap on the body, some of the gibson's are really over priced for what you get for your dollar, i don't understand the $3k diffrence when your playing them & the epiphone doze the same job, diffrent stroke's for diffrent folk's, i think some people have money to burn with an ego to match it, i'm with you on this one bro.
Shred "em" Dead!!! - Jake

 

[jaken777]

GOOD LUCK in finding what you wanted bro! just make sure you look over the guitar's well because with some of these guitar's it's hit or miss, let us know how you go with it anyway.
Cheers -Jake

 

[King Knall]

Ah yes, the Elitist instruments have been getting rave reviews. Well, they do come from Fujigen, so no surprises there.

The only main differences between the Elitists and Gibsons is the place of manufacture and finish (Gibson=nitrocellulose, Elitistolyurethane). Their pickups are wound in USA made. Dude, if you want something better than both the Gibson and Epi Boneyards, try considering the Tak Matsumoto model. It's simply gorgeous. It's got Burstbuckers, Abalone inlays, and a nice quilt top. Just compare the models:

The Epi Boneyard:

The Gibson Boneyard:

The Epi Elitist Tak Matsumoto

Yes, the Gibby looks nicer, but not for $3000+ it isn't. The Tak model is about $1500.

 

[jaken777]

Kamikazi, good stuff bro nice to see! even the earlyer epiphone lp's to come out of japan are made well, i have the epi Tak model as well as Boneyard, Classic lp 7string in trans black & a early epiphone custom -made in japan same head stock as gibson's, also a Gibson gold top USA custom shop, I gig the boneyard because i don't want to scar the others, as i said in my last post, it dose the job well! with out the worry of kill'n the other guitars & sounds just as good, holds it's own against the other lp's i have here.

most guitars to come out of japan are good, with the other epi's that aren't it's hit or miss because of the way there constructed it make's qulity an issue, if you shop around you will find a good guitar, the epi lp 7string is a killer,Wow! what a sound this thing thump's out, & the tone is outstanding! any one tryed out a Lp 7?

 

[David McCarroll]

Epi Boneyard comes out of Korea, right? Curious that no one has actually mentioned the major reason for the difference in price - The Gibson is made in the USA, by people who get paid US style salaries, the Epis are made in Korea, on Korean salaries. Nitrocellulose lacquer DOES make a huge difference to how a guitar "breathes" - if you compare a Custom Shop '58 to, say, a Les Paul Classic, they sound and feel totally different - the only similarity is the shape! Gibson Custom Shop guitars are actually hand made - no sh*t! (by people using machines though, not whittling them out with a penknife)- that leads to each instrument being a little different from its mates, and, as some people have noted, rather varying quality control (though I've picked up maybe a hundred Gibbo CS instruments, and only one of them, a black 335, genuinely sucked) - are they worth the money? Is a real '59 Les Paul worth $100K? - it is if that's exactly what you want and you've got the Pesos to get it! I gigged with a CS 57 for a few years - great guitar, too heavy, and it refused to stay in tune - so Gibson sure got the guitar historically accurate!

If you can afford it, get the Gibson, but try to find a second hand one - let someone else take the depreciation pain!

 

[johliatay]

I LOVE THIS SITE!!!!

Thanks everyone for your great feedback. I learn more from you guys than anywhere or anyone else.

 

[red5]

I say if a guitar costs $3000 more it's already not worth it

 

[King Knall]

I say if a guitar costs $3000 more it's already not worth it

Ah, but what if you go custom?

 

[red5]

Ah, but what if you go custom?

Yeah custom starts at like $3000. I don't think it's worth going custom though. I mean I have a couple ideas for some custom guitars like a lightning bolt body or something... but there's no practical purpose to spend that much on unless I was about to hit it big (a unique guitar is a publicity stunt you know?).

 

[King Knall]

Yeah custom starts at like $3000. I don't think it's worth going custom though. I mean I have a couple ideas for some custom guitars like a lightning bolt body or something... but there's no practical purpose to spend that much on unless I was about to hit it big (a unique guitar is a publicity stunt you know?).

True. But you'll have a guitar tailored to your specific specs. Handmade doesn't come cheap y'know.

 

[red5]

^^ I know. But I am very happy with my Jem And there is a bit out there...

I find that with acoustics it is a little different story - your typical lines of acoustics you get rosewood or mahogany back and sides and you are pretty limited to that. Most mahogany guitars these days are cheap, and rosewood is too dull for me. Tonewise I am a J-200 guy but they are big and heavy. There was a Goodall that was lighter and smaller with a little different sounding tone, but it wasn't any worse and maybe a little more well rounded.