high-end VS low end

[bigblackbear]

okay this question will probably be lame to some, but to others like me, it could be a stepping stone to a whole new insight on guitars.

what's the difference between a high-end guitar and a low-end guitar?
what exactly are you paying for?

WAIT, before you laugh, let me justify my curiosity

let's compare an epiphone les paul standard plus top

and a gibson les paul traditional

at face value, they look pretty much the same (minus the colour and headstock)
4 knobs, a 3 way pickup selector, pickguard, etc
the only difference i can see is probably the tuner


next, if we move on to the specs (as seen on the gibson and epiphone website respectively)

both guitars have a 22-fret rosewood fingerboard
both have a mahogany body
tune-o-matic bridge

they do however, have different pickups
the gibby uses a 57 classic and 57 classic plus
where as the epiphone is using alnico classic humbuckers.

yet if you were to compare prices, the gibson lespaul is about 3 times the price of the epiphone.

so what exactly is in the gibson(or any other high end guitars) that cause it to be that expensive?

is it the brand that you're paying for?
and ultimately, is what you pay really what you get?


please do share you views on this. thank you

 

[RyanZ]

The QC, the quality of wood, the parts used and the country of origin. Gibson guitars are made in the U.S.A while Epiphones are made in China, Korea and Indonesia.

 

[Gravity.]

hmm, does the country the guitar its made in really raise the price of a guitar?

 

[ash_88]

the labour cost perhaps? is more expensive to pay a worker in the u.s then china. the different grade of mahogany used. the other accesories suchs as the machine heads or electronics, the grade of the maple top are a consideration. at the end of the day name plays a part too. the pedigree and history of the name actually causes the price to be marked up as well. too mi doesnt matter whether high or low, if i like it and if feels good i would choose the low end over the high end.

 

[bigblackbear]

hmm, does the country the guitar its made in really raise the price of a guitar?

my sentiments too. does the country it is made in really affect the price that much? does the shipping add to it as well?

 

[subversion]

hmm, does the country the guitar its made in really raise the price of a guitar?

labour costs in the particular country do contribute to the final retail price of the instrument, otherwise, manufacturers won't take the trouble to source for cheaper production- they don't change the production venue for fun.

 

[RyanZ]

Like ash said, the pedigree of the brand and the labour cost. The country of origin is one factor that affects the cost. Also, the grade of materials/ parts used are different. You cannot expect a Epiphone to sound like a Gibson.

 

[smurfpiss]

Definitely the branding.

 

[EngelFaeuste]

Frankly speaking, I do not know much about Gibsons as I have felt the prices were flat out ridiculous.

I have no problems paying for Jacksons as the quality really does increase proportionally with the pricetags. Though I will admit the lower-end of Jackson guitars are overpriced (Made in India), the high end Jacksons are honestly the best guitars I have ever played.

One, the Jackson USA guitars sound fantastic, they not only select great woods, the know how to make it into a highly playable guitar. I would say in terms of playability, the Jackson USAs trounce the import Jacksons (one of which I am playing now) due to the use of the through-neck design, import Jacksons are all bolt on guitars.

I have played a JS30WR before, and comparing it to my Japanese Import MG Warrior, it is quite horrible. In a sense that it does not feel as comfortable to play, it also felt lighter and more flimsily built.

 

[moo_5150]

same like compare between Toyota and Lexus,
course QC, wood, parts, labour make the price different, and also the big name behind that... the pride, the mojo.... whatsoever what u call it....

 

[LadyInTears]

a recent guitar mag which i picked up in bordes saw the slash epiphone lp beat the gibson slash lp for value for money worth, and frankly, the gibson's ive played havent been particularly impressive, to me, no offence to funktastic, only his latest Gibson has lived up to my standards of a gibson, ive played many great epiphones and many crappy gibsons, but like some poited out, its the branding, and its sexier to be seen with a gibson then a epi yea? ahaha

 

[Whitestrat]

but like some poited out, its the branding, and its sexier to be seen with a gibson then a epi yea? ahaha

Epiphone gets me a phone number. Gibson gets me laid.:twisted:

 

[ShredCow]

Its not so much about the guitar... its the person buying actually. Anything is justified and everything can be ridiculous. Worth is in the Size of the Pocket of the Beholder.

That said - I enjoy a well thought-out, well made guitar... even better if I knew it was put together with care & love. Its like a master artist's painting.

 

[Lifehouse]

Assuming that the materials have remained mostly the same as 4 years ago, here are my observations.

1. Even though both uses mahogany for the body, the species of mahogany would likely be different. And therefore, sound different. I recall Honduras mahogany being more expensive than the (African?) mahogany.

2. The Epi's maple top might be a veneer. If it does not have an actual maple cap, then the veneer will not contribute much to a LP's sound signature.

3. Quality of workmanship. I have heard of stories about Gib's shoddy workmanship, but I never did owned a Gibby lemon. I did have had an Epi that sounded like a sitar due to bad fret works. I used to have an Epi MIK Goldtop with P90s while it sounded great, the difference in workmanship is evident. Note: These observations are almost 4 years ago so they might not be valid.

4. Electronics of a Gibby tend to be more reliable.

Of course there are jewels and lemons but we are talking across the production line right?

Basically, you do pay for what you get. Is it overpriced when compared to LP copies such as Tokais and Edwards? Yes. There is a premium you are paying for the brand name.

 

[Whitestrat]

what's the difference between a high-end guitar and a low-end guitar?

Lets stretch this a bit guys... I think the Gibby/Epi thing is done to death. Lets go further than that.

Is there a difference between a Detemple/D'Pergo and a SX/TGM?:twisted:

 

[AzNjT]

The Built quality is by far the most important aspect of buying a guitar. no matter how cheap you can get an instrument, its always good to know your stuff.

Yes, you are also paying a premium for namesake, but at least you know that your instrument has gone through proper QC and is approved for retail.

You get what you pay for, Different grades of woods, and inferior materials used for the lower end guitars. (example. horrible grain fretboards, bad binding word etc.)

Electronics wise, if you dont look at the workmanship, the electronics would have better response on the Gibson than the pickups you get on the epiphone.

If you have that extra money to spend on a Gibson and then some, then dont even think about getting an Epiphone for yourself. Chances are that you will appriciate the Gibson more in time to come than an Epiphone.

 

[ahkiatt]

Epiphone gets me a phone number. Gibson gets me laid.:twisted:

+69

and another 69...

 

[dudelove]

Epiphone gets me a phone number. Gibson gets me laid.:twisted:

+100000000000

wait do u even have a gibson?

 

[THOA]

+100000000000

wait do u even have a gibson?

WHO CARES!

It's still the best answer in this thread! :twisted:

 

[rimuel]

he's got a slash goldtop man.