Raiyn
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- Jun 16, 2017
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I don't think we are either, but I am going to play with some of your opinions / statements by throwing out some counterpoints and / or supporting opinions from my perspective. We're having having a good talk here and I'm game if you are.I don’t think we are far apart.
My '07 G400 is nearly halfway there, but I've swapped out nearly everything from stem to stern on that axe from a hardware and electronic standpoint. IIRC, maybe a couple of the bushings are OEM. Some of the stuff may well have been crap (looking at you stock bridge), but I don't think the gulf is really as wide as you portray it. (modern stock vs modern stock) I just wanted different stuff, partially for experimentation, but mostly because I dug it.The value I see in the upper tier is mostly two-fold. One is that, because of the materials, these can be generational instruments if cared for. Pot metal will weaken over the years and mystery woods may or may not hold up over time, but select woods with time tested finishes and top coats, along with actual steel instead of cast mystery metal have the best chance to play the same in 30 years.
Point being, I'm not afraid to change parts if I want / need, not that it would matter to me on a Gibby either, because <cartman voice> I do what I want*. </voice>
True, though it doesn't really apply to me, because I don't sell guitars I've bonded with.The second issue is a combination of a few related items. Gibson holds value better,
This can be considered to be a subjective point.is better sounding out of the box,
I've messed around with a couple Gibbys that their owners dug, but I personally would have left in the store. They just didn't have "it" for me in an unplugged sense and just didn't spark for me feel wise. That said, I handled a fair few Epi's before I snagged the Lady. I kept coming back to her. I'm sure I could do the same were I so inclined to buy a Gibby, but the process would be the same. I wouldn't just pull one off the wall and plunk down my CC, I'd have to "chat her up".
I won't argue about the process of a good nitro finish, that's a long process. that said there's room for improvement.and the time spent on the finish makes a huge difference to me.
It would be lovely if a little more care was taken when masking off the truss rod cavity. Yikes! Sure the outside is shiny, but when a guy has to scrape lacquer off the nut to do an adjustment -that ain't fun. Worse is when the gorilla that owns it decides to force the wrench! A bit of tape would make all the difference to us freelance helper monkeys.
Also, I personally don't like how precious you have to be with a nitro finish. I can use whatever stand I want, set my guitar on random furniture and never have to worry about my never curing finish melting.
Blasphemy! Modding is the way, and the life!Basically, I think you get a lot more that makes it unnecessary to mod.
Not going to fault you here either, I found the stock '57s in my G400 lacking as well and electronic swaps are all but a certainty when I commit to an axe. I like what I like and apparently one of those things is voiding warranties!I’ve owned maybe six Epiphone Les Pauls and I changed the pickups (and electronics) because for me it was necessary to make it sound good enough.
I'm never gonna bag on you for trying to find your sound. It's all a process.I know a lot of people really like Epiphone pickups, which is great, but I like very few. When I pulled the BB61s from my
Gibson LP Classic, I thought they sounded good, just not what I wanted in that guitar. But they’d be perfectly good if I wanted a hotter guitar. I made the change to go somewhere, not to get away from something.
∆ This ∆ I can't agree more.Again, as a tinkerer, Epiphone guitars are great for me. Inexpensive entry point for a solid, nice looking platform guitar. And if you love it out of the box, you can enjoy it for a good long time.
Not denying you any of that, you do you. I'm right there with you, only my thresholds are a bit lower based on the reasoning I expressed earlier.My point is simply, for me, there is a clear difference that is worth the money on rare occasions. I’ll never own an R8 or a Rickenbacker or even a Friedman. But I enjoy my collection that’s basically half Asian-made and half American-made. They all have qualities I like or I wouldn’t keep them. Actually I just sold an American Tele because I didn’t like it. Price or place of origin doesn’t determine if I’ll like it, but I know basically what I’m getting and why when I buy from either side of the pacific.
Nice talk buddy.
Personally, I'm lusting over one of those Am. Pro II Jazzmasters that Fender came out with. That Dark Night finish
I could probably (definitely) swing it, but that's a big chunk of change to lay out going into hurricane season and in my house we talk over larger purchases before the trigger gets pulled if for no other reason than respect.
If I hit a nice big lottery and find myself in a position where, with proper planning, money is no longer an issue I'd buy one without a care in the world. I'd likely stick to my guns on a 4K Gibby, but a $1700 Fender done up right? Come to daddy.
I did manage to scratch the itch to a degree with that Squier Contemporary Series Jaguar I have on preorder - which has an exciting spec sheet all on its own while ultimately costing me a grand less** - a concession SWMBO is aware of, because she's "caught me drooling" over both axes.
The things we do to maintain a supportive relationship. I wouldn't have it any other way.
*That SWMBO says I can.
** I added an SKB TSA hard case, a Sweetwater set up for Balanced 10's, extra strings etc.