how would you rate epiphone build quality compared to 90's builds

[Bobbydazzler]

Hi,I was just wondering if any of you have been playing epiphones for the past 30 or more years and if so what are your opinions in build quality of their guitars nowadays compared to 80's,90's and 00's builds?

 

[Raiyn]

They had nicer materials available to them in the past, that's for sure.

A Korean Epi is pretty close to the Holy Grail around these parts.

As to build quality, my 07 G400 Faded is perfectly fine. Yeah the interiors of the cavities look like they were dug out with a spoon in places, and the "shield paint" application was frankly pathetic, but that's not going to affect most users who will never take apart their guitars much less do all the mods I did.

All the external stuff is / was fine on mine. Occasionally there's a minor issue on a new o e, but it's not the "tragedy" it would be on a Gibby.

 

[John]

I cant honestly say, I didn't own any guitars in the 80s or 90s sadly enough. I sure don't have any complaints nowadays.

 

[Supersonic]

I think the current quality is the best it's ever been. I owned an MIK Sheraton and MIK LP std. Both had crooked tuners, sloppy finishes, and shit electronics. On the other hand I have a MIK Hummingbird that is wonderful. Every plant in every country makes good ones and bad ones, but as far as consistency goes I'll take the newer MIC and Indonesian ones all day long.

Plus the MIK Semi-hollows have that generic looking Samick shaped body and the new ones are correct.

I am definitely not a believer in the "just because it's MIK means it's better" thing.

 

[Biddlin]

build quality of their guitars nowadays compared to 80's,90's and 00's builds?

I had an 80's Epi that was not well finished, with bad frets, sharp edges on the saddles and tuning keys that fell apart. My '98 LP Standard (MiK) is is superb. Same with my '03, '05 SGs (MiC I think) and more recent LPC, Dot Deluxe (MiC)and my Wildkat (Made in Indonesia?). My '08 T-bird bass (MiC)is also very well made and the sound is first cabin, all the way.

 

[Raiyn]

I am definitely not a believer in the "just because it's MIK means it's better" thing.

They're not automatically better, I agree. They did have nicer materials availiable due to less stringent global import / export regulations, and there are several around here that regard them quite highly. I, on the other hand, agree that the Chinese stuff has been consistently good. I'd imagine that CNC tech has contributed greatly in that area.

 

[Paruwi]

Hi,I was just wondering if any of you have been playing epiphones for the past 30 or more years and if so what are your opinions in build quality of their guitars nowadays compared to 80's,90's and 00's builds?

I have owned and played many Epis from the beginning 90s up to today, the older ones had been made in Korea the others had been made in China and Indonesia, most of them had been fine, regardless where they were made.

Over the years I came to the conclusion that korean Epis are just different in many things. Different OEM factories produced them with their different knowledge and schedules, that's why it is hard to tell if an older MiK Epi is legit or not.

Though Mr. Jim Rosenberg, the CEO of Epi once stated that the return-rate in the 90s had been around 5% - and nowadays it's below 1%
This might you tell something....

I prefer to rate the single guitar - not the country or the decade where/when it was built.

 

[Paruwi]

They had nicer materials available to them in the past, that's for sure.

A Korean Epi is pretty close to the Holy Grail around these parts.

I dissagree....

they used whatever wood (asian mahogani and/or alder) was available - and even chambered some like their Holy Grail

 

[Raiyn]

I stand corrected.

I should say though, that chambered LP would be a selling point for me.

 

[Bobbydazzler]

I think the current quality is the best it's ever been. I owned an MIK Sheraton and MIK LP std. Both had crooked tuners, sloppy finishes, and shit electronics. On the other hand I have a MIK Hummingbird that is wonderful. Every plant in every country makes good ones and bad ones, but as far as consistency goes I'll take the newer MIC and Indonesian ones all day long.

Plus the MIK Semi-hollows have that generic looking Samick shaped body and the new ones are correct.

I am definitely not a believer in the "just because it's MIK means it's better" thing.

I have a 17 year old samick built mik that I love but when I played the 100th anniversary edition lp IMO it felt to me like it was of a better build quality.
I was really impressed and if most epi's are around the same build quality I personally think for around £500 they are to be polite absolutely fantastic for the price.
I would love to try a gibby lp standard as it is about 20 odd years since I last played one to compare but am unfortunately almost housebound due to ill health.

BTW just to add : I watched an andertons video someone on the forum linked for me a while back about price/quality scale and I personally think the epi lp custom pro is much closer to the gibson than what their chart suggested.

 

[CaptRedbeard]

My experience spans from 1966 to 2017. The 66 unit was a band members full hollow body electric arch top I believe. I remember a kind of twangy sound, but he played lead and loudly, so no one cared. For some reason I remember that it felt.....well...like a base model car. Played nice though, but high strings if memory serves. Fast forward to my Sheraton semi-hollow body. Everything is better. Solid, fit and finish are quite admirable and the sound is wonderful. I think over the years Epiphone has kept pushing their quality to what it is today. Gibson may have been the driving force behind that but in the mid to late sixties the Beatles and many others took their Casinos and the like, much different than what our lead guitar player had, everywhere.

 

[Bobbydazzler]

I had an 80's Epi that was not well finished, with bad frets, sharp edges on the saddles and tuning keys that fell apart. My '98 LP Standard (MiK) is is superb. Same with my '03, '05 SGs (MiC I think) and more recent LPC, Dot Deluxe (MiC)and my Wildkat (Made in Indonesia?). My '08 T-bird bass (MiC)is also very well made and the sound is first cabin, all the way.

The wiring on my

My experience spans from 1966 to 2017. The 66 unit was a band members full hollow body electric arch top I believe. I remember a kind of twangy sound, but he played lead and loudly, so no one cared. For some reason I remember that it felt.....well...like a base model car. Played nice though, but high strings if memory serves. Fast forward to my Sheraton semi-hollow body. Everything is better. Solid, fit and finish are quite admirable and the sound is wonderful. I think over the years Epiphone has kept pushing their quality to what it is today. Gibson may have been the driving force behind that but in the mid to late sixties the Beatles and many others took their Casinos and the like, much different than what our lead guitar player had, everywhere.

I was really hoping to hear an opinion from someone whos experience dates back to around the sixties.
I only purchased a new epi recently and what I was expecting to what I got really shocked me.
I haven't played a lot of epi's in my time and usually always purchased 2nd hand guitars so don't have much experience compared with the majority of the players and collectors on here but when I think back to some of the guitars I played the quality of the epi to me was utterly fantastic.