So am I hearing things or does the Ibanez have more of a response/pop than the Epi? Is it the action, passive vs. active, pick ups? Again maybe its just me but my Epi just doesn't seem to have the "thuderous lows" that they proclaim on their site compared to the Ibanez. Same Amp by the way.
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Epiphone or Ibanez?
- Thread starter frogpond1
- Start date
that was kinda...dumb
.if you consider $499(the cost of the highest priced epis)too expensive? then your just too d*** cheap..that was kinda...dumb
What ticks me off is the completely unjustified dickery of pointing fingers at every Epiphone owner (maybe half the thread plus the OP) and calling them idiots for not sharing his very personal dislikes. Way to come off as a total jerk for no good reason.
I see in the guy's profile he owns an Ibanez SR505. Fine bass I'm sure, but if you've been paying attention to the thread I believe it's pretty much a rebranded Cort Artisan B5. The Ibanez, in my opinion, is a bad deal compared to the Cort. That's not because it was made by the same guys, but because it has very similar specs with comparable build quality and probably sounds identical, but you have to pay extra just for the more famous name in the headstock and different looks. And in the local stores I've seen, that "fashion" premium is certainly over $100.
In short, I believe that particular Ibanez is overpriced.
But that doesn't mean I'm going to come over here, look in your face and the face of every Ibanez owner and come out with this pearl of wisdom:
That sounds pretty dumb, arrogant and personally offensive if you own an Ibanez, doesn't it? So I wouldn't say that even if I though it was true.
Nothing personal Spambot, I'm sure you're a cool guy in person and I think your screen name is very clever (I always go "wha?" when I see your posts and then "oh"). I just got rubbed the wrong way by that attitude, and believe it made your post as useless to the discussion and irritating as anything a real spam-bot would say. And who likes those, right?
Overpriced? What models are you talking about? I think the Epi Eb-0 I got is priced very reasonably at $200. It's better to me than a$150 Squier and worse than a $300 Squier, so I don't think it's a hundred dollars too expensive for what they are.
And I don't know what the heck you are comparing "today's Epiphone" to call it a joke, but your attitude of "everyone who buys this brand is an idiot" is rude, uncalled for, and not even very accurate.
Sorry if I came off kind of harsh there, went a little overboard with the hyperbole. At any rate, I don't find them to be an efficient enough use of my money, but if you have a different opinion you are welcome to it.
And the thing about "Today's Epiphone": Epiphone wasn't always a Gibson off-brand. Epiphone and Gibson were actually competitors for decades, until Epi went under and Gibson bought them for a pittance. 40s Epiphones are well known for their fantastic quality, although just electric guitars (Bass guitars didn't exist then)
Oh and Epiphones extent into the $700s. Might just be guitars though.
I like the Soundgears and think they're very good basses for the money, but I wouldn't go as far as saying they have "thunderous" lows.
The active electronics will help you to get more bass, mids, and treble out of the instrument that the passive Epiphone cannot; Hence making the bass capable of getting additional bottom end that the Epiphone cannot and more importantly, an overall more versatile bass.
that was kinda...dumb
I'm anything but cheap and I do have to agree with him that the Epiphones are over-priced for the quality and tonal variations they offer. Never has an Epiphone moved me enough to want to shell out $500 for one.
There we go. Now I can take your opinions more seriously and we can chat like intelligent, decent human beings.
All true, of course. But doesn't mean it was all downhill from then on, does it?
Some pretty decent musicians have played Epiphones after that, and by choice even! Most famously, some british dudes you might have heard of seemed pretty happy with their Epiphone Casinos:
Not your usual newbies who couldn't afford Gibsons and didn't know any better, right?
I agree the SX-priced Epiphone SG and Les Paul "special" series guitars look and feel cheap as heck, even worse than the famously crappy Squier Affinity competitors in the "pennyless teenager beginner" market. I wouldn't want those at any price.
But that doesn't mean every Epiphone is bad, and certainly my own (limited) experience with their Eb-0 has been a very pleasant surprise. It's their very cheapest bass and indeed the cheapest short-scale bass I could find anywhere in Brazil (we only get the regular-scale SX '75 Jazz models).
But it's really solid for the price: it doesn't have a too-thin body or ugly paintjobs like their cheapest guitars, the pickups are arguably an improvement compared to the Gibson it copies (less muddy, more versatile), everything works and there are even nice little touches like mother of pearl inlays in the headstock instead of cheaper decals.
My only real complaint is that the (non-plywood) mahogany has wonky bookmatching that can just barely be seen through the otherwise very nice looking transparent cherry red finish. Awesome deal for the price, and I heard it's a very good value compared to the similar "Gibson SG bass" that costs five times more.
Maybe the newer Epiphones are coming out better than the last time you saw them? I've heard about plywood bodies and the like on the Eb-0, but not on the one I got.
I've heard about $700 Epiphone "Elitist series" EB-3 basses, supposedly very high-quality copies of vintage Gibsons. But never seen one in person and I think I'd have second thoughs about paying that much for an instrument with such a strong brand stigma of being "cheaper, crappier Gibsons".
I work for a footwear company and I happen to know that some of the factories we use also make other brands. It does not mean the quality is the same.
The factory only constructs the shoes, it does NOT make the materials used (outsoles, leather, linings, hardware) nor does it come up with the design.
If the factory is capable it can make very similar looking shoes at both extremes (low and high end).
Still doesn't mean that Nike knock off is going to perform similarly to the real thing.
Of course some of the so called higher end brands also take short cuts and some of those shoes are made of the same exact crap as the stuff you see at Payless or Wal-Mart
I imagine it's the same with guitars.
Just because one factory makes different brands doesn't mean they will all perform the same. Different specs, designs, materials.
Fair enough. It's probably just the same with all the stuff Ibanez, Fender, Conklin, etc. outsorces to Cort. Just knowing who makes it doesn't mean you know how good or bad it is!
But more to the point, have you actually played a Cort Artisan A- or B- series? These are excelent instruments in their own merits, definitely not "budget Ibanez alternatives".
I'd dare say that in terms of quality of the parts (Bartolini pups, Hipshot hardware, and so on) and general craftsmanship (how well-designed and nicely finished everything is), those particular Corts are not only as good as any similar Ibanez, but easily a better value than pretty much any bass in that price range.
I've seriously seen and touched some "boutique" basses that didn't feel any more of a quality product than a Cort B4, while costing three to four times more.
The only real complaints I've heard about the A4/A5/B4/B5 fell into one of those categories:
1. They're hard to find in the U.S. (fact)
2. They have bad resale values because people don't believe how nice Corts can be/never heard of the brand. (fact)
3. The body shape is comfortable but looks a bit bland. (subjective)
4. The Bartolinis sound fine but lack character somehow. (subjective, and these guys wouldn't like the Ibanez either
So there you go. This is just my opinion, of course, but I'd definitely suggest looking at those before making a similar purchase. Hear that, OP?
In the end my Epi just didn't fit me and I did swap it out for the Ibanez SR300. By "thunderous lows" I was referring to Epiphones marketing. There were also some quality issues with the Epi(the input jack, action and a few other minor annoyances besides sound).
They did have a used SR800 for 350 which was in decent shape but with the nicks and scratches I prefer to know I put them there. So far loving the SR300 and don't want to put it down
They did have a used SR800 for 350 which was in decent shape but with the nicks and scratches I prefer to know I put them there. So far loving the SR300 and don't want to put it down
In the end my Epi just didn't fit me and I did swap it out for the Ibanez SR300. By "thunderous lows" I was referring to Epiphones marketing. There were also some quality issues with the Epi(the input jack, action and a few other minor annoyances besides sound).
They did have a used SR800 for 350 which was in decent shape but with the nicks and scratches I prefer to know I put them there. So far loving the SR300 and don't want to put it down
Rock on! Congrats on a cool new bass!
Now you know you're contractually obligated to show pictures, right? Preferably action shots with you rocking hard with your cool new bass. We'll be waiting.
They did have a used SR800 for 350 which was in decent shape but with the nicks and scratches I prefer to know I put them there. So far loving the SR300 and don't want to put it down
I probably would have taken the SR800, for $50 more you're getting much better wood, pickups, electronics. Still, what matters is that you're happy! I'm loving my SR300.
And honestly, I have nothing against Epiphone. For what they charge for a Les Paul, I would rather buy one of the Epiphones! And I actually love the ES style guitars they make, very lovely looking guitars for the $. As far as Basses, don't like the way the styles look but I'm sure they're decent instruments.
I would've taken the SR800 myself for the extra $50. Much Much better bass overall. But if the OP's content, then I'm happy for him.
I really don't see how they can call it a Les Paul. There is only one Les Paul and that's made by Gibson, not Epiphone or any other company. Again, thats IMO and YMMV.
Purist, eh?
I bet Fender's marketing strategy drives you crazy, with all the brutally uneven levels of quality, from the finest Custom Shop MIA Deluxe Blessed By Tibetan Monks With Sugar on Top to the crappiest Squier by Fender Affinity, all equally called "Precision Bass" or whatever.
Well Epiphone IS made by Gibson so technically, it's still a Les Paul.
Just a lower quality version. Like a Squier Jazz Bass is still a Jazz Bass.
In the end my Epi just didn't fit me and I did swap it out for the Ibanez SR300. By "thunderous lows" I was referring to Epiphones marketing. There were also some quality issues with the Epi(the input jack, action and a few other minor annoyances besides sound).
They did have a used SR800 for 350 which was in decent shape but with the nicks and scratches I prefer to know I put them there. So far loving the SR300 and don't want to put it down
Which color? - maple or rosewood fretboard?
There is a TB rule here about new basses, and pics
I'll try and get pics up asap, don't know about action shots though as they would be of me just practicing, still learning. Its the burnt orange/metallic orange. As far as the neck goes that was the other issue with the Epi, solid neck but the high gloss finish was making my hands black from playing. The neck with this one not only doesn't leave me looking like I've come back from a coal mine but feels a bit nicer, and its maple.
I hear you all on the uneven quality. Just between Fenders, Epi's, Ibanez's etc the quality varied in the store. Even the one I brought home the headpiece is a bit unfinished/scraped or something. Not to worry though they let me take this one home and ordered another one for me.
Yes I almost did go fr the SR800 but even 50.00 these days is hard for me to come up with, its gas in my tank. Trust me I was tempted though
I hear you all on the uneven quality. Just between Fenders, Epi's, Ibanez's etc the quality varied in the store. Even the one I brought home the headpiece is a bit unfinished/scraped or something. Not to worry though they let me take this one home and ordered another one for me.
Yes I almost did go fr the SR800 but even 50.00 these days is hard for me to come up with, its gas in my tank. Trust me I was tempted though
i have an sr800 ibanez that thing has got some good lowz and some good punch and very thin neck.....i started using over my fenders just because of the power "activeness" and thin neck..i paid almost 500.00 many years ago now i see them used to 200 bucks sometimes less ...i also have a gibson les paul bass i dig a lot im sure the epiphones are just as good but theyre not active but im sure still nice...i have a epiphone gothic thunderbird i need to restring and set up a little that should be fun....
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