"Epiphone will always be Gibson's older brother, and its history is perhaps the most interesting of any guitar brand": Celebrating 150 years of Epiphone from luxury
Eric Clapton brought the firebird to the masses in ‘68 before any other rock guitarist made it famous. He played a SINGLE PICKUP Gibson Firebird. That’s why they release it all the time in that configuration. Don’t be like a Millennial. Just because YOU don’t know why it’s popular, doesn’t mean it doesn’t make sense. It’s more probable that you’re just ignorant of the situation or legacy surrounding certain models. Once again Clapton gets hosed because history for most people only goes back to 2013/2014 when social media started.
Isn't this approaching Eastman prices? You could get an sb55 for less than that. Granted, it's based on the lp junior, so "less" hardware, but that rivals gibson in quality and for the price I'd say it even surpasses it, let alone an epiphone.
I got a RESQ:D Strandberg for the same price. These "budget" brands are losing sight of what made them successful, like fast food restaurants. There's always going to be someone that justifies the price, but for those who simply can't afford it, this pricing leaves a bad taste in their mouths. I do love my gothic Epi Sg I have about $700 in with mods.
Its always the ones who cant afford a Epiphone or Gibson that whine they have been doing this for years Epiphone was never meant to be a budget brand anyway so stop your crying it won't change anything
@@graysguitars5113 umm do you actually tell the whole facts? the Gibson solid body guitar aka Les Paul only exists today because of Les Paul and Epiphone
@@graysguitars5113 Les Paul laid the foundation down for the solid body guitar in the Epiphone facility in New York 1939 into 41 long before Gibson got involved with anything with Les Paul.. research man stop your assumptions and speculations it doesn't work this is 2024 people want facts not some opinionated bs..
I bought the Epiphone Firebird V and I love it. Yes it’s expensive but in my opinion, totally worth it. Gibson pickups, premium electronics, and Vibrola tailpiece with perfect fit and finish make it a great guitar. If you think it’s too expensive, don’t buy it.
No doubt if you don’t like the price you don’t have to buy it but if you have good common sense, you’ll examine this guitar and then you’ll look at the used market and see that you can pick up an American maid Gibson Firebird, and manipulate the pick ups, however, you choose but at least the wiring will already be solid. There will be no questions about the quality of the mahogany, or anything else about the guitar even regardless of the neck design on this, I think you will find it has the same profile as every other epic phone that’s been put out there and to pay $1600 for this when you can spend a few more hundred and get an American made model Seems slightly insane to me. I wish you all the best with Epitone. I don’t even think in my opinion the Gibson Firebird pick ups are the traditional original sound because if you go back and look at what rewind and throwback have done in researching the paperwork Gibson put in a modern pick up here. This is not the original pick ups that would’ve been in the Firebird at that time, although we know there was inconsistent pick up winding we also know that listening to and measuring the old pick ups do not give you this result. The guitar was not originally made for heavy metal in my opinion however, they have certainly turned it into that just like they have everything else. It seems that blues or classic rock have kind of went by the wayside, everything I view these days is metal I’m not sure if people think the only thing they can do is learn how to chug, but I have to tell you I don’t think it takes near the talent as I have played for 40 years and gigged with mini Firebirds and if you look at Clapton’s collection, you will see that was not a single pick up regardless of whether he said he played it or not in the upper comments it had to pick ups. He sold it at Christie’s and you can look up the guitar either way wishing you guys all the best With overpriced Gibson touched up guitars and the resale value on this is what oh yes that’s right about $400. Truly I appreciate the demo and I think that they are certainly trying to improve Epitone but they’re doing it in an effort to try to compete with Eastman as Eastman comes out with more and more guitars they easily are trumping Quality and craftsmanship well over the phone and in some cases in my opinion exceeding anything Gibson has ever done with some of the higher and Eastman guitars that I have again wishing you guys all the best because you’re buying nothing but a problem, a liability or I guess a practice tool if you want to waste $1600 Good luck There are so many other opportunities out here even if you bought the regular Epitone Firebird, you would not get much that different you can buy a wiring harness for $150 that’s better than what Gibson uses and you can buy Firebird pick ups from a host of wonders that will be hand wound and give you premium Sound. Truly, I would seriously consider Not wasting my $1600 I don’t sell guitars I teach guitar but I would tell my students the same thing if you’ve got 16 say 500 more and get the real deal you can buy a used one easily for $2100. If not less the market is not that strong right now for the standard Firebird and reversed. Good luck in your shopping all of you and thanks again for the demo. It’s not that I don’t appreciate it. I just don’t appreciate the marketing that Gibson seems to play around with and truly all of this is desperation, because the margin on these guitars is tremendous compared to the all American made. And they can’t even use nitro at this price. 3:56
@@adamswanson8216 I have a lot of Gibson guitars including a Gibson Firebird V in cardinal red that I bought new about five years ago. This new Epiphone Firebird V feels more solid and has better fit and finish than the Gibson. They have the same electronics so they sound the same. I’ll keep the Gibson for now because they hold their values but I prefer playing the Epiphone. It just feels more solid.
What about Esquires & LP Juniors..?! Are they Metal or Jazz guitars? Plenty of single pickup guitars that don’t fit your (imaginations) vision, a few even from Epiphone in the 60’s. A bit more research required.
I really cant keep up with these new prices. For that kind of money you can get a Gibson, Maybach or Eastman on the used marked. Everyone whos paying that kind of money for an Epiphone has lost the plot.
Just checked guitar Center for one example there are four American made Firebirds not the VOS or 63 custom shops, but standard and models with mini hamburgers with the maple and walnut neck which is accurate to vintage spec and they are less expensive. Everyone of them than this guitar and also all of them were listed as excellent condition why would anybody spend their money here? I’m not trying to dog your video. I’m just trying to back up some of the points you’re making and hoping that people actually read this, I want to help guitarists not see them hurt themselves over trying to get something that is not going to give back to them in the long run. The tone is always in your fingers picking the style of guitar you want certainly that is key to because you have to love what you play, however it’s a lot easier to love one that’s worth $1600 versus one that is certainly not truly Gibson is and should be ashamed of themselves 7:267:337:35
It's kind of weird when someone complains about the price of an epiphone when the price of gibsons is utterly ridiculously overpriced to the point where it is far far worse than a scam. My epi les paul cost £220 and I'm really happy with it. I wouldn't pay a grand and a half for a guitar. Unfortunately our western (US led) "capitalist" empire is all about profit and not about quality or pride, at least not anymore. I think if you are paying like $1500 for an epiphone it's probably going to be really nice. You probably won't get anything near as nice for that price for a brand new gibson
It's even weirder when people brag about Epiphones and complain about Gibson prices when you're still supporting them by buying Epiphones. Gibson makes more profit off Chinese Epiphones than they do their USA guitars. Labor costs nothing in China. There are no wood regulations and "mahogany" can mean anything over there. For the same price as some of these new Chinese made Epiphones with fake rosewood fingerboards, you can still get a Gibson SG Standard for $1799 new... A Les Paul Lite is $1499 new... A Les Paul Studio is $1599-$1699 new... A Les Paul Special is $1799... I'm not a Gibson fanboy but paying $1700 for guitars made in China is cray-cray. Some things you can't help buying these days made in China but there are a ton of guitar options out there for this kind of money and you won't be supporting s-lave labor and huge profits. They're not passing along the savings of moving production to China, they're charging more.
The thing with any of these new Epiphone customshop collaborations or Signature series editions, is they always have something you can't get cheaper or at all from Gibson. So complain all you want, and now its all about the finish? If they miraculously started using nitro, then it'd be some other lame excuse. Oh, they're made in China. Its never gonna be enough for snobs spec wise, yet it should be under $1000 U.S. Oh wait, they dont have "real" rosewood fretboards. Blah blah blah! I've got an Epiphone AJ sig. LP custom silverburst "The Berserker" custom art edition I paid $1299 for, and now I scored one of the new Epiphone '79 LP custom silverburst AJ sigs with the Gibson headstock and Custombucker neck pickup for $1499. Wouldn't come off either one for a penny under $2k U.S. Both of them have had numerous upgrades done to them already. Bottom line is, you can't buy either one of them used for under $1800 U.S.
@@andrewbecker3700 look up used prices of older firebirds and the pickup prices. I literally went to reverb and the Gibson website in the video to show you the prices
"Epiphone will always be Gibson's older brother, and its history is perhaps the most interesting of any guitar brand": Celebrating 150 years of Epiphone from luxury
Eric Clapton used the one PU Firebird in Cream. I know for sure because he let me play it. His was a brown sunburst.
That's neat
Technically the Casino is the most expensive Epiphone electric guitar at $3500
You got me there, most expensive Chinese Epiphone
If you can find a Epiphone Byrdland Elitest made by Terada of Japan. They fetch huge prices.....
Remember when Agnesi showed up at Gibson and said they have some surprises in store for Epiphone??
Yup lol price hikes
Eric Clapton brought the firebird to the masses in ‘68 before any other rock guitarist made it famous. He played a SINGLE PICKUP Gibson Firebird. That’s why they release it all the time in that configuration. Don’t be like a Millennial. Just because YOU don’t know why it’s popular, doesn’t mean it doesn’t make sense. It’s more probable that you’re just ignorant of the situation or legacy surrounding certain models. Once again Clapton gets hosed because history for most people only goes back to 2013/2014 when social media started.
Still way to expensive for a Chinese made guitar.
Isn't this approaching Eastman prices? You could get an sb55 for less than that. Granted, it's based on the lp junior, so "less" hardware, but that rivals gibson in quality and for the price I'd say it even surpasses it, let alone an epiphone.
It is and yeah get an Eastman over this any day
they should lean into JApan or USA for high end Epis. yeah Nitro would be huge. i kow i still wants one of the older Epis MIJ japanese domestic.
Yeah the old ones are hard to find but really cool
I got a RESQ:D Strandberg for the same price. These "budget" brands are losing sight of what made them successful, like fast food restaurants. There's always going to be someone that justifies the price, but for those who simply can't afford it, this pricing leaves a bad taste in their mouths. I do love my gothic Epi Sg I have about $700 in with mods.
Wait a few years and buy used for half the price
Its always the ones who cant afford a Epiphone or Gibson that whine they have been doing this for years Epiphone was never meant to be a budget brand anyway so stop your crying it won't change anything
Gibson made them a budget brand in 1983
@@graysguitars5113and no it was in 1976 when Norlin ruined them tell me where the hell do you come up with such BS
@@FrankBuyers...guitarista-iu3zg 1983 is when they started making the epiphone Les Paul
@@graysguitars5113 umm do you actually tell the whole facts? the Gibson solid body guitar aka Les Paul only exists today because of Les Paul and Epiphone
@@graysguitars5113 Les Paul laid the foundation down for the solid body guitar in the Epiphone facility in New York 1939 into 41 long before Gibson got involved with anything with Les Paul.. research man stop your assumptions and speculations it doesn't work this is 2024 people want facts not some opinionated bs..
I bought the Epiphone Firebird V and I love it. Yes it’s expensive but in my opinion, totally worth it. Gibson pickups, premium electronics, and Vibrola tailpiece with perfect fit and finish make it a great guitar. If you think it’s too expensive, don’t buy it.
No doubt if you don’t like the price you don’t have to buy it but if you have good common sense, you’ll examine this guitar and then you’ll look at the used market and see that you can pick up an American maid Gibson Firebird, and manipulate the pick ups, however, you choose but at least the wiring will already be solid. There will be no questions about the quality of the mahogany, or anything else about the guitar even regardless of the neck design on this, I think you will find it has the same profile as every other epic phone that’s been put out there and to pay $1600 for this when you can spend a few more hundred and get an American made model Seems slightly insane to me. I wish you all the best with Epitone. I don’t even think in my opinion the Gibson Firebird pick ups are the traditional original sound because if you go back and look at what rewind and throwback have done in researching the paperwork Gibson put in a modern pick up here. This is not the original pick ups that would’ve been in the Firebird at that time, although we know there was inconsistent pick up winding we also know that listening to and measuring the old pick ups do not give you this result. The guitar was not originally made for heavy metal in my opinion however, they have certainly turned it into that just like they have everything else. It seems that blues or classic rock have kind of went by the wayside, everything I view these days is metal I’m not sure if people think the only thing they can do is learn how to chug, but I have to tell you I don’t think it takes near the talent as I have played for 40 years and gigged with mini Firebirds and if you look at Clapton’s collection, you will see that was not a single pick up regardless of whether he said he played it or not in the upper comments it had to pick ups. He sold it at Christie’s and you can look up the guitar either way wishing you guys all the best With overpriced Gibson touched up guitars and the resale value on this is what oh yes that’s right about $400. Truly I appreciate the demo and I think that they are certainly trying to improve Epitone but they’re doing it in an effort to try to compete with Eastman as Eastman comes out with more and more guitars they easily are trumping Quality and craftsmanship well over the phone and in some cases in my opinion exceeding anything Gibson has ever done with some of the higher and Eastman guitars that I have again wishing you guys all the best because you’re buying nothing but a problem, a liability or I guess a practice tool if you want to waste $1600 Good luck There are so many other opportunities out here even if you bought the regular Epitone Firebird, you would not get much that different you can buy a wiring harness for $150 that’s better than what Gibson uses and you can buy Firebird pick ups from a host of wonders that will be hand wound and give you premium Sound. Truly, I would seriously consider Not wasting my $1600 I don’t sell guitars I teach guitar but I would tell my students the same thing if you’ve got 16 say 500 more and get the real deal you can buy a used one easily for $2100. If not less the market is not that strong right now for the standard Firebird and reversed. Good luck in your shopping all of you and thanks again for the demo. It’s not that I don’t appreciate it. I just don’t appreciate the marketing that Gibson seems to play around with and truly all of this is desperation, because the margin on these guitars is tremendous compared to the all American made. And they can’t even use nitro at this price. 3:56
They are nice looking but as I said you can get the same thing for half the price used if you buy the Gibson pickups
@@adamswanson8216 yeah if it was nitro and made in Japan I could see that price
@@adamswanson8216 I have a lot of Gibson guitars including a Gibson Firebird V in cardinal red that I bought new about five years ago. This new Epiphone Firebird V feels more solid and has better fit and finish than the Gibson. They have the same electronics so they sound the same. I’ll keep the Gibson for now because they hold their values but I prefer playing the Epiphone. It just feels more solid.
Keep it ,cessrrr
Yup
Let me guess, only right handed models?
yup sorry lefties
What about Esquires & LP Juniors..?! Are they Metal or Jazz guitars? Plenty of single pickup guitars that don’t fit your (imaginations) vision, a few even from Epiphone in the 60’s. A bit more research required.
Those can both be used for metal and rock
Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder 😊
True
It's in the wallet
@@stateofchrysalis5483 facts lol
I paid $1700 for my '17 Gibson Firebird T.
good deal
I really cant keep up with these new prices. For that kind of money you can get a Gibson, Maybach or Eastman on the used marked.
Everyone whos paying that kind of money for an Epiphone has lost the plot.
Yeah you can get a lot of guitar for 1700 on the used market
or picked up on a new one.
u can get almost brand new Gibby LP Standard for 1500-1650 and thats the recent years that plays amazing!
New ones are 3k now even the studio is 2k
Just checked guitar Center for one example there are four American made Firebirds not the VOS or 63 custom shops, but standard and models with mini hamburgers with the maple and walnut neck which is accurate to vintage spec and they are less expensive. Everyone of them than this guitar and also all of them were listed as excellent condition why would anybody spend their money here? I’m not trying to dog your video. I’m just trying to back up some of the points you’re making and hoping that people actually read this, I want to help guitarists not see them hurt themselves over trying to get something that is not going to give back to them in the long run. The tone is always in your fingers picking the style of guitar you want certainly that is key to because you have to love what you play, however it’s a lot easier to love one that’s worth $1600 versus one that is certainly not truly Gibson is and should be ashamed of themselves 7:26 7:33 7:35
Single pickup looks cool but its not a japan epi so im not really interested.
I'm not interested at that price either way
Just what Ken and Barbie need... firebirds.
lol
Les paul jr. 1 pickup
forgot about that one
Oldie but a goodie
Gibson is a joke
Yup it keeps getting worse
It's kind of weird when someone complains about the price of an epiphone when the price of gibsons is utterly ridiculously overpriced to the point where it is far far worse than a scam.
My epi les paul cost £220 and I'm really happy with it. I wouldn't pay a grand and a half for a guitar.
Unfortunately our western (US led) "capitalist" empire is all about profit and not about quality or pride, at least not anymore. I think if you are paying like $1500 for an epiphone it's probably going to be really nice. You probably won't get anything near as nice for that price for a brand new gibson
For 1500 you can get a lot of guitar with another brand
nobody smart buys new anyways, so just grab a like new used Gibby at new Epi prices.
It's even weirder when people brag about Epiphones and complain about Gibson prices when you're still supporting them by buying Epiphones. Gibson makes more profit off Chinese Epiphones than they do their USA guitars. Labor costs nothing in China. There are no wood regulations and "mahogany" can mean anything over there.
For the same price as some of these new Chinese made Epiphones with fake rosewood fingerboards, you can still get a Gibson SG Standard for $1799 new... A Les Paul Lite is $1499 new... A Les Paul Studio is $1599-$1699 new... A Les Paul Special is $1799...
I'm not a Gibson fanboy but paying $1700 for guitars made in China is cray-cray. Some things you can't help buying these days made in China but there are a ton of guitar options out there for this kind of money and you won't be supporting s-lave labor and huge profits. They're not passing along the savings of moving production to China, they're charging more.
@@Siggy_Sour exactly
The thing with any of these new Epiphone customshop collaborations or Signature series editions, is they always have something you can't get cheaper or at all from Gibson. So complain all you want, and now its all about the finish? If they miraculously started using nitro, then it'd be some other lame excuse. Oh, they're made in China. Its never gonna be enough for snobs spec wise, yet it should be under $1000 U.S. Oh wait, they dont have "real" rosewood fretboards. Blah blah blah!
I've got an Epiphone AJ sig. LP custom silverburst "The Berserker" custom art edition I paid $1299 for, and now I scored one of the new Epiphone '79 LP custom silverburst AJ sigs with the Gibson headstock and Custombucker neck pickup for $1499. Wouldn't come off either one for a penny under $2k U.S. Both of them have had numerous upgrades done to them already. Bottom line is, you can't buy either one of them used for under $1800 U.S.
Yes you can you can get a used V for 500 and put the Gibson pickups in it for 240. If you want to rewire and install the vibrolo it's still under 1k
@@graysguitars5113 blah blah blah. Yeah sure buddy.
@@andrewbecker3700 look up used prices of older firebirds and the pickup prices. I literally went to reverb and the Gibson website in the video to show you the prices
@@graysguitars5113 listen buddy, I've got enough gear. I don't want or need anything.
@@andrewbecker3700 ok
If these were finished in nitro rather than poly, I might bite. But for poly? No way. Used Gibson with nitro better.