Personally I like the look of the old gold parts, the patina is real and shows it's been played. I have two of these three pickup Epiphone Customs, on one it has all new gold parts, the other is old and well used, IMHO it looks way cool compared to the shiny stuff. The addition of a gold Bigsby is the only real mod that would make it even cooler. I'm doing that on one of mine for the Jimmy Page look.
Sounds like its going to be a nice guitar Bruce. I get where you are coming from as regards the hardware its like the relic argument some love it some hate it but the world would be a terrible place if we all had the same taste ;)
Hate to disagree with your opinion regarding the authenticity of one of your guitars - but I do. I have seen examples of many different makes and models of 'identical' guitars that differ in small ways, as you have described. Often they were made in different countries, or just different factories in the same country, so resulting in these discrepancies. But even guitars made in the same factory differed over time in small ways - this as a result of supplies of bought-in hardware parts that are made by different companies or at different times.
I bought the Epiphone Les Paul Custom and fell in love with. As often is the case, if/when I buy an Epiphone it just makes me inescapably want the Gibson version. I bought a Gibson CS LP Custom. I loved everything about the guitar except the 490/498 pick ups. In my opinion those pickups are far too harsh, sharp, and my bridge pickup squealed while palm muting under moderate gain. I ended up scoring a pair of Gibson pickups out of a Murphy Lap '68 reissue. I put those pick ups in LP Custom and OMG. I'm now convinced I have the Best LP ever made. I only own Gibson Custom Shop guitars and some of the others is significantly more expensive and fancy, but my LP Custom with the '68 RI pickups is by far the Best guitar I've ever owned.
Epiphone all day long especially the ones made from 2019 to present day..the new owner restored Epiphone back to top professional quality guitars just like they were in the good ol days when Epiphone stomped Gibson into the ground and Epiphones 150 year history especially the history between Epiphone and Les Paul himself like les paul laying the foundation down for his future solid body guitar the les paul..the guitar was called the Log and long before Gibson and McCarty got involved with anything with Les Paul it was in 1941..the sad part is les paul didn't see his beloved Epiphone returned to top professional quality Norlin and Henry J deliberately destroyed the quality of Epiphone but the new owner restored Epiphone..
I can only assume that these fakers misunderstood the market but I am willing to bet they have got wise and only fake Gibson now. My 2008 fake Epiphone Black Beauty was cheap but not too cheap. My recent fake Gibson Slash was ridiculously cheap.
No only the "Inspired By Gibson" Epiphone Custom Les Pauls have ebony the fretboard. The early models made in Korea were all rosewood. I own a 2004 Epi Les Paul Custom. It has a rosewood board. The LP custom is the one worth buying imo.
I bought a fake Black Beauty in about 2008 from Amazon so I levered Amazon's credibility to knock the seller down under various threats. I liked the guitar so I kept it. I suspect that there is a much simpler test than some of this. I have a guenine Epiphone Dot and under the stop bar, pick-ups and bridge Epiphone is embossed (use a dental mirror). My fake has none of this. I am assuming that to fake this would cost too much. I also have a Chibson Slash fake which is also really great and was cheap. It was not sold as Gibson and the headstock was not photographed. I have 2 real Gibsons and the finish on my two fakes is better than the real ones. How can a Gibson Slash at less than £200 be real? These makers might be better off selling their own brand. Look at the diamond on this ruclips.net/video/dzCMGNWQihE/видео.html.
Good points raised there. Ep iPhone now do mark most of their bridges but didn’t bother a few years ago plus now the fakes use actual Epiphone bridges and stop bars so it’s even harder to tell. Some of the fakes are better sounding that the originals Chibsons included. Often the Chibsons just need the pick ups swapping out. Checkout my slash Chibson video. 👍 please like and subscribe as it really helps me out
@@thesmartway693 no offence, but after owning 11 of these bad boys, (1997 to today) all from shops, new at the time... thinking yours might be fake....
I wouldn’t own either one of them but i would own an 80s epiphone with the original iconic open book headstock those are super nice guitars
Personally I like the look of the old gold parts, the patina is real and shows it's been played. I have two of these three pickup Epiphone Customs, on one it has all new gold parts, the other is old and well used, IMHO it looks way cool compared to the shiny stuff.
The addition of a gold Bigsby is the only real mod that would make it even cooler. I'm doing that on one of mine for the Jimmy Page look.
Sounds like its going to be a nice guitar Bruce. I get where you are coming from as regards the hardware its like the relic argument some love it some hate it but the world would be a terrible place if we all had the same taste ;)
Hate to disagree with your opinion regarding the authenticity of one of your guitars - but I do. I have seen examples of many different makes and models of 'identical' guitars that differ in small ways, as you have described. Often they were made in different countries, or just different factories in the same country, so resulting in these discrepancies. But even guitars made in the same factory differed over time in small ways - this as a result of supplies of bought-in hardware parts that are made by different companies or at different times.
I bought the Epiphone Les Paul Custom and fell in love with. As often is the case, if/when I buy an Epiphone it just makes me inescapably want the Gibson version. I bought a Gibson CS LP Custom. I loved everything about the guitar except the 490/498 pick ups. In my opinion those pickups are far too harsh, sharp, and my bridge pickup squealed while palm muting under moderate gain. I ended up scoring a pair of Gibson pickups out of a Murphy Lap '68 reissue. I put those pick ups in LP Custom and OMG. I'm now convinced I have the Best LP ever made. I only own Gibson Custom Shop guitars and some of the others is significantly more expensive and fancy, but my LP Custom with the '68 RI pickups is by far the Best guitar I've ever owned.
Epiphone all day long especially the ones made from 2019 to present day..the new owner restored Epiphone back to top professional quality guitars just like they were in the good ol days when Epiphone stomped Gibson into the ground and Epiphones 150 year history especially the history between Epiphone and Les Paul himself like les paul laying the foundation down for his future solid body guitar the les paul..the guitar was called the Log and long before Gibson and McCarty got involved with anything with Les Paul it was in 1941..the sad part is les paul didn't see his beloved Epiphone returned to top professional quality Norlin and Henry J deliberately destroyed the quality of Epiphone but the new owner restored Epiphone..
Why would anyone want to make a fake epiphome . They are good guitars but used epiphones are already very cheap .
Not for actual Asians they ain’t cheap
I can only assume that these fakers misunderstood the market but I am willing to bet they have got wise and only fake Gibson now. My 2008 fake Epiphone Black Beauty was cheap but not too cheap. My recent fake Gibson Slash was ridiculously cheap.
Assume you took off the Epiphone setup sticker in the centre between the tuners? @ 5:46
No again thats how it came ;)
Why would someone fake an Epiphone?
I was thinking the same thing
I have a "98 and cannot find a pick-up selector switch plastic knob anywhere..what size should I look for?
Is there a 2007 Ephiphone Les Paul Standard model?
Very good information now I know better epiphone or epiphony.
@ 4:31 diamond on right side and left look questionable
The fret board should be Ebony not rosewood it should be dark wood mine is Ebony
No only the "Inspired By Gibson" Epiphone Custom Les Pauls have ebony the fretboard. The early models made in Korea were all rosewood. I own a 2004 Epi Les Paul Custom. It has a rosewood board. The LP custom is the one worth buying imo.
I bought a fake Black Beauty in about 2008 from Amazon so I levered Amazon's credibility to knock the seller down under various threats. I liked the guitar so I kept it. I suspect that there is a much simpler test than some of this. I have a guenine Epiphone Dot and under the stop bar, pick-ups and bridge Epiphone is embossed (use a dental mirror). My fake has none of this. I am assuming that to fake this would cost too much. I also have a Chibson Slash fake which is also really great and was cheap. It was not sold as Gibson and the headstock was not photographed. I have 2 real Gibsons and the finish on my two fakes is better than the real ones. How can a Gibson Slash at less than £200 be real? These makers might be better off selling their own brand. Look at the diamond on this ruclips.net/video/dzCMGNWQihE/видео.html.
Good points raised there. Ep iPhone now do mark most of their bridges but didn’t bother a few years ago plus now the fakes use actual Epiphone bridges and stop bars so it’s even harder to tell. Some of the fakes are better sounding that the originals Chibsons included. Often the Chibsons just need the pick ups swapping out. Checkout my slash Chibson video. 👍 please like and subscribe as it really helps me out
Swap out the truss rod cover? 0:35
No thats exactly how it came
@@thesmartway693 no offence, but after owning 11 of these bad boys, (1997 to today) all from shops, new at the time... thinking yours might be fake....
@@Cougar139tweak There is a fake.in the video but mine wasn't a fake. I know the signs and also had
It checked by a reputable retailer and seller.
Fake.