I agree the Xavier is a clear winner and the top and binding is great. Those pick ups rock. Next I think the Firefly is the way to go for a low $ entry-level guitar. Beautiful top on that as well. And at that price you could upgrade the pick ups later on if desired. Third goes to the Epiphone. It played great but has that budget look about it. Cheers Darrell.
The Xavier all the way for me, it's the only one that you can easily grow with. The quick plugs and GFS's endless pick up variety means you can shape the sound any way you like.
Having played a lot of guitars (and basses) over the years, both bolt on and glued… I think as long as the bolt on neck pocket is tight and has great contact between the neck heel and body, there’s really no difference between them.
Hey I see you got this what's app message too..is it a scam .do I know anything about it. I would assume I'd have his name on it. I don't know what what's app is do u
@@llednop thank you I thought so ..I was exited tho when I first saw it..the misspelled word rely stood out among other things.. sad cause I want one of those lol
The xaviere also has pickup splitting and quick plug pickup swapping for other Guitar Fetish pickups. I bought one after Darrell's review last year and I love it!
I've had a Xavier since September, and have been having so much fun with it. Recently I speced it out and once you polish the frets, it feels like a mid-top tier gibson.
@@blueleaftuber Kinda, yeah. Maybe customized fits better, what I did was change the nut to a tusq nut, added locking tuners, a black pearl pickguard, locking straps, a new locking bridge and tailpiece, some new pickups that have the kwick plug for tone variety, and speed knobs, all in gold.
Personally I recommend getting an Epiphone Les Paul studio on the used market (~$250-$300), very good pick ups, set neck, grover tuners, can't go wrong
@@sydguitar99 I love my studio but my custom pro is a superior guitar and paid the same for both. He paid too much for that Special. I have it also but the all the other LP's are superior to the Special. Including the Junior and Standard LP. The Studio is superior to all them other's though.
I have actually had all 3 and the Xaviere is hands down the best imo. In fact, it's the only one of the 3 I still have. It has more nicer features like brass saddles and coil taps on the neck and bridge pickups too.
Yup I haven’t been playing only a couple years and mostly acoustic guitars ido practice wit my squires Stratocaster standard. But would love to buy the xavier brand wonder if they make a telecaster with the 50s sound?
@@JeffSimpson-yy2si Their tele's are nice and there are several pickup varieties that you can just qwikplug in. You'll probably want their 52 Overwound Professional Series for the tele if that's th sound you want.
I use a cheaper Epiphone aka the special satin finish model I got used for 100 bucks added the GFS pickups in the Xavier and some cheap goth vintage tuners and vuala a great guitar for 200 bucos
I have the Firefly 338, the Epiphone Les Paul Special (Korean model), and a Xavier XV-570. I've swapped the pickups in all but the Xavier. But, I've had it the shortest period of time, too. They are all great guitars!!
I bought a guitar and I widely watched RUclips videos. You are so on point for anyone who wants to get one guitar! Love these parts of what can and cannot do for guitars. Great jobs!
I have the same Epiphone. It's a 2013 and since has now faded more into a green/blue. Still love it. I threw on some locking tuners, replaced the plastic dots with abalone shell, replaced the pick ups with Seymour Duncan Whole Lotta Humbuckers with nickel finish, and a bone nut. It plays beautifully. I've had friends tell me it competes with high end Epiphones even some Gibsons. Bone nut was a nightmare. It doesn't have a traditional Les Paul size, so I had to hand carve a nut out of a bone block. Totally worth it. Great vid!
I agree! So I have an update on my quilted green Firefly Elite FFLPS. After having it for a month, it still sounds great and stays in tune. The neck is straight as an arrow. I have went from 10-46 to 9-42 gauge strings and that tightened up the low end. Of course I replaced everything (bridge & tail piece, tuners, nut, all the electronics & wiring and the pickups) on the guitar to be able to get low action, stable tuning and great sound but it was worth it. The Firefly guitars are a great platform for someone who is into modifying and upgrading an instrument. The one thing I can add is with the Dimarzio Tone Zone and PAF pickups that I installed in it, you can play metal and hard rock with the guitar. I tune to E standard, so my metal and hard rock playing style is that of Boston, AC/DC, Dokken, Cinderella, Lynch Mob, Slaughter, Ratt, WhiteSnake, Anthrax, Black Sabbath, Ozzy, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, OverKill, Testament and Megadeth. How I love 70's and 80's music!
For me, it is the Xavier. I have one (green) with the push/pull feature. The balance and the sounds are great. I bought it last year. I also like the ability to swap out the pickups (Guitar Fetish) that simply plug in.
Get the Firefly if you want the iconic look of an LP standard and are gonna immediately swap out the pickups anyway. Get the Epiphone if you want something a bit more stripped down aesthetically with hotter pickups (it also says Les Paul on the headstock if you care about that) Get the Xaviere if you want unique features plus good sounding alnico pickups right out the box.
Darrell, I have been a customer of Guitar Fetish for a few years now, so I was able to spot a small error fairly quickly. The GFS Crunchy Pat pickups are propelled by CERAMIC magnets, not Alnico. Experience should show us all to listen with our ears, but the magnet composition might make a difference to some players. Enough said.
Went for the Epiphone. Got a used 2014 model LP Special II plus top blue burst. Has a nice rosewood board unlike those made after 2017 CITES. All it needed was a set of Grover 133N tuners and a setup. Love the simple controls, light weight and flat top. Epiphone's are great for a stay at home hobby player like me that prefers Fender guitars but wants to experience playing a Les Paul without the weight or spending too much. Like the pre CITES 2011-2017 SG's as well. Cheers!
Definitely still a fan on my Xaviere that I bought after your first review of it. Didn't mention that it was the only on in this comparison with stainless steel frets, push pull splits too!
First I’ve heard that they have SS frets. Where did you find that information? I have a PRO510 and while the frets are indeed very nice and came polished, I don’t think they’re actually stainless
@@erichill262 dang. I stand corrected! Could have swore they were, but yes, polished nickel. Push pull and the GFS quick plug is definitely a bonus though!
The best affordable les paul I've ever played was a Harley benton sc550 at €220. I've played the firefly and epiphone. It blows both these guitars out of the water.
@@adrianhellstrom2927 I have the st model as well. Great guitar for the money. The thing about the Harley bentons is that they can no longer be described as good value as you move up the range, they become exceptional!
@@budgetguitarherogeartv4143 the only thing that are not so good on my st-62 are the pickups if you change them then you have a guitar close sounding to fender
i would go with the epiphone . well i actually have one of those ebony black. so i might be bias. and today you can get one of em on the used market for as cheep as 60-100€. and if i would like a metal machine i would chose the the xaviere pro555 since it has a nice fr style tremolo system and coiltap and is just fun guitar to play. and not to forget the kwick plug system and the really cheep mics. i mean its hell alot of guitar for $300.
Yes! @ 8:30 into vid, your thoughts...... I was already there with the FFLP ! Not as Bright and warmer soft..... Agree! And that was Especially noticeable playing clean on All Pick-ups.... the Epi LP and Xavier LP...... it's tough...... very close..... But I keep siding with that XAVIER!!! Trying to save up some play money to Purchase that Xavier LP !
I really like the Epiphone, it looks really good, I personally have never found fault with bolt on neck’s as long as they fit well , also they have the added benefits of being easily replaced if you break the head stock.
I think the Firefly has the most vintage "PAF" sound, but that said good sounding pickups can be had from GFS cheap. What a lot of (not so in the know) players don't know is the late, great Bill Lawrence used ceramic magnets in some of his most iconic pickups most notable the 500XL series and they sound phenomenal.
I agree. Firefly has a great warm tone. I wouldnt use it to play Metal but, clean/semi dirty they are great on a budget. And the "low FI" vintage sound, Firefly matches. You have to search for a Gretch or Gibson, hollowbody or solid to match. Hard to do.
Hi Darrell, I loved the video. However, you mention that the Epiphone is the only one with ceramic pickups, but on the GFS site, it states that the Crunchy PAT pickups have "Isotropic ferrite ceramic magnets". Just an FYI.
Yes, I have! I have literally been scouring all previous reviews over the last week for a Les Paul specifically, so thank you for this head-to-head! Perfect timing!
Hey, the GFS Cruncy PAT pickups are actually an isotropic ferrite (whatever that means haha) ceramic magnet. I believe toward the beginning you said they were Alnico. Not the case. They sound quite good though... I've actually got some in a few of my own guitars.
Out of all the tones, the Epi had much more character , especially in the neck position both clean and with a little dirt. All sounded awful saturated, but I thinks that's more just me, I don't care for that super gain sound.
Could be due to the way Darrell dials in his high gain tone too. I'm personally not a big fan of his high gain sound, regardless of what amp or guitar he's using. But that's ok with me since he probably doesn't play a whole lot of high gain outside of his videos
Have you ever reviewed a Mitchell MS450? They’re in this same price range right now and appear to have some additional nice features, locking tuners and split coils on paraffin-dipped alnico V humbuckers. Their headstock design keeps all strings running straight, too, and they run through the body at the bridge. Do you have an opinion of them?
I have a Mitchell 450… I’ve had a firefly and Ivy Les Paul too and the Mitchell is by far the best IMO, I own 12 guitars and have owned at least 40 different ones and it’s seriously ridiculously underrated. Most comfortable neck from any LP I’ve played and it comes with locking tuners and the binding and fretwork of a really expensive guitar.
@@jordanfender3085 - thanks for the recommendation, Jordan! Darrell has me convinced that a Xaviere is a great value and I have been planning on getting one but the MS450 is now on sale and looks like one heck of a buy! I appreciate your input. 🎸
I have the Xaviere Pro 500, and I used to own an Epiphone Les Paul Trad Pro. Each an excellent instrument for the price. I also had a Les Paul Special II (P90), which was unfortunately a bad one. I don't judge the LP Sp II model badly just because mine was garbage, but I doubt I'll be picking up another one any time soon. One thing I love about the Xaviere is the Kwikplug system. Haven't made use of it yet, but I definitely plan to.
I've played LOTS of guitars. Darrell NAIL IT! All three guitars are SURPRISINGLY good and I would recommend to any NEW guitar player. And I love them Canadians!
Firefly is the one I liked the most for clean tones. In general, Epiphone is the one that impressed me the less. I would say: 1- Firefly 2- Xaviere 3- Epiphone Besides the price, I could switch the first two just to have more possibilities with the Xaviere. Actually in Italy is only available the Epiphone, I don't think there's any distributor for the other two.
For me i can only speak about the Epiphone , i have the LP Studio and i love it....Plus that's not a good comparison , because that's one of the cheap Epi's , mine has 2 vol , 2 tone with coil splitting.
I own the Xaviere XV-555. The main difference is it has a Floyd Rose tremolo. I love the tone of this guitar and the versatility. I can drive the hell out of the pups and they never lose clarity. Mine is gloss black and a real stunner!
I have a Xaviere and it has a walnut fingerboard, which feels just as good to me as my other fingerboards. I had a finish issue, but they exchanged it at no charge.
I've always wonder this, I got the green burst model over a year ago and the tuners on the green firefly are not what I would say are as sturdy. Also the pickups are uncovered which appears to be the only color that have thse differences.If you go to their site and just look at the images you will see what I'm talking about. It's never really been an issue was more or less curious why that might be the case. Also I don't have the tools necessary nor the skill to level frets, 11-14 between E A and D had at least one frett that buzzed. I ultimately brought it to a luthier to make this thing sound like a dream. All in all 189 for the guitar and 120 for leveling fretts and a tune up. I'm so happy with it and love picking this guitar up. It's thanks to you Darrel that I found firefly and everytime I pick it up along with my Postive Grid modeling Amp, again thanks to you that I can zone out and feel satisfied with my playing 👍
To me the Xaviere had the best, most mature sounding pick-ups, but I personally preferred the tones coming out of the Epiphone, just really liked those sounds. But for $300.00 you seem to get a whole lot of quality with the Xaviere.
I liked the firefly.. it just has more life to me the epi sounded like a non resonating chunk of wood The X was slightly firefly but resonated also But I'm on my phone
Hi Darrell, any chance of demoing some short scale guitars, or a comparison video? The Musicman Sterling Cutlass is very interesting, and putting that against a Squier Mustang or an SG could be quite interesting! :)
This comparison method is spot on, play the same thing on each guitar on the same pick up setting, that way the ‘ear’ really does get a good comparison, I wouldn’t have minded a bit of an opinion on the playability and weight/balance etc, but a great quick comparison all the same, thanks
Great comparison review. I have 8 firefly FFLPs and I have a Xaviere PRO510 quilted blue burst. I agree with your observations. The Xaviere is a better all around guitar with better pickups, hardware, kwik plug , and coil split. But there’s just something about the fireflies I really like. Although the pickups can be microphonic and lower output, they’re still really fun to play and are capable of some really nice tones. Especially with some light overdrive at the edge of breakup. You can get some great blues lead tones on the neck pickup with the tone rolled back 👍
Great comparison. A lot of guys on FB cheap guitar groups really like the IVY Les Paul (on amazon). Might wanna give that one a look. They have a green one that looks beautiful.
I bought one of the Blue Firefly Les Pauls. I replaced the sub-optimal pickups with an a set of Epiphone Probuckers (Alnico 2) with the wiring kit so everything plugged together super easily. (Only $40 if you shop around on ebay, delivery only took 4 days. You can get some well respected modern pickups with coil splitting for a great price.) It all dropped in with very little work as I only need to unsolder the old pickup selector wires (You can cut those if you're lazy) and solder the single ground wire. Like I said, Easy. The neck needed just a few passes with a tiny file to smooth 2 frets ends from a little sharp to perfection. For the most part the frets were really done right. Overall the fit and finish is great. I threw away the crappy strings for some great D'addario NY XL strings. I'm happy to say it's a now a really nice guitar that now sounds great and is fun to play. Pros: Looks great. Fit and finish are nice. Much better than you'd expect for the price. Cons: Kind of Heavy. Stock pickups need to be replaced but that's not hard.
I love my Firefly guitars. The pickups in them are also ceramic magnets though. I think GFS crunchy PATs might be ceramic as well. So they’re all likely ceramic magnets and they sound pretty close. You might also check out the IYV Les Paul with A5 pickups. It’s very similar to the Mitchell MS450.
These guitars should be considered platforms for upgrading...as are most cheap Asian guitars. My Firefly w Dimarzio Virtual Vintage PAFs, Wilkinson bridge, roller saddles, Graphtec Tusq XL nut is AWESOME. I'm still WAY below Gibson's obviously inflated prices...and I'll put it up with most Gibson LPs I've played.
I got the Grote 335 and I am blown away. $179 on Amazon. If I spend another $250 on pick ups and tuners (which it doesn't necessarily need) it will be as good as my Gibson 335. These are serious substantial guitars, really sweet chime, resonates great. All I had to do was lower the bridge a little. Action is super fast, frets are dressed nicely. No issues at all. I've been a working musician for 20 years and I am really picky. I was half expecting some kind of toy, but I was really surprised. This would be a great guitar at $1000 dollars. Big recommend.
You might have trouble getting your hands on one as they go out of stock as soon as a new batch comes in, but the best, most authentic accurate budget Les Paul Copy I’ve ever come across is the “Artist LP59”! Bone nut, locking tuners, coil splitting all as standard! It also has fantastic pickups, the Artist Bullbucker’s are clones of the SD JB/Jazz set and are worth buying the guitar for alone! It even has “fret nibs” like a genuine Gibson, something I’ve never seen on a copy! Artist are based in Australia but I bought mine from their U.K. website, delivered for £199! ($272). It’s the best sub £500 guitar I’ve ever played! Hell, it’s probably the best sub £1,000 guitar I’ve played! If you are prepared to be patient and grab one when they come in stock I promise you, you won’t be disappointed! In the U.K. the next shipment is due February 2022! Good luck
I don't know which one I like more than the other two, though I too picked up on something about them. The firefly was not doing something that the other two were on the high gain test, though I am not sure if it was feedback or Sympathetic ringing. I have had that issue before, but a little thread tape on the polls on the intonation part of the Tom bridges would likely fix it, as it worked for me. To be clear of what exactly I am talking about, I am not talking about where the polls and the adjustable part connect, as those usually seem pretty snug, but where the polls screw into the things you put into the body. Ever noticed before you put strings on a guitar that the bridge rattles a bit, well a little thread tape will fix that issue, and I think it might increase sustain a bit... There is a dirt cheap test you can do, take any guitar and test it out, then put thread tape on those polls and see what it does.. I am sure that would or could be a good video, as it would be a cheap thing to do for anyone, and could be done with a string change.. .. Okay, I am clearly tired and rambling a bit, so thanks for the vid, good day and good luck :)
I think the price is inline with each guitar but I'm with you Darrell the firefly just makes sense and can easily be upgraded thanks for this great review 👍
That Xavier literally turned me on to the path that eventually led me to buying my absolute #1 dream guitar (epi lea Paul 60 trib plus in aqua burst) so thanks!
Of these 3 I would choose the Epi, I thought it had a suggestion of the SG tone about it on the bridge and the neck sounded OK for clean tones. As a Gibson LP owner I expect that sounds odd!
I had to check the date of this video because Epiphone discontinued the bolt-on Specials a while back. Now the lowest priced Epiphone is $400 new. Five years ago you could find the clipped-ear Epiphone Special IIs used for $25-$50 with some shopping patience, lol. With a good setup they are surprisingly great guitars. I have a Special Junior that has more hours of play time than the 'proper' Gibsons in the fleet, it's fun. Where is the Harley Benton SC450? I think Glarry has a LP version. Check those out and do a follow up video. Any of these guitars can be great if you check or do a fret level and a setup including pickup height setup. Microphonic pickups are always a fight between the players who want 'old clean tones' and those with 'super high gain shredding tones' because the first want unpotted and the second need vacuum wax potted pickups.
I LOVE my Epi LP Studio E1 with zebra ceramics. I've played it against LPs 5 times more expensive and it, very closely, matches tone for tone. A blindfolded audience wouldn't be able to tell the difference. In fact, with pedals and a decent amp, there is no tell tale difference. Cheaper pickups, over the last two decades, have improved and can give their competitors a run for the money at a more affordable price.
I like the look of the Xavier and the sound of the Epiphone but the price of the Firefly. Amazon sells a Les Paul style guitar By iyv which is a Vietnamese company for 188 dollars with a flame Maple top in green. It plays better than my Les Paul special 2 and sounds better than my Les Paul special 2. My Les Paul special 2 was made in Indonesia. But I did like the Plus top on your Les Paul special 2. Love the videos keep them coming
Hey Darryl keep an eye out for scams on your site I was just contacted saying I won something. I never win anything but there's something called WhatsApp and I think they're trying to abuse your Channel just be careful thanks
The Xaviere has a 1" solid maple top, bound fretboard, long tenon neck and coil splitting. Not to mention excellent pickups. This model should have covered pickups so he may have switched them out with another GFS pickup. The Firefly is the cheapest but it will absolutely need a pro setup.
i own two of the three and i really love my xavier plays great stays in tune and i just love it great video darrell was great side by side comparison i just bought a slick brand super strat really digging it as well rock on people
I’ve never seen the Sire L7 review from you. I’m a diehard Fender guy but found a great deal on an L7. All I will say is I can not put it down. Amazing guitar…feel, sound…rolled fret board edges. Killer value!
I have a firefly fflp and overall it's really nice. Getting ready to replace the tuners, pickups, and electronics. Good starting point for a project guitar. A buddy of mine had an epiphone special ii slash model for a little while but we both thought it was pretty bad. Sharp and buzzy frets, bad tuners, couldn't ever get the intonation set correctly. Plus it had the flat top with photo flame, not real flame maple, and the bolt on neck, so overall it didn't feel like a les paul
A really good comparison. I like 10-15 min videos. They are a good size. I am curious about those firefly's. Alas, not quite enough to talk to her about adding another guitar right now. I can't a beater LP cheaper. I am not comfortable experimenting with my Les Paul. However, a cheap LP I would not mind trying stuff on.
It seems to me that firefly have brighter pickups and the tune pegs are not that good, they couldn't hold the tune in drop D and hey; you just tuned down the E string. And this Xaviere is beautiful and sounds great, I would either go for that one or get a Firefly and change the pickups. Thanks again for yet another great video! o/
@@WaurufEx They only have one control knob and the switch is not in the upper bout. Also, they are flat topped and don't have a separate tailpiece. They are not fairly comparable IMO.
Hey Darrell! I am a huge fan and have been for a few years now. I would like to suggest a thing where you also do it in a band mix. I would love to hear how these sound in a band mix, with everything on the amp at noon. I think clean sounds good, but even just adding bass and basic programmed drums would be nice. Stick it at the end of your demo takes, and time stamp it. I think it would be nice to timestamp when things are happening, such as when the clean sounds are playing, or the high-gain, or slight crunch tones. These are just minor things I would LOVE to see to improve these amazing videos! I think I might pick up the Epi, as it sounds the best for metal, but the Xaviere is also good, and sounds great for everything. Also IDGAF about bolt on necks being "inferior" or whatever guitar snobs say. If it works it works, and the Epi sounds the best to my ears. Also, I think it matters more about the player, and you can make anything sound good, and I can make anything sound bad haha.
I have a 2018 Agile AL-3100mcc. The 3 guitars in this video aren't even in the same ballpark. Not even close. It was $399, though, so a bit more expensive. Plus, Agile doesn't make them anymore.
@@raytorvalds3699 they still make them . They are taking advanced orders for 1/31 shipment. Price is 499.99 for the al-3100mcc . Price has gone up but still well under Epiphone Les Paul custom prices.
I'm slightly biased my Epi 1960 Les Paul Tribute(in Black Cherry) made from 2012 -2015 is truly amazing! Friends who own Gibsons said it's outstanding it plays like a dream and sounds fantastic.comes with Gibson Classic 57 pickups and wiring!
Hey! you should do one about affordable guitar modellers for gigging! or a gigging kit with cables, modeller, speaker and etc! something you would gig with
Firefly takes the cake in ALL disciplines - by far! IMHO - the most classic "lespaulish" looks out of these 3 guitars presented here and its mellow sound does it for me the most. Ceramics sound too harsh on this Epiphone (I'm all for ceramics otherwise - when done the right way - like on my 2 SGs style guitars - Yamaha RS320 and Ibanez Gio GAX30) and the strings apparently set too low. Unfortunately FIREFLY apparently is not to be had in Europe as of now.
Hope you like blue Les Pauls 😂
Let me know which guitar you liked the best!
I agree the Xavier is a clear winner and the top and binding is great. Those pick ups rock. Next I think the Firefly is the way to go for a low $ entry-level guitar. Beautiful top on that as well. And at that price you could upgrade the pick ups later on if desired. Third goes to the Epiphone. It played great but has that budget look about it. Cheers Darrell.
Where do I get to buy the Fire fly guitar please or the epiphone or xaviere guitar
The Xavier all the way for me, it's the only one that you can easily grow with. The quick plugs and GFS's endless pick up variety means you can shape the sound any way you like.
Xavier is nice for different genres,quality is great I'd go with that one.
Buy a firefly and change pickups
Having played a lot of guitars (and basses) over the years, both bolt on and glued… I think as long as the bolt on neck pocket is tight and has great contact between the neck heel and body, there’s really no difference between them.
Hey I see you got this what's app message too..is it a scam .do I know anything about it. I would assume I'd have his name on it. I don't know what what's app is do u
@@joshuataft5541 It has to be scam. Darrel should address this.
@@llednop thank you I thought so ..I was exited tho when I first saw it..the misspelled word rely stood out among other things.. sad cause I want one of those lol
@@joshuataft5541 the worst ones are the ones that copy a channels name but add a period at the end.
i totaly agree with you. and to be honest some of the nicest guitars have a bolt on neck. like a strat or a tele.
The xaviere also has pickup splitting and quick plug pickup swapping for other Guitar Fetish pickups. I bought one after Darrell's review last year and I love it!
I've had a Xavier since September, and have been having so much fun with it. Recently I speced it out and once you polish the frets, it feels like a mid-top tier gibson.
What do you mean specced out, like news pickups and pots?
@@blueleaftuber Kinda, yeah. Maybe customized fits better, what I did was change the nut to a tusq nut, added locking tuners, a black pearl pickguard, locking straps, a new locking bridge and tailpiece, some new pickups that have the kwick plug for tone variety, and speed knobs, all in gold.
'If you don't like blue' ... Who are those people??? We all know blue guitars sound better. It's science.
Facts!
Blue is the best color, alwaysz 💙
Duh
Of you don,t like blue you Will hate the sky
YEAH SCIENCE!!!
Xaviere had the most clarity, best looking and the best sounding my opinion.
Personally I recommend getting an Epiphone Les Paul studio on the used market (~$250-$300), very good pick ups, set neck, grover tuners, can't go wrong
I prefer the Epiphone Les Paul Custom Pro over the Studio. The Epiphone Special is the cheapest. I have all of them.
@@stevequalls1694 I think the studio is the best all around in terms of price and features
@@sydguitar99 I love my studio but my custom pro is a superior guitar and paid the same for both. He paid too much for that Special. I have it also but the all the other LP's are superior to the Special. Including the Junior and Standard LP. The Studio is superior to all them other's though.
I have actually had all 3 and the Xaviere is hands down the best imo. In fact, it's the only one of the 3 I still have. It has more nicer features like brass saddles and coil taps on the neck and bridge pickups too.
Thanks much.
I will purchase the Xaviere then.
I have the Epiphone but with the Xavier GFS pickups in it lol
@@deltasemple383 wow, this is very interesting
Yup I haven’t been playing only a couple years and mostly acoustic guitars ido practice wit my squires Stratocaster standard. But would love to buy the xavier brand wonder if they make a telecaster with the 50s sound?
@@JeffSimpson-yy2si Their tele's are nice and there are several pickup varieties that you can just qwikplug in. You'll probably want their 52 Overwound Professional Series for the tele if that's th sound you want.
I love my Epi LP Plus Top Pro, it's very well made and sounds great.
@@lisaayers1975 it's a 60s C shape, the bigger ones are the 50s style.
Loved the clean tone on the Xaviere! Need to get me one of those baddies.
I use a cheaper Epiphone aka the special satin finish model I got used for 100 bucks added the GFS pickups in the Xavier and some cheap goth vintage tuners and vuala a great guitar for 200 bucos
I have the Firefly 338, the Epiphone Les Paul Special (Korean model), and a Xavier XV-570. I've swapped the pickups in all but the Xavier. But, I've had it the shortest period of time, too. They are all great guitars!!
I bought a guitar and I widely watched RUclips videos. You are so on point for anyone who wants to get one guitar! Love these parts of what can and cannot do for guitars. Great jobs!
I have the same Epiphone. It's a 2013 and since has now faded more into a green/blue. Still love it.
I threw on some locking tuners, replaced the plastic dots with abalone shell, replaced the pick ups with Seymour Duncan Whole Lotta Humbuckers with nickel finish, and a bone nut.
It plays beautifully. I've had friends tell me it competes with high end Epiphones even some Gibsons.
Bone nut was a nightmare. It doesn't have a traditional Les Paul size, so I had to hand carve a nut out of a bone block. Totally worth it.
Great vid!
I like the tones on the Xavier the best. I would like to see a comparison like this with semi hollow guitars maybe using a low-end beginner amp.
I agree! So I have an update on my quilted green Firefly Elite FFLPS. After having it for a month, it still sounds great and stays in tune. The neck is straight as an arrow. I have went from 10-46 to 9-42 gauge strings and that tightened up the low end. Of course I replaced everything (bridge & tail piece, tuners, nut, all the electronics & wiring and the pickups) on the guitar to be able to get low action, stable tuning and great sound but it was worth it. The Firefly guitars are a great platform for someone who is into modifying and upgrading an instrument. The one thing I can add is with the Dimarzio Tone Zone and PAF pickups that I installed in it, you can play metal and hard rock with the guitar. I tune to E standard, so my metal and hard rock playing style is that of Boston, AC/DC, Dokken, Cinderella, Lynch Mob, Slaughter, Ratt, WhiteSnake, Anthrax, Black Sabbath, Ozzy, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, OverKill, Testament and Megadeth. How I love 70's and 80's music!
For me, it is the Xavier. I have one (green) with the push/pull feature. The balance and the sounds are great. I bought it last year. I also like the ability to swap out the pickups (Guitar Fetish) that simply plug in.
Get the Firefly if you want the iconic look of an LP standard and are gonna immediately swap out the pickups anyway.
Get the Epiphone if you want something a bit more stripped down aesthetically with hotter pickups (it also says Les Paul on the headstock if you care about that)
Get the Xaviere if you want unique features plus good sounding alnico pickups right out the box.
The GFS pickups are ceramic.
I like the epiphone les Paul 2,very nice, and blue is alright brother. Thank you Darrell 😎 nice playing brother 😎
Darrell, I have been a customer of Guitar Fetish for a few years now, so I was able to spot a small error fairly quickly. The GFS Crunchy Pat pickups are propelled by CERAMIC magnets, not Alnico. Experience should show us all to listen with our ears, but the magnet composition might make a difference to some players. Enough said.
Guitar Fetish rules. Excellent hardware and pickups for reasonable prices.
The one thing I'm looking for in a cheap les paul is where the neck snaps. If not into 2, right at the neck joint then it's a no go!
Went for the Epiphone. Got a used 2014 model LP Special II plus top blue burst. Has a nice rosewood board unlike those made after 2017 CITES. All it needed was a set of Grover 133N tuners and a setup. Love the simple controls, light weight and flat top. Epiphone's are great for a stay at home hobby player like me that prefers Fender guitars but wants to experience playing a Les Paul without the weight or spending too much. Like the pre CITES 2011-2017 SG's as well. Cheers!
Well, I got the Xaviere (in yellow) on the basis of your review, and I wouldn't trade it. Thanks for the recommendation, Darrell.
Definitely still a fan on my Xaviere that I bought after your first review of it. Didn't mention that it was the only on in this comparison with stainless steel frets, push pull splits too!
First I’ve heard that they have SS frets. Where did you find that information? I have a PRO510 and while the frets are indeed very nice and came polished, I don’t think they’re actually stainless
@@erichill262 dang. I stand corrected! Could have swore they were, but yes, polished nickel. Push pull and the GFS quick plug is definitely a bonus though!
@@TheMerc1950 yep! 👍
The best affordable les paul I've ever played was a Harley benton sc550 at €220. I've played the firefly and epiphone. It blows both these guitars out of the water.
i bet it does i got myself a harley benton st-52 stratocaster and its perfect for the money almost as good as squier classic vibe🎸
@@adrianhellstrom2927 I have the st model as well. Great guitar for the money. The thing about the Harley bentons is that they can no longer be described as good value as you move up the range, they become exceptional!
@@budgetguitarherogeartv4143 the only thing that are not so good on my st-62 are the pickups if you change them then you have a guitar close sounding to fender
i would go with the epiphone . well i actually have one of those ebony black. so i might be bias. and today you can get one of em on the used market for as cheep as 60-100€. and if i would like a metal machine i would chose the the xaviere pro555 since it has a nice fr style tremolo system and coiltap and is just fun guitar to play. and not to forget the kwick plug system and the really cheep mics. i mean its hell alot of guitar for $300.
Yes! @ 8:30 into vid, your thoughts...... I was already there with the FFLP ! Not as Bright and warmer soft..... Agree! And that was Especially noticeable playing clean on All Pick-ups.... the Epi LP and Xavier LP...... it's tough...... very close..... But I keep siding with that XAVIER!!! Trying to save up some play money to Purchase that Xavier LP !
I picked up my Epi LP Spc II off Craigslist for a hundred bucks. I love it.
I bought the epiphone les paul special 2, it was 219.00 at my local Guitar Center. It was like that guitar, but red.
I really like the Epiphone, it looks really good, I personally have never found fault with bolt on neck’s as long as they fit well , also they have the added benefits of being easily replaced if you break the head stock.
*necks. No apostrophe unless it is to show possession.
Agreed ,It's just the logical way to build an electric guitar .
I think the Firefly has the most vintage "PAF" sound, but that said good sounding pickups can be had from GFS cheap. What a lot of (not so in the know) players don't know is the late, great Bill Lawrence used ceramic magnets in some of his most iconic pickups most notable the 500XL series and they sound phenomenal.
I agree. Firefly has a great warm tone. I wouldnt use it to play Metal but, clean/semi dirty they are great on a budget. And the "low FI" vintage sound, Firefly matches. You have to search for a Gretch or Gibson, hollowbody or solid to match. Hard to do.
Mitchell MS450 on sale today $200 at Guitar Center. Fantastic value for the money.
Hi Darrell, I loved the video. However, you mention that the Epiphone is the only one with ceramic pickups, but on the GFS site, it states that the Crunchy PAT pickups have "Isotropic ferrite ceramic magnets". Just an FYI.
I had been hoping for a video like this from you for a loooong time!
Bought my xaviere last March. Quilted maple top in tortoise. Put some clear speed knobs on it. Great guitar for the money.
You usually get what you pay for. Xaviere sounded much more full to my ears. I want the two tones and volumes for stage use, so that seals it.
Yes, I have! I have literally been scouring all previous reviews over the last week for a Les Paul specifically, so thank you for this head-to-head! Perfect timing!
Hey, the GFS Cruncy PAT pickups are actually an isotropic ferrite (whatever that means haha) ceramic magnet. I believe toward the beginning you said they were Alnico. Not the case. They sound quite good though... I've actually got some in a few of my own guitars.
Out of all the tones, the Epi had much more character , especially in the neck position both clean and with a little dirt. All sounded awful saturated, but I thinks that's more just me, I don't care for that super gain sound.
Could be due to the way Darrell dials in his high gain tone too. I'm personally not a big fan of his high gain sound, regardless of what amp or guitar he's using. But that's ok with me since he probably doesn't play a whole lot of high gain outside of his videos
All sound acceptable to me. Agreed that the Firefly needed more guts in the pups. For the loot I like the Slick SL52.
My Epiphone Les Paul Modern arrived yesterday. Never played a Les Paul before so I'm very excited to have a blast.
Have you ever reviewed a Mitchell MS450? They’re in this same price range right now and appear to have some additional nice features, locking tuners and split coils on paraffin-dipped alnico V humbuckers. Their headstock design keeps all strings running straight, too, and they run through the body at the bridge. Do you have an opinion of them?
I have a Mitchell 450… I’ve had a firefly and Ivy Les Paul too and the Mitchell is by far the best IMO, I own 12 guitars and have owned at least 40 different ones and it’s seriously ridiculously underrated. Most comfortable neck from any LP I’ve played and it comes with locking tuners and the binding and fretwork of a really expensive guitar.
@@jordanfender3085 - thanks for the recommendation, Jordan! Darrell has me convinced that a Xaviere is a great value and I have been planning on getting one but the MS450 is now on sale and looks like one heck of a buy! I appreciate your input. 🎸
Agreed.
Great video! When I was agonizing over this decision a few years ago, I settled on "used PRS SE245", which really hit the spot for me. 🤘🏽🎸
I ended up getting a PRS SE245 and I love mine too.
I'm still a Fender preferer, but Les Pauls are cool.
Scam!!!!!!
I have the Xaviere Pro 500, and I used to own an Epiphone Les Paul Trad Pro. Each an excellent instrument for the price. I also had a Les Paul Special II (P90), which was unfortunately a bad one. I don't judge the LP Sp II model badly just because mine was garbage, but I doubt I'll be picking up another one any time soon.
One thing I love about the Xaviere is the Kwikplug system. Haven't made use of it yet, but I definitely plan to.
@Timdoeswork I've since replaced it with the SG w/P90s. It's more than suitable.
@Timdoeswork *their. "There" is a location.
I want all 3!The Xavier had the best of both worlds really.The great Epi sound AND the beauty of the Firefly for $100 more! Great review!
I've played LOTS of guitars. Darrell NAIL IT! All three guitars are SURPRISINGLY good and I would recommend to any NEW guitar player. And I love them Canadians!
Firefly is the one I liked the most for clean tones. In general, Epiphone is the one that impressed me the less. I would say:
1- Firefly
2- Xaviere
3- Epiphone
Besides the price, I could switch the first two just to have more possibilities with the Xaviere. Actually in Italy is only available the Epiphone, I don't think there's any distributor for the other two.
For me i can only speak about the Epiphone , i have the LP Studio and i love it....Plus that's not a good comparison , because that's one of the cheap Epi's , mine has 2 vol , 2 tone with coil splitting.
I own the Xaviere XV-555. The main difference is it has a Floyd Rose tremolo. I love the tone of this guitar and the versatility. I can drive the hell out of the pups and they never lose clarity. Mine is gloss black and a real stunner!
I have a Xaviere and it has a walnut fingerboard, which feels just as good to me as my other fingerboards. I had a finish issue, but they exchanged it at no charge.
The XAVIER neck pickup, especially clean, sounded really clear and bell like. That's a nice pickup. I'd buy the XAVIER guitar over the other two.
I have a Les Paul from AIO guitars, and it is absolutely incredible.
~$500 for the guitar, a pro setup, and a gator case.
1st Epi 2nd FF 3rd XV. They all are beautiful axes.
I've always wonder this, I got the green burst model over a year ago and the tuners on the green firefly are not what I would say are as sturdy. Also the pickups are uncovered which appears to be the only color that have thse differences.If you go to their site and just look at the images you will see what I'm talking about. It's never really been an issue was more or less curious why that might be the case.
Also I don't have the tools necessary nor the skill to level frets, 11-14 between E A and D had at least one frett that buzzed. I ultimately brought it to a luthier to make this thing sound like a dream. All in all 189 for the guitar and 120 for leveling fretts and a tune up. I'm so happy with it and love picking this guitar up. It's thanks to you Darrel that I found firefly and everytime I pick it up along with my Postive Grid modeling Amp, again thanks to you that I can zone out and feel satisfied with my playing 👍
To me the Xaviere had the best, most mature sounding pick-ups, but I personally preferred the tones coming out of the Epiphone, just really liked those sounds. But for $300.00 you seem to get a whole lot of quality with the Xaviere.
Great video. I have a similar Epiphone that plays and sounds AMAZING.
I'm a bit surprised you didn't include the Harley Benton SC-550. Hard to beat that guitar in my opinion.
I’ve had the epiphone for a couple of years and I’ve got to say it’s good
Hey Darrell, what song were you playing at 4:15? It sounds amazing
I liked the firefly.. it just has more life to me the epi sounded like a non resonating chunk of wood
The X was slightly firefly but resonated also
But I'm on my phone
While watching this, which is really one that did going to help me - love your videos, Darrel - I wish, Sire would have been part of the comparison.
Hi Darrell, any chance of demoing some short scale guitars, or a comparison video? The Musicman Sterling Cutlass is very interesting, and putting that against a Squier Mustang or an SG could be quite interesting! :)
Hey Darrell !!!
Can you.please do a video on top 5 acoustic guitars under 500 dollars ?
This comparison method is spot on, play the same thing on each guitar on the same pick up setting, that way the ‘ear’ really does get a good comparison, I wouldn’t have minded a bit of an opinion on the playability and weight/balance etc, but a great quick comparison all the same, thanks
Darrell you should have tagged this the best BLUES compairison lol
Great comparison review. I have 8 firefly FFLPs and I have a Xaviere PRO510 quilted blue burst. I agree with your observations. The Xaviere is a better all around guitar with better pickups, hardware, kwik plug , and coil split. But there’s just something about the fireflies I really like. Although the pickups can be microphonic and lower output, they’re still really fun to play and are capable of some really nice tones. Especially with some light overdrive at the edge of breakup. You can get some great blues lead tones on the neck pickup with the tone rolled back 👍
That firefly has the best vintage look for sure, hands down the best choice, if you put in some screamin pups.🤘🎸🎵😉
Great comparison. A lot of guys on FB cheap guitar groups really like the IVY Les Paul (on amazon). Might wanna give that one a look. They have a green one that looks beautiful.
The green one looks nice, but there's an old listing on Amazon for a blue one which looks really nice. Unfortunately, they never get it in.
Always loved the LP sound but hated the weight. The special ii is SO much lighter so it’s my choice. I really like the special i with the p90’s too.
I bought one of the Blue Firefly Les Pauls.
I replaced the sub-optimal pickups with an a set of Epiphone Probuckers (Alnico 2) with the wiring kit so everything plugged together super easily.
(Only $40 if you shop around on ebay, delivery only took 4 days. You can get some well respected modern pickups with coil splitting for a great price.)
It all dropped in with very little work as I only need to unsolder the old pickup selector wires (You can cut those if you're lazy) and solder the single ground wire. Like I said, Easy.
The neck needed just a few passes with a tiny file to smooth 2 frets ends from a little sharp to perfection. For the most part the frets were really done right.
Overall the fit and finish is great.
I threw away the crappy strings for some great D'addario NY XL strings.
I'm happy to say it's a now a really nice guitar that now sounds great and is fun to play.
Pros: Looks great. Fit and finish are nice. Much better than you'd expect for the price.
Cons: Kind of Heavy. Stock pickups need to be replaced but that's not hard.
I love my Firefly guitars. The pickups in them are also ceramic magnets though. I think GFS crunchy PATs might be ceramic as well. So they’re all likely ceramic magnets and they sound pretty close. You might also check out the IYV Les Paul with A5 pickups. It’s very similar to the Mitchell MS450.
Such a fantastic guitar info channel, I just had to subscribe and like!!!!! ☮❤☮
These guitars should be considered platforms for upgrading...as are most cheap Asian guitars. My Firefly w Dimarzio Virtual Vintage PAFs, Wilkinson bridge, roller saddles, Graphtec Tusq XL nut is AWESOME. I'm still WAY below Gibson's obviously inflated prices...and I'll put it up with most Gibson LPs I've played.
The bolt neck Epi really held its own. Impressive The last one Xavier was the best IMO
I got the Grote 335 and I am blown away. $179 on Amazon. If I spend another $250 on pick ups and tuners (which it doesn't necessarily need) it will be as good as my Gibson 335. These are serious substantial guitars, really sweet chime, resonates great. All I had to do was lower the bridge a little. Action is super fast, frets are dressed nicely. No issues at all. I've been a working musician for 20 years and I am really picky. I was half expecting some kind of toy, but I was really surprised. This would be a great guitar at $1000 dollars. Big recommend.
You might have trouble getting your hands on one as they go out of stock as soon as a new batch comes in, but the best, most authentic accurate budget Les Paul Copy I’ve ever come across is the “Artist LP59”!
Bone nut, locking tuners, coil splitting all as standard!
It also has fantastic pickups, the Artist Bullbucker’s are clones of the SD JB/Jazz set and are worth buying the guitar for alone!
It even has “fret nibs” like a genuine Gibson, something I’ve never seen on a copy!
Artist are based in Australia but I bought mine from their U.K. website, delivered for £199! ($272).
It’s the best sub £500 guitar I’ve ever played!
Hell, it’s probably the best sub £1,000 guitar I’ve played!
If you are prepared to be patient and grab one when they come in stock I promise you, you won’t be disappointed!
In the U.K. the next shipment is due February 2022!
Good luck
I don't know which one I like more than the other two, though I too picked up on something about them. The firefly was not doing something that the other two were on the high gain test, though I am not sure if it was feedback or Sympathetic ringing. I have had that issue before, but a little thread tape on the polls on the intonation part of the Tom bridges would likely fix it, as it worked for me. To be clear of what exactly I am talking about, I am not talking about where the polls and the adjustable part connect, as those usually seem pretty snug, but where the polls screw into the things you put into the body. Ever noticed before you put strings on a guitar that the bridge rattles a bit, well a little thread tape will fix that issue, and I think it might increase sustain a bit... There is a dirt cheap test you can do, take any guitar and test it out, then put thread tape on those polls and see what it does.. I am sure that would or could be a good video, as it would be a cheap thing to do for anyone, and could be done with a string change.. .. Okay, I am clearly tired and rambling a bit, so thanks for the vid, good day and good luck :)
I think the price is inline with each guitar but I'm with you Darrell the firefly just makes sense and can easily be upgraded thanks for this great review 👍
Being in Canada it's not possible to purchase a Firefly from Guitars Garden. They will only ship to a US address.
That Xavier literally turned me on to the path that eventually led me to buying my absolute #1 dream guitar (epi lea Paul 60 trib plus in aqua burst) so thanks!
Of these 3 I would choose the Epi, I thought it had a suggestion of the SG tone about it on the bridge and the neck sounded OK for clean tones. As a Gibson LP owner I expect that sounds odd!
It’s crazy how much different the Xavier sounds than the other two now I gotta look into that brand
I had to check the date of this video because Epiphone discontinued the bolt-on Specials a while back. Now the lowest priced Epiphone is $400 new. Five years ago you could find the clipped-ear Epiphone Special IIs used for $25-$50 with some shopping patience, lol. With a good setup they are surprisingly great guitars. I have a Special Junior that has more hours of play time than the 'proper' Gibsons in the fleet, it's fun. Where is the Harley Benton SC450? I think Glarry has a LP version. Check those out and do a follow up video. Any of these guitars can be great if you check or do a fret level and a setup including pickup height setup. Microphonic pickups are always a fight between the players who want 'old clean tones' and those with 'super high gain shredding tones' because the first want unpotted and the second need vacuum wax potted pickups.
#1 Xavier, then Epi, then Firefly a distant 3rd. The Epi sounded closer to the Xavier so I would probably get the Epi and save some money.
I LOVE my Epi LP Studio E1 with zebra ceramics. I've played it against LPs 5 times more expensive and it, very closely, matches tone for tone. A blindfolded audience wouldn't be able to tell the difference. In fact, with pedals and a decent amp, there is no tell tale difference. Cheaper pickups, over the last two decades, have improved and can give their competitors a run for the money at a more affordable price.
I like the look of the Xavier and the sound of the Epiphone but the price of the Firefly. Amazon sells a Les Paul style guitar By iyv which is a Vietnamese company for 188 dollars with a flame Maple top in green. It plays better than my Les Paul special 2 and sounds better than my Les Paul special 2. My Les Paul special 2 was made in Indonesia. But I did like the Plus top on your Les Paul special 2. Love the videos keep them coming
Hey Darryl keep an eye out for scams on your site I was just contacted saying I won something. I never win anything but there's something called WhatsApp and I think they're trying to abuse your Channel just be careful thanks
All were nice. I think the Xaviere sounded best. They are all good sounding and good looking. Great vid.
The Xaviere has a 1" solid maple top, bound fretboard, long tenon neck and coil splitting. Not to mention excellent pickups. This model should have covered pickups so he may have switched them out with another GFS pickup. The Firefly is the cheapest but it will absolutely need a pro setup.
i own two of the three and i really love my xavier plays great stays in tune and i just love it great video darrell was great side by side comparison i just bought a slick brand super strat really digging it as well rock on people
I’ve never seen the Sire L7 review from you. I’m a diehard Fender guy but found a great deal on an L7. All I will say is I can not put it down. Amazing guitar…feel, sound…rolled fret board edges. Killer value!
.Z
I have a firefly fflp and overall it's really nice. Getting ready to replace the tuners, pickups, and electronics. Good starting point for a project guitar. A buddy of mine had an epiphone special ii slash model for a little while but we both thought it was pretty bad. Sharp and buzzy frets, bad tuners, couldn't ever get the intonation set correctly. Plus it had the flat top with photo flame, not real flame maple, and the bolt on neck, so overall it didn't feel like a les paul
A really good comparison. I like 10-15 min videos. They are a good size. I am curious about those firefly's. Alas, not quite enough to talk to her about adding another guitar right now. I can't a beater LP cheaper. I am not comfortable experimenting with my Les Paul. However, a cheap LP I would not mind trying stuff on.
It seems to me that firefly have brighter pickups and the tune pegs are not that good, they couldn't hold the tune in drop D and hey; you just tuned down the E string. And this Xaviere is beautiful and sounds great, I would either go for that one or get a Firefly and change the pickups. Thanks again for yet another great video! o/
I'd like to see (hear) you do an overview of the GFS Earl Slick pickups.
There is also an LP style guitar from Guitar Fetish that I think might also be a competitor.
That being said they are all beautiful
That would be the Xavier.
@@mgclark46 Or the Slick one
@@WaurufEx They only have one control knob and the switch is not in the upper bout. Also, they are flat topped and don't have a separate tailpiece. They are not fairly comparable IMO.
@@mgclark46 I was thinking the Slick SL52 series. 😎
Darryl, what’s with the little green light on your watch? It seems to come on at certain sound levels. Cool!
Also, the guitar comparison was good…
Hey Darrell! I am a huge fan and have been for a few years now. I would like to suggest a thing where you also do it in a band mix. I would love to hear how these sound in a band mix, with everything on the amp at noon. I think clean sounds good, but even just adding bass and basic programmed drums would be nice. Stick it at the end of your demo takes, and time stamp it. I think it would be nice to timestamp when things are happening, such as when the clean sounds are playing, or the high-gain, or slight crunch tones. These are just minor things I would LOVE to see to improve these amazing videos! I think I might pick up the Epi, as it sounds the best for metal, but the Xaviere is also good, and sounds great for everything. Also IDGAF about bolt on necks being "inferior" or whatever guitar snobs say. If it works it works, and the Epi sounds the best to my ears. Also, I think it matters more about the player, and you can make anything sound good, and I can make anything sound bad haha.
I always thought Agile were the best Les Paul for the money .
I had just checked Rondo music recently and their factories in Korea have been shut down due to covid
I have a 2018 Agile AL-3100mcc. The 3 guitars in this video aren't even in the same ballpark. Not even close.
It was $399, though, so a bit more expensive. Plus, Agile doesn't make them anymore.
@@raytorvalds3699 they still make them . They are taking advanced orders for 1/31 shipment. Price is 499.99 for the al-3100mcc . Price has gone up but still well under Epiphone Les Paul custom prices.
@@darko240sx o.O that is good to hear ! They are such good guitars and Rondo has been awesome to deal with for me.
I'm slightly biased my Epi 1960 Les Paul Tribute(in Black Cherry) made from 2012 -2015 is truly amazing! Friends who own Gibsons said it's outstanding it plays like a dream and sounds fantastic.comes with Gibson Classic 57 pickups and wiring!
Hey! you should do one about affordable guitar modellers for gigging! or a gigging kit with cables, modeller, speaker and etc! something you would gig with
Firefly takes the cake in ALL disciplines - by far! IMHO - the most classic "lespaulish" looks out of these 3 guitars presented here and its mellow sound does it for me the most.
Ceramics sound too harsh on this Epiphone (I'm all for ceramics otherwise - when done the right way - like on my 2 SGs style guitars - Yamaha RS320 and Ibanez Gio GAX30) and the strings apparently set too low.
Unfortunately FIREFLY apparently is not to be had in Europe as of now.