The ULTIMATE Epiphone! - Is This the Best Sounding Guitar Ever??

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  • Опубликовано: 6 сен 2024
  • The Ulimate Epi is an Army of One as it takes on Six iconic sounds from various American-made guitars!
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Комментарии • 1,5 тыс.

  • @chadwildclay
    @chadwildclay 4 года назад +127

    I came down here to say the Epiphone sounded more like a strat than the strat and I see everybody else already saying the same thing. Time to upgrade my Epi!

    • @joelstatosky1817
      @joelstatosky1817 3 года назад

      Hold up, you play guitar?. legendary

    • @MrDeaweber
      @MrDeaweber 3 года назад +2

      @@joelstatosky1817 wait , you play Pete's Picolo? What!?!

    • @dustinsmith5471
      @dustinsmith5471 3 года назад

      Yep, that blew my mind. The single coil setting was more strat like.

    • @tredogzs
      @tredogzs 3 года назад

      Yeah, I got that first one wrong ... wow. I would love this guitar.

    • @NicoandAlej
      @NicoandAlej Год назад

      I couldn't in a million years have been fooled by the epi strat neck copy. You should listen to more Hendrix. Neck pickup overdrive on the video was really spot on strat :)

  • @xaviaguilar1709
    @xaviaguilar1709 6 лет назад +21

    Seriously impressed by those p-rails. Super studio friendly! Jack of all trades kinda thing

  • @daveshepherd7582
    @daveshepherd7582 6 лет назад +239

    I'll admit i struggled to identify the EPI in nearly every case, that said what suprised me the most was my ear seemed to prefer the EPI tone overall! I'm sold......

    • @jrex427
      @jrex427 6 лет назад +11

      I mirror your experience. The sound I preferred (the epi) I thought was the "other" guitar with each demonstration. I'm impressed!

    • @danletter9357
      @danletter9357 5 лет назад +2

      Concur

    • @goodgoat3096
      @goodgoat3096 5 лет назад +5

      jrex427 - My experience was the same as yours, I liked the EPI but am by no means an expert like Darrel Braun. My brother had a 1963 SG with the black soap bar pickups and I always preferred that sound over the tele and strat of those days. I also later spent 15 months on an M60 main battle tank which did nothing good for my hearing. Love that custom EPI!

    • @ronfalkoff
      @ronfalkoff 5 лет назад +4

      Sounded Amazing!!! Now I wonder would an LP kit build with P-Rails with triple shots and upgraded tuners would stand up against the moded Epi?

    • @Jagshemasher
      @Jagshemasher 4 года назад

      Concur

  • @dub351
    @dub351 4 года назад +11

    The difference in tone/quality/sound for each comparison was negligible. You just created the most useful guitar I've ever seen (heard). Awesome job, DB.

  • @matthewk320
    @matthewk320 6 лет назад +187

    omg i really got surprized by the first sound. the epi was so good that i thought it was a strat xD

    • @DarrellBraunGuitar
      @DarrellBraunGuitar  6 лет назад +7

      +Matheus Castro Not bad, right!?!

    • @carter3925
      @carter3925 6 лет назад +5

      Literally sounded nothing like a les Paul either no way you'd be able to tell unless you're some sort of expert

    • @skippythetubrat
      @skippythetubrat 6 лет назад +5

      Carter Lord
      The Strat and the Tele were the only two I picked out. Have to say, though, the Tele was tough and the Strat sound was pretty damned close. All in all I was very impressed. I think of an electric guitar as a controller on a video game console. To me it's about functionality and comfort. That is one impressive SOB.

    • @stevegutierrez8679
      @stevegutierrez8679 5 лет назад +4

      The first Tele I picked out pretty easy, but definitely the strat in the beginning messed me up. The epi sounded great

  • @Lael128
    @Lael128 6 лет назад +13

    I really liked this comparison.
    The additional 3 modes on top of the standard sounds makes this Epi a Swiss army knife!
    And you're absolutely right about the money savings when building an Ultimate Epi.
    My Epi cost about $800 after a complete makeover... I still came out ahead as a similar guitar made in the USA is priced at $1,800 new.

  • @jdw174
    @jdw174 6 лет назад +356

    Not only do I think the Epi whooped them all, but it's one of the most drop dead gorgeous guitars I've ever seen. I'm jealous!

    • @bretthackett4124
      @bretthackett4124 5 лет назад +1

      Where did that epi come from? I can't find a top like that anywhere

    • @michaelmalik5049
      @michaelmalik5049 5 лет назад

      He said in the build video there was one store in Canada that sold them.@@bretthackett4124

    • @stevesoldwedel
      @stevesoldwedel 5 лет назад +2

      The top is amazing.

    • @levis5230
      @levis5230 5 лет назад +3

      The Epiphone Les paul standard pro has some really good colors. I think the quilted top he has is a limited edition

    • @louisrios5546
      @louisrios5546 5 лет назад +3

      @@bretthackett4124 Yes, he said it's an Epiphone Les Paul Standard with a quilt top in a "root beer burst" finish. Agree it's spectacular, but unfortunately very hard to find. I'm so envious -- Darrell is truly living his best life.

  • @ronammar5021
    @ronammar5021 6 лет назад +27

    Finished watching video. On Reverb looking at quilted used Epi Les Pauls.

    • @Mason_N.
      @Mason_N. 5 лет назад

      I got a yellow lush honey burst epiphone les Paul quilted

  • @0800333pedro
    @0800333pedro 6 лет назад +1060

    The Epi sounded more strat than the strat

    • @DarrellBraunGuitar
      @DarrellBraunGuitar  6 лет назад +45

      +Pedro Cerda Yeah, it's not often that a Strat drives an amp harder than a LP. I think that will throw a lot of people off 😀

    • @thesullivanstreetproject
      @thesullivanstreetproject 6 лет назад +13

      To me the Epi sounded more like a Strat on the bridge pickup, not enough bass. But it sounded pretty good!

    • @NutNutStudios
      @NutNutStudios 6 лет назад +42

      I agree. When he did the reveal I was like NO WAY.

    • @joshuang3919
      @joshuang3919 6 лет назад +13

      Ok, I'm not the only one who thought that

    • @ajajoya2784
      @ajajoya2784 6 лет назад +1

      Same thought.

  • @tedtronson
    @tedtronson 6 лет назад +13

    Wow! I am thoroughly impressed by the upgrade. Instead of picking which was which I picked which sound I liked better. The only one I picked that was not the Epiphone was the Tele with the Shaw pickups compared to the Epi with humbuckers in parallel. Nice job Darrell! Thanks for sharing.

  • @victorinodominguezmora5592
    @victorinodominguezmora5592 6 лет назад +19

    The first sound was so mindblowing i didnt believe that epiphone could match up with an American guitar

  • @georgerigberg4335
    @georgerigberg4335 6 лет назад +5

    I found myself preferring the Epi in most of the blind tests. One of my favorites that I own is a modified Epi Sheraton II. Samick factory. Tusq nut. Flatwounds. Duncan Jazz neck, Pearly Gates bridge, independent coil taps. It's no longer the guitar I "settled for" I prefer it to a 335!

  • @WauezMachado
    @WauezMachado 6 лет назад +152

    Darrell, I like too much your channel, I'm Brazilian and l don't speak English, and I had use it to practice my listening, cause your pronunciation is so clean for me. Great video!

    • @DarrellBraunGuitar
      @DarrellBraunGuitar  6 лет назад +16

      +Wauez Machado Thanks Wauez!
      I'm glad you are a part of the channel ☺

    • @benoitpeeters7511
      @benoitpeeters7511 6 лет назад

      Hey estou no Brasil tb! Comprei uma Epiphone e vou tentar fazer essa modificação igual. Hehe espero poder conseguir montagem!

    • @nagellouis
      @nagellouis 4 года назад +1

      Canadians are the best!

    • @Sam-me5pl
      @Sam-me5pl 4 года назад

      you have good English and speak it well

    • @nagellouis
      @nagellouis 4 года назад +2

      @Kaptain Kid
      It wasn't sarcastic. Canadians are the best.
      You should apologize for making unnecessary assumptions.

  • @jq206
    @jq206 4 года назад +5

    8:45 almost got me Bud. I screamed out loud yelling no, and you said you were joking ;)

  • @bobbyberetta4206
    @bobbyberetta4206 6 лет назад +93

    Well you sold me on the pickups

    • @acoffeewithsatan
      @acoffeewithsatan 6 лет назад +20

      Bo88y Beretta in a couple days, guys at Seymour Duncan will be wondering why these somewhat niche pickups are suddenly flying off the shelves.

    • @duarteestelita7257
      @duarteestelita7257 3 года назад

      Yeah.. Seymoyr Duncan should be paying Darrell..hehehe.. Im gonna buy these.

  • @Dankflamio
    @Dankflamio 3 года назад +3

    I preferred the Epiphone to every guitar except the first strat and the last gibson. It's weird too because the epi did sound more straty with the thinner tone than the thicker sound out of your select strat. I really love this demo!

  • @tdtom1376
    @tdtom1376 6 лет назад +39

    Geez DB, I am now going to make an appointment with my local hearing loss professional for some testing. I didn't get a single one of them correct! the answer is a definite YES! it was worth it. Don't think you missed or forfeited a thing with this build.

    • @DarrellBraunGuitar
      @DarrellBraunGuitar  6 лет назад +6

      +td tom 😄That means the Epi definitely did well then!

    • @tdtom1376
      @tdtom1376 6 лет назад +3

      showed the vid to my wife. she wants to know why I don't play like that, and wants to know if you considered gold accents on the Epi?

    • @DarrellBraunGuitar
      @DarrellBraunGuitar  6 лет назад +4

      +td tom 😄😄😄
      Gold hardware would probably look very cool on that guitar!

  • @katoooq1
    @katoooq1 4 года назад +97

    I think the industry has gotten a bit out of control with the micro-analysis of the sound of guitars. When I think back and listen to blues vinyl and the countless awesome sounds of the guitars used and then recall that some were done on Harmony guitars, Supro's Teisco's etc. etc., to me the current so-called standard set by critics based upon Gibsons and Fenders is simply an Illusory standard. When you combine my Epi Les Paul with a custom tube amp (Siegmund) with field coil speakers, the sound is nothing short of amazing. The same holds true with my 2018 Gibson Les Paul Deluxe. To be fair, I think the key to all of this is whether the player is happy with the sound. Sound is totally subjective. That being said we can all agree that some sounds are more pleasing to the ear than others. But that leaves us with broad general categories of sounds rather than clearly definable standards. My hat goes off to you for this comparison because it gives hope to those of us who cannot afford a 6k or greater Gibson Les Paul Custom Shop. Back in the 50's and 60's the mind set did NOT evaluate sound in the manner in which we do today. I liked it much better then. People were into the creative aspect of the total product, and not slicing and dicing the guitar sound into the most ridiculous infinitesimal aspects of that which cannot be objectively evaluated. Bottom line, does it move you. Can you feel it in your soul. Does it raise the hair on the back of your neck, and do you smile when you listen to a phrase? Its all about VIBE my friend and let us not forget that. Rock On buddy and keep up the great work. Regards, Edward William Case

    • @troyniles614
      @troyniles614 4 года назад +4

      Edward William Case well said!

    • @krisrhebergen
      @krisrhebergen 4 года назад +3

      Just like a lot of records were recorded using practice amps.

    • @sheremadness
      @sheremadness 4 года назад

      Thank you! Agreed. 👍

    • @TheCaptainsWall
      @TheCaptainsWall 4 года назад +1

      I think that’s partly true, especially when trying to judge “quality”. But I think it’s useful as someone who wants to micromanage my own tone when there’s a specific sound I want.

    • @soldsold1
      @soldsold1 3 года назад +1

      Edward William Case what amp and speakers do you use/ recommend to get great sounds out of this Epiphone? I know this post is a year old but I'm curious what you use. Thanks

  • @lgrim68
    @lgrim68 6 лет назад +8

    I failed most of the tests, and have been playing for 25+ years. Those P-Rails are amazing. I am glad to know of them, and have you to thank. This video was hecka fun to see and hear. Good job!

    • @DarrellBraunGuitar
      @DarrellBraunGuitar  6 лет назад

      +Louis Grim No problem! Glad you enjoyed the comparison ☺

  • @cloudbudget
    @cloudbudget 4 года назад +5

    All the sounds from the Ultimate Epiphone were impressive, but the one that blew me away was the first comparison with the Strat. I got it wrong, not only that but I just really loved the tone and character of the Epiphone's strat impression. That was impressive! I also liked the Strat's version of itself. : )

    • @papadopp3870
      @papadopp3870 Год назад

      I just found this three years since the original post. I totally agree! Strat could, of course, out -whammy that Epi.

  • @fluroflash2803
    @fluroflash2803 6 лет назад +67

    I got them all right. But, man, was number 5 tough... Awesome Vid Darrell

    • @DarrellBraunGuitar
      @DarrellBraunGuitar  6 лет назад +1

      +Fluro Flash Well done FF! Blind tests are always tricky business!

    • @TheJuancristobal1000
      @TheJuancristobal1000 6 лет назад +1

      Darrell Braun Guitar what is the name of the song 0.52 secs. ?

    • @DarrellBraunGuitar
      @DarrellBraunGuitar  6 лет назад

      +Juan Cristobal Martinez Hi!
      The songs I used are listed in the video description ☺

    • @joesycamore2899
      @joesycamore2899 5 лет назад

      I got number one wrong and the rest right but yes they were tough

    • @totherepublic358
      @totherepublic358 5 лет назад

      Been playing and recording/mixing for 30 years and I got all but one wrong. You guys should turn pro immediately.

  • @alexdamaceno
    @alexdamaceno 6 лет назад +8

    Just one drawback for me: Compared to the Gibson on the neck position, the Epiphone sounded way more compressed, more "in your face". Maybe suitable for some occasions, but harder to tame on others. Compared to the Gibson on the bridge position, I couldn't tell which was which.
    Thank you for this. I love my Epiphone Standard, it is the only electric guitar I have and it pisses me off when someone discards a cheaper guitar right off the bat.

  • @TheBigwillistyle
    @TheBigwillistyle 6 лет назад +94

    Nailed it with the strat. The Epi sounded just a little too clean to be strat-ish. But still, for a pickup designed to cover a variety of tones, it's not bad.

    • @MrNitrocat
      @MrNitrocat 6 лет назад

      Duncan also makes a hotter bridge P Rail that would probably take care of that. Something I'm going to look into.

    • @RobertNolan
      @RobertNolan 6 лет назад

      I nailed it on the Strat and Les Pauls. It did a fantastic job at beating my preferences against the Tele sounds

  • @dr150
    @dr150 6 лет назад +5

    These 2 Epi videos you did were FANTASTIC!! For any player who want an Epi to sound better/more versatile, these two vids should be textbook reference! Keep up the good work and ideas!

  • @caglaroral
    @caglaroral 6 лет назад +8

    Unbelievable man!!. I got some of them correct(tele and strat) but the thing is when I said "thats better" it was always Epi. Those P-Rails are amazing (wish they had nickel cover)!! Thanks for the great test. You proved that with good pickups Epi can shine

  • @sirfultonbishop
    @sirfultonbishop 6 лет назад +7

    Regardless of whether or not it sounds “exactly like” a strat, tele or an LP, it sounds great on it own! 👍🏻

  • @taokichavez9319
    @taokichavez9319 6 лет назад +8

    I think it nailed 4 out of 5 tests (I liked better the first Gibson comparison). Really cool video, thanks! UPDATE: it´s 2023 and I just rewatched the video with nicer speakers and first of, the "single coil" tones are really good and almost as close as the real ones but given que architecture of the whole guitar I think this is as close as a non single coil pickup will sound trying to emulate a Fender strat or tele, the humbucker sound totally crushed the Gibson ones

  • @13bluestars
    @13bluestars 6 лет назад +6

    The Epi held it's own for the most part. Within a band situation... most wouldn't know the difference. P-Rails sound legit!

  • @216trixie
    @216trixie 6 лет назад +10

    Great shootout. Amazing how the Epiphone did, side by side with all those different guitars and pickup combinations. If I had to take one guitar to a gig, that would be it.

  • @scoo0oo402
    @scoo0oo402 6 лет назад +3

    That was one of the harder blindfold tests you've done which speaks volumes for the epi. Like you said you can hear the minute differences IF you're listening for them. However, for a work horse guitar that you don't mind bringing around it's a great substitute with amazing variety. Great video!

  • @thedisciple1764
    @thedisciple1764 6 лет назад +9

    Great video Darrell. I think a lot of people are doing things similar to what you did to your epi. I bought a PRS SE and swapped the pickups for some Seymour Duncan Pearly Gates and for me it’s good enough and I didn’t have to shell out 3k. 500 - 800 bucks these days get’s you a really nice guitar.

  • @gavinhell4597
    @gavinhell4597 5 лет назад +56

    Just remember guys and gals none of your guitar heroes started with any of these guitars! Forget the sniffing and start playing. 👍🤘

  • @DRock1779
    @DRock1779 5 лет назад +3

    Found the first one very easy, and each one significantly harder. I think the epiphone sounds amazing overall and better than some of the more expensive options. The only question is does it feel as good to play?

  • @antoniomonteiro1203
    @antoniomonteiro1203 5 лет назад +1

    I have a home made guitar with P-Rails but I also bought those pickup frames that Seymour Duncan call Triple Shot. It allows you to select four possibilities: coil 1, coil 2, both series and both parallel. So I can mix P90 on one with SC on the other. Some of the 24 possible selections are very interesting. And you can also lower a bit one of the volumes, which I use a lot: bridge with full HB and neck SC. Lowering a bit the neck vol brings on the fat of the bridge and actually raises the signal level.

  • @oneeyemonster3262
    @oneeyemonster3262 6 лет назад +4

    The EPi is the pretties guitar in the room, It screams....play me, play me,
    It's cool to have those tone options avalible at your finger tips.

  • @artiesag1
    @artiesag1 6 лет назад +6

    What if you flip the pickups upside-down in their mounts. That would put the single-coil side of the pickups to the outside of the stack. If in fact pickup position matters this would put the single coils in a more accurate position in resemblance of Fender guitars. This change should not effect the humbucker or phasing characteristics.
    What do you think? Thankx♫♫♫ Artie ♫♫♫

    • @DarrellBraunGuitar
      @DarrellBraunGuitar  6 лет назад +4

      +Artie Saginario I think I will have to try that out in the future ☺

    • @artiesag1
      @artiesag1 6 лет назад +1

      Let me know how it goes if you can ever find the time to try it.
      Thank You So Much for replying ♫♫♫ Luv Your Vids ♫♫♫

  • @matthewjordaan5023
    @matthewjordaan5023 6 лет назад +14

    Awesome sounding Eppi... I'm impressed

  • @shanedingz
    @shanedingz 4 года назад

    I purchased a 2014 Epiphone Les Paul Standard Pro in blue-burst. My first non-Fender. It had Pro-buckers. They sound okay. Better once the covers were removed.
    Then I went all out.
    Seymour JB bridge, Pearly Gates neck. Grover chrome keystone locking tuners. CTS, switchcraft, vintage wire, speed knobs, ditched the pickguard yada yada..
    It is an absolute beast! I can’t believe I waited 18 years to try a Les Paul...
    Great Video! Excellent sound quality for comparison.

  • @petesampras9613
    @petesampras9613 3 года назад +3

    You had me at 8:38 😂😂 I was like He's fooled me again!!

  • @musixmylyfe
    @musixmylyfe 6 лет назад +1

    1. Correct! (one of them was super buzzy)
    2. Correct! (Install the pickup backwards and see what happens!)
    3. Incorrect! (I actually preferred the epi but the tele is absolutely stunning)
    4. Incorrect!
    5. Correct! (But it was a complete guess, haha)
    6. Correct!
    This was an awesome little 2 part series! :) Keep up the great work!

  • @samzadgan
    @samzadgan 6 лет назад +4

    Really great video...I think the epi sounded great with P90’s and HB and I actually preferred the Epi with Fuzz compared to the Gibson. But also, playing live and playing loud with a band, all those tiny differences would be unnoticeable, so Epi wins in my mind

  • @saxofunk
    @saxofunk 3 года назад

    I just rebuilt P-rails into a Carvin Bolt kit I originally finished in 2000. They brought this guitar to life! Sooo many options it’s almost overwhelming with the triple-shot style switches, a neck phase switch, a series parallel switch, and Fender TBX on the tone pots. I wired it up with 4 knobs and a 3-way much like the Les Paul style. Love these P-rails!

  • @brucegarris
    @brucegarris 6 лет назад +4

    I liked the Epi for the P-90 tone. I have Mojotone P-90s in an Epi hollow body, and it brings out the warmth/ low end. Yours did as well I felt. Interesting vid!

  • @Wargasm644
    @Wargasm644 3 года назад +2

    I didn’t try to figure out which was the Epi. I just picked the best sounding guitar. The Epi sounded better than all the Fenders. The only times I didn’t pick the Epi as the “best” sounding guitar is when you put it up against the Gibson’s. But that Epi certainly shined bright. Nice work.

  • @andrewstump6138
    @andrewstump6138 6 лет назад +3

    Aww, the soloing in between the comparisons was so good I wanted to hear it again altogether at the end.
    Keep up the awesome videos!

  • @sr009
    @sr009 6 лет назад +2

    These comparisons are SO well done - I learn so many new things I wasn't even considering before!? thank you Darrell!

  • @LYLEWOLD
    @LYLEWOLD 6 лет назад +7

    i don't know instruments well enough to know which was which, i could only go with what i liked. more often than not, i preferred the Epi (and based on how you're playing, i think you favored it, or were at least rooting for it). when it got to the final fuzzy stuff, i was good with either.
    for me, as a novice (that's giving myself more credit than i deserve) it wasn't "which is better", but did this experiment work? and to that i gotta say yes. you have so many sounds at your disposal in one guitar, how could that not be a win? way to go!

  • @davidbarlow431
    @davidbarlow431 3 года назад +1

    I'm not normally a Les Paul fan, but the finish on that epiphone is gorgeous! Also the tonal flexibility was amazing. I could own that guitar quite happily.

  • @kcpetka
    @kcpetka 6 лет назад +4

    I thought the Epi came close enough to capturing the single coil tones to be a legitimate option.
    I was wrong guessing half the time. I'm going to have to purchase some P-rails.
    They are really a game changer. thanks for the vid:)

  • @StephenMorganCanada
    @StephenMorganCanada 6 лет назад +2

    I’ve got a dozen or so Strats in my collection and I have to say I really liked its Strat sound. Enough to try my own build starting with an SG I have kicking about.

  • @imlokii7338
    @imlokii7338 6 лет назад +10

    That Epi is a masterpiece!

  • @PavelTyan
    @PavelTyan 4 года назад +2

    Many thanks for this great video. I have been thinking about building a guitar with P rails for about a month already and this video helped a lot to determine the direction to go. After watching the video, I am convinced now to stick to my initial plan and to use a T-style guitar (Squier or Harley Benton) as a basis with P-rails combined with SD Triple Shot. Also, I am going to install the bridge pick up in a way where single coil will be closer to the bridge and P90 more to the center.
    Thanks a lot again.

  • @saddle8bag
    @saddle8bag 6 лет назад +34

    After the first test, I thought this would be easy. Strat definitely did a better Strat. I actually thought the Epi did a better Tele. Particularly on the low notes. Sounded very country. P90s both sounded great, though I think I slightly prefered the Tele. Buckers was a toss up, but I thought the clean Gibson was a hair brighter and the dirty Gibson smoothed out a tad of the fuzziness. Not sure if that's a good thing? I'm not big on the fuzzy, so it was alright with me.
    Anyway, super versatile guitar for the bucks. A+

    • @Mabufu381
      @Mabufu381 6 лет назад +1

      i definitely thought that the Tele was a better Tele, Tele's have that kinda raw edge, and you could hear that the tele had that, and the Gibson was a bit too clean, even though it had that nice twang.

    • @ravenjames3873
      @ravenjames3873 6 лет назад

      i like fuzz

  • @scottdavidson6066
    @scottdavidson6066 Год назад

    Subsequent upgrade: add Seymour Duncan Triple Shot humbucker rings. Use your push-pulls for in-/out-of-phase & series/parallel wiring between pickups. That would allow for pretty much any sound you can get-any configuration of the two pickups-so you could pair one humbucker/single-coil or P-90 in one position with any of the three in the other position both in-/out-of-phase and series/parallel.

  • @domdanese6
    @domdanese6 6 лет назад +75

    When are you showing off all your guitars

    • @DarrellBraunGuitar
      @DarrellBraunGuitar  6 лет назад +7

      +Dom's Shows 😄 It's on my list - I'm just not sure when I'll get around to it!

    • @TheDoubleGGMan
      @TheDoubleGGMan 6 лет назад

      Darrell Braun Guitar how many guitars do you have?

    • @JakeTerch
      @JakeTerch 6 лет назад +2

      I think your blue Les Paul doublecut is my favorite!

  • @Tredwayj
    @Tredwayj 6 лет назад +1

    I love the sound of the second Tele with the custom wound pickup. Great video. Thank you

  • @Gibbo1050
    @Gibbo1050 6 лет назад +8

    Definitely held its own against the lot. Outstrated a strat!!

  • @iPhoneeditor
    @iPhoneeditor 6 лет назад +1

    If the guitar stays in tune, has good action, and feels good to play you're pretty set in my opinion. From there you just spec. your electronics/pickups to your preferred sound. An upgraded Epiphone or Squire can be absolutely amazing and quite affordable.

  • @MarlonGibbons
    @MarlonGibbons 6 лет назад +5

    Thanks for itemizing the cost of the build (parts). Love this guitar, could care less about what the headstock reads, I just love how versatile it would serve as a studio workhorse. Again, great video.

  • @stormbringer1876
    @stormbringer1876 3 года назад +2

    I know this is YEARS afterward but... imagine a PT Fastback, modded as this Epiphone was though possibly with 4 push pulls (or the Triple Shots), adding a Stetsbar trem... or an Ibanez AR325 adding push pull for parallel humbucker with P-rails... to make them even more versatile.

  • @andrewdog-gonewaylon5915
    @andrewdog-gonewaylon5915 4 года назад +8

    The Twang from the Epiphone sounds more like a Telecaster than the Tele!!!

  • @garycasey7986
    @garycasey7986 6 лет назад +1

    Having watched these two videos, it stuck with me as an idea and months later I have bought myself a used blue burst Epi LP and put in P-Rails with a new wiring harness and I am very happy with the results! Thanks for the idea/inspiration!

  • @MartinCliffe
    @MartinCliffe 6 лет назад +20

    Great video. It didn’t perfectly replicate all the guitars, but to my ears it sounded better than most of them!

  • @trickdude25
    @trickdude25 6 лет назад

    I like the P-rail kit with the switches in the rings. You can choose P-90, single coil, paralell humbucker, series humbucker, on each pup separately and with the pup selector switch in the middle you can mix neck single coil with bridge humbucker etc.

  • @jansonpig
    @jansonpig 6 лет назад +3

    Thanks to this....i see a pickup change for my epi coming up

  • @UnHellequined
    @UnHellequined 5 лет назад +1

    Wow great build. As someone who is currently trying to find a great mid-range guitar, this is a really interesting option. There is so much attention on the best really affordable and best high end guitars, but stuff in the middle is harder to work out sometimes.
    I don't have the experience to really guess which instrument is which, but the difference was definitely most noticeable in the single coil comparisons. I did tend to prefer the non-Epi tones just slightly, except up against the Les Paul Traditional (go figure). The P90 and humbucker sounds were definitely much closer. But all in all, everything sounded amazing and if someone was going to just have one guitar that would be their only instrument for a while, this is a great idea.

  • @charliecoe136
    @charliecoe136 6 лет назад +3

    I won't lie, the Epi came out on top for me a few times more that I'd expect. Interesting stuff...

  • @robertsilva5041
    @robertsilva5041 6 лет назад +2

    I've been around guitars for many many years and surprisingly, I was 7 for 7 correct. love all the tones and all the vids.

  • @Philtration
    @Philtration 6 лет назад +6

    Really impressive guitar Darrell.
    I wonder how these mods would come out on the SG-400 Pro

    • @DarrellBraunGuitar
      @DarrellBraunGuitar  6 лет назад +3

      +Philtration Thanks!
      Probably would sound killer in an SG 🤘

    • @ChristianIce
      @ChristianIce 6 лет назад +2

      It would probably sound even more similar to all the competitors on a PRS kinda scale (25) with inverted pickups.
      That guitar was invented to get the best of both worlds, I guess these pickups are the perfect match.

  • @roadshowautosports
    @roadshowautosports 3 года назад

    My very first guitar still is an epiphone sg that I’ve changed everything to Gibson hardware and electronics with DiMarzio Gravity Storm pickups. Had to fill and re drill holes for bridge and end tail pieces but the results are awesome. I’ve told many people that epiphones would increase in price in the near future and quality would be stepped up as well, and that’s what happened with Gibson pickups as options and better finishes. Overall i consider the brand a super value. Another brand to be watched is one of the only few small American made builders, Tradition. My second guitar is a Tradition G-20 made in Korea as a more affordable option and i had to glue the fretboard, change hardware, pickups and electronics but it sounds just like a vintage Gibson. If by the back while playing no one was able to tell it wasn’t a Gibson.

  • @drfathertime
    @drfathertime 6 лет назад +3

    I'm quite shocked how well Epi emulated bunch of different pick ups!

  • @Leel7077
    @Leel7077 5 лет назад +1

    Really love it when you do blind comparisons, it really shows how psychological it is to relate sounds with brands.

  • @enriquewuestenbergh2576
    @enriquewuestenbergh2576 6 лет назад +3

    Hey, just wanted to say beautiful solos that you play in between!

  • @cptbeto
    @cptbeto 5 лет назад +1

    The Parallel HB sound let me drooling all over my keyboard. Im building myself a LP DC right now and was thinking of going P90+HB, but its most definitely getting these PRails.

  • @bambostarla6259
    @bambostarla6259 6 лет назад +51

    I'm rooting for the epiphone

    • @taketheredpill1441
      @taketheredpill1441 6 лет назад +8

      +Sean Cassidy If a person was really "poor" they wouldn't even be able to afford a $600+ guitar. You sound like an elitist idiot who probably isn't that well off himself anyway. Learn the definition of "poor" as there's a difference between being poor, and being cheap.

    • @warptek
      @warptek 6 лет назад +1

      And stupid... as in paying $1000's for a guitar to get a sound you can get for less than half that.

  • @GregToews
    @GregToews 6 лет назад +1

    Many of the sounds were so close that I think you'd find a similar difference from one set of pickups to another.
    I never felt any of the sounds were better/worse, just different. Great sounding guitar, definitely worth the upgrades.

  • @michaelwoods6709
    @michaelwoods6709 4 года назад +6

    The Epi definitely wins in aesthetics

  • @thechisensei
    @thechisensei 4 года назад

    ive seen this video more than a year ago before I bought my custom epi and until now, this is still the only video I can find in youtube that made an epi the best of all worlds. tnx!

  • @conradmacintyre
    @conradmacintyre 4 года назад +10

    Funny, when I was listening to the first test, and the "Strat Neck" first demo started, I immediately thought, "that doesn't sound like a Strat to me at all!" Then I heard the second one, and it sounded even LESS like a Strat. Haha.

  • @jackflash5659
    @jackflash5659 3 года назад +2

    That Epiphone is epic. I got them all wrong but that's alright I'm not a player. This was fun. Love this blind test and this epiphone. Great job Darrell!

  • @bhushanpradhan4768
    @bhushanpradhan4768 6 лет назад +4

    love the epi. saving money to buy one!

  • @markknecht9416
    @markknecht9416 6 лет назад +1

    Quite a successful build for (as best I can tell browsing around) for under $700 all in. I was listening on Sony MDR-7506's and was pretty convinced that the Ultimate Epi would be well worth owning as a long term guitar. All the sounds were good. For me I wouldn't care if it was a perfect emulation - it won't be - but nice to have all those options on a single machine. Probably hard to sell though. I'll keep my eye out for a good used Epiphone and maybe do a version here. Thanks for all you do.

    • @DarrellBraunGuitar
      @DarrellBraunGuitar  6 лет назад

      +Mark Knecht No problem! ☺
      Yeah, finding a good deal on an older Epi in good condition ($250-$350) is a great way to start a build like this 👍

  • @paulterl4563
    @paulterl4563 6 лет назад +3

    Cool vid ! Very useful. (I preferred the bridge humbuck on the Epi.)
    Bye!!!

  • @carljohnson4691
    @carljohnson4691 6 лет назад +1

    The Epiphone sounds amazing! You could definitely gig with it. It doesn't matter that it doesn't sound exactly like a Tele or a Strat, etc., it sounds good on its own merits. For those of us that are our own roadie that is a great thing.

  • @peterschmidt9942
    @peterschmidt9942 6 лет назад +8

    Those SD P-Rails are great pickups. I used them in a Pete Townsend SG clone I built, but used the SD switchable pickup holders with the switches. Mimic a P90 very well, the single coil is OK and does the job. Together they sound awesome as a humbucker because of the mismatch. Couldn't really tell the difference between a lot of them (strat, tele Gibson etc), it did psych me out thinking the first guitar wasn't the epi all the time! The SD pickups cost about the price of the guitar! Shame SD don't do these in chrome, but at least you can get cream and white as well now (from when I bought mine). I think one thing you have to keep in mind is the SD rails are worlds apart from standard Epi pickups

    • @joshuabenton3785
      @joshuabenton3785 6 лет назад

      I wonder if you gave them a call if they would do a custom fit for that. It would be more expensive, but I feel they could. I am tempted to call myself.

    • @peterschmidt9942
      @peterschmidt9942 6 лет назад

      Joshua Benton - If you're in the states, you can buy customs direct from SD off their website. If you're anywhere else, you have to order them through a local dealer who then orders them through SD and the cost is astronomical (I asked about some other pickups from them recently). To tell the truth, I generally get by with pickups from the GFS range these days for builds, but do splurge occasionally!

    • @joshuabenton3785
      @joshuabenton3785 6 лет назад

      OOooh I didn't even think of that. What a bummer but hey! GFS is truthfully not that bad. Not bad at all.

    • @Smyliemyles
      @Smyliemyles 6 лет назад

      Bride Rock of ages acoustic

    • @chrishorton615
      @chrishorton615 6 лет назад +1

      I bought Stew-Mac Golden Age single coils for my Squire partscaster they sound pretty good. I would consider them gig worthy.

  • @johncarter4131
    @johncarter4131 5 лет назад +1

    This was a really interesting comparison and I felt that the differences between the Epiphone and the other high end guitars were very, very slight. Those pickups transform an intermediate guitar with a limited number of sounds into a very versatile guitar indeed. If you don't mind the Epiphone name on the headstock that is one hell of a guitar.

  • @RafsanBasher
    @RafsanBasher 6 лет назад +28

    I thought the epi was the strat 😑

  • @EdBender
    @EdBender 6 лет назад +2

    Completely confused the strat for the epi. And I've been playing strats for a long time... this epi is really versatile...

  • @debajitpalchoudhury1571
    @debajitpalchoudhury1571 6 лет назад +67

    Epi sounded better than American made start on my ear ...

  • @kelvinburigo2430
    @kelvinburigo2430 4 года назад +1

    I swear I thought the epi sound better in ALL the six tests! I couldn't be more impressed. Congrats, buddy.

  • @nmda9578
    @nmda9578 6 лет назад +3

    Dude, your videos are the best!

  • @glennhogan6344
    @glennhogan6344 6 лет назад +1

    I didn't have a frame of reference. I picked the one that sounded good to me. I picked the Epiphone in all but one test. That made me happy, since I recently bought an Epiphone Les Paul Standard Pro, Quilt top (faded cherry burst), as a learning guitar. THANKS!

  • @TheZotman5
    @TheZotman5 6 лет назад +6

    The Epi sounded as good as it looks.

  • @pjo1964
    @pjo1964 2 года назад +1

    Omg they're both beautiful!!!😮That first strat and the LP !!!

  • @periurban
    @periurban 6 лет назад +4

    I preferred the Epi every single time.

  • @sumners1
    @sumners1 6 лет назад +1

    Great idea and video. I have an Epiphany LP (Korean 1997) and was considering buying a Strat, but now I'm going to try the same modification. Thanks for sharing your ideas.

  • @robssr1
    @robssr1 3 года назад +3

    The epic is gorgeous.
    You selling it???
    I'm interested.

  • @simplygreg17ify
    @simplygreg17ify 5 лет назад +1

    I've been playing for 27+ yrs, but by no means a pair professional...but I'm telling you, I'd take that Epi over each guiyar tested. Reason being, my ear couldn't tell a big enough difference in the comparisons to justify anything close to the difference in price between the guard being compared. Some I couldn't hear any difference, the others was extremely light differences & I was listening thru my smart TV & surround sound entertainment center.

  • @randyc5650
    @randyc5650 6 лет назад +13

    I think the Epi sounded great all around. When are you getting rid of all those superfluous guitars?

    • @nataliagonzalez1698
      @nataliagonzalez1698 6 лет назад

      Randy C cmon. We all know that we need every guitar type for every situation 😆

    • @randyc5650
      @randyc5650 6 лет назад +1

      Nathan Gonzalez, I'm open for donations. I'm just sayin'.

    • @DarrellBraunGuitar
      @DarrellBraunGuitar  6 лет назад

      +Randy C 😄☺

  • @Feckerhead
    @Feckerhead 6 лет назад +1

    I love my EPI ultra. Unlike a 2k + Les Paul If it gets bumped dinged or scratched Im not gonna have a heart attack or stroke if she gets a blemish. I had a LP Custom but with kids I rarely ever played it, it was my case queen.