[Search for users] [Overall Top Noters] [List of all Conferences] [Download this site]

Conference napalm::guitar

Title:GUITARnotes - Where Every Note has Emotion
Notice:Discussion of the finer stringed instruments
Moderator:KDX200::COOPER
Created:Thu Aug 14 1986
Last Modified:Fri Jun 06 1997
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:3280
Total number of notes:61432

2560.0. "Gibsons and near Gibsons, especially semis." by HYDRA::BURGESS (Water dependent) Fri Jul 31 1992 16:47

	Please 'scuse neophite questions, but I have a few of them and
rather than pollute an existing topic on  "REAL"  Gibsons I'll start a
new one on look-alikes and wanna-be's  {as suggested by one of our
illustrious mods (-: }

i)	Could someone please align the various Gibson look-alikes 
(wannabees) to the originals ?   

ii)	Also, some rating of their worth as  "playable instruments" 
would be appreciated, I'm NOT looking to invest, but to play  and the
wanna-be's go for  1/4 - 1/3 or 1/2 the cost of the  REAL THING.  I
know they won't be worth as much 10 years from now, but having less
money invested makes more money available for other joys, etc.   The
Chevvy I can buy has more utility than the Mercedes I can only lust
after, etc.  (-: 

iii)	I have seen Hohner ES35, Epiphone Sheraton, Riviera, etc.  To 
my untrained eyes, hands and ears they seem to be well above  "junk"  
quality.....   Comments ?    I'm mainly interested in the semi's, 
but feel free to include solids and straight acoustics.

	R

T.RTitleUserPersonal
Name
DateLines
2560.1HeritageGJO001::REITERFri Jul 31 1992 17:123
    There's also Heritage, made at 225 Parsons in Kalamazoo, the old Gibson
    factory.  Can't tell ya much else, but they are pretty-looking guitars.
    \Gary
2560.2RAVEN1::BLAIRYou sick little monkey!Fri Jul 31 1992 17:174
    
    	Steve Dandrea can elaborate on the Washburn ES model (HB-something)	
    	which seemed like a real nice axe, but flexed a bit at the neck 
    	joint under Steve's tasteful yet rowdy bends.  
2560.3GOES11::G_HOUSEI wish I was ocean sizeFri Jul 31 1992 17:478
    A good friend of mine used to have an old Aria copy of a 335.  It was
    the most beastly looking green-burst color, but played pretty nice. 
    The pickups sucked (IMVHO) though.
    
    I could have killed him when I found out he'd gotten rid of it, I
    wanted it!
    
    Greg
2560.4nice, but flimsy......NAVY5::SDANDREAYa lop eared varmint!Fri Jul 31 1992 18:0013
    Back in spring of 1989, I bought (and kept for one day) a Washburn copy
    of the Gibson ES335.  The price was $400 and the quality was "ok".  I
    bought a new Am Std strat after returning the Washburn.  When I played
    the Washburn, it actually flexed from the weight of my right elbow
    resting on the "top/rear" section of the body!  You could hear the axe
    going out of tune as I moved up the fretboard.....I could pull the neck
    back and get a nice tremelo....double ack!  I had looked at the axe and
    tested it several times in the store while sitting and resting the axe
    on my leg....I got it home, put on the strap, stood up, played it for a
    few minutes, took it back....the bulldawg needs solid body
    guitars...strats...Les Pauls....durable stuff!
    
    Steve
2560.5Heritage looked/felt/sounded good to me anyway.HYDRA::BURGESSWater dependentFri Jul 31 1992 20:5614
	re  Heritage...

	I saw one a week or so ago at the Minor Chord ("minor chord" ? (-: )
in Acton.,  looked nice, around $700....hmmmmmm   The sales guy even 
told me the Gibson/Heritage story, complete with the Fender/G&L parallel.
Anyway, nice axe - typical ~1/2 price its blueprint.... though 
arguably its more a  "Real Gibson"  than a real gibson is (-:

	R

PS	Let's not start a  "Real Strats"  vs  "G&L Strats"  rathole 
	{not here anyway :-) }

2560.6$50-00 Gibsons!!CHEFS::BRIGGSRFour Flat Tyres on a Muddy RoadMon Aug 03 1992 08:3616
    
    Well, having just got back from the Philippines, I can tell you that
    the cheapest Gibsons are available in vast quantities there for about
    $50.00!! Also, racks full of Ovations at similar 'savings'. The catch?
    
    Well they are all home grown guitars complete with Gibson (or Ovation)
    names. From a distance they look like the real thing. Up close though
    the finish is abysmal and they play like nothing you've ever tried.
    There is NO chance that anyone who can even play 3 chords would be
    lulled into thinking these are genuine because they are so bad. Perhaps
    that's why Gibson turn a blind eye? You can get these in REPUTABLE
    stores in Manila!
    
    Richard
    Reading, UK
    
2560.7other semi'sRANGER::WEBERMon Aug 03 1992 11:1951
    If you're considering buying a semi, keep in mind that building one of
    these is much more complex than building a solid. Many companies either
    haven't quite figured out how to assemble a body with the right amount
    and type of wood in the right places, or believe that if it looks okay
    from the outside, no one will notice what it sounds like. Consider too
    that if it is done right, it will be more expensive than an equivalent
    quality solid. 
    
    Original Epi semi's from between  1958 and 1969 were made by Gibson and
    are equivalent in quality to similar Gibson models (Sheraton=ES-355,
    Riviera=ES 335).  These don't tend to be much cheaper than Gibsons
    these days. 
    
    In 1970, Gibson turned to a variety of foreign factories to build
    Epiphone guitars, with mostly poor results. Sometime in the '80's
    (I'll admit I wasn't paying attention) they started improving the
    quality .
    
    Recent Epi's are Korean made. The one's I've seen have cheaper hardware
    and are not as well-finished as current Gibsons, but they appear to
    represent good value.
    
    I've never been a Guild fan, but I know lots of players who are. Guild
    has probably made the best ES copies in the Starfire series. The SF-IV
    is similar to an ES-335, the SF-VI matches a 355. Original models of
    these are cheaper than similar Gibsons. I don't know what their current
    production is like; quality of original ones varied from okay to very
    high. 
    
    Ibanez semi's are reasonable quality. I owned a 2630 for several years
    and thought it was okay, but not in the same class as a 355, especially
    in tone. The current version is the AS200 (I think), which is used by
    John Scofield
    
    I've had a couple of Heritage H-555's, which looked pretty  but didn't
    work for me.  Wimpy tone (a common Heritage problem) and neck joints
    that weren't as solid as I'd like. Not all that cheap, either. Good
    points were nice wood and good workmanship.
    
    Aria, Hohner and Yamaha semi's that I've tried didn't impress me at
    all.
    
    Gibson invented the semi and still does it best. Except for some
    custom-made guitars, I have never played a non-Gibson semi that sounded
    right. Gretsch even made a virtue of this. Most others have a honky
    sound with too much mid-range and too many  uncontrolled resonances.
    
    If you want a new guitar and can't afford a Gibson,
    try the Ibanez or Epiphone.
    
    Danny W.
2560.9I'm starting to like the Sheratons and their price (re- write of .8)HYDRA::BURGESSWater dependentTue Aug 04 1992 10:258
e .7	Thanks Danny, I appreciate that.  

	I'm finding new re-issue Sheratons to be around $350, used around $250
 they're probably adequate instruments {for ME, at this point in time, etc}
 I havn't yet found any Rivieras, but expect to be in Alston some time this
 week...... errr, just browsing, I'm broke, so its safe (-:

	R