Is there that much of a difference between Epiphone and Gibson guitars?
There is a difference in the way an Epiphone and a Gibson sound and play. There is also a difference in the finish and detailing. The question for me was; are those differences really worth the extra few thousand dollars the Gibson would cost. I have several friends who own Gibsons who would completely disagree with me on this; but I don’t really care what brand name is on the headstock. I’m not interested in status symbols. I went with the Epiphone and was very happy with my choice. I have played quite a few Gibson guitars, some are beautiful to play (and look at), while some can be quite disappointing. I asked an expert luthier the same question you asked and his response was: every guitar is different; play them, feel them out, examine every aspect very carefully. Don’t go just by the brand name. Gibson Les Pauls, despite their clear tone, are very heavy around your neck. The last guitar I bought was a Cort. Much better than an Epi, much cheaper than a Gibson.
