musiclover420 said:

I also kind of believe the whole "Made in America" thing is BS.

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Quote:

I wonder how often all the materials used are actually American made

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psi said:

My dad has a Gibson tenor banjo and tenor guitar from the 1930s, both are nice sounding instruments.

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wrestler_az said:

+1 for being drunk.

i dont know guitars, so thats all i got.

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I_was_the_walrus said:

psi said:

My dad has a Gibson tenor banjo and tenor guitar from the 1930s, both are nice sounding instruments.

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Im jelly. Not gonna lie.

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I_was_the_walrus said:

Really depends on the model of guitar as well. A $90 epiphone acoustic from guitar center isnt what Im talking about. A nice epiphone can stand its ground against a $2k gibson any day.

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Certainly agree but at the same time there’s a reason why even though guys like Zakk Wylde have mass produced Epi signatures like that but still play a special Gibson on stage. One reason I mention that specifically is because I’ve played both. I’ve played quite a number of Gibson/Epi counterparts now that I think about it. Those contour, wood quality, and hardware differences are huge when you are looking for it. I personally think I notice some things other people wouldn’t because I have really average sized hands and one of my fingers is kind of fucked up. Either way I do agree - but I still think those top of the line guitars would look a little nicer hanging on my wall.

XLCaps said:

I_was_the_walrus said:

Really depends on the model of guitar as well. A $90 epiphone acoustic from guitar center isnt what Im talking about. A nice epiphone can stand its ground against a $2k gibson any day.

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Certainly agree but at the same time there’s a reason why even though guys like Zakk Wylde have mass produced Epi signatures like that but still play a special Gibson on stage. One reason I mention that specifically is because I’ve played both. I’ve played quite a number of Gibson/Epi counterparts now that I think about it. Those contour, wood quality, and hardware differences are huge when you are looking for it. I personally think I notice some things other people wouldn’t because I have really average sized hands and one of my fingers is kind of fucked up. Either way I do agree - but I still think those top of the line guitars would look a little nicer hanging on my wall.

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Expensive guitars definitely have some things going for them. I think the main argument is for the cost the features and appearance don't really justify it unless you are rich.

Of course some people do just really like fenders or gibsons and if that is what they want to play then there is nothing wrong with that.

But there are a lot of people that look down on cheap instruments and have a really elitist status about their expensive gear.

For the price of a fancy Gibson or epiphone you could get a custom guitar made by a local luthier, or build one yourself to your exact liking.

Amanita86 said:

The materials they use is what makes the difference.  It just lends itself to better vibrations and overall solid make up.  It’s not just added bells and whistles or the selling of a brand name.

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There's some truth to this but it's also partially BS. People argue over woods making a difference all the time and the general consensus is with electrics they don't make a huge difference aside from weight.

Fancy instruments tend to have nicer hardware but for the price difference you could buy a decent budget guitar and upgrade most of the parts for a fraction of the price.

Also I have heard mixed things about say recent vs classic Gibsons/ fenders. For example 70's fenders are big collectors items now and sell for a lot, but most musicians from the 70's I have heard talk about them say they actually tended to be mediocre, that was just what was around back then so many people used them. But these days there are many better options that cost way less.

Companies often change over the years and the same is true in the music business. I am sure the quality of Gibsons and fenders have gone up and down over the decades.

For what it's worth my dream guitar cost like 20-30K:


Uli Jon Roth Sky guitars

They are limited run replicas of Uli's Sky Guitar, which is super badass. They have an extended range to hit high notes like on violins for classical style stuff.

They also have a pickup built under the neck as well as a really awesome EQ system. Not sure I will ever be able to afford one but a man can dream

That's one other complaint I have about some big brands like Fender and Gibson, they have been around for years but often don't really do much innovating. If anything they tend to market replicas of vintage instruments at a huge mark up. They have definitely done their share of innovating too but a lot of it was back when they were actually ran by Leo Fender and Les Paul

Now they are just corporations capitalizing on an image.