Epiphone Fretboard etc. Question

[Thopper]

Without actually touching an Epiphone Les Paul fretboard how does the overall feel compare to a Gibson? The gibson's these days are silky smooth and feel great. The frets seem fantastic....does the Epiphone need work to compare with the Gibson?

Thx

 

[Memphis Soul]

Both of my Les Pauls have Indian Laurel fretboards but I must say that they are both tight grained and feel great but I still prefer rosewood as I guess most Gibsons have. I haven’t touched a Gibson in years though so I can’t say that the IL on an Epiphone is as good as the rosewood on a Gibson but I can say that nothing was needed to both mine to make them exceptionally good playing guitars. Fretboard and frets included.

 

[leifpaul]

Without actually touching an Epiphone Les Paul fretboard how does the overall feel compare to a Gibson? The gibson's these days are silky smooth and feel great. The frets seem fantastic....does the Epiphone need work to compare with the Gibson?

Thx

yes , regardless of both the fact that Epi have become rather excellent value and quality and what people will tell you . and it still won`t be a gibson . but yeah , epi`s are great . they do require some work on them

 

[BDW60]

The laurel board on mine is fine. It will never be as nice as good rosewood, but whether Gibson has been using good rosewood on the regular is debatable.

As an Epi cost control measure to hit their price point, the laurel makes sense. Certainly not a deal breaker. They could invest a few more minutes in their fret work, for sure. Still, the Inspired By models are hard to beat when it comes to guitar for the dollar IMO.

 

[noodlingguitars]

Other than aesthetics, I personally find the laurel fretboards on my Epis a bit smoother than the rosewood fretboards on my Gibsons (whether that be USA or custom shop). To me it's not a huge difference, but it seems that it's easier to feel the grain of rosewood than laurel (but I have no particular preference for one over the other). What I really like is the roasted maple boards Gibby used on some of the classics about 10 years ago.

 

[Thopper]

I believe the frets on the gibson being Pleked are a big contributor to the feel. In Southern California I can have an axe pleked for $200.00 . Has anyone out there in Epiphone land had their Axe pleked?

 

[dCi_king]

Guess the Epiphone with laurel fretboard that returned last week (not due the fretboard wood) and my Gibson R8:




Nice fretwork on new Epiphones, but laurel fretboards?

 

[Nikki M]

I'd say about 50% of my Epiphone LPs needed fret end reworking..pointy little buggers..
that's out of 20 guitars..

My Gibson LPs have fret nibs..so..no issues there..
my Gibson and Epiphone SGs (5)..all came with good fret work..

 

[OLD GUITAR PLAYER]

In December of 2020 I special ordered an Epiphone Modern Les Paul from Sam Ash, and waited... (thank you Pandemic!) In August of 2021 it finally arrived, and I had pre-paid to send it out and have it pleked. After waiting another 3 weeks, their shop finally called me to tell me that the neck was so twisted, they simply could NOT plek it! I drove over to Sam Ashe to see it myself, before I cancelled the order. It was unplayable, and they had several others (just like it) they were shipping back to China! After requesting my refund, I picked out a beautiful Gibson Studio Plus Les Paul on Sweetwater (from the many pictures they posted online) which was already factory pleked. I then I paid them $60 to have it set it up to my personal specs. Sure. It costs twice as much as the Epiphone, but it is TWICE the guitar, which plays and sounds incredible, and it was worth every penny to me, in the end.

 

[Wise Guy]

Without actually touching an Epiphone Les Paul fretboard how does the overall feel compare to a Gibson? The gibson's these days are silky smooth and feel great. The frets seem fantastic....does the Epiphone need work to compare with the Gibson?

Thx

Mine is scratchy and porous. Needed a lot of work. Don't get me going about the fret leveling...No comparison to my Gibsons.

 

[Spirit]

Mine is scratchy and porous. Needed a lot of work. Don't get me going about the fret leveling...No comparison to my Gibsons.

Unlucky for you.I prefer the board compared to the rosewood boarded guitars I’ve owned previously,it’s somewhat Ebony feeling to me,,
and the board is nice and dark and very tightly grained too,frets are all level polished and have no sharp edges,this Guitar also stays in tune,has zero fret buzz and it top drawer sound wise too
and this is comparable to Gibson,or at least the ones I recently had in my possession,of all the Gibsons ,les Paul’s and SG,s not one of them felt as good as my Epiphone les Paul.
neither the neck or the Fretboard

 

[OLD GUITAR PLAYER]

Epiphone necks/frets/fingerboards are primarily assembled on automated CNC machines in China with minimal inspection. Each USA Gibson neck/frets/fingeboard is hand assembled and inspected (multiple times) by workers in Nashville before they are computer plekked. While Epiphone fingerboards can be "in the family tree" of rosewood, or ebony, Gibson fingerboards are ACTUAL rosewood or ebony. My 2021 Gibson Les Paul arrived perfect, and has a flawless neck. My 2020 Epiphone Modern Les Paul order was immediately returned, because when it arrived (after being inspected and approved by their factory) that neck was so badly twisted, it could not be repaired. Please don't misunderstand me, it was a beautiful LOOKING guitar, but it was unplayable. This is after waiting eight months for it (because it had been back-ordered).

 

[omm]

Gibson's are not perfect, either - I received an SG Junior that had a pronounced 'splinter' along the side of the neck.

 

[OLD GUITAR PLAYER]

Gibson's are not perfect, either - I received an SG Junior that had a pronounced 'splinter' along the side of the neck.

Of course, but... The odds are more in your favor with a Gibson, over a random Epiphone.

 

[DrBGood]

Of course, but... The odds are more in your favor with a Gibson, over a random Epiphone.

I should hope so at the price they sell.

 

[NightShift88]

Of course, but... The odds are more in your favor with a Gibson, over a random Epiphone.

That’s not necessarily true, and I say that as someone who’s owned many Gibsons. The only way to really increase your odds of getting something close to flawless is Gibson Custom Shop. And it’ll cost ya’. Btw, I do own multiple Epis, Gibson USA and Gibson Custom Shop.

 

[OLD GUITAR PLAYER]

I've been playing since 1968, and I've owned at least a dozen Gibsons, and 1/2 a dozen Epiphones over the past almost 55 years. I've always had really good luck with the Gibsons I've played and owned. Not so much the Epiphones. In the 70's people used to rag on the consistency of the 50's-60's Fenders, now those guitars are worth more than their weight in gold. In the 80's people ragged on the Norlin Gibsons, which are now collectors items. Today, it's popular to rip on the quality of the new Gibsons, but overall I think they are putting out a great quality product. Sure, there are a few bad ones here, and there. Same with the new Fenders. But Epiphones are now mass produced in China, and I've seldom seen a high quality instrument come from China. That's just my opinion, and after my latest failed experience it kind of proves that point. Feel free to buy and enjoy Epiphones, I'll pass.

 

[NightShift88]

Nah man, I‘ve sent back wayyyy more Gibsons than Epiphones in the last 10 years. Gibson QC has always been crap, and I say that as an owner of many Gibsons. When you get a good one they can be amazing, but there are many dogs. That stigma against China is complete bullocks, they’re perfectly capable of building fine instruments. Of course Epi QC can be shoddy, but contrarily Epi is putting out some of the best instruments the past few years. I‘ve sent back one Epi last year w/ QC stuff, and I sent back at least 10 Gibsons. Higher price and USA made does not guarantee a better product or even better odds of receiving a quality instrument. Like it or not, that’s just the way it is.

 

[OLD GUITAR PLAYER]

Nah man, I‘ve sent back wayyyy more Gibsons than Epiphones in the last 10 years. Gibson QC has always been crap, and I say that as an owner of many Gibsons. When you get a good one they can be amazing, but there are many dogs.

Fair enough, everybody is entitled to their opinion. Take care!

 

[Memphis Soul]

I've been playing since 1968, and I've owned at least a dozen Gibsons, and 1/2 a dozen Epiphones over the past almost 55 years. I've always had really good luck with the Gibsons I've played and owned. Not so much the Epiphones. In the 70's everybody used to rag on the quality of the 60's Fenders, now those guitars are worth more than their weight in gold. In the 80's everybody ragged on the Norlin Gibsons, which are now collectors items. Today, it's popular to rip on the quality of the new Gibsons, but overall I think they are putting out a great quality product. Sure, there are a few bad ones here, and there. Same with the new Fenders. But Epiphones are now mass produced in China, and I've seldom seen a high quality instrument come from China. That's just my opinion, and after my latest failed experience it kind of proves that point. Feel free to buy and enjoy Epiphones, I'll pass.

I haven’t been playing as long as you as I was born in 67 but I’ve been playing since the 80s and have had many high quality guitars in that time. Mostly Fenders and a few other brands only two Gibsons one a 60s Les Paul which I would kill to have now. Gibsons are also mass produced. There is no way they’d be able to keep up with demand and they would cost even more if they were hand made. There may be more hand finishing on the Gibsons but they are still mass produced. Both of my Epiphones I would classify as high quality instruments as they both play and sound exceptionally well. The new Inspired by Gibson range is fantastic. The Chinese can and do make some great products. To say something is crap just because it comes from China is very narrow minded.