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Post by colchar on Jul 5, 2010 22:34:50 GMT -5
Alright, here's the deal. I am thinking of buying either an Epiphone Les Paul Standard or a Gibson SG Standard (I am not a fan of the Fadeds or Specials) and am not sure what to do. I am leaning towards the SG but, as will be explained below, I am still dithering.
Towards the end of this month I will be getting a rent deposit of $425 back. I consider this 'free', 'found', or 'bonus' money because I originally parted with it almost two years ago.
If I take that money and put it towards an Epiphone Les Paul Standard it won't cost very much out of my own pocket to get a brand new one (might also be able to find a used one in great condition but, for the purposes of this thread, I'll be talking about a new one) as Ebony Plain Tops sell new around here for $455, other coloured Plain Tops sell for $510, and Plus Tops sell for $585. I might also be able to get whichever one I choose cheaper as the sales guys at my store are usually pretty good to me.
If I get the Epi LP I can play it alongside my Epiphone G-400 SG for a while until my playing really improves and until I figure out which I like best - SG or Les Paul - so that I can go out and buy the Gibson model of whichever I like best at a later date. This option would give me two reasonably decent guitars.
My other option is to take that $420 and put it towards a Gibson SG Standard. One of the sales guys I deal with has already told me that he will take my Epi G-400 back and give me virtually the full purchase price and that he will take my case back and refund the entire amount. Him doing that will give me about $480 which, when combined with the other $420, gives me $900 towards the cost of a Gibson. They sell new for $1250 here but it is very very likely that I will be able to get one in the $1100-$1150 range so I would only have to add a couple of hundred dollars to that $900 in order to get a Gibson SG Standard. This option would leave me with only one guitar, but it would be a great one!
So, should I get the Epi Les Paul to go with my Epi SG and take the time to decide which of these models I want when I get a Gibson. Or should I take the plunge now and buy the Gibson SG since waiting will erase the current (very good) trade-in value of my Epi SG?
I am leaning towards the Gibson SG Standard but cannot get the idea of grabbing an Epi Les Paul out of my head. I've got a couple of weeks to decide so I wanted to ask for opinions from everyone here.
Thoughts?
Another option just popped into my head (as if the decision wasn't hard enough!). Although I am not really a Fender guy, I do want to get a Strat at some point (I am really not a fan of Teles even though I do love the way they sound when playing country) so might it be an idea to get an entry level Fender Stratocaster (made in Mexico) or perhaps a Squier 50s or 60s Classic Vibe Stratocaster so that I have a single coil guitar to go along with the Humbuckers in my Epi SG?
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Post by lesblues on Jul 6, 2010 3:08:07 GMT -5
Really difficukt question to answer as there is no right or wrong answe. In your positio I would take advantage of the great trade in deal you are being offered and go for the Gibson SG. You can always think about secondary guitars later, when funds might be more freely available. In the meantime you will have a top guitar. If It were me and I didn't go for the SG I know I would always regret it. Oh and you probably already know my views on any Strat. :-)
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Post by lesblues on Jul 6, 2010 3:09:59 GMT -5
Appologies for all the typos, I'm on the move and using myt Blackberry which has a tiny keyboard, compared to my fingers anyway :-)
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Post by Happy Jack on Jul 6, 2010 7:32:28 GMT -5
Really difficukt question to answer as there is no right or wrong answe. In your positio I would take advantage of the great trade in deal you are being offered and go for the Gibson SG. You can always think about secondary guitars later, when funds might be more freely available. In the meantime you will have a top guitar. If It were me and I didn't go for the SG I know I would always regret it. Oh and you probably already know my views on any Strat. :-) I agree with Les here if you don't get the SG you will regret it. If you decide not spend so much have a look at the Agile Range of Les Paul copies they are supposed to be fantastic - unfortunately not easily available in the UK This is an excerpt from an advertisement a certain Mr Blues has on another forum concerning the sale or trade of a Jedson Les Paul copy £150 delivered or trade for a Japanese Squier Strat.So your views are you would trade your LesPaul for a Srat then? ;D ;D ;D ;D you didn't see that coming did you? ;D  |
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Post by pwfirst on Jul 6, 2010 7:51:41 GMT -5
Not a huge fan of either guitar but I do have a nagging feeling to get a Gibson LP at some time. If you are looking for a guitar to play get the Epi and save the money. If you are looking for a guitar to keep get the Gibson.
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Post by 469roadking on Jul 6, 2010 10:52:04 GMT -5
I have always despised the way an SG looks but my goodness they play awesome and sound great. I will probably always opt for something that will retain some monetary value and really good guitar is very inspiring. Plus getting a big jump on something nice with the "rent rebate" doesn't come around that often. Having said that I just destroyed the value of a Tele by parting it out and replacing the parts with ones I wanted, and I love it. We played Saturday evening at a venue that ended up having several musicians there and they all raved about the tones I was able to get from it.
Said all that to say this: Get what inspires you so you can parlay that into more focused and enjoyable time on the instrument. Good luck with your decision and as always all instruments can be sent to me for a prolonged and complete evaluation. For some reason no one takes me up on that though. ;D
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Post by colchar on Jul 6, 2010 11:32:26 GMT -5
I have always despised the way an SG looks but my goodness they play awesome and sound great. I was never a huge fan until I got my G-400. I got that because the same store cut me a similar deal and gave me money back on an Ibanez I owned. Now that I've had an SG for a while they have really really grown on me and the more I played my former roommate's SG Special the more I realized how great it sounded. Good point - the Gibson will not only retain its value, but also has the potential to increase in value (there are a ton of SG Standards out there so I don't really expect the value to go up) which is important because, as an investment, it is a much better bet than anything else I am considering. |
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Post by lesblues on Jul 6, 2010 11:53:38 GMT -5
This is an excerpt from an advertisement a certain Mr Blues has on another forum concerning the sale or trade of a Jedson Les Paul copy £150 delivered or trade for a Japanese Squier Strat.So your views are you would trade your LesPaul for a Srat then? ;D ;D ;D ;D you didn't see that coming did you? ;D Very nasty Mr HJ. You know very well that was purely a business proposition. There are some misguided souls out there who prefer to buy Strats over Les Pauls. I was just keeping my options open. As you very well know I ended up swapping the Jedson (lovely guitar, just not well known) for an xbox elite bundle which I was then able to sell in order to provide funds to satisfy my GAS. I may have to change my name to Del Boy, not a bad idea as you remind me so much of Rodney.   Del Boy, for the benefit of our American cousins, is the sophisticated chap on the left while Rodney is the gormless one on the right |
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Post by gasman on Jul 6, 2010 13:31:15 GMT -5
If you are looking for a guitar to play get the Epi and save the money. If you are looking for a guitar to keep get the Gibson. I think this sums it up. Just remember that you already have GAS! We all do! At some point, regardless of whatever you decide now, you will want to buy another guitar. The way I look at it, I always have to feel comfortable justifying the purchase of a guitar based on my overall financial situation at the time. If I can't justify the cost at the time, I wait (and maybe buy something for less that I will end up buying anyway, but that I can justify at the moment). Right now, I have five electrics, one of each type that I like. They are not top-of-the-line, but they make me happy. I know that I will end up buying a MIA Fender or a Gibson when I sell a house I have for sale, but for now, my Harmony/Ibanez/Epi/Tradition collection makes me happy. Buy what makes you happy and doesn't get you in a financial bind! |
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Post by colchar on Jul 6, 2010 14:07:49 GMT -5
If you are looking for a guitar to play get the Epi and save the money. If you are looking for a guitar to keep get the Gibson. I think this sums it up. Just remember that you already have GAS! We all do! At some point, regardless of whatever you decide now, you will want to buy another guitar. The way I look at it, I always have to feel comfortable justifying the purchase of a guitar based on my overall financial situation at the time. If I can't justify the cost at the time, I wait (and maybe buy something for less that I will end up buying anyway, but that I can justify at the moment). Right now, I have five electrics, one of each type that I like. They are not top-of-the-line, but they make me happy. I know that I will end up buying a MIA Fender or a Gibson when I sell a house I have for sale, but for now, my Harmony/Ibanez/Epi/Tradition collection makes me happy. Buy what makes you happy and doesn't get you in a financial bind! There are other things I could do with the money but, as I said, a portion of it is a refund on my current guitar and case so that is money I've already spent (and will only get back as credit on the deal for the Gibby and that is only valid for a limited time), and the rest of the money is 'bonus' money that I originally parted with ages ago. I've survived without it to this point. I could buy the Epi Les Paul and maybe trade it in towards the Gibby in a few months but if I get the Gibby now my GAS will be largely cured and I will have a great guitar that will never really lose much in value. If I buy the Epi it will cost less (virtually nothing) out of my own pocket right now but do I really need two humbucker equipped guitars? Heck, do I even need two guitars at this point at all? I'm a grad student living on a budget but the deal on the Gibby might be too good to pass up. Plus, I interviewed for a job the other day and, if I get it, I won't be concerned about the couple of hundred dollars I will have to put out on the Gibby. If I don't get the job I will do one of the following: A) buy the Epi and save the other couple of hundred dollars; B) buy nothing and save all of the money; or C) say to hell with it, buy the Gibby anyway, and just live a little more frugally for a month. |
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Post by thecomeons on Jul 6, 2010 14:47:03 GMT -5
if you are used to playing an sg, stick with an sg. the heel joint of the les paul will be uncomforable to to when playing in the higher register and the weight of the body might break your back
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Post by gasman on Jul 6, 2010 15:29:44 GMT -5
Based on what I've read here, I think you really want the Gibson, so go for it! This post also makes a lot of sense: if you are used to playing an sg, stick with an sg. the heel joint of the les paul will be uncomforable to to when playing in the higher register and the weight of the body might break your back When I got my Epi LP Custom, I noticed the higher register limitations. All of my other guitars had easier higher register access plus the Les Paul is heavier. My heaviest guitar to that point was my Ibanez Jet King with a mahogany body, but the LP is still heavier. Besides, like I said in my post, you'll end up buying an LP somewhere along the way...trust me! |
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Post by colchar on Jul 6, 2010 17:03:29 GMT -5
Based on what I've read here, I think you really want the Gibson, so go for it! This post also makes a lot of sense: if you are used to playing an sg, stick with an sg. the heel joint of the les paul will be uncomforable to to when playing in the higher register and the weight of the body might break your back Yeah, I do really want the SG so I think I will go for it. I was just looking for other opinions to see if anyone else brought up anything that made me think. And you're right, that other post did make a lot of sense. |
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Post by 469roadking on Jul 6, 2010 19:25:33 GMT -5
Congratulations, I usually agonize over these things a little longer. And in some weird way I think I like it. SG guys are usually very loyal and as mentioned they sound great and there is really nothing in a 12" radius guitar neck that plays any better. All you need now is a schoolboy outfit and a singer with a really gravelly voice. Wait......I think someone may have already done that.
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Post by gasman on Jul 6, 2010 23:50:49 GMT -5
Congrats on your decision Colchar, and don't forget to post pics when you get it!
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