Gibson 335 Vs Epiphone Casino
The debate between Epiphone vs Gibson may seem a lot like the one between Squier vs Fender. It’s not. it’s less clear than that.
Squier guitars are largely less expensive versions of Fender models. However, Epiphone offers less expensive versions of Gibson models but also many models not found in the Gibson catalog.
I'm comparing a Gibson 335 to an Epiphone DOT. I'm not sure how old the Gibson is. It's at least 20 years old. The Epiphone is only a couple years old,.
Just saw the new Epiphone 335 and it looks amazing and has a good price. Can you describe the differences between the Epiphone and the Gibson? I know when discussing Epiphone vs Gibson for a Les Paul or SG (or Squier guitars to Fender counterparts) people often struggle to really explain the differences without being very vague. Gibson Es 335 Vs Epiphone Casino This bonus only applies for Gibson Es 335 Vs Epiphone Casino deposits of £10 or higher! All you need to do is just deposit the money in your karamba.com account and you Gibson Es 335 Vs Epiphone Casino will receive Gibson Es 335 Vs Epiphone Casino this bonus instantly! For example: Deposit £20 get £20 free. I have been playing for two years now and im sick of my.ty acoustic and cheap squire stratocaster. Ive really fell for the look of the Gibson ES33. These are styled like a 335 but with smaller body dimensions – more along the line of a Les Paul. The Gibson ES-330 and the Epiphone Casino are not true members of the 335 family even though there is a resemblance. These guitars are fully hollow – no solid maple block of wood beneath the pickups.
History of Epiphone and Gibson
Epiphone Casino Vs Gibson 335
Back in the 1930s Epiphone and Gibson were rivals. They competed in the archtop guitar market and early electric guitars. By the late 1950s Epiphone was giving Gibson so much competition that Gibson purchased Epiphone in 1957.
If you can’t beat ‘em, buy ‘em! (it’s a time-tested business tactic.)
Price difference between Epiphone vs Gibson
In the years that followed the acquisition Epiphone became known for low-end versions of Gibson models. Not long ago many viewed Epiphone as only a discount Gibson brand. The supposed reason for Epiphone’s existence was to make cheap Les Pauls and SGs. This line of thinking held that these cheaper models would compete with the counterfeit versions coming out of China.
This has changed dramatically in recent years. Gibson has started offering low cost (for Gibson) guitars that bear the Gibson name. For example, the Gibson M2 Melody Maker sells for $400, which is well within the price range for an Epiphone guitar. At the same time, Epiphone has started making more expensive models.
For instance, the Epiphone 1965 Elitist Casino sells for $2,000. That sits right in the Gibson sweet spot of pricing yet proudly bears the Epiphone logo. Clearly the companies are trying to blend the images of these two brands.
Time will tell if it’s a winning strategy, or another bungle like Gibson’s robot-tuner enabled mistakes of 2015.
The final aspect of price is retained value. Gibson guitars retain more of their original value in the used market than Epiphones, generally speaking.
Epiphone quality vs Gibson quality
After price, the most important difference in most hobbyists minds is that of quality.
Which is better quality – Gibson or Epiphone?
Gibson guitars offer better quality parts and wood but the differences go beyond base materials. Epiphone has a reputation for using a variety of wood types in a single guitar body. Gibson typically sticks to one type. For example, Epiphone might make a body out of less expensive poplar and put a thin maple veneer over it.
The question for the player is whether this makes any difference top the quality of the guitar as a whole. Most players don’t notice the difference between tone woods in an electric guitar they way they would in an acoustic guitar. This is especially true for hobbyists.
One other difference between Epiphone and Gibson construction is in the number of pieces of wood used in the body. Both use multiple segments, but Gibson is usually no more than 2 or 3 pieces glued together, where Epiphone can be many more. This leads to the use of a solid veneer to disguise the connection points for a better aesthetic.
Pickups and hardware differences
It’s a good rule of thumb that the cheaper the guitar, the lower quality the hardware it will have. This rule hold true in our comparison of Epiphone vs Gibson as well. Gibson guitars typically have higher quality components.
In fact, the more affordable Gibson models (think the M2 Melody Maker) even use Epiphone ProBucker pickups!
Another rule of thumb is that Gibson guitars come with better stock pickups than Epiphones. This isn’t a big deal though because pickups are easy to swap. Besides, those better pickups are baked into the higher price of the Gibsons. It’s hardly a mark against Epiphones.
Bottom Line: Epiphone vs Gibson
Epiphone gets a bad rap as being a poor quality Gibson, but that’s really no longer true. What is true is that you get better quality with a Gibson guitar, but better value with an Epiphone guitar. If you’re a professional musician or a collector/investor then Gibson is the way to go. But for the other 99%, Epiphone is a fine choice.
Popular Epiphone Guitars
The G-310 is styled after the Gibson SG, but sells as a fraction of the cost.
The SG is a signature guitar for the likes of Pete Townshend, Eric Clapton, Tony Iommi, Paul Weller, Angus Young and Derek Trucks. The Epiphone G-310 is your chance to own a comparable guitar at an affordable price.
The Epiphone G-310 is built to the same dimensions as the vintage Gibson SGs or the 1960s, and with the same techniques as those used in the original Kalamazoo factory. It’s a well balanced guitar, unlike many cheaper clones that tend to be neck-heavy.
The Epiphone Dot is capable of producing a wide range of tone that makes it a very versatile electric guitar that’s great for beginners. It’s also a Semi-hollowbody, which means it has an acoustic element to it as well as electric, and has more resonance than a solid body electric guitar.
The Epiphone Dot is well suited to classic rock, country, blues and jazz styles.
Gibson 335 Vs Epiphone Casino Deluxe
The Epiphone Dot is Epiphone’s version of the Gibson ES 335 “Dot” (made famous by the likes of Eric Clapton, BB King, Albert Lee, Chuck Berry, Larry Carlton, Dave Grohl and Roy Orbison) and is one of the best deals today for guitar players who want the classic sound of an ES 335 at an affordable price.
Popular Gibson Guitars
The CM features a mahogany body, topped with carved maple. The neck is a comfortable, rounded C profile made of maple. It also features Gibson’s controversial “G force” tuning system, which basically tunes the guitar for you in a variety of tunings (Standard, DADGAD, Dropped-D, etc….)
So why is it so cheap?
At less than $1000, the Les Paul CM is a budget Gibson to be sure. The reason you can buy a Gibson so “cheap” is because the quality of wood is considered “C” grade, as opposed to the higher “A” range. All this means is that the wood grain is not as pleasing to the eye. Some people would argue that it affects the sound, but this is debatable on a guitar selling in the sub-thousand dollar price point.
Gibson 335 Vs Epiphone Casino Atlantic City
Having a single pickup also helps keep production costs down.
Gibson Les Paul Tribute, Faded Honey Burst
The Les Paul Tribute is more of what you expect from Gibson. Traditional A-grade mahogany-maple woods. Vintage Keystone style tuners and finish give this guitar the look and feel you expect from a Gibson.
The tone is vintage Gibson as well. The Tribute comes with 2 humbucking pickups : a 490R and a 490T, both with a bit more bite than a standard PAF style pickup.
The Gibson Les Paul Tribute is made in the USA, which also contributes to its price.
Here’s a Les Paul standard in beautiful Blueberry Burst finish. The standard is made using AAA-grade flame top maple for that classic “burst” finish, with a blueberry twist. The look may be classic but the electronics are modern. All four of the volume and tone knobs are push-pull, meaning you get even more versatility in pickup tone.
Speaking of pickups.. The Les Paul Standard is decked out in dual upgraded PAF style Burstbucker Pro pickups in the neck and bridge positions.
Upgraded hardware puts the finishing touches on the beauty.
Comments
Gibson 335 Vs Epiphone Casino Slot Machines
- The obvious main differences will be the poly finish, pickups, electronics and laurel fretboard. Outside of that you have a mass produced far eastern guitar versus a handmade guitar (using that term very loosely!), which in theory is made with higher quality selected woods and components.
I think you eluded to it. It will be largely the age old epiphone versus gibson debate, and which side of the fence you sit on with regards to that.
The new 335's do look a lot nicer than the old dots.0<=' span='>0 - edited November 21^ Not so sure about the significance of 'higher quality selected woods' as so far as I'm aware, even the Gibson 335 body is made of laminated woods (or plywood if you want to be crude) apart from the fretboard & neck.
Quality of materials, finishing & hardware appointments should be better on the Gibson, but where the cost/value relationship differs, I don't know.0<=' span='>0 - edited November 21I played both and bought the Epi as I couldnt afford the Gibson .i changed everything on the Epi except the wooden bits and did a fret level and nut job .It then felt and played like the Gibson so the answer is better hardware and pickups ,tuners ,wiring etc plus a lot of work to make the frets better .Of course the Epi played well enough stock but rattled a bit ,had a higher action and felt less well put together and the pickups were muddyish .I put Gotoh hardware on and Grover tuners .The epi bridge and st op tail were not very good and lighter junk .It didnt cost that much to improve it about 160 odd at the time certainly nothing compared to the Gibson cost but of course it will never be a Gibson .i did wonder whether a Chibson with a similar amount of work would be fun to undertake but as I have a Midtown anyway no point .0<=' span='>1
Do Gibson not use cnc for 335s?The obvious main differences will be the poly finish, pickups, electronics and laurel fretboard. Outside of that you have a mass produced far eastern guitar versus a handmade guitar (using that term very loosely!), which in theory is made with higher quality selected woods and components.
I think you eluded to it. It will be largely the age old epiphone versus gibson debate, and which side of the fence you sit on with regards to that.
The new 335's do look a lot nicer than the old dots.0<=' span='>0- edited November 22
Yes, that's why I said I was using that term very loosely. I think it will be a given that they still get more hands on time than an Epiphone though.Do Gibson not use cnc for 335s?
If you're willing to swap a few parts and maybe get a setup on the Epiphone, I dont think the price jump to a Gibson is going to be justified. I've had epiphone Rivieras, Casinos and a Gibson 335, now I've settled somewhere in the middle with an Eastman. The Eastman is better than the lot.
But the old epi semi's have always had a great reputation. If the new ones are a little bit better, and now with the closer looks to the Gibson, it will probably be more than enough for most people.0<=' span='>0 - The new 335 looks a lot better than the Dot. The specs and appearance of the new model seem to be a big improvement. I hope the Rivieras follow soon.0<=' span='>0
- I tried a Dot years ago and wasn't impressed. Not sure if that's an indication of all their 335-style guitars.Trading feedback -http://thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/80357/pintspiller#latest0<=' span='>0
- edited November 24Very limited experience here, but I have an Epi Casino 'inspired by', I think ca. 2009, with genuine Gibson p90s. It plays and sounds awesome.
Not a 335 obviously, but I would think that a similar arrangement with a 335 would suit most people.0<=' span='>0 - Describing a 'tangible difference' without being vague is quite difficult as it is usually somewhat subjective as to how a guitar feels!In my limited experience, I have found that a good Gibson ES335 is better than any far east Epiphone model I've played. The difference is the feel of it as well as sound and the latter can only be experienced by trying them out.I will try to explain my thoughts on the differences I have found though. My Gibson 335 feels and sounds very resonant. It's a loud instrument acoustically and the pickups which are quite low output and sound quite balanced in frequency range and 'open' (i.e. rather than muddy, higher output and mid heavy) which compliment the sound. Altogether, this makes the guitar inspiring to play and the subtleties in dynamics and tone just by slight playing variations are more pronounced than any Epiphone I've tried.If you can't feel or hear the difference then it's not worth spending the extra money. That money can be better spent on other gear! It needs to be experienced rather than explained, so definitely try some out when you can!0<=' span='>0
See, I had one of them briefly and it was awful. Natural one. Very poorly finished and felt and played worse than any of the probably 7-8 Casinos Ive owned.Very limited experience here, but I have an Epi Casino 'inspired by', I think ca. 2009, with genuine Gibson p90s. It plays and sounds awesome.
Not a 335 obviously, but I would think that a similar arrangement with a 335 would suit most people.
I love casinos. The best value Epiphone you can buy, just not that IBJL model.0<=' span='>0
Interesting. Mine's a burst. It's my only 24.75' scale, plays smooth and easy, and probably my favorite pickups too (until I get my American Pro Strat!).
See, I had one of them briefly and it was awful. Natural one. Very poorly finished and felt and played worse than any of the probably 7-8 Casinos Ive owned.Very limited experience here, but I have an Epi Casino 'inspired by', I think ca. 2009, with genuine Gibson p90s. It plays and sounds awesome.
Not a 335 obviously, but I would think that a similar arrangement with a 335 would suit most people.
I love casinos. The best value Epiphone you can buy, just not that IBJL model.0<=' span='>0- i own an epi 335 and its a decent guitar but not as good as the two gibson 335s ive had a chance to play, unplugged its just not as resonant and plugged in it is different. i cant justify spending on a gibson 335 as its not my favourite type but the epi will do me for now.0<=' span='>0
- It will be interesting to hear some comments/comparisons when people actually have the new 335 and are not comparing to the Dot.
These new Epiphones (the 335, the Coronet, Riviera etc) have been plugged with videos by Andertons and GuitarGuitar but they have no stock!
I asked for an ETA from GG on the Riviera and they said they don’t know... why put a video out then? So people can go and order one from Thomann? Great business model!0<=' span='>0 - Carbon copy has it nailed. For me the Gibson has the touch sensitivity, and inherent resonance and tone. It’s a very expressive instrument and it’s very transparent in how you play it.0<=' span='>0
- I had a Midtown before, and the main difference I noticed between it and other 335 style was the intonation. Rock solid all the way up and down the neck. I sold it on eventually though, would prefer the bigger 335 body but can't afford the price!0<=' span='>0