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Viking

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Viking Newbie

Viking

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Sweet. Thanks. I was definitely looking at the Epiphone since I have an Epiphone bass and I love it. I have never played a BC Rich so I was curious about them. I think I would probably choose Epiphone. Which kind of Epiphone should I go for?

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FatherAlabaster Grand Master

FatherAlabaster

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That's entirely up to you. But, the construction quality on all of them should be decent enough, so it's all about body shape and what kind of bridge and pickups you want. And of course your budget. I like the Tune-O-Matic bridges better than anything with a tremolo - easier to set up and play as long as you don't need a whammy bar. I really hate the sound of EMG pickups compared to good magnetic ones, but I haven't played through most of what comes stock on Epiphones these days. And I was always an Explorer guy, although I have an Epiphone Les Paul that's good fun to play. As a bigger guy, I've always felt like the SG body shape was too small for me. Just go play a bunch of them and pick the one that speaks to you. Usually, if you start writing riffs in the store and lose track of where you are, you know you've found a guitar you can get along with.

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BlutAusNerd Newbie

BlutAusNerd

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Re: New guitar Epiphones are just factory made Gibsons, similar designs without the performance. They're likely still better than most BC Rich models, but go Gibson if you have the money. I bought a Les Paul Traditional Pro about 8 months ago and I love it, the tone is huge, the feel is magnificent, and the action is perfect. Sent from my HTC PH39100 using Tapatalk 2

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FatherAlabaster Grand Master

FatherAlabaster

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Yes, it all depends on your budget. If you can spend $1400 on an Explorer or LP Studio, do it. The bridge, pickups and tuners on Epiphones aren't usually as of high quality as you'd find on a "real" Gibson. But good setup is 80% of the battle. You can set up a $600 Epi to play really well. Trad Pro, that's a really nice guitar! No contest there. My favorite guitar for about 12 years was my 1998 Gibson Gothic Explorer. I still play it sometimes. My other Explorer and my Epi LP were my live backups, and they're project guitars right now. I've been swapping pickups and bridges, and I don't have the money to give them any TLC. In the past couple of years, my Steinberger baritone has become my main guitar - its clarity, sustain, and intonation in any tuning beat even my beloved Gibson hands down.

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FatherAlabaster Grand Master

FatherAlabaster

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I hear you. Good luck with your search. You can also sometimes find good deals on used stuff, NOT online unless you can go play it first - although used Gibsons tend to be way overpriced. Don't buy anything used unless you or a knowledgeable friend can make sure it's in good shape - neck not twisted, headstock not cracked, all parts working, etc. In the cheaper new range, Schecter also makes some decent stuff, though they all come set up really poorly from the factory. You do have options. If it was me - Explorer FTW.

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BlutAusNerd Newbie

BlutAusNerd

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Re: New guitar

I hear you. Good luck with your search. You can also sometimes find good deals on used stuff, NOT online unless you can go play it first - although used Gibsons tend to be way overpriced. Don't buy anything used unless you or a knowledgeable friend can make sure it's in good shape - neck not twisted, headstock not cracked, all parts working, etc. In the cheaper new range, Schecter also makes some decent stuff, though they all come set up really poorly from the factory. You do have options. If it was me - Explorer FTW.
I played a Schecter C-1 Elite before buying the Gibson. It was a good guitar, but the Gibson wins in every area. They make a good product for the price range though, and I can't fault them for that. Sent from my HTC PH39100 using Tapatalk 2
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FatherAlabaster Grand Master

FatherAlabaster

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Another piece of advice: don't buy a "value pack". They're usually the cheapest guitars and really shitty practice amps. Even if you're on a budget, you're better served by getting one of the "good" Epiphones. And save up a little for a decent practice amp, don't get one of those Ravens or cheap Vox or whatever. Even if you're just starting guitar, you'll outgrow that cheap stuff within a year or two. Play stuff till it speaks to you!

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RelentlessOblivion Grand Master

RelentlessOblivion

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Amps again it comes down to price but decent equipment isn't cheap. I've been running the same amp for about four years now (a Peavey Envoy 110) but that set me back $400. Mind you without depreciation I've got $4400 in guitars lying around (a Gibson Les Paul I bought at a bargain $800, a Dean ML $1500 and a Dean Razorback $2100) I want to put EMG pickups on the Razorback at some point the dimebucker pickups it came with fucking suck.

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RelentlessOblivion Grand Master

RelentlessOblivion

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To be honest I'm not the guy to talk to about amps I've only ever had the two (one which came with my first guitar I promptly disposed of after a year of playing along with its accompanying guitar) but I think Peavey do some decent amps that are reasonably priced. My amp is far from top of the range but has some pretty cool features just depends on how much you're willing to spend I guess.

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FatherAlabaster Grand Master

FatherAlabaster

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Peavey makes decent reliable stuff. Even some of their more expensive "budget-minded" heads are actually really good. I can't believe I'm about to recommend a Line 6, but the Spider practice amps are actually ok for beginners too - fun to jam out on and won't crap out on you within a couple months. Not worthy of recording or playing with a drummer or anything like that, but if it's you in your living room, eh, no worries. If you can spend a little more, the Fender Super Champ is a nice practice amp. I've played through one a few times and it didn't bore me half to death the way some of the cheaper ones do. Another company I'd recommend is Blackstar - they have very low-wattage stacks and combos for not a ton of cash (around $300). Don't be put off by low wattage. You can't crank a 1W, 5W or 15W head loud enough to play with most drummers, but you can get great low-volume tone out of them for recording. A Blackstar or ($$) Orange low-wattage head could be an investment for a while down the road, and real tube amps offer an additional benefit - they're less processed and more revealing. This means, if your playing sucks, you'll sound like shit. But when you learn to play well, you'll sound like a god.

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AFGRUND Newbie

AFGRUND

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I'd say you should go with an Epiphone aswell, i had a bc rich warlock, got rid of it cause i couldnt stand the sound and the quality .. I tried out an epiphone explorer, definetly a sweet guitar but i ended up going with a gibson flying v..they made a new series (melody maker) that's in the same pricerange as most epiphone guitars , lotta people has been complaining about the pickups..i lowered mine a tiny bit and havnt had a problem with it.. the body is maple which makes it really light and in my opinion thats a great quality on stage.. definetly worth a try

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