In this article we’ll talk about the quality of epiphone guitars, and just how good they really are.

I’ve played AT LEAST a hundred guitars in my lifetime, and I’m always blown away by Epiphone’s guitars.

You should take the time to read this article. If you’re getting one for yourself……..you might just be surprised at some of the things you’ll find out. I’ve packed a lot of research into this. Trust me, there’s stuff in here you’ll want to know.

Just Need a short answer?

Quick Answer: For a budget guitar……….definitely. They’re not perfect however. Epiphones quality does vary a lot depending on when it was made though (some years were better than others).

I could go on and on…..

But if you’re interested in the details, that’s what the rest of this article is for.

The bottom line, is that these guitars – Especially certain models are an absolute STEAL. Epiphone makes some great (and underrated) guitars.

Here are the 10 things you need

MUST know about Epiphone Guitars.

#1) TONS of great musicians played on Epiphone Guitars –

Seriously INCREDIBLE musicians played on these. Some of my personal favorites are Tom Delonge from Blink-182 and Bob Dylan.

There are famous musicians from EVERY style of music out there who played on these. Jazz, Blues, Metal, Rock…….and every sub genre in between.

Below: Matt Heafy of Trivium.

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A lot of people think that most famous musicians don’t opt for these guitars. But that’s not at all the case.

I mean, even the Beatles played on Epiphone Casinos at one point. Which in my opinion is one of Epiphones greatest creations. If you scroll down there’s a tone comparison between 12 models of Epiphone……I personally think the Casino clearly won. No contest.

#2) Some Epiphones sound INCREDIBLE right out the box.

Some Epiphone’s will give you goosebumps. Like the SG400 PRO below:
No mods……just INCREDIBLE tone.

Of course, if we’re talking about tone……who can forget………..the legendary acoustic from Epiphone. The hummingbird. Tons of great musicians played on these and they sound BEAUTIFUL. Absolutely gorgeous tone.
Hands down one of the best acoustics I’ve ever heard.

#3) Compared to other budget models, they’re one of the better ones when it comes to QC.

This is very shocking to people for some reason.

This may not have been true in the past, but when it comes to quality control……epiphone is definitely one of the better models out there.

While that’s subject to change, as budget guitars get better and better…….I HIGHLY doubt that epiphone will ever lose quality……..but really that’s just speculation.

The reason I think they won’t lose quality? Since Gibson owns epiphone and in recent years they’ve been going above and beyond for their customers……I assume they’ll do the same for epiphone. Again, just speculation. You never know.

If you’re worried at all, just buy them from the store! That’s the easiest way to really see what you’re going to get. Spend a little bit of time with your guitar at a local GC or whichever local music store you all have. Epiphone is a very popular model, so most likely whatever you’re looking for they’re likely to have.

#4) Epiphone specs are pretty consistent

Most epiphone guitars are built with standard tonewoods. Woods you find in most good guitars. Most of their guitars are mahogany all around (body and neck) with a maple top.

Now when it comes to electronics and pickups……

Epiphones pickups are absolutely INSANELY underrated.

They sound absolutely incredible.

Put up ANY epiphone against another guitar like a Gibson and you will not hear a lot of difference.

Just Listen to this epiphone les Paul versus a Gibson Les Paul!

This epiphone sounds AMAZING.

If that’s not PROOF that Epiphones sound absolutely incredible and have GREAT pickups………just listen to this GS400 PRO (one of my personal favorite guitars)

These are some of the BEST tones I’ve ever heard out of a budget guitar hands down.

#5) Why are they so affordable?

Unlike their partner company Gibson (who owns epiphone) their guitars are not made in the USA…….they’re made in overseas factories which allows them to be priced more reasonably.

Specifically, most of their guitars have been made in China since 04. There are some exceptions, but mostly their guitars are made there.

Basically, since manufacturing cost less in China – Epiphone is able to pass these savings on to you. Awesome!

You should know:

Just because guitars are made in China doesn’t mean they’re bad guitars. There are plenty of great guitars built overseas nowadays. They’ve stepped up their game TREMENDOUSLY in recent years.

#6) You shouldn’t worry to much about other people’s opinions on these guitars –

Why? Mostly because people’s opinions of these guitars are absolutely all over the place…….but there’s a little more to it than just that.

People love or hate epiphone……..it’s weird. There’s really no in between at all.

It’s not terribly surprising however, guitarists are extremely picky.

A lot of the people who don’t like these guitars, are really just elitists that are to used to high end guitars that are imaculate. As ridiculous as that sounds, I’m not joking.

I hate to even say this, but some of the community is just………well they’re toxic.

They feel the need to bash other people’s guitar choices. Don’t let these people get you down.

Just do your research and most importantly decide for yourself wether or not YOU like the guitar for yourself. It’s really not that important what other people think about the guitar.

#7) You’ll benefit a lot from a professional set up

This is true for a lot of budget guitars in general, and even higher end guitars…….but having a proper set up will make a HUGE difference in how the guitar plays.

Whichever guitar you decide to get, just ask someone at your local music store to set it up for you. They may or may not charge for this service. It’s WELL worth it though even if they do charge.

You can always learn to set your guitar up yourself as well!

Check out this video below if you’re interested:

Note: For your first time setting up a guitar, it’s best to have someone actually there showing you the ropes. It can be a little trickier than what it looks like in videos.

#8) You can score HUGE deals on these used –

The reason I say this is because……these guitars are seriously INCREDIBLY popular and have been for a long time.

So you’ll DEFINITELY be able to get these for an absolute steal in your area used. This isn’t as common for other guitars that aren’t as popular. Epiphone is a brand that a ton of people buy (lucky for you) so you can find incredible deals on them.

If you’re trying to snag a good deal, I’ve had great luck with setting up alerts for these in CL and Facebook marketplace. This is the best way I’ve found to get deals.

Sometimes though, you can also get a great deal if you go through really old listings that haven’t sold yet. Send them a reasonable lower offer and they might accept just because they’ve been sitting on it for awhile.

#9) Basic reasons you SHOULD consider an epiphone –

Great looking
stupid easy to play once they’re set up right
Ridiculously affordable
sound incredible (especially compared to other budget guitars)
extremely versatile guitars

#10) Why you SHOULD NOT consider an epiphone –

Honestly, there aren’t any good reasons why you shouldn’t at the very least CONSIDER getting an epiphone.

These guitars……..they’re really incredible. There’s something in their lineup for almost everyone.

At the very least they’re worth checking out!

BONUS: Listen to 12 Epiphones back to back.

(Clear winner is the Casino in my opinion)

BONUS: Epiphone alternatives – (That will give you goosebumps)

Look, Epiphone might be a GREAT guitar…..

But there’s also other great options out there to.

For instance, the “firefly” guitars are a HUGE deal right now.

Probably the best bargain that’s ever been in the guitar world. (No joke)

Just check out this tele below:

Oh, and they do more than just the tele.

This LP style guitar will straight up give you goosebumps. It’s insane you can get this quality nowadays on a budget.

Next up is a Harley Benton….

While I’ve written articles, and done quite A bit of research when it comes to these guitars, I still have a hard time explaining the full value of these guitars.

I’ll let you make your own decision on them. A lot of metal guitar players seem to absolutely love a lot of their models.

If you haven’t heard of these guys before they are Thomann’s in house guitar brand.

Epiphone FAQ –

Who makes Epiphone?

Nowadays, Epiphone is made by Gibson. Gibson bought epiphone in 1957 and added them to their line-up. Before then, Epiphone Guitars were made by a variety of luthiers. Their journey starts in a small guitar repair shop.

Who founded epiphone?

Wayyyyyy back in the 1800s, Anastasios Stathopoulo founded the company after his father taught him how to work on guitars and other instruments.

Do they come with cases?

I thought this question was odd, but this simply depends on where you’re buying the guitar from and which model if they come equipped with a case or not.

Do epiphone guitars stay in tune?

Definitely, but their more inexpensive options don’t have the best tuners so they do slowly get out of tune while you play.

What strings come on Epiphone guitars.

They’re equipped with 10s. I’ve seen people say before theirs came with. 9s however. Looks like the brand of string changes, so you’ll have to check where you bought the guitar from for the current brand they’re using.

Bonus: If you’re still worried about getting an epiphone………just do this.

When I first started playing, I truly had NO idea what was good and what wasn’t when it came to guitars.

It can be SUPER frustrating trying to figure out what option is best for you.

Fortunately, there’s really an easy solution for you if you’re thinking about buying an epiphone (or any guitar really)

Just go to your local music store. Seriously, and if there isn’t one near you…….why not take the drive?

The reps there can help you a LOT. Like a TON. If you just tell them what styles of music you like, and what your budget is they can seriously help you massively. Most people in these stores have a HUGE wealth of knowledge and will be able to guide you to the perfect guitar for you.

Bonus: Old Models are not as good as new models –

First I want to get this out-of-the-way, even though it might be kind of obvious for a lot of people……… but not everyone knows about this so I figured I’d talk just a little bit about it. (Feel free to skip over this section if you’re already aware of how far we’ve come with building guitars in recent years.)

Every single guitar that you pick up today (almost) is literally UNREAL how high of quality they are compared to back in the day. When you pick up a budget guitar from say the 70s………… you’re picking up such a different level of quality of instrument than what’s out there today.

The difference is absolutely insane. Budget guitars that are built today……..are actually great guitars. If you look at guitars built today for a beginner, and do standard quality checks AND THEN go and pick up budget guitars from back in the day………..you’ll be shocked at the difference. Just ask any old timer and they’ll tell you. The difference between old guitars, and what we have today is a night and day difference. Guitar manufacturers today are trying hard to compete with others, and back in the day they were just trying to cut cost down.

Now, I’m not saying that guitar’s back then weren’t awesome however……

But if you wanted to get a really great guitar back then……….you really had to fork over your dough.

You had to shell out at least a few hundred to get something worth your time. That was a LOT of money back in the day.

No, why do you need to know this?

I’m telling you all this for a few different reasons… First off it’s majorly important for you to know that almost ANY budget guitar you get nowadays – you’re going to be able to set up and play………right out of the box. No hassle. There’s not going to be, any issues that are major enough that you WON’T be able to play your guitar, it’s just not gonna happen!

Not only that, but your guitar will usually be very playable (even the really cheap ones) and sound great.

So, why am I so confident in this?

The competition is HUGE for budget guitars nowadays. They simply CANT AFFORD to put out bad guitars. If they did, people wouldn’t buy them. There are way to many other great options out there.

Especially with guitars like the firefly ones coming out……..guitars like these are SO GOOD that companies are literally doing ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING they can to compete with these cheap guitars.

I mean seriously just listen to this firefly, compared to a high end fender. THIS is the competition for budget guitars nowadays. Insane. No wonder, so many inexpensive brands are putting out such great stuff.

Epiphone, and other guitar brands really have NO choice…………..but to put out their best stuff for when guitars like this are the competition.

Note: You won’t have any flaws you have to worry about on your guitar unless…….

Summary of this section: Older guitars had minor flaws, and of course they wear out over time. These minor flaws are slightly more annoying than the minor flaws that “budget” guitars have today.

(I rambled in this section a lot that’s why I put the summary – also sidenote I hate calling guitars “budget” guitars. It feels wrong!)

So as long as you’re buying an epiphone that’s made recently, you should be okay.

The only exceptions to this are if you bought an old (and I mean really old) model. Older models tend to not have had the best quality control. Which might be banged up anyways from use.

Which brings me to this point:

Typically epiphone guitars…….. they’re “budget” models. – Meaning that these guitars, are built more for a player that doesn’t have enough dough for a higher end guitar…….like a Gibson. (Gibson owns epiphone FYI)

Which is fine, there’s nothing wrong with budget guitars. BUT, you should know that they are budget guitars.

Now, again………not ALL of their guitars are budget models, but a majority of them are the inexpensive option of other guitars.

So, why do you need to know that these are “budget” guitar models?

Because – budget guitars usually all come with the same sets of small problems. The small problems budget guitars usually have………are never a big deal. These issues are all things that are easily fixed or replaced.

For example:

Many budget guitars have issues with their tuners. Their tuners will simply “jump” randomly and won’t smoothly tune up and down. Which can make it very annoying to get correctly in tune. They can also go out of tune much quicker than higher end tuners.

This is a VERY easy fix, and can be cheap replaced with higher quality tuners.

It’s stuff like this you’ll need to watch out for. Very small flaws. It’s just a part of buying an inexpensive instrument.

Note: THERE CAN be big issues with these guitars……..just like any guitar, but if there are…………..epiphone isn’t going to leave you stranded (or wherever you bought from) so definitely take it back if there are any major issues. Everyone makes mistakes sometimes!