Question for the guitarists on the forum...

by Paul ⌂, Saturday, June 28, 2025, 21:12 (4 days ago)

What can you tell me about Epiphone guitars in general? We don't have a lot to choose from around here and the local store brand isn't very convincing. The likelihood of picking up a Gibson or Martin is in the same league with the probability of yours truly winning the lottery, somewhere between zero and none. :-D Someday I hope to replace the electric guitfiddle the thief skedadled with last Sunday, and am trying to figure out my options. He took off with a Suzuki brand Strat that I'd finally gotten set up decently after years of just messing around with it at home. I'm considering switching to a Les Paul style "just because" and am curious if any of y'all might have first hand experience with them.

You might consider switching to a banjo.

by JohnKDM, Saturday, June 28, 2025, 21:29 (4 days ago) @ Paul

If they steal that, they will bring it back.

+

Or a Ukulele. Perfect pitch with a ukulele

by JimT, Texas, Saturday, June 28, 2025, 22:00 (4 days ago) @ JohnKDM

is when you can toss it across the room into a trashcan without hitting the rim of the can.

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Ele era velho.
Ele era corajoso.
Ele era feio.

Well, I do have a Cuarto Llanero...

by Paul ⌂, Sunday, June 29, 2025, 17:16 (4 days ago) @ JimT

similar size, different tuning... probably just as handy for the maneuver you describe. :-D

Question for the guitarists on the forum...

by Gunner @, St Louis, Saturday, June 28, 2025, 21:59 (4 days ago) @ Paul

While not a expert by any means, I know enough to be dangerous.....Epiphone guitars in general are solid, well built and good value. Had a Epiphone Les Paul Sunburst years ago, really nice, sad to have sold it. While not on a lot of "to buy" list Yamaha, acoustic and electrics are great and usually affordable for most people. Lots of non big name guitars out there, most times if it is well made with good quality parts with a reasonable price tag, hard to good wrong with it.

Key items to look for in new or used is a straight neck, non-damaged bridge and pins, no cracks on the head stock or body, truss rod is usable if installed on it. Does it feels good in your hands is also an important thing.

Gunner

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https://www.instagram.com/41gunner/
41 Mags rule, Baers rock!

Question for the guitarists on the forum...

by RayLee, Sunday, June 29, 2025, 07:31 (4 days ago) @ Paul
edited by RayLee, Sunday, June 29, 2025, 08:00

My experiences with electric guitars is just rhythm strumming clean and subtle when a suitable acoustic is unavailable so I cannot help there but.....

Since banjos have been disparaginglly mentioned, $200 chino sourced 5-string banjos languish on the shelves and are susceptible to being taken home for much less. You already know how to play it. Remove wild string (it just gets in the way) now dgbg.....open g. tune up the higher g to e and you've got 2/3ds of a conventionally tuned guitar. The chords are the same.....much simplified since two strings (e & a) are missing. Four finger chords become one and two finger chords. You are instantly playing the banjo with no learning curve, er, rather, you are playing the guitar on a banjo. Somewhat unmeasured cross picking gives you the banjo sound. You only strum to catch-up to the count. Think fats domino shuffle but on strings instead of keys.

dgbe tuned banjo samples.....

by RayLee, Sunday, June 29, 2025, 07:59 (4 days ago) @ RayLee

Question for the guitarists on the forum...

by Paul ⌂, Sunday, June 29, 2025, 17:24 (4 days ago) @ RayLee

Oh, great. Another one to consider... I kind of like the sound of that, never had given the banjo much thought as I've stuck with instruments I can butcher similarly and always thought the banjo would need a different skinning procedure. Already have the Tiple and the Cuatro Llanero as well as an acoustic guitfiddle and always played the electric in a clean tone anyway. AND, found out they've got banjos available for purchase... and Epiphone MB-100, to be exact. Once I manage to get the Suzuki replaced I'll have to give the banjo a bit more thought!

dgbe....."Chicago tuning"......

by RayLee, Sunday, June 29, 2025, 19:16 (3 days ago) @ Paul

is so easy but it gets no respect out there in the wider world of instrument purists.

Irish and tenor and plectrum four-strings are expected to be tuned in pinky finger stretching "fifths" like a cello/viola. Mention on so-called social media that you tune your cuatro just like the high strings on your regular guitar and "they" either castigate or completely ignore. Same with banjoistas. They can be very narrow minded and few can abide guitar tuning sans wild string.

The worst at intolerance seem to be cigar box players. Take your open-g box and retune ever so slightly to g b e. It is now open-e minor so you can easily bar across up from there to play otherwise difficult minor chords. Abbreviated guitar chords ignoring the missing e a d strings are just one and two fingers. But mention g b e tuning on a board/forum and you might as well wear trump red (they tend to be folkie/commie philosophically).

Speaking of cigar boxes, this one sounds great with g b e tuning and at least twice a year they are specially discounted significantly for a holiday.

https://www.cbgitty.com/cigar-box-guitars-more/the-oliva-v-special-edition-fretted-ciga...

g b e boxes samples.....

by RayLee, Sunday, June 29, 2025, 19:45 (3 days ago) @ RayLee

Example(s) with narrower string placement and lower height.....

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=8Dd3FY9zgfM

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=_VGZ-iHTwTw

One with a bit more resonating twang.....

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=vFtUUQCux1s

I hope you know that...

by Paul ⌂, Sunday, June 29, 2025, 22:20 (3 days ago) @ RayLee

you're a bad influence. :-D With a few searches for this and that now I know there's such a thing as a "banjolele". One more for the "it'd be cool to have around" list. :-D

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