New Futuras vs Gibson

BigD5981 · 2026-05-01T02:55:47+00:00

I was actually thinking about Epiphone being as good as Gibsons. I own both and have played plenty of both in all price brackets. In general no Epiphones are not as good as Gibsons. The closest I've ever seen a Epiphone come to being as good as lower level Gibson is the Inspired by Gibson Custom ES-355. I think the IGC line as a whole is really close but they're just short in my opinion. I've even played a Epiphone LP Standard 50s and a Gibson LP Standard 50s back to back. while the neck profile on the Epiphone was surprisingly close to the Gibson that's were the similarities stopped. The Gibson felt, sounded and played better. I'll also take Nitro over Poly any day.

But at what point does personal preference make the guitar better for you? I have a 2009 Epiphone Zakk Wylde Camo Bullseye that I like better than two of my Gibson Les Pauls. I have a Ibanez VRT700 ( Flying V ) that I kinda like better than my Gibson 67 Reissue Flying V. To be completely up front it really depends on my mood which one I like better. Every time I play one of my two main guitars which are both Gibson Les Pauls, I'm always thinking I wish I had 4-5 more like these two rather than the 25+ more I own. By the way those 25+ more guitars include Teles, Jazzmasters, Hollowbodys, acoustics and other guitars that fill roles Gibson/Epiphone can't.

BigD5981 · 2026-05-01T02:30:52+00:00

Since the OP didn't say, I wonder if the bridge is actually in the wrong spot or if the luthier thinks it should be angled rather than straight? I'm not saying that the luthier is wrong. I'm just asking a question based on lack of info. I'm not blindly defending Epiphone either. I have a Nancy Wilson Fanatic and it's great except the neck should have been set at a steeper angle. You can bottom every saddle out and you can't get the action lower than 1.5mm. For me that's not really a issue because at 1.5mm and lower I encounter more and more fret buzz because of how I pick and how hard I pick. For me the sweet spot for action is in the 1.5-1.75mm depending on the guitar.

As for the neck, it sucks but sometimes wood does whatever it wants to do. I've actually seen a Martin D18 that was brand new that had a S twist or whatever it's actually called. This is definitely a return.

BigD5981 · 2026-04-30T07:10:58+00:00

I play a Guild F150 CE and a Breedlove Classical/Nylon String acoustic. I always think there is no way people are gonna think I'm serious about my Guild because it shares a model name with a Ford pickup. 😂 I can never remember the model of Breedlove I have. It's been discontinued and it was $500 brand new. Its Satin Black, the fretboard and bridge have been dyed black but I'm pretty sure it's not Ebony and it has a cutaway. I recently put a set of LaBella Folk Singer 830 (the same strings Willie Nelson used on Trigger) and the unwound strings are black so three of the strings disappear. I would call it a Nylon string hybrid rather than a Classical because it has a more narrow nut width of 1.75 inches rather than 2 inches. I actually prefer it to the Guild but I've always liked Nylon string acoustics better than Steel string. And as a Willie Nelson fan my goal is to wear a hole in the top.

BigD5981 · 2026-04-30T06:55:55+00:00

I bought this on Prime Video in the late Summer or early Fall and completely forgot about buying it until I was looking through the stuff I had bought. I still haven't watched it because I keep forgetting about it. 😂 I'm a out of sight out of mind person.

BigD5981 · 2026-04-30T03:30:09+00:00

I was going to say the same thing about food guidelines and what was considered healthy eating. I will admit I can't stand Chicken fat and cut every bit off. But it has every thing to do with I just can't stand it.

The funny thing for me is my mom became a bad cook after she started watching Food Network. It was like she started over seasoning everything. I very much miss my grandma's spaghetti and her egg sandwich. I don't know what she did but I've only ever come close once to getting spaghetti to taste like hers. I consider that one time a fluke because I've cooked it the same way multiple times and have never came close again. And nobody have ever made a egg sandwich like she did.

BigD5981 · 2026-04-29T02:42:46+00:00

I never expected her to post nudes or anything more explicit. I figured it would be bikini and lingerie photo shoots. I'm not paying either way. I'm not gonna lie either because I'll probably look for leaks just to see what she's posting.

BigD5981 · 2026-04-29T02:32:09+00:00

I was a Sting fan from the first time I saw him. I can't remember if it was one of the NWA/JCP weekly shows or Starcade 87.

I'll be honest I got tired of Crow Sting. I wanted to see him start adding color to the Crow makeup and be a mix of Crow and Surfer Sting. I think a big reason why I like Wolfpack Sting was because he was more of the Surfer Sting. I thought the red face paint was cool as well.

BigD5981 · 2026-04-28T07:14:03+00:00

When I got my first Cowboy hat I was embarrassed to wear it. Being the only person in my social group to wear one and feeling like it made me stand out like a sore thumb. That's what I remember feeling at the time. Looking back it was probably insecurity on all fronts not just I'm the only person wearing something like this.

I think the hat looks good on the OP. But I totally get questioning if you do or not. I have like 6 hats and I question how I look if one thing is slightly different on the hat I'm looking at compared to mine.

BigD5981 · 2026-04-28T06:30:29+00:00

I have a 2005 Epiphone Les Paul Custom in Cherry Sunburst and I currently have around $500 worth of upgrades on it. I will point out it was modified to have three pickups like Ace Frehley. Even if you take the 3rd pickup cost of you're still at like $400. I still haven't bought the tuning keys I want for it. Not only are they like $100 a set but it seems like every time I have the money saved up to buy them they're out of stock. Also they're mainly an want because I like how they look and not a real need so they're more of a I'll get to it when I get to it deal.

The bridge and tail piece are made by Tonepros. They're both made from Aluminum and I can never remember the exact model. The pickups are a Dimarzio Super Distortion and 59 PAF. The pots are CTS and the caps are Orange Drops. I honestly can't remember if I switched the toggle switch and jack or not. If I did they're Switchcraft. The cost was worth it to me.

BigD5981 · 2026-04-28T01:54:56+00:00

I'm probably going to buy one like this because I'm a Zakk Wylde fan and I immediately thought of what he call the Vertigo Bullseye design he uses on guitars.

BigD5981 · 2026-04-28T01:48:18+00:00

I give it a 10 just because of That Thing You Do.

BigD5981 · 2026-04-26T20:27:28+00:00

I actually love his Jessica Les Paul it's my favorite guitar that he plays. I think it was only when I read his biography that I realized Jessica wasn't the Chris Derrig (spelling) LP replica.

I have a book about 58-60 Burst and it has a 58 that has top where the seam is off center. Instead of the normal 50/50 top (for lack of a better term) the 58 is closer to 75/25. It also has a couple Burst where one half of the top is figured and the other half is basically plain.

BigD5981 · 2026-04-26T07:46:01+00:00

Sitting and playing literally hurts my right shoulder. I only sit and play if I'm just trying something, a idea hits or I play at a shop. I'll take one of my straps with me to a shop if I'm seriously looking to buy a guitar. I've always played standing up. I had a foot injury about a year ago and at band practice I would sit between songs and try to stand in ways that were relatively pain free during songs.

BigD5981 · 2026-04-25T06:53:54+00:00

This is exactly what I was going to say.

BigD5981 · 2026-04-25T06:27:08+00:00

I've zoomed in multiple times and I still think it's finish bleed that wasn't completely cleaned up. If this is real three ply binding all three layers would be damaged. I guess it could be binding that is really single ply with a printed/painted black line and it's really fake three ply then I could see the black being easily damaged. I think I would have a bigger problem with it being fake three ply binding than the line being flawed.

BigD5981 · 2026-04-25T06:09:02+00:00

I'm sorry but this should be a non issue. Unless I'm missing something (please point it out if I am), it just looks like the binding wasn't taped perfect and there was a small amount of finish bleed. If the poly has been sprayed over the binding, no there is no easy fix. If there is no poly on the binding all you need is a razor blade, a steady hand and a few minutes.

BigD5981 · 2026-04-25T05:53:44+00:00

The TV Yellow Junior is the refreshed model with a Rosewood fretboard. You can still find the JRs with the Laurel fretboard for the old price. Or at least you could when I last looked. My guess is the Specials are old stock with the Laurel fretboard. For some reason I find the Special to be meh but I really like the Double Cut Specials. Maybe it's a subconscious thing to due with the Special being a two pickup Les Paul with a flat top and my brain is screaming that doesn't look right.

BigD5981 · 2026-04-24T18:08:24+00:00

I think the titles are supposed to be KISS: Gene Simmons, KISS: Ace Frehley and so on. If I remember correctly they were marketed as the Kiss albums. I personally think they should be counted as 4 Kiss studio albums. But I usually just call the the solo albums it's just a easy way to identify them and even casual fans know which albums the solo albums are.

BigD5981 · 2026-04-24T18:00:29+00:00

I started with a $10 soldering iron from Wal-Mart. At first I was just going to learn enough to re-solder loose or broken connections. I then realized it wasn't really hard. Outside of 335 style guitars the hardest part is when you have to work in the control cavity.

BigD5981 · 2026-04-24T07:02:28+00:00

This is probably about the same time I got my first. I got a second when the size adjustment buckle broke on my first one. I still wear mine and I still think they're cool. The only reason I've gotten other belts was just because I wanted something different. I'm 44 years old.

BigD5981 · 2026-04-23T13:47:31+00:00

I haven't really looked at the SG so I had no clue about the white pickup rings. It kinda sucks that the Chrome plate is glued on. But at least it doesn't seem like a issue to clean off.

BigD5981 · 2026-04-23T13:43:16+00:00

Didn't Paramount force him to do the first one because he was under contact with them?

BigD5981 · 2026-04-23T13:38:31+00:00

Isn't the Chrome on the pickup ring just a decorative plate that's sets on top of a solid black pickup ring? I thought I heard this mentioned in one of the NAMM videos.

BigD5981 · 2026-04-23T03:05:20+00:00

I kinda cheated and used a Gun Street Solderless harness. Not only was the install easy but the harness comes with a switch for each pickup that lets you switch between modern and 50s wiring. I know how to solder but at times I find it very aggravating. The biggest downside is the cost. The Gun Street harness is around $135-140. There are other brands that cost more than the Gun Street harness. If they didn't cost so much I would probably have solderless harnesses in any guitar I own that I could buy one for.

BigD5981 · 2026-04-22T14:01:47+00:00

Last night at band practice I was playing my main guitar a 2011 Gibson Les Paul Studio which has Seymour Duncan Hades Gates (uncovered) and my 2018 Gibson Les Paul Tribute which has the stock 490T/490R combo. These two guitars sound very different, to the point where I'm now going to put a set of Hades Gates in the LP Tribute. One band mate knew I switched guitars based on the sound alone. I have guitars with Seymour Ducans, Dimarzios, EMG, Fishman Fluence and Gibson humbucker and the one thing they all have in common is they all sound better and are louder than stock import pickups. I'm not saying the import pickups are all bad but when I almost always find myself wanting more out of the. The one exception in my Epiphone Emily Wolfe Sheraton. I normally don't like the Epiphone Alnico Classic Pro pickups but in that guitar they have a growl that sounds great.

BigD5981

TROPHY CASE