heliman
not so new Member
Posts: 10
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Post by heliman on Jun 5, 2004 14:12:09 GMT -5
Who woulda thought that this little girl could raise such a stink:  Here is here post to Epiphone Customer Service at the Epi Forum: www.gibson.com/products/epiphone/forum/toast.asp?sub=show&action=posts&fid=5&tid=95346Here is the result of her carnage:  I honestly was surprised to find the top made of cardboard! I have always wondered why Epi goes to extremes to paint the Pup and control cavities so well!  I guess I have my answer! I wonder is this is Epi's answer to Gibson's Smartwood series ... Smartpaper? The Rainforest Alliance should be happy, unless this happens to be BR paper! Hopefully it is only in the solid color guitars. I am almost afraid to find out! Gibson Customer Service told me via phone about a year or so ago that my Epi Custom Flametop had a solid maple cap with a flame veneer. First I found out there was no Santa Claus, now THIS!  Respectfully yours, Heliman |
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heliman
not so new Member
Posts: 10
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Post by heliman on Jun 5, 2004 14:15:45 GMT -5
P.S. I just got this in a couple days ago.  The good news ... NO Cardboard. The better news ... It plays, looks, and sounds great!!! Respectfully yours, Heliman |
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Post by dennisobell on Jun 5, 2004 14:31:30 GMT -5
Welcome, Heliman.
WOW!!! I am speechless!!! I can't wait to read the reponses!
Nice Casino! It's funny, I have never seen any two pickguard "e's" in the same position on that guitar. But, like you said, at least it's not cardboard!
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heliman
not so new Member
Posts: 10
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Post by heliman on Jun 5, 2004 14:50:55 GMT -5
Welcome, Heliman. WOW!!! I am speechless!!! I can't wait to read the reponses! Nice Casino! It's funny, I have never seen any two pickguard "e's" in the same position on that guitar. But, like you said, at least it's not cardboard! Thanks! From what I have seen, felt, and heard I can highly recommend the Casino. Given that mine is a Korean model, I wonder how good the Elitist model might be? I would not hold my breath waiting for Epiphone Customer Service to respond. They will probably have to call upstairs to get a handle on the appropriate response from the top brass. My guess is when they do respond they will make some referance to their Reserving the right to make changes in their instruments without notice. You can be darn sure they know how to cover their rear end! Respectfully yours, Heliman |
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Post by tekrek on Jun 5, 2004 15:02:24 GMT -5
UMMM.............. Spechless........ That blows me away  Can hardly wait to see what they say! And welcome heliman!!!Glad you made it |
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Post by Steelpriest on Jun 5, 2004 15:50:35 GMT -5
Wooohooo Heliman! Welcome aboard!  Oh boy... I am speechless! What are we going to do now? Rename the the site into www.cardboardfriends.net? I am shocked, blown away, angry, upset... I tell ya what! No more Epiphones for me! If I bought his guitar I´d sue them. This is by far the boldest deceit I came across! The Epis I own and owned in the past, well okay, but from this day on I will boycott Epiphone. It´s as simple as this! I wanna hear a good and reasonable excuse from Epiphone! |
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Post by CAFeathers on Jun 5, 2004 15:57:54 GMT -5
Amazing isn't it? I too am waiting to hear the explanation from Gibson/Epiphone on this one. There are some lower end Martin Guitars that are made from partical board. Does this make you want to take your guitars apart to see what they are made of? Hey Steel, how about www.GuitarFriends.Net |
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Post by Steelpriest on Jun 5, 2004 16:11:09 GMT -5
Well, I calmed down a bit... what came to my mind is the following: can it be someone made a clever photo-mounting? Can it be someone wants to drag Epiphone into the dirt? I´d like to see photographs of the cracked off original Epiphone neck... D'oh, this thing is so unbelievable, I really hope this is maybe only a dirt campaign... But if this really is the truth, I will do the following, regardless how good my Epis might be, I will sell them on Ebay and buy an american made Hamer Standard Explorer! Or maybe an Ibanez Artist...  |
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Post by supedupviper on Jun 5, 2004 18:06:19 GMT -5
wow, that is shocking. For the kind of money you pay for an Elitist, you should get something better than carboard for a top! Next time I buy an Epi at guitar center, Im checking the cavity......
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Post by hcoll on Jun 5, 2004 18:32:48 GMT -5
...hello heliman....
...think I've seen office furniture that looks like that at Office Despot's scratch n' dent sales....
...ya gotta wonder what "laminated maple", 5-ply maple, or laminated maple/spruce really are on all those archtops....
...maybe instead of relief holes...Epi's found a new way to lighten up an LP....
...that is an LP Custom...alpine white...right...funny thing...I just looked in the '03 and the '04 catalogs and the Custom's spec's aren't listed...only the Custom Plus...coincidence...maybe....
...certainly makes me wonder what the "select spruce" on the top of my AJ-10 really is...kiln-dried toilet paper....
...anyway...it's good to have you here Heliman....
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Post by chrisgrimes on Jun 6, 2004 1:56:18 GMT -5
Hi Heliman - Welcome
You have made quite an entrace I must say.
I guess like a few of the other fellas have said, we should await some response, QUCKLY , from HQ, I should have thought they could have made a statement globally by 0900 EST on Monday !! If they don't come out quickly then my opinion is that they have been screwing you boys who like the solids, if true it is a complete abuse of trust and loyalty.
Perhaps they are trying to combine the atttributes of early danelectro's (ply & board) "lovingly married" to the use of modern technology and solid woods....... LOL I can hear it now.
Chris - UK
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Post by Steelpriest on Jun 6, 2004 2:18:09 GMT -5
Maybe they have to re-write their catalogues and it should read like this: Solid plywood body with paper top... I´m still upset, though none of my Epis is made of cardboard, another reason why I really favorize see-thru finishes. But it means a great loss in "product-confidence". I am totally disappointed in this kind of politics. Still hope for an explanation... By the way... it was absolutely nessecary to visit the official forum site and see what is written there. Bob Skippy wrote a comment but only referred to the cracked off neck. Not a word concerning the cardboard top... D'oh! Though many of us left this "official forum" I recommend to follow the particular threads over there... It would not surprise me if they are deleted on monday morning... |
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Post by chrisgrimes on Jun 6, 2004 2:52:06 GMT -5
Hi Steelpriest Guess us in Europe get replies in quicker.... Like you, I have been taking time to think things through, I only own the Dot in the Epiphone range, have checked and mine is definately all timber. For those of you who own solid bodies and have been happy with them all this time, don't sell them, keep 'em they made you happy and still will. JUST DON'T BUY A NEW ONE TILL WE GET SOME ANSWERS, It's strange that Epi are pushing the Elitist range hard, and , at the same time, Gibbo are making the "lower end" of their electrics market for "affordable" as other posts have indicated, even products with the Gibson logo on the head are less than satisfactory on close inspection......... something is not quite right. I note, certainly from the UK, that Fender are making big upgrades to their Squier range in terms of p/u's, finishes etc and the price differential between a standard Squier Strat / Tele and a standard Fender (Mex) is becoming less by the week, also PRS are pushing hard their lower end of the market with the Soapbar and Tremonti for example. Could it be that Epi / Gibson are "suffering" and that as their solidbodies mainly are a laminated finish (Fender / Squier being mainly completely solid) they are having to produce on a lower budget  If this is no longer to be Epifriends ( and I guess that may be the case) how about a name that suggests folks here are from all parts of the globe, not just N.America WWW.GlobalGuitarBuddies.com for example. Chris - UK |
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Post by Steelpriest on Jun 6, 2004 3:40:18 GMT -5
*sigh* ...my last comment on this matter as long as something official comes out... Don´t really know what to think at the moment, but of course we will remain www.epifriends.net We started out as Epifriends and we will remain Epifriends... Due to the fact that this forum here never was Epi-related exclusively, it doesn´t really matter that much how the site is called. Epiphone guitars brought this nice bunch of people together, so what the heck... ;D But I second chrisgrimes´ opinion: Don´t buy new Epis so far. Be happy with the ones you have up to now and see what will happen... Have a nice sunday all of you though! 
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Post by wierdsley on Jun 6, 2004 12:45:13 GMT -5
Hey Heliman...welcome, glad you made it here! Really bummed by that whole cardboard Epi LP thing. I really cannot blame her for being so pissed off, it will be interesting to see what happens in the future. Sure do hope it is an isolated incident but something tells me that it is not. I am just glad that I am not in the market for any new guitars! Welcome again.  |
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I guess I have my answer!
