You might try a Made In China ( MIC) and a Made In Korea ( MIK) and not be able to tell any difference, while another person might hear and feel significant differences between them. Part of this, naturally, is because some of it can be subjective. This is one of those things where it’s hard to get a handle on the answer. The main thing you’ll hear discussed in music circles is whether there is a difference between the Chinese and Korean made guitars, and if the difference is big enough to affect your buying decision. Read: the differences between Gibson vs Epiphone Les Paul to learn more. It’s tempting to label them a knock off, but the company is actually owned by Gibson. Not everyone would be able to tell the difference at a glance–you’ll notice the difference from the headstock design. This is largely because they are manufactured overseas - in China, Korea and Indonesia.Įpiphone Les Paul guitars are mostly indistinguishable from the Gibson version, from their look and feel to their sounds. Fortunately, they aren’t the only option in town.Įpiphone makes its own version of the classic Les Paul, but they cost a whole lot less ( under $600 for a Classic or a Standard). Gibson models can easily run into the thousands of dollars, putting them well outside the budget of a lot of people. They are also some of the most expensive guitars on the market. Guitar legend, Les Paul first designed the electric guitar that bears his name back in the fifties, and is still one of the most iconic guitar styles today. If you think of an electric guitar, the picture you have in your head is probably a Gibson Les Paul. So what you’re looking for is something that sounds good, looks good, and won’t break the bank, which brings us to the Epiphone Les Paul. You need that money for beer and women (or men). Of course, if you’re like most guitarists, you don’t have a ton of money to spend on your guitar, either. Plus, this is going to be the time when you want to get something that looks cool because, frankly, half the fun of playing is looking awesome when you do it. There will come a point, though, when you need a better guitar, because your sound will suffer.

If you know exactly one chord and can only hit it half the time, a quality guitar isn’t going to make a damn bit of difference. When you’re first starting out as a guitarist, what kind of guitar you have isn’t particularly important.

But one of the ongoing questions is whether there’s difference between those Made In China and the guitars Made In Korea and which you should be looking at buying. If you want a guitar that has a good sound and won’t leave you begging on the street for spare change, the Epiphone Les Paul is a popular choice.

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