Top Epiphone Budget Guitars For Starters

A huge part of selecting a guitar when you are shopping for a brand new guitar will depend on your skill range. Gibson guitars are high end guitars, yet especially costly. More costly than the average beginner musician may wish to spend. One piece of information you might not realize is that Gibson has quite a few completely different brand names underneath their belt, including an incredible beginning electric guitar brand, Epiphone.

Epiphone Guitars look, sound, and feel similar to their costlier Gibson brothers. Why do they cost much less? First, Epiphones are built offshore where labor prices are low, whereas Gibson are built in Nashville, TN. Subsequently, Epiphone Les Pauls are manufactured from common mahogany varieties; Gibson guitars use unusual Honduran mahogany wood. Gibson also uses an intensive finish process; Epiphone employs a cheaper catalyzed finish.

Since Epiphones are built overseas, doesn't essentially mean they're low quality. For example, Les Paul pickups are crafted to Epiphone's exacting specification. They're double- dipped in wax and tested by Epiphone engineers at every step of development. It is this attention-to-detail which sets Epiphone apart. And it's these precise details that provide the incredibly rich, creamy sound which makes this guitar a favourite of rock, jazz, and blues guitarists. Epiphone's loyalty to music is reflected by a limited lifetime warranty on all of its models, no matter price.

Listed below are my personal suggestions for the best Epiphone guitars for beginners:

Epiphone Les Paul Special II -

One of the affordable Gibson guitars, the Epiphone Les Paul Special II is nice for newcomers for many factors. For one, it's inexpensive. You can get the Les Paul Special II for under $200 with no trouble, which is affordable. Not only is this guitar inexpensive, it surely is super versatile as well. Whether you are want to be a metal god or just wish to jam with some friends, this guitar will work for you. With a mahogany wood neck and a rosewood fretboard, this guitar not only sounds good, but is gorgeous too.

Epiphone Les Paul 100 -

The Epiphone Les Paul 100 is the electric guitar you will want, if you're beginning to get serious about your music. The mahogany body with maple top provides traditional solid, heavy sound whereas the bolt-on mahogany neck and rosewood fretboard are easy to perform. Features 700T/650R open-coil humbucker pickups and chrome hardware. The Epiphone Les Paul 100 guitar features classic Les Paul design and tone. This truly is a great axe for all ranges of guitar playing. It might be a bit more expensive than the other electric guitars in this article ($299). However it's worth it as you can use it all through your axe playing profession.

Epiphone G-310 SG -

The G-310 is a bit more costly than the previous 2 guitars, but not by a lot. Between $199 and $250, this axe is still groovy for novices but doesn't sacrifice as much in features. What the G-310 does better over the earlier two electric guitars is that it handles both warm and harsh distortion nicely. Just like the previous electric guitars, the G-310 has a mahogany wood neck and rosewood fretboard, so you're surely getting a high quality Gibson guitar with any of the three choices.

Epiphone SG Special -

Another electric guitar below $200, Gibson's Epiphone SG-Special guitar is a excellent beginner axe. This axe is a replica of the original Gibson legendary SG, so it is a classic guitar. The SG-Special is a standard rock guitar, so there aren't any unusual bells and whistles, but it surely does boast 2 open-coil humbuckers, a rosewood fretboard like the Les Paul Special II, and a beautiful tone for such an inexpensive guitar. A great aspect of the Epiphone SG-Special is that it is available in numerous different colors, so whatever your character there is a guitar for you.

I'd be comfortable with recommend any of these Epiphone guitars to a beginner, though I would recommend spending a few extra bucks and get the G-310 SG or Epiphone Les Paul 100. Starting out you might not notice the difference, but you will quickly grow out of the other two electric guitars and wish you had the flexibility of the G-310 SG or Les paul 100.

The resources that I used to write this article is from the Five Best Selling Guitars. Another resource that I used to help draw my conclusion was a YouTube video titled: Epiphone Vs. Gibson.

Please visit my personal website at Hardon4Guitars.com.

Epiphone Guitars - A Good Alternative to Gibson? Read the Top 4 Differences and Decide For Yourself

Epiphone Guitars or Gibson Guitars? Musicians will argue this until the end of time, so let's just focus on a few facts so you can decide for yourself.

First, a bit of background:

Epiphone and Gibson are very popular guitar makers. Epiphone was Gibson's biggest competitor until 1957, when Gibson purchased the faltering Epiphone. At that point, Gibson licensed many of its most popular models to be made by Epiphone, and by doing so was able to penetrate a whole new tier in the guitar marketplace.

So, what's all the fuss about? Why is a Gibson Les Paul $2,000 and an Epiphone Les Paul $500?

Let's take a look at the differences:

1. Where They're Made. Epiphone guitars are primarily manufactured in China. This of course makes huge cost cuts possible, but also makes quality control a bit more difficult. Gibson guitars are always made in the USA, and Gibson strives to have actual musicians making these guitars whenever possible. To some this may make no difference, but if you have an eye for workmanship you will notice a difference in craftsmanship.

2. Quality of Components. Epiphones are going to have lesser quality pickups and tuning keys. While the tuners don't have much of an effect on tone, it can be annoying to have to tune often because of inferior tuning keys. The higher quality pickups on Gibson guitars may be a nuance missed by non-musicians or beginners, but you can bet that not too many Platinum records were recorded using an Epiphone. Countless classic records have been recorded using Gibsons.

3. Headstock. To the untrained eye, An Epiphone and a Gibson may look identical. The key aesthetic giveaway is that the "open book" styling of the top of the headstock is cut off on a Epiphone. Of course, it also says "Epiphone" on the headstock, but this subtle difference is enough to signal the difference between "pro" and "entry-level." Having a Gibson is a statement that you've spent a lot of money on a guitar, and in some cases is a musician's status symbol.

4. Finishing Touches. Gibson guitars sport a Nitrocellulose lacquer finish, while Epiphones have a Polyurethane finish. The Nitrocellulose finish allows the wood to age well and allow some air and moisture to pass through the finish. This brings out different sound characteristics as the instrument gets older. It also has to be applied in multiple layers with sanding in between, and is much more labor intensive.

An Epiphone's polyurethane finish needs only to be sprayed on in one or two coats, so it takes less work and time. This finish also restricts the air and moisture transfer to the wood that reduces the (often desireable) effects of aging.

The effect of each type of finish on tone is debatable, but an Epiphone's finish is obviously cheaper and faster to apply.

Is there a happy medium between an Epiphone and a Gibson?

Yes. Here are some suggestions if you can't decide which guitar to invest in:

*Many guitar players opt to buy a used Gibson to bring down the cost. A guitar that's a little beat up has some "soul," which isn't always a bad thing.

*Alternately, some online retailers offer to spread the cost equally over 5 months with no interest or credit card needed. You can buy a really nice, brand new $2,000 guitar for $400 per month without having to open a new line of credit.

*A final idea that works well is to buy an Epiphone and replace the pickups and tuning keys. This way you improve the two biggest shortcomings of the Epiphone while keeping costs down. If this is your first time attempting this, please hire a professional to do the job!

My Guitar Guide dives into all things Gibson, with a Special Section on Epiphone Guitars

Epiphone Electric Guitars - A Rock Star That Still Rocks on Today

Epiphone electric guitars have a long and noble heritage. In the late 1920's, they introduced their first line of guitars, following in Gibson's footsteps, but featuring unusual body shapes and other design changes. Six years later Epiphone introduced a guitar with a slightly wider body. Actually, it was just wide enough to provide some sense of modesty to the naked woman model that was posing with the guitar.

A few years later, Epiphone was surpassed by Gibson and in the late 1950's was ultimately acquired by Gibson. Overshadowed by Gibson's reputation at this point, Epiphone recreated their classics, developed a line of guitars that were budget versions of the Gibson and began developing their own line of electric guitars.

In 1956 their model, the Emperor, led the way in sales and marketing development. Epiphone was perfectly positioned for the growing interest in folk music, although in the 60s it again fell behind Gibson and was no longer perceived as leading Gibson in development.

Where is Epiphone today? Epiphone has been busy, playing the rebel to Gibson's version of a mature matron. They've become all things to all musicians. Epiphone has continued to introduce diversity in its product lines, manufacture and market faithful reproductions of past models and manufacturing authentic Gibson guitars.

If you're interesting in the Epiphone electric guitars and the company that manufactures them, do some research on the Internet. Find a music store that carries them and try one or two out.

Always remember their unique name - Epiphone. A rock star that still rocks on today.

Want to Learn More about Epiphone Electric Guitars?

For FREE Tips and advice on Epiphone Electric Guitars and more visit First Electric Guitar

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Gibson Les Paul Guitars - Americas Favorite Electric Guitar

Gibson Les Paul 2008 Standard: Gibson's newest version of the Les Paul Standard was released August 1st 2008, and it features built-in lock on strap buttons, a larger neck tenon, with an uneven neck contour to make for a comfy neck, frets leveled by Plek machine, and locking Grover tuners with an improved ratio of 18:1. The newest 2008 guitar Gibson has introduced their weight relief chambering, which has included routing chambers in precise areas of the mahogany slab body as specified by Gibson R&D. Before the 2008 release, Les Paul Standards were holy like it had holes routed into the body, but it was not chambered like most of the guitars now are.

Gibson 1961 Les Paul SG Guitars: Gibson experienced a huge fall in electric guitar sales mainly because of their high prices and huge competition from Fender's equivalent but much lighter double-cutaway design in 1960 on The Stratocaster Guitar. Gibson then made changes to the infamous guitar line. The 1961 guitar was thinner and much lighter than the previous guitars, with two sharply pointed cut-aways and vibrato system. Nevertheless, the revamp was done without Les Paul's knowledge...ooops. The musician saw the guitar, he gasped, and he asked Gibson to remove his name from the guitar and he said goodbye to Gibson. Even though this separation happened in 1960, Gibson had a huge stock of Les Paul logos and truss rod covers, and so they continued to use the Les Paul name until about 1963. That is when the SG guitar's name was finally altered to SG, which stands for Solid Guitar. Plus the SG line, Gibson continued to issue the less expensive Les Paul Jr's and Les Paul Specials (and the Melody Makers) with the newer body style. These were the standard Gibson electric models until the reintroduction of the Les Paul Standard Goldtop and the Les Paul Custom guitars to the market in 1968.

Gibson Les Paul Recording Guitar: This guitar is often shunned by guitar purists who consider it to be too full of gadgets and buttons. The Recording features low-impedance pickups, many switches and buttons, and a highly specialized cable for impedance-matching to the amplifier. Less noticeable changes included, but were not limited to, maple fingerboards (1976), pickup cavity shielding, and the crossover of the ABR1 Tune-o-matic bridge into the modern day Nashville Tune-o-matic bridge.

Gibson Les Paul Deluxe Guitars: The Les Paul Deluxe was in the midst of the newest 1968 Les Pauls. This guitar featured "mini-humbuckers", also known as "New York" humbuckers, and did not at first demonstrate to be very popular. The mini-humbucker pickup fit in to the precarved P-90 pickup cavity having an adaptor ring developed by Gibson, actually just a cutout P90 pickup cover, in order to use a supply of Epiphone mini-humbuckers left over from when Gibson moved Epiphone production to Japan. The Deluxe was introduced in 1968 and helped to normalize production among Gibson's USA built Les Paul guitars. The 1st materialization of the Deluxe featured a one-piece body and three-piece neck. The body was a thin layer of maple sandwiched by two layers of Honduran mahogany. Later a small volute was added. 1969 Les Paul Deluxe's mark the Gibson logo devoid of the dot over the "i" in Gibson. In 1970 the dot over the i had returned, with a new Made in USA stamp on the back of the headstock. By 1975, the neck construction was changed from mahogany to maple, until the early 1980s, when the production was returned to mahogany. Vintage, new and used Gibson Les Paul Guitars can be purchased on sale and a great bargain can be had online.

Gibson Les Paul Studio: In 1983 The Les Paul Studio guitar was introduced and is still being made today. The planned market for this guitar was the professional studio musician. Consequently, the design features of the Studio were for optimal sound output. This guitar kept only the elements that added to the tone and playability, together with the carved maple top and standard mechanical and electronic hardware. Nonetheless, the Studio design left out many stock Gibson decorations that did not affect sound quality, including the binding on the body and neck. A notable exemption to this is the Studio Custom, a guitar in the mid 1980s that incorporated body and neck binding, though with dot fingerboard inlays instead of more ornate trapezoids.

Gibson Les Paul Robot Guitar: The Gibson Les Paul Robot Guitar was released in December 2007. The guitar has a computer built into the guitar body with a master control knob next to the volume knobs, which can be pulled out, turned, or pressed to issue different commands to the guitar. One of the more memorable features is the capability to tune the guitar to standard tuning simply by pulling out on the master control knob and strumming the guitar, while the tuning pegs amazingly adjust themselves to standard tuning. Another use of the master control knob is to be able to tune the guitar to alternative tunings, such as drop D, by pressing on the control knob to fit the setting. The Les Paul Robot Guitar has a new custom silverburst blue finish. While the guitar was advertised in the American as a world's first, similar systems, some external, have been in use for decades.

Gibson Les Paul Dark Fire Guitars: Just recently on December 15, 2008 Gibson publicized a new interactive computerized guitar that produces more sounds and it is named the Dark Fire. The guitar has a computer built into the body and controlled by the Master Control Knob or also called the MCK. The MCK gives guitar players the skill to change the pickups and coils, fine-tune each tone and tunings automatically and at once, even while a song is being played. Similar to the Robot Guitar, the Dark Fire Guitar features the capability to tune the guitar, nonetheless, enhanced over the Robot Guitar, the player can tune it up to 500 times per battery charge, letting the tuning pegs adjust themselves to different tuning styles. Using the Chameleon Tone Technology Gibson says this guitar will produce every imaginable guitar sound. In addition to the enhanced and advanced tuning features, the guitar has 3 various types of pickups, which includes: Burstbucker (humbucker), a P-90 single-coil and a bridge-mounted piezo acoustic--all of which add to organic blends of original sounds.

http://music-memorabilia-posters.com/ Vintage, new and used Gibson Les Paul Guitars can be purchased on sale and a great bargain can be had online.

A Potted History of Gibson Guitars

The founder of Gibson guitars, Orville Gibson was born 1856 in Chateaugay, New York. His reputation grew from building mandolins to the legendary world famous company of today. Gibson led the way in quality and innovations which makes vintage Gibsons so valuable today.   

Gibson manufactured instruments to his own design until he hired Lloyd Loar in 1919 to bring in newer models. The Gibson L5 guitar helped build their reputation for archtop guitars while the Gibson F5 mandolin, introduced in 1922, became the choice of bluegrass players.    

The electric guitar came along during the 1930's. The ES-150, the "Electric Spanish" model, was Gibson's first offering. Wartime brought manufacturing to a standstill and it was not until 1949 that the ES-175 was introduced which is still in production today. 1951 saw the introduction of the L5CES which is both an acoustic and electric guitar.  

Humbucking pickups are probably the most widely recognized innovation of Gibson's career. Humbucker, so called because they "buck the hum" often experienced with single coil pickups, were first fitted to the reworked L5CES.   The "Les Paul" series of guitars followed during the 1950's.

The solid body design pioneered by Fender Telecaster, was made into several Les Paul models most notably perhaps the Les Paul Special. The "Byrdland" Thinline series, built for Billy Byrd and Hank Garland, gave rise to the popular ES-350T and ES-225T models then the ES-335 series.  

The futuristic Explorer and Flying V came along in 1958 but were a little before their time for many musicians. It was not until the 1960's that the likes of Eric Clapton popularized them. Meanwhile the double-cutaway body solid guitar, the Gibson's SG, was in demand.  

Since then many greats of rock have enhanced the reputations of both the Les Paul and the SGs; Slash, Jimmy Page and Pete Townshend to name just three. Many of these models are now sought after by discerning players and collectors alike and many increase in value year on year but if you hunt around you can still find some bargain Gibson guitars for sale.       

Be sure to to do your homework when you are looking for used Gibson guitars for sale

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All About Gibson Guitars - Trivia For Guitar Players

Gibson Guitars are an icon of the guitar industry. Gibson is currently a major player in both the electric guitar and acoustic guitar market. The company was originally named after Orville Gibson who made mandolins in Kalamazoo, Michigan at the end of the 19th century. Gibson used the same method to initially make the big body archtop acoustic guitars.

Gibson Guitars were one of the first to come up with the adjustable truss rod inside the neck of the guitar to give it strength. This remains in use today to also allow guitarists to impact on the neck relief.

Even today, just about every guitar has an adjustable truss-rod that runs through the neck of the guitar. This was developed by Gibson Guitars in the early days to give strength to the neck. The floating pick guard is also an innovation of Gibson.

After doing much experimenting with the amplification of the sound from the guitar in the 1930s, Gibson released the ES range of semi-acoustic guitars. The ES initials stands for "Electric Spanish". This is not a reference to the nylon string classical guitars that we know today. The term Spanish is used to separate the guitar from the Hawaiian guitars that were lap style guitars.

With the increasing popularity of electric or amplified guitars, the top end of the finger board could now be heard. Gibson Guitars had the idea to introduce the cut away style in the body shape. This was to be forever used in future electric guitars and many acoustic guitars and led to the world of the lead guitar hero.

Gibson's first majorly successful electric guitar was the es-175. It was also slightly different in that it had a pointed cut away. In 1950, with Fender's new Broadcaster guitar, Gibson was under pressure to produce it's first solid body guitar. This resulted in the issue of the Les Paul Standard electric guitar.

Gibson and Fender were not the only ones developing the solid body electric guitar. At the same time, development work was also being undertaken by Rickenbacker, National and Bigsby were also involved in testing.

Les Paul was one of the foremost guitarists of the time. His real first name was Lester. Paul had himself been tinkering with the idea of solid body guitars. His first concept model was referred to as the log guitar. He approached Gibson Guitars with his ideas in the 1940s but was rejected outright. Once Fender released the Telecaster, Gibson went back to Les Paul and asked him to work with them.

The original attraction of solid body electric guitars to Gibson and other makers was because of a number of issues. Firstly, ease of construction. Secondly, while the shape of the body of the guitar did not alter the sound, the solid body greatly increased the sustain of the natural sound. And lastly, electrifying hollow body guitars had always caused a great problem with feedback. This was virtually eliminated with the production of the solid body electric guitar.

The first Les Paul Standard guitar was released in 1952. Les Paul received an endorsement contract for a 5 year period which was worth 5% of retail sales. The first Gibson Les Paul cost $210 and was referred to as the Gold Top.

1958 was a big year for Gibson Guitars. In this year they gave the Les Paul a new cherry sunburst finish which is extremely popular among collectors today. Gibson changed the shape of the Les Paul Junior and Les Paul Special to now have a double cut away. The new style later became the SG which stands simply for Solid Guitar.

The same year Gibson Guitars also began getting radical with their body shape. They bought out the first double neck guitar. They also introduced the Flying V shape and the Explorer shape. This was a response to guitar players placing more emphasis on the look of their guitars as well as the sound and playability. Gibson Guitars were able to stamp their mark on the guitar industry for many years.

Author: Terry Booth has an interest in Gibson Guitars [http://www.guitarplayersworld.com/Electric/gibson_guitars] since being given his first electric guitar, (a Japanese Les Paul copy) as a young child. Visit his website GuitarPlayersWorld.com [http://www.guitarplayersworld.com]

Gibson Acoustic Guitars - Tradition, Tone, and Timelessness

Gibson acoustic guitars have a long and storied heritage. From the company's humble origination in 1902 to its journey to worldwide power player status today, the history of music has often been played out on Gibson acoustic guitars.

Although founder Orville Gibson only ever got a single patent (for a mandolin design), Gibson quickly rose to prominence as a premiere producer of acoustic guitars.

The Gibson J-45, known as the American Workhorse, has been a solid, simple performer since 1942. Relatively unchanged to this day, it is widely considered to be the most popular acoustic in the Gibson stable.

The Gibson SJ-200, "King of the Flattops," has seen expert play in the hands of the Everly Brothers, Buddy Holly, and Pete Townsend, among many others. Available today in a range of flavors, this guitar is carefully crafted in the Bozeman, Montana plant responsible for Gibson's best acoustic guitars.

The Gibson L-5 is arguably the standard in the jazz world, having been played by Wes Montgomery, Django Reinhardt, and Scotty Moore, among others. While this guitar boasts a hefty price tag, its place in jazz history cannot be overestimated.

The Gibson Dove guitar, and its more ornate sibling, the "Doves in Flight," are often called the King of Dreadnought Acoustic-Electric Guitars. Associated with the King of Rock n' Roll, Elvis Presley, these guitars became part of Gibson's "Modern Classics" series in 2002.

These are but a small sample of the acoustic guitars available from this venerable guitar company. Gibson relies on their Epiphone brand to cater to the lower end market, and for the last hundred plus years has crafted some of the finest acoustic guitars the world has ever seen.

My Guitar Guide covers all things Gibson, with a Special Report on Gibson acoustic guitars

The Firsts of the Vintage Gibson Guitars

Orville Gibson, the inventor of the archtop guitar, founded the Gibson Mandolin-Guitar Manufacturing Company in 1902. Gibson had good success innovating and selling guitars until the 1960s when the Norlin Corporation bought the Gibson Company. The guitar quality took a huge dip and the company was inches from bankruptcy until 1986. This is when the current owners, Henry Juszkiewicz, Gary Zebrowski, and David Berryman, purchased the company. Gibson now also owns numerous other brands including Epiphone, Steinberger, Baldwin, and Tobias.

The ES-150 was Gibson's first Electric Spanish. Produced from 1936 to 1941 it is usually considered the first commercially successful Spanish electric guitar. These vintage Gibson guitars were hollow-body archtop guitars with a single coil pickup in the neck position, an adjustable bridge, and only available in Sunburst. Two notable players of the ES-150 were Eddie Durham and Charlie Christian. Originally costing $150 in 1936 would be over $2000 in today's dollars.

The Les Paul was Gibson's first solid-body electric guitar. Original produced from 1952 until 1960, they were reintroduced in 1968 and are still produced today. Named after its endorser the Les Paul and went to become the most popular Gibson guitar model. It was available in a number of colors and variations including: the Standard, the Goldtop, the Custom, the Junior, and the Special.

The Goldtop - produced from 1952 until 1957 - had a one-piece, trapeze-style bridge and tailpiece, 2 P-90 single-coil pickups, and had the strings fitted under the steel stop-bar. The top was made of maple.

The Custom - produced from 1954 until 1960 - was nicknamed "Black Beauty" because the entire guitar was black. These vintage Gibson guitars sported a mahogany top and one of the pickups was in the neck potion. This was the first guitar to incorporate a Tune-o-Matic bridge design, which allowed the player to slightly adjust the tone of each string. In 1957 the pickups were updated to humbuckers and later a third pickup was added.

The Junior - produced from 1954 until 1960 - was meant as a beginner's guitar. They were shaped like the other Les Paul guitars however, had only one P-90 pickup and simple tone and volume controls. In 1955 Gibson added the TV that was simply the Junior with a natural/yellow finish. In 1958 both models were changed to a double-cutaway body-style.

The Special - produced from 1955 until 1960 - had the same natural/yellow finish as the TV and was also given the double-cutaway design in 1959. The Special had two soapbar P-90 single-coil pickups, one of which was in the neck position.

The ES-335 was not only Gibson's first but was the world's first semi-hollowbody electric guitar. Released in 1958 these vintage Gibson guitars were electric Spanish guitars with a solid center and hollow sides. The semi-hollowbody was an attempt to reduce the feedback common hollowbody electric guitars and still have a warmer sound than that found in the solidbody guitars. The ES-335 has a maple body, 2 pickups, and side holes. It is still in production today.

Alan Brenner enjoys the historical value of vintage items including Vintage Gibson Guitars For more information please visit Blue Tree Vintage Thank you for your time.

A Quick Guide to Gibson Electric Guitars

Gibson electric guitars enjoy immense popularity among today's rock guitarists with no other company coming close except for Fender electric guitars. Ironically, when Les Paul first approached Gibson with his ideas for a solid-body electric guitar, the company said no. It had been manufacturing acoustic guitars since the 19th century and executives were no doubt concerned how that reputation would be affected by an electric guitar.

The introduction of Fender's first solid-body electric guitar in 1948, the Broadcaster, may have given Gibson second thoughts about its initial position. Les Paul was brought on board in 1950 to develop his ideas, and in 1952 the first Gibson electric guitar went on sale. Even so, Gibson declined to put its name on the guitar, naming it simply the Les Paul. It wasn't too long afterward before the Gibson name was included.

After the Les Paul, Gibson went on to introduce several electric guitar models, many still being sold today as part of Gibson's regular electric guitar line or as reissues or limited edition models.

Gibson Les Paul: Though Jimmy Page's main electric guitar in the early days was a Fender Telecaster, he is best known for playing a Gibson Les Paul. When it comes to rock machismo, there is the Les Paul and no other.

Several version of the Les Paul are available today with the Les Paul Standard and the Les Paul Studio being the most common. Gibson also offers several reissues and custom models ans well as a signature series such as the Slash and Joe Perry signature Les Paul models.

Gibson SG: This electric guitar was introduced in 1958. Angus Young is the most notable guitarist to play a Gibson SG, and of course Gibson sells an Angus Young signature model. Like the Les Paul, the SG comes in a standard model as well as reissues.

Gibson Flying V: The Gibson Flying V electric guitar found its popularity mainly among heavy metal guitarists. It has been around since 1958.

Gibson Explorer: Another Gibson electric guitar that was popular among early heavy metal guitarists. It isn't very common and is sold as a reissue. The guitar's design was considered too futuristic in 1959, and it was discontinued due to poor sales.

Gibson Firebird: Gibson Firebirds manufactured between 1963 to 1965 are known as reverse bodies, because the body of subsequent models changed to its current design after Fender sued Gibson over the design.

Gibson 300 series: There are several models in the Gibson 300 series of semi-solid electric guitars. The most popular is the ES-335 played by B.B. King and Chuck Berry. The other models are the ES-325, the ES-345, and the ES-355.

Gibson Melody Maker: These days the Gibson Melody Maker electric guitars feature the Les Paul design. The Joan Jett signature model has the SG double-cutaway shape.

Jeff Meiczinger has been playing guitar for 20 years. He has an electric guitar blog, the Electric Guitar Guide

Gibson Guitars: Explorations in Innovation

The tradition of quality associated with Gibson guitars dates as far back as the late 1800s when Orville Gibson started the company with his skill and interest in the guitar. Probably one of the keys to the success of the company then and now is its tangent for innovation. This innovation continued through economic hardship, which saw the introduction of the L-5, ES-150, electric guitar. While the company originated as a manufacturer of mandolins and guitars, it was the design of the ES-150, the company's first electric guitar that hailed them to the top of the list of guitar manufacturers. The innovation in the company originated with guitarists such as Lloyd Loar and Les Paul, whose ideas were used to create some of the company's most innovative designs.

Reviewing the Original Gibsons

The Les Paul Standard is by far the most popular of all Gibson guitars. It was way back in the early 1950s that it was introduced as the company's premier solid body electric guitar. Today the Les Paul Standard has several variations, including the Les Paul Standard Faded, Les Paul Standard Double Cut, Les Paul Standard Limited Edition, and Les Paul Standard Premium.

While many guitar manufacturers find ways to cut corners to assemble guitars as fast as they can, Gibson continues its tradition of hand making each guitar it produces. The Gibson acoustic is the classic tradition of guitars. Gibson continues to make the classic acoustic guitars in natural wood. It's probably the case that if you learned how to play the guitar in elementary school, that your music teacher had an inventory of Gibson guitars. The value of these guitars has not decreased, although many musicians probably wish the price would decrease! Classic Gibson acoustic guitars such as the SJ200 and the Hummingbird are still as popular as when they were first introduced, although most people purchase them as collector's items.

Electric guitars were made to play rock music, right? This message couldn't get any clearer with Gibson's release of a replica of the guitar associated with Angus Young of AC/DC. Usually when makers of guitars reproduce a classic, they tend to add additional features that actually take away from what was so great about the original. The Angus Young Signature SG is basically a mirror image of the classic guitar.

The list of famous individuals who have counted on the traditional quality and innovation of Gibson guitars is long. This relationship is probably due in part to the Gibson company's solicitation of professional guitarists to assist in designing innovative Gibson guitars. Who else knows more about what "serious" guitarists want than the professionals who push them to their limits? Celebrities that have been longtime fans of Gibson guitars include Paul McCartney and Jimmy Page. Aside from the outstanding pickups, Gibson guitars for electric guitar lovers are generally custom-made to order. It is probably the case that the Gibson electric guitars feature some of the most unique styles and designs. The Gibson Firebird Studio Electric, L4 CES Archtop, and the Gibson Zakk Wylde Les Paul electric guitars prove that there are no limits in the how Gibson is able to allow a guitarist to explore the creative limits of Gibson guitars.

For more more information about Gibson Guitars please visit http://www.guitar-directory.net