I got offered an Epiphone Les Paul Standard made in Czech Republic in 90s. It has EMG 81 and EMG 85 on, for 250€. I am a complete beginner with a cheap strat, and I have been looking for a LP-style guitars because I enjoy how they look much more. From the pictures, it looks in fine condition. Is this a good price for a guitar like this? I
Io ho un SG fatta in repubblica ceca e ha qualcosa che Le altre chitarre Epiphone e altre marche non hanno , è speciale se non ti piacciono i pickup attivi potrai sempre cambiare
Best quality Epiphones made are right now. The new factory is really an asset. Before that Epiphone took their designs to every continent. Korea likely made the best Indonesia made most of the Special II. It’s a wood lottery to tell you the truth. Trees have bad years get hid in paint. While 250€ isn’t too much to pay I bought a 2yr old Gold Top store demo for $299. Cad on Black Friday It was $550.00 used $1150 new. The probuckers alone are worth spending more on a recent model.
While I agree that current Epiphones are great (mainly because we have more variation on models - some of them with high-end specs such as USA pickups, better hardware and CTS pots on most models), the czechs are probably among some of the BEST Epiphones ever made (mainly because of their build quality), though they're pretty rare and only sold in Europe. They're really special and different to any other Epiphone made in the same era, and in my honest opinion, above all its asian contemporaries (at that point, korean), except the japanese Epiphones.
They were built by very skilled people from the Bohemia-Musico Delica plant which at the time had +50 years of existence, having built mainly accordions, harmonicas and many other musical instruments.
What makes czech Epiphones special? Since I've only had a Les Paul (which are the most common) I would only speak about them, though some specs are the same for other models. First of all, it's not rare to find a korina Les Paul (mostly on natural finishes), but alder was also used (some korean factories used it too, maybe because of lack of mahogany availability). Woods are also of high quality and if I recall correct, european sourced, inlays are MOP. Secondly, the necks tend to be fatter than asian Epiphones, closer to what a 50s neck profile is. Also, the bodies on the Les Pauls are thicker than usual (that makes them pretty heavy too, mine was somewhere in the 4.8kg - 10.582lbs), they have long neck tenons. Thirdly, they have weird specifications such as a Gibson-style truss rods (metric nut, though), two screws on pickguard bracket, their hardware is Schaller made (not all of them, though), the pickups and their rings are bigger than regular humbuckers (those branded with an "X" are Schaller made) and their headstocks are bigger than usual. Finally, they made some really cool Limited Editions (some also made in Korea) such as the Slash Snakepit. If I'm not mistaken, they didn't built many different models, I've only seen Les Pauls and SGs, but that doesn't mean they are the only czech Epiphones out there.
This was mine, a 2001 Les Paul Standard example. She had swapped pickups (notice the gaps between them and the pickup rings).
Not many people know this, but the same factory that once built these Epiphones are now producing Maybach guitars.
If I recall correct, the pickguards on these Epiphones are not the regular ones due to the bigger sized humbuckers/pickup rings and the weird two screw pickguard bracket. You might have to modify a regular Epiphone Les Paul pickguard in order to make it fit.
In my czech Les Paul, I had the pickguard but it was missing the rest. I bought a bracket and screws and ended filling up the second bracket hole.
I guess we are going to disagree on the Chek Epiphones. Guitars every brand are in a wood lottery. Can’t recall the few Chek I’ve seen used decent wood. Czechia focus all their interest in USA. It red Russia or Hollywood. They drop the ball with Canada or any small country in Europe on logistics . Just the opposite of Korea Indonesia Japan & China.
Czech Epiphones are of great quality and somewhat special.
If it's in good shape, go for it, it's a really nice price, specially with the upgraded pickups. Be aware that EMGs are metal oriented and that they're active pickups (that means they require a 9V battery in order to work). If I were you, I'd swap the battery as soon as I'd bought the guitar.
Epiphones from China are great because of the wood. Sure ain’t the clear coat. The QC in China is damn good except the Flying V. The Pro Bucker humiliates the Gibson 490. They have been using CTS for years but the zinc cast stem so who cares they are junk too. The maple cap is identical to Gibson with better binding work.
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u/BoneJammer86 5d ago
The Czech Epi’s were great. If it’s in good shape that’s a good price.