Are the made in Korea Epiphones better than the Chinese Epi's?

[BigDaddyMojo]

thanks

[dcooper830]

They're the same.

[carmetal]

No. That is a myth perpetrated by owners of Korean-made Epis in order to give credence to their claim that thier axes are superior to those currently sold. As to be expected, Epiphone had a few quality-control issues with the initial production run from their new Chinese factory, but it appears that those problems have since been addressed and rectified. (All the more reason to subscribe to the addage that one should wait a year or two before purchasing the "latest" model). The current crop of guitars coming out from Quing-dao are among the finest Epiphones I've seen in a while, and their version of Gibson's Alnico pickups sound way better than those that used to come out of Korea.

[Deaf Eddie]

I have half a dozen MIK Epis, and they are all solid instruments. I "accidentally" eBayed a Chinese Epi, and it is horrible...

So based on that limited - but real life - experience, I am very wary of the Chinese Epis. They're made in a different factory, so they WILL be different, and so far it's NOT an improvement...

[Willyguitar]

I hear that the Chinese ones are meant to be better. But maybe that was from the mouth of he who owned one.

[dcooper830]

Originally Posted by carmetal

.... Epiphone had a few quality-control issues with the initial production run from their new Chinese factory, but it appears that those problems have since been addressed and rectified. (All the more reason to subscribe to the addage that one should wait a year or two before purchasing the "latest" model). The current crop of guitars coming out from Quing-dao are among the finest Epiphones I've seen in a while, and their version of Gibson's Alnico pickups sound way better than those that used to come out of Korea.

I think this is all true!

Some of the new Quing Dao Epiphones I've tried (and one I bought) are GREAT!

And check out the tone I'm getting with the stock pickups with this one:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_awYTAqErE






.

[carmetal]

Originally Posted by dcooper830

I think this is all true!

Some of the new Quing Dao Epiphones I've tried (and one I bought) are GREAT!

And check out the tone I'm getting with the stock pickups with this one:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_awYTAqErE






.

I rest my case....

[Sheraton]

Maybe the new Chinese Epi's are as good. I have yet to see it. Just based on a random sampling of 20-30 Chinese Epi's I looked at at various GC's, at least 50% had a major problem. This could be explained by the "working the kinks out" of the new mfg. facility logic. But based on the write-up I read about the long time Gibson veterans that have been running the new plant, how did all of this "crap" get out of the door? I have an open mind and I believe they will eventually get it right. I just want a track record of proof before I jump in.

In theory having all of the Epi's made in one place should improve consistency. There is validity to the argument that the MIK quality varies between plants. I have found the Peerless (P or R serial numbers) and the Unsung (U serial numbers) made guitars to be superior in overall quality to the Saein (I serial numbers).

My question is; will anybody admit they git a bad one? How about a poll?

[kidvybes]

...alright, let's try and apply some logic to the equation...the first Korean Epis were manufactured around 1983...initially they were not well received due to QC issues, especially when compared to earlier Japanese product...but not long after the QC issues were addressed and the quality of the Korean issued guitars continued to improve...manufacturing of Epis was shut down in Korea in 2002 and moved to China...now, owners of the "Japan Era" Epis will tell you that the Korean Epis are inferior (maybe so), and now, the owners of Korean Epis will tell you the same about the comparison of Korean product verses Chinese, but logic would tell you that the later Korean product benefitted from years of manufacturing in the same factories...Korea still produces some higher end guitar product while China has taken over (along with Indonesia) the brunt of the lower cost guitars...In my experience, the Korean product appears a bit more refined than the Chinese, particularly when you look at the neck finish and fretting...
...there's a reason why Rondo makes it's Agile guitars in Korea and their lower cost SX models in China and it's not all about cost...the Korean manufacturers are more experienced (after all, they are the ones who went to China & Indonesia to set up and train the new labor force and oversee production)...PRS has chosen to make their SE line in Korea as well..
...many of the better (and most cost effecitve) pickups are still being made in Korea, like the GFS range of PUs and hardware...
...Korea had 10 years to get it right...China is only 4-5 years into producing these same products...given the choice (outside of just "playing" a particular instument regardless of origin) I would lean towards Epis built in the later years of Korean manufacturing over the current crop of Chinese product...but keep in mind, there's good and bad in all eras of manufacturing...

Afterthought...how many years did it take the Korean auto manufacturers like Hyundai to be able to compete with the Japanese Honda & Toyota quality?...China now has all the high tech manufacturing equipment to build autos, but just look what happened when the Germans tested China's new Brilliance automobiles: http://www.autoblog.com/2007/06/22/b...-anything-but/

...I know, apples to oranges, but there's some truth to "practice makes perfect"...

[JSD]

Originally Posted by kidvybes

...PRS has chosen to make their SE line in Korea as well...

Funny thing about that statement is that the PRS SE guitars are assembled in Korea but not actually made in Korea. They get their bodies and necks from China. A lot of the big name manufactures in Korea are cutting costs by importing bodies and necks out of China.

China has come a long way and can make a quality product but you get what you pay for. There is a lot of el-cheapo manufacturing going on.

[kidvybes]

Originally Posted by JSD

Funny thing about that statement is that the PRS SE guitars are assembled in Korea but not actually made in Korea. They get their bodies and necks from China. A lot of the big name manufactures in Korea are cutting costs by importing bodies and necks out of China.

...that may be true...the same CNC lathes are used in both countries, but there's a much greater abundance of cheap usable wood in China...they then use the more experienced Korean labor force to "finish" their product...and the "made in Korea" label probably suits PRS' needs better in the marketplace...

...that's the same thing that goes on the fashion industry...prestigious designer companies like Chanel manufacture their sunglasses in China, but assemble them in France and Italy so they can stamp "made in France" on the glasses...

[ihavenofish]

Originally Posted by kidvybes

.manufacturing of Epis was shut down in Korea in 2002 and moved to China.........

my epi is from 2006 and it is made in korea. there are lots of epiphones still made in korea at both unsung and saein.

as to the quality difference... no comment here. dont have any chinese epis.

[kidvybes]

Originally Posted by ihavenofish

my epi is from 2006 and it is made in korea. there are lots of epiphones still made in korea at both unsung and saein.

...my bad...majority of production ceased in Korea when Gibson opened it's Chinese factory and ended it's Epiphone/Samick relationship in 2002...

[KwadGuy]

The problem with China is quality control. They have the expertise and machinery to turn out cheap but decent quality guitars. And some of the guitars that come out of China are, indeed, cheap but of decent quality (some perhaps better than that). But there are also a lot of "oops" guitars that come out of China. The better manufacturers place their own people in the QC/finishing loop to help ensure fewer oops guitars come out (Yamaha is probably the very best at this). But frequently the China product, even when associated with a quality name, is being manufactured at a price point, and QC/finishing suffers either by neglect or by a "good enough for the price" attitude.

Essentially, the China product COULD be as good as Korea or Indonesia or whereever. But mostly it is not, on average, because the lines being produced in China are considered by the manufacturers to not merit the same investment in QC/finishing that the lines being produced in Korea or Indonesia merit.

If you show me two lines from the same manufacturer, from the same year, one made in China and one made in Korea, and ask me which one is a better guitar, I will respond, without hesitation, the one from Korea. That might not be true--they might sound about the same--but chances are the manufacturer considers the Korean made line to be better, so if there are differences, the Korean line most likely is superior.

[bryvincent]

i recently bought a new 2007 MIC Epi LP custom (Serial # starts with EE) and i think tonewise, is on par with my modded USA standard even with the stock pups. and some features are actually better than the USA LP: the top carve is better-it is very close to my Historic LP and the neck angle is better- the bridge is not too high unlike most USA Standards and also, the tone caps are also better, it uses poly? or mylar?(those maroon ones) rather than the ceramics on the USA. the USA LP though is better on feel- it plays like buttah and finish-nitro.
my only complaint is the taper of the pots. the taper is so bad the vol pot is like an on/off switch.
also, i owned a MIK Epi LP Custom before(2003) and i think this one's better.

[Myrdhinn]

I'd say the chinese epis are probably just as good as the korean ones now... you have to consider almost all the korean plants have moved to china since 2001. Samick was the first tho no longer make epi's, only mgmnt/HQs are in korea, daewon, ditto, Peerless only make their own brandname in kor, all others are china, not sure about unsung or siean, think they still make some epi customs in korea. And now more and more is being made at the Gibby plant so soon i'd expect all epis will be made there in a few years. Plus the kor china plants all use people from the korean operations for key spots and most like are getting the best of the skilled labour from other chinese guitar plants due to they pay more while still what we'd consider cheap labour its more than the chinese makers pay their employees.

[BigDaddyMojo]

wow-thanks

[dcooper830]

Originally Posted by KwadGuy

Essentially, the China product COULD be as good as Korea or Indonesia or whereever. But mostly it is not, on average, because the lines being produced in China are considered by the manufacturers to not merit the same investment in QC/finishing that the lines being produced in Korea or Indonesia merit.

I can't imagine that this is even remotely true. But if you could show me a source for this info I'll gladly stand corrected.

[GarysBlues]

So, Then would you say they are of equal quality?

[dcooper830]

Originally Posted by GarysBlues

So, Then would you say they are of equal quality?

I think they are....... give or take the normal variation that occurs from guitar to guitar from even the same manufacturer.

I've got several M.I.K.s and several M.I.C.s and they seem pretty much the same to me.