

Pre 2006 Epiphones from Korea would be considered superior, but by 2007 there would be little difference.ĭepending on who you believe, the sound difference is largely down to the wood. I’ve seen many shoddy Qingdao pre-2006 Les Pauls and SG’s with messy binding and gobs of glue on the neckjoinsīut somehow after that time they seemed to really pull it together to make a better instrument. In 2007 the Qingdao China Epiphone factory started implementing noticeable upgrades in building and materials to help make their Epiphone guitars some of the best ever made in the world. If you have the chance, your best option is to get a hold of each one and decide for yourself.įor Example, here is a post on Forum:ĭuring that time period Epiphones being made in Korea were still considered better than anything out of Qingdao until after 2006. Personally I like Korean Made Les Paul better than Chinese.īut what that means is that you’re likely going to get a lot of different opinions on which is better. 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. Some other brands Samick builds guitars for include Epiphone, Gibson, Washburn, and Hohner.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. Since 1999 the electric guitars made by Samick no longer carry the Samick name they are now called Greg Bennett Guitars. The Samick Artist series, for example, are known as high-quality guitars they were made under the Samick name from the mid-1980s till the late-'90s.
#Samick guitar korean 1992 models professional
Samick Musical Instruments have always made a wide range of guitars, from starter models to professional instruments. In factories in various Asian countries, Samick manufactures a large share of all electric guitars on today's market, mostly for other brands. This factory produces the majority of instruments that Samick makes. Samick factory in Cilesungi, near Bogor, Indonesia.

The company started as 'Samick Pianos' in 1958, manufacturing pianos sold under the Samick name. The name refers to the entire Samick Music Corporation, which owns several manufacturers of pianos, guitars, and other instruments.

Samick is the name of a Korea-based musical instrument manufacturer, one of the largest in the world.
