Squier vs Epiphone – The Ultimate Second-Brand Guitar Battle!

Whether you want an inexpensive backup guitar for gigging around, an instrument to get started on this journey, or to upgrade that entry-level guitar you bought a couple of years ago, the question, Epiphone or Squier, might be bouncing inside your brain non-stop.

Yes, Squier and Epiphone, just like their parent brands, dominate the entry-level market. But, when spending your hard-earned pay on your next axe, what brand will you choose?

We’re here to do the heavy lifting for you. We’ll go through the three tiers of Epiphone and Squier models and crack the code about what’s going on in the mid-priced instrument segment right now.

Are you ready? Well, we sure are, so let’s go right in!

A Little Brand History

Although we know Epiphone and Squier as “the second brand” of the two biggest guitar makers on Earth, they didn’t start that way.

The Story Behind Squier

Squier was founded in 1890 by Victor Carroll Squier, who learned the fine art of lutherie from his dad, Jerome Bonaparte Squier, a violin maker nicknamed “The American Stradivarius”.

He was very good at his craft and, by 2007, one of Jerome’s pieces sold for $100,000.

But Victor, who moved from Boston to Michigan, found out there weren’t so many violins to make in his new town, so he changed the company’s focus to making high-quality instrument strings. It was very hard to come by quality strings back then and people would import them from Europe.

By the 1930s, the guitar was enjoying its first momentum, Squier made high-quality electric guitar strings as well as strings for other instruments.

In the early 1950s, Leo Fender’s outstanding solid-body guitar design, the Telecaster, took off and was sold massively. The company needed many high-quality strings for these instruments. Did you guess who provided them? Yes, V.C. Squier.

They were the standard strings for all Fender instruments until 1963. In 1965, before selling the company, Leo bought the V.C. Squier company. In 1975, the company stopped producing Squier strings, and the brand was taken off the market.

Things were not OK for Fender at that time. CBS management proved to be deficient in many areas and, by 1981, according to former Fender executive, Roger Balmer, 85% of the Fender-like products on the market weren’t made by Fender.

Most of these copies and Fender-like products came from Asian countries. The Gibson antecedent suing Ibanez in 1977 didn’t go so well. So, Fender came up with a different idea to expand its market opportunities instead of suing other companies.

Fender Japan was created in 1982, and it began making guitars with the companies that already had the know-how from making the copies that had become so popular. This included FujiGen Gakki, which is well-known for making outstanding Ibanez instruments.

But Fender still had a problem, they couldn’t jeopardize their reputation as a top-notch, high-quality American guitar maker. So, these early Asian models featured the Fender logo as usual and a tiny Squier one at the end of the headstock.

Fender brought the brand back for these Asian-made models that are still being built in China and Indonesia to this day.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ouCSbqdAjQ0&t=54s

The Story Behind Epiphone

Epiphone’s story dates to the Ottoman Empire. The year was 1873 and Anastasios Stathopoulos, Epiphone’s Greek founder was a lumber merchant and fine luthier who could fix lutes and fiddles.

Eventually, he grew and installed his ouds and laoutos factory.

Upon landing in the US in 1903, he carried on with the same brand and idea but added mandolins to the lineup. That patent, his first and only on US soil, was for an instrument built in his Queens, New York factory.

Anastasio’s son, Epaminondas (conveniently nicknamed Epi) took over the company in 1915 after his father passed away. He gained complete control of the company in 1923 after his mom’s passing and renamed the family business the Epiphone Banjo Company in 1928.

Banjos were the most used instrument in the country after WWI.

But Epi also inherited his dad’s indomitable spirit and passion for innovation. So, by 1928 he was already making archtop and flattop acoustics as well. In fact, he introduced an acoustic archtop model quite like a Gibson L-5 in 1931 and became Gibson’s main competitor.

The New York store often brought in local music celebrities, including a chap who played great and was called Les Paul. His Sunday jams were an event people would listen to from the sidewalk.

Actually, and this is truly juicy guitar nerd gossip, Les Paul created “The Log” during the night time in Epiphone’s factory. The neck of the log was Gibson, but the archtop sides were made by Epiphone.

The years that followed, included workforce depletion and dedicating part of the factories to military endeavors due to the US joining the Allies in WWII.

By 1945, Epi passed away and left control of the factory to his children, Orphie and Frixo. Soon after, the model Les Paul had spent so much time refining at the Epiphone factory became one of Gibson’s most prominent guitars.

Furthermore, when Leo Fender revolutionized the market with the solid-body electric guitars, Gibson made Les Paul the endorser of their flagship solid-body electric.

After moving the company to Philadelphia and losing many employees along the way, Epiphone was struggling to make ends meet and was sold to Gibson in 1957 for $20,000 (something like $224,671.89)

Ted McCarty, Gibson’s president at the moment (yes, he’s the same guy in PRS guitars) decided to use Epiphone instruments to attract dealers to Gibson. That’s when the legend of Epiphone being less than Gibson started.

But to be completely honest, some of those models McCarty offered the dealers, like the Casino, the Texan, or the Coronet ended up being iconic Epiphone guitars in their own right.

Just like it happened to Fender, Norlin, the ‘80s president of Gibson, moved Epiphone to Korea to fight back against the cheap copies coming from Asia. For this, he partnered with the Samick Company.

The rest is, as they say, music history.

The Entry-Level Models

Let’s start from the beginning, shall we? The entry-level guitars made by these companies are as basic and inexpensive as electric guitars get. Both companies offer their iconic models in a stripped-down version to make it more affordable for those starting out.

The key difference here is that, while Squier imitates Fender to the last bolt, Epiphone’s cheaper models are not the same as Gibson with a different decal.

Bolt-on Epiphone Guitars

There are some crucial differences that Epiphone had to go through to make the entry-level models affordable for the budget of entry-level players. I’m talking about the famous set-neck construction all Gibson guitars enjoy and only some Epiphones do.

This is not a minor difference, a set-neck guitar and a bolt-on guitar feel different to the player. Plus, you could say they sound different as well because there’s a sustain element that’s very likely gone.

The guitars I’m talking about in the Epiphone line are the ones around the $200 mark.

• Les Paul Melody Maker E1
• Les Paul Special-II E1
• Les Paul Studio E1
• Power Players Les Paul
• Les Paul Tribute
• Epiphone Les Paul 100 E1
• SG Special Satin E1
• SG Power Player
• SG Tribute

These stripped-down versions of the real thing are very different in many ways, the bolt-on neck, lack of ornaments, and different headstock are enough to know you’re not in Gibson territory.

Going a little deeper into the construction, the guitar on the list with a see-through paint job, the SG Special Satin, is made of poplar with a mahogany veneer on top and the back.

Poplar is an economical type of wood that’s mostly used to replace alder. Therefore, finding it in an SG-style guitar is an odd choice explained from a price point of view rather than a sound point of view.

Except for the Melody Maker that’s also made of poplar, the Les Pauls on the list are made of mahogany. Arguably, mahogany is one of the darkest-sounding tone woods out there giving Les Paul guitars that characteristic growl under the snap of the maple top.

At this price point, Epiphone only makes them either of poplar or mahogany, but you can’t get that typical wood combination you’d get with a Gibson Les Paul.

Sound-wise, the entry-level guitars of the Epiphone line do what they’re supposed to do. They propel the sound forward with a couple of mighty (very mighty) humbuckers.

Epiphone chose to install ceramic magnet pickups on these guitars (even the Melody Maker single-coil pickups are ceramic) and take maximum advantage of their output.

Trying the LP100, for example, I had to turn OFF every gain stage I had going on. These are hot pickups that make up for some lack of tone or nuances the instrument might have.

As you might expect, these aren’t the clearest pickups, on the contrary, their take-no-prisoner approach to tone is nasty, noisy, and punchy overdriving anything you throw at them. That made them a lot of fun to play but also a little hard to tame.

I tried some believable versions of timeless classics like “Crazy Train” and “Gets Me Through” as well as “Story of My Life” by Ozzy and Social Distortion respectively and they sounded very powerful.

These rocking machines also come equipped with generic tuners, pots, knobs, hardware, and accessories.

For those doubtful about finish and setup, let me tell you that I have never come across a sharp fret when opening Epiphone boxes during my music store days. On the contrary, necks are smooth and so are the frets.

While they do need an initial setup and a set of proper strings, in my experience, entry-level Epiphones are playable very much out of the box.

Squier Debut, Sonic, and Affinity Series

Squier models are divided into series. At the bottom of the food chain, AKA, the cheapest segment of their line are the Debut, Sonic, and Affinity series with only an average of $50 in difference.

Let me start by saying that even the most affordable Squier guitars look like the real deal while Epiphones don’t. Yes, if you grab a Sonic or Affinity Stratocaster or Telecaster, and look at yourself in the mirror (doing that funky, “I’m so cool” face), you’ll look exactly like your hero does holding his or her guitar.

In the same vein, the construction method for these guitars is the same that Fender has been using for 75 years and counting. Therefore, the guitar you get is a legitimate version of a Telecaster or Stratocaster.

There are very few differences between the Debut, Sonic, and the Affinity series. That said, the Affinity series Strat and Tele models have a couple of appointments that set them apart.

For starters, Telecasters in the Sonic and Debut line feature top-loader bridges while the Affinity Telecaster is a proper string-through-body construction with ferrules.

Also, the Debut and Sonic Stratocasters feature a classic, vintage, six-spring tremolo system while the Affinity features a more modern two-pivot design.

Finally, the Debut and Sonic series come with a set of sealed die-cast tuners while the Affinity series comes with sealed die-cast tuners featuring a split shaft for easier string change and more stability.

Plus, you won’t tear the interior of your gig bag with those pointy strings anymore.

The Debut Series is an Amazon-exclusive line that’s aimed straight at the beginners. The bodies are a tad thinner and therefore lighter painted in several colors in matte finish. They also sport a modern-C neck that’s easy to play, especially for those starting out.

Another key difference between the Debut and Sonic series is that the first comes with free playing lessons via Fender’s exclusive learning platform, Fender Play.

Other than these differences above, the Sonic line is a little more playful and features fewer models. You can choose from Strats, Teles, and Mustangs in different pickup configurations and wild colors. For example, the Squier Sonic Esquire with a single bridge humbucker comes in ultraviolet, and the Strats come in California blue, lime green, and other outrageous colors.

The Affinity series features different models. You can choose from Teles, Strats, Starcasters, Jaguars, and even thinline Telecasters.

Tone-wise, all these guitars come with almighty ceramic-magnet pickups on poplar bodies (except for the Starcaster that’s laminated maple) so they follow the same recipe Epiphone does.

The difference here is that single-coil pickups tend to be more annoyingly brittle (harsh I would say) and noisy than their humbucking counterparts. Therefore, I would say that pushing any kind of distortion through the single-coil pickups of these guitars is something that requires quite a bit of tinkering with EQ and gain knobs to find a sweet spot.

I tried my best Frusciante impersonation with a nice ultraviolet Strat and got into such a noisy thunderstorm I was a crossover between the RHCP and Iron Maiden.

That changes, though, when you play an HSS model or an HH model. You have that silent power in the bridge position that’s just punchy and powerful.

The ceramic pickups work great with clean settings and do a very believable ‘80s chorus-infused version of a ballad, or a glass-like funky lick that would make Nile Rodgers proud.

The Starcaster is quite an oddball in Fender’s lineup but it’s especially fun to play because the humbuckers and the hollow body make it a fierce rocking guitar ready to fill an arena full of screaming fans with huge chords.

These guitars cover the below-$400 price range.

The Mid-Priced Models

Epiphone and Squier offer entry-level models and guitars that can be your next step in the never-ending road to the perfect ax.

The caveat in this category is that Epiphone doesn’t offer guitars that are in the price range that Squier’s Contemporary, Paranormal, and utterly acclaimed Classic Vibe lines are. The highest price within the Squier guitar universe is $499 while most Standard instruments for Epiphone start at $650.

Again, there’s a difference in the cost of producing a Les Paul and a Telecaster that’s present also in their parent brands. That cost is always reflected in the price tag, and this is not an exception.

Therefore, I’m only going to talk about Squier’s models here.

Ever since it came out, the Classic Vibe Series by Squier has been making heads turn and people doubt seriously when paying their hard-earned money for a new guitar.

If you know the Fender line a little, you can easily think that the Contemporary series is like Fender’s Ultra series while the Classic Vibe is the American Vintage.

In the first case, the company takes as many licenses as they want and creates some very usable guitars in the way. In the second case, they’re faithful reproductions (with budget cuts and alternative woods and parts) of timeless classics.

The Paranormal series is Fender’s playground to freely mix their models and come up with weird hybrids that make outstanding guitars in most cases.

Contemporary Series

Let’s begin talking about the Squier Contemporary series. These are performance-oriented guitars with loud and proud humbuckers ready to take classic designs into rock and metal territory.

There are two active guitars, a Jazzmaster and a Starcaster. The Starcaster is especially fun to play and the SQR Squier Active pickups can surely blast some tones. I tried a version of “Gets Me Through” by Ozzy with a drop-D tuning and lots of distortion and it was punchy and aggressive.

Also, the lack of F-holes and the active circuitry help a lot to have a tamed performance. Moreover, the roasted maple neck is an appointment that could belong to a guitar twice the price. Speaking of which, with a radius of 12” is a call to shredders to let their spirit out.

The Stratocasters feature some slanted pickups that are reminders of Fender’s ‘80s adventures and, contrary to what you might think, are not humbuckers but the middle single-coil pickup is placed just next to the bridge pickup for a weird combination of tones you just can’t find anywhere else.

My favorite of the bunch was the Floyd-Rose-equipped one that features dual Alnico V Squier Atomic humbucker pickups and the ability to split the coils via a 5-way pickup selector. It’s a hugely versatile guitar that you can shred, play incendiary riffs, or do some nice funky runs taking advantage of that silk-like roasted maple neck.

I was able to pull off a quite credible version of “Panama” by Van Halen and even got those crystal-clear harmonic tones out of this guitar.

Finally, we have the HH Jaguar and the HH Telecaster with a rails pickup in the neck position and a traditional string-through-body construction.

The Jaguar is a big chunk of poplar with a pair of very hot humbuckers on top that scream and shout. The company used Johnny Marr’s idea and installed a three-way pickup selector (doing the usual, neck, both, and bridge), and instead of a Panorama Tremolo, used a TOM bridge with a stop tailpiece.

Let me tell you, it feels and plays like a rock monster and, contrary to the traditional Jaguar, it features a 25 ½” scale. With the 12” radius, you can do your best “Smells Like Teen Spirit” recreation or go for some Slipknot if you like.

But that’s not all, because the coil-tapping possibilities give you some more options in the tonal palette to play clean and enjoy jangly arpeggios. Finally, you can choose between series and parallel to play some seriously scooped sounds that scream psychedelia to the four winds.

I also particularly liked the Telecaster because it has that string-through-body construction, and the bridge humbucker is mounted over a metal plate which gives the overall tone some twang that turns into bite when you add gain.

The reliefs on the back of the body, the bound neck, and the position of the 3-way pickup selector (behind the knobs instead of before them) make this a seriously rocking machine. Again, with moderate enthusiasm and sloppy chops, I tried my best Slipknot tricks and came out victorious.

Classic Vibe

The Classic Vibe series is what you’d call in the Fender line the American Vintage series. These are reproductions of traditional models that are deeply knit in our memory. In this series there are no curve balls, it’s made of a plethora of classic guitars that look just like originals.

By this I mean tremolo units, colors, inlays, and even some cool out-of-catalog stuff like the Bass VI and the Starcaster. Also, this is the first Squier line to feature one of Fender’s current best-selling guitars, the Jazzmaster. But that’s not all, because you can find ‘60s and ‘70s thinline models as well as humbucker-equipped Deluxe and Custom Telecasters. Speaking of which, the ‘70s Jaguar featuring block inlays is as pretty as Jaguars get.

I tried several of them, the ‘50s and ‘60s Teles, a ‘60s and a ‘70s Strat, a Mustang, the Jaguar, a Jazzmaster, and one of my all-time favorite guitars, the Telecaster Custom with a single-coil pickup at the bridge position and a humbucker in the neck, four controls, and a ton of ‘70s mojo.

What I can say about the Classic Vibe series is that they’re very close. If you’ve played the real deal, these guitars feel different, somehow the accessories feel plastic and the wood grain on the fretboard as well as the squeaky, treble-oriented pickups don’t have the snap and warmth of the real thing, but they’re close.

They’re very comfortable to play, come with impeccable fretwork and, if you have some money to invest in a bone nut and a set of pickups, I can see these guitars on stages of any size looking like the real thing and sounding close enough.

If you like Fender classic guitars and these are within your budget, I wouldn’t doubt it for a split second and try out the one I like the most.

Paranormal Series

To finish the Squier side, let’s talk about the Paranormal series, a line of guitars that never existed in the Fender catalog but make terrific instruments for those looking for something different.

I just loved the 12-string Jazzmaster as well as the Esquire Deluxe Telecaster (a one-pickup, humbucker-equipped ‘70s Tele), and think the Troublemaker is a terrific design that sounds awesome for its price tag.

All these guitars are difficult to compare but I would say that if you’re doubtful whether you should go Stratocaster or Les Paul, get a Troublemaker, which is the closest to a hybrid you can find in the Squier line. It’s equipped with dual humbuckers, features four knobs, and a tune-o-matic bridge with a stop tailpiece.

The High-Tier Models

This is where this gets truly tricky because here the comparison isn’t between Squier and Epiphone.

Gibson and Fender have two different approaches to this price segment. While Epiphone has recently invested heavily, Fender has been making Fender Player Series in Ensenada, Mexico for over three decades competing with a similar price tag and the Fender logo.

So, when you go above $500, you enter the Fender realm but with a caveat, they’re not made in USA Fender guitars but made in Mexico ones. Gibson, on the other hand, doesn’t manufacture any Gibson product outside the US, so everything else, even above the $1000 mark is made overseas and, therefore, is labeled Epiphone.

Furthermore, to complicate matters more, there’s now a made-in-USA Epiphone line as well. So, the bottom line is I’m going to talk about the Standard, reissues, and signature models in the Epiphone line and leave the Custom Shop for the next subheading.

Epiphone Inspired by Gibson

This line by Epiphone is where I think things start to get closer to the big G brand. Here you have models like the Epiphone Les Paul Standard ‘50s or ‘60s. These guitars, beyond the fact that the flame maple top and the mahogany lines in the back are veneers, are perfect reproductions of the real deal.

You have a set neck construction, quality humbucker pickups, an era-correct neck profile, and an array of colors that are traditional like bourbon sunburst, lemon burst, and such.

The first time I picked up one of these guitars I was very impressed. If you take into consideration that a Gibson Les Paul Standard is very close to $3000, getting something close to that for less than $700 is quite an achievement.

Well, the Standard line by Epiphone does feel like the real thing. I’m not going to tell you they sound or resonate similarly, on the contrary, there are wide tonal differences as well as playability differences, but that gap is close to the one you’d expect between a Classic Vibe and an American Vintage Strat.

What I mean is that the Les Paul and SG Standard, the Designer series (Flying V and Explorer), the Firebird, the ES-335, and the Juniors and Specials look and feel close to the real deal.

I was lucky enough to try them all and the results were, well, a not-so-distant shortcoming from the USA-made versions.

They’re very faithful reproductions that won’t break the bank.

The Les Pauls are equipped with Alnico II Probuckers which give them that classic crystalline, punchy early PAF Les Paul tone. You can lower the tone control and play some jazz, use the middle position for some clean funk, blues the night away in the neck position, and add some distortion to wail off with some fierce rocking tones.

The ’50s neck is chunky and the ‘60s is a slim taper; fast and furious. Although these guitars aren’t put through a PLEK machine like the Big G ones, they play and sound as they should.

I could hear an annoying treble frequency that wasn’t entirely musical, but it’s something to be expected from a guitar at this price range.

The SG Standard as well as the ’61 reissue are fine pieces of lumber for you to play Angus Young all night long. They’re equipped with Alnico V magnets, so you can expect more rocking power coming from these guitars. The midrange is quite exceptional, I’m lucky enough to have played a couple of real ‘60s SGs and they all share that same mix of the low-mids growl and bite that’s surprising from guitars this thin.

Well, that’s right there in these easy-to-play guitars. Yes, I couldn’t help myself, and the riff for “Back in Black” sounded just perfect. Hey, don’t look at me like that, you would have done the same!

Moving over to the Designer series, I’ve always been a fan of the Flying V and the Explorer, they’re so bold for the time they were released. But beyond the looks, Epiphone equipped these guitars with Alnico II pickups just like with the Les Paul STD. Therefore, they look menacing but sound sweet. Moreover, the 12” radius and slim-taper necks make them easy to play and fast, but the humbuckers allow for a broader tonal palette than you would expect. The company respected the ‘50s character of these guitars which are a joy to play.

From the same era, I tried the Firebird but wasn’t all that happy about it. If you’ve ever played a guitar with minihumbuckers, you know they’re articulate and magical. They pack the punch and power of regular humbuckers but have much more clarity, defined mids, and singing highs.

Well, Epiphone decided to go with regular Probuckers that are, well, just like full-sized humbuckers on a massive mahogany piece. That means this Firebird is closer to an Explorer than to the real deal. I think the mini-Grover tuners are a mistake too, but if it’s your first time with a Firebird, it surely does look and sound cool.

To finish my Inspired by Gibson round, I played a semi-hollow guitar, the ES-335.

Let me tell you that, while it’s miles away from the original, it’s got some of that semi-hollow mojo and allows you to play bigger-than-life open chords and distorted riffs alike.

The pickups sound vintage to my ears, they are Alnico-magnet PRO humbuckers and react nicely to the body’s warmth and the changes done to the volume knob. I played some blues in it and it was smooth as butter with the 12” radius.

Although it’s not quite as deep-sounding and resonant as the Gibson version, it does a great job.

Finally, if there’s a guitar model I couldn’t overlook, it was the Casino. I played several of them over the years, original and reissues, and I just love them. The fully hollow body gives you the kind of lows and warmth that only the laminated maple can bring to life. So, what you have is this giant tone that snaps and has some bite in the upper-mids.

Speaking of bite, the P-90s pack that classic midrange that makes this a rock and roll machine in all its glory. They bite but also purr depending on your pick attack, the volume and tone levels, and the amount of gain in the signal.

Yes, the Casino is a well-made, timeless classic that sounds great and offers a wide array of usable tones.

What’s Going on in the Mid-Price Electric Guitar Market?

If you look at 2023’s Reverb best-selling guitar stats, you’ll find that the best-selling new guitars are the PRS Silver Sky SE, the Fender American Professional II Stratocaster, and the Player Series Strat and Tele. In fact, Gibson comes in eighth and ninth place with the ’60s and the ‘50s Standard Les Pauls.

But that’s not the whole picture. It gets more interesting when you look at the chart for the site’s used guitars. There, the Gibson Les Paul came out first.

That could mean that brand-new Gibson USA guitars are too expensive for the average player. They want it, but they just can’t afford it.

Well, up to last year’s results, Epiphone didn’t occupy a single spot on this list, but Fender’s similarly priced Mexican-made Player Series guitars did.

The Player Series Approach

Fender decided to attack the mid-price market with guitars made in their Ensenada factory, in Mexico. These have been in the making since 1987, and the quality is quite close to the lower tiers of US-made Fenders.

This allowed Fender to gain control completely over a very competitive niche, the $700 to $1300 segment of the market. These guitars come with a Fender logo and are usually inside an original Fender gig bag.

The Epiphone Custom Shop Approach

Epiphone couldn’t compete with Fender’s made-in-Mexico guitars, but this year invested heavily in overhauling the Epiphone line and making some high-tier guitars with USA pickups and electronics.

Plus, the company also teamed up with players the size of Joe Bonamassa, Dave Grohl, and most notably, Kirk Hammett to come up with guitars that even carry Gibson’s open-book traditional headstock.

Furthermore, they even released reissues of solid Korina guitars and some truly cool oddballs like the Firebird I with a single Alnico V minihumbucker in the bridge position.

Let’s see if this change bringing top-tier models and guitars to the $800 to $1500 price range is enough for Epiphone to debunk the almighty Player Series from the podium.

So, Squier or Epiphone?

In my opinion, and after doing this thorough research and making the enormous effort of playing all those guitars (LOL), let me divide my answer into three statements.

Firstly, if you’re an absolute beginner and don’t have a clear idea of what music you want to play or if you’re going to continue playing for a long time, I’d suggest you go with a Squier Sonic or Affinity with two single-coil pickups and a humbucker at the bridge. That’s the perfect tool to find your musical voice and a good instrument to grow your chops.

Secondly, if you’re after your second guitar, have a bigger budget, or just want to go deeper into this beautiful journey guitar playing is, I’d say go for a Squier Classic Vibe. Furthermore, if you’re into heavier music and rock, you can go get a Contemporary series guitar and have endless fun with it. Within this price range, you can also find an Epiphone Les Paul Jr. or an SG Standard. Those are great choices as well.

Finally, if your budget is a little bulkier, you’re a pro musician looking for an affordable backup or an aficionado who doesn’t need the decal with the name, I’d say go give the Epiphone Inspired by Gibson and Custom Shop series a try. Believe me, they take the concept we all have of Epiphone guitars far from what we know.

This is so much so that, in my opinion, they compare to Fender Mexico instead of Squier.

The Bottom End

Epiphone and Squier are great options for players on their way to the real deal. That said, the new-and-improved top-tier series (Classic Vibe and Epiphone Custom Shop) make terrific lifelong companions too.

Back when I started playing, Squiers and Epiphones were barely playable, but it was a great surprise to know that these brands stepped up to their challenge and up their game for new players.

The good news is that, while they compete for the pole position, we, guitar players, are the winners of the race because they make better guitars at more competitive prices.

So, follow our advice above and go out on a guitar safari to find that new ax that will inspire endless nights of soulful playing.

Happy (Squier and Epiphone) playing!