I agree the Xavier is a clear winner and the top and binding is great. Those pick ups rock. Next I think the Firefly is the way to go for a low $ entry-level guitar. Beautiful top on that as well. And at that price you could upgrade the pick ups later on if desired. Third goes to the Epiphone. It played great but has that budget look about it. Cheers Darrell.
The Xavier all the way for me, it's the only one that you can easily grow with. The quick plugs and GFS's endless pick up variety means you can shape the sound any way you like.
Having played a lot of guitars (and basses) over the years, both bolt on and glued… I think as long as the bolt on neck pocket is tight and has great contact between the neck heel and body, there’s really no difference between them.
Hey I see you got this what's app message too..is it a scam .do I know anything about it. I would assume I'd have his name on it. I don't know what what's app is do u
@@llednop thank you I thought so ..I was exited tho when I first saw it..the misspelled word rely stood out among other things.. sad cause I want one of those lol
The xaviere also has pickup splitting and quick plug pickup swapping for other Guitar Fetish pickups. I bought one after Darrell's review last year and I love it!
I've had a Xavier since September, and have been having so much fun with it. Recently I speced it out and once you polish the frets, it feels like a mid-top tier gibson.
@@blueleaftuber Kinda, yeah. Maybe customized fits better, what I did was change the nut to a tusq nut, added locking tuners, a black pearl pickguard, locking straps, a new locking bridge and tailpiece, some new pickups that have the kwick plug for tone variety, and speed knobs, all in gold.
I have actually had all 3 and the Xaviere is hands down the best imo. In fact, it's the only one of the 3 I still have. It has more nicer features like brass saddles and coil taps on the neck and bridge pickups too.
Yup I haven’t been playing only a couple years and mostly acoustic guitars ido practice wit my squires Stratocaster standard. But would love to buy the xavier brand wonder if they make a telecaster with the 50s sound?
@@JeffSimpson-yy2si Their tele's are nice and there are several pickup varieties that you can just qwikplug in. You'll probably want their 52 Overwound Professional Series for the tele if that's th sound you want.
I bought a guitar and I widely watched RU-vid videos. You are so on point for anyone who wants to get one guitar! Love these parts of what can and cannot do for guitars. Great jobs!
Personally I recommend getting an Epiphone Les Paul studio on the used market (~$250-$300), very good pick ups, set neck, grover tuners, can't go wrong
@@sydguitar99 I love my studio but my custom pro is a superior guitar and paid the same for both. He paid too much for that Special. I have it also but the all the other LP's are superior to the Special. Including the Junior and Standard LP. The Studio is superior to all them other's though.
I have the Firefly 338, the Epiphone Les Paul Special (Korean model), and a Xavier XV-570. I've swapped the pickups in all but the Xavier. But, I've had it the shortest period of time, too. They are all great guitars!!
Out of all the tones, the Epi had much more character , especially in the neck position both clean and with a little dirt. All sounded awful saturated, but I thinks that's more just me, I don't care for that super gain sound.
Could be due to the way Darrell dials in his high gain tone too. I'm personally not a big fan of his high gain sound, regardless of what amp or guitar he's using. But that's ok with me since he probably doesn't play a whole lot of high gain outside of his videos
The best affordable les paul I've ever played was a Harley benton sc550 at €220. I've played the firefly and epiphone. It blows both these guitars out of the water.
@@adrianhellstrom2927 I have the st model as well. Great guitar for the money. The thing about the Harley bentons is that they can no longer be described as good value as you move up the range, they become exceptional!
@@budgetguitarherogeartv4143 the only thing that are not so good on my st-62 are the pickups if you change them then you have a guitar close sounding to fender
I have the same Epiphone. It's a 2013 and since has now faded more into a green/blue. Still love it. I threw on some locking tuners, replaced the plastic dots with abalone shell, replaced the pick ups with Seymour Duncan Whole Lotta Humbuckers with nickel finish, and a bone nut. It plays beautifully. I've had friends tell me it competes with high end Epiphones even some Gibsons. Bone nut was a nightmare. It doesn't have a traditional Les Paul size, so I had to hand carve a nut out of a bone block. Totally worth it. Great vid!
I agree! So I have an update on my quilted green Firefly Elite FFLPS. After having it for a month, it still sounds great and stays in tune. The neck is straight as an arrow. I have went from 10-46 to 9-42 gauge strings and that tightened up the low end. Of course I replaced everything (bridge & tail piece, tuners, nut, all the electronics & wiring and the pickups) on the guitar to be able to get low action, stable tuning and great sound but it was worth it. The Firefly guitars are a great platform for someone who is into modifying and upgrading an instrument. The one thing I can add is with the Dimarzio Tone Zone and PAF pickups that I installed in it, you can play metal and hard rock with the guitar. I tune to E standard, so my metal and hard rock playing style is that of Boston, AC/DC, Dokken, Cinderella, Lynch Mob, Slaughter, Ratt, WhiteSnake, Anthrax, Black Sabbath, Ozzy, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, OverKill, Testament and Megadeth. How I love 70's and 80's music!
I use a cheaper Epiphone aka the special satin finish model I got used for 100 bucks added the GFS pickups in the Xavier and some cheap goth vintage tuners and vuala a great guitar for 200 bucos
For me, it is the Xavier. I have one (green) with the push/pull feature. The balance and the sounds are great. I bought it last year. I also like the ability to swap out the pickups (Guitar Fetish) that simply plug in.
Get the Firefly if you want the iconic look of an LP standard and are gonna immediately swap out the pickups anyway. Get the Epiphone if you want something a bit more stripped down aesthetically with hotter pickups (it also says Les Paul on the headstock if you care about that) Get the Xaviere if you want unique features plus good sounding alnico pickups right out the box.
Darrell, I have been a customer of Guitar Fetish for a few years now, so I was able to spot a small error fairly quickly. The GFS Crunchy Pat pickups are propelled by CERAMIC magnets, not Alnico. Experience should show us all to listen with our ears, but the magnet composition might make a difference to some players. Enough said.
I think the Firefly has the most vintage "PAF" sound, but that said good sounding pickups can be had from GFS cheap. What a lot of (not so in the know) players don't know is the late, great Bill Lawrence used ceramic magnets in some of his most iconic pickups most notable the 500XL series and they sound phenomenal.
Went for the Epiphone. Got a used 2014 model LP Special II plus top blue burst. Has a nice rosewood board unlike those made after 2017 CITES. All it needed was a set of Grover 133N tuners and a setup. Love the simple controls, light weight and flat top. Epiphone's are great for a stay at home hobby player like me that prefers Fender guitars but wants to experience playing a Les Paul without the weight or spending too much. Like the pre CITES 2011-2017 SG's as well. Cheers!
i would go with the epiphone . well i actually have one of those ebony black. so i might be bias. and today you can get one of em on the used market for as cheep as 60-100€. and if i would like a metal machine i would chose the the xaviere pro555 since it has a nice fr style tremolo system and coiltap and is just fun guitar to play. and not to forget the kwick plug system and the really cheep mics. i mean its hell alot of guitar for $300.
I really like the Epiphone, it looks really good, I personally have never found fault with bolt on neck’s as long as they fit well , also they have the added benefits of being easily replaced if you break the head stock.
Definitely still a fan on my Xaviere that I bought after your first review of it. Didn't mention that it was the only on in this comparison with stainless steel frets, push pull splits too!
First I’ve heard that they have SS frets. Where did you find that information? I have a PRO510 and while the frets are indeed very nice and came polished, I don’t think they’re actually stainless
@@erichill262 dang. I stand corrected! Could have swore they were, but yes, polished nickel. Push pull and the GFS quick plug is definitely a bonus though!
I agree. Firefly has a great warm tone. I wouldnt use it to play Metal but, clean/semi dirty they are great on a budget. And the "low FI" vintage sound, Firefly matches. You have to search for a Gretch or Gibson, hollowbody or solid to match. Hard to do.
Firefly is the one I liked the most for clean tones. In general, Epiphone is the one that impressed me the less. I would say: 1- Firefly 2- Xaviere 3- Epiphone Besides the price, I could switch the first two just to have more possibilities with the Xaviere. Actually in Italy is only available the Epiphone, I don't think there's any distributor for the other two.
For me i can only speak about the Epiphone , i have the LP Studio and i love it....Plus that's not a good comparison , because that's one of the cheap Epi's , mine has 2 vol , 2 tone with coil splitting.
Yes, I have! I have literally been scouring all previous reviews over the last week for a Les Paul specifically, so thank you for this head-to-head! Perfect timing!
To me the Xaviere had the best, most mature sounding pick-ups, but I personally preferred the tones coming out of the Epiphone, just really liked those sounds. But for $300.00 you seem to get a whole lot of quality with the Xaviere.
Hey, the GFS Cruncy PAT pickups are actually an isotropic ferrite (whatever that means haha) ceramic magnet. I believe toward the beginning you said they were Alnico. Not the case. They sound quite good though... I've actually got some in a few of my own guitars.
I own the Xaviere XV-555. The main difference is it has a Floyd Rose tremolo. I love the tone of this guitar and the versatility. I can drive the hell out of the pups and they never lose clarity. Mine is gloss black and a real stunner!
Have you ever reviewed a Mitchell MS450? They’re in this same price range right now and appear to have some additional nice features, locking tuners and split coils on paraffin-dipped alnico V humbuckers. Their headstock design keeps all strings running straight, too, and they run through the body at the bridge. Do you have an opinion of them?
I have a Mitchell 450… I’ve had a firefly and Ivy Les Paul too and the Mitchell is by far the best IMO, I own 12 guitars and have owned at least 40 different ones and it’s seriously ridiculously underrated. Most comfortable neck from any LP I’ve played and it comes with locking tuners and the binding and fretwork of a really expensive guitar.
@@jordanfender3085 - thanks for the recommendation, Jordan! Darrell has me convinced that a Xaviere is a great value and I have been planning on getting one but the MS450 is now on sale and looks like one heck of a buy! I appreciate your input. 🎸
Hi Darrell, I loved the video. However, you mention that the Epiphone is the only one with ceramic pickups, but on the GFS site, it states that the Crunchy PAT pickups have "Isotropic ferrite ceramic magnets". Just an FYI.
Hi Darrell, any chance of demoing some short scale guitars, or a comparison video? The Musicman Sterling Cutlass is very interesting, and putting that against a Squier Mustang or an SG could be quite interesting! :)
I've played LOTS of guitars. Darrell NAIL IT! All three guitars are SURPRISINGLY good and I would recommend to any NEW guitar player. And I love them Canadians!
I love my Firefly guitars. The pickups in them are also ceramic magnets though. I think GFS crunchy PATs might be ceramic as well. So they’re all likely ceramic magnets and they sound pretty close. You might also check out the IYV Les Paul with A5 pickups. It’s very similar to the Mitchell MS450.
I liked the firefly.. it just has more life to me the epi sounded like a non resonating chunk of wood The X was slightly firefly but resonated also But I'm on my phone
I think the price is inline with each guitar but I'm with you Darrell the firefly just makes sense and can easily be upgraded thanks for this great review 👍
I've always wonder this, I got the green burst model over a year ago and the tuners on the green firefly are not what I would say are as sturdy. Also the pickups are uncovered which appears to be the only color that have thse differences.If you go to their site and just look at the images you will see what I'm talking about. It's never really been an issue was more or less curious why that might be the case. Also I don't have the tools necessary nor the skill to level frets, 11-14 between E A and D had at least one frett that buzzed. I ultimately brought it to a luthier to make this thing sound like a dream. All in all 189 for the guitar and 120 for leveling fretts and a tune up. I'm so happy with it and love picking this guitar up. It's thanks to you Darrel that I found firefly and everytime I pick it up along with my Postive Grid modeling Amp, again thanks to you that I can zone out and feel satisfied with my playing 👍
I have a Xaviere and it has a walnut fingerboard, which feels just as good to me as my other fingerboards. I had a finish issue, but they exchanged it at no charge.
I bought one of the Blue Firefly Les Pauls. I replaced the sub-optimal pickups with an a set of Epiphone Probuckers (Alnico 2) with the wiring kit so everything plugged together super easily. (Only $40 if you shop around on ebay, delivery only took 4 days. You can get some well respected modern pickups with coil splitting for a great price.) It all dropped in with very little work as I only need to unsolder the old pickup selector wires (You can cut those if you're lazy) and solder the single ground wire. Like I said, Easy. The neck needed just a few passes with a tiny file to smooth 2 frets ends from a little sharp to perfection. For the most part the frets were really done right. Overall the fit and finish is great. I threw away the crappy strings for some great D'addario NY XL strings. I'm happy to say it's a now a really nice guitar that now sounds great and is fun to play. Pros: Looks great. Fit and finish are nice. Much better than you'd expect for the price. Cons: Kind of Heavy. Stock pickups need to be replaced but that's not hard.
I have the Xaviere Pro 500, and I used to own an Epiphone Les Paul Trad Pro. Each an excellent instrument for the price. I also had a Les Paul Special II (P90), which was unfortunately a bad one. I don't judge the LP Sp II model badly just because mine was garbage, but I doubt I'll be picking up another one any time soon. One thing I love about the Xaviere is the Kwikplug system. Haven't made use of it yet, but I definitely plan to.
Great comparison review. I have 8 firefly FFLPs and I have a Xaviere PRO510 quilted blue burst. I agree with your observations. The Xaviere is a better all around guitar with better pickups, hardware, kwik plug , and coil split. But there’s just something about the fireflies I really like. Although the pickups can be microphonic and lower output, they’re still really fun to play and are capable of some really nice tones. Especially with some light overdrive at the edge of breakup. You can get some great blues lead tones on the neck pickup with the tone rolled back 👍
Great comparison. A lot of guys on FB cheap guitar groups really like the IVY Les Paul (on amazon). Might wanna give that one a look. They have a green one that looks beautiful.
This comparison method is spot on, play the same thing on each guitar on the same pick up setting, that way the ‘ear’ really does get a good comparison, I wouldn’t have minded a bit of an opinion on the playability and weight/balance etc, but a great quick comparison all the same, thanks
Hi Darrell. Just wondering if you removed the covers on the Xavier or changed the pickups?? Your original review had the chrome Covers like the one I own. Anyway, great review as always!
I got the Grote 335 and I am blown away. $179 on Amazon. If I spend another $250 on pick ups and tuners (which it doesn't necessarily need) it will be as good as my Gibson 335. These are serious substantial guitars, really sweet chime, resonates great. All I had to do was lower the bridge a little. Action is super fast, frets are dressed nicely. No issues at all. I've been a working musician for 20 years and I am really picky. I was half expecting some kind of toy, but I was really surprised. This would be a great guitar at $1000 dollars. Big recommend.
All nice looking guitars, Xzaviour However has an actual maple cap, not a Vaneer! Ide like to see the Harley Benton thrown into this mix, Im considering a lower end Gibson like a Studio or a high end Epi?
A really good comparison. I like 10-15 min videos. They are a good size. I am curious about those firefly's. Alas, not quite enough to talk to her about adding another guitar right now. I can't a beater LP cheaper. I am not comfortable experimenting with my Les Paul. However, a cheap LP I would not mind trying stuff on.
I have a 2018 Agile AL-3100mcc. The 3 guitars in this video aren't even in the same ballpark. Not even close. It was $399, though, so a bit more expensive. Plus, Agile doesn't make them anymore.
@@raytorvalds3699 they still make them . They are taking advanced orders for 1/31 shipment. Price is 499.99 for the al-3100mcc . Price has gone up but still well under Epiphone Les Paul custom prices.
The Xaviere has a 1" solid maple top, bound fretboard, long tenon neck and coil splitting. Not to mention excellent pickups. This model should have covered pickups so he may have switched them out with another GFS pickup. The Firefly is the cheapest but it will absolutely need a pro setup.
You might have trouble getting your hands on one as they go out of stock as soon as a new batch comes in, but the best, most authentic accurate budget Les Paul Copy I’ve ever come across is the “Artist LP59”! Bone nut, locking tuners, coil splitting all as standard! It also has fantastic pickups, the Artist Bullbucker’s are clones of the SD JB/Jazz set and are worth buying the guitar for alone! It even has “fret nibs” like a genuine Gibson, something I’ve never seen on a copy! Artist are based in Australia but I bought mine from their U.K. website, delivered for £199! ($272). It’s the best sub £500 guitar I’ve ever played! Hell, it’s probably the best sub £1,000 guitar I’ve played! If you are prepared to be patient and grab one when they come in stock I promise you, you won’t be disappointed! In the U.K. the next shipment is due February 2022! Good luck
That Xavier literally turned me on to the path that eventually led me to buying my absolute #1 dream guitar (epi lea Paul 60 trib plus in aqua burst) so thanks!
These guitars should be considered platforms for upgrading...as are most cheap Asian guitars. My Firefly w Dimarzio Virtual Vintage PAFs, Wilkinson bridge, roller saddles, Graphtec Tusq XL nut is AWESOME. I'm still WAY below Gibson's obviously inflated prices...and I'll put it up with most Gibson LPs I've played.
Thanks for the video! I would have to go for the Xaviere guitar if only because of the nice tones. I do have a question: which one was most fun and nicest to play?
Hey Darrell! I am a huge fan and have been for a few years now. I would like to suggest a thing where you also do it in a band mix. I would love to hear how these sound in a band mix, with everything on the amp at noon. I think clean sounds good, but even just adding bass and basic programmed drums would be nice. Stick it at the end of your demo takes, and time stamp it. I think it would be nice to timestamp when things are happening, such as when the clean sounds are playing, or the high-gain, or slight crunch tones. These are just minor things I would LOVE to see to improve these amazing videos! I think I might pick up the Epi, as it sounds the best for metal, but the Xaviere is also good, and sounds great for everything. Also IDGAF about bolt on necks being "inferior" or whatever guitar snobs say. If it works it works, and the Epi sounds the best to my ears. Also, I think it matters more about the player, and you can make anything sound good, and I can make anything sound bad haha.
I LOVE my Epi LP Studio E1 with zebra ceramics. I've played it against LPs 5 times more expensive and it, very closely, matches tone for tone. A blindfolded audience wouldn't be able to tell the difference. In fact, with pedals and a decent amp, there is no tell tale difference. Cheaper pickups, over the last two decades, have improved and can give their competitors a run for the money at a more affordable price.
The blue is fine. The tone and playability of the Epiphone is far better. A little bit of work on my Epiphones and they sound near as good as my Gibsons.
just found an old "Epoch" LP by Gibson/Baldwin for $100. heavy laminate body and decent neck... but the pickups are a wonder ...hotter than any newer premium Epi
I went for the cheapest bare bones guitar that says Les Paul on the headstock and that's the Epiphone .[in black]I normally play Teles so i'm used to a bolt on neck a flat slab body ,2 knobs and dots on the finger board so it's a LP that's as much like a Tele as they come lol.Tuners are the only weak point for me so bought a set of Klusons that are a direct replacement on StewMac and I should be set .All 3 are great of course and would be more than happy with any of em Nice review too .Cheers
I'm slightly biased my Epi 1960 Les Paul Tribute(in Black Cherry) made from 2012 -2015 is truly amazing! Friends who own Gibsons said it's outstanding it plays like a dream and sounds fantastic.comes with Gibson Classic 57 pickups and wiring!
I’ve never seen the Sire L7 review from you. I’m a diehard Fender guy but found a great deal on an L7. All I will say is I can not put it down. Amazing guitar…feel, sound…rolled fret board edges. Killer value!
I had to check the date of this video because Epiphone discontinued the bolt-on Specials a while back. Now the lowest priced Epiphone is $400 new. Five years ago you could find the clipped-ear Epiphone Special IIs used for $25-$50 with some shopping patience, lol. With a good setup they are surprisingly great guitars. I have a Special Junior that has more hours of play time than the 'proper' Gibsons in the fleet, it's fun. Where is the Harley Benton SC450? I think Glarry has a LP version. Check those out and do a follow up video. Any of these guitars can be great if you check or do a fret level and a setup including pickup height setup. Microphonic pickups are always a fight between the players who want 'old clean tones' and those with 'super high gain shredding tones' because the first want unpotted and the second need vacuum wax potted pickups.
Of these 3 I would choose the Epi, I thought it had a suggestion of the SG tone about it on the bridge and the neck sounded OK for clean tones. As a Gibson LP owner I expect that sounds odd!
Thanks man, I've seen several comparison videos of budget guitars, but you really did it right by thanks again, my choice is to the fflp, I know now which one I'm getting,😁😉
Some say the Firefly pickups are way less microphonic if you remove the covers. I prefer the look with covers. I play at home so tons of gain is not necessary.
