Considering an LP/LP clone

[bara686]

Hey all,

I have been playing my MIA Strat for almost 10 years now, since I was 14. Through the years I have had some mods done, and its an amazing superstrat right now.

I have been getting the itch to purchase a LP for a while now, and I am finally getting closer to pulling the trigger.

I work at Best Buy and I MAY be able to get a decent deal on a real Gibson, so I am going to check prices and see what they are like.

In the meantime -- I am extremely intrigued by the Agile LPs. I was curious if I could get some insight from this community, as I really value the opinions shared here.

My strat is my main guitar and it is of great quality. While I do expect a nice guitar from the Agile I really understand there are going to be some sacrifices made. I do have a guitar tech here who I will take it to to set it up properly. I will most likely NOT swap out the pickups, and have been looking at the 3100+ line because they start using Alnicos.

I want to keep costs low, if possible, because this is a secondary guitar that I want to nail a certain LP tones (obviously)

Sorry for the long read! I appreciate the input.

By the way I play through a number of stomp boxes going to a Blackstar HT-5 through an Avatar 2xG12H30 Vintage cab.

 

[nalo1022]

Re: Considering an LP/LP clone

A lot of people have great htings to say about Agiles. While I don't own one, I do know a couple people who have/do. From the times I have played them they seem like really nice guitars especially for the money. I've played a LP copy and a PRS copy both felt great and sounded good.

 

[FuseG4]

Re: Considering an LP/LP clone

After owning an epiphone for a while, I can say the one thing I dislike on it is the lack of a solid maple top of the std. thickness. Both epi's and agiles use a 1/16" maple veneer, which isn't really enough to give the extra clarity and punch that a full sized maple top gives.
If you can, get the Gibson.
The Epi's and similar guitars are good guitars but sound and feel generally warmer and maybe just a lil muddier than Gibsons. Maybe you're OK with that, but it'd be best to play a few of each kind and see if the "copies" are OK for you.

 

[Texas Swamp]

Re: Considering an LP/LP clone

If you're looking at the clones I would say look around for an Orville, which is essentially a MiJ Gibson, or an older Tokai Loverock model but at the prices they are reaching you might as well buy the real thing.

 

[ravendouglas]

Re: Considering an LP/LP clone

you really should check out the ec1000 by ltd..here is a pic of the purple one i got a couple of weeks ago..got it delivered to my house,free shipping,from sam ash .com.............cost me 599 bucks...plays and looks and feels and sounds awsome...........View attachment 18184...check one of these out man.comes with an emg 81 in the bridge and a emg 60 in the neck..gotoh locking tuners,abalone inlay binding,tone pros locking bridge system...ask for jeff godsell he will hook you up.

 

[Uk Ant]

Re: Considering an LP/LP clone

Never mind the old Tokai Love Rocks - the new MIJ ones are really good... and starting prices are less than half of an LP standard.

 

[JeffB]

Re: Considering an LP/LP clone

After owning an epiphone for a while, I can say the one thing I dislike on it is the lack of a solid maple top of the std. thickness. Both epi's and agiles use a 1/16" maple veneer, which isn't really enough to give the extra clarity and punch that a full sized maple top gives.
If you can, get the Gibson.
The Epi's and similar guitars are good guitars but sound and feel generally warmer and maybe just a lil muddier than Gibsons. Maybe you're OK with that, but it'd be best to play a few of each kind and see if the "copies" are OK for you.

Epiphones have a maple veneer on top of a maple cap (or sometimes alder), on top of a mystery mahogany (or sometimes Alder back in the early MIK days) body. On occasion you will luck out and get a decent piece of African/Sapele like my recent one. But the Standards/customs most certainly have a maple cap.

The reason they sound warmer and muddier in general compared to a Gibson is mainly because of the species of wood they use, thick poly finish, cheap nut and cheap hardware (quality of metal in saddles/bridge). Its not the cap (which *is* there).

 

[Lu_B]

Re: Considering an LP/LP clone

Never mind the old Tokai Love Rocks - the new MIJ ones are really good... and starting prices are less than half of an LP standard.

+1 on this. I picked up a MIJ 2003 LP for £275 (which was cheap for a MIJ!) and its really good.

 

[FuseG4]

Re: Considering an LP/LP clone

Epiphones have a maple veneer on top of a maple cap (or sometimes alder), on top of a mystery mahogany (or sometimes Alder back in the early MIK days) body. On occasion you will luck out and get a decent piece of African/Sapele like my recent one. But the Standards/customs most certainly have a maple cap.

The reason they sound warmer and muddier in general compared to a Gibson is mainly because of the species of wood they use, thick poly finish, cheap nut and cheap hardware (quality of metal in saddles/bridge). Its not the cap (which *is* there).

I dunno wtf this is now that I've sanded it back to take a look. I'm no wood expert. To me the top looks the same as the body in this 1" exposed section of my 2008 Epi. Std.

 

[Uk Ant]

Re: Considering an LP/LP clone

FuseG4 looking at that I'd say you have no mapl cap.
The inside of my Tokai has a very pronounced line where the maple hits the mahogany.
My Ibanez, on the other hand, looks a bit like yours, and that's just a thin maple veneer on mahogany

 

[firebirdV]

Re: Considering an LP/LP clone

Is that an epi lp custom?

If so, then that would explain a lack of a maple top (I can't tell).

 

[MojoMonster]

Re: Considering an LP/LP clone

Do yourself a favor and take a look at the Edwards guitars on eBay.
They're made by ESP for the Japanese market.
Most of the sellers on eBay are in Japan so you'll probably have to pay an import tax as well as shipping, though there are the occasional US sellers, but the upper end models come with SDs.
I'm probably going to talk myself into a ELP-130 at some point soon.

Which Gibson did you think you could get thru your work?

Because if you're looking to spend around $1300 for anything less than a Classic or Standard, I'd say seriously read up on the Edwards guitars.

MM

 

[FuseG4]

Re: Considering an LP/LP clone

It's a 2008 epiphone standard, purchased new in '08 from American Musical Supply.
It looks like mahogany. When I took a chip off the paint, it looked like there was an almost *paper thin* layer of some really light-yellow colored wood. Seems like I've got a maple veneer but it's wayyy thin.

 

[blueman335]

Re: Considering an LP/LP clone

Epiphones have a maple veneer on top of a maple cap (or sometimes alder), on top of a mystery mahogany (or sometimes Alder back in the early MIK days) body. On occasion you will luck out and get a decent piece of African/Sapele like my recent one. But the Standards/customs most certainly have a maple cap.

The reason they sound warmer and muddier in general compared to a Gibson is mainly because of the species of wood they use, thick poly finish, cheap nut and cheap hardware (quality of metal in saddles/bridge). Its not the cap (which *is* there).

You can work around that with your choice of PU's, magnets, and pots. When you can pick up a used Epi LP for around $300 in nice condition (as I have many times), and upgrade the PU's (also purchased used), you can have a very nice sounding guitar for a minimal investment.

You guys would be amazed at how many national blues acts use Chinese/Korean Epi's, sometimes stock. I just talked to Rusty Zinn last weekend (highly repsected blues west coast guitarist who's played with a lot of big names in blues), and he was playing a Chinese Epi Riviera 335 on stage that night, with the stock PU's. He bought it used for $375. He said he's spent a lot of money in the past on high-end & vintage guitars, but "the sound is in the fingers."

Spend more if you want, but a mid-priced import like a decent Epi won't 'hold you back.' If you have a high-end guitar and are a so-so player, and a guy with a cheap import plays circles around you at a gig or jam, who looks stupid? It ain't the tool, it's what you do with it.

 

[FuseG4]

Re: Considering an LP/LP clone

sound is in the fingers, but I think a lot of personal enjoyment comes from having a guitar that's just what you want.
That said, maple top or not, I like my epiphone. it's still my #1 guitar and will be until I can find a suitable Gibson. Maybe a black studio? But until I get there this epiphone's gonna get a lot of play time.

 

[LtKojak]

Re: Considering an LP/LP clone

You can work around that with your choice of PU's, magnets, and pots. When you can pick up a used Epi LP for around $300 in nice condition (as I have many times), and upgrade the PU's (also purchased used), you can have a very nice sounding guitar for a minimal investment.

You guys would be amazed at how many national blues acts use Chinese/Korean Epi's, sometimes stock. I just talked to Rusty Zinn last weekend (highly repsected blues west coast guitarist who's played with a lot of big names in blues), and he was playing a Chinese Epi Riviera 335 on stage that night, with the stock PU's. He bought it used for $375. He said he's spent a lot of money in the past on high-end & vintage guitars, but "the sound is in the fingers."

Spend more if you want, but a mid-priced import like a decent Epi won't 'hold you back.' If you have a high-end guitar and are a so-so player, and a guy with a cheap import plays circles around you at a gig or jam, who looks stupid? It ain't the tool, it's what you do with it.

+ 1.

I remember in 1980 meeting Mark Knopfler in Rudy's Music Stop in NYC the day he was shopping for Strats for the upcoming world tour of Dire Straits.

His choice? Tokai. At that time they were quality-wise and tone-wise just like the American Fenders, at almost third of the price. Industy's best kept secret!

It's ok if you wanna give Gibson a lot of your hard-earned money, but if the main goal is to MAKE MUSIC rather than showing off your gear, the modded Epi way is by far the best and the cheapest to boot. The guitar is just the tool you use to show what you can do with it.

If you suck, you suck, period. And BY NO MEANS any $ 6K instrument would make up for it. On the contrary, sucking the big one on such an expensive instrument would only add insult to injury!

HTH,

 

[davenit]

Re: Considering an LP/LP clone

Do yourself a favor and take a look at the Edwards guitars on eBay.

I've played a few. Everyone played great. Compared to the real thing I'd be hard pressed to tell you which is which blindfolded.

The fit and finish on them were awesome also. Really nice stuff.

 

[davenit]

Re: Considering an LP/LP clone

+ 1.

I remember in 1980 meeting Mark Knopfler in Rudy's Music Stop in NYC the day he was shopping for Strats for the upcoming world tour of Dire Straits.

His choice? Tokai.

Yeah, the Tokai Springy Strats were awesome. I'd love to get my hands on one. What was really cool about them was they came in very faithful representations of the old custom colors fender offered in the 60's. Fiesta Red, etc. You couldn't find them in the 80's unless you wanted to pay 4-8 grand for 20 year old used fender.

What he says is right. Edwards, Tokai, Orville (by gibson, I really don't like the not 'by gibson' ones), Greco (certain models), ESP, Navigator... they all make pretty good clones. You might need to change the pups in some or the hardware in others but it will still get you out for hundreds under the lowest model Gibson.


Oh but in all fairness should probably add that later that day Knopfler went across the street and picked up his $6000 strat copy from Pensa Suhr... LOL

 

[JeffB]

Re: Considering an LP/LP clone

I dunno wtf this is now that I've sanded it back to take a look. I'm no wood expert. To me the top looks the same as the body in this 1" exposed section of my 2008 Epi. Std.

Wow. I stand corrected-sorry. Looks like they are still using same cap wood as the body in some cases. Thats messed up :banghead: I guess with Epi " you never know what you are going to get" still holds true.

 

[blueman335]

Re: Considering an LP/LP clone

the main goal is to MAKE MUSIC rather than show off your gear... the modded Epi way is by far the best and the cheapest to boot. The guitar is just the tool you use to show what you can do with it.

If you suck, you suck, period. And BY NO MEANS any $ 6K instrument would make up for it. On the contrary, sucking the big one on such an expensive instrument would only add insult to injury!

Once again Kojak my man, you nail it. It's all about making music, not 'guitars-on-parade.' Musical talent & cash flow are two very different things. Confuse the two at your own risk.