Gibson alternatives?

[krankguitarist]

I'm a little bitter, since as time goes on i keep on finding more and more wrong with my flying V :smack: (albiet my les paul has never given me any trouble).
So what are your favorite alternatives to gibson in "gibson-style" guitars? (les paul, SG, Explorer, V, or any variation on those models). I know my guitar teacher swears by hamer, how bout everyone else here?

 

[Breogan]

Re: Gibson alternatives?

I have a Guild S-100 (kind of a SG) Great guitar that came with a 59/JB set stock. It has one of the best clean tone I've heard. Kim Thrayal and Ace (from Skunk Anansie) are proud users of this guitar. Now it's discontinued.

 

[Vincent]

Re: Gibson alternatives?

Japanese les pauls are awesome... their attention to build quality and finish is amazing. Most are built in the Matsumoku or Fuji Gen Gakki factories, the best ones are said to have been built before the mid 80s though I am sure some will disagree. Brands that I know are quite reputable: Tokai Love Rock, Burny, Orville (makes Gibson Les Paul owners weep), early Yamahas and Greco.

I own a Grassroots Les Paul (MIJ) made by ESP in a classic Goldtop color) I hotrodded it with a JB / APH set and it sings with the best of the les pauls. Most grassroots are now made in Korea though, I believe mine was made in 1999 before production shifted to Korea ( and quality of course went down the tubes)

Do a search on this site, a lot of LP owners bitch consistently about the quality control problems and high price for a genuine Gibson LP. Jap is certainly the way to go if you want bang for your buck and still a decent LP sound.

 

[Vincent]

Re: Gibson alternatives?

My no. 1 rant about this top of the line Gibson Les paul Studio (with AAA flame top / extra flame plus etc etc) was that the nut was improperly drilled. So much so that when I tested it in the guitar shop, the high E string just slid off the nut altogether, scratching the finish on the headstock area!!! Needless to say I got the hell out of that shop ASAP before the store attendents wisened up about what had happened...

 

[krankguitarist]

Re: Gibson alternatives?

My family bought my dad a les paul studio one year for christmas, and when he finally got it and opened it we found that the nut was too low.

It drove him nuts

 

[Rotten Guitar String]

Re: Gibson alternatives?

The ESP Ltd EC-Series are Les Paul style, and they're pretty nice.

I'd take an EC-400 in Metallic Gold with JB/59 over a low-mid range Gibson

 

[rinse_master]

Re: Gibson alternatives?

I'd say keep a look out for:

Edwards
Greco
Burny
Orville

There are a few more too, but they all make very good vintage LP copies.

 

[Stringmachine]

Re: Gibson alternatives?

Tokai and Burnly makes good "copy's" of Gibson. Heard great things about Greco's too.

 

[Hoss]

Re: Gibson alternatives?

hamer...hamer...HAMER!!!!

 

[Jimbojsr]

Re: Gibson alternatives?

Epiphone! Cheap, but if you stick new pups in there and maybe change the electronics, they are really good for the money.

 

[Lu_B]

Re: Gibson alternatives?

tokai for LP's and 335 and Yamaha for Sg's are my two faves.

 

[kherman]

Re: Gibson alternatives?

Tokai (preferabley Japan made models)
Burny/Fernandes(" " ")
Orville/Orville by Gibson
Epiphone Japan
Epiphone Elitist/Elite
Greco
Ornetts
Edwards/ESP
Navigator/ESP
Diodati

Also look at Heritage H150, Dean EVO Premium(Czech made), and Hamer Studio USA.

Dean also makes a nice V alternative.
The Czech Cadillacs are nice as well.

Some nice Korean or Chinese made alternatives.
Agile
Fernandes Ravelle
Nelsonic
Crafter
Ravenwest

As mentioned, keep an eye on Ebay.

Kent

 

[Curly]

Re: Gibson alternatives?

for top notch craftsmanship, nitro finish, and stock SD's, it's hard to beat a used Hamer for value

 

[rspst14]

Re: Gibson alternatives?

Hamer would be my pick...If you happen to have really deep pockets, a PRS Singlecut is a good choice as well. Of course, you have to buy them used unless you find one that's NOS, and you will have to pay inflated prices due to these guitars all of a sudden becoming collectors items.

Ryan

 

[That90'sGuy]

Re: Gibson alternatives?

Nothing will nail a Gibson tone like a Gibson. However, if you want a great sounding guitar that has its own vibe, check out USA Hamers. Orvilles ARE Japanese Gibsons, so those are well worth the money (and should cop the Gibson vibe just as well as the USA ones). There are plenty of lawsuit models that are good, but I find nothing quite compares (to my ears) to an actual Gibson.

 

[casblah]

Re: Gibson alternatives?

Maybe a Heritage?

 

[kherman]

Re: Gibson alternatives?

Nothing will nail a Gibson tone like a Gibson. (to my ears) to an actual Gibson.

That's such a load of crap.

That little logo means nothing as far as tone.

It's in the build specs.

And there are so so many variations of Gibson LPs, that the tone spectrum is pretty damn wide.

You can't tell me that a Tokai LS320, Navigator, Diodati 59Q, Heatley, Shamray, Hamer, Etc... etc.... don't fall into that spectrum somewhere.

But, you go ahead and believe in that magic Gibson fairy dust.
The rest of us know it's only "make believe".

Kent

 

[Jimbojsr]

Re: Gibson alternatives?

lol, handbags kherman!!! I agree with the chris in that the woods used, the protocols on the production line, the exact specs on the instrument, and the way the pickups are made will all differ from company to company, although there will of course be at elast a little bit of variation within a company. Mnay guitars will get close, but It's always worth thinking abotu getting a guitar for it's own tone (c.f. the Hamer comment above) rather than cos it's a clone of another.

 

[frankencat]

Re: Gibson alternatives?

www.deanguitars.com

 

[kherman]

Re: Gibson alternatives?

lol, handbags kherman!!! I agree with the chris in that the woods used, the protocols on the production line, the exact specs on the instrument, and the way the pickups are made will all differ from company to company, although there will of course be at elast a little bit of variation within a company. Mnay guitars will get close, but It's always worth thinking abotu getting a guitar for it's own tone (c.f. the Hamer comment above) rather than cos it's a clone of another.

But, there are many of the replicas that follow those specs.

Mahogany one piece set neck.
Mahogany one piece body(nowadays 2 piece do to scarceness of Honduran)
Thick carved maple top.
24 3/4 scale.
Tune-o-matic bridge and tailpiece.
Rosewood fretboard.
Bone nut.
Lacquer finish.

Tokai and other Japan companies were making more exact replicas of the
'59 and '60 LPs than Gibson was with their different incarnations of the Historic series.
Remember when the Classic was first introduced. It was said to be a replica of that great '60s LP. They even had that little pickguard with the 60 on it.
Far from it.
Tokai and Navigator were making a much much closer replicas.
Japan luthiers take pride in attention to detail. Especially on this replica stuff.

But, still people will say, despite the fact that the non Gibson replicas, even though spec'd nearly identical, can't sound like a Les Paul. Or feel like a Les Paul for that matter.

But, hey that LP Studio, LP Standard, LP Custom, LP Sepreme(with tone chambers), LP Historic R7 thru 0, Norlin era, Mapled neck, LP mahogany, LP lite, Customshop, Schon, ETC..ETC...
all have that LP TONE. Despite thier many build differences.

But not that Tokai, Diodati, Heritage, Navigator, Orville, Shamray. Even the Edwards, Burny, Grecos, and many others.

I want to know why.
Why can't they pull off the LP tone.

As for pickups.
Well that's subjective isn't it.
Otherwise what would we all be doing here at the Duncan forum.

What are all the other luthiers in the world that are not in the Gibson factory too stupid?

What?

Kent