Les Paul Tone & Looks Without Having to Mortgage A House…

[JOLLY]

Re: Les Paul Tone & Looks Without Having to Mortgage A House…

Re: Les Paul Tone & Looks Without Having to Mortgage A House…

I see used Gibson Les Paul Classics and Standards in great shape all the time around here on Craigslist for $1200-$1300. I see Gibson Les Paul Studios as well for around $600-$700. Buy used. It's the only way to go.

 

[Curt]

Re: Les Paul Tone & Looks Without Having to Mortgage A House…

Re: Les Paul Tone & Looks Without Having to Mortgage A House…

^ Do those have the really skinny bodies like some of the Eclipses?

Nope, full thickness. I want one of those guitars badly. haha

if you're looking for a more traditional LP look... go with an Edwards les Paul. they have some LPC's that you can get for around 1k when you add in shipping to the US as you can only get them from Japan if you're going brand new. and a standard style is about 800 with shipping from Japan. they come with duncans, usually the jb/59 set. a couple come with emg's or a custom 5/ 59 set.

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: Les Paul Tone & Looks Without Having to Mortgage A House…

Re: Les Paul Tone & Looks Without Having to Mortgage A House…

Tokai or Edwards get my vote however if you spend a little more than a grand and shop hard you codl nail down a Gibson for $1200 or so...not that, that is better or worse than the Tokai or the Edwards but the resale will likely be better.

 

[CapoFirstFret]

Re: Les Paul Tone & Looks Without Having to Mortgage A House…

Re: Les Paul Tone & Looks Without Having to Mortgage A House…

I snagged my Les Paul for $1300 on the gear page. You're gonna pay about a grand or so for an Orville, Edwards, or what have you. May as well do some frugal shopping and snag the real thing if that's the vibe you're going for.

 

[rowdy27]

Re: Les Paul Tone & Looks Without Having to Mortgage A House…

Re: Les Paul Tone & Looks Without Having to Mortgage A House…

Find a used EPI LP Custom .

 

[Wattage]

Re: Les Paul Tone & Looks Without Having to Mortgage A House…

Re: Les Paul Tone & Looks Without Having to Mortgage A House…

^ Do those have the really skinny bodies like some of the Eclipses?

The 401 is close to a traditional LP body, I haven't seen the 256's in person yet.

 

[bryan the rocker]

Re: Les Paul Tone & Looks Without Having to Mortgage A House…

Re: Les Paul Tone & Looks Without Having to Mortgage A House…

Try an agile Al3000

389 dollars les paul copy.

 

[uOpt]

Re: Les Paul Tone & Looks Without Having to Mortgage A House…

Re: Les Paul Tone & Looks Without Having to Mortgage A House…

I buy the 1980s high-quality Japanese stuff when I want nice Les Pauls for a great price.

Greco and Burny have good variety, the trick is to pick the good ones. You could run a guitar that's on Ebay for buy-it-now by forum folks to see which ones are the real deal. The ones directly from Japan are slightly overpriced for what you'd pay on forums or in a free American auction but not too much. It's still a great deal.

Alternatively, you could get a Epiphone Elitist. Even more expensive used for the same quality but no variety, unlike with Burny and Greco you know they only ever had cool actual MIJ stuff.

In general, the bridge is the best indicator. If it has a metric bridge, tread carefully. If it has an ABR-1, buy. If it has a regular Nashville, it's in between.

 

[Kosh Naranek]

Re: Les Paul Tone & Looks Without Having to Mortgage A House…

Re: Les Paul Tone & Looks Without Having to Mortgage A House…

If you have $1,000 to spend, I'd second the motion to look into a LP Studio.

I'd also recommend looking at a Hamer Monaco Elite Mahogany. It has the basic look of a LP, though slightly different upper bout (I wonder if Hamer was worried about being sued like PRS was). It is full thickness.

And maybe most importantly, it has the chunky tone. I was amazed when I first plugged mine in. I thought "That tone can't be coming from a bridge '59!". The tone convinced me, and I scored mine for $650 used. Others may look like a LP, but I can vouch for the Monaco Elite's tone.

 

[Aceman]

Re: Les Paul Tone & Looks Without Having to Mortgage A House…

Re: Les Paul Tone & Looks Without Having to Mortgage A House…

Gotta say Epiphone

 

[BloodRose]

Re: Les Paul Tone & Looks Without Having to Mortgage A House…

Re: Les Paul Tone & Looks Without Having to Mortgage A House…

Uh, Michael Kelly Patriot.

Another vote! GREAT guitars! I have a Patriot Custom and it plays and sounds fantastic! Fraction of the price of a Gibby, but comes with a tonepros bridge and better upper fret access.
Only thing Id change about the Custom is that it doesnt have the 4 knob set up. BUT..They do have models that do.. Put it this way.. My Gibby studio has been sold, I wont part with my Patriot unless I get absolutely destitute.
Just to be clear, Im not saying its Better than brand G, just that it is VERY impressive and then factor in the price and its win win..

Edward's and Burnys are great too. And Epis can be awesome too!

 

[lex666]

Re: Les Paul Tone & Looks Without Having to Mortgage A House…

Re: Les Paul Tone & Looks Without Having to Mortgage A House…

Another vote for Epiphone. I've got Epi's and Gibson's and find the Epi's to be really great guitars. They definetely fill that need for a Les Paul sound and feel. IMO, an Epiphone is the only substitute for a Gibson Les Paul.

Otherwise, a used Gibson is the way to go.

Get anything else and you'll probably wish you had saved up and gotten the Gibson. Really. Trust me. I've been there before.

 

[scottish]

Re: Les Paul Tone & Looks Without Having to Mortgage A House…

Re: Les Paul Tone & Looks Without Having to Mortgage A House…

les paul studio is on clearance at musicians friend right now for $799.

 

[SFW]

Re: Les Paul Tone & Looks Without Having to Mortgage A House…

Re: Les Paul Tone & Looks Without Having to Mortgage A House…

I've played several nice copies, but in the end Gibson seems to be the only one who can stuff some mojo into them. Keep looking and you'll be able to find a nice used one in your price range. I purchased my 2001 Classic in '02 for $1200. Studios can be had new within your price range. They are all the tone without any frills. Seems like a good deal to me- unless you absolutely have to have binding. Another thing to consider is that if you purchase a Gibson, you won't take such a bath if you decide to sell it.

 

[73roadrunner]

Re: Les Paul Tone & Looks Without Having to Mortgage A House…

Re: Les Paul Tone & Looks Without Having to Mortgage A House…

Get an Epiphone. I love my Epi's

 

[uOpt]

Re: Les Paul Tone & Looks Without Having to Mortgage A House…

Re: Les Paul Tone & Looks Without Having to Mortgage A House…

Well, if you get a Gibson in that price range (between Studio and Standard) you'll also have to live at least with swiss-chessing if not full chambering.

Some like it, but myself I prefer them heavy. Of course the old MIJ are neither holed out nor heavy. Dunno about the Elitists.

 

[Zerberus]

Re: Les Paul Tone & Looks Without Having to Mortgage A House…

Re: Les Paul Tone & Looks Without Having to Mortgage A House…

les paul studio is on clearance at musicians friend right now for $799.

Yep, the fadeds, which is why I asked it they have maple tops...

 

[guitfiddle]

Re: Les Paul Tone & Looks Without Having to Mortgage A House…

Re: Les Paul Tone & Looks Without Having to Mortgage A House…

Yep, the fadeds, which is why I asked it they have maple tops...

They do...but there's also the Vintage Mahogany that has an all mahogany body and top.

I'd also like to put in a vote for the mid '70s Ibanez Artists...tons of them around for less than 1k...they'll get the big chunk, just with different shape.

 

[uOpt]

Re: Les Paul Tone & Looks Without Having to Mortgage A House…

Re: Les Paul Tone & Looks Without Having to Mortgage A House…

Yep, the fadeds, which is why I asked it they have maple tops...

"Faded mahogany" has a mahogany top. Along with the 57 RI LP Custom that are the only Les Pauls with a top that isn't maple right now.

The faded series I would approach with care. They can be great or junk with more randomness than normal.

The attraction of a Gibson faded series is that you can later use wood filler and do a real finish when you feel like it. But the carved top is probably a much bigger pain to fill and sand (retaining the shape) than the flat faded models.

 

[LtKojak]

Re: Les Paul Tone & Looks Without Having to Mortgage A House…

Re: Les Paul Tone & Looks Without Having to Mortgage A House…

Matsumoku and Terada are two japanese factories that produced LPs in the highest possible quality I'm talking late '70s, early '80s. Brands like Orville by Gibson, Burny, Epiphone, El Torres, Emperador, Aria, Vantage and others that I can't remember right now.

Those are the ones to look for if you wanna quality LP vibe without the steep price tag.

I do own a Vantage LP Custom from the Matsumoku factory from that period and I'm more than happy with it.

Here's my #1 guitar, an Emperador made from the Terada factory 'round 1980.

This guitar gives a serious round for the money to any Gibson 335, even the CS ones!

HTH,