Les Paul vs. Yamaha SG1000

stevie_bees

stevie_bees

Cat In The Hatministrator
I feel that in order for my little guitar collection to achieve a nice balance, I need to add a Les Paul-type guitar to it. However, I have limited funds and Les Pauls are pretty much out of my budget. Also, I have struggled a little in the past to get to grips with a Les Paul being, pretty much, a life-long Strat player.

I was thinking that maybe a Yammie SG1000 would get me close to the LP sound and offer me a little more convenient playing experience. Plus, they're a lot cheaper than a Les Paul!!! :D

Waddaya think????
 
Re: Les Paul vs. Yamaha SG1000

Hi

yesh, or an Ibanez Artist from the late 70's/early 80's (the kinda twin cutaway LP ones). If your $$$$ can go far enough, i reckon a second-hand Hamer USA Studio would be perfect.....
 
Re: Les Paul vs. Yamaha SG1000

crusty philtrum said:
Hi

yesh, or an Ibanez Artist from the late 70's/early 80's (the kinda twin cutaway LP ones). If your $$$$ can go far enough, i reckon a second-hand Hamer USA Studio would be perfect.....
Click to expand...

+1. You can't beat those things with a stick!
 
Re: Les Paul vs. Yamaha SG1000

I say buy whatever rocks your boat better but not before at least trying out a Michael Kelly Patriot or Valor.

The Patriots are what the Les Paul SHOULD have been from the start (with upper-fret access that far exceeds even SGs) while the Valors are more of a Strat-meets-LP thing.

My personal favorites are the Patriot Custom and the Patriot Limited, both with:
-Mahogany back and (deep set) neck
-Full thickness figured Maple tops
-Ebony fretboards
-Abalone block inlays
-Grover tuners
-Tonepros bridges (with either a tailpiece or string-thru)
-Rockfield SWC pickups, direct mounted (MUCH better than what you can find stock in most other guitars).

Here, take a look:
sm_patcustom_at.jpg
sm_patlim_sm.jpg
sm_pat_lim_bb.jpg


IMO THE best value for money guitars, plus they're gorgeous looking with those figured tops to boot!

(And, in case you're wondering, the tops are full thickness plain maple caps with a thin figured maple (or Bubinga) laminate top. No photo-finishes)
 
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Re: Les Paul vs. Yamaha SG1000

Stevie, a L.P is an L.P.... but the Yamaha is such a great guitar, and although generally a little heavier, the build quality is better and they hold their tuning better. They are solid and don't have to be treated with kid gloves, if you can stretch it go for a 2000... it doesn't get much better.
 
Re: Les Paul vs. Yamaha SG1000

KeeperOS, they're gorgeous looking guitars, again the problem would be availability in the UK, and price, hence my thought about the Yammies..
 
Re: Les Paul vs. Yamaha SG1000

d1dsj said:
Stevie, a L.P is an L.P.... but the Yamaha is such a great guitar, and although generally a little heavier, the build quality is better and they hold their tuning better. They are solid and don't have to be treated with kid gloves, if you can stretch it go for a 2000... it doesn't get much better.
Click to expand...

Yeah, and they can be had for pretty cheap!!! Roughly how "Les Paul-y" do they sound?
 
Re: Les Paul vs. Yamaha SG1000

No shame in the Yamaha. Go for it. You said you need the tone - not the badge. Any mahog/maple humbucker of appropriate build should get you what you need.
 
Re: Les Paul vs. Yamaha SG1000

I've had a couple of Yammies before, so I know they make great guitars. I'm always going to be limited with a tight budget for my toys, hence the thought. I like the look of the Edwards guitars, but even they're beyond my budget!!!
 
Re: Les Paul vs. Yamaha SG1000

Hi Stevie Bees

I know which I'd choose, the Yamaha as its such a great guitar for the money it will hold its own against an LP any day of the week. I've got a SG200 - the cheap end from the 80's and its a tone monster even though its covered in a coating that would defeat the hulk!

What about a proper clone, a Japanese Tokai Love Rock for example. I'm not talking the low end chinese/korean jobs but the fully fledged Japanese ones. They start at £625 and go up to about a grand.

My tech friend has just got one as trade in and whacked a set of Seths in it, we played it against a Gibson Custom Shop Limited Edition Les Paul Tree Of Life on Saturday and it blew the pants off the Gibbo!

Heres a few links to stores that might/might not have them in stock http://www.bandland.co.uk/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=31_50_353&products_id=2822
http://www.dolphinmusic.co.uk/page/shop/flypage/product_id/10176
http://www.reidys.com/index.pl?submit=View_PLU&PLU=6441
http://www.historicguitar.com/id23.html
http://www.guitaruk.com/products.php?subcatid=33&catid=1
http://www.therhythmhouse.co.uk/ - don't bother emailing these they never reply but a great shop
http://www.fretsguitarcentre.co.uk/index1.html
 
Re: Les Paul vs. Yamaha SG1000

Cheers Lu. I've had a trawl through quite a few LP copies, Burny, Tokai, Greco etc, and there are some real bargains. But I keep coming back to the struggle I had playing an LP. I quite like the look of the import Hamer double-cuts, but I just keep thinking that the Yammies will be the better value.
 
Re: Les Paul vs. Yamaha SG1000

stevie_bees said:
There are some older SG 1000's on Ebay UK for less than £400.
Click to expand...

Hmm..

Here is what I can add to this, I have a late 70/early 80's SG 2000 and it is an amazing guitar...Gibson/Les Paulish in it's direction but still different, however if your other axe is a G&L Strat it'll be a lot closer to a LP than your other axe for sure! Now, the SG 2000 was a 3 piece maple/mohagany neck through body, ebony board, affair...whats the specs on the SG 1000?? I think those were set necks, not neck through and the ones I remember seeing had rosewood boards...do they have maple tops??
 
Re: Les Paul vs. Yamaha SG1000

Set neck, some have maple tops, some are all mahogany. There are also some that have ebony boards too, but most have rosewood I believe.
 
Re: Les Paul vs. Yamaha SG1000

I have a SBG3000 yamaha & it sounds pretty **** close to my old les paul custom, only MUCH lighter, better build quality, much better fret access just an awesome guitar especially for $350 new in the 80's. The hardware still hasn't peeled or faded like my les paul has, even after all these years the guitar still looks new
 
Re: Les Paul vs. Yamaha SG1000

alba44 said:
I have a SBG3000 yamaha & it sounds pretty **** close to my old les paul custom, only MUCH lighter, better build quality, much better fret access just an awesome guitar especially for $350 new in the 80's. The hardware still hasn't peeled or faded like my les paul has, even after all these years the guitar still looks new
Click to expand...

Yep... had a 3000's and wish I'd never sold it, in fact I'm trying to get it back.
I did however get one for my boy 16years ago (gave it him last year) and it's F'in awesome. I personally think the Yams blow Gibson away for build and duarbility and yes they can sound very L.P ish. I put a set of '59s in mine before I sold it and it was superb, easier to play and more sustain and warmth than any of my L.P's. I guess maybe snobbery got the better of me, and I really wish it hadn't! I'd go for a Yamaha.. they are class guitars.
 
Re: Les Paul vs. Yamaha SG1000

Those 80's Ibanez Artists do pop up on eBay UK fairly often, and they are definitely worth the wait.
 
Re: Les Paul vs. Yamaha SG1000

KeeperOS said:
The Patriots are what the Les Paul SHOULD have been from the start (with upper-fret access that far exceeds even SGs) )
Click to expand...

Huh? :eek13: I've played sev of those MK Patriots and the fret access is not all that good AFAIC. Yes, its better than a typical les Paul, but certainly not as good as an SG, V, Explorer, or even a double cut Hamer/Yamaha SG type.

EDIT- Stevie- find a MIJ Les Paul (Edwards, Tokai, burny, Greco, Epi-Japan, etc) if the Yammie is not do-able
 
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