Bare Knuckle Pickups Forum
Forum Ringside => Guitars, Amps and Effects => Topic started by: Henk on November 05, 2007, 02:29:26 PM
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Hi all,
My 80's Gibson LP Custom will be resting in peace from now, it was allready really beaten up when i bought it and since then has served me well. But now its really falling apart to the point of becoming unplayable. Restauration will run me up for at least 1000 euro's, so its not an option.
So im looking for a replacement, im not planning to buy a new gibson LP custom because i still have a good one, im looking for a quality knock-off custom or standard LP.
Pickups dont matter since i allready have all the hardware from my gibson which i will use on this guitar. This hardware includes gibson '57 classic pafs, im also considering a BKP alternative, or maybe even a set of Nailbombs.
Im considering the folowing options:
- 90's (Samick) Epiphone LP standard, classic or custom. Im pretty much lean towards the classic models from that era, many of them were made with an alder top instead of maple, anyone care to comment on the effect soundwise?
- Recent Korea Tokai Love Rock, i cant find any japanese ones atm, well unless i am willing to pay twise as much for an 80's one.
- Early 80's Epiphone Genesis, really dislike the headstock, but otherwise a great guitar, also has a coil split option and i have found several samples.
These are about the best options i have i think, if anyone has good experiences with some other brand please let me know.
Greetings and thanks in advance, Henk
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My advice is to go for a MIJ Tokai LP.
IMHO the Korean (and now Chinese) versions are nowhere near as well made. The MIK & MIC models are pretty equivalent to a standard new Epiphone LP, certainly no better.
However the current MIJ Tokais are at least as well made as any of the standard Gibson LP models, and in some ways the MIJ Tokais are better (eg long tenon neck joints).
Alan
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what's your budget? there's always Edwards who are relatively cheap.
Best option though would be to keep an eye on ebay - i got a 1987 Greco Mint Collection LP custom; SD pups, long neck tennon, nitro finish, correct woods for £180 (€260)
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What you doing with the knackered one........I'm always on the hunt for knackered guitars.
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Well about as much as its worth basically, i do however want to try a guitar before i buy it and that makes it a bit difficult.
Ill check if there is an esp/edwards importer her in holland, but i guess i want a pretty simple one then. Are those qualitywise comparable to the Tokai's?
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What you doing with the knackered one........I'm always on the hunt for knackered guitars.
Its dead, not knackered, needs a completely new neck(had 2 breaks!) and some body work, refinish. Even then its highly unlikely youll end up with something really (gibson like) good.
It looks dead too :twisted:
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Well, if you do want shot of it, send me a pic and make an offer. I'm lucky enough to have a luthier owing me a favour or two (although by the sounds of things, I may have to throw money at him too) :twisted:
If it's too knackered, I'll practise my finishing on it.
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if its that bad a new neck with the old headplate grafted on is a good solution, then a refinish. Not really the sort of job thats economically viable but it will make a good project for someone to learn neck replacement on
... good little practice project for ya tonemonkey
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go for the epiphone!
those elitist ones are probably more than you want to pay, and you might not need to change the p/ups... nah, go bog standard epi!
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My advice is to go for a MIJ Tokai LP.
IMHO the Korean (and now Chinese) versions are nowhere near as well made. The MIK & MIC models are pretty equivalent to a standard new Epiphone LP, certainly no better.
However the current MIJ Tokais are at least as well made as any of the standard Gibson LP models, and in some ways the MIJ Tokais are better (eg long tenon neck joints).
Alan
I had a Gibbo Faded LP that sounded poo, I put some VHII's in and it still sounded like poo. It cost me £1,000 in total so I was really p:ssed off.
So then I bought a 1998 Tokai LP with flame top, bit battered, but sounds fooking great with stock pickups (not need for upgrade). That cost me £350...and I was happy.
When I sold my Gibbo LP for £975 and I was even happier... :D
Go Tokai!
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... good little practice project for ya tonemonkey
Should keep me off the streets for a few days :lol:
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Ill keep it in mind tonemonkey.
I just found out theres no Tokai dealer anymore here in holland :cry:
The Edwards LP's are a bit more expensive from what ive seen on ebay and i do think the Tokais' detail shots appear be better build then the Edwards.
The Epiphone's would be an easy pickups, but those Tokais really do look very nice.
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PRS
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The Edwards LP's are a bit more expensive from what ive seen on ebay and i do think the Tokais' detail shots appear be better build then the Edwards.
It's all just opinions, but I think Edwards are higher quality than Korean Tokais. They don't try to duplicate all the vintage-style construction details, but they get the important things right - long-tenon joints and nice fat Gibson-style neck shapes. Quality hardware and pickups too.
If you're already looking on eBay, I agree with Indy - keep an eye out for Greco, Burny, Orville, Edwards, Japanese Epis and Japanese Tokais. I think they're all better (or at least more Gibson-like) than Korean Epis or Tokais. Some of them are expensive, of course, but there are bargains too.
If you don't want to make a "blind" purchase, but would prefer to actually try the guitar first, I guess you're stuck with the Korean models.
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I can buy an Edwards trough a guitar store here, but still cant test it then because ill have to order it. After looking some more i know what you mean Phil, however i do have all the hardware from my custom, i dont care much about electronics, just about the woodyness. :wink:
Ill think about it, maybe ill be better off with something different anyway.
I always had good luck when just keeping an eye out untill something came along, so im not rushing.
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I've got a CSL at home (firebird though, not LP). These are rebranded Ibanez Lawsuit guitars (just the truss rod cover changed on mine) and I've been really impressed by the quality (once piece mahogany neck, even with a neck angle - 1 piece mahogany body....I think).
It seems that most people don't know what these are, so you can still pick them up cheap......mine was free. Might be worth having a look around for some of these, they're practically vintage :lol:
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After looking some more i know what you mean Phil, however i do have all the hardware from my custom, i dont care much about electronics, just about the woodyness. :wink:
All my Edwards guitars (and my Japanese Epi) are made of very lightweight mahogany - maybe it's a far Eastern mahogany equivalent, but they seem to have good stocks, whatever it is.
I'm not saying "light weight = good tone" necessarily, but that's just to let you know, if weight is a factor! :)
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I know they dont use that heavy mahagony anymore, gibson doesnt either, im used to the heavy bricks though so i dont mind. I do think the heavy mahagony sounds a bit better but for a LP knockoff one should not be too fussy about these things..
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Gotta say that if your looking for one this looks like a steal!
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Burny-Les-Paul-Custom-Randy-Rhoads-Model-Japan_W0QQitemZ300167738172QQihZ020QQcategoryZ33040QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
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I went to a couple of guitar shops today, just to generate ideas.
Kind of disappointed i started to call a couple of repair guys i know just to get a second opinion on the gibson custom. Allthough most of them agree on getting it done properly (or they think its not worth it to repair) i can also let them re-repair the headstock crack which has loosened again, this however will leave me with an even more beatup looking custom, but since the crack is only a headstock one, all will turn out playable again.
I think im going to have this done and also have the neck sanded and refinished in clear nitro, just to get that frankenstein feel going :twisted: .
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Hi,
I'd go for a pre lawsuit Arai LP. Very well made japanese copies with aged pups from the early 80's, which would not be too much money. Look on evil Bay
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opps Aria soory
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Dont the Aria LP's have bolt on necks?
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I know it's not an exact LP copy, but Taylor are about to release a Solid Body Single Cut Electric. I've only seen pictures, but I'm prety sure it will come in at about £1,500. It is quite possably the most beautiful guitar I have ever seen. If only I could find pictures of it on the net.....
....The picture I have found is in Guitarist Magazine at the end of the PRS Single Cut review. It's the (fairly new) edition with Clapton on the cover.
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Edwards or an actual ESP.
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I know it's not an exact LP copy, but Taylor are about to release a Solid Body Single Cut Electric. I've only seen pictures, but I'm prety sure it will come in at about £1,500. It is quite possably the most beautiful guitar I have ever seen. If only I could find pictures of it on the net.....
....The picture I have found is in Guitarist Magazine at the end of the PRS Single Cut review. It's the (fairly new) edition with Clapton on the cover.
I know the one you mean. I couldn't find a picture, but I found a pic of a white one. It vaguely reminds me of Neal Schon's Schon-branded guitars from many years ago:
(http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p216/phillyq/000020941.jpg)
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That's nice, but the one with the figured top is sooo much nicer. I think as soon as I can get my hands on some Variax electonics, I'm going to build something inspired by that (not an exact copy though)......
......In actual fact, there's a luthier who will shortly owe me a favour or two, so I'll get him to do the difficult bits :lol:
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That taylor reminds me of the Gibson XR2 which are an absolute steal at the moment.
See here:
http://cgi.ebay.com/GIBSON-LES-PAUL-GUITAR-1981-XR2-XR-2_W0QQitemZ140176988606QQihZ004QQcategoryZ38086QQcmdZViewItem