Bare Knuckle Pickups Forum

Forum Ringside => Guitars, Amps and Effects => Topic started by: Ian Price on March 16, 2011, 06:20:04 PM

Title: Cheap LP alikes
Post by: Ian Price on March 16, 2011, 06:20:04 PM
Evening all,

Anyone recommend any good LP a-likes within a budget of £250? Not for me, a fried of mine is just starting and loves the look of the LP. He's asked for my opinion but as I'm not really that well informed on budget LPs was wondering if anyone on here had any recommendations.

Early contenders are the budget Vintage and Tokai models. Maybe an Epiphone. Any others?
Title: Re: Cheap LP alikes
Post by: Elliot on March 16, 2011, 06:27:09 PM
Washburn make a nice one:

http://www.htfr.com/product.php?productID=387429
Title: Re: Cheap LP alikes
Post by: Transcend on March 16, 2011, 06:29:55 PM
agile but he will have to get it imported
Title: Re: Cheap LP alikes
Post by: Afghan Dave on March 16, 2011, 06:37:14 PM
Cort CR200

(http://www.cortguitars.com/productImages/electric/product/CR200-GT_hz.png)

http://www.cortguitars.com/_webapp_3760381/CR200#
Title: Re: Cheap LP alikes
Post by: Philly Q on March 16, 2011, 06:42:16 PM
I don't know much about that price range, but if it was me I'd start with the Chinese Tokais.  You might just about get an LS48 for that money (but more likely £300 TBH), it even has a set neck.

Vintage have a good reputation, but when a "copy" is a slightly different shape from the original it always irritates me a bit.
Title: Re: Cheap LP alikes
Post by: Ian Price on March 16, 2011, 06:46:34 PM
Cheers all.

Philly - I've seen a second hand LS48 for £239. Worth a punt?
Title: Re: Cheap LP alikes
Post by: gwEm on March 16, 2011, 06:47:45 PM
i love my agile, its a great paul, but like toe-knee says, doing the import will be a pain and make one more costly
Title: Re: Cheap LP alikes
Post by: Ian Price on March 16, 2011, 06:49:09 PM
Cheers gwEm. Sounds like an Agile would be a great idea, just a shame that the import will push the price up.
Title: Re: Cheap LP alikes
Post by: Philly Q on March 16, 2011, 06:58:02 PM
Cheers all.

Philly - I've seen a second hand LS48 for £239. Worth a punt?

I think it probably is.  I'm much more familiar with Japanese Tokais (MIJ snob!  :wink: ) but the Chinese ones look very well made. 

Will you be able to try it first?  There's always the risk with LPs that it'll weigh a ton, but I guess agathis is probably lighter than mahogany.
Title: Re: Cheap LP alikes
Post by: Ian Price on March 16, 2011, 07:07:01 PM
I think so Philly. I'm pretty sure there was/is a 7 day money back guarantee.
Title: Re: Cheap LP alikes
Post by: Ian Price on March 16, 2011, 07:10:59 PM
I think it probably is.  I'm much more familiar with Japanese Tokais (MIJ snob!  :wink: ) but the Chinese ones look very well made.

 :D I'm a total snob. Of late though I've been forced down the more budget route. CS Strat and Martamp Deluxe to Baja Tele and Blackstar HT1R in the space of less than a year!
Title: Re: Cheap LP alikes
Post by: Telerocker on March 16, 2011, 07:29:03 PM
One more vote for Tokai. Tanglewood makes affordable LP-copies too. Don't know about the quality.
Title: Re: Cheap LP alikes
Post by: Twinfan on March 16, 2011, 09:59:16 PM
My money would go on a Vintage V100 - the "Lemon Drop" or "Appetite" models are best  :)
Title: Re: Cheap LP alikes
Post by: Denim n Leather on March 16, 2011, 11:29:21 PM
Agile!!
Title: Re: Cheap LP alikes
Post by: TobiH on March 17, 2011, 08:33:16 AM
I started playing only last year and was looking for a cheap entry guitar. Got a chinese Tokai version of a 335 and am very happy with it.  Also looked at the japanese version but at the level I was/am at, it wasn't worth the extra expense for me.

So 1 up for Tokai
Title: Re: Cheap LP alikes
Post by: tomjackson on March 17, 2011, 08:50:14 AM

I was just going to post this in a new topic but it fits this topic really well.  I tried one of these the other day

http://www.tanglewoodguitars.co.uk/products/electrics/tsb58/TSB58HB.html

It was really good, I only tried it unplugged but it really had a great acoustic tone and felt very nice.  It was £299 from Purple Turtle Music.

The neck was fairly shallow which I usually don't like but I'd have made an exception for this guitar if I had some money.  It was better than any Epi I've tried and had more vibe that the lower end MIJ Tokai I Tried.
Also much better than the non Icon V100 next to it (which was £100 cheaper to be fair)

I didn't try plugged in but from what I hear the pickups are pretty good and at least Alnico rather than the cheapie ceramics on some of the budget Lester's
Title: Re: Cheap LP alikes
Post by: roland_rat on March 17, 2011, 06:02:30 PM

+1 vintage lemon drop is very close to budget and well within 2nd hand.

My money would go on a Vintage V100 - the "Lemon Drop" or "Appetite" models are best  :)
Title: Re: Cheap LP alikes
Post by: Ian Price on March 17, 2011, 06:05:09 PM
Cheers all, I think if it was me buying a LP alike I would go for a Vintage. The person who wants it though is firmly in the Gibson camp and although they can't afford a Gibson they would want one that looks pretty much the same. For this reason I think the cheaper Tokai models will do it - I'm assuming that they are the 'nearest' to Gibson looks wise?
Title: Re: Cheap LP alikes
Post by: Twinfan on March 17, 2011, 06:11:08 PM
I reckon this looks pretty close to a £2000 Gibson personally...

http://www.jhs.co.uk/vintageelectric.html

(http://www.jhs.co.uk/vintageelectric/V100AFD.jpg)
Title: Re: Cheap LP alikes
Post by: Ian Price on March 17, 2011, 06:15:15 PM
Indeed it does!
Title: Re: Cheap LP alikes
Post by: Philly Q on March 17, 2011, 06:35:41 PM
I still find the pointy cutaway on the Vintage a bit troubling, and I don't like their headstock logo.  But that's just me being picky......  :lol:


For this reason I think the cheaper Tokai models will do it - I'm assuming that they are the 'nearest' to Gibson looks wise?

I think so.  Tokai is a strange brand, nearly all their guitars are undeniably "copies", no more no less, but the high-end ones cost as much as the real thing!  For example, Rich Tone Music have some lovely goldtops with P-90s, but they're £1,500, which just seems a crazy amount of money for a "copy".  :o

But I digress.... yes, I think Tokais look the closest to Gibson, in this price range.  Unless you can stretch to a beat-up old Greco, Burny, Orville or something.

Just thought - there are some new Burny models, Chinese(?) made.  Bit more pricey, but you might be able to grab a bargain:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Burny-Fernandes-Les-Paul-Custom-New-Ex-Demo-/290543943316?pt=UK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV&hash=item43a5c4be94 (http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Burny-Fernandes-Les-Paul-Custom-New-Ex-Demo-/290543943316?pt=UK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV&hash=item43a5c4be94)
Title: Re: Cheap LP alikes
Post by: Ian Price on March 17, 2011, 06:58:49 PM
Well, I've bought the Tokai. Might be a mistake, 7 day money back guarantee though so should be fine either way.
Title: Re: Cheap LP alikes
Post by: Telerocker on March 17, 2011, 07:56:35 PM
Congrats. I agree with Philly the Tokai looks better than the Vintage, although the top is very nice for this money.
Title: Re: Cheap LP alikes
Post by: Ian Price on March 17, 2011, 08:22:06 PM
Cheers - it's not for me though. Just someone who wanted to play but has no experience if guitars!

I've already committed myself to any LP shape guitar to being a custom made jobbie. Years off yet though!
Title: Re: Cheap LP alikes
Post by: Philly Q on March 18, 2011, 10:57:48 AM
Hope it's a good 'un!
Title: Re: Cheap LP alikes
Post by: Ian Price on March 18, 2011, 04:54:34 PM
Well, I certainly hope so! It will be here on Thursday(ish) and I'll have a month or so of holding at my house before it is handed to the new owner.
Title: Re: Cheap LP alikes
Post by: WezV on March 18, 2011, 05:12:41 PM
Tokai is a strange brand, nearly all their guitars are undeniably "copies"

I always liked the hummingbird (now done by eastwood i think), ok - its essentially a mosrite copy, but with enough of its own pointier style to make it worthwhile

(http://www.eastwoodguitars.com/GTRs/tokia-hummingbird/images/tokia-hb-big/TOKAIihummingbirdBLACK.jpg)
Title: Re: Cheap LP alikes
Post by: Philly Q on March 18, 2011, 05:33:47 PM
Tokai is a strange brand, nearly all their guitars are undeniably "copies"

I always liked the hummingbird (now done by eastwood i think), ok - its essentially a mosrite copy, but with enough of its own pointier style to make it worthwhile

I must confess, that's the first time I've seen one of those!
Title: Re: Cheap LP alikes
Post by: WezV on March 18, 2011, 05:36:03 PM
the old ones have a different trem and and a 'hummingbird' decal across the forearm contour - some of the even older ones are a bit more teisco like
Title: Re: Cheap LP alikes
Post by: Telerocker on March 18, 2011, 05:45:15 PM
Eastwood copies a lot of odd shapes from past guitardesigns.
Title: Re: Cheap LP alikes
Post by: Ian Price on March 18, 2011, 06:22:10 PM
Tokai is a strange brand, nearly all their guitars are undeniably "copies"

I always liked the hummingbird (now done by eastwood i think), ok - its essentially a mosrite copy, but with enough of its own pointier style to make it worthwhile

I must confess, that's the first time I've seen one of those!

I'm literally speechless!