Members lorsban Posted October 7, 2005 Members Share Posted October 7, 2005 Which do you think is better and why? Epi Elitist LP vs Gibson LP/SG Special or Studios vs Dean Hardtails vs ESP (LP-like), PRS Tremonti SE (cheers, rockinit!), Edwards, Tokai *If you wanna add to the list, do so. Only Gibson LP "replacements" so no strats or superstrats please. A lot of us don't have the money for the higher priced gib LP standards so I thought it'd be cool to hear what you guys thought about the guitars we CAN buy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members timmy210 Posted October 7, 2005 Members Share Posted October 7, 2005 You forgot Edwards Les Pauls and Tokais. Some of the Edwards have nitro tops and most have good hardware and pickups. The tokais also get great remarks. The tokais and edwards I've played have been pretty nice. I dont like the ESP "les pauls" because they are more like a super strat in a les paul shape, they dont do the les paul thing very well IMO. The elitist get great remarks too, but for the price you can get a very nice used les paul clone on ebay for the price the elitists go for new. I dont like any of the lower end gibsons either, I've never played one I liked. The dean hardtails are very nice though, they have a good les paul tone to them, they're more of a prs type guitar I think though. Well, thats what I think of most les paul styled guitars Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members wtfg89 Posted October 7, 2005 Members Share Posted October 7, 2005 you forgot the monster PRS Tremonti SE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members lorsban Posted October 7, 2005 Author Members Share Posted October 7, 2005 Yeah, Gibson specials aren't that great. Only a few make it coz of their "cool" factor such as the faded ones. But really, they cost as much if not more than the others here but their craftmanship is below par. I almost prefer the "others" because they're forced to come up with better quality because they don't have the name to ride on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Edward Posted October 7, 2005 Members Share Posted October 7, 2005 Epiphone Elitists and Tokai MIJ Love Rocks. The best LPs Gibson never made. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members tlbonehead Posted October 7, 2005 Members Share Posted October 7, 2005 For $400-500,nothing touches a used Peavey Odyssey. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members knotty Posted October 7, 2005 Members Share Posted October 7, 2005 Originally posted by RockinIt you forgot the monster PRS Tremonti SE +1Put it on your list, its a must try/listen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members acravero Posted October 7, 2005 Members Share Posted October 7, 2005 My LP Special is the smoothest playing, best sounding guitar that I've played (below $1500). I have owned two, and while I liked the first one (an LP Special Faded), my "new" one (an LP Special SL w/Humbuckers) is amazing. The SL also has a very nice looking glossy finish. I have the "natural" color SL and it is quite stunning. I did end up getting a pro setup ($35) because the nut was causing some tuning issues. But, ALL Gibson LP's use the same {censored}ty corian nuts. Frets are good & smooth on the SL, action is great, plus you get Gibson pickups, pots & electronics--not asian copies, but the real deal: 498T & 490R pickups and Gibson USA grade Honduran mahogany, just like on the significantly more expensive LP models. You're likely getting NATO or some other asian species of Mahogany in the aforementioned LP copies, though you should check the specs and ask the vendor/mfr. to be sure. If you do end up getting a special, search for a light weight one that is made from a single piece of mahogany. My first one was a composite (3 pieces edge-glued) and weighed probably as much, if not more than, an LP standard. I think the dense wood actually caused less resonance. Of course this is just my theory as to why my SL sounds so much better than my old faded, since they were loaded with the same pickups, electronics & parts. If you search around, you can find a special that sounds amazing and plays beautifully. There's also a new arched top mahogany model at Musician's Friend. I haven't played it, so I cant attest to the sound/quality. Or, you could look into a used Studio, or an old "Firebrand" or "the Paul." They usually go for $500-$700 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members batotman Posted October 7, 2005 Members Share Posted October 7, 2005 I find the Elitists nice, but quite heavy for the most part. The Gibson Specials I've played have been less than impressive. A used Standard Faded is a much better choice. Never really been a big Dean fan. ESP's LP clones are not really LP like at all. Their Edwards line (MIJ, import only) are LP clones and I've got one on the way to assess. Nitro top coat, correct horn, long neck tenon, MIJ.....whats not to like? PRS SE series has failed to impress me in the least. I don't like the necks and they are all quite plain. Tokai's are great. I think I prefer the MIK's over the MIJ. The MIJ was quite nice but the neck profile was a bit chunkier than I'd like. I reach for my MIK Love Rock over pretty much all of my 21 guitars. I had a Gibson LP Standard LE (ebony board, manhattan midnight) but it just didn't have mojo to me. I don't dig the thick nitro finish on any of the Standards I guess. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members JSD Posted October 7, 2005 Members Share Posted October 7, 2005 Originally posted by batotman Tokai's are great. I reach for my MIK Love Rock over pretty much all of my 21 guitars. I just never get tired of hearing you say that..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members lorsban Posted October 11, 2005 Author Members Share Posted October 11, 2005 I have an epi elite lp and I'm really happy with it. It's really really heavy though. And the frets are low profile-much like the "fretless wonder" that Gibson proclaimed their pauls to be. What I like about the epi is that the quality is amazing for the price. The japanese are quality obsessed and it shows. The trouble with Gibson is that no two are alike. Nearly every LP I tried was different. Of course the burst will always be different but the thing is even the playability is different. What are your thoughts? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Alchemist Posted October 11, 2005 Members Share Posted October 11, 2005 Originally posted by lorsban I have an epi elite lp and I'm really happy with it. It's really really heavy though. And the frets are low profile-much like the "fretless wonder" that Gibson proclaimed their pauls to be. What I like about the epi is that the quality is amazing for the price. The japanese are quality obsessed and it shows. The trouble with Gibson is that no two are alike. Nearly every LP I tried was different. Of course the burst will always be different but the thing is even the playability is different. What are your thoughts? a lot of that has to do with finishing, nitro is thinner and lets the differences in wood come through, poly just clogs it all up.... if you want a real les paul get a classic/standard/studio depending on what kind of pickups you want and what kind of binding trim packages you want.... what the point of buying a copy then trying to talk it up "its almost as good as/as good as/ better than a gibson" when you get just get a Gibson, they arent that expensive, yes the custom shops are, but many can be had for great prices, especialy used Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members batotman Posted October 11, 2005 Members Share Posted October 11, 2005 Originally posted by JSD I just never get tired of hearing you say that..... I never get tired of playing it. It reeks of awesomeness. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members jerry_picker Posted October 11, 2005 Members Share Posted October 11, 2005 Originally posted by lorsban *If you wanna add to the list, do so. Only Gibson LP "replacements"... Allowing LP-style guitars only in a "battle" of "mid-priced solid bodies" AND not including Teles, Strats, V's, 'birds, and SGs is kind of silly, don't you think? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members 23miles Posted October 11, 2005 Members Share Posted October 11, 2005 Originally posted by lorsban Which do you think is better and why?Epi Elitist LP vs Gibson LP/SG Special or Studios vs Dean Hardtails vs ESP (LP-like), PRS Tremonti SE (cheers, rockinit!)*If you wanna add to the list, do so. Only Gibson LP "replacements" so no strats or superstrats please. Of the group you mentioned, I think i much prefer the Epi Elitest LP. Although I would see if I could locate a used Gibson LP Studio or Smartwood. I really like some of the set neck DeArmonds (M-7X) series, but think the Elitest is a bit nicer. The Elitests I have played were very impressive guitars. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members lorsban Posted October 12, 2005 Author Members Share Posted October 12, 2005 Originally posted by jerry_picker Allowing LP-style guitars only in a "battle" of "mid-priced solid bodies" AND not including Teles, Strats, V's, 'birds, and SGs is kind of silly, don't you think? The thing about strats and teles is that the originals themselves are within the "working-man's" budget. Gibson LP Standards are nearer to high-priced guitars and out of reach for a lot of us but still represents what most every guitarist wanted at one time or another. Also, although LP's were made with the Jazz musician in mind, they are incredibly versatile and are extensively used in rock, alternative and metal. I see thunderbirds and SG's as primarily rock oriented (it would look silly in the hands of a jazz guitarist, wouldn't it?) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members lorsban Posted October 12, 2005 Author Members Share Posted October 12, 2005 Originally posted by jerry_picker Allowing LP-style guitars only in a "battle" of "mid-priced solid bodies" AND not including Teles, Strats, V's, 'birds, and SGs is kind of silly, don't you think? About the subject title: I copied it off a Guitar Player Mag. It covered all the brands and types as long as it was solid bodied like you pointed out. Anyway, nothing like a cheezy title now and then eh? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members lorsban Posted October 12, 2005 Author Members Share Posted October 12, 2005 Originally posted by Alchemist a lot of that has to do with finishing, nitro is thinner and lets the differences in wood come through, poly just clogs it all up....if you want a real les paul get a classic/standard/studio depending on what kind of pickups you want and what kind of binding trim packages you want....what the point of buying a copy then trying to talk it up "its almost as good as/as good as/ better than a gibson" when you get just get a Gibson, they arent that expensive, yes the custom shops are, but many can be had for great prices, especialy used Gibsons are great but they're over-priced brand new. You can get used ones but that means looking all over and a lot of guess work especially if you're ordering on line. That basically still makes the right one hard to get. That's an awful lot of time money and effort for the name. Whereas a brand new one straight from the manufacturer is easy to find and is easy on the budget. And IF they are in fact just as good or even better than the Gibsons, then they would probably be the smarter buys. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Edward Posted October 12, 2005 Members Share Posted October 12, 2005 Originally posted by jerry_picker Allowing LP-style guitars only in a "battle" of "mid-priced solid bodies" AND not including Teles, Strats, V's, 'birds, and SGs is kind of silly, don't you think? Not if it's an LP style guitar you're looking for.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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