What is the best non-Gibson Les Paul?

[Don]

Considreing how good my Heritage H-535 is, I'd love to try an H-150.

 

[corpse]

I played a Yaron and it wiped the floor with everything else I have played that wasn't real old wood.

 

[Doc1900]

Had a '72 Ventura with a bolt on neck that wasn't horrible. I always thought the 70s lawsuit Ibanez models sounded best and they certainly kept their value, the Tokais were pretty good too, as were the Electras. Today, Gibson has done a pretty good job keeping their Epiphone models impressive. I've bought the 100th anniversary model in cherry and recently purchased the TV Special 'inspired by Gibson.' They're not my Custom Shop 57 reissue Black Beauty, but the quality control is good and I see a lot of players out with them rather than dragging a $3000-$4000+ guitar that may get up walk away between sets. After all, when you close your eyes, all you are left with is sound... and if it puts food on the table, it's good.

 

[57gold]

These get pretty sweet LP tones:

Each has its own unique voice, just like three LPs would. Below are my LP reference points, 3 1957s, a 1958 and a 1962:

 

[panhead11]

Got a 79 Greco lp standard that`s pretty hard to beat. Bought in 1980 $225.

 

[gibsonjunkie]

Had this "Traditional" custom built a few years ago. Got to pick the wood (40 year-old mahogany), pick all the attributes, and watch it get built. It sounds lovely with Kinman P-90's in it. My only complaint is that it weighs 10.6 pounds, but is balanced so well it is not too much of an inconvenience.

 

[AA00475Bassman]

Two posts bogus Thread, a TROLL trying to dust things up .

 

[panhead11]

Ironically the only Epiphones that look correct are made in/ for Japan.

 

[Wise Guy]

Has anyone here have an experience with the Stanford Marquee LP guitar? I believe they're being built in China but the price range on Reverb runs about $700-$900.

 

[Rick Huepers]

I have an old Warmoth LP that just plays and looks amazing. It's pre-lawsuit with Pearly Gates PU's.
Is it one of my Gibsons...........no. But, it's half the weight and all the grunt.

 

[Blakey]

Best I've come across are the UK made Stigg Les Pauls. They sound and play like originals.
I have two Stiggs. Fantastic instruments!
And for the record I have an original '59 and have owned other originals in the past.

 

[OKHopkins]

I'm assuming you're looking for the closest Les Paul Experience without the huge cost of the real McCoy. I would vote for Greco LP's EG800 and up, Japanese Burnys or Edwards. I may be wrong but Orville guitars are made by FGN and have a good reputation though I've not played one. *Some of the most beautiful flame tops I've seen outside of Gibson.

 

[Dave P]

Yamaha made the Weddingtons for a short while. Designed by Rich Lasner. I bought this one from Rich, it was his personal guitar. It has a lot of cool features. 5 way switch that gives you a bunch of tonal options. I really like the neck/body scooped heel. Unlike a Les Paul, I can zoom up to the 22nd fret and there is no neck heel in the way. The Weddington Customs were very labor intensive to build, Rich told me it cost Yamaha more to build these than what they sold for.

 

[Korina& Mahogany]

If I remember right they were made of a very high-quality mahogany. It seems like forever ago when companies like that could still acquire good quality SA or Honduran…. Yeah I don’t even think a PRS can acquire any kind of decent genuine mahogany unless you’re paying $7000 for it and even then it looks like it’s ribbon African ribbon which they never used up until like the last 10 years in my humble opinion

 

[Dave P]

If I remember right they were made of a very high-quality mahogany

They used real Honduras mahogany, not cheaper varieties like African. Rich told me a story about the maple. They went to a wood supplier and hand picked a bunch of killer figured maple and had them ship it to Japan. When it got to Japan, Yamaha complained it was not very figured. They sent pictures to Yamaha USA, and realized the wood sent to Japan wasn't the stuff they picked out. Apparently the supplier switched the good maple for plainer maple thinking nobody would notice. From then on they would pick out the tops and had the wood shipped to Yamaha in LA where they could check to make sure it was the wood they picked out, and then it was shipped to Japan.

 

[Xpensive Wino]

 

[Korina& Mahogany]

Yamaha made the Weddingtons for a short while. Designed by Rich Lasner. I bought this one from Rich, it was his personal guitar. It has a lot of cool features. 5 way switch that gives you a bunch of tonal options. I really like the neck/body scooped heel. Unlike a Les Paul, I can zoom up to the 22nd fret and there is no neck heel in the way. The Weddington Customs were very labor intensive to build, Rich told me it cost Yamaha more to build these than what they sold for.

It’s interesting a company named Reverend is making a single cut that is very similar to that shape and design of the this Yamaha and supposedly they’re using white Limba for the bodies and they’re selling at least one model for like 1299 and this is a part of their set neck line called Roundhouse…[ made by their proprietary factory in Korea or whatever part of a factory in Korea that’s just designated to this company] {along with the D’Angelico or however pronounce them that they’re making their guitars in Korea for a long time … but it seems like it’s either their own company or they have it sectioned off of a company that’s completely devoted to building their own guitars}!!!!


Actually going to test to see if I can do a photo here “completely unrelated to the Roundhouse”

 

[Korina& Mahogany]

Yeah test photo not one of the Reverend Roundhouse Guitar … which As I am looking at it at Sweetwater it looks like they basically stole or bought the design or it looks basically exactly like what we’re talking about… the Yamaha Weddington…. since I had to edit this let me see if I can post another photo of some other unknown Guitar

 

[gmann]

Tokai.

 

[ppgf]

the guy who arts and crafted these.