Japanese Les Paul.. What do you think?

[bcdon]

A friend of mine is looking at this Japanese Les Paul copy on Craigslist: http://vancouver.en.craigslist.ca/van/msg/1563816040.html

It looks pretty nice to me.. what do you think? Asking $325 CAD (We haven't heard it yet)

This is a great older Japanese Les Paul copy electric guitar,the only information I can find is the made in Japan on the neck plate, from what I understand these guitars were made at the Teisco guitar plant in Japan through the 1960s-70s, I got it for a person who didnt need it anymore, nice cutaway mahogany body with real nice pearliod binding and very little wear to the rosewood fretboard, sounds and plays great with my amp, stays in tune,comes with a Les Paul hardshell guitar case.

 

[markb]

These guitars varied greatly. With a bit of work, they could be pretty good but plywood bodies and iffy neck joints are common. The pickups are often thin sounding singles coils hiding inside humbucker covers too. You'd need to pull a pickup or remove the neck to check the body construction.

Try before you buy is my advice on pieces like this.

 

[bcdon]

Try before you buy is my advice on pieces like this.

Thanks for the words of wisdom, Mark!

 

[Commodore 64]

Play it. If it sounds and feels good, and the neck is straight and there are no dead frets, offer him $275.

 

[Bloozcat]

One thing that would make me leery is the phrase "made in Japan on the neck plate", which would indicate that it is a bolt on neck and not a set neck like on a real LP (or a good copy).

 

[Commodore 64]

I got my MK Patriot, which is a very good quality LP copy for $200 USD, for comparison.

 

[SuperSwede]

I would recommend that you stay a long way from bolt on LP copies from japan.. There are a lot of AWESOME lp copies from Japan (Ibanez, Greco and so on) but only the low end models had bolt on necks.

 

[Auriemma]

I disagree. Fender has been making bolt-ons for decades and no one has issue with them. All because its an LP body, makes no difference. As long is the build is good, so goes the guitar.

I have a 77 Bradley LP, its says "STEEL ADJUSTABLE NECK - Made in Japan" on the plate (they all do). It plays well and sounds great. I took mine in for a thorough going over by the luthier I use. He told me he was very suprised how well it played and how hot my pickups were, not because of them being Japanese, just because of thier age. I was going to change them out, he said not too, it had that classic Les Paul tone. No plywood in mine either.

Back then, those japanese LP copies were just that... copies. The body, neck, and headstock shapes were damn close to the originals. They went with bolt-on necks to save costs. That doesn't make them bad guitars.

Go play it and check it out. Pull the covers off the back and see what its made of. Make up you own mind.

FYI: I have a MK Patriot Q too. Another very well made, great playing and sounding guitar.

 

[bcdon]

Great advice, guys! I'm going to tell my friend to just check it out and see what happens.

Cheers!