Best $1K Lester: Edwards, Tokai, Heritage, Epi Elitist or??????????

[wrxplayer]

Title says it all: what the best $1,000 les paul if you're looking for traditional Les Paul rock tone?

[buckwild]

Title says it all: what the best $1,000 les paul if you're looking for traditional Les Paul rock tone?

IN my experience in this order:

Tokai Japan
Burny Japan (80's through early 90's)
Edwards

[electronpirate]

Edwards.

[Cpt. Picard]

Tokai.

But for my grand, I'd look high and low for a beat-up '70s-'80s warhorse.

Aint no thang like the real thang.

[amc]

a good heritage h150

[Acrobat]

Tokai if you can find a LS-150 model or better in your budget. If not go Edwards and enjoy a really great guitar.

[geonew]

Epi Elitist (I know it won't be the most popular choice), maybe I just got a good one, but it is very comparable to my "92 LP Standard.

[crifasta]

I've had a few Burnys and an Edwards Page model. The Edwards lasted about 2 weeks. One Burny in particular made me sell my 88 Gibson standard that I had for 10 years. Never had a Tokai or a Greco but those are supposed to be great as well. BTW - Burnys can be had for well under 1K.

[JLee]

I'd put Edwards way at the bottom. They lack low end and sound a little thin.

[SgtThump]

I've owned quite a few Gibsons and a couple of Edwards. I know when I first got my Edwards Jimmy Page model, I though to myself "this is a great guitar, but it doesn't feel or sound like a Les Paul at all." I ended up selling my Edwards guitars just to move onto something else (not because they didn't feel or sound like a Les Paul.)

Then years later, I played a friend R9 and was shocked to realize that it played and sounded ALOT like my old Edwards Jimmy Page model. lol! So yeah, I think maybe that guitar is closer to a Custom Shop Reissue than I originally thought.

Never owned Tokai or Burny, but I do know the Edwards guitars are cool.

[Acrobat]

I've owned quite a few Gibsons and a couple of Edwards. I know when I first got my Edwards Jimmy Page model, I though to myself "this is a great guitar, but it doesn't feel or sound like a Les Paul at all." I ended up selling my Edwards guitars just to move onto something else (not because they didn't feel or sound like a Les Paul.)

Then years later, I played a friend R9 and was shocked to realize that it played and sounded ALOT like my old Edwards Jimmy Page model. lol! So yeah, I think maybe that guitar is closer to a Custom Shop Reissue than I originally thought.

Never owned Tokai or Burny, but I do know the Edwards guitars are cool.

I totally concurr. After 5 Edwards guitars, I still have my JP Reliced model and the John Sykes model (this one I got it yesterday), and the JP is without a doubt a hell of a guitar. It's light, it sounds great with the stock pickups and resonates real good. With the supercircuit I can cover a lot of sounds, and the playability is on par with my R8.

I also had a Tokai guitar, a LS-150, which felt real real good as construction quality and playability goes, but the stock pickups were just bad sounding for me. So, if you add the price of a good Tokai, and some better pickups, you're running way overbudget.

[jimlp]

I just went to see Cheap Trick and got to meet/talk to Rick Neilson. We had all access passes and he spent a lot of time with us showing his favorite guitars he has on the road with him, 2 of his favorite LP's were Japanese Tokai. It was great time with a crazy (in a good way) guy, when he took out the 1979 checker board Hamer Standard it was hard to believe I was that close to a genuine piece of rock history. Any way my choice would be Japanese Tokai, I did play a great Edwards though.....ah hell buy them both.

[serviviente7]

Epi vote here. Amazing feel and quality.

[Antelope]

I played a Guild Bluesbird the other night that I'll probably always regret not buying when I had the chance.

If those listed are better players than that thing, I've GOT to get my hands on some Edwardses, Tokais and Epis . . .

[Donovan]

You know the Epiphone Slash Goldtops are on sale at GC for $699.The have american pickups and a long neck tenon and come with a hard shell case. Oh and if you wait till friday they are having a 15% off sale so you can score one for $594

http://www.gibson.com/Files/aaFeaturesImages2008/Slash%20GT-3.jpg

[Eagle1]

A Gibson Studio is well worth a look .

[mg550]

A Gibson Studio is well worth a look .

+1

You can get a really nice Gibby Studio for well under a grand on the used market. I had an Alpine White/Ebony board that I really regret selling.

[Mike9]

Studios are amazing bang for the buck. You never mentioned things like binding, top, inlays, or any other doo dads for that matter. Early Vintage Mahogany's are great guitars. Mine's an '06 and weighs 9.8 lbs - hardly weight relieved and is a really wonderful Lester.

[wrxplayer]

You know the Epiphone Slash Goldtops are on sale at GC for $699.The have american pickups and a long neck tenon and come with a hard shell case. Oh and if you wait till friday they are having a 15% off sale so you can score one for $594

http://www.gibson.com/Files/aaFeaturesImages2008/Slash%20GT-3.jpg

Thanks. I've got one on hold for me until I can get to the GC tomorrow night.

[Mikey2201]

edwards

[dumbell78]

Just picked up an Epi MIJ Goldtop with the correct headstock, it was an absolute steal for $850. Keep an eye out for one of those!

[ratkent]

Another vote for a Gibson Studio. Of all the LPs I've owned over the years, the most Les Paulish is a 96 Studio I currently own. It has beat out a R9, two Standards and a Custom which have all been traded or sold over the years. I also still have a 92 Custom that is a better player but honestly doesn't sound as good as this particular Studio. It cost me $600 five years ago and it was mint but I don't know what they go for now.