The 99 Dollar Les Paul

[Alligatorbling]

It might be a stretch to call it a Les Paul, but that's "what it is."

Any one own one of these? They have been out for a little while now.

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/de...erfunnel&utm_content=display&utm_term=300x250

 

[Kamen_Kaiju]

very cool Melody Maker

my guess is the Tuners are sh*t but with better tuners it's probably a pretty cool beater.

 

[TheX]

Here's one for $98.

https://austin.craigslist.org/msg/d/epiphone-limited-edition/6385625420.html

 

[rabidhamster]

False advertising thats not the most affordable les Paul ever made, its just the most cheaply made les Paul ever.

Also it looks like a piece of crap to me, But Im sure its good enough to frustrate a beginner.

I wouldn't play it to smash the thing

 

[Brians Evil Twin]

I can't find it now, but I'm pretty sure MF/GC has $89 Epi Specials on their Black Friday door buster list.

I've bought a few of the bolt-neck juniors and they usually need some work to be playable. New tuners, nut cut properly, a good set up, etc.

Same basic body, neck and hardware.

 

[Kamen_Kaiju]

False advertising thats not the most affordable les Paul ever made, its just the most cheaply made les Paul ever.

Also it looks like a piece of crap to me, But Im sure its good enough to frustrate a beginner.

I wouldn't play it to smash the thing

"You are a smelly Pirate Hooker! Why don't you go back to your home on Whore Island!"

 

[redjunior]

Looks suspiciously like a early 60's melody maker, but even then they were a set neck guitar.....
Not really an LP at all.

 

[Mr Insane]

I'm waiting till they're around $50 on the used market. It will then be the guitar I smash at the end of a show.

 

[Kamen_Kaiju]

you and Rabid need a hug.

or drugs.

or drugs and a hug.


..sh*t wait,...no....that's how Cosby got in trouble.

 

[judson]

i remember the first thread on these that everyone wanted to see one with the pickguard off to see the routes

maybe you could do something with one

 

[danohat]

I'm sure somebody excellent could make it sound good for long enough to make a video that makes people think it isn't a pile of monkey crap. Nothing in this world worth a cold turd is cheap, especially a decent guitar.

 

[Mr Insane]

you and Rabid need a hug.

or drugs.

or drugs and a hug.


..sh*t wait,...no....that's how Cosby got in trouble.

Some men just want to smash cheap guitars and watch them burn.

 

[Thumpalumpacus]

False advertising thats not the most affordable les Paul ever made, its just the most cheaply made les Paul ever.

Also it looks like a piece of crap to me, But Im sure its good enough to frustrate a beginner.

I wouldn't play it to smash the thing

When you're 13 and want to play some guitar, that looks like just the right ticket. No doubt much better than the POS I started on and I wasn't dissuaded. I would have been thrilled to have that for a first guitar.

#walked5milesbothwaysuphillinsnow

 

[matthew bear]

Sheeit, I’ll take two... form a death metal act and melt your cork sniffing smug faces!!!

 

[LDS714]

I'm sure somebody excellent could make it sound good for long enough to make a video that makes people think it isn't a pile of monkey crap. Nothing in this world worth a cold turd is cheap, especially a decent guitar.

You mean like this?

 

[smk506]

I think they're awesome. Good setup, maybe new pots and I bet you're good to go.

 

[judson]

or spring for $149 with free shipping and do this.....tv yellow with P90s might watch this for a black friday sale....

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/guit...7433000001000@ADL4MF-adType^PLA#productDetail

 

[Pete M]

At first I was thinking "No one could possibly look cool playing this guitar" and "What a piece of junk!"

Well with the baby bib coloured ones I stand by that statement, but the black and sunburst one's aren't so bad.

 

[THDNUT]

Particle board bodies.

 

[E1WOOD5150]

or spring for $149 with free shipping and do this.....tv yellow with P90s might watch this for a black friday sale....

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/guit...7433000001000@ADL4MF-adType^PLA#productDetail

This is my Epi Special. My wife bought it from GC for $99.00 to use as a birthday card for guests at my 50th birthday bash to sign.

I didn't play it "in anger" for a couple months after she bought it. My Traditional has a 50's neck, and the Epi has a 60's neck, which takes me a bit of getting used to. I much prefer the 50's neck. The P-90's are Alnico 5's, and the body and neck are both mahogany. The pickups absolutely kill. The mahogany is not of the greatest quality, but it does what it's supposed to do, and it does sound pretty OK acoustically.

The tuners suck, and I had a helluva time getting the guitar in tune with itself. Even now, the B is out in relation to the others, but its better now than anything else I've been able to set up on the guitar. It is here that I begin my struggle with the guitar. It's a $99.00 guitar. It was originally purchased to be a wall hanger, but if it plays, its a bonus. Tuners will cost $45.00. Almost half of the original purchase price. A simple wraparound, intonate-able bridge will be another $40 from Stew-Mac, and a Pigtail wraparound bridge is $89.00. Lets not forget that the inserts should be replaced to maximize the transfer of vibrations, so there's another $20 to $30. To this point, you'd be in for $110.00 (on the cheap side) of upgrades to a $99.00 guitar. Is it worth it?

For me, I want each guitar to have its own strap, strap-locks, and case. The straps I like now are $50.00 each, strap-locks are $15 or $20, and even a cheap used case is gonna set you back $30.00.

The hell of it is, I like the guitar. Even more now that it has all the Happy Birthday wishes scrawled across the guitar in gold and silver sharpie. But at what point are you polishing a turd? I've asked this same question in another thread, and Malikon tells me to just play the hell out of it. I get it. I really do. But if the investment to upgrade the guitar make it that much better and enjoyable, is it worth it?

Its a vicious circle of doubt on my Epi. If the headstock said Gibson, and the neck were to be set in rather than bolted on, I'd be even more tempted to lay out the money, even though I know the money is wasted.