Who makes the best Les Pauls?

[tonebone]

The best LP is made by Gibson, it's also the only 100% real Les Paul, in terms of brand but also in terms of quality and materials.

Everything else, authorized or not, is just a copy.

Then you have the style guitars, they resemble a LP but not quite. PRS is by far the best there, and then ESP and maybe Ibanez.

Out of the cheap guitars, the Agiles will give you the best bang for the buck. If you want a great guitar that plays great but it's a bit more expensive, go with PRS, you won't regret it. PRS is still committed to quality and craftsmanship.

Isn't there a budget line of PRSeses?

 

[Gabriel]

Isn't there a budget line of PRSeses?

And they're still much more well made than say Epi's.

I've had a SE. Except for the muddy pickups it was a great guitar.

 

[tonebone]

Has anyone compared the budget PRS's with say, Edwards or Tokais?

There's that ol petelacis comparison with a Gibson and an Edwards. It wasn't exactly a slamdunk for the Gibson.

Gibson Les Paul VOS 1960 vs Edwards Les Paul LP130 | Music + Technology = Pete Lacis

 

[Kemper59]

Has anyone compared the budget PRS's with say, Edwards or Tokais?

There's that ol petelacis comparison with a Gibson and an Edwards. It wasn't exactly a slamdunk for the Gibson.

Gibson Les Paul VOS 1960 vs Edwards Les Paul LP130 | Music + Technology = Pete Lacis

I've compared American made top of the range PRS with Tokais, where I come from they hang on the same walls in music stores.
I'll tell you this, you can send a MIJ Tokai through PRS USA QC and it will pass with flying colours.

 

[Kemper59]

The best LP is made by Gibson, it's also the only 100% real Les Paul, in terms of brand but also in terms of quality and materials.

Everything else, authorized or not, is just a copy.

Then you have the style guitars, they resemble a LP but not quite. PRS is by far the best there, and then ESP and maybe Ibanez.

Out of the cheap guitars, the Agiles will give you the best bang for the buck. If you want a great guitar that plays great but it's a bit more expensive, go with PRS, you won't regret it. PRS is still committed to quality and craftsmanship.

Unfortunately USA music stores don't get to see too many Japanese made Les Pauls...you can't visit a music store in the US and play Japanese made Les Pauls and Gibson Les Pauls side by side.

 

[TeleDog]

I agree with you on the quality of MIJ guitars. I have a MIK Jackson and it plays great, also a MIJ Fender Tele and it's one of the best playing Teles I've ever experienced.

But my comment about Gibson has nothing to do with Japanese guitars. Think about it this way. Gibson and Epiphone make the only "legally real" Les Paul guitars (Orvilles could also fit that category, but not sure). Ok, comparing those two is not even funny. So...

When it comes to "les paul style" guitars, hell, I've heard the best about Tokai and Burney and other Japanese copies. The best IMHO would be a good replica made by a good luthier, but even that wouldn't qualify as a "real" Les Paul in the eyes of the purists.

 

[Udonitron]

The answer would be : Gibson. After that is all a matter of preferences. Just take a hat, putt all the good manufacturer that makes a single cut guitar an draw.

Carvin, PRS, Edwards, Tokai, Burny, Greco, Bacchus etc...

IMO : Larrivee RS-4 is really a beast and better then any MIJ Guitar but that's the canuck in me.

Oh I didn't realize you had played them all to come to that assumption lol

 

[mono]

So do modern day "real" Gibson Les Pauls count? And if so, why?

My point is that just because it is legally accountable as a Les Paul, does that make it better?

 

[TeleDog]

So do modern day "real" Gibson Les Pauls count? And if so, why?

My point is that just because it is legally accountable as a Les Paul, does that make it better?

Just what I was trying to say.. It has nothing to do with being better or worse, it's just that, technically speaking, if it's not a Gibson/Epi it's not a Les Paul.

And Gibson knows this, read the ads for Epi.. "here's your chance to get a REAL Les Paul at a price... blah blah....". That's why they have the prices they have, if you want a real Les Paul you have to get one of those...

Quality? A Les Paul with the nut falling off the slot is not a mark of quality, but like I said, it's not about that.

 

[Gabriel]

Has anyone compared the budget PRS's with say, Edwards or Tokais?

There's that ol petelacis comparison with a Gibson and an Edwards. It wasn't exactly a slamdunk for the Gibson.

Gibson Les Paul VOS 1960 vs Edwards Les Paul LP130 | Music + Technology = Pete Lacis

I have both. The Edwards is much better when it comes to pickups, electronics and nut. The PRS had better fretwork and similar finishing quality. Both are poly.

The Edwards has better tuning machines and hardware overly although the factory setup for the PRS was slightly better.

Soundwise the PRS sounded more modern and a somehow like a mixture between an LP and a strat but that was only because of the pickups. After putting a set of Alnico II Pro's and a CTS pots with a PIO cap it was creamy and thick like a nice LP.

 

[cheeseflavor]

Why is it sad? They're cheap too!!

Maybe "sad" isn't the correct word, but Gibson used to build the best (subjective, I know) and now the most copied guitars in the world. I find myself thinking back to when "Made in USA" meant it was the best there is.

Okay.. I'm waxing nostalgic now

Steve

 

[Fogboundturtle]

Maybe "sad" isn't the correct word, but Gibson used to build the best (subjective, I know) and now the most copied guitars in the world. I find myself thinking back to when "Made in USA" meant it was the best there is.

Okay.. I'm waxing nostalgic now

Steve

I got to try an '71 Les Paul deluxe with mini-humbucker last night. I gotta agree with you. They used to make the best guitar now its meh... I would certainly choose an MIJ over a Gibson MIA today.

 

[emptyisvarah]

japan made aria pro II