Modern MIJ-spec Les Pauls close to R7/R8

LaCathedrale_UK

I've been re-playing my Edwards '54 LP Custom (https://www.espguitars.co.jp/edwards/lp/E-LP-130CDP.html) and it's otherworldly - wonderful tuning stability, great sounding pickups, etc. etc. 

I'm thinking about getting shot of my Les Paul Halcyon (because while I enjoy it, I'm not sure putting £350 worth of pickups and labour into it to get it to something it's not meant to be is a good idea), and it seems that aiming for the that style from the get-go is a good choice.

I'm open to suggestion on the vintage Tokai/Burny thing, but I've had so much joy out of the Edwards I'm almost convinced to go with them again. I don't even think I missed the nitro finish on it!

Overall I'm looking for a guitar well appointed with wood, tuners, etc. and ideally PAF-style pickups and a fat '58 neck. Any pointers would be most helpful

brooom

I'm a big fan of japanese les pauls. Edwards are great guitars, but my advice, given that you're thinking vintage burny/tokai money is to actually go a step above edwards and go with one of ESPs best guitar. A navigator.

Edwards was created as the lowest end to the navigator guitars. They also come with some nice fat necks (although very confortable), seymour duncan antiquities, honduran mahogany and hardrock maple tops.

They are amazing, and can be had for relatively decent prices, if you use a proxy service for the yahoo japan auctions.

LaCathedrale_UK

Interesting - how much more should I expect on the auction-ending value for Yahoo Japan? I can find basically zero hits on ebay/reverb but there are a few there.

brooom

I've bought some for around 1500 pounds. All used of course and worn in. But you have to remember these guitars cost the same as gibson custom shop when new.

Teyeplayer

It is not a strict led Paul copy and neither is it jap made but if you want something that will give you r7/8 neck girth, nitro finish, CS quality build, then keep an eye out for a secondhand Eastman sb59, great guitars and a steal secondhand.

chrisj1602

Teyeplayer said:

It is not a strict led Paul copy and neither is it jap made but if you want something that will give you r7/8 neck girth, nitro finish, CS quality build, then keep an eye out for a secondhand Eastman sb59, great guitars and a steal secondhand.

The Eastmans look great and I haven't seen a bad review yet.

Limehouse_Blues

The Tokai I have listed in the classifieds might suit?

but if you want a new guitar you can’t go wrong with one of the special run LS1s that the dude at Tokai Germany orders in. Best of the current MIJ IMO

Hydra19

I go for Navigators, can be had for less than a reissue if you shop around.

I have two, with honduran mahogany, MOP inlays, hard rock maple, SD pickups, nitro, etc.. I sometimes consider a gibson reissue as a backup to the Navigators, but I am open to the Navigators getting dethroned but in 3 years, they are still the best guitars I ever had.

Next I would like to try the early 80's Tokai which I heard are on the same level as the Navigators, but with added mojo. I had burnys and grecos but never a tokai.

I would advise you to research a bit more while being patient for good deals to appear. The good deals are often online for a day or two before someone buys them so it helps to have the funds ready to go. 

brooom

Between my navigators and my 80s Grecos there really isn't a better one. They're all really good. Crews are another great brand with some very nice Les Pauls. But I'd still bet on the navigators as you'll be able to find a used cheaper one with great specs.

Schnozz

My Seventy Seven Stork Standard, as made by hand for Deviser / Headway Guitars in Japan - It's like their Gibson Memphis Branch, as although an R8 in every other regard, it's Chambered.

Emiel

The high end Tokais from the early 80s are great. I agree on the ‘mojo’ thing, they just look the part! But that makes them not necessarily better than anything else. Being so old means they often some TLC, new frets etc and I changed the pickups and pots on mine.

A well spec’ed Navigator seems like a good choice. Have a look on the My Les Paul Forum and see whether you can find some useful information on which one to get; it can be quite complicated as the exact model of these Japanese gits can only be told by examining its specs and not by the name or whatsoever on the guitar!

meltedbuzzbox

another +1 for a navigator/Edwards

FX_Munkee

Navigator is a good shout but I'd also say that if you like the Edwards you could go up a notch and get one of their ALS (all laquer series, basically nitro finished). I've got a 2006 130 ALS-RE basically this:-
http://www.espguitars.co.jp/edwards/lp/E-LP-135ALS.html
as well as nitro finish it has SD antiquities and top quality hardware, also it's incredibly light.
The thing about Edwards for me is that I have so much confidence in their QC that it's one of the few quitars I would buy without playing first. I've never seen a bad one. Which makes them a good internet purchase in my eyes.

John_A

Navigator if you are buying new, but they're not cheap. There are plenty of Old Tokai LS80s and upwards that have been well cared for, also Orville by Gibsons and Greco EGF 850 and up are excellent guitars.  Sold all my Gibsons and now have a LS80 as my main Les Paul, and an Orville by Gibson that I'm selling both of which are IMO better than anything other than Historic level Gibsons and a few R9's

IMO Edwards are good, but nothing like as good as  some of the older Tokai. OBG, Greco's

As with every brand though, beware, just because it has Greco on the headstock and it's old doesn't mean its a great guitar

Jez6345789

I loved Japanese  Les Pauls and eulogised about then endlessly Burny/Tokai/Edwards sold them all 10 years ago and decided I could afford to track down a full fat R9 that gave me Gibson on the headstock, I was largely disappointed. 

I am back now with a Greco 1200 Dry Z pickups old 80's wood and never been happier, I have sort of given up on the technical aspects of why these guitars work so well they simply do. This one has that Tele on Steroids thing in spades rather than the reissue R8/R9 tone which I find not bad or unusable but completely different to when you listen to them back to back with a classic burst.

I saw one in the classifieds here for around 2k frankly Imy wallet can't  justify 2 but my heart says sell something LOL

I would really give the 1200 GRECO a close look these things have a cult following and are seldom found cheap and the pickups make silly money. Think only about 300 or so made. 

brooom

Jez6345789 said:

I loved Japanese  Les Pauls and eulogised about then endlessly Burny/Tokai/Edwards sold them all 10 years ago and decided I could afford to track down a full fat R9 that gave me Gibson on the headstock, I was largely disappointed. 

I am back now with a Greco 1200 Dry Z pickups old 80's wood and never been happier, I have sort of given up on the technical aspects of why these guitars work so well they simply do. This one has that Tele on Steroids thing in spades rather than the reissue R8/R9 tone which I find not bad or unusable but completely different to when you listen to them back to back with a classic burst.

I saw one in the classifieds here for around 2k frankly Imy wallet can't  justify 2 but my heart says sell something LOL

I would really give the 1200 GRECO a close look these things have a cult following and are seldom found cheap and the pickups make silly money. Think only about 300 or so made. 

You might have found the one I have for sale here in the forum. With the original DRY Z pickups.

They're really really good les pauls. Pretty much what you described. Definitely resembles a vintage les paul more then any historic. Not that historics are bad, I'm also selling an excellent historic, but they don't sound or respond like old les pauls. High end grecos from the 80s definitely got that in spades.

LaCathedrale_UK

My new job is a few hundred feet away from GuitarGuitar in Camden so I had a play aroound with the Gibsons there and I was blown away at how much nicer the 58' Reissues were compared to the Standards, etc. - the pickups and neck profile were out of this world. I'm worried about buying remote now, because there's not much in it (in the descriptions, at least) and yet they felt very different!

Teyeplayer

LaCathedrale_UK said:

My new job is a few hundred feet away from GuitarGuitar in Camden so I had a play aroound with the Gibsons there and I was blown away at how much nicer the 58' Reissues were compared to the Standards, etc. - the pickups and neck profile were out of this world. I'm worried about buying remote now, because there's not much in it (in the descriptions, at least) and yet they felt very different!

No two les Paul’s or les Paul types are the same -never buy remote, make sure you try before you buy and get the guitar that is best for you. Much as Gibson have attempted the mass production that Leo Fender perfected, these are not instruments that can be assembled in the same manner or with the uniformity of a telecaster.

LaCathedrale_UK

Teyeplayer said:

LaCathedrale_UK said:

My new job is a few hundred feet away from GuitarGuitar in Camden so I had a play aroound with the Gibsons there and I was blown away at how much nicer the 58' Reissues were compared to the Standards, etc. - the pickups and neck profile were out of this world. I'm worried about buying remote now, because there's not much in it (in the descriptions, at least) and yet they felt very different!

No two les Paul’s or les Paul types are the same -never buy remote, make sure you try before you buy and get the guitar that is best for you. Much as Gibson have attempted the mass production that Leo Fender perfected, these are not instruments that can be assembled in the same manner or with the uniformity of a telecaster.

Maybe I was just extremely lucky with my Edwards then, but I understand your advice and will take it to heart.

brooom

I find navigators are extremely consistent from guitar to guitar. These 3 I have from 2001, 2003 and 2011 are all equally great playing with very similar feel, wood grain, tone. They are all incredible as well, some of my favourite guitars.

breezytele

Momose are fine too. High end label in the Deviser group. 

The top range handmade Bacchus (Duke)  are good (although Bacchus have cheaper lines too)