Tried a 60's neck Les Paul.....

melibreits · Post by **melibreits** » Mon Nov 24, 2003 5:32 am

A few weeks ago while in a music store I got to try one of those reissue 60's neck Gibson Les Pauls, and loved it! That narrow neck felt as good to play as any of my Rics, and I love that crunchy Les Paul sound.... and now I'm kind of secretly wanting one (in a really bad way), but just can't justify buying another guitar right now-- amateur that I am, I need another guitar like I need another hole in my head! Do I dare (gasp!) sell one of my Rics to buy one of these, or will I get over wanting one? Of course my '67 365 will always be my number one!

doctorwho · Post by **doctorwho** » Mon Nov 24, 2003 9:08 am

Melissa, I you like that LP neck, try out, if possible, a 1967 ES-335. I've had mine, the second guitar I bought, since 1969, and I accredit its thin and narrow neck as the major factor that made it so easy for me to get into Rickenbackers.

Another guitar in my collection with an unusually thin and narrow neck is my c. 1973 Bunker ProStar. I have both a six-string electric as well as a four-string bass, and both necks are really, really thin and narrow.

melibreits · Post by **melibreits** » Mon Nov 24, 2003 11:31 am

Thanks, Gary....those ES-335's are really nice guitars, but like I said, I need another guitar like I need another hole in my head.... we have a big home remodeling project coming up and will need every bit of cash we can get, LOL (Hmmmm....do I want another guitar, or do I want that dishwasher, which will give me more time to play?) I think I'm just having a bad case of wishful thinking right now, as my rational mind tells me that 10 Rics is enough, at least for now! I may end up selling one of my 330's anyway, just because it seldom gets any play any more.... Just can't get that Les Paul out of my mind, though!

philco · Post by **philco** » Mon Nov 24, 2003 3:59 pm

Melissa, keep your Rickenbackers!!! Gibsons and Fenders are just overpriced, PERIOD! If you really have a Les Paul craving, look into something in the Agile line at www.rondomusic.bigstep.com . I am looking at an Agile Telecaster copy for my dad. I stumbled across Agile on Harmony-Central while researching Dillion, and an owner rated them above the more expensive Dillion copies he owned. I am VERY interested in the Agile Explorer copy. Agile has fabulous reviews on Harmony-Central, and from people who owned the vintage guitars they are copied from. Rondo Music is the direct importer, and thus eliminates the middleman markup. Their Brice basses also have great reviews. If you have more money to spend, check out a Les Paul copy at www.traditionguitars.com . The Jerry Reid signature Tele looks great also. If you ever have a craving for an ES-335, then an Oscar Schmidt at $180 from Musician's Friend may satisfy. My father has one and it definitely has the gutsy ES-335 type of sound. Sounds best through a good tube amp like a Traynor YCV40. Not quite as good as his Gretsch, but good enough and a different sound. I have a new OLP SB4 bass in the mail, with real EMG pickups, American maple neck, rosewood fretboard, flamed maple top on solid basswood (one of the best combinations for bass tone), and if the sound quality and playability is as good as my OLP MM2, then I got a steal at $252 delivered. Some MM2 owners actually PREFER the OLP MM2 to a Music Man StingRay because of the passive pickups and lighter weight, and it can be upgraded to true Sting Ray active status for about $200 with a Seymour Duncan kit. The copies have closed the gap to where it makes no sense to spend the big bucks, IF YOU GET THE RIGHT COPY. Some H-C reviewers rated the Oscar Schmidt OE30 "Delta King" above the Epiphone Dot, even though it is half the price. Makes sense, because Gibson is a ripoff company on pricing. If I liked the ES-335 style, I would definitely own that OE30 copy, but.........I really have my eye on that Agile Explorer copy at Rondo Music, in the flame top version.

Of course, none of this applies to Rickenbackers, as there are very few copies that I know of, and fewer of them approach the real thing, from what I have seen. Rickenbackers are just a better investment, and if you just want a Gibson or Fender type guitar to PLAY (not as a collector), then the good copies will do as far as I am concerned. I get to experiment around and have more money left over for Rickenbackers and other great guitars that are better than Gibsons and Fenders. I will NOT invest in an expensive Spector bass unless I like the close copy that an OLP SB4 actually is, being licensed by Spector to OLP. May not ever want to upgrade, as I like lightweight basswood bodies just fine. I will NEVER sell my 650D or 4004L to own any Gibson or Fender I ever saw or heard. My $230 MM2 is actually better than the '75 P-bass I once owned and that I paid the equivalent of $1000 for in today's money.

melibreits · Post by **melibreits** » Mon Nov 24, 2003 6:45 pm

Thanks for all the info, Philco.... I didn't realize that copies could be that good-sounding! At this point I will just have to wait and see what happens.... I'm not planning on spending any money on guitars right now, unless the one of my dreams magically appears before my eyes.... I missed a really pretty one last week, LOL! (It was a Ric, not a Gibson!) By the way, how do the necks on the guitars you mentioned feel compared to Ric necks? One of the big appeals of the Les Paul I tried was that Ricky-feeling narrow neck. The color was real pretty, too: I would call it "golden-glo;" it was a transparent golden color shading to a dark brown at the edges. Would love to see that color on a Ric, especially on one with a bound soundhole.

shamustwin · Post by **shamustwin** » Tue Nov 25, 2003 5:24 am

BTW, can anyone say how the new Gretsches compare to the old? I used to have a mid '60's C.A. Tennesean, and would like to again, but a re-issue is more affordable.

Melissa-have you tried a Duo-Jet? They play very nice.

melibreits · Post by **melibreits** » Tue Nov 25, 2003 5:40 am

Jerry, I haven't tried a Duo-Jet, but I'm almost afraid to try anything else, lest I develop an even worse case of GAS, LOL! The price tag on the Les Paul was more than I paid for my nicest Ric, which kind of keeps things in perspective for me. Philco is right, Gibson gets too much money for their product just because they're Gibson and everybody wants one. Supply and demand, I guess!

eatswodo · Post by **eatswodo** » Tue Nov 25, 2003 7:08 am

Musician's Friend now has the Oscar Schmidt OE30 for $149.99.... it truly is a great time to be a guitar buyer on a limited budget!

soundmasterg · Post by **soundmasterg** » Tue Nov 25, 2003 3:39 pm

Melissa, you may be able to have a custom guitar made for a reasonable price also. Check out Koll guitars at www.kollguitars.com. Saul Koll is a friend of mine and makes fabulous guitars! He can make them any way you like, but also has standard models. He's been reviewed several times in Guitar Player and other publications, as you can see on his site. I think his cheapest standard model guitar is right around $950 or so, and he tends to use the Gibson style of construction, which would allow his guitars to easily approach Les Paul type sound with the right pickups. If I had the spare change, I would be having him make me some guitars as he's great to deal with and is really good at his craft. Hope that helps?

philco · Post by **philco** » Tue Nov 25, 2003 4:19 pm

Greg is right, go with any good custom builder before you go with Gibson as long as their price is reasonable.

The people who once built Gibsons are still building them in Kalamazoo, Michigan, under the Heritage name, in the same factory the Gibsons were built in.

The Oscar Schmidt OE30 has a slimmer neck than my 650D, more like the neck on my OLP bass which is similar to my 4004L only maybe a bit narrower. My father said it felt a lot like a Les Paul neck. It's also similar to his Gretsch neck he likes so much. He raves on the feel of the Gretsch neck, and any other guitar that pleases him must have a good neck. That Gretsch has some seriously worn frets and the finish is worn thin on the neck from all the playing he gives it.

philco · Post by **philco** » Tue Nov 25, 2003 7:13 pm

I should also mention to be careful how you buy these cheap copy guitars. Sometimes it's better to buy from the store, but you can sometimes find the same guitar for less money online at eBay from the same store, but they always charge shipping because the lowest acceptable bid is cut to the bone. Still, my OLP SB4 was cheaper on eBay from Music123 than from their store by about $48, because nobody bid the price up. You have to wait a few days for the auction to close, but it can be worth it, and you can always buy from the store if it gets bid up. Ed Roman also listed different online and store prices for his entry level guitars. Also, Grand Central Music in Duluth seems to be specializing in OLP guitars and basses and are giving free gig bags at the Musician's Friend instrument only price.

Some lucky person got a new OLP SB5 5-string Spector bass copy for only $215.02 delivered on an eBay auction!!! How cheap will these things go after the Christmas season is over and some dealers are stuck with excess stock? BTW, Gibson recently opened a new factory in the PRC, so anybody who gives much more for a new Chinese Epiphone than an OLP costs is getting gouged by Gibson. OLP seems to be offering nice copies of other great guitars BESIDES Fenders and Gibsons, and it's about time somebody did. My hat is off to OLP for making something besides Les Paul, SG, ES-335, Strat, Tele, P-bass, and J-bass copies available.

sneakers · Post by **sneakers** » Tue Dec 23, 2003 4:56 am

$2K wherever you look. I have a Standard with a '60's neck. Don't get the Cherry burst, get the Desert burst one. Sitting side by side, my Ric 360/12 FG and the Les Paul are one beautiful site.