Best Vintage LP Copy Under $400?

[lightandmind]

You already have the Les Paul. You can easily shave the neck down and re-finish it for far less than $400.

Definitely correct Jim! Actually, I have no qualms with the neck really, (although I WOULD love an LP with the neck of an SG), but it's just that,, I just,, I just can't make love to it. Like a wife with-whom you have lost the desire to be with, and only stuck around because of the kids anyway. Man, I was at HUGE instrument-driven pawn shop and found an '70's Vantage body admits an old pile of guitartifacts up in their attic, I held it and caressed it, and I felt an immediate connection to it. I asked the shopkeep how much he'd let it go for and proceeded to hand it to him for inspection, to which he replied, "About $140,, but I don't want to sell it". Amidst the 2,000+ guitars they claimed to possess, he didn't want to sell it because he saw it's potential, and this guy would and could have cut me a huge break on anything in the store. I'm not one to attain true musical "purity", or even entertain the holistic practice of finding "mojo", my LP just feels like it fell-off an assembly line.

The Aria and Vantage guitars from '78-'80 are amazing IME/O; made at the Matsumoku factory in Japan.

Hell yeah Kenny. Do you have any experience with the PE series Sir?

I love Electras. I have about six of them. Might be selling one soon actually. That Aria PE is also a fine guitar. A bandmate had one, and it was fun as heck to play. A little heavy but Les Pauls are as well.

Killer. Yeah man, that's my only worry. Something a little bit lighter than my Studio would certainly suffice.

Go play a Reverend Charger HB. Seriously. If you switch back and forth between Gibson and Fender scale-length guitars (as I do), this is a no-brainer for AWESOME ROCK SOUNDS

That thing looks killer and quite interesting, actually,, and may even come in handy for a whole 'nother project, I'm adding it to the "potential gear" list

[KennyLusk]

The Aria and Vantage guitars from '78-'80 are amazing IME/O; made at the Matsumoku factory in Japan.

Hell yeah Kenny. Do you have any experience with the PE series Sir?

Yeah, I played a few pf the PE's when I was in the market for a new guitar in '79/'80. I compared a lot of guitar's before I made up my mind; a few Aria's, Fender Strat & Tele, Hamer's, Epiphone's, Peavey's, even that crazy Kramer with the aluminum neck and the v shaped headstock. I ended up buying the Epiphone Genesis and really enjoyed it. It was one of the guitars made at the Matsumoku factory.

I just recently bought one of Epiphone's reissue Genesis guitars and really like it. The neck is nice and wide but they shave the profile down a bit so it's flatter on the bottom so it's easier to play than the original. The pickups are Epi's new ProBucker with has a smoother tone compared to the original's open coil pickups, and the coil tap switches have been replaced by push/pull volume knobs. It's got nice tone, is well-crafted, detailed, has nice fretwork, a beautiful finish, and is a little lighter than the original. A nice guitar.

Sweetwater is still selling them:
http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/EGGNBCGH3/

[numberthirty]

If you like the Electra, why not buy one and have the neck reworked to match an SG?

[lightandmind]

If you like the Electra, why not buy one and have the neck reworked to match an SG?

Thanks, I'm trying to keep costs down as much as I can. I decided to look for something with an ebony fretboard, so I'm currently on the prowl for an MIJ mahogany with a slimmer, set-neck and ebony fretboard,, and I'm going to throw some active pickups in it.

[Kelly]

Look for a Fernandes APG-100. The neck however is maple which is not historically accurate. The maple cap on the guitar is not a vernier, its actually a rather good chunk of maple, which you really dont see on 400 dollar gtrs.