japanese Les Paul

[charvelguy]

Re: japanese Les Paul

Well, they can enforce copyright protection of the design, especially on a name that gets put on a headstock...which is at least part of the reason why you no longer see Ibanez, Tokai or any other MIJ company put 'Les Paul Model' in gold silkscreen just like the originals. The recent singlecut legal battle with PRS was a significant win for them as far as 'design'...but getting back to imports..this is why Gibson started using Orville in the 80's. They could fight the legal battle of copyright protection on imports and have a share of market control in Japan by using one of their manufacturers to promote the Gibson name with the Gibson design. I'm not sure of all the legalities, I recall reading something on the web about it at one time but I'd have to read up on it
.... or someone else here could chime in.

[zeegler]

Re: japanese Les Paul

[ QUOTE ]
By comparison, Agiles are made of wet cardboard.
Good wood costs money. My Pop is a talented woodworker and buys quality hardwoods all the time. I can't see how some of these companies can sell something made of good wood for the prices they do. It obvious what being cut...quality materials. That's one of the big things you are paying for when spending good money on a guitar.

[/ QUOTE ]

Chuck, you're probably dead on in some cases, but I think you're missing one thing. Think about the difference in labor costs. In North America, a guy who works in a guitar shop is probably paid quite reasonably. In China, that's not the case. They would likely get the same bowl of rice a day that anyone gets. Cost of labor is what really makes these guitars cheap.

[xjimmyleungx]

Re: japanese Les Paul

I also have GAS for a Les Paul in black , but cant afford a real Gibson.
LTD EC1000 seems a great deal to me, although its korean made.

[atomic charvel guy]

Re: japanese Les Paul

charvelguy is right on the money about the older love rock models. i tried to offer a guy 1k for one last week and he said thanks but no thanks.1500 was his bottom. it was one beautiful guitar.

[atomic charvel guy]

Re: japanese Les Paul

the thing i don't like about a lot of the mij les paul customs is that the fretboards are rosewood instead of ebony like gibsons. be careful out there.

[ApeDosMil]

Re: japanese Les Paul

Yes, some of the Grecos that I have checked out actually had Ebony!

Rosewood only looks good when the body matches it. Like a sunburst body and Rosewood look sweet.

A ebony body and rosewood looks like stabbed poo [img]/images/graemlins/eviltongue.gif[/img]