Just got an Ibanez Les Paul Lawsit

[lhrocker]

Well, in my quest for an inexpensive Les Paul style guitar, I decided to hit the local GC yesterday, and as always, there wasn't anything that caught my eye. I did a once around the store, and as I was ready to leave I saw a Les Paul on the used counter. I took a closer look and it was a set neck Ibanez LP. I picked it up and the strings were really slinky and old and the action was kinda high, but it had potential. It was tagged at $399, which is pretty cool.

I took it over to an amp, lowered the action a bit and plugged it in. It had 2 Dimarzio SD's with 2 coil tap switches. It sounded really good. The body is a 2 piece pancake with a birdseye(kinda) maple top. The board is really dark rosewood (maybe brazillian) and the frets were in execellent shape as were the nibs on the frets.

I decided to take her - the salesman threw in the case, which was really beat, but I have others, so it doesn't really matter.

It was a cool score and I'll pictures up shortly.

Sometimes you can get a pretty good deal at GC.

[Jimi D]

I picked up this at CG a few weeks back:



It's an Aria PE-120R from the Japanese Custom Shop - the same small facility where they make D'Aquisto archtops today - had an original MSRP of $2499. It's a lot like a Les Paul, but both the front and the back are arched Maple, with a Mahogany core. It's also got the really smooth Aria heel-less neck joint that's a joy to play - gives you unrestricted access right to the 22nd fret! These jpg-compressed pics look crap, but it's really very beautiful in person. The finish is called Antique Violin, and it's very subtle and classy...



It was hanging on the way up in a top corner of the wall with grotty strings and wa-a-a-ay too much relief in the neck, and it was priced so low I figured it must be one of the recent Korean models, at first... Once I got my hands on it, I began to think that there must be something wrong with it, because it's clearly a very high quality guitar; I own a PRS Standard 24 - a really good ST24, custom ordered, beautiful beyond words - and this thing is it's equal in every way... so I'm wondering "why so cheap?" and I borrowed a truss-rod wrench and adjusted the relief and the action there while the sales droog watched, then I plugged it into a Twin Reverb for a little spin and Woah! even with toasty strings the thing sings! I'm already sold but I think, what the heck, go for the gold, so I ask "It must come with a case, heh? I mean, you don't want to carry a guitar around without a case, right?" duh! and whadya know, they throw in a beat but functional SKB LP case for 1¢. So then I bought it - a PRS-quality, MIJ Custom Shop guitar with case, for less than the cost of an Epi LP! Nuts! ya, you never know what you'll find at a GC...

[charvelguy]

oh you toad... that is just sweet. I am a huge fan of the PE series..and that was top of the food chain. How much may I ask? That has to be from like 78-79-80. I have a PE-60 and I've scoped these out for years.

[jgcable]

Yep.. that Aria is a sweet guitar.

[zeegler]

I'm a big fan of the Uncle Mat Arias, and that one is certainly one of the higher end ones. I haven't got myself a PE yet, but I'll probably get one sooner or later.

[SEEGERMANY]

If you scored a set neck Ibanez LP for $399, you did good. They're hard to find.

Congrats!

[Jimi D]

oh you toad... that is just sweet. I am a huge fan of the PE series..and that was top of the food chain. How much may I ask? That has to be from like 78-79-80. I have a PE-60 and I've scoped these out for years.

This guitar is actually a 2000 - it came with all the original case candy, including the warranty card and original receipts... Anyway, you can see this model on the US web site here:

http://www.ariausa.com/series/PE120R/pe120r.html

It seems that it's basically a tribute or reissue of the R60/R80 series from the early '80s. You're right about it being top of the food chain, but even though it's still on Aria's USA website, I think the PE-120R has been replaced at the top end of the range by the PE-1500RI, a reissue of the 1976 PE-1500, and the PE-Extreme, which is a modern PE design. These newer models are the only ones available on the Aria Japan and International sites, so I'm pretty sure the 120R's out of production...

[lhrocker]

Finally got some pictures - I hope they come out:






I replaced the bridge with an ABR that I had laying around. Intonation is close on the E A and D, but if it turns out to be a problem, I will put a Nashville on it. Otherwise, it's cool for the cash.

[StukaJU87]

That looks like a great grab bro. Congrats. If I had seen it I would have had a hard time passing it up too.

[DonP]

Pete,

Close-ups of the fretboard and pancake body if you could.

Anyone know how to date these? Since it has Norlin features (3-piece neck, pancake body), I'm thinking it's from the mid 70's.

How do you like compared to the Project LP Custom you put together (and sold)?

Did you pay the full $399 or did you talk them down? I bet those assholes at GC paid some poor kid $200 or less for the trade-in.

[jwoods986]

Congrats, that is a sweet guitar for a good price!

[lhrocker]

Don - I paid $399 and they threw in the case, which they marked up to $35. I know that it's a 77 by the serial number, but I didn't see it in the 77 catalog. It is very much like the Custom that I put together in terms on feel and weight. I was thinking of plugging the holes for the switches, putting in push/pulls and refinishing it in wine red. The finish is definitely poly and much thicker than what I did.

Soundwise, it sounds really good. The neck is a bit hot, cause it's a SuperD, but the tone is great. If I could find a late 70's PAF, that would be great for the neck. Trade anyone????

I'll have more pictures tonight.

[SEEGERMANY]

I'm telling ya, that's the score of the month. Look at the top and how well it matches up. Great guitar!

[VulfgangPfuck]

Finally got some pictures - I hope they come out:

I replaced the bridge with an ABR that I had laying around. Intonation is close on the E A and D, but if it turns out to be a problem, I will put a Nashville on it. Otherwise, it's cool for the cash.

This one doesn't constitute a "Lawsuit" model. The Lawsuits were the ones with the Gibson "open book" headstock. Gibson didn't sue over body shapes in those days (????), they were suing over smaller things like pickup design, and headstock shape. I attribute that to Norlin being so ass backwards, and not able to afford legal councel to follow through on hundreds of lawsuits against other builders when they were in big financial trouble themselves.
Yours is pretty sweet nonetheless.

I have to find the post around here about Ibanez lawsuit guitars.

[SGplayer]

Nice lookin!!!!!