A few weeks ago I imported a 2004 Navigator N-LP-STD - essentially a Gibson VOS '58 (IMO better, but I would say that having dumped the money on it) with assistance from
@brooom ;
While it was en-route I sold my other gear and spent the whole intervening period playing my Edwards P90-equipped LP and thought it was excellent. I couldn't get enough of it and when the Navigator arrived and I A/B tested them I couldn't see much in it at all - to say I was a little underwhelmed was an understatement.
I decided to spend some time with the Navi and see how it panned out and we came to gel really quickly. The neck profile is perfect, the action great, the pickups with loads of dynamic range and set up perfectly (thanks to
@FelineGuitars ) and I can't put it down.
Today was the first day I picked up my Edwards and I was aghast - certainly it's a good guitar, but not even remotely in the same league in fit and finish, playability or sound. My acoustic - same feeling, and certainly my old LP.
Gosh, I think I may have raised the bar too high (both in quality and financial implication- maybe I need to upgrade this Edwards P90 to a Navigator Goldtop!) HA!
Comments
https://i.imgur.com/bq5vln7.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/rJfPmwG.jpg
I really like the way the navigators respond to my playing so I'm done when it comes for looking for les pauls.
Enjoy yours and keep an eye out for the japanese proxy auction services or ebay. You might find a nice one with P90s as I recently did from Denmark.
I quite like this one that just came up for sale, but I already have my count:
https://www.rinkya.com/en/auction-o244154273?dollar=part
SUGGESTION #2) Vive la difference.
I have two P90-equiped Les Pauls of different construction and price but with similar pickups. They sound and ride differently to each other. Rather than expect them to be directly interchangeable, I use each for what it does better.
Regard the bank, I've paid with both paypal and transferwise on rinkya, no issues raised by the bank.
Regarding @Funkfingers suggestion, I realise you have now been spoiled with Navigators, but actually Edwards are nice guitars, so the idea of maybe giving it the same treatment as you did the navigator could actually yield pretty satisfying results. Maybe install some seymour duncan antiquities P90s in the edwards as well.
The difference lies in the details. Some of the difference is cosmetic (fake ageing) and some of it is the bar magnet choices.
It is possible to get an SP90-1 to sound more like an Antiquity by swapping one or both of its bar magnets to A2, A3 or A4.
If the Edwards guitar lacks some of the mechanical/acoustic sustain of the Navigator, it may be possible to compensate for this with a hotter bridge position pickup. I *borrow* the PRS McCarty Soapbar model idea of using a Duncan SP90-3N for this purpose.
If you fancy a humbucker tone in a guitar routed for P90s, there is a Creamery pickup listed in the Parts £ section.
https://www.faberguitar.com/Tokai-LS1-R4-GT-Reborn-Old_1
Mine is the best feeling and best playing P90 equipped LP I’ve ever played - including a bunch of 50s examples which smashed it the intangible mojo department but had nothing on it in terms of fit, finish, feel or sound.
I’ve played an Edwards P90 GT and remember that it weighed a ton and was sonically not that vital.
I had an LP Custom that I didn´t get along with, probably the ebony board. I have a flametop Navigator from the 80´s which is just as good as the Goldtop Les Paul.
I´m really glad to have these, as they are just so nice to play, sound and look great. The grain on the Strat almost looks like ash, and the guitar cannot weigh more than 3.2kg.
I have confidence buying Navigators, every guitar has impressed me, and it´s no wonder I always go for Navigators over others. My Navias have been quite cheap, considering what they sell for new, and considering their high end specs, similar speced guitars from better known brands are more expensive .
So I´d say I´m in the Navigators have ruined other brands for me. The thing is, I really like Mosrite guitars and Fender Jaguars, but Navigator don´t make those models so I have to settle for the originals. Actually, they have just started making Jaguars and Jazzmaster but are still new enough that there isn´t any 2nd hand ones on sale in Japan yet. Knowing how much I love my Fender Jaguar, I can only imagine what a Navigator Jaguar could be like but I would buy it without trying with no hesitations.
If you can try a Navigator do it, I haven´t played so many Les Pauls, but I have had Grecos, Orville by Gibsons, and Burny´s and the 2 Navigator Les Pauls I have are the 2 best Les Pauls I have ever played in my life. And the Strat is the same, I don´t think I will ever find another guitar that plays so well. I have measured the relief and the neck is too straight, and the action is too low to make sense, but playing it defies numbers, it feels great with no buzz. Love Navigators!
Ended up buying an Ernie Ball 3 inch neoprene strap with the polylock ends on it and it feels comfortable and for mine, not too heavy at all.
The Seth Lovers are great pickups, but I’ve got a pair of Monty’s PAFs and one of his 50’s wiring harnesses ready to go which have me chomping at the bit wanting to try them!
Just the other night, I weirdly found the guitar listed for sale on another Japanese site, and which has some nice pictures: https://www.worldshopping.global/en/detail/2958800