Need a cheap but decent a backup for my LP custom .any ideas ?!

riffpowers

i sold most of my gear last year due to hard financial times , but now I need to get a backup guitar again now that the gigs are starting to pile up .

my main guitar is a les Paul custom. I need something with a similar feel and sound , something that is very very good value but good quality too, , that is good enough to be a road worthy backup for my main guitar, and also good enough to be used as my flying / touring guitar when I can only take 1 .

any ideas ??!!

jimmyguitar

An 80's MIJ Burny

jimmyguitar

Or this?

Epiphone Les Paul Custom Pro with Gibson Pickups

https://www.gumtree.com/p/for-sale/epiphone-les-paul-custom-pro-with-gibson-pickups/1228980844?utm_campaign=socialbuttons&utm_content=app_ios&utm_medium=social&utm_source=sms

timhulio

How about an Ibanez Artist? It's got some extra switches to fiddle with, and if you buy an old one it'll not lose any value.

FelineGuitars

This is very solid and an amazing player (25.5" scale though) Classic output pickups.
http://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/98976/esp-ltd-h1001fm-superstrat-feline-pimped#latest

underdog

Gibson LPJ (not junior but LPJ model they done in 2013/14) used they cost around £350 full fat Gibson in dimensions, maples neck so better for flying than most LPs, they sound fantastic and look good in the gold.

sweepy

Gibson Tribute series perhaps ? depends on your budget but no matter what people say a Tokai, Burny , Greco etc does not sound and feel like a Gibson. 

Voxman

You don't give a budget, but I'd suggest you want a proper Gibson.  So, this (for around £577)

Gibson Les Paul Faded 2017 T Electric Guitar Worn Cherry

http://www.dv247.com/guitars/gibson-les-paul-faded-t-2017-electric-guitar-wc-worn-cherry--232462

See vid here

Alegree

I can't recommend the 2nd tier Harley Benton LPs enough! (the ones that start at about £130)  After swapping electronics, cutting the nut slots down and giving it a good setup mine is my #1.  You could get a tech to do all of this and you'd still have change left from what you'd have spent to get the 2nd best option.

The neck heels are far nicer than standard Gibson ones and the brighter woods for a guitar design that is commonly too dark in the neck position are just perfect. To be honest, all of their tier 2 guitars of the standard designs have left me floored after a little modding. 

stimpsonslostson

It obviously depends on your budget, 

Vintage V100- excellent budget choice. I much prefer these to Epiphones- Especially the (slightly) more expensive Lemon Drop model. £150 used. (£200 for a LD). 

Gibson Tribute range- the cheapest real LP  "right" name on the headstock. I like the feel of the satin finish, but it wears quickly. £400 used

I play an Edwards MIJ & love it. I think the finish on mine is poly rather than nitro, but it plays & sounds awesome. Rare though. £450

Gibson Studio- a proper LP minus any frippery. I've seen loads of bands use them live. £500ish


Why wouldn't you take your no.1 when flying/touring? Would the best hard case you can find not be a better investment? You could still have the money for a V100 left over in case of emergency. 

ICBM

underdog said:

Gibson LPJ (not junior but LPJ model they done in 2013/14) used they cost around £350 full fat Gibson in dimensions, maples neck so better for flying than most LPs, they sound fantastic and look good in the gold.

This. The maple neck makes it far less likely to get damaged in transit than any equivalent with a mahogany one, even with a scarf joint.

Since that's the main reason I wouldn't fly with an expensive guitar - the other is it going 'missing' - I would choose on that basis alone and worry about things like pickups later, if the stock ones aren't quite what you want.

Put it in a Hiscox case too.

dogload

Get a secondhand DeArmond M75 or M75T.

They are pretty cheap (usually between 300 - 400 quid) and are excellent quality. Mahogany construction with a very comfortable, non-skinny neck. The M75T has the single coil 2K pickups that are very sweet -sounding and is fitted with a Bigsby-alike trem, whilst the M75 has a pair of Gold Tone humbuckers which sound fantastic either clean or dirty.

I've got a 75T which has a very focused sound and is one of my go-to guitars for recording as it is surprisingly versatile. The only thing stopping me playing it live is that as a Fender guy, I find that it is a bit weighty. But if you are an LP player you should be OK

Teetonetal

underdog said:

Gibson LPJ (not junior but LPJ model they done in 2013/14) used they cost around £350 full fat Gibson in dimensions, maples neck so better for flying than most LPs, they sound fantastic and look good in the gold.

Came here to say more or less the same. Wisdom that man.

TTBZ

LTD Eclipse could be worth a look?

mr-mac

Depends on what you wanna spend.  Maison an old Korean make did a Let's play model which was sunburst (mahogany back and maple cap, proper carved shape, starts out quite flat and goes quite high in middle, just like some of the really old LP's).  They also did a higher up model which was white or black, has a diamond headstock, these were solid alder backs and maple cap.  Action proper low (in fact lowest I have played om both my Maisons). Neck joins extend more than half way into pickup cavity....  Now here is the good bit, bide your time and plenty of people pick these up for under £100 (which is cracking for all wood, no laminate), £150 in very good cond is reasonable.  So it leaves plenty of budget that you could.... Throw on some Deacci PAF's, Faber tail piece and bridge, rewire and new pegs and still come in at a seriously compelling price . Will post a pic of mine . Iirc even yer man at Mojo Pickups still has one

sawyer

Second-hand PRS se Tremonti always seem good value.

RandallFlagg

Get a Chapman, they are just as heavy :-)

mr-mac

My Korean Maison Les Paul... Perfect workhorse for gigging and taking the scars of the road .  Canny seem to get photo to post... Will try later :

mr-mac

ToneControl

Fernandes Ravelle

mr-mac