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butrus said:
Have the prices of MIJ almost reached the prices of originals?
Please prove me wrong.

Both Yes and No.

High end models have passed the "original" if you mean modern Gibson.
A 50's LP is still faaaaaar more expensive than a Japanese LP.

But the high end Japanese are more expensive than most Gibson Custom Shop guitars.

Regular models are still fairly low in price.

In my opinion they are over valued (but I keep on buying'em :D ).
However, there is nothing to justify the high prices more than a strong Yen so I think they will drop. Also, they are pretty common and that will for sure keep the prices down (with exception of the high end models perhaps).

But who knows???
 
You're wrong :D

You can pick up a used Goldstar or Fernandes Revival Strat up for 350 pounds in the UK a good bit less than a USA Fender and IMO as good or better.

If Les Pauls are your thing there are plenty of options still too, I would take a early '80's Greco Mint Collection at 5-600 over a Gibson at twice the price any day!!

The days of paying 700 quid for a EGF-1200 are gone though :( but you can still pick up plenty of MIJ bargains!
 
JohnA said:
You're wrong :D

You can pick up a used Goldstar or Fernandes Revival Strat up for 350 pounds in the UK a good bit less than a USA Fender and IMO as good or better.

If Les Pauls are your thing there are plenty of options still too, I would take a early '80's Greco Mint Collection at 5-600 over a Gibson at twice the price any day!!

The days of paying 700 quid for a EGF-1200 are gone though :( but you can still pick up plenty of MIJ bargains!

Recently I got a Fender Mexico Telecaster. My mate gave it to me and I said: "Why do you throw that piece of sxxt to me?" He said that it surely is a good guitar and I gotta give him that.
The Mexico Tele with US-pups is a Tokai-slayer.
I got a Classic Player Strat to se if they were any good and **** I was surprised. Also a Tokai-slayer.
I would choose a Mexican Fender over an American every day of the week.
Best bang for the bucks are the Mexico Fenders (imo). But then again, people are prepared to pay whatever for a feeling and I do not judge that (but I sure laugh behind their backs :D ).

When it comes to Gibson I would choose none lower than an EG800 or so. Those lower models don't do it for me in general. Especially the ceramic pickups are a real ice bath.
The thick plastic finish is also a real turn off to me.

However, talking tone and such is a different story. I had a MC EG600 from the first years. It had a superb tone and sounded great unplugged. After I replaced all the hardware, electronics and the pickups it became a Super Real-slayer for sure.
 
Koubayashi said:
Recently I got a Fender Mexico Telecaster. My mate gave it to me and I said: "Why do you throw that piece of sxxt to me?" He said that it surely is a good guitar and I gotta give him that.
The Mexico Tele with US-pups is a Tokai-slayer.

Which Tele is it? I briefly had a MIM 60s Tele, & it was very unimpressive - not a patch on a typical Breezy.
 
stratman323 said:
Koubayashi said:
Recently I got a Fender Mexico Telecaster. My mate gave it to me and I said: "Why do you throw that piece of sxxt to me?" He said that it surely is a good guitar and I gotta give him that.
The Mexico Tele with US-pups is a Tokai-slayer.

Which Tele is it? I briefly had a MIM 60s Tele, & it was very unimpressive - not a patch on a typical Breezy.


The 52 Baja Player or what it is called. Those that comes with American PUPs. And the Roadwoarn are really good too.

Japanese axes are very much hyped and there is a lot of "imagination" behind their greatness just like it is with American Vintage.
 
The Fender Squire Classic Vibe series are made in China and are great. The Tele's got a glowing review in Premier Guitar (or maybe it was Guitar Player) magazine.

I've got one of the 50's strats and aside from the cheap, skinny trem block, it's a keeper. Their pickups are believed to be Toneriders

Here's the link:

http://www.squierguitars.com/classicvibe/
 
marcusnieman said:
The Fender Squire Classic Vibe series are made in China and are great. The Tele's got a glowing review in Premier Guitar (or maybe it was Guitar Player) magazine.

Is that the pine bodied Tele?

http://www.squierguitars.com/products/search.php?partno=0303025507
 
Koubayashi said:
The 52 Baja Player or what it is called. Those that comes with American PUPs. And the Roadwoarn are really good too.

One of these?

http://www.fender.com/uk/products/search.php?partno=0141502389

I see that Fender no longer give out details of body wood or finish in the specs part. Hmmm, I wonder why that is?
 
I think in quite a few cases you could buy a new or recently made guitar by Gibson or Fender, of very high quality, for about the same money as a "vintage" Tokai.

Prices have gone up since the secret is out on the old MIJ guitars. There is a lot of competition among our group of collectors and new collectors joining the group every day for the best MIJ guitars, which is driving up the prices. Meanwhile, hundreds of Gibson historics are languishing on ebay with no bids and no real competition to purchase them.

Part of the attractiveness of buying a Tokai used to be "value", you got a great guitar for not so much money, but that is aspect is disappearing more and more.

The new $849 Gibson Les Paul Studio 50's tribute looks like an awesome guitar for the money, and it's a Gibson.

http://www2.gibson.com/Products/Electric-Guitars/Les-Paul/Gibson-USA/Les-Paul-Studio-50s-Tribute.aspx

Choices are getting tougher, so it's up to everyone to pick what they like best to spend their money on.
 
Wow - that does look impressive. Will be interesting to get the details below the published details. Only a few of the cost cutting measures are evident on the details page. I'd like to try one!
 
stratman323 said:
marcusnieman said:
The Fender Squire Classic Vibe series are made in China and are great. The Tele's got a glowing review in Premier Guitar (or maybe it was Guitar Player) magazine.

Is that the pine bodied Tele?

http://www.squierguitars.com/products/search.php?partno=0303025507

Yup... here are the specs:

http://www.squierguitars.com/products/view_specs.php?full_partno=0303025507&name=Classic+Vibe+Telecaster%26reg%3B+%9150s
 
Now that IS an interesting look - I don't think I've ever seen a P90 LP in white before.

GibsonLesPaulStudio50sTribute-WornS.jpg


Nice 8)
 
marcusnieman said:
Yup... here are the specs:

http://www.squierguitars.com/products/view_specs.php?full_partno=0303025507&name=Classic+Vibe+Telecaster%26reg%3B+%9150s

Pine? Interesting choice. :eek: I know the prototype Teles were pine, but I assume that Leo changed that for a reason.
 
DaveWW said:
Wow - that does look impressive. Will be interesting to get the details below the published details. Only a few of the cost cutting measures are evident on the details page. I'd like to try one!

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/LPST50WSCH/

They are selling like crazy, the Gibson guys are going nuts over them and most colors are backordered. There are cost cutting measures, it is a Les Paul "Studio":

-multi piece bodies
-satin finish
-no neck binding
-body binding is just unpainted wood like PRS does
-clear back electronics cover

Still I think it's an outstanding value for a USA made guitar.
 
I guess as all the other Gibson mass production guitars the quality of the wood is not worth talking about it and chambered to bring it under 5 kilos...this is already worst for the expensive LP Standards and I could imagine the wood used for the Studios is even worse.Looks pretty nice though,especially the worn HB
 
You're right, it's far from the best quality guitar you could make, but if I was a kid starting to play, a real Gibson with those features for $850 would be a gift from the heavens!
 
When I started only 2 years ago I was fascinated by all those wonderful Gibsons and was thinking about a Les Paul Studio.I met a guy,playing the blues since 35 years now and I guess he had already every guitar in his hands we can think of.He told me about a small czech company producing guitars,he knows the founder personally and even has a signature model :lol:
He told me that I would get there a guitar as good as any epiphone of todays standards and as any Gibson Studio.This guitar looks as good as any Gibson studio,only the weight is on the heavy side and I changed one PU for a SD Pearly Gates.

PRS011.jpg


From my opinion this was a gift from heaven : 300 euros with a hardcase and when this guy started to play I knew what is possible with that guitar.If she would be chambered the weight would even be the same as for a Gibson.It is as it is...the big companys sell so many guitars that there is not enough high quality wood.Best quality is needed for their customshop guitars,prices are horrible there.
Or you buy a MIJ... :wink: Perfect wood,perfect craftmanship !
 

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