Please help me choose my next guitar

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johnnyl

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I've been searching around the web to find me a decent quality Les Paul-style guitar to buy, and - after tons of coffee & cigarettes :lol: - I've narrowed my choice down to three options...
They are a late '90s Tokai LS 65, a mid 2000's Edwards E LP 85, and a 1983 Greco Mint Collection EG 800 C.
Since I'm totally undecided among these three, can you please tell me what the the differences "spec-wise" are? That would help a lot...

... Thanks! :wink:
 
Spec-wise they are all very similar guitars, a good example of any of those would be a great guitar! Rather than look at the details of the specs make a decision based on which one you like the look of best, and the condition of the frets etc.
 
Well, that's the problem: I like them all (they're my favourite three out of literally dozens I've seen around the net), and they're all in pretty good conditions... :wink:
 
johnnyl said:
Well, that's the problem: I like them all (they're my favourite three out of literally dozens I've seen around the net), and they're all in pretty good conditions... :wink:
Click to expand...

If they are a similar price then the Greco would probably be my choice, not familiar with the model EG 800 C, normall the mint collections would be EG80 not 800, is it a LP custom or standard?

Post some links or pics if you can
 
Yeah, this Mint Collection model should be called EG68-80 if I remember correctly, but the seller is selling it as an EG 800 C...
Maybe a transition model? Or maybe the seller is just wrong... :lol:

grecoeg800c.jpg
 
I see, it's a LP cutom, that wouldn't be my 1st choice then, customs should be black or white ;)

Between the Tokai & Edwards I would just toss a coin :)
 
Well, I didn't like this colour at first, but it's slowly growing on me... Though I prefer white or black Customs too for sure! :wink:
The problem is basically that the Greco looks like the higher quality of the three (darker fretboard, better looking inlays material, etc.), followed by the Tokai and then the Edwards... But if I go by the looks it's exactly the opposite! :lol: :roll:
 
Diamond said:
JohnA said:
Between the Tokai & Edwards I would just toss a coin :)
Click to expand...

I would love to know how you come to that conclusion, John?
Click to expand...

Both good guitars of similar quality, the Edwards probably has a set of Duncans and the Tokai from the 90's would probably come with the MK 3's, Edwards more than likely has a long tenon, not that I could personally care less, and maybe a nitro top-coat.

A 90's LS65 may well be a 3-piece back the Edwards almost certainly two.

So I still say heads for Tokai, Tails for Edwards :wink:
 
johnnyl said:
Yeah, this Mint Collection model should be called EG68-80 if I remember correctly, but the seller is selling it as an EG 800 C...
Maybe a transition model? Or maybe the seller is just wrong... :lol:

grecoeg800c.jpg
Click to expand...

I would go for the Greco, they are nitro finished for that model. Ask if it has waffle-back tuners as that is what that model should have. It could be the lower poly-finished model EGC-500 or EG68-50 if it has regular tuners.
 
Ok, since both the Greco and the Edwards are from Ishibashi's U-Box I had to go for the Tokai... Fact is I didn't browse Ishibashi's site for months now and somehow I managed not to notice the new (to me) minimum amount of 50000 yen per order! :roll:
It's ok though, as I said I was totally undecided...
So I just hit that "buy it now" button and bought this one:
http://cgi.ebay.it/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=120665453909&ssPageName=ADME:B:EOIBSA:IT:1123

... I know it's not for everyone but the exhibitionist rockstar that's in me loves it! :lol: (Not to mention the price...)

By the way: is that bridge pickup a MK2 in your opinion? Any clue about the neck one?

... And someone grab that Greco, it's 28000 yen goddammit! :wink:
 
Nice!! The bridge isn't a MK II, but it' a Gotoh so should be pretty good, no idea about the neck pickup.

Wouldn't be my first colour choice, but it's cool, and a great price!!
 
Thank you John! :wink:

Like for most people my preference goes for the "classic" LP colours (my favorite being honey burst) but this time I needed a "workhorse" for a new hard rock'n'roll project I'm starting, and this one is perfect: good looking, flashy, different, and it won't bother me too much if it takes some beating - which will happen for sure! :lol:

Hey... I just noticed they relabeled the Greco: it's an EGC68-50 now! :eek: :lol:
 
johnnyl said:
By the way: is that bridge pickup a MK2 in your opinion? Any clue about the neck one?
Click to expand...

Here's some info of a (probable UBC) pickup that has the same black plastic bottom plate.

http://forum.westoneguitars.net/search.forum?search_author=munkieNL&show_results=posts
 
Well, the back is definitely similar, but the Tokai one has "normal" polepieces... I doubt they're the same pickup honestly.

Any infos/opinions on Gotoh pickups BTW? I know the brand mainly because of their bridges, tuners, etc., but I know next to nothing about their pickups... :oops:
 
johnnyl said:
Any infos/opinions on Gotoh pickups BTW? I know the brand mainly because of their bridges, tuners, etc.
Click to expand...

I read somewhere on the forum that the Gotoh bridge,tuners,etc company is not the same as the Gotoh p.u. company

http://www.gotoh-pickups.co.jp/cgi-bin/goto/sitemaker.cgi?mode=page&page=page1&category=2
 
Hmm... Interesting, thank you for the link!

... Still, I just noticed that the back of the humbuckers on their site looks different from the one in my new guitar, with the polepieces sticking out - it's getting more and more confusing... :-?
 
Here's a tread about a bridge p.u. without the pole pieces sticking out the back.

http://www.tokaiforum.com/viewtopic.php?p=139266&highlight=#13926

Seems to be something mysterious :D
 

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