Another guess the guitar thread

[Shuie]

Here's another copy of a late '50s Gibson classic, a '59 Les Paul Junior doublecut. Only hint this time is that its almost a Gibson and actually used Gibson electronics and hardware with permission from Gibson.

the action is really high right now, but it stays in tune and plays well. Wow, it is resonant. I know what a really resonant guitar is supposed to sound/feel like unplugged, but this guitar is different than anything Ive ever owned. When you hit the strings the entire guitar vibrates and feels like its alive . Im going to go ahead and set it up with a set of 11s and have fun with it for a while. this one may be a keeper. It will definitely relieve my GAS (Gear Acquisition Syndrome) problem for a while.

Anyway, heres the new fiddle. Headstock shot will get posted when someone guesses what it is.

[scottmandue]

Is that photo taken in you living room?

[Jared at Pelican Parts]

Aria?

[Shuie]

Originally posted by scottmandue
Is that photo taken in you living room?

Believe it or not, I dont have too many guitars. They come and go pretty quickly. Ive got two boxed up and ready to go right now. The pic is one the seller sent me from the shop in Japan. The first pics I took today didnt come out real well so I posted some of the ones I was sent in the email.

Good guess Jared, but its not Aria.

[Les Paul]

Epi?

[Shuie]

Good guess, but no, Epiphone is a Korean company. However, this companies guitars were actually made in the Epiphone factory in Korea for one year. That was in '96 or '97. You can tell those by the inked on serial number instead of the stamped version.

The company that made this guitar was purchased by Gibson specifically for the purpose of breaking into the Japanese market. I bet Gibson never thought Americans would be going out of their way to import the Japanese manufactured version of their design instead of the US version

[Rick Lee]

Kramer?

[scottmandue]

[Les Paul]

Gibson bought Epiphone in 66 if I recall. If you are in the market for a 66 maybe 67 or older epi the prices are steep. Especially the Casino's.

You had a beautiful Les Paul Tokai copy a few months ago, is it a Tokai?

[Rick Lee]

No Scott, this is the Kramer I mean.

[Jared at Pelican Parts]

How drunk do you suppose Eddie is in that picture?

[scottmandue]

Rick,
I had one of those... minus the ten thousand knobs and trick stuff, great feedback guitar.

[Shuie]

Negative on the Kramer. Those were American.

Not a Tokai either. Tokai makes a nice copy of the Les Paul Special (same guitar, but wth two pickups). They are more recent guitars. Im honestly not sure if the Tokai LP Special is Korean or Japanese. The only ones Ive ever seen were coming in from Canada, which usually means 'Made in Korea' when you are dealing with Tokai. FWIW, the MIK Tokais are made in the same plant as the Epiphones are these days.

Epiphone is a very close guess.

[scottmandue]

I HATE THESE THREADS!

I have handled hundreds of guitars but can't remember the names of half of them. I'm old and my brain has turned into a sieve!

I need a shot of bourbon.

[Rick Lee]

Originally posted by Jared Fenton
How drunk do you suppose Eddie is in that picture?

I've seen Eddie about 25 times and he's been stumbling drunk just about all of them. Still, the man plays like a champ. Scott, that's no run of the mill Kramer Pacer. That's a Ripley stereo guitar. Ed used it on Top Jimmy. I saw one for sale at Manny's in NYC when I was in high school and it was over $1000 then. They are very valuable now.

Shuie, I thought Gibson bought Kramer out long ago. I know Kramer got revived after that, so I thought maybe they could have done that guitar with some Gibson components.

[Jared at Pelican Parts]

I thought Eddie used a Les Paul in standard tuning on Top Jimmy, or was it Hot for Teacher?

I've been to Manny's in NYC once. That place is awesome.

[Rick Lee]

Ed used his '58 Korina wood Flying V on Hot For Teacher for the neck pickup on the quiet part. Top Jimmy is definitely a Ripley and done in a DADACD tuning (my band used to play it in college), but the solo is done in standard and I believed he used Old Faithful for that part.

[Shuie]

Rick, I didnt know about Kramer being bought by Gibson. That's interesting. they have been such a huge company for a long time. The Junior is definitely not a Kramer, tho.

About the EVH stuff:

Eddie had tons of hotrod guitars and amps. He was ahead of his time early on. Pretty great tone also, IMO.

-I thought I remembered an out of phase sinle coil tone for 'Top Jimmy' and some Floyd Rose antics during the solo. Eddie was playing Kramers then and experimenting with effects and keyboards at the time, so that makes since that it could have been the Ripley.

-I wasnt there, but Ive read several times that 'Hot For Teacher' was his '58 Korina V, like Rick said. That song has classic Gibson tone throughout it so I believe that.

-FWIW, Ive never seen it documented anywhere, but theres a dead giveaway that he couldnt have used anything but a Les Paul type guitar for 'Runnin' With the Devil' at the beginning of the song. I'll give another clue on the Junior if someone can pick it out

[Rick Lee]

You mean the part before the chords kick in where he rakes his pick across the strings above the nut? Why would that have to be with a Paul? His Charvel neck or Ibanez Destroyer (on the cover of Women and Children First, was used a lot on the first album). Or are you thinking of You Really Got Me where he flips the toggle switch on and off?

[Shuie]

Originally posted by Rick Lee
You mean the part before the chords kick in where he rakes his pick across the strings above the nut?

Thats it. Is it above the nut, or between the tune-o-matic and stopbar pieces of a Gibson bridge? I thought it was a Les Paul since you dont have the stop bar on a '58 V, but I guess Im wrong about that. Maybe thats why Ide never seen it documented anywhere