LP Copy Imports: Dean, ESP LTD, Others Not Epi's ??

[Junk Yard Dog]

I'm interested in a good gigging LP copy, so I looked at Vintage and Epiphones. I played some Epi's over the weekend and wasn't thrilled with the necks. I read up on the new Dean Select Cadillacs and the ESP LTD EC-1000T FM's. I mostly play USA HH Tele's/PT's from Schecter and have a Charvel and Strat. Thin C necks, mosty. I kinda miss Single Cuts like a LP. Open to suggestions and I read a lot over the weekend about Dean Select Caddys and the ESP LTD EC-1000T full thickness chambered with Fishman Pups. See specs below!

ESP LTD EC-1000T Full Thickness - Indonesia

SPECIFICATIONS:
CONSTRUCTION: Set-Thru
SCALE: 24.75"
BODY: Full Thickness Mahogany
TOP: Flamed Maple
NECK: 3Pc Mahogany
FINGERBOARD: Macassar Ebony
FINGERBOARD RADIUS: 350mm
FINISH: HONEY BURST SATIN
NUT WIDTH: 42mm
NUT TYPE: Molded
NECK CONTOUR: Thin U
FRETS/TYPE: 22 XJ
HARDWARE COLOR: Nickel
STRAP BUTTON: Standard
TUNERS: LTD Locking
BRIDGE: Tonepros Locking TOM & Tailpiece
NECK PU: Fishman Fluence Open Core Classic
BRIDGE PU: Fishman Fluence Open Core Classic
ELECTRONICS: Active
ELECTRONICS LAYOUT: Vol/Vol(P/P)/Tone(P/P)/Toggle Switch


Dean Select Caddy - Indonesia

BODY
Binding Body : 5 Ply W/B/W/B/W
Body Material : Mahogany
Bridge : Tune-O-Matic (With Cadi tailpiece)
Finish Top : Gloss Natural
Top Contour : Flat Top
Top Material : Quilt Maple
Design Feature : Satin Neck Finish

NECK
Neck Shape :
Construction : Set Thru Neck
Fretboard Material : Ebony
Fretboard Radius : 12" (305mm)
Neck Material : 3 Piece Mahogany
Nut Material : Polymer Black (Plastic)
Nut Width : 1 11/16" (43mm)
Scale Length : 24 3/4" (629mm)
Frets : 22 Jumbo
Inlays : Pearloid Block
Truss Rod : Dual Action

HARDWARE
Hardware Color : Black
Tuners : Grover
Knobs : Speed Black

Electronics
Control Layout : Volume / Tone / Volume / Tone
Pickup Bridge : Seymour Duncan TB-5 Custom Zebra
Pickup Neck : Seymour Duncan APH-1 Custom Zebra

 

[ClintN667]

https://www.solar-guitars.com/product/g ... ber-burst/

Im not sold on the headstock on these but Solar make a damn good guitar. I've bought two guitars since getting my Solar S1.6 and I never touch either one was a Koa Epi Les Paul and the other a LTD Sparrowhawk. The Solar neck isnt ibanez thin but its comfortable

 

[Junk Yard Dog]

https://www.solar-guitars.com/product/gc1-6t-fab-flame-solar-amber-burst/

Im not sold on the headstock on these but Solar make a damn good guitar. I've bought two guitars since getting my Solar S1.6 and I never touch either one was a Koa Epi Les Paul and the other a LTD Sparrowhawk. The Solar neck isnt ibanez thin but its comfortable

Cheers, man. Those are great features at that price! ...I can't get passed the headstock, though. And I'm not usually that picky. I always liked the Dean headstocks. I used to have a USA Caddy and it was a tremendous guitar.

 

[Monomyth]

I think Edwards make some of the best copies for price point, I own a 54 reissue and a friend recently picked up a Goldtop loaded with sd jb pickups, both have 50s profiles.

 

[Junk Yard Dog]

I think Edwards make some of the best copies for price point, I own a 54 reissue and a friend recently picked up a Goldtop loaded with sd jb pickups, both have 50s profiles.

Yeah, I looked at MIJ Epiphone and the Edwards listed on Reverb. I couldn't find a 60s slim neck on any; do you know which model has that profile?

 

[Pentatonic Wanker]

Owned both a USA Dean Caddy and an import over the years. Didn't care for either.......both were neck heavy.

EC-1000 gets my vote, but IMO the Koreans are much better made than the Indo's.

Another sleeper LP copy would be the Hagstrom Ultra Swede. Good quality and nice thin neck on them!

 

[napalmdeath]

I have an ESP LTD AS-1 Alex Skolnick signature that is top-notch. It's actually my 4th. They are above and beyond nice, and really beefy necks, and tone. All top-notch hardware too. For the price, I don't see, (or have owned), anything comparable. The Edwards LP's are nice as well, but 2-$300 more, typically, (if you find a good used one in the US).

The PRS SE245's are worth looking at too, but they need better pickups, and hardware. Great players, though.

Another excellent choice is the Schecter Solo II Custom. Not quite full thickness though. Still, great guitars, nonetheless.
Here's one I sold. It's made in the same factory as my Skolnick, World Music in South Korea, and is definitely on par with the high quality standards and appointments. I just didn't bond with the smaller neck, though it might be right up your alley. It's funny, I preferred slim taper necks for many years, and have since moved on to favoring a little more beef.

 

[Monomyth]

I think Edwards make some of the best copies for price point, I own a 54 reissue and a friend recently picked up a Goldtop loaded with sd jb pickups, both have 50s profiles.

Yeah, I looked at MIJ Epiphone and the Edwards listed on Reverb. I couldn't find a 60s slim neck on any; do you know which model has that profile?

I do not, heres a post from a different forum on the topic of edwards profiles

You can't really generalize with Edwards E-LPs, since they vary from model-to-model, year-to-year, and style-to-style.

Ask 5 different Edwards owners, and you might get 5 different answers.

I own a few of them, so here's my particular experience:
2011 E-LP 110CD/QM - Slim Taper neck, extremely fast
2015 E-LP 125SD - Thick, '50s style neck, beefy but comfy.
1996(?) E-LP 85SD - Baseball bat. VERY Chunky.
2004 E-LP 98CD/JS - Somewhere between a '60s and '50s neck. A little more than the Slim Taper.
1989 E-LP 70S - another in-betweener, a little more than the 60s, a little less than the 50s.
2011 E-LP 125ALS - solid '60s neck. Nitro finish.

 

[longfxukxnhair]

I own Edwards, Bacchus, Crews Maniac & History. All are very good LP copies.

I have a Bacchus Hand Crafted that hangs with all of my Standards and it cost me $800 shipped.

 

[Pushead]

I don't have an LTD, but the ESP Standard Series Eclipses I have with the "thin U" profile are around .82" at the 1st fret and .89" at the 12th.

It's hard to say whether anyone else will find that chunky or not, but I find it very comfortable.

 

[Junk Yard Dog]

I have an ESP LTD AS-1 Alex Skolnick signature that is top-notch. It's actually my 4th. They are above and beyond nice, and really beefy necks, and tone. All top-notch hardware too. For the price, I don't see, (or have owned), anything comparable. The Edwards LP's are nice as well, but 2-$300 more, typically, (if you find a good used one in the US).

The PRS SE245's are worth looking at too, but they need better pickups, and hardware. Great players, though.

Another excellent choice is the Schecter Solo II Custom. Not quite full thickness though. Still, great guitars, nonetheless.
Here's one I sold. It's made in the same factory as my Skolnick, World Music in South Korea, and is definitely on par with the high quality standards and appointments. I just didn't bond with the smaller neck, though it might be right up your alley. It's funny, I preferred slim taper necks for many years, and have since moved on to favoring a little more beef.

Thx, man. I had one of those Schecter Solo ii Customs also and sold it for the about the same reason, tho I did like the neck a lot: the body wasnot 'weighty' enough and the compensated nut was actually kind of a pain. That said, I love all my other Schecter PT's (I have 3).

I don't have an LTD, but the ESP Standard Series Eclipses I have with the "thin U" profile are around .82" at the 1st fret and .89" at the 12th.

It's hard to say whether anyone else will find that chunky or not, but I find it very comfortable.

Thanks, man!

I think Edwards make some of the best copies for price point, I own a 54 reissue and a friend recently picked up a Goldtop loaded with sd jb pickups, both have 50s profiles.

Yeah, I looked at MIJ Epiphone and the Edwards listed on Reverb. I couldn't find a 60s slim neck on any; do you know which model has that profile?

I do not, heres a post from a different forum on the topic of edwards profiles

You can't really generalize with Edwards E-LPs, since they vary from model-to-model, year-to-year, and style-to-style.

Ask 5 different Edwards owners, and you might get 5 different answers.

I own a few of them, so here's my particular experience:
2011 E-LP 110CD/QM - Slim Taper neck, extremely fast
2015 E-LP 125SD - Thick, '50s style neck, beefy but comfy.
1996(?) E-LP 85SD - Baseball bat. VERY Chunky.
2004 E-LP 98CD/JS - Somewhere between a '60s and '50s neck. A little more than the Slim Taper.
1989 E-LP 70S - another in-betweener, a little more than the 60s, a little less than the 50s.
2011 E-LP 125ALS - solid '60s neck. Nitro finish.

Thanks, guys. I looked up the Bacchus and trying to get more info on the Edwards. Ideally, I could try before I buy or have some return policy.

 

[napalmdeath]

I have an ESP LTD AS-1 Alex Skolnick signature that is top-notch. It's actually my 4th. They are above and beyond nice, and really beefy necks, and tone. All top-notch hardware too. For the price, I don't see, (or have owned), anything comparable. The Edwards LP's are nice as well, but 2-$300 more, typically, (if you find a good used one in the US).

The PRS SE245's are worth looking at too, but they need better pickups, and hardware. Great players, though.

Another excellent choice is the Schecter Solo II Custom. Not quite full thickness though. Still, great guitars, nonetheless.
Here's one I sold. It's made in the same factory as my Skolnick, World Music in South Korea, and is definitely on par with the high quality standards and appointments. I just didn't bond with the smaller neck, though it might be right up your alley. It's funny, I preferred slim taper necks for many years, and have since moved on to favoring a little more beef.

Thx, man. I had one of those Schecter Solo ii Customs also and sold it for the about the same reason, tho I did like the neck a lot: the body wasnot 'weighty' enough and the compensated nut was actually kind of a pain. That said, I love all my other Schecter PT's (I have 3).

I don't have an LTD, but the ESP Standard Series Eclipses I have with the "thin U" profile are around .82" at the 1st fret and .89" at the 12th.

It's hard to say whether anyone else will find that chunky or not, but I find it very comfortable.

Thanks, man!

I think Edwards make some of the best copies for price point, I own a 54 reissue and a friend recently picked up a Goldtop loaded with sd jb pickups, both have 50s profiles.

Yeah, I looked at MIJ Epiphone and the Edwards listed on Reverb. I couldn't find a 60s slim neck on any; do you know which model has that profile?

I do not, heres a post from a different forum on the topic of edwards profiles

You can't really generalize with Edwards E-LPs, since they vary from model-to-model, year-to-year, and style-to-style.

Ask 5 different Edwards owners, and you might get 5 different answers.

I own a few of them, so here's my particular experience:
2011 E-LP 110CD/QM - Slim Taper neck, extremely fast
2015 E-LP 125SD - Thick, '50s style neck, beefy but comfy.
1996(?) E-LP 85SD - Baseball bat. VERY Chunky.
2004 E-LP 98CD/JS - Somewhere between a '60s and '50s neck. A little more than the Slim Taper.
1989 E-LP 70S - another in-betweener, a little more than the 60s, a little less than the 50s.
2011 E-LP 125ALS - solid '60s neck. Nitro finish.

Thanks, guys. I looked up the Bacchus and trying to get more info on the Edwards. Ideally, I could try before I buy or have some return policy.

I actually ditched the compensated nut for a Tusq. Much improved.

 

[Racerxrated]

So, if you need a gigging guitar then you should consider a good used LP clone, and my experience has been Edwards are good, but Greco's are GREAT. The Mint collection from 82-89 are fantastic sounding and playing guitars. I had an 84 Sykes and that neck was a 60 slim, very close to my 09 Charvel US SoCal. I also had an 80 EG500, was also a great player but def more of a 59 neck profile. Mid 80s Greco Mint collection is the one. I had a late 90s Edwards Sykes, nice guitar but the tone wasn't close to either Greco I owned and the neck was more 57 than 59, which it was reputed to be.
Also, be careful with the Edwards; in 2013 I believe they were partially built in China with the final finishing in Japan. So pre 2012-13 is where you want to be. Not sure if they are still doing that or not these days.

 

[skullfxr]

I like my MIJ ESP Eclipse and Horizon a lot.

I personally would not touch Dean especially Indo Dean.

I have played two really nice Grecos, but have never owned one.

 

[japetus]

A lot of options out there, but for the same money a lot of these are going for, you can find a 90s Gibson Les Paul Studio used with an ebony board that’s going to play really well.

 

[Junk Yard Dog]

A lot of options out there, but for the same money a lot of these are going for, you can find a 90s Gibson Les Paul Studio used with an ebony board that’s going to play really well.

Thanks, amigo. ...I can't get into the smaller bodies of the studios, but I agree, great deals can be had on those.