Epiphone or Tokai?

What exactly is your budget? The Epiphone Elitist LP's are fantastic. Made in Japan, there are a few on eBay right now, don't think they make them anymore.

Thanks Jeremy. Just read up on these, great reviews. I was hoping to pay around the equivalant of $400, not much I know. Might be a case of biding my time as the ones I've seen are up for a lot more. 

The blonde and rosewood very much play and sound different, so that is a key decision. I wouldn't say better depends on the sound you want ? I find I feel like I dig in more with the rosewood and kind of play more on top of the neck with blond: not certain, if that makes sense to people ?


$ got lucky here, 450 cdn with a case.  You should be able to find something good for $400 usd: keep searching ! 

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pics or it didn't happen !

the epi LP:

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I have an Epi LP. I played a handful of them and they are hit/miss. If you can sift through the used ones at guitar shops, you can get pretty nice playing ones for around 300$. I swapped my pickups out for an Seymour Duncan (cant remember which one, a hot one though) on the bridge and a pulled Gibson something or other on the neck.

After an initial scoff, I usually get compliments from folks who play Gibsons, that it's fairly close sounding to the real thing and plays nice, although the neck and fret profiles aren't the same as a true Gibson.

I couldn't see getting a real Gibson for 4-5x the price and risk having it damaged in the studio, so Epi was the right choice for me.

ORVILLE

Got a Maple Squier today, made in '89 (korean again!). See what you mean about the tone ( Pick - ups aside it's bright!).
First maple neck I've owned, this things beautifully made (Samick factory?)
As with all Fender's I find they sound so much better rolling the tone pots right off, then slowly bringing them up to taste. Nearly always get an acceptable sound that way. Surprising how many people never touch the tone pots but will spend loads on pick-ups first trying to "fix" the tone.

stop it.... I'm trying to not spend any more...

But, but, there is a guy who lives about 10 miles from here who makes fully loaded pickguards with vintage style hand wound pickups and upgraded pots... er, then perhaps a new brass or steel trem block too? Oh sweet temptation ....