The Great "Paul" Debate

I have something to confess. I've got GAS. I don't mean the smelly kind, I mean Guitar Acquisition Syndrome. I've learned a lot about my own likes, dislikes, and tastes (as far as guitar is concerned) in the last year, and I'm ready to move on to a guitar that is more, "practical." For example, I'm more than a little fed up with the V-shape of my current guitar. Not only that, but the bridge (a Floyd Rose tremolo) is not something I want in my next guitar. My musical tastes have definitely changed (not into metal quite so much), and this has left me in an interesting position. I've recently become enamored with the "Les Paul" body shape, and while aesthetics alone are NOT justification for purchasing a guitar (read: learned that one the hard way), there are so many choices on the market to compare and contrast, I'm bound to end up a winner if I do my research. What follows will be an unadulterated look into what I plan to purchase, a gigantic "compare and contrast." Enjoy.

---

The Obvious (and boring) Choice: Epiphone Les Paul Standard



Pros - It comes in a lot of colors.

Cons - Quality control seems spotty. It's an "over-played" guitar, 22 frets.

Price - $549, from Musiciansfriend.com


The Sadly Discontinued Choice: Yamaha AES 620



Pros - Great features, highly reviewed, all-around good guitar.

Cons - Only available second hand, purchasing price and quality might vary greatly. 22 frets.

Price - Variable.


The "Swede-ish" Choice: Hagstrom Ultra Swede



Pros - Good feature list, seemingly high reviews

Cons - I've NEVER seen one in a store, and I've never had the chance to play test one. 22 frets.

Price - $370


The Curvy Choice: Dean Cadillac



Pros - Interesting shape, Dean has a seemingly good reputation

Cons - 22 frets, Dean also has a lot of "rabid fanboys." Reviews on MF seemed to smack of quality control issues. This is another guitar I've NEVER seen in stores.

Price - $600


The "art-sy" Choice /rimshot - Ibanez ART300



Pros - I've been able to find this one in stores. I liked the unique top on this one.

Cons - 22 frets. Not sure about the Ibanez active pick-ups. Also, Ibanez is another one of those companies with a fairly rabid fan-base.

Price - $380


The One That I Was Seriously Considering: Washburn WI64



Pros - This guitar has enjoyed very high reviews, and has great features considering the price. Buzz-Feiten tuning (something no other guitar in this price range has), and good upper-fret access (from what I've seen).

Cons - 22 frets, I'm not sure about the VCC (Voice Contour Control), it's basically Washburn's proprietary coil-tap technology (to allow a guitar to achieve single-coil and humbucking sounds), but I want to test it. Never seen this guitar in a store. I don't like the shape as much as the others.

Price - $370


The Obviously Imported Choice - Agile Al-300/3500



Pros - This guitar is listed as a lot of "bang for your buck" on several websites, and it looks downright sexy in black with gold hardware. Ebony fretboard (a feature not normally found on guitars in this price range).

Cons - Looks VERY similar to the Epiphone, 22 frets. Has a 30-day satisfaction guarantee, but you can only import then from Korea. The 3000 line seems to have been discontinued, meaning you can now only buy it second-hand.

Price - Variable.


Another Dark Horse - Michael Kelly Patriot




Pros - Supposedly very well-made Korean guitars. Many models have ebony fret-boards, coil-taps, and other cool features.

Cons - Quality control may be spotty, the higher end models are only available with EMGs, 22 frets, I have never seen one in a store.

Price - $400-650, depending on model.


The Most Expensive One So Far - ESP/LTD EC-1000



Pros - It is a very good looking guitar (especially in vintage black), 24 frets, can get ebony fretboard, can get Seymour Duncan pick-ups

Cons - Easily the most expensive of the bunch (so far, dun-dun-dun), what's the point of having 24 frets if you can't reach past 17? Can only get EMGs and ebony fret board, not SD's and an ebony fret board. LTD brands each guitar at the 12th fret with the model name (that REALLY irks me)

Price - $840-880 (!)


The One I Didn't Even Notice Until Recently - Schecter Tempest Custom



Pros - Looks very good in black, some good features (TonePros bridge, Grover tuners), most "different" looking

Cons - Pick-ups are only "Duncan Designed," seems a little pricey for the features, I think someone in Maroon 5 plays this guitar.

Price - $600


I'm Not Sure Why I'm Even Listing This One - PRS SE Single Cut



Pros - Good resale value? Name recognition? Heel isn't as HUGE as it is on the double-cuts? A few of the finishes look nice.

Cons - It seems too expensive for the price. It seems to be a brand people flock to for the name, even though better-made, less expensive instruments are available.

Price - $600

EDIT EDIT EDIT

The Guitar I Forgot - Fernades Ravelle



Pros - Distinctive body shape (in this case, a good thing), several different models with various prices, cool colors (at the "Elite" level, anyway), Fernandes sustainer and Seymour Duncan pick-up.

Cons - The Elite model is expensive, there are no dealers in the immediate area (meaning no try-before-you-buy), there are not as many reviews available, and the features do not seem to match up with the price.

Price - ~$750-950 (Elite Model...why it pays to shop around)


The Truly Imported Model - Edwards LP Standard

No Image Available. (Just imagine a Les Paul that says "Edwards" on the headstock; see above.)

What is it? - It's basically a Les Paul copy made by a Japanese arm of the guitar company ESP.

Pros - It's a Les Paul without being a generic Les Paul. It is supposed to have that "magic" Japanese craftsmanship.

Cons - Since it was meant for the Japanese market, shipping will be ridiculous. There is absolutely NO try-before-you-buy with this guitar.

Price - Variable


One More For Good Measure - Ibanez Iceman ICT700



Pros - It's another looker of a guitar. I mistakenly thought that this guitar had a tremolo, when in fact it is a fixed bridge design. 24 frets (you can actually reach).

Cons - Kind of expensive. More of a "metal" guitar. Reverse headstock (I find them irritating, honestly). Have yet to see one in a store to try.

Price - $700

---

Did anyone else find it odd how there are so many "Les Paul" style guitars on the market? This little comparison only scratched the surface...I didn't touch on high or lower end models. I wonder why the shape has endured for as long as it has?