Do you own a Les Paul knockoff?

I have a Samick Avion II that I'm very fond of .It is one of the Greg Bennett models .I picked it up in a pawn shop almost 10 years ago .
I have gigged all over town w this guitar and did a lot of home produced recording with it ...
The Avion pretty much cured my desire to buy an Epiphone Les Paul and I jumped up to a Gibson Historic R 8 VOS eventually ...
tonight I feel like playing the Avion because this thread made me do it lol
pardon the blurry pics . I'm posting a sound clip of some clean Avion tones to make up for it .

all the best ,
Kenny

 

Bought this as a project during the summer lockdown - one of these was my first guitar and I wondered if after 25 years of playing and fixing guitars I could make one of these a good player.

 

Hi Danb541, Sorry for double quoting you, I guess I really like your post!!

Here is my Ibanez 1977 Custom (serial number says it was made in March, so, post lawsuit?). Super 70s pick ups as well. From my research it is either maple or mahogany top; I will go with yours that it is maple.

My classmate Peter who taught me how to play picked this for me (new). I was 21 at the time. I had no idea what it was but I have been playing it ever since. It has become part of my body. There is some fret wear now. I own 4 other electric guitars, the only one that is easier to play is my PRS.

I started researching about it maybe 10 years ago and now I understand why it is so awesome. I compared it many times to Les Pauls on Youtube and it has never come up inferior. For Zeppelin II onward, this guitar sounds exactly like Jimmy's (When I hit the notes just right, not often, of course). Peter Green's Albatross, Danny Kirwan's Jigsaw Puzzle Blues, Allman Brothers (Jessica, Rambling Man) - just put less gain in it. It certainly stands up to any test. I had to replace the switch a few years ago. It used to be white.

Whenever I took it out during jam sessions or in a studio, I would get offers, but I won't sell it (also in memory of Peter). Never!

 

Congratulations! Great guitar! Yes, they can be better than the real thing. Please check my post. Thanks!

 

Got a few knock-offs


No-name, neck was broken, poorly repaired, OK for slide or cowboy chords. Eh, it was $100


Chibson Black Beauty that is well enough made it fooled a few people at the pawn shop I got it from. I had to point out what was wrong on this and another they had. Both disappeared for a couple weeks, then showed back up on the rack with HEAVY discounts and a big "REPLICA" added to the price tag. Bought it because it is a damned nice guitar, the price was right even for a Chibson, and since I knew it was fake no one else could get scammed.


Glen Burton, I had two of these at one point, both came from Amazon's Warehouse returns. Sold as "Fair" condition, this one had a broken knob and the other had no noticeable flaws except for a hole in the box. Sold one for what I paid for both.


Harmony H90, likely made in Korea by Samick. Kind of a piece of crap, but the price was right and I have a small collection of Harmony stuff.


Squier copy of a Guild, but more or less LP shaped. It is awesome.


Another Harmony/Samick, this one a copy of the Gibson The Paul/Firebrand. Plays way too well for as cheap as these usually are.


Firefly Gen 1 FFDCD, #3 of 13 made, not that it's worth anything.


Firefly Gen 1 FFDCS. Only the first batch of the FFDCD, FFDCS, and FFJR came with the wrap-around. Standard bridge/tailpiece on all subsequent runs. They were dirt cheap and scratched my itch for a Jr & Special, but at the same time are actually quite decent guitars with a setup.

Okay, so I guess that's 8 LP-ish knockoffs.

 

Kiesel (formerly Carvin) makes a very good Les Paul style guitar. They use premium woods, their workmanship is top notch and they have a great variety of choices. You pick the options and they will build it for you. You choose the color, fretboard wood, neck shape, finish on back of neck, headstock shape, fretboard inlay shape and material, fingerboard radius, fret size and fret material, pickups, pickup color or pickup covers, colors, bridge, and tuners.

They built one for me in March of 2018 for $2,044. I think their prices have gone up slightly, but still very reasonable. It took two to three months to complete. Mine is a mahogany body and neck with a maple top, ebony fretboard, clear satin on back of neck, medium jumbo frets, LP style block mother of pearl inlays, natural wood body binding, locking tuners, straplocks, chrome hardware and pickup covers and a hardshell case.

The guitar sounds, plays and looks fantastic. The fret work and setup are excellent. I've bought a half dozen guitars from Kiesel and each one has been special and a keeper. See the link below.

https://www.kieselguitars.com/catalog/guitars/cs3

 

Samick Greg Bennetts are awesome! Very well made guitars. I have a semihollow that is one of my favorites.

 

I had a Carvin in the early 90s and stupidly sold it, now the prices are significantly higher, even used. I live near the Kiesel factory, before Carvin closed the guitar side the showroom was close to my neighborhood, but didn't realize they made a LP guitar like above.

Possible dumb question, but how close is the sound to a classic LP Standard?

 

The older 1990s Deans that I've played were very good. Haven't played one in awhile, but they look like a good value for the money.

 

That's a very hard question to answer. Depends on the pickups. Mine has slightly overwound pickups. They make a couple of vintage powered humbuckers also. They will install your own pickups if you bring them as long as they will fit into a standard humbucker or single coil rout. I can tell you that every Carvin or Kiesel I've tried or bought has sounded from great to amazing. If you live close to Escondildo, CA, drop into the factory. They have a small showroom, and probably have a couple of LP style guitars hanging on the walls. Of course they will let you try out whatever they have.

 

The new Guild Bluesbirds are great as they come from the factory. No mods or upgrades needed. Mahogany body and neck, maple top, Seymour Duncan JB and '59 pickups, tone pros bridge, and bone nut. They're hollow inside, so they're lightweight and resonant. The current model comes with a Pau Ferro fretboard. The 2019 and older models come with rosewood fingerboards.

 

Yes indeedy. And because they're shaped like a Lester but thinner, it's easy to get a Lester dark sound or an SG brighter sound with just tone knob tweaks.
Does yours have the series/parallel switches on the tone pots?

 

Naah, don't think so. I pulled on the knobs and nothing happened. And it's got a standard 3 way switch. I assume that it would be a push pull pot or a separate switch or additional switch position. Electronics are set up pretty much like an LP.

 

Bummer, maybe they stopped doing that. Mine has push-pull pots on both tone controls to do this. I enjoy playing it with the bridge in parallel and the neck in series, both on. It adds a nice definition to the neck pickup that's less heavy than series so more of that great neck tone comes through.

 

Saw one like this in the pawnshop with the name Silvertone on it, they usually came in a pack with a bag and amp. Anyway it was well made and had a good sound to it, but they wanted a bit more than I was willing to part with.

 

Picked another one up today. Hard to pass up a deal. Had one of these a few years ago and liked it, but had a friend want it more than I did. PRS SE Tremonti Custom . Les Paul Style guitar with a trem, maple cap and maple veneer, mahogany body, three piece maple neck, beveled top and tummy relief. Cleaned up and it plays well. Not heavy like my last one. Full bodied, not thin like most PRS SE’s. Have not plugged it in to my amps yet though.

 

Yes your Samick is very nice . Loks like a keeper

I have a Samick Royal RL2 w EMG 85's in both pick up slots. Very good guitar .

Kenny

 

That's interesting ...I don't know if that guitar you mention is a Greg Bennet design ..any way the Avions are sleepers ... the prices are still within reason as far as I have seen so far .
all the best,
Kenny