Hello Everyone

a lot of us want a real Les Paul, right?.

for a lot of us the realization sinks in about the cost.

let's face it $2,000 for a USA made Les Paul Standard is ridiculous.

it is a good guitar, but most of it is CNC anymore, unless you buy a Historic, Custom Shop or Signature model.

that is why I look to the land of the rising sun, Japan.

there has been a lot of companies over the years producing some nice Les Paul copies that get overlooked.

the ones I am going to mention in this article is the ESP models.

Due to ESP's legal agreement with a company in Nashville, these guitars that I am going to mention are sold only in Japan, unless you find a used one for sale elsewhere.

ESP has three main lines for the Les Paul Copies.

Grassroots which is their affordable line made in Korea.

Edwards which is the standard and main line made in Japan.

and Navigator which is their Top of the line custom shop made in Japan.

Ok some of you might say "OH IT IS A COPY NOT THE REAL THING".

believe me these copies are so close that in some ways some of them are better than the regular Nashville made Les Pauls.

Grassroots Les Paul Standard models are made the traditional way,

Mahogany body, Mahogany neck, a maple top, some of the maple tops have a thin laminate of flamed maple.

Grassroots les pauls blow away the pieces of crap by epiphone China, and Epiphone Korea.

they are a good deal the for the buck, they have a standard set neck with a short tenon like the Nashville company uses on it's regular line.

price wise these guitars run around $400 - $600 .

Now I am going to mention Edwards.

Edwards Les Pauls are better than the USA made Les Pauls in a lot of ways.

all of the woods are the same as the USA made ones, Mahogany body, mahogany neck, maple top, rosewood or ebony fretboard depending on the model.

but here's the kicker.

They use the Long Tenon Neck Joint, the USA models don't use the long tenon neck joint unless it is a Vintage one, Signature model, Historic Reissue, or a custom shop.

Yes for this feature on a USA model you have to pay extra $$$.

Edwards Les Pauls come standard with Seymour duncan pickups in most cases.

Edwards Les Pauls vary in price depending on the finishes and options.

Price wise they run from $700 - $1,300 normally.

Then there's Navigator this is ESP'S top of the line.

These guitars in some cases use aged woods, and sometimes use aged hardware.

these guitars compare to the nashville custom shop, without the price.

Navigators run $1,500 and up.

Navigators have a collectors following for a reason.

as for the prices, most of the prices I have mentioned are from Dealers in Japan.

These guitars are Japanese Market only Guitars, the headstocks are shaped like the Nashville USA ones, and they are built with stricter tolerances than the Nashville ones.

The reason I am stating that, I have seen some sloppy guitars from Nashville in the past few years, a lot of times it is a finish flaw in the neck joint on the back.

if you are paying $2,000 for a USA made one, it should be top notch in my opinion.

because of these high prices on USA ones, I get most of my guitars from Japan.

Better Bang for the Buck.

read the reviews on harmony central.

Edwards, Grassroots, and Navigator do make other models, but I am more familiar with the Les Pauls.

I hope this guide helps.

take care and thanks.

George