hello frnds last month i tat of buyin epiphone lespaul special II for 170$..but it didn't work out..so now i have ordered a custom guitar from tulasi musical chennai.. a lespaul copy...but the catch is that guy askin 16.5k for a arch top lespaul.. so i have asked him to build a flat top like epiphone lespaul special II he have quoted 12k rupees... my spec model - lespaul ( flat top) two humbucker i beleive its korean ( 3 way select) bolted maple neck with rosewood fretboard(24 frets) prs type bird inlays standard bridge.. for tune o matic he ask extra 2.5 2 volume and 2 tone sea blue black brust paint job --------------------------------------- i just need some suggestions mate is it ok...is it ok or i need to add some thing more does tune o matic bridge makes a difference to a normal bridge
One of the best things about a Les Paul is that it has a lot more sustain and thickness/low-end than say, a stratocaster type guitar.. The reason for this being the pickups, the neck and the bridge. A bolt-on neck will kill a bit of sustain and low end.. A maple neck will give you a bit brighter tone than a mahogany neck.. Same goes with strat type bridge vs tune-o-matic bridge. In any case, I dont think custom guitars will save you any money if you are going for the low-end guitars because big companies mass produce these using machinery that can put out hundreds of them per hour cheaply. For the 12k, you might as well get a Samick/Greg Bennet which will have the same features as your custom guitar. If you are not very particular about an LP tone, Ibanez has some good low end guitars too. However, you might wanna save up and get a Epiphone LP Standard or a G-400(Epiphone version of the SG's). They would cost around 25k but really worth it..
In my own experience, I have found the Tulsi guitars to be better than similar offerings in that price range. Don't worry too much about specs, he will usually make the guitar with what he has available(i.e. what he has quoted to you) Tulsis have pretty good sustain and low end, even with maple necks. If you want authenticity to Les Paul specs, ask him for a glued in neck.And you can also go for 22 frets if you so prefer, it does make a difference in sound and most importantly playability. Make sure the scale length is Gibson 24.75" and not Fender 25.5" as this also makes a difference in sound, string tension, pickup placement etc. Later you can replace the pickups with Duncans/Dimarzios(it's totally worth it). I would also recommend medium-jumbo frets, larger than that will hamper your playing in some styles. His woodworking skills and neck finishing were pretty good a few years ago, and I think they would only gotten better with practice. The two-three color paint jobs were always top-notch. And I seriously doubt if he has PRS bird inlays. My guitar was the first PRS he made in his life, and he put crown style LP type inlays then too. It is an unnecessary expense in any case even if he does offer it now. Whatever you do, do not buy low end Ibanez etc. If you want to buy something in the 12-13K range outside, I would recommend a Yamaha Pacifica 112.But why not give the Tulsi a try? Haggle hard , it's recession time He does not cut prices too much though... best of luck!
@nebuchadnezzar thanks for the inputs mate..after seein ur guitar only i approached tulasi guitars....he has ur guitar in his album..he asks 16.5k for arch top and glued neck...anyway i have placed my order..the delivery date is 31-3-08.....i spoke to him regardin pickups...he charges 3200 for 2 humbuckers...syemour ducan hot rod pickups cost 6.6k...anyway i thinkin abt addin those...regardin the scale size..no of frets..i've no clue..coz im a rookie...i hope my axe comes good...
@wylder dude thanks for the reply i tat of gettin a epiphone special II...but didnt work out..anyway Samick/Greg Bennet in chennai av3 cost around 16k....too much for my budget..btw do we get a line 6 spider III 15 watt amp here in india...if anyone know were i can find it.... just let me know...
The scale size and frets will matter in the playability, so why don't you stick to tried and tested 22 medium jumbo frets on a 24.75" scale?Tell him to stick to this and he will oblige. What kind of music do you play?] BTW, my guitar looks horrible in his album, it is much better looking in person
lespaul specs mate i called him and asked to change the frets in to 22 standard lp config... im bit worried abt the color..its a sea blue black finish..i hope it turn out well )
sorry abt the late reply mate @detritus he quoted about 10500 without bird inlays...total abt 11500 mate... no gig bag,strap and cable..for that extraa 1000 bucks... mine is single cutaway..a lespaul copy without a arch top... btw i bought symeour duncan hot rod pickup set for 6800... so now budget is around 9000+6800=15800 ((
im gettin my guitar on 31st of this month..i need to buy a amp...is line 6 Spider III 15w a good choice...give me some suggestion..im a total rookiee over this stuff...
@alpha hey bro..i hope u have experience with tulsi's paint job.. does blue burst look good on a lespaul copy...or i shd move to the normal sun burst paint job.. im bit worried abt the lookss..
Alpha's guitar is a solid red coloured piece.Going by Tulsi's past work, I think a black/blue burst will come out good. As for how it looks on a les paul, check out some images: https://www.store4strings.com/images/135blueburst.jpg https://www.leadguitars.fr/images/Epiphone-Les-Paul-Standard-Plus-tb.jpg Coupled with the fact that it's not too common, I say you should stick with the blue burst. Hope it comes out well:beer: And pay the extra money for that gig bag, it is quite excellent and you can't find similar stuff outside.Negotiate for a 200-300 rupees discount on those accessories.
