Hohner L 59

My l59 is the standard early model, which I found in a local paper for 10 pounds (about 7 dollars) it is a totally unmolested beast, that I think should stay standard, the only thing I changed was the tone pot because it was faulty, which I now regret, I replaced it with a cheap one which sounds crap, my soldering skills are not great either so it looks stupid and dose not fit properly, I wish I had tried switch cleaner first. Its in tobacco burst and the pick ups and hardware are unbranded Hohner models but that's no bad thing.

Acoustically the guitar sounds crap due to the older style standard Hohner pick ups but when you crank up the over drive it sounds unbeatable, the pick ups give of a dark warmth that I cant get out of 500-1000 pound guitars, the guitar does give off buzz and hiss but it ads to the character, this guitars sound is well suited to over driven rock and blues, I use it with a Vox ad100 and it just comes alive

The quality of the finish on the guitar is outstanding, considering its nearly 30 years old, the neck is set a little wonky but it dose not affect the play, the tune-a-matic bridge is a little out of sync which dose effect the sound slightly and gives the top E string a buzz, but when playing in over drive its not a problem, the guitar has a great action for soloing and bar chords and the neck is just the right thickness, the pick ups and electronics as I've said are standard Honer models and do have attendances to buzz and hiss, but its a 30 year old guitar, the tone controls are not brilliant but can be adjusted to a great deep gritty overdrive sound. the hard wear has no faults and work fine apart from the bridge as previously mentioned.

I have no doubt that the hard wear is up to live playing, the electrics are old now and I have repaired them as well as I can, the treble setting is a little intermittent but I rarely use it any way, I like to keep my guitars in good condition and this one is exceptional, so I wouldn't like to gig it any way, as gigging takes a toll on any guitar, I trust all strap buttons as it is a heavy strong guitar, and I like to think I could depend on it, but I would bring a back up in case the electrics fail, I would replace them all but I want to keep it as original as I can and I cant afford to any way, so I can justify taking a back up. I rate this category with an 9 because if it didn't have the electrical faults it would be perfectly usable at a gig.

Its a thirty year old guitar, if there was a warranty I never had it and it would have run out by now any way. The Hohner web site has no info about it.

I've been playing 3 years and have owned several guitars in that time, for rock this is the best in the price range as well as the next (seriously!) At a price of 10 pounds you cant go wrong, the guy I bought it off only paid 80 pounds, which is cheap for this guitar, I got it off him very very cheap! and I only paid 5 pounds for the new parts (250k pot and a nut for the jack) I would be very upset if It got nicked as its a great guitar and I wouldn't be able to afford an exact replacement. I love the sound and look of this guitar and wouldn't change it for any guitar (unless it was custom made Gibson Les Paul made to my exact specification! (about 20 grands worth) he he:) my only problems are the bridge, the dodgy treble switch and the pot I replaced they get a little annoying some times but apart from that I love it! I rated it 9 because with out its small faults it would be a brilliant guitar, lets say they ad some character, which I think they do :)

Some useful (I hope!) information:
There were two slightly different types of L59. One type has a larger 'flower' on the headstock, and the other a smaller (2.5cm tall) flower. I have owned both types, and here's how they differed:

The first version was, I think, made in the late 80s into the early 90s. The pickups are excellent, loud, even, although unbranded. On my guitar they had no covers. The neck is chunky, with low action. On mine, there was a gap between the maple cap and the mahogony underneath, in the centre area around the pickups. This, and the woods and pickups used, gave the guitar a VERY powerful, fat, lower-middly tone. Darker than the Gibson LP I've tried. EXCELLENT for heavy rock.... not so good for clean sounds, but still adequate. The build quality was generlly excellent though.

I still have my 'second version' L59, with the smaller flower. Made in the early to mid 90s. It has Kent armstrong pickups (Paf Plus I believe), which are lower output than the earlier ones, but sound very even. The guitar construction is different, and has a more solid feel - it really feels like a jap Tokai or Gibson - really.... and there is no gap between the cap and the main body wood. The sound is brighter, but still fat and 100% Les Paul. To get the best out of it for rock music, I upgraded the bridge pickup to a Kent Armstrong 'Rocker' pickup (tacky name... but it's their version of a SD Custom... and is EXCELLENT... higher output than the original Paf Plus, but still very balanced and raunchy).

Both types of L59 are better than Epiphone Les Pauls - I've tried and compared. For a thick sound, the earlier ones have it. For a more balanced sound, go for the later one... and if you play rock/metal, upgrade the bridge pickup. I still have my later one... It's fantastic. I've tried REAL Gibsons, and jap Tokais, and I can't justify buying one as the L59 is so good.

Excellent.

Never had any contact with hohner...

Black copy of Gibson Les Paul custom. I think made in Korea around early 1990's. Passive unknown gold pickups. Not sure what type of wood its made from, but its heavier than any modern guitar of its size, so I would presume mahogany. I know from Hohner in America that it is now their most sought after model after the Telecaster they produced from the same Korean factory at the same time & that you can expect to pay around ??250 - ??300 for a mint one & presumably it will increase in value if you look after it. Standard good quality features (as good as a Gibson anyway).

My music style is rock & I play through a Trace Elliot quad chorus combo. I use no effects pedals at all ever. A little overdrive distortion from the amp', with a touch of chorus & it sounds very deep (very similar to Steve Jones (Pistols)) but I can also get a very good bluesy sound. Its pretty versatile, though because I use heavy gauge strings through a bluesy amp', everything has a big bottom end. I like everything about it apart from the weight can get a bit uncomfortable & it doesn't sit comfortable on my knee either (it hangs too far back because of the contour of the body) but all les pauls are like that so I can't hold that against it.

Action, fit, & finish? The action is easily set up to whatever your taste may be. The fittings are of good quality (far better than epiphone & as good as Gibson) & the finish is very good. It is the Hohner Professional series. Again I can't tell any difference between my L59 & my friends '76 Gibson (though he disagrees because he payed a lot more for his guitar). They are certainly worth the money.

This guitar has withstood live playing for the 2 years i've owned it. I don't know what it did for the other 15 or so years. The hardware seems like it will last. I've replaced the machine heads with gold Wilkinson (direct replacements). Its very solid & dependable. I don't even own a backup guitar. I've left it in tents for days at outdoor gigs & it only needs a quick tune up & its ready to rock. Likewise i've left it in a centrally heated room all winter & it hasn't grumbled. Its very stable.

I emailed Hohner in America once, just to get a bit of history about it because I was surprised by the quality for the money. They were as helpful as they could be. There's no rhyme or reason to the serial numbers on the back plate, so they can't be specifically traced or dated.

My overall rating would be 10/10 for sheer value for money. The build quality & sound quality beats the epiphone version to death. I've tried the epiphones in music shops. The latest ones are made in China & are really terrible by comparison. The older epiphones are better but still not as good as the Hohner. I've tried the Tokai version which isn't bad, but feels cheap & lightweight next to the Hohner. I've played my friends '76 Gibson a lot & that does have the edge on sound, though the overall quality is no better. If I changed my pickups & pots the Hohner would be a match for that.
If it were lost or stolen I would be very upset because I doubt i'd get another for the mere ??160 I payed & I would buy another, unless I was flush enough to buy an old Gibson.

Classic Les Paul Shape. Bigsby Tremolo. Gold plated hardware.
Kent Armstrong Pickups.

OOh baby. This is the sweetest sounding momma ever! The kent armstrong pickups are sweet and combined with the heavy body and awesome construction this guitar sustains forever!
Loads of warmth with a deep tone that manages to avoid being muddy.
For blues licks I can think of no sweeter sound, with the three
way toggle you can adjust your tone instantly if you wish.

Bought second hand. The nutcase who had it previously had the
strongs the wrong way around on the bigsby tremolo making it
almost unplayable, easily sorted and action is incredible, I use
.10's, easy to hit all your notes and bending is orgamsic.

This model is not the ordinary l59, it is a deluxe pro model and the
construction is reflected. Top quality.

Would use without backup, absolutely solid guitar and aging nicely.

If lost or stolen would definitely buy again but have never seen
another like it. There are plenty of l59's out there but nothing
like this, gold plated hardware, bigsby trem.
Have been playing for around 20 years and this beats all comers,
I would rate this model higher than a gibson for sound, and equal
on build. I hope never to part with it.

This is a Les Paul copy with highly figured maple top in tobacco sunburst, and a highly figured ash back. It was the visually-striking figured wood that caught my eye as it hung in the used section of the guitar store. I have no idea what kind of wood is underneath, but the thing is heavy. Fingerboard is rosewood attached to what appears to be a mahogany set-in neck. Frets are medium jumbo. Overall action can be made to be low if desired. Has the standard LP 2-volume, 2-tone layout. Tuners are no-name. Bridge is the standard tune-o-matic with a stop tailpiece. The pickups are no-name, with exposed black bobbins. The features are your standard Les Paul appointments, no more, no less.

The no-name pickups have a very dark sound. And I mean very dark. I will have to experiment with the tone capacity values or to install 1-meg volume pots to try to brighten them up. On the other hand, the dark tones are not exactly unuseable. Nor are the tones unpleasant. They would fit jazz playing, for example. The upside is, you can leave the tone knobs on 10 all the time and don't have to mess with them. If have no clue about changing capcitor/volume pot values, then you have a dark-sounding guitar. One thing is for sure -- this guitar will not pierce your ears with harsh, trebly sounds in any setting. It will play jazz superbly, and will play other kinds of music with very round tones with lots of body. Woman tones? Brown sound? This guitar has it.

This guitar was bought used, so I have no idea how it was set up from the factory. The fit and finish are first-rate. Workmanship is excellent, as well-made as any guitar out there, including the big names. The wood chosen to make this guitar is lovely.

This is a solidly built guitar. The usual issues with a used guitar are there -- corroded screws, bridge/saddles, and other metal parts. The overall guitar will last forever given the proper care. The clear coat should protect the wood indefinitely. I do not anticipate any structural problems. For gigging w/o a backup, the only concern would be a broken string, not anything to do with the guitar itself.

Hohner does not make such guitars any more, and I doubt if the current Hohner company would want to be contacted regarding this guitar. Furthermore, there should be no reason to contact them about this guitar -- it needs nothing from Hohner, just loving care from the owner.

This guitar has that magical something. Call it vibes, call it soul, whatever. The years have made the binding yellow to give it that aged look. The wood is very attractive, and all the electronics work noiselessly. It's a treasure of a guitar, and if the headstock says Gibson on it, it would command thousands. It is not worth thousands on the market, but it certainly is worth much more than what I paid for it.
Many companies have made Les Paul copies over the years, and this Hohner represents one of the best.

Korean model from the early 90s.
It was my first electric guitar ever.. I played it for 4 years and then it was sold to a buddy of mine. I've just bought it back a week ago because I missed it dearly.

OK, first, the guitar is truly beautiful. The top is real flamed maple (although it's very thin) and not some gross photoflame finish like on many LP copies. The overall quailty of the finish is absolutely outstanding for such an unexpensive guitar. Great binding work.

The body is thin but quite heavy. I have the chance to be able to compare it to a 1991 Gibson LP standard, and in terms of weight it's close to the real thing. The neck is smaller than a standard Gibson one, but it's still bigger than a Fender neck.
The action is very low and feels good.
That's a guitar with quite good, honest woods. It benefits from its builders' healthy craftsmanship.



However the hardware sucks a bit. It's light and fragile looking. This guitar would be just great with better pickups (the stock ones are SKY humbuckers) and good pots. The pickup selector is cheesy and feels very weird. The tuners are OK I guess, but you can find way better.

But what really sucks on this guitar, IMO, is the plastic nut on top of the neck. It prevents the guitar from really giving its best tone possible.

I'm going to go to a luthier in order to get a proper [b]bone nut[/b]
for this axe.

So my conclusion is:

Excellent wood work and finish but crappy hardware and nut.

It's a LP copy, so expect it to be in that range of sounds. Rock n' roll, blues, and Jazz. It has a good attack especially if you set it with a good string gauge. The sustain is marvellous and has nothing to be jealous of a real Gibson sustain.

As I said earlier, the pickup are cheap and sound cheap. They lack some "growl" and dimension. The neck PU is better than the bridge one...very creamy but still precise. It's fully usable with a good amp.

I use it in a Marshall 1962 Bluesbreaker combo (JTM45) reissue. Desite the shitty electronics I can still produce some cool and definitely acceptable sounds with the guitar (I must say I've got high standards). With Seymour Duncans or Rio grande pickups this is gonna be a killer instrument.

Beautiful on every point. No flaws. The pickup were set too low though. Adjustment was necessary to get real gain.

It's been played during 15 years by 3 different people who are keen on extreme rock n'roll, it's been through several gigs and thousands of rehearsals.
Despite all the action it's seen it is still looking as good and plays as well as the first day I bought it new.

Never dealt with Hohner.

This is my first electric guitar. As I've been playing for 15 years I've owned 6 Gibsons(Challenger, LP Standard, SG doubleneck, LP special, LP junior, J45), 2 Fenders (Telecaster US standard & Telecaster 52' vintage reissue) and a Rickenbacker 330.

While definitely not as good as a real Gibson this little Hohner L59 is still a VERY DECENT guitar.
It's built to last.

Your basic burst '59 Les Paul imitation.
It appears to have a laminated top and bottom. Bottom looks like darkly finished swamp ash. The top definitely looks pressed, and becomes flattish in the area where the pickups are.
It's a three footer I'd say, from 3 feet it looks alot like a nice LP. The frets are smallish and square and I worked on them with a nail filing stone to level them some and to get the frets from scratching/catching the left hand. It's not exactly a "fretless wonder", but getting there. The inlays are pretty bad, I figure it has to be real mother of pearl because you can get much better looking plastic. The first marker seems to be a little bunched up.
It does seem to be solid wood inside, but can't tell what type due to thick black paint inside. Must be porous, light and resonant, balsa wood for all I know. My brother was impressed with the number of plys in the binding.

This is a very resonant bassy instrument. The pickups seem very good, vintage.

Pretty good, except the whole thing has a costume jewelry or toyish vibe and feel and doesn't play great. On the other hand, people don't talk about how many old Gibsons don't play all that great either (though their construction is typically heavy duty). From a distance, it does have the classic burst LP looks and has the stereotypically fat sound (has that really been in fashion anytime recently?). For what it is, it's well executed (except the fret markers).

Not a real solid guitar. Lots more solid than an acoustic, but not nearly as solid as a real Les Paul, Strat, Tele, etc. Toylike, don't abuse it.

I also have a Steinberger type from them, when you finally locate help they help.

It's occasionally fun to take it out of the case, but doesn't happen often. Not getting rid of it since it's the closest I'll ever get to owning a Paul.

Model: serial - 8620952. It was my second guitar when I bought it in 1986 and I learned playing guitar with it. It worked out fine.
Price: 500 DM approx 200 $ (new, in 1986)
Guitar Type: 50'S Les Paul Copy
Frets: 22 medium
Fretboard: Rosewood w.black/yellow binding
Neck: 2pc Mahogany
Body: 3pc mahogany
Pickups: H/H hohner Paf style humbuckers (rather cheap)
Electronic: Passive
Controls: Volume & Tone neck and bridge
Bridge: Tunomatic copy chromium
Tuning Keys: Chromium, die cast
Finish: Vintage Sunburst w.black/yellow binding

It has the typical Les Paul style [PAF-PU] sound. I was lucky enough to change the neck PU with an DiMarzio PAF-DP103 which enriched the sound a lot.
Combined with a V-Amp II Pro one can imitate almost every vintage humbucker sound perfektliy, but due to the overstressed low frequencies, the L59 can not produce as much pressure on lead guitar riffs as a guitar with active PU's for instance.
Nowadays I still prefer this guitar for Jazz Riffs in a Wes Montgomery or George Benson Style. I wouldn't use it with heavy distortion anymore.

Bought it as a new guitar and after 18 years it is still good looking a playable. I occassionaly cared for it's maintainance
Some of the electronic elements had to be fixed with these years.

The guitar lasted for 18 years by now and is still in an acceptable condition. Frequently some parts had to be justed, but I think that's okay.

Never been necessary

Been playing it for 18 years by now in various styles for gigs & recordings. Used it with various Amps (Marshal, Boogie, Behringer) on live gigs, but prefer it in combination with a V-amp on Jazz Sessions. Although wood and electronincs could have been better, it is much better produced than some of my more expensive guitars, which offer poor quality in spite of the famous lable (I won't tell names). It offers a mediocre sound with a good quality for a low price. That's fine. The more you increase your playing abilities the less this guitar will satisfy your needs, but indeed the potential of this guitar will exceed the potential of 70 out of 100 guitarists. So why waste money on a master piece guitar. Playing ability is more important.

Model: No visible serial
Location: Korea
Fretts: 22 medium
Frettboard: Rosewood w.black/yellow binding
Neck: 2pc Mahogany
Body: 3pc mahogany
Pickups: H/H hohner Paf style humbuckers
Electronic: Passive
Controls: Volume & Tone neck and bridge
Bridge: Tunomatic copy goldplated
Tuning Keys: Gold plated half moon style
Finish: Vintage Sunburst w.black/yellow binding

Typical layout, but could have been better wood, hardware, and electronics, it is cheap though!

As the guitar is, it has the same noiseless tone that comes with all humbuckers. It has the typical Les Paul style sound. The problem with the guiatr is that the electronics are too cheap, which gives way to much low end on the neck, and quite a fair bit on the bridge. There is a lil too much in the way of piercing high end, but a lil roll off on the tone can sort it out. On a gainy setting, it can be a little bit muddy. There appears to be quite a lot of sustain.
One major flaw is that it feedsback uncontrollably sometimes. There isa horrid high pitch whine, thats not linked to the strings, its due to the poor electronics, not good for high volumes.
There is plenty of scope for the guitar as a practice unit, or as a cheap 'nock about' guitar, but its certainly not good enough as a main guitar.

A small thing, with an Ibanez CS5, and DL5, through Squire SP10 amp, it sounded just like Pink Floyds shine on from 1975!!

(Played through POD2, VOX Valvetronics, Squire SP10)

Although bought second hand, the action handnt been changed. This was absoultely rock bottom, insanely low. It does play with quite a low action anyway, but it was, really, unplayable when i purchased it.
The nut has been put in slightly high on the high E side. There is obvious fillering of the gaps in the neck joints, and the occasional overspill of glue fromt he binding. The lacure is hard wearing.
The bookmatching was quite impressive, especially for something so cheap.
The pot, jack plug, and p/up selector retainers tend to work loose, so need frequent tightening.

Tthe pots had ceased when i had purchased it. Electrical cleaner and a careful hand at a pair of pliers fixed it.
The gold plated tuning keys tends to tarnish, and i had to clean them with a lil silvo, now, very shiney, but chrome.
The rest of the hardware will also tarnish with use, but its just superficial.
I wouldnt gig the guitar, but it is fairly stirdy.

Never dealt with them.

I havent managed to track down any information from Hohner on the guitar either.

The guitar is a great fun guitar. It feels pretty comfortable to play, especially compared to real Les Pauls. The electronics are substandard, as with the hardware, but thats what you get with Korean instruments, but it does work.
If you appreciate the instrument for being an inexpensive 'mess about with' guitar, then you will have loads of fun with it, and it will be a great enjoyment.
If it was stolen, I would hunt the criminal down with vicious intent, it has a personal meaning to me, and its this bloody guitar, but other than that, i wouldnt buy another, no need.

I own, Customshop player strat, Modded mex 50's strat, Squire Affinity strat, POD2, Marshal AVT50H and 1922 Cab, Morely VAI-1, Marshal BB2, JH1, Ibanez CS5, DL5, Rocktek vibrator (it was a freebee!)

Antique/faded cherry sunburst flametop veneer - classy, not bright! Gold hardware, H/H, 3-way selector Tune-O-Matic bridge, 2 'great' sounding PAF style SKY humbuckers designed by Kent Armstrong.
Basically an extremely nice Les Paul copy :)

Full, deep humbucker sound. Lots of overtones. Sustain is great. Sound swells nicely. Very smooth even through my electronic Laney GC-50A. Great lows, well defined. This instrument is the real deal.

Fantastic action and finish.

Very solid construction, heavy durable finish. Hardware is of good quality.

I am pretty convinced that this must be one of the best quality Les Paul copies ever made. I've played various original Gibson LP's and just in terms of sound alone this can easily compete, no problems.
Not to even mention the great playability and really nice finish.
If someone stole mine I would just have to track them down and steal it back!

Standard 24 frets and made in the late 80's (so ive been told). 2 tone and 2 volume controls, basically everything you'd find in a Original LP. Mine is Purple (yeah i bought it from a woman) Sunburst, which is actually really beautiful.
Its got a nice big neck, which is cool for me cause i allso play spanish guitar. Basically my hole guitar is just as it came from the factory, no hardware upgrades or anything.
Like the others said, the thing is HEAVY as can be. Without kidding i take breaks every hour just to relief my back.

I love to play blues/jazz jams on it, slow or quick. With the right settings its a great guitar if you want create Gary Moore's or Brian May's sound.
I'm using a relatively small amp with it (Fender frontman 15R), but im amazed at the fat, rich sounds it produces. I allso have a Squier Standard Strat with Humbucker, but the difference in sound is just too huge. Ill swear ill never play a squier anymore...
I find the sound not very bright, but thats the way i like it and thats probarly due to my amp setup.
Thought i dont got the right amp and thought its not my style, it has a great heavy/dark but rich sound when you use heavy distortion.

So no matter if i play it clean or distorted, the sound is awesome and the sustain is very good compared to the price.

When i bought it the action was just WAAAAAAY to low, so i had to adjust that slightly ;)
with standard .09's this baby plays too easy, so put some extra fat strings on it. Even with the fat strings playing is easy on it.

There's no rust or oxidation on mine, but the sixth fret seemed to be used a lot (worn out). Everything else is still original, in place and solid.

Like i said earlier, its unbelievably heavy, that alone proves someting. The guitar has been heavely used for allmost a decade and still only one fret has worn out a bit, everything else is still in place. The finish is too good to be true, not a dent, not a wear off mark, nothing! very pleased with the reliability.

never dealt with them

Ive been playing electric guitar for a year now and spanish guitar for about 2 years.

The best features has to be the sound, price and neck.
The only thing i miss is a tremelo, but hey, how lame would that be on a Les Paul copy? :)

for most of my article i compared the guitar to a Squier Strat STD with Humbucker, a Hammer Slammer (its from a friend of mine, dont know the exact type) and a Ecko semi-hollow body.

If it would dissapear overnight, i would buy another L59 in a hearbeat... that is if i could find one... ive checked more then 40 guitarshops in Holland, no one sells a Hohner L59 or L60.

cherry-sunburst finish, gold hardware, aged binding, darn near perfect LP copy-only improvement would be less plastic-y looking fret markers-still, they are unobtrusive and only a minor issue-

usually play single coils (fender & danelectro), was happy to find an LP type to add fatter sounds to home recordings (bluesy rock) without destroying my budget. sounds bright, clean, no static, consistent tonal quality at all volumes and tone settings toggle needed replacing-would not work on bridge position (guitar was slightly used), but easy for do-it yourselfer. the sound--les paul--you know it-you love it. docking 1 point for toggle-may have been user neglect and not manufacturing issue-not sure

great smooth action-had to do zero set-up- gorgeous cherry sunburst finish-only flaw was above mentioned toggle switch-not bad for a used $65 dollar guitar that looks like it was seldom played-tight, smooth tuners-everything aligned properly

dont play live--strictly basement recording-has been very durable construction and finish wise-do not forsee any isues here

N/A

completely thrilled with this guitar--would have gladly payed much more--classic LP sound and attention to quality make this a bargain. if lost i would replace it with same model

Not sure when it was made, I bought it second-hand. Very nice flame-top Les Paul Copy, 2 volume, 2 tone, 2 PAF style humbuckers made by Kent Armstrong. I replaced the stock pup's with a Seymour Duncan Custom Custom in the bridge, and an Alnico Pro 2 in the neck.Seems to be a very solid build, good materials and its HEAVY!!

I play this with a Hot Rod Deluxe, Yamaha DG80, DG Stomp, Full-Drive 2, Marshall Drive-Master. Great for rock and blues. Theres nothing I dont like about this guitar.

Fantastic action and finish.

I have dropped it a few times and its as tough as old boots!

never dealt with them.

I have an American Strat, a G&L ASAT classic, and an old Cort LP. This is my favourite guitar of them all. I replaced the pup,s for Seymour Duncans, and to be honest, I think the original pup's are just as good, they really turned me on to Kent Armstrong Pick-Ups, and I'm really sorry I sold em!

Hohner build the guitar in the 90th. I guess it was made in Korea, but I do not know exactly.
The guitar has got flamed maple veneer top, solid Californian maple body, glued in phillip. mahagony neck with Indian Rosewood fingerboard, two Hohner Professional HP GH-4 Humbucker Pickups(original), modified with a Seymour Duncan "Pearly Gates" (Bridge) Pickup for more clarity and transparency,chrome hardware, 22 silver-nickel-frets, standard L-bridge, deluxe machine heads.

Playin Rockfunk and Blues (my favourites are Prince and Eddie Hazel)it suits well to this style. I got a "hughes & Kettner" Attax 40 Combo. The Humbuckers are a bit "muddy" and were a bit too warm and smooth, so that I replaced the Bridge Pickup and took a Seymour Duncan "Pearly Gates". The sound changed and I got more clarity and transparency. I will replace the neck-pickup and will get a second "Perly Gates" in the neck position. It has a transparent, pressurefull sound with much sustain and sounding through heights. Soundexamples can be downloaded at www.schmitzit.de (Equipment)...

Withthe new pickups it sound great!

Good quality guitar! The maple veneer top catched my eyes. The Pickups are well adjusted. You have really the feling of playin a Gibson, even it is not the original. The guitar has good action, attack and enough punch. It is easy to play...

It is a very heavy guitar that may last ! The hardware is good quality and the guitar is very good for live playing.

I did not need any support, but I know that Hohner has a good support...

I've been playing 10 years. I got a Hohner Professional Telecaster "The Prinz" and a Washburn Telecaster and a Alliance Jumbo Western Guitar, a Hughes and Kettner Attax 40 Amp and Korg A4 Effects.
I would always buy it a second time, because it's a great guitar for low cost. I held a Gibson 59er in my fingers that costs about 10.000 Dollar and I don't think that the sound is so much better that the price is justified. I always would replace the Pickups and got another combination. Very good are Seymour Duncan "Pearly Gates" or the "Jazz" Pickup in the neck-position and "Pearly Gates" or "Jeff Beck"- Humbuckers on the Bridge. With that it is inferior to a genuine Gibson in nothing ! Ideal for Rock and Pop as well as Blues/Jazz. Listen to the sound example at www.schmitzit.de and decide on your own, what it sound like

No need to go into much detail about what the others have said. I'll simply do a LIKES and DISLIKES on the features:

LIKES
Heavy. That's cool. I took a peek inside and it looks like mahogany, again, a good thing. The cap is thinner than on a real LP, but does appear to be maple (i'm not a pro at detecting woods, but I have seen a fair amount in my days). It's NOT a veneer, which is cool.

Double-bound body. Cool.

Tuners are decent. Cool.

Everything else is pretty your basic LP copy.

DISLIKES
Wish the inlays were more "pearl" or mother-of-pearl looking. Its only cosmetic, but that would be cool.

Wish the binding covered the edges of the frets. Typically only REAL les pauls have that, though.

Hardware is a little light; not a big deal, something to upgrade later.

I mentioned that I took a peek under the hood. As one other poster mentioned, the original pickups are "designed by Kent Armstrong" and made by a company called Sky. They are VERY decent pickups! I tried the following in the bridge: Gibson 500T ceramic (too hot, and too harsh; not near smooth enough); Seymour Duncan Pearly Gates (nice); Tom Anderson (not sure of model, but it was very hot too; much smoother than the Gibson 500T though); and a good ol original Gibson 498T (very nice; perhaps the nicest of the bunch). The verdict? The Gibson 498 was MAYBE the nicest, but not by much over the original! And since it was an open coil versus the original gold, I decided to just put the original back in.

The bridge has good attack and sustain, but has a very nice smoothness to it as well. The neck is a little muddy, but to be honest, other than playing the opening to "Sweet Child O mine" I almost never even flick my toggle anyway (except to do that cool feedback trick with the neck pickup off!). So it'll stay in.

Overdrives my marshall plexi nearly as well as my '91 Les Paul Studio (perhaps the nices single guitar I've EVER played; it frikking ROCKS).

Very good sounds for blues, classic rock, and modern rock. Not sure how it'd work for anythign else, but then, I don't play anything else so I don't care!

Very nice. Hardware is a little cheesy, but not a big deal. Holds up well. Cant find any finish flaws.

Very nice axe. Definitely a keeper. Pots/electronics are 2nd rate; I'd recommend a swap, but I haven't gotten around to it myself yet. I will, but even without, it's a killer axe.

I've been playing nearly 15 years. I'm a BIG Gibson fan. This guitar isn't a Gibson--and it also doesn't COST what a Gibson does either. I would not be ashamed at all to gig with this axe, and may this coming summer when me and my band have some outdoor dates at local stuff here in LA.

I've learned since my previous review of another L59 I owned, that these were made from about 90-96 in Korea; they're NOT made in Japan. Typical LP set up: two buckers (made by "Skyy" designed by Kent Armstrong); short scale; 2 vol, 2 tone; tune-o-matic and stop piece; carved top, possibly maple, maybe a veneer overlaid over a hardwood and/or mahogany body. Body binding on top & bottom, along fretboard and headstock. Very well constructed.

Excellent! Though the stock designed-by-Kent Armstrongs were fine, I went ahead and thru a Gibson 498t alnico in the bridge, and a Gibson Classic '57 in the neck. Oh my God! What a tone-monster it is now! Sustain FOR DAYS.

No problems.

How the hell should I know?

Right....

This is the 3rd Hohner LP styled axe I've owned (one other L59, one goldtop with p90s). They ALL rocked! These are well-made (and VERY inexpensive) good quality axes. Do a pickup swap and you've got a KILLER axe for less than 3 or 4 bills! Amazing!!

I am not particualary sure of when or where this guitar was made but I know when i bought it I was tossing up weather to bye an eppiphone or something else.
This particular guitar took my fancy because it had the look of a standard les paul but more important had a better finish than the eppiphone les pauls on offer.
I was told but I don't know the validity of the claim but the pick ups were made by some sub brand of EMG but that could've been sale talk too.
The gold hardware sucked me in too, kinda set it off from the rest and the nice sunburst and flame combination.
It's your average gibson set-up, three way switch, twin humbuckers (gold covered) 2 tone 2 volume.
I am impresses with the tuners too, I thought they were grovers to start off with, (having bought them for another guitar)
Great neck, really playable, though when I bought it, it was equipt with 9 gauge strings and I couldn't get used to that and ended up setting it up for 11 or 12's now.
I got it in a weird one day half price sale and that kinda reduced my chances of getting anything with it but I was happy.
I did get rid of the scratch plate but I would've done that on a gibson too, can't get used to them

When I first started with it , it took a while to get used too because i was used to my Telecaster but once I did i found a lot of avantages.
On the Rhythm setting with the pick up selector, there is a warm fat bluesy feel and a real bite to the treble setting.
I play a very diverse range of music from usual to insane sounds and this guitar has held up well under pressure.
I have six guitars and i find myself coming back to this one all the time.
I am only running it through a 60 watt park amp @ present but have had it through 100W marshall and Fender amps and it gives a great soung through both.
I also record direct into the computer or 4 track, through a Digitech RP6 and it has proved very versitile.
The only problem i have incounted. is it seems a litle flat some times when going for high, industrial style distortions but that can be fixed a lot of the time with tweaking the effects and the vast amount of sounds to come out of it make up for that.
I don't think it is the best grunge guitar, sounds too neat/smooth, I use my tele for that stlye of music.
A friend of mine has a les paul 63 reissue and a les paul gold top and he commented on the accuracy of it to his originals in playability and was rather impressed, ot saying I wouldn't swap him if he asked though :)

When I bought the guitar it had no flaws in the actually guitar but the action was a bit up the creek and took a bit of adjusting but once set it was fine.
Beautifully bookmatched top, flame, action was the only problem but I got right on to that, i was a bit worried when the action wasn't right after I bought it but my guitar teacher set it up for me and that was cool after

I wouldn't use it on a gig with out back up but that's just me being paranoid, plus there are some songs i prefer my telecaster for but the guitar it's self is reliable to cut it.
I bought strap locks as soon as I bought it, same as all my guitars since an incident with my old strat copy and a strap slipping and concrete, ouch, but one strap button did come out once on be, might have been my fault for not drillin' the locks in properly, I fixed and haven't had any probs since.
I have played it live plus I leant it to my guitar teacher to do a couple of gigs with and it's been around the traps a bit, the gold has faded off the pick ups a fair bit and the brige but I expected that.
It's my song writing and main guitar so I think it is relieable enough!

I didn't want to get anything done from where I bought it because they don't give things back quick....i had an input cover replaced on it from another music shop. wasn't warrenty, took 2 min.

Synopsis:
I love this guitar and if it was lost or stolen I would be really annoyed cos it has grown on me, yes I'd like to buy another but I would have to wear it in.
I have 2 eppiphones, an acoustic 12 string, a twin neck-eds1275, a Squier telecaster, a Yamaha acoustic-fg 310, a crap strat copy (doesn't everyone) and the Hohner and I go back to my Hohner more than the others. I have been playing for about 10 years now and this guitar is a great weapon in my inventory, I would like different pick ups but i still like the sound it has, so if I bought another on I might change the pick ups so i can have one original.
Overall out of my guitars....very happy with it!!!!!

Korean, not sure about the year of manufature but it was purchased new in 1998. Antique/faded cherry sunburst flametop veneer - classy, not bright! Gold hardware, H/H, 3-way selector Tune-O-Matic bridge etc.. basically a really nice looking Les Paul copy :)
Same controls as a Gibson, i.e good tone shaping via 2 tone and 2 volume so I give it an 8.

I play pretty varied styles.. blues/rock/ballad/metal/pop and I've never had any reason to fault this guitar. I don't know who made the pickups but they're VERY good. I play thru a Marshall Valvestate half-stack as does the other guitarist in my band. the only difference between our setups are the guitars - mine is a Hohner L59, his is a Gibson Les Paul Std. Git. However, during a soundcheck I listened carefully to him play, then got him to play on my guitar and there was virtually no difference in tone. The neck pickup gives good woman-tone, very smooth and fat (like a milkshake!) and the neck pickup gives raw blues balls tone. Dirty, this guitar is great. Clean it CAN be great, but sometimes it's not quite as inspired as the dirty tones so.. 9 but nearly a 10!

Things started out on a bum note when the 3-way selector was smashed shortly before I was due to pick up the guitar, but that was quickly replaced (free of charge) with an original Gibson selector switch :)
The action was fine as supplied, but the guitar came with 9's and I sweet-talked the shop owner (Brian, top bloke) into replacing them with 10's (free of charge!) and these were increased to the present gauge of 11-52 (my fingers are so rip - beefcake! BEEFCAKE!) and I get a nice fat tone out of them. I also dropped the action a little lower with minimal fret buzz. For a sub-#300 guitar, I think the finish is great but if I'm to be totally objective I think the paint has over sprayed slightly onto the binding where the neck meets the guitar. Only I would ever see it but still.. I know it's there! Otherwise it's beautiful, a real looker - way sexier than a Les Paul Std.. but not as good as a Les Paul Classic Plus! *drools..*

I've gigged with this guitar 6 times and never snapped a string when it's mattered! At home I've occasionally nearly lost an eye due to flailing snapped strings but that's due to my inability to wipe my strings regularly after heavy use.. which brings me onto my next point! CLEAN THE PICKUPS REGULARLY! My sweat has eaten thru the gold plate, thru the chrome plate beneath that(!) and now it's some weird orangey metal beneath that's visible (only on the very top edge of the bridge pickup where my palm usually lives).
I think that the pickups should be more resistant to sweat so I've knocked off a point but in truth that's just aesthetics and the headstock has survived MANY knocks (into mirrors, walls, cabinets, mic stands etc.) and it's completely unscathed! My backup guitar is way more unreliable than this (Antoria SG copy, 70's model, dodgy electrics) so essentially I DO gig without a backup. I leave my strap on the guitar when it goes back in the case (or on the stand) but the strap buttons are rock solid and I never worry about it falling off.

Never had to deal with them.

I've been playing guitar for about 8 years and I run my L59 through a Marshall VS100R head, Marshall VS 4x12 cabinet, KorgAX1G and occasionally a pedalboard comprising Vox wah, BOSS Flanger, Octaver and DS2 Distortion pedals.
I've tried playing a US Strat and a Gibson LP Std, but I prefer the feel of this guitar (and the price!). I would never buy an Epiphone. For #300 I would recommend a Hohner L59 or maybe a Gordin Smith. If mine was stolen I'd be completely gutted, cos I love this guitar! I'd definitely try to source an exact replacement from somewhere. I'm currently trying to get an Ibanez JS100 (or a JS900 from Japan if I can slip one past customs with minimal expense) so this guitar will likely become my backup. I know I can rely 100% on my L59. I sometimes feel like fitting Zebra coil pickups and adding coil tapping to it but nah, it's fine as it is :)

I think it was made in the 70s or 80s, probably in Japan. Can't say for sure. Set neck, deep faded cherry sunburst with gold hardware, trapezoid inlays, nice inlay on headstock, binding on top and bottom of body and along the fretboard. It's a nice, HEAVY Les Paul style guitar. Top appears to be a real flame maple top, but can't be sure, maybe a veneer?

These humbuckers are really good. I would swear they're not the originals, because the tone is so nice and rich and fat, like a humbucker should be. Slightest bit of muddiness, nothing major. Plenty bright enough, surprisingly so. No microphonics, EXCELLENT sustain! Playing thru a Crate Vintage Club 30 tube amp. I play rock and roll (Stones, Zep, Bad Co, Everclear, Foo Fighters, Aerosmith and the like). Pickups not noisy at all, no scratchiness to pots or anything. Amazing after all these years.

Overall great, but for one minor issue. A few of the trapezoid fret markers have sort of lifted over time. Initially, I sort of "shaved" them down, and I nicked the fretboard in a couple of places. Then I just put some superglue at the edge, and mashed the markers down. That seated them, they're fine now.

Very heavy, very solid guitar. I think it will continue to hold up fine. It's held up fine for a long time, I'll rate it high.

Very high. This is a nice Les Paul style guitar. I don't even see any need to swap the pickups at this time, maybe down the road if I hang onto it.

Manufactured late seventies. Les Paul Custom copy. Laminated maple flame top. 22 frets. 2 made by Hohner passive humbuckers. Ping sealed tuners.

Playing through a Laney tube amp and a Marshall half-stack. (Total of 6 12" speakers) Sounds good playing heavier rock like Metallica or Monster Magnet. A little thin on the highs though. No hum or buzz even after all the years this guitar has been around however.

Nicely bookmatched top. Neck joint has stress crack in the finish, but the guitar is over twenty years old. Doesn't seem to adversely affect play. Pickups are not secured as well as I would like. Inlays in the fretboard are not as nice as they should be. Glue is visible

Very solid construction, heavy durable finish. Hardware is of good quality.

Pretty nice guitar, not as nice as a Gibson of course, but servicable.

All this stuff is covered in the previous posts. Archtop laminated. 5-ply I think. Gloss finish, transparent, natural wood finish, zebra grain, two piece top, but niecely matched. Les Paul all the way, but on the petite side. Thin neck (don't know scale). Thin body, but still heavy. Korean made. Nice tuners. Extra nice inlay on the headboard. Looks really good from a moderate distance.

Full, deep humbucker sound. Lots of overtones. Sustain is great. Sound swells nicely. Very smooth even through my electronic Laney GC-50A. Great lows, well defined. Total jazz sound. Very little highs and I've tried everything to squeeze a little more--light gauge strings, thin pick, tilted pickups. No bite for rock and roll. Can get better balance from the EQ on my effects box. Still, sweet sound with lots of interest. I'm shopping around for new pickups, though. The instrument is worth it.

Guitar set-up isn't much of a concern for me. Adjusting the neck, bridge, pick-ups, strings... well, that's just part of playing an electric guitar. Frets were poorly filed, bridge was a little loose and contributed to some string buzz, some extraneous glue at the neck joint. Hardware is good quality. The instrument has been around and the pots are in good shape and no rust. It's not solid--top and back are glued on. Interesting "routing" job... they saved some work by leaving channels from the pieces pressed together. It does make it easier to run wire. The pots are small--they look like the 250k strat pots. Huge amount of room in the "electronics compartment". Good pickup switch, very quiet.

Good and solid. I just hope the body pieces don't decide to start coming apart at some point.

N/A

I've been playing guitar for 20 years, but just picked up the electric a year ago. I've purchased several electrics since then. I had a different les paul copy but it got stolen. I bought the hohner to replace it. The body is not as solid, but the overall look and sound is equal or better. It plays great, very fast and smooth action. If it were stolen I'd replace it with a les paul style guitar, not necessarily a Hohner. I own a couple of strat style guitars, but they can't produce the beautiful sound and harmonics of the les paul. Strats are more fun, though. For one thing, they're not as heavy. Bright tone gets you over the drummer and organ player with greater ease. I love the harmonics and full body of this guitar. I love the way it shakes the house with lows. I love the beautiful inlay work. I love the feel of a quality wood musical instrument.

This guitar is actually a model LT 59, differing from the L 59 only in that it has a trem system. Otherwise, its design is exactly like a Les Paul Custom, the quality of hardware on a par with an Epiphone, rather than a Gibson.

When I got it, used, the guitar sounded very bassy and very muddy. I don't know what the pickups were, but the bridge was a bit better than the neck (even given the difference in sound that the different positions provides); I moved the bridge pickup to the neck position and had a Pearly Gates humbucker put in the bridge position. The sound now is vastly improved, but the lows are still very prominant--in any chord involving the low E string, the lows dominate everything else. The brightest sound from this guitar is none too bright. Mid-range sounds, though, are great.

This guitar plays extremely well, better than most "real" Les Pauls I've played. It looks great, too, with no flaws that I've discovered. Looks just like a Les Paul, plays just like a Les Paul--if it had a brighter sound, it would be a great guitar.