Memphis Les Paul Copy

OK, another LP copy, but I actually like this one. Big, fat, weigh a ton body that yields a beefy, sustain filled tone. The two humbuckers are old, I might replace them one day, but they work ok.

I'm still a beginner, only started playing two years ago. I was taught to play by my church's worship leader, so I learned choruses and hymns and such first, but I've picked up so more rocky and alternative styles since then. Clean with a bit of chorus makes some really nice tones, came in handy for those church tunes. But crank the distortion and effects and this guitar wails. I like it solid thick sound, and it sustains for a long time and feeds back nicely.

Well, it's starting to show some wear. Finish is still pretty good, there's a crack on the side where the plywood layers started to shift and split apart. I took the pickguard off to get a cleaner look, and there was a gouge underneath where a pickguard screw dug in. A brown crayola marker and some nail polish and it's barely noticeable. :)

This thing is old, and I play a bit hard. It has held up well thus far, and I'd gladly play it live (I have). Great sound, looks good enough to be seen in public.

There was a company named Memphis? I didn't know the brand on this guitar til I peeled the sticker off the headstock my friend had put on there to fool people into thinking it was a real LP :)

Well, this was my first guitar. Bought it from a friend that convinced me playing guitar was cool. Not the best beginner's guitar. Massive C-shaped neck, and when I got it the action was high. It was murder to play, I can't believe I keep at it. Then I bought a Squier Strat, which is so frickin easy to play, and I tossed the Memphis in the corner for a couple months. Then I came back and realized it sounded so much better, and had done a great job building up my playing skills.

Still too hard to play regularly, I decide to upgrade it a bit. Got it new tuners, a graphite nut, and a new bridge. Bought them all from Carvin. I was really mad when the bridge wouldn't really work with the holes in the Memphis. So let's just say I have a Home Depot custom guitar now, the bridge in place with painted washers and JB Weld :)

The old nut was weird, it had a curve to it that held the strings at the right levels, but the new graphite nut I bought was flat. So now I have problems with the inner strings being too low and getting a lot of fret buzz on open notes and the first two frets. But other than that, it sounds fine. The action is nice and low, too low for the middle strings but oh well.

If it died or disappeared, I'd be heartbroken. I'd try to buy another, but I probably couldn't find one, so I'd just save up and one day get a Gibson. Or something.

I have an awesome Memphis LP copy that I got for free from a privatley owned repair shop. This copy looks just like a LP custom(square inlays, binding front and back, arched top, though the pick guard is missing, and gibson deluxe tuners)the guitar is made of plywood w/a bolt on neck, and 22 medium frets. by the time i got it, the frets were NICKED in several places past the 12th fret, though I don't often solo being the only guitarist in the band, so there is no real problem. the sound from the two hummers(steel covers)is jazzy to say the least, under powered is another word. this peice has been grounded very well and does not make any disernable noise, although the input jack needed cleaning. the truss rod is very stable, and works, it stays in tune, though a tune o matic is DEFINETLY in order(the original is CRAPOLA). the neck is a beefy "C" shape that is reminiscent of a real LP, though the binding is rather worn. there is one small thing...this instrument was smacked on the ground on the treble side, beaking loose and losing forever the electronics cover.

my style of music is very versityle, and I am using this as a back up, and practice peice, so i may save the strings on my main axe(a bently series 10 lp copy...beautiful)that said...I write the majority of my music on acoustic, so I am by default a heavy hitter, and this peice stands up to it, no slipping or complaining. I use a EMC 300 watt 2x10 combo amp, and a Zoom 505 pedal, and that's it. the guitar's pickups do a great job of making every sound I want through the use of the tone and volume controls(vol, vol, tone, tone, 3 way toggle)the sound is warm and smooth in the neck position, and growls the way it should when it meets distortion, although I wish it had just a little more oomf! the guitar's behind-the-tune-o-matic strum sound is REALLY eerie, BTW!

the nut has broken loose from it's glue, but that was an easy fix, the pickups have a little rust on the screws of the pick ups, but other than that, this instrument was probably PERFECT when it was bought, seeing as how well it plays now.

this guitar will not last forever, but as a back up, it is worth it. the strap buttons are inadequetly small, so that needed remedying, the hardware on the other hand, seems like even in it's mediocrity, it wll not fail.the finish is going NOWHERE on this baby, and the abuse is over when it comes to who owns it, so I can depend on the fixes I have made, and the parts it came with, indefinetly, though I would NOT use this axe w/o a backup. Nothing personal to the guitar, but my main is my main, and this one has NICKS in the frets, which I am not willing to invest in doing.

customer support...yeah....right....next question please.....

I've been playing 15 yrs, and this guitar is NOT the worst I have owned by far.(I had a shredder at one point that I could not sell)I love the fact that it was free, and that the unplugged volume is pleasntly loud, but if it was stolen, I would not be upset..............ok, if I found the guy, I would bludgeon him with said guitar. it WAS free...

This was a midnight blue finish, les paul copy. Set neck, probably eighties vintage, 2 tone controls, 2 volumes, and two single coils cleverly disguised as "humbuckers."

This thing sounds like shit. Fortuntely for it, I play shitty music tho... This guitar will squeal like Ned Beatty if you put yer amp over "3"

It has taken me over a year to get this thing playable in a live situation and I don't think I'll even chance that...

Action was terrible, at the 12th fret, strings were 1/2 inch off the board. Finish was OK, but the binding is beginning to crack...

The pickups are actually single coils with a chrome humbucker cover screwed to it. The other half, under the cover is actually a piece of foam! (No wonder this thing squeals like a pig)

This thing feels like it was made out of a couple of 2x4's. You should have no problem splitting skulls on stage (if thats yer fancy). The guitar finish looked kinda thin, but thats OK, cuz I painted it with white refrigerator paint and it can pretty much take anything I dish out. For the price paid, this will make an excellent guitar for smashing on stage...

I don't even think these guys are in business anymore...

I guess its not too bad of a guitar. I will have to replace the humbuckers, I mean single coils, with humbuckers and see what happens...

It's and F-ing Les Paul copy, what features do you want? Seriously, other than the obvious, it has a laminated top with a set neck. Nice sustain - not quite a true LP - but better than most copies I have seen, and significantly lighter although still stout. I bought this on Ebay with a broken headstock, and had it repaired not knowing what I was getting. I have been very happy so far.

I play standard and acoustic rock. I have been looking for an LP for recording good lead work. I have a Japanese Squire Strat, and this guitar is the perfect compliment. The pick ups are noisy (as is noted in most of the comments) but that is because they are not grounded. If you simply touch them with your finger while playing, the are as quite as can be. My guitar tech is currently grounding the tail stop which hopefully will render these babies true 'humbuckers'. Other than that, they sound great. My bridge pick up is intermitent, but as old as this guitar is, that is to be expected. If she gets real bad, I think the instrument is worth the investment in a new pick up.

I think the factory set up was lost about the time I started playing in the late 70's. I bought this Sunburst beauty with a broken headstock, and immediately had the neck glued, replaced the bridge, and dressed the frets. From there, the action was terrific, but a little buzz remained. I am now having the nut replaced (looked like it was not the original, and not a good job) I expect to know more soon. The finish is a bit scratched, but that adds the perfect character for this classic beauty. With a little polish, she looks quite stunning, and begs you to pick her up and play her. The neck is set, not bolt on, and that adds alot of quality. For those who know, the truss rod cover says 'Artist', so I assume this must have been a top of the line Memphis. When I got the guitar, the original bridge had plastic buckles, which I simply assumed would suck. For a few extra bucks, I got a 'Tune-O-Matic' wanna-be, and the intonation, action, and sustain are fantastic.

With a glued on headstock, I still worry about leaving the guitar leaned up against a wall. Compared to a real LP, the body and neck are not quite as sturdy. That said, compared with a Strat, or any other guitar, the Memphis holds its own. I don't gig much, but would use this guitar as my primary guitar without a second thought. The only concern is the tuning tends to slip a bit. I am convinced that this is a feature of the poor after market nut, so we'll see if I'm right.

Any warranty on this instrument has long since expired. I sure the same can be said about Memphis Guitars. Still, Ebay usually has a couple for sale. I've got a bid on another with a bolt on neck, so maybe another review will be forthcoming.

I've been playing on and off for over 20 years. Not nearly as good as I used to be. I bought this guitar to capture a lost part of my youth. I used to own an early 80's Hondo II Les Paul Copy. This Memphis is far and away better than anything Hondo has ever made. It truely can be compared to a Les Paul. Obviously, the Gibson wins, but for the price (I've got about $350 invested, including a hard shell case) I'll take my Memphis. If this guitar was lost or stolen (BTW, I love this element)I'd be mad as hell, then get back on Ebay and find another. Heck, in a few months, the a-holes who stole it would probably try to sell it again!

I don't know what year it was made. I got it as a gift around 93, someone had it in their garage for a while, and had a newer one they prefered. It says 01962 LP100 on the back, so I don't know if it was made in '62 or is a copy of a '62 model. I don't know where it was made. It has 22 frets. Shiny sunburst. 2 volumes, 2 tones, 3 way selector. H/H I believe. Don't know brand. Stock, I believe. Passive. I think it's plywood, or particle board. Standard Les Paul type bridge. Put my own tuners on. Originals were broke, at least one of them.

Is sounds good for the jazz, experimental and punk playing i do. I just use it with a crappy little 10 watt practice amp or my RP-300. Sounds good on those. Have played through a Marshal Tubestate amp for a few weeks, as i fixed it for a friend, and it sounded pretty good on that. VERY minor humming sometimes. Knobs were scratchy, but some hard blowing on them did the trick on that! (Who needs compressed air?) The neck pickup gets a pretty smooth low sound, and the bridge pickup get's a nice bright tone, but the middle position favors the bridge position too greatly. The body resonates quite nicely for being fairly cheap wood. Can get some killer feedback on it if I want, but doesn't get out of control too easily.

The intonation is a little messed up, and it's really hard to adjust, but I have learned to live with it. The input jack and selector switch gets loose every once in a while, and the knobs too, but lesser so. I adjusted the pickups to get really close to the strings, made it louder, and didn't screw up the sustain either! Stays in tune pretty well, even with my really fast and hard playing. I can get the action really low on this without buzzing, just the way I like it! The inlays are cheap plastic faux mother of pearl. The neck plays pretty fast and smooth. It looks really good for being so old, and has only minor chips and scratches. Strings break a bit frequently, even for me! think it could use a new bridge.

I've dropped this and knocked it around plenty of times to no ill effect, other than losing the tuning sometimes! The finish is in great shape, the pickguard is a little cracked, but that is forgivable, this thing is old! The strap buttons sucked though, they were kind of rounded shaped, instead of the cone shaped ones I replaced them with. My strap used to fall off all the time, until I replaced them. The frets were seriously worn, especially near the bottom, but I replaced them myself, and it's so much better now! Luckily the frets weren't glued in, and I did the job with very little damage to the neck. The fact that the neck is a bolt on made this job much easier. First time too, I was afraid I might mess it up, but it's better than ever now! And if I did screw it up, it's not like I paid anything for it!

Never called. Do they even still exist? I fix everything myself.

Been playing about 6 years. I have a crappy ass bass, and a cheesy practice amp, but it's not that bad. This sounds quite nice through my RP-300. If it were stolen or lost, I would certainly miss it, but I would get something else. Probably am anyway, as I'm getting more serious, but this will make a good backup. I really like the sound and playability on this, and think it makes a great beginner guitar, and is good for intermediate players too.

Bought it in a pawn shop for the equivalent of $100. Standard Les Paul features, etc. Bolt-on neck, though (??). Red sunburst wood finish. I'm guessing that it's from the seventies.

Yee-ha. The only pickups I've heard that are worse are on the Starfire guitars (ugh!). Plug it into a distortion pedal and crank it to the max, it's the only way they'll sound good. Bright, cheap, muchos excremento tone. I only bought this thing to practice technique on, so I don't even plug it in any more. Why bother?

Frets were really worn, had them dressed. Truss rod is useless, the neck is slightly warped. Not a real problem if you're willing to spend some time rubbing the frets. The tune-o-matic bridge was concave, something I've never seen before, but I'm told it happens over time. Replaced bridge ($15 equiv.) The actual finish is not bad for a cheapo. Give it a polish and it's quite easy to look at. The tuners are the worst I've ever experienced, tap one with your finger and it changes tune. Can't possibly be an age thing. Input jack is crap.

The finish is worn in several parts, and seems quite thin. I would never gig with it. Never mind the crap sound, the thing weighs a ton and would kill your shoulder in 15 minutes. Good for bar-fights. Can't hold a tuning, like I said.

Huh?

I own an Epiphone Les Paul, so I just bought the Memphis to practice on and avoid wearing out the Epi. Does exactly what I want, but it's by no means a decent guitar. The only reason I'm submitting a review is because of the ludicrously high ratings it's been given (except for the guy who tried to demolish a wall with his), and anybody who pays more than $100 for one, new or used, should suffer the same fate.

i believe this les paul is about a 1973 becasue it is a pre lawsuit headstock.solid top i think i don't know.2 volume.2 tone.i still have the stock pickups there still fat than crap.i need some seymour duncans thought.it has a nice ebony fretboard i like that.it also had a good binding job but it's starting to crack.i put some gibson tuners o n it cause the ones that were on it sucked totally.the bad thing is i didn't get the hardshell case.bummer.

i like this guitar for the style i play it is a roarin mother it just rocks.i use a marchall jcm series with a dunlop cry baby and fuzz face,danelectro fab tone and a boss chorus,octave and a couple others.it kinda sucks when the switch is in the middle because the treble pickup over powers the rythtym pickup.i don't like the frickin bolt in neck i wish it was a glued on instead.

the tuners really sucked.the pickups were ok but i need to lower them a bit,i put some covers on them.no real flaws good work on this one.

it's good live,i like me old guitar alot to.yah i might need a new tun o matc bridge though.???oh the finish is ok.it might last.hopefully.no i put some locking straps on them.i use it alot as a main guitar.

no help from them.yah i got it rewired piece of shit.no waranty i know of.

i've been playing a while.i owna a feneder and a i use to have a gibson but i sold it,(big mistake)something else if it were stolen.i like the feel of the neck even though it's a freakin bol t on. i actually like this guitar more than a gibson studio.(i don't like them damn things much.some 58 humbuckers.actuall 58 not reissue.yah i put new creme stuff on it cause it looked like crap with the black treble and rythym and pickguard and mounting rings it looks awesome now.

I'm guessing this guitar was early to mid eighties, but I bought it in 2000 and it felt and looked brand new. 28 fret. Solid top. It came with the basic Les Paul setup (2 vol, 2 tone, 3-was switch), but the switch was nicely positioned near the volume knobs where I like it, rather than up near the strap button like on typical Les Pauls. I'm very active on stage and tend to flip that switch up accidentally at very inopportune times. The stock tuners were shit. I replaced those immediately with real Gibson tuners. The pickups were not stock, but they were decent, but I replaced the bridge pickup with a Seymour Duncan anyway. The neck is nice and fat like the Gibson's as well. Another perk is that it came with a VERY nice hardshell case.

I play mostly punk and rock & roll, so this guitar is excellent. My rig is pretty simple. My amp is a Sovtek MIG 100 head played through a KMD 4 x 12 cabinet with Celestian Speakers. My backup amp is a Marshall 100 watt JCM 900. Occasionally I'll throw on a Danelectro overdrive pedal to give it a little more grit. Either way this guitar sounds great. It has a deep sound, but very full and fat. I use a lot of distortion, but it has a really rice, warm tone when played clean. The only complaint I would have is that the sound is almost too deep when distorted and turning the bass down on the amp usually takes care of that.

The action is excellent. It's low, but not too low. And the fret work is in great shape. The finish looked brand new. And has held up surprisingly well considering what I've put it through. It holds a tune for hours with no complaint.

Ha ha. Two nights after I picked this guitar up I used it in a gig out of town. Afterwards there was a fight and I ended up throwing the guitar a this guys head. It knocked him out cold, but broke the head off my Memphis when it landed. I thought that was a bad sign, but luckily I have a REALLY good guitar tech and he had the head glued back on and a week later I began using it onstage again. The guitar hasn't caused a single problem since and has held up beautifully. All of the hardware has held up. I have used this onstage dozens of times. I always carry a backup just in case, but have never needed it. The backup's really just there if I break as string. The strap button's I've replaced with strap locks and they seem to hold throw anything.

Never tried. Don't expect much.

I've been playing about four years. My primary guitar now is an Epiphone Riviera. I alternate between the Memphis and an Epiphone Les Paul as my secondary. If it were stolen (and if I could find another one) I would seriously consider it. I'm very picky about the guitars I play I only purchase ones that feel content with. I don't just go for brand names or for what's popular to other players. When I saw this guitar, I was taking my daughter for pizza and there happened to be a used music store next door. I always like to stop and look. I saw this one and just knew it was there for me. $250 and it came with a $125 hardshell case. Perfect.

I HAVE ONLY THIS TO SAY. I AM AN ARIA FAN SINCE I BEGAN. THIS LES PAUL IS THE CLOSEST THING TO AN ARIA THAT I HAVE FOUND SINCE MY ARIA PRO 2 URCHIN SERIS WAS STOLEN IN 1997. THE ACTION IS FANTASTIC. IT HAS A FULL 24 FRET NECK BUT THE BOTTOM OF THE NECK ISN'T AS ACCESIBLE AS THE ARIA THAT I HAD. ALL AND ALL I DON'T THINK I CAN FIND A GUITAR CLOSER TO MY TASTE FOR AS GOOD A PRICE AS THE MEMPHIS LES PAUL.

THANK YOU
VRP.........

This guitar is a pretty faithful copy (though I wish I'd held out for a set-neck copy instead). I had an identical real Gibson years ago. I'm guessing this is an 80's vintage (based on the fret wear). The cherry sunburst finish is not as vibrant as on the Gibson, but it still looks good.

I have always loved the fat sound of a Les Paul and this guitar has it. There is of course a limited range of sounds - but that's as it should be. The overall sound is virtually identical to the Gibson.

Fit and finish is not as good on this particular one as the Gibson. But the hardware (bridge, tuners, knobs etc.) and the electronics appear to be pretty decent quality for a cheap knock-off and have held up quite well over time. Pretty good action also.

There are some thinner spots in the finish that would be vulnerable if this guitar were played heavily or mishandled. One of the tone pots has developed some "play" in the shaft but that doesn't affect its function (no, adjusting the nut will not fix it - it's inside the pot itself). The plastic cover on the back is broken down the middle but it's still protecting the pots.

Overall, I'm very pleased with this guitar (especially for the money I paid). I looked at similarly priced guitars locally and this one blows them away. As I said though, next time I'm getting a set-neck.