Memphis Les Paul Copy

mine is a 1960's model and one of the first Japanese guitars built.
22 frets,2 volume,2 tone,tune-O-matic bridge,

great for all types of rock(punk,grunge,metal,classic rock,rock & roll) and blues music,sounds great through any amp(though i prefer orange,vox, or fender),great attack,bright sound,has amazing twang,great for all guitarists(if your on tour or just collecting rare classics),this guitar can shred fast or slow.

good action,pick-ups were perfectly ajusted,the only flaw i found was that the knobs were out of whack(of course i bought it used though).

this guitar has been around 40+ years and has had little visible ware but if anything,over the years the sound has gotten better.

i bought it used at a used guitar shop so i didn't get a warranty, but i didn't need one.

i have a 1960's tobbaco sunburst,bolt-on neck,les paul copy
i have been playing in multiple bands since the 70's and have been playing guitar since i was 8 years old,if it were stolen i would try and find another,i love everything about it,i think it sounds better than most gibson les pauls.

I recently got gifted an all black Memphis vitage studio copy. At 1st I wasnt sure what to think... late 70s early 80s... done some research and found the gifter did his as well. It seems the all black non bound dot inlay is the only Memphis that is the top of the heap and it shows... and sounds. I have a Charvell a paul a hagstrom super swede and a Hummingbird... This Memphis holds its own with them ALL. Great action mellow to edgey tones and not to hard to look at

Ive been a local +++ pro for 30+ years mostly deep blues light jazz classic rock done fair amount of session work and would readily use the Memphis in the studio where it would fit

I had to make a few adjustments after arrival it was pre owned by either a fool or seious amature bridge allignment etc pickups were and are outstanding I see why it was painted black as the grains dont completly match close tho

I do like to bring all my gear to a show but if forced to Id rely on the Memphis without a backup hardware is solid pots are silent straps hold tight good loking guitar for an off brand and Im sorry to say Id prefer it said Gibson on the headstock BUT it really is as good and is made by Gibson

Ive heard its a ghost company

If your not selfconscious about the name on the head stock this is a GREAT buy all the bells and whistles of a Les Paul without the headstock screaming it tho those in the know know its made BY gibson

Assuming late 70's early 80's Memphis bolt neck carved top LP custom copy. 22 fret. large block inlays (custom style IE including first fret) binding front and back, neck, headstock. No headstock inlay, just gold logo painted on. Tuners aren't great, odd sized... but stay in tune well. standard wiring for 2 hum lp. creme pickup in neck pos. black at bridge. appear to be original. very thin pickups, not hi quality. decent abr & stopbar knockoff. chambered body, more or less semi-hollow. more likely semi-hollow as a cost and build issue than anything. typical memphis plywood. black, looks very simular to gibsons new "classic custom" headstock to neck joint is visible in a pattern like this > _|-|_|-|_ "in steps" I rate it at an 8 purely because it has everything it needs to be what it should be. even if the materials are cheap.

Even though this guitar has humbuckers that are not even half as thick as they should be, they do quite well. Lately it seems alot of people go by the thought process of "the hotter the better" but you really can make weaker pickups like these work well for you. I was surprised the range in tone from crisp and bright to warm so fluidly. and I have no problem getting a good crunchy sound out of it. the main issue is with any high amount of distortion combined with volume, it's semihollow body causes some wicked feedback. like you'd get from an acoustic electric. the uncontrollable stuff. Better pickups and distance from your amp can fix this though.
but unplugged it puts out alot of sound, great guitar to have around when you are just picking one up to mess around for a few minutes and don't want to bother plugging it in.

It has great vintage small style frets, they are very low, I had to adjust the nut, but the action is great! I hate to say it, but the action is alot lighter than my Gibson 90' standard or any of my strats. the bridge is easy to intonate. the pickups are rediculous though. Impossible to get the bridge pickup low as it should really be. lower rings could fix this. The finish is showing its wear but it really does have charm. it looks like a black lp custom that someone made to look low profile. binding is great. paint... well. good enough. headstock is a gibson knockoff but lacks the v notch in the top center. Cheap cheap wood used for this puppy. typical memphis.

really sturdy. drop it and have few worries. I would still be inclined to use other guitars over this one gigging, but I could definetly take it along, provided i swapped out the pickups.
But the problem arises when this company has so many variations. alot of lemons with these. try each one. I am not sure if they ever made more than 10 of any of their guitars in the same fashion.

Cust. Supp. is laughable. just try to find any info on these and you'll be looking for a while. I have been told these were pawned out by yamaha to liquidate their stock during the copyright lawsuit era. but I haven't seen yamaha use the wood they use for these. they are usually only found in pawnshops or dirt merchant guitar shops. most music shops don't even bother with these, and if they do they often try to sell them as quick as they can to keep them off the floor. some of them sound good, look pretty cool, but lack a real quality build at the core.

of my 9 guitars I play this one a fair amount behind my gibson and 2 of my strats. It is light, sounds pretty decent, and It's just different. I really wish It was built with better materials, and it would be nice if it had a set neck. I built a guitar for the girl who had this as a trade. I would buy another if I found one for the price it's really worth. But I would be very hesitant to buy another for over 65$ because honestly thats what these are worth. many of the finishes look tacky. but they do very well with the binding, and inlays. Memphis's are always hit or miss. but they can be worth looking over if you come across them. Get a set neck version if you can. But don't shell out alot of cash for these. If your looking for a guitar to gig with, you can do better unless you want something you have to put alot of work into making it a so-so guitar. could be a beginer's nightmare if it's not set up right.
but if your comfy with anything that has strings, it might be a fun toy.

19983--84 Tabacco sunburst finish, white trim, block in lays, standard LP controls.

I was young when my father bought me this guitar, so I didn't know at the time if it sounded good or bad, I just knew that's what I had to play. One thing I learned about the pick ups back then, if you turn the guitar and amp up really loud you could yell into the pick ups and hear you voice through the amp. I plan on changing those pick up some day....yep I still have the guitar.

The neck feels great today, back then it was a heavy guitar with a fat neck....I guess I've grown some over the past 23 years or so.

Today the guitar has crackling in the volume controls, the three way switch works some times, the plug for the chord is loose, the tuning keys slip, yet, I plugged it up this evening, tuned it for the fist time in over 10 years and jammed like I just bought it.....

My father bought me this guitar from Briggs music in Landover Mall (Landover, Md.) back when I was 14 or 15 years old. I'm now 40 yo. and the guitar still plays after all those years of being knocked around. I've gotten back into playing and have a real Gibson, but think I'll recondition this guitar and start playing it again.

I am writing this to clear up some confusion. There are two types of Memphis Les Paul Copies.

1. There is a SET NECK model that is most likely from the late 70???s. This is probably the one that everyone is giving good reviews about and is probably a fairly decent guitar as far as copies go. Enough said.
2. There is a BOLT ON NECK model from the early 80???s that is a total piece of junk. As a few reviewers have said, it???s plywood, won???t stay in tune for nothing, and has a neck action comparable to a cheap Walmart Bow and Arrow set. Also, the pickups look like humbuckers but believe it or not, under the cover is a single coil pickup (I took one apart years ago). They originally cost 100 dollars in the early 80???s and are the equivalent of ???Fool???s Gold???

I hope enough people will see this review and will stop bidding outrageous prices on Ebay for the bolt on versions. And what I mean by outrageous, I mean anything over 50 bucks including shipping. Pawn shops are also looking at Ebay and are pricing there???s over what they are worth. I would actually like to buy one as a wall decoration to pay homage to my younger years but I wouldn???t consider torturing my hands and ears by playing it. Anyone wanting to play would be better of with a First Act guitar. FYI the best beginner guitar is a Squire Strat

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I was able to purchase my memphis from a pawn shop in southern CA, after alot of haggling over the price. They were asking $350.00, but I was able to get it for $200.00. It has that vintage Les Paul appearence,beautiful mahogany body with maple veneers running through top to bottom, and the controls in the lower body, three-way swich in the upper. I really had no idea of what i was getting in this guitar, and was later blown-away with the quality of what I got. It's a little heavier than the strats or LP, but action is easy and fretboard and neck is true.

I have played it through Marshall, Crate and Gibson amps, and it always delivers a solid, rich, and full sound. Usual effects seem enhanced, and will sustain forever.

I did a little set-up on it when I first got it, adjusting the pick-ups, new strings etc. It was o.k. for a back-up, but recently I had new DiMarzio evolutions installed and new tuning heads. I now play it as my primary on gigs and home recording.

This Memphis has played live 100's of times. It's solid, reliable, dependable. Never any major problems.

I did a little research on the Memphis guitar Company, got several interesting stories about it's inception, and demise. There isn't anything about this guitar a good repair shop couldn't take care of.

I've been playing on and off for thirty plus years, I've owned Yamaha, Hondo, Strats, Martin, Taylor, Takamine and many others. They all have their own uniqueness, as well as my Memphis. This one is a true, solid, dependable instrument that I really wouldn't want to part with, and don't think I could easily replace. It's not a one of a kind, but in a way, it really is.

This is a strange guitar because a great dal of energy has obviously gone into certain areas of the finish whilst others seem neglected.The tuners are pretty poor but not unusable and the nut seems pretty lousy displacing one otwo of the strings which contributes to one or two dull notes. The actual paint finish I think in Tabacco is pretty immpresive and the mother of pearl style inlays make this a good looking guitar. The finish seems durable a s this guitar was gigged regualarly but has survived well. Someone tells me these Les pauls where clearnce stock from Yamaha after they had to sell up their Les paul copies due to pending writ trouble. This i can believe they are in the main very well made. However I have been advised to stay away from the bolt on neck versions.

Well ibought a marshall 50 to plug this guitar into and i can only say I was astonished , Even before a set up new strings or any thing it gives a great Les Paul sound.The sound of Leslie West from Mountain immediatly sprins to mind with a bit of regulation it can be more toppy a bit like Angus .. AC.DC The harmonics really come thgrough on overdrive giving a punchy yet not too distorted lead . Other combinations can be had with a great Santana sound easily obtainable on rythm and bass . Whilst the treble gives a great sound virtually all through its range too much bottom makes the guitar sound wooly and muzzy a sound which would be hard to feature exept now and again due to lack of distinction . I think basically youd just fold in with the band and get lost.Im looking forward to gigging live to see what sort of blues sound i can get. i think with maybe some Duncans this would be the foundation of a great guitar.

Well the action is just passable at present though a $50 set up and stone job will i have no doubts the lickings of this and should trans form the guitar. The necks great wonderful feeling so its just a question of renewing some more stock cheap parts.Reminds me of the old two stoke Yamahas years ago Heatr of gold but replace all shocks plugs tyres etc with better gear. Result one fantastic race winning machine. Its a Japanese 70s thing they didnt have the suppliers for some things. However the wood is great the build is great and it sounds fab A bit ZZ top like

This guitar will last

Is this where they prop you up at the bar? NON existant so really poor make it up as you go along....dee dee dee dee dah dah dah hun hum

Year - about 1978
Frets - 25 (with slide)
SOLID - Ivory Bone Finish - beautiful man
Standard Gibson 4 knobs
I think Demarzio...humbuckers...not sure what model
Passive
SOLID MAPLE BODY - possible rosewood neck
Les Paul
Tune-O-Matic
non- locking but very good
Rosewaood/medium

I'd put it up against any guitar anywhere...style 70's...Alice Cooper
Marshall 1/2 stack
very quiet..until.................
rich/bright and full...
Only a Gibson Gold Top could tear me away....maybe...
Best guitar I ever played!

Action needed some adjustment, but now its GREAT.
Perfectly.
Awesome.
None.

always have always will....
indeed
prettiest guitar I ever saw - possibly with exception on Goldtop
yes
yes
yes

no longer available - but don't need them
n/a
n/a

over 20 years
no
YES
everything about this guitar kicks ass
Les Paul
no
if you can get a Memphis Pharoah, do IT

I bought my Memphis Les Paul at my local rock-musical instrument shop (Venemans in Springfield, Virginia. Now defunct) back in 1981. I figure she was actually made in the late '70s 'cause I kind of recall the sales guy saying the original owner had her for a couple of years. I was in 11th grade, had a summer job and wanted to spend my dough on a guitar that wasn't crap like the two I already had. Actually, my Dad had bought me a crap, no-model electric for my birthday a couple of years earlier and it had a Memphis decal on the headstock, so I was already familiar with the brand. (I abused the piece-o-crap like all my other toys - took it apart and re-assembled it dozens of times to learn how it worked and how it was made).

Venemans sold really nice guitars that I couldn't afford, brand new. They had a few used items for sale on consignment when I spotted the Memphis LP knock-off for $200. It felt like a Gibson, looked almost as nice (save for a cracked tone-knob) and played real easy. They threw in a case with a "Vantage" logo on it for free, so I went home happy.

As I recall, the first Memphis I had (crap from Dad) had a sticker on the back of the headstock declaring "Made in Korea". The LP had one claimed it was "Made in Taiwan", as if that meant higher quality, or something. Anyway, I really liked the set neck, easy action, tune-o-matic bridge, arched top, and near-exact Gibson looks, including the heavy, polished tobacco-sunburst, MOP inlays and muti-layered binding. I never liked the pickups, tuners or the wiring. The body and neck are obviously mahogony, while the arched top is probably laminate, though I'm not sure whether the veneer is maple or something else.

Today, She's got a lot of dings and scratches, but she still looks and sounds great. Somewhere along the way, I bought a Dimarzio pickup to replace the bridge position and years later I bought a Seymour-Duncan to replace the the neck-position (both look exactly the same, so I can't tell which is which, any more). She's recently been re-wired and had the pots and pot back-plate replaced by professionals. One day, I'll finally replace the tuners and get a new case 'cause the old, Vantage one is falling apart.

Un-pluggged, this LP copy sounds as good as it did when I bougt her - fat and rich, exept for some buzzing on the low-E string when played hard and open. When I bought her, I was trying my best to learn lots of YES, RUSH and Floyd songs, plus a myriad of other classic-rock singles (Beatles, Stones, whatever I could pick up off the radio). When I took her to college, I learned a bunch of Dead tunes. While never reproducing any of these sounds faithfully, this axe (which by now I've named "Memphis Belle"), always made everything ever I played sound great. I used to play her through a tiny, 15w Yamaha practice amp with acoustic-spring reverb that gave a range from crispy cleans all the way to crunchy fuzz. Together with flange and phazer pedals, she did all the psychedelic tricks I ever wanted. Today I have a Line-6 30watt that gives me lots more sound possibilities, which Belle takes full advantage of.

As mentioned before, I didn't get her from the factory and have made many adjustments to her over the years. The intonation is still good since I re-set it back in college, while action remains the best feature on Belle - I've had many compliments over the years about this. But I really ought to replace those tuners. They look like 1960's covered Gibsons, but they've absorbed so much punishment that one of them is hard to turn, now. The frets don't show any wear worth mentioning and the finish still glows - wherever I haven't dented it, that is.

Any guitar that still plays well after 25-30 years is definitely reliable and SUPER durable. I've already talked about the hardware, except for the strap buttons, which are still solid and faithful. Still, I may replace them with a locking system ,now that I know I can do that. I haven't gigged in 17 years, but I'd take Belle with me anywhere, any day.

Memphis Belle gets OWNER support whenever she needs it. Memphis - the company - is a ghost and won't support the dirt it's burried under.

There's a small, vintage guitar shop in the Falls Church district of my area called Action Music (actionmusic.com) owned by a very good luthier, who I trust with all 6 of my guitars, no matter how old they are or where they came from. They don't charge much for repair-work (they make butt-loads off their impressive stock of vintage stuff), so that's my support system.

Before I acquired Belle, I'd been taking lessons and playing for 6 or 7 years. Today I figure I've talleyed 30 or 31, though now I play mostly acoustic-rock. If I knew to ask more questions when I bought her, I'd probably have given up guitar by now. It's more poiniant to think about what I've LEARNED since then.

If she were stolen or lost, I'd be so pissed I'd need to be tied down and locked away. To me, Belle isn't just a guitar - she's my Lucille! I've made all the changes on her she's ever needed, save for the tuners. I'm not going to rush into that, though, 'cause the vintage style is hard to find and I don't want to lose that.

I only love three of my 6 guitars; Memphis Belle, a nylon classical I bought in Sevilla, Spain who I cal "Carmen", and a brand new 12-string jumbo from Takamine who I've named "Pearl". All three play many times better than whatever I payed for them. Only the 12-string could really be replaced, but I don't like to think about such things.

Set neck LP style guitar with beautiful mother of pearl Memphis logo on the head stock, open book with out the crease. Mother of toilet seat fret inlay work for the fretboard, tobaco finish, maple top, mahogany neck, rosewood fretboard, tune o matic bridge w/brass saddles, bone nut, lousey tuners (soon to be changed!) I guess this guitar was made in late 60s to mid 70s. Tried to date the guitar but the pots do not have date codes? all they have stamped in them is "noble 15A500K ohm" Guitar is much lighter that an LP.

Sound great, it's all there and I love it (blues to rock)

This guitar has one of the nicest fretboards I have played. The rosewood is increadible, It is the most comfortible guitar to play in my collection (like butter) with 10s. The feel of the neck is the high point of this guitar and why I will not part with it. I own or have had at one time or another G&Ls, many Fenders, Taylor, Ibanez, Gibsons, etc. Been playing for 29 years.

Just puchased it recently and I do not play in a band presently

I would love to know where these early Memphis guitars originated.

I bought my Memphis Les Paul copy in 1981 for $180.00 used including a cheap case and a 15w practice amp. I really didn't know much about electric guitars but I knew I wanted that style (Jimmy Page!). I played the hell out of it, never doing anything to it but changing strings and keeping it clean. Its the classic tobacco sunburst on a maple top with mahogany body/neck and it is solid (read "heavy"). It features a rosewood fretboard (22 fret) with the "open book" headstock and Koman tuners. This is a set-in neck model. It has all the same features regarding hardware as a standard Les Paul. Three way switch, two tone and two volume knobs, Tune-O-Matic etc. All in all if it didn't say Memphis on the head you'd swear it was the real deal! I recently replaced the factory pickups with S.D. '59 classics (bridge and neck)leveled and dressed the frets and had the intonation and action adjusted by Guitarville (in Seattle). They did an awesome job...thanks!

Although my taste in music is all over the board I can't seem to play anything but crunchy power chord 70's rock. This guitar has always met my needs even when it was factory but the recent work however has really transformed it. It has great tone, full down low and smooth/rich through the mids to highs. I had an Epiphone Les Paul a year ago (it got stolen...save the tears) and my old but reborn Memphis blows it away. I've played real Les Pauls, Strats(owned a decent copy), Jacksons, Ibanez etc. and I'm still jacked about this rig! I'm using a Yamaha 50w 212 amp and running through a DigiTech RP7 valve effects stompbox and the mandatory "crybaby". It can sound beautiful and bright through a clean patch or raunchy and rockin' with overdrive/distortion...its got balls! Oh, for all you Zakk Wylde nuts it'll squeal with the best of 'em.

The factory set up was what you would expect from a budget guitar (I don't really know the original cost), most everything had to be adjusted. To be fair since I bought it used it could have been all screwed up by the previous owner. The finish was actually really nice; thick clearcoat, chrome hardware/tuning pegs, classic Les Paul volume/tone knobs. Once the action and pickup heights were set it played and sounded just fine.

I don't play live gigs but I didn't always treat this guitar with the respect it now deserves. It has been dropped, knocked off its stand, spilled on etc. over the past 23 years and it can take it! Along with the recent upgrades I polished and cleaned it and it looks great! The top has a small crack near the lower tone knob and there are the requesite scratches on the backside and some small dings here and there...nothing more than normal wear and tear on a well used guitar. I replaced the strap buttons with Schaller strap-locks. As I mentioned previously this Memphis is solid!

Good luck...but with a skilled luthier who cares.

I'm honestly a hobbyist when it comes to playing, but I do 4-tracking and songwriting at home as well as jamming with friends once in awhile. I've played some 25+ years but it wouldn't show. I would recommend this guitar to anyone looking for an exceptional Les Paul copy. Make sure it has the set-in neck...Memphis did produce some really crappy plywood laminated models with bolt-ons. Beware! I'm really impressed with mine with the new pickups and setup. If I could find another I would buy it. My only other guitar right now is an Ovation electric-acoustic. I must share that the luthier and several guitar techs at Guitarville were very impressed with my Memphis and thought it was one of the best playing and authentic looking Les Paul copies they'd ever seen!

This Memphis Les Paul copy is either 70's or 80's. Reportedly made in the Tokai factory in Japan. Cherry sunburst, heavy maple top, solid and heavy! Traditional Gibson Les Paul features, but the pickups have been changed to DiMarzio Evolution's. Awesome! Got this with a heavy gigbag but, since it's my new number one, it rests in a Gibson lp case. This guitar was set up perfectly by my luthier, new strings, etc..No breaks, neck straight, dinged up a little from lots of gigs, but simply a beautiful guitar with awesome tone. All the Gibson lp standard features!

I play mostly rock and country. I use an 80's Fender Bandmaster amp head, with Mesa 2X12's. Also a new Vox AD30. This Memphis sounds as good as my Gibson lp Standard with burstbuckers! Not the same exact sound, but tone, tone, tone. I love this guitar because it is so good and so cheap, ($325.00) A good friend of mine, a Gibson man to the max, told me that if I ever found a heavy Memphis lp copy to get it! I did, and he was right! Memphis has some plywood models, so beware of those, it it's solid, go for it.

This guitar was not set up good when I purchased it, but my luthier, Ed, made it perfect! He had the basics to work with, the neck was straight, just one tuner needed a little cleaning, new strings, intonation, that's it. I cannot believe how well this guitar was built!

This Memphis played in over 100 gigs before I got it, has been down the road and around the bend and back. The finish looks great except for a few dings. I put strap locks on it when I got it. This is a dependable solid guitar. I take it on trips, gig with it, never a problem. I have more faith in it than in my other guitars.

Never dealt with them, probably now around. Had it set up by my luthier once. I'm sure there's no factory warranty.

Seriously for a year, before that sporadically. I have a GIbson lp standard new, fender strat, tele. If my Memphis was stolen, I'd try to find another one just like it. I would then install DiMarzio evolutions in it. I don't disike anything about it. I love it because it sounds as good as my Gibson.

This "paul" is an '80's model I got on ebay for $160.00. I am a fender man all the way, but wanted some Humbucker sounds for recording. Do not confuse the crappy bolt-on neck, plywood, entry level Memphis with this set neck model. Best guitar I have ever played for under $500. (Tuners were replaced with Gotoh by previous owner.)

Great for any electric style except hard rock. I play alt. country/blues/rockabilly. Bridge pickup a bit thin sounding. Neck pickup very phat a Zepplin sounding.
I use a fender blues deluxe, a JMF Spectra 112, and a Gibson "Maestro" Accordion amp.

Action very smooth and playable. I needed to adjust pickup height, and had my luthier buddy file a couple frets above 12th. Neck strap button is an accident waiting to happen...Buy stap-lok, or as I did Screw the strap right into the body for safety. (I often play harp solos and need this guitar to "hang" safely.)

Yes, reliable as lead paint. (That means good!)

Bought used.

Been 20 years as a professional. I would greatly grieve the loss of this instrument, and would seek out another. Again, do not confuse this better model with the cheapo bolt -on neck model. BETTER THAN ANY EPIPHONE LP EVER PLAYED.

Year of manufacture unknown, but this guitar was purchased, well-used, in 1987. It is an almost exact copy of a cherry sunburst Gibson Les Paul, including set neck and moustache-style headstock. Two humbucking pickups, stop tailpiece and tune-o-matic. Usual Gibson control layout. Body and neck are of an unknown, mahogany-like wood. Much heavier than mahogany.

The original pickups were weak and thin-sounding, so I replaced them with a DiMarzio PAF (neck) and A Carvin M22SD (bridge). I also shielded and rewired the guitar like a Gibson Flying V, with a three-way switch, two volume controls, and a master tone control. In this configuration this guitar sounds killer. The neck pickup is ok, but I can't say enough about the Carvin bridge pickup. It's fat, and it cuts through anything. Sustain is incredible. This guitar has a very even tone from top to bottom.

This guitar needed a lot of work when I bought it. The original pickups and tuners were crap, and the tune-o-matic had white plastic saddles, which I felt robbed the guitar of tone and sustain. Original stop tailpiece was rusting out. The pots and three-way switch were of poor quality. I replaced all of the electronics and hardware. Truss rod needed to be tightened a LOT to straighten the neck. It took me a few months to put this guitar into proper playing condition, and I invested around $125 in new parts. But it was worth it. This guitar is heavier than any Les Paul I've ever played, and it sustains for days. The action is smooth, and the neck is nicely rounded (not at all v-shaped) and just a bit thinner than a Gibson. Extremely comfortable. Original frets still in good shape. This has been my main guitar for more than fifteen years, and, though I've dressed the frets several times, I've still never had to do a refret job. Action is very low (1/16th inch at the nineteenth fret), and still there is no buzzing or fretting out of bent notes.

I have had to replace all of the original, poor-quality hardware on this guitar. The stuff I have on there now (Carvin and DiMarzio humbuckers, CTS pots, Schaller M-6 tuners) is all top notch stuff. This guitar was already beaten to hell when I got it more than fifteen years ago, but it has held up well throughout the years. Neck-body joint is very solid. This has got to be the heaviest wooden guitar on the planet. It's a back-breaker, but the sound is worth it. I don't think anything on this guitar will ever break down under normal usage.

I've never dealt with the company. If I did I would tell them that they make beautiful guitars, but they spoil them by putting on crappy hardware.

I don't know how many guitars like this were manufactured. This is the only Memphis I've ever seen with a set-in neck. If I ever saw another one in decent condition, I would definitely buy it.

Made in Japan in the 80's it is a Les paul copy that you don't want. Very cheaply made,layers of plywood for the body neck unknown wood it won't hold a strap lock. the tuners are absolutely horrible unknown maker. the pickups are humbuckers and very poor ones at that. about the equivalent of a toys r us childs guitar. I took this heap of junk to a professional guitarist i know who makes a living touring with a well know Rock Band and after he played it for a couple of minutes he laughed and said is this a joke or am i on Candid Camera. I said i just needed a professional opinion and he said this is a poor example even for a beginners guitar.

HORRIBLE, HORRIBLE, HORRIBLE sounding Humbuckers made in ? by ?. If you are deaf this is the instrument for you. If you are suspectable to Humbuckeritis, please don't play this piece of crap. It will make you deathly ill and they will have to call in a Music Doctor to save you! I am not sure what type of music you could use this for. Maybe to torture Saddam Hussein into revealing his secrets!

Binding almost all off this priceless jewel. Neck warped and Trussrod of no benefit. This is layers of plywood , what more can you say.

strap buttons fell off.numerous laquer cracks. YOU CAN THINK ABOUT PLAYING THIS AT A GIG BUT DON'T DO IT. "FANS ARE TO HARD TO COME BY" to punish them with this.

DUMP THIS IN THE NEAREST TRASH CONTAINER OR SEND IT TO YOUR WORST ENEMY. THIS COMPANY DOES NOT EXIST NOW OR MAYBE "NEVER".

I HAVE BEEN PLAYING FOR 27 YEARS AND PLAY ROCK AND BLUES. IF THIS GUITAR IS STOLEN, SAY A PRAYER FOR THE POOR SOUL WHO SWIPED IT AND RUN OUT TO THE NEAREST MUSIC STORE AND FOR ABOUT $175.00 BUY A CHEAP ONE THAT WILL SOUND LIKE A PRS COMPARED TO THIS HUNK OF JUNK.

Memphis Les Paul Copy. I'm not sure what wood it's made of. This is the Set Neck copy. The head stock is the open book with out the crease in the middle. I think it was made in Japan. Guitar is about 8 lbs

I replaced the pickups it came with. With Duncans. SH-5 in the Bridge and a 59 in the neck. Sounds really good. All so installed a reverse phase and single coil options with 2 push pull pots... Sounds dang good. Jimmy Page tone no problem.... Before I changed everything it still sounded pretty good the stock pickups were really not that bad. But the duncans did add a bit more Clarity.

The action is Good. The radias has a bit more to it than a real Les Paul. But still plays good. I would say it plays much better than an Epiphone. Those are crap...

Customer Support is AWSOME... Just joking...

It will work for me untill i can get a Real Gibson...

Les Paul Custom "Black Beauty" style, except has a bolt on neck. MOP block inlays, all the binding and accents you'd see on a custom, though the hardware is all chrome, and the finish isn't the greatest. "fretless wonder" type frets, small and effortless to play originally came with DiMarzio humbuckers. Also pretty heavy, just like the real thing.

This was my first electric guitar. I bought it new in 1984, because I liked the way it looked, and it was affordable. Little did I realize how good a guitar it actually was.

This guitar sounds really really great. I have heard and played several high-end Les Pauls over the years. I always thought they sounded almost exactly like mine. Though mine perhaps doesn't sustain quite as well (but not by much). I can get all kinds of sounds out of this guitar. Though admittedly, I have made several modifications. In the late 80's I bought a set of Carvin humbuckers, along with a kit to wire it in "stereo". I installed a second output jack (which I never use), and 3 mini toggle switches for coil splitting each pick up, and setting them out of phase. With these pickups, and this set up, I get all the dark sounds typical of paul's, but also by using the coil splitters can get exceptional bright tones. I find I use the rhythm pick up in single coil mode almost exclusively for clean sounds, and it sounds great. Not at all muddy, or bass heavy, yet full and "satisfying". All the other classic paul tones are pretty much there for the taking.

OK, kind of low marks here. After I took it home, I realized the neck was obviously bowed somewhat and I took it back. The guy told me it just needed a setup and adjustment. At the time I had no idea that it was standard practice for most new guitars. I left it with him and after a week got it back, the neck and playablity seemed fine, though I wasn't really a good enough player to know the difference. The paint job is pretty nice, though you can see the plywood layers in the profile. But really, I don't much care about that.

About 3 years ago I replaced the bridge and tuners (gotoh) and took it in for another set up. The luthier commented on how "really good" the guitar sounded with the carvin pickups. It played fine for a while, but now I've got some fret buzzing on the low E. I think it just needs another adjustment, the actions a bit low. Admittedly in this department it's probably not as true as a "real" Les Paul would be.

It's held up very well, never an issue. "Koinged" the headstock on a few basement metal support posts, and it didn't "snap off" as pauls are known to do. Barely a mark really.

Memphis ? Who knows... Schmicheal did the set up cheap when I took it back though, so high marks for him.

For a long time I used this guitar without a proper amp, and blamed it for my inability to get "that sound". Plugged into a proper amp, this thing rocks, and everyone says so. A few years ago, while I was getting it set up, I purchased a new Epiphone Les Paul Custom, that looks almost exactly the same. I gave it the same "treatment", Carvin humbuckers, coil splitting. Maybe it's just me, but after playing them both for a while, I like the memphis better. The Epi sounds OK, but has the really big frets, and I'm not really liking them. Maybe the woods just gotten old, or I can tell the difference now, but the Memphis really sounds great to my ears. I've been looking to get a "real" Les Paul, after "sticker shock", I think I'm going to find another one of these, though I'd like one with a set neck.

I bought a used Memphis LP online for $160 including shipping after reading a lot of the glowing reviews on here. Boy, was I ever disappointed. Typical Les Paul features, but that's where the similarity to Gibsons ends. One of the few positive things I can say about this guitar is that it is a hell of a lot lighter than every Gibson I've ever played, which is actually refreshing. On the downside, the finish is a joke. You'll never mistake the stained plywood on this piece of crap for flamed maple, because it's probably made of the same wood as your dinner table and your bookshelf.
I don't know why Gibson bothered filing a lawsuit against this company because they had nothing to worry about, no one would ever
mistake this guitar for being even half the quality of a real Gibson Les Paul, or even one of the cheaper Epiphone copies.
The tuners are a joke, so is the bridge and forget about having
decent intonation on this thing, it goes out of tune easily and on mine notes fretted out before I even got to the twelfth fret.
I was able to correct both these problems after some minor adjustments
to the bridge and a quick setup but I was disappointed that the guitar needed so much attention straight out of the box. What a joke.

OK, here's where things improved. I was shocked to plug this guitar into my Marshall and hear deep, rich tones flying out of my amp
that made me turn around to see if Jimmy Page was standing behind me.
This thing may not look like a Gibson, but it sure as hell sounds like
one. I almost never use stock pickups, even on Gibsons, but on this guitar I was surprised to find that the neck pickup was warm and full bodied enough for jazz or blues and the bridge pickup was ballsy enough for rousing mosh pits with bone crushing metal riffs.
As a player who appreciates and plays a wide range of styles, I like
pickups that let me cover a lot of ground tonally, and these pickups
are definitely versatile enough for any style of music that you'll want to play. Of course, they're still not as good as a hot pair of Seymour Duncans or EMGs, so I'm either going to go with one of those or install the hot modern pickups (500T and 496R) that Gibson came out with not long ago.
But I'm a tone freak, and for players who aren't perfectionists these
pickups will be more than enough to handle any style from metal to
jazz with ease. I was able to get the right sound for tunes by Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, and George Lynch quite easily. The sound of these
pickups is warm and full, loud but not overpowering with perfectly
balanced highs, lows and mids. Quite good for stock pickups, I must say. But you can get the sound of this guitar from a nice Japanese
LP copy, such as a Tokai, or you could always get an Epiphone if you don't want to shell out the big bucks for a Gibson...and Tokais and
Epiphones stay in tune, without a lot of maintenance and setup work
after you buy them. My advice...spend the extra money to get something nicer, you get what you pay for.

This guitar was horribly setup when I received it, the intonation was poor, tuning stability was nonexistent, the bridge was a piece of crap
that should never have been installed in the first place instead of a quality bridge by another company that actually knows what the hell they're doing. Some notes on the neck would not sound at higher frets just before and after the twelfth, and there was so much string buzz
I almost had to cover my ears.
If you buy one of these, which you probably won't because you'll be smarter than me and pay the extra bucks to get another Gibson (or your first if you don't already have one), take it to a guitar tech
for a complete setup or do one yourself. Of course for the low prices you usually find these guitars at, you get what you pay for.

This guitar is already showing signs of wear, but it's mostly just cosmetic stuff so I'm not worried. It feels sturdy and looks like it could stand rattling around in the backseat or trunk of a car if you were stupid enough to forget to buy a hard case. Of course, I wouldn't want to try to find out...

What customer support? I hear the company went out of business, and I'm not surprised because their guitars are a joke.

I've been playing for five years, solo and in bands, mostly heavy metal and blues although I also dabble in other styles. I own a heavily modded vintage reissue Fender Strat (1968), which is my main guitar, and I have a number of backup guitars but I won't bore you by listing them all. I've owned and played everything from Gibsons, Fenders and Epiphones to instruments by Ibanez (my first guitar was an Ibanez Joe Satriani model) and Jackson, and my current collection also includes many others. I play through a 120 watt Peavey Deuce tube combo and a 50 watt Marshall DFX series solid state combo. I know gear pretty well, and I feel confident in saying the best thing you could do with one of these if you ever find one is pretend you're Hendrix or Pete Townshend and break it into a million pieces. Unless you have a decent amp and a Line 6 Pod to play it through, in which case no one will notice that your guitar sucks even though it actually does. if someone stole this guitar, I would put them in my will to thank them and invite them over for dinner to celebrate...and I'd try real hard not to laugh because they would have to be the stupidest person on the planet to steal a worthless guitar like this.
Of course, I was pretty stupid to buy it :)....so I guess that makes me the number two stupidest person on the planet.

I bought this guitar from a friend for 100 bucks and it was the best hundred bucks i've ever spent. It's a vintage copy true to the last detail, set neck, tension adjustable tuners,(can be locked)all mahogany construction , finish and binding have held up well even through 20 some years of bumps and dings, neck is straight as an arrow and has a low action thats unbelievable, very heavy, as with any gibson . If it weren't for the name I wouldn't know it wasnt. It was built somewhere in the seventies , and has the lawsuit headstock (mustache or open book) which ever you prefer. I replaced only the knobs (one was missing).Gibsons were an exact replacement. (couldnt tell the old ones from the new ones. I did a little setup on it and fell in love.

I play it through a crate gfx212t 120 watts (a little more amp than I need actually) sounds great, but a little rich or full for some of my playing.( actually with a few adjustments to tone controls it sounds just fine)

Like I said, I did a setup on it and it played great.

I would definately use this for live gigging if I did that. I have no doubt it would hold up well. It stays tuned too.

Cant find the company , I've tried .

ive been playing on and off for thirty years, and this is no doubt my most favorite of all ive owned or played. If it were stolen or lost I would cry. Nothing short of a gibson custom shop would feel as good.

I bought this Memphis used about a year ago at a local consignment shop. I was shocked when I pulled it off the rack! It had a solid two piece maple top and was finished in a stunning honeyburst finish. It has the "lawsuit headstock"and a mahogony set neck as well.The body is mahogony as well and has a maple veneer running through the body like the old Gibson Deluxe Les Pauls.The tuners had been changed to Grovers and the pickups were changed to Gibson Zebra models. All the hardware was true to the gibson specs,the tune-0-matic bridge is even anchored into the body with the tiny threaded screws,not the bulky studs like the Epiphone Les Pauls.This was no ordinary Les Paul copy! I believe it was probably made by Ibanez as a high end copy. The weight and neck shape are perfect on this guitar and it has the standard Les Paul scale and inlays. Neat fretwork and binding as well. The headstock pitch is even the correct pitch for a Les Paul.The only logo is the "Memphis" in pearl on the black headstock face.

This thing sounds amazing! I have played many Pauls in my time and very few can match the tone and feel of this guitar. The neck is truly amazing,not thick and chunky like most pauls.I play mine through a Yamaha DG 100 combo and both cleans and distortions sound great. This is what a Les Paul is supposed to sound like. I know this is a pretty rare find because I have never seen another like it.I play a lot of different music and this guitar can produce all the tones I need. The electronics are showing their age though, because the pots are getting scratchy and the toggle switch is cutting out. No big deal as I am planning on replacing the electronics anyway.

As far as the setup it seems to be good,although the nut is going to need replacing soon as the D string is starting to buzz when it is played open.In fact the guitar needs a complete setup because it probably has never had one since it was new.Still plays incredibly well considering the setup problems I just mentioned. The two piece carved solid top looks great and even has some figure in it.Finish looks pretty thick and durable and has held up well for as old as this guitar is,there is minimal wear on the guitar with no damage or cracks.

This guitar is a workhorse and will probably outlast me! Truly an amazing copy right down to the last detail. I would not think twice about not having a backup if I didn't break so many strings. Always stays in tune and is rock solid for live playing. It has been my main guitar since I discovered it and I cant bring myself to play anything else.

No clue,wouldn't even no where to start looking.

I have been playing for over 20 years and play mainly through Rockman gear as well as my Yamaha DG 100 combo amp.If this guitar was lost or stolen I would cry like a baby! I could never replace it, lets face it, how many Memphis copys like this have you ever seen? I love everything about this guitar and would have spent twice what I paid for it without hesitation.It can hang with any Gibson I have played and in fact played and sounded better than most.

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.

I bought this guitar back in 77 for 299.00 new. Had Dimarzio Pickups and really nice sunburst finish. I was playing in a band and needed something to help my Peavey pacer cut through the Bass and drums. This had some really high output pickups. Tuners were O.K. No bolt on Neck and the action was fine. Matter of fact, I just recently had to tighten the truss rod, there was absolutely no tension. Not to mention that its had .010 or .011 since I bought it.

Currently play and American Standard strat through a Fender Stage 160. When I put the Les paul on it has to be set to half what the strat was set to. Really fat sound. However, you don't get the range of sounds that you do with a strat. I like playing it on the more hard rock songs.

My strat is a 96 and the appearance of my Les Paul is nicer. The action has been reworked, the tuners replaced the pots and wires redone. This guitar has been played quite a bit. I think they must have dipped this guitar in polyurethane that was big in the 70's for coffee tables.

I use this as my backup guitar. I play with a band that practices about once a week we play out a couple times a year, but mainly its just to sit around on Monday nights and throw back a few. I mainly keep this guitar around when were playing for a loaner if some one wants to sit in.

Never had to call them. Probably got bought up by Samick.

I've been playing about 23 years I have owned guitars and amps from Guild, Epiphone, Fender, Ovation. Crate, Peavey, Yamaha and Fender Amps. If it were stolen I would probably try to get a Rainsong. Good luck trying to find another one. My Strat pretty much gets played exclusively for the simple reason that its lighter and I don't have to mess with two seperate volume controls.

It pretty much has the same fetures as a Les Paul. Two volume and two tone controls with a three way toggle switch. The original pickups were a little lacking. I have since replaced the bridge pickup with a JB4 humbucker. Still thinking about going with original Les Paul 490's. The finish is a tobacco burst that is in real good condition. The tuning keys are showing their age, but a lille graphite seemed to help alot.

Classic 70's rock is well suited for this guitar. Running through a digitech processor and a fender amp you can dial in a good sound. The tone and volume pods could use to be replaced. While your playing it's ok, but don't adjust in the middle of a song. Using a processor you can get almost any sound you desire.

Factory setting did need a little adjustment. The actions was lowered and pickups raised until they buzzed and then backed down a couple of turns. Other that a couple of adjustments, the action for me is about as close as it can get. The finish still looks like new after all these years.

I've played a few memphis guitars and there are a lot of them out there that are junk. I must have got lucky. This guitar has really held up and can be trusted to perform with.

Never heared of any support

I've had it since 1982 but didn't really start playing regularly until 1996. Finding a good Memphis guitar will take some searching.
It has the cool look of a Les Paul, a better sound once the pickups were replced. (no more hum), and good action once it was adjusted. It would be nice to get information from the manufacture for specs. When the guitar was purchased, thats all there was, no book or any information.

i got this guitar for a buck at a new saint viny's
THE TUNERS SUCKED SO I GOT NEW ONES FOR $25 AND IT'S FINE NOW.
IT CAME WITH A HOT PICKUP AND A DEAD ONE. IT HAD IT REWIRED AND PUT IN A PURPLE P-90 IN THEW NECK POSITION AND IT IS A VERY STURDY, HOT GOOD PLAYING AXE. NOW FOR A BIGBY. I 'VE GOT 90 BUCKS IN IT AND I WOULD USE IT ANYTIME AS A MAIN GUITAR.

THE SOUND IS SO BEEFY AND FUN THAT IT CAN GET AHEAD OF YOU. IT WAILS

THE ACTION IS FINE. I DON'T LIKE A REAL LOW ACTION AND THIS GUITAR HAS NO FRET WEAR- AMAZING BUT TRUE. IT'S A GOOD LOOKING GUITAR ANDTHE FINISH IS FLAWESS. 2 LITTLE NICKS.

HOW OLD IS THIS THING. IT'S PRETTY OLD BUT IN GREAT SHAPE. IT'S GOT MANY GOOD YEARS LEFT.

GOD, WHO KNOWS. FOR A BUCK, WHAT - ME WORRY.

I'VE BEEN PLAYING FOR 48 YEARS AND AM A FULL TIME PRO. I'VE GOT TEN
GUITARS. A 1954 ES 295 GIBSON, A 64 STRAT, A 87 SQUIRE STRAT WITH DIMARZIO PICK-UPS, A MURPH - RARE. I SAW ONE OTHER ONE IN 1967.
LIKE A CHEAP 335. ACTUALLY QUITE COOL. 2 SINGLE COILS AND A WANG BAR. 2 LOTUS STRATS. BUT THE BEST GUITAR FOR THE MONEY IS MY NEW "DE ARMOND". LIKE A CROSS BETWEEN A LES PAUL AND A TELLY. NICE HUMBUCKERS AND SUNBURST FINISH. I'VE GOT MORE BUT WHOSE COUNTING.

It's a fairly decent Les Paul copy with a 4-bolt neck rather than the set neck of the real thing; mine came in some cherry sunburst variant that actually looks quite nice.
The two (factory?) pickups are quite decent for their age, which looks to be early 70s by the style and plastic aging, although there's a little too much hum on the bridge one for my tastes without rolling back the tone knob a little. The two pickups, in essence, aren't well mated, in that the output of the neck pickup is substantially higher, but has a wonderful beefy tone that is what I bought this guitar for.
I have no idea what tuners were orignally on this thing; when I bought it, there were Gibson-stamped tuners installed. Neck scale is full-sized Gibson, and in photos, looks nearly identical to the real thing. Mine must be a pre-Gibson lawsuit era model, as even the headstock shape is identical to a real Les Paul versus the later Memphis models I've seen with strange squiggles.
As a whole, far superior to the current Epiphone editions, and better than some of the "real" Pauls I've had my hands on over the years.

The sound is quite beefy and rich on the neck pickup, and thins out a bit on the bridge. If the bridge pickup were as good as the neck, I'd give this thing a 10 most definitely. The Paul sound is definitely there, especially when compared to the Epiphones I A/B'd it with. For once, the guitar shop salesman was right.

The action on the guitar is a bit low for my taste, meaning it's probably about average. That said, there aren't any problems with buzzing or intonation issues, so I've learned to deal with it until I take it in for a refret.
The cherry sunburst finish isn't identical to a real Les Paul, but it is quite decent and pleasing to the eye, and with the cream binding, looks quite fetching.

This thing has survived the literal guitar apocalypse; has severe fret wear from a previous owner and is still in very good shape cosmetically and otherwise. The first couple frets on the low E and A look like they've been played constantly since the thing was built in the 70s, and despite the appearance, still are intonated properly. Go figure.

I have no idea where to get ahold of the company, and what I've seen of their current models in pawnshops and elsewhere, wouldn't let this near them.

For $140, it's a very good looking and sounding Les Paul copy for the times my Strats just won't cut it for making interesting noises. Compared to the current Epiphone line, this thing is a real steal.

2 Humbucking pick-ups, 3 way selector switch, 2 tone knobs, 2 volume knobs. Almost identical to a Les Paul.

This guitar has an extreme tone range available through use of the two pick-ups in conjunction with their tone knobs alone. Once I began using effects pedals with it the range was increased even further. The deeper sound available past the 7 mark on the tone knob is just great for creating any kind of atmospherics. Although I would not say that it's a great guitar for thrash metal, or Metallica style wailing. If you prefer a more Grateful Dead type sound, it will do perfectly.

This guitar was recieved second hand, and inspection showed no signs of reworking the original factory hardware. When I first played it the lead pick-up had a nasty little short in it, but a few wire juggles have cleared it up. Other than that, the jack nut likes to come loose, requiring you to tighten it every once in awhile to prevent the jack from sliding into the back, but this is only a minor problem.

I have found this guitaer very reliable as it has withstood countless abuses, and come out sounding great. The lamenated finish seems to be affixed in a nice stay-on-there manner. I wouldn't worry about it breaking in the middle of a show at all.

It is definitley still my favorite electric, even though I've used more expensive guitars with a bigger reputation. It consistantly gives me exactly what I'm looking for, things my Gibson Les Paul Studio can't sometimes. It's a good guitar to have around, I wouldn't recommed relying on it alone, but I would recommend relying on it.

I'm not sure this Guitar has features, so I added my own.... I routed through the beautiful 1/4 inch plywood top (with an x-acto knife, no less) added a 3rd pickup, did some fancy wiring, added an extra on/off switch and put the pots through the access cover in the back, and VOILA! instant Ace frehley Les Paul Copy!! But it still sounded like crap, and played even worse.

I'd hate to hear what the "humbuckers" would sound like if they didn't buck the hum. Feedback was excessive. Horrible, awful instrument.... would deter even the most promising, aspiring musician.

Flaws??? Where do I start. But actually, the finish was pretty good, for a cheapo guitar.... even, though you could see the plywood layers through it. The action was good for finger excersises, not the kind your instructor wants you to practice, but the kind that actually makes you physically stronger, due to the strings being about 1/2 inch from the frets, and having to have to pull them in. Wouldn't stay in tune to save it's life, so, sadly, I had to kill it.

The brick wall was much more durable.

I've dealt with Memphis on numerous occasions.... no wait, I didn't.

.... Actually a really excelent guitar, no, wait, it's a piece of crap, that dosen't deserve your consideration, it will lower your enthusiasm, and make you never want to play a guitar, again... Do yourself a favor, and buy a Epiphone or squier (i used to have one of those, too, and they're pretty good values), or something halfway decent, the "motivation factor" is greatly reduced, when you get a junker, like this.