Sears Les Paul Copy

There's no way I know of to find out who made this guitar or when it was made... perhaps some serial number that a fanatic could track down at Sears and Roebuck. Blank, black-faced headstock.

My first guitar, bought in 1984, used, for $50 with a 5-watt Sears amp. It was in perfect condition, with a hardshell. The finish is a burst with yellow/red/black from center out. I never appreciated this at the time, but having seen plenty of guitars since, the finish was incredible for the price. The body is flat, sort of like today's LP juniors from Gibson, but with sharp-angled edges (no binding). It's HELLA heavy... big rounded butt. The tuners eventually came wriggly and loose, but the neck remained true. Two chromed-cover humbuckers, fat-warm tone, not too trebley, perfect for muddy, hard rock. Two tone, two volume knobs, clear w/black.

No clue what it's made of, as far as wood type.

I rate it a nine in features, thinking not of build features, but of the relevant hardware according to it's mission-- because looking to what you'd get in a real Les Paul (i.e., generic hard rocking electric guitar) which is double humbuckers and the knobs. It would be ten with a pickup switch.

I thought it was cheesy sounding at the time... but I just wanted to learn. NOWADAYS, oh my god, it's really cool seeing as how I've still not learned how to play outside of blues-based rock. For this, it's amazing how good a $50 guitar is built and plays and sounds. It's muddy and warm.

Through a decent amp, I bet this guitar rocks hard. Nowadays, I play a real Les Paul, having moved from an SG recently, and I rock out through a (RP2000) modeler into a Fender Princeton Chorus or JCM800 halfstack. This axe is at my dad's house, 2000 miles away, so I gotta go get it some day... (i.e., how it sounds today through decent gear, I'd love to find out.)

Loose tuning pegs, eventually, but other than that...

Seriously, perfect. It's a $50 guitar that plays basically like my real Les Paul. I'm sure I'd niggle with it today, some... but I did buy a Les Paul so I could indeed get back to that original feeling I used to have when I first learned (familiarity factor...).

I played my first gig and jam etc. with it, and so yeah, it works and does its job. It seems like it's bulletproof, but who could say, not me, really... I haven't put it to "the test."

Again, it's heavy as all hell... whether this would affect the strap pegs I dunno, but it sure affected the straps.

Sears and Roebuck? Hey, remember when there was no freaking WAL-MART, and Memco was around? OH NO, I'm GETTING OLD! I BETTER WORK ON BECOMING A ROCK STAR WHILE THERE'S STILL TIME!

I have played in and out since 1984, but didn't really begin until 1991. I have a busted SG (cracked head), an Aria Pro II Knight Warrior from around 1986, a couple of amps (Fender or Marshall, various types/sizes), a Digitech RP2000, and a new Les Paul which I can't stop rocking out on. I tried so many things... I'm just that type of one trick pony blues-hard rock goof who doesn't like the feel or sound of anything but a Gibson... thus, the LP is simply it. I'd get, um, another SG. On a super-saucy day I'd consider a Flying V. Gosh I love the sound of Teles and Gretcshs and stuff-- when OTHER people play them.

I wish I could play this Sears guitar again; hope to soon. For all I know, it could be stolen via my pa selling it at a yard sale. But, I bet it's in the basement.

My first guitar gets a 10 because memories always make a rocker's first electric guitar so sweet... did I mention it was FIFTY BUCKS? Shit, I wish my Les Paul cost $50, or even $500.

IN 1987 I SOLD MY HORSE AND SADDLE TO COME UP WITH THE MONEY TO BUY THIS SEARS AND ROEBUCK LES PAUL COPY. IT HAD A CHERRY SUNBURST FINISH WITH TWO POWERSOUND HUMBUCKING PICKUPS, TWO VOLUME AND TWO TONE KNOBS AND A THREE WAY SWITCH. 22 FRETS AND ALL THE NORMAL STUFF EXCEPT FOR THE GOTOH LOCKING TREMELO! AN ARCH TOP LP COPY WITH A TREMELO! I BOUGHT IT SOLELY ON THE FACT THAT EVERYONE AT THE TIME HAD YOUR BASIC SUPER STRAT AND I HAD TO BE DIFFERENT. BESIDES, MY HORSE AND SADDLE SOLD FOR ABOUT $350 AND I WAS KIND OF LIMITED IN MY CHOICES. A FRIEND AND I INSPECTED IT AND NOTICED THAT MY $250 GUITAR HAD AN UNBELIEVABLE FINISH. WE SWORE IT WAS A PLASTIC NECK. BEINGS THAT IT WAS A BOLT ON NECK WE WERE ABLE TO CHECK IT OUT. IT WAS MAHOGONY AS WELL WAS THE BODY EXCEPT FOR THE MAPLE ARCHED TOP.

THIS WAS THE GUNS & ROSES ERA. THE LP GUITARS WERE ABOUT TO GET HOTTER THAN EVER. IT HAD A MUDDY SOUND IN ANY SETTING AS I WAS PLAYING THROUGH A GORILLA 25 WATT TUBESTACK AMP. I HAD ALWAYS HAD STRATS WITH SINGLE COILS SO I WAS USED TO A THIN SOUND. I TOOK IT TO THE LOCAL GUITAR SHOP AND PLAYED THROUGH A CRATE G40C AND FOUND THAT THIS GUITAR HAD A GREAT SOUND. I GOT TEASED ALOT BECAUSE RICHIE SAMBORA PLAYE A GIBSON LP WITH THE SAME TREMELO, BUT HAD THREE HUMBUCKERS. I WAS CALLED A POSER AND A GLAM FAG AND YOU NAME IT BY MY FRIENDS UNTIL I KICKED OUT A FEW ANTHRAX AND SLAYER TUNES.

THE GUITAR WAS SET UP OKAY AS IT CAME FROM SEARS, BUT LATER GOT A GOOD SET UP BY A PRO. THE WOOD WAS EXCELLENT AND THE GUYS AT THE GUITAR SHOP COULDN'T BELIEVE IT CAME FROM A SEARS CATALOG. KEEP IN MIND, I HAVE NO WAY OF KNOWING WHO MADE THIS GUITAR. THE HEADSTOCK WAS BLANK, BUT HAD THE LES PAUL DIAMOND INLAY LIKE THE CUSTOM MODELS. THE GUITAR WAS QUIET AND SOUNDED KILLER

LETS PUT IT THIS WAY. I REPLACED THE PICKUPS WITH EMG 81'S AND MADE INTO A METAL MACHINE. NEXT I STRIPPED IT AND REPAINTED IT BLACK. I DROPPED IT A FEW TIMES AT GIGS AND IT BASICALLY STAYED ON MY BEDROOM FLOOR OR IN THE BACK SEAT OF MY PICKUP TRUCK. NOTHING HURT IT. I ENDED UP WITH A CHARVEL STRAT WITH ONE HUMBUCKER AND A FLOYD ROSE. MY LP COPY WAS ALWAYS THERE AS A BACK UP,

WHO COULD I CALL? SEARS WENT OUT OF BUSINESS IN MY TOWN ABOUT 6 MONTHS AFTER I BOUGHT IT.

I'VE BEEN PLAYING SINCE 1982. I PLAY EVERYTHING FROM HENDRIX TO KORN. I HAVE YET TO FIND THAT PERFECT GUITAR. I HAVE OWNED SO MANY I SOMETIMES FORGET WHAT ALL I'VE HAD. I LOST THIS GUITAR SOMETIME IN 1989. IT HAD BEEN THROUGH SO MUCH HELL THAT I TOOK IT APART AND USED THE PICKUPS IN OTHER GUITARS ANS STARTED TO REFINISH THE BODY. I THINK IT'S STILL IN MY HIGH SCHOOL WOOD SHOP CLASS. I DON'T KNOW WHO MADE IT, BUT A LOCAL LUTIER LOOKED AT IT AND SAID IT HAD A BLOCK GLUED TO THE NECK POCKET IN ORDER TO MAKE THE POCKET SHALLOWER FOR A BOLT ON. IT HAD THE BLACK AND CREAM COLORED BINDING AROUND THE BODY AND NECK LIKE A LP CUSTOM. IT WAS HIS THEORY THAT SOMEONE MUST HAVE GOT AHOLD OF SOME GIBSON LP CUSTOM BLEM BODIES AND MADE THEM WORK WITH A BOLT ON NECK AND A GOTOH LOCKING TREMELO. WHAT GOT ME TO THINKING ABOUT THIS GUITAR WAS THE OTHER DAY I WAS GOING THROUGH A BOX OF JUNK AT MY MOMS HOUSE AND FOUND THE BRIDGE. THAT GUITAR WAS SOMETHING OF A SYMBOL OF MY WRECKLES YOUTH. I WENT FROM WANTING TO BE A RANCH HAND TO GETTING BACK INTO MY ORIGIONAL ROOTS OF MUSIC (METAL). BESIDES I WAS THE ODDEST LONG HAIRED COW PUNCHER THERE EVER WAS. I REALLY MISS THAT GUITAR.