No name Les Paul clone

[TraceItalian]

Sorry in advance, I don't have a smart phone or a camera, so I can only describe it. My friend has a no name les paul clone and I've been having trouble finding any info on it, it's a bolt on neck, with a flat top and the pickguard sitting screwed in flush into it. The pickup selector is two switches on top of the pickguard, and the input jack is on the top, just below the knobs. It looks to be about 24" though she claims it's 24 3/4", and it has a clamshell type bridge piece. Any ideas from that semi-shitty description?

Edit: took a shitty pic with my webcam

[Chankgeez]

It looks Japanese or possibly Korean?

That's about all I can tell you from what you've given me to work with.

[Jero]

What's the headstock look like? Neck plate?

Kind of looks like something Kay might have made

[TraceItalian]

It looks Japanese or possibly Korean?

That's about all I can tell you from what you've given me to work with.

That was my immediate assumption, I opened it up to check it out but there's not even stamps on the pots, so I have no fucking clue. All she knows is she bought it from a now defunct music shop with a Harmony amp for $300 total

What's the headstock look like? Neck plate?

Kind of looks like something Kay might have made

It's almost got that Gibson "open book" headstock look but it has no crease in the middle. The neckplate is definitely new (as everything else on this guitar is tarnished and dusty except it)

[Chankgeez]

Yeah, these type of copies are really difficult to ID.

Chances are if it were "Made in Japan", the original neck plate would've been stamped to indicate that.

Might've been made in the late '60s or early '70s. I can't really tell you much else. The bridge and tailpiece are both really cheap. Those pickups probably aren't even humbuckers.

[TraceItalian]

Yeah, these type of copies are really difficult to ID.

Chances are if it were "Made in Japan", the original neck plate would've been stamped to indicate that.

Might've been made in the late '60s or early '70s. I can't really tell you much else. The bridge and tailpiece are both really cheap. Those pickups probably aren't even humbuckers.

I've been enjoying them nonstop though. I can't put this thing behind 9 on either pickup without it dropping to some hollow strings only usable by Slint, but they're fun. Might have to buy it off her.

[Chankgeez]

Yeah, I cheap guitars.

[TraceItalian]

Yeah, I cheap guitars.

Greg Oblivian was made a saint for a reason

[popvulture]

That thing looks so weird! But in a good way! I like how the pickups are a little close together, and the switches on the pickguard are a nicely off touch.

Love your screen name, btw. (Have I already said that?)

[TraceItalian]

That thing looks so weird! But in a good way! I like how the pickups are a little close together, and the switches on the pickguard are a nicely off touch.

Love your screen name, btw. (Have I already said that?)

I believe you have, but you got an awesome avatar so it balances out haha. Yea, I got drunk (who needs prescribed pain meds when you have a 12 pack of Hurricane?) last night and plugged it into my JCM800, pretty much just played Drive-By Truckers songs until the cops rolled around. I didn't care for it much looking at it, but playing it, whole different story. The pickups don't sound too humbucker-ish, but they're very crisp(?). Unfortunately, this thing needs a full rewiring, they're a rat's nest of loose wires, and if you twist either volume knob to 9 or below, there is just no sound. But it's super light too, if only it wasn't so small I would probably try to keep it, but my hands wrap around the thing like it's a toy guitar.

[popvulture]

Ha, gotcha. I just love John Darnielle a whole lot and am like HEY, COOL every time I see any kind of nod to him

[Mudfuzz]

There is one like it on reverb called a Lark

[Chankgeez]

I just looked, that Lark looks a little "nicer" than this one.

[Mudfuzz]

True, but that bridge looks like upgrade after the fact plus you know how these things are... many names one factory.. very few actual templates...

[Chankgeez]

true