Smurfbird Posted July 22, 2014 Share Posted July 22, 2014 I'm noticing that even LG1s are priced as if they were LG-2s or 3s on eBay. Made me wonder, what would be a decent cheaper brand to look for? Please keep in mind that I don't even mind the ladder braced LG1s and I have no problem with a tight nut. I currently have a 1966 LG1 and my hands can handle it, even prefer it to a 1.75 nut, though 1-11/16 is still optimal. Sound is secondary here to just having a small campfire guitar. Plus I like to follow items on eBay, so if I have a few brands to search, that'll make the hunt more fun. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RichG Posted July 22, 2014 Share Posted July 22, 2014 The most inexpensive Voyage Air sounds pretty darn good, plus it folds up! I bought my VAD 04 on a whim at a local music store one day. I'm really impressed with the sound. Check out what owners think of them on AGF. As far as I can tell, they are well liked. Rich Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MorrisrownSal Posted July 22, 2014 Share Posted July 22, 2014 I would add in the Taylor GS Mini. I bought my nephew the spruce top version, and it is awesome. I personally covet the mahogany topped version. For under $500 these make great second home, travel, or campfire guitars. Heck they make great "one and only" guitars for many. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red 333 Posted July 22, 2014 Share Posted July 22, 2014 How about one of these? Epiphone Limited Edition 50th Anniversary 1964 Caballero! My link Red 333 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bram99 Posted July 22, 2014 Share Posted July 22, 2014 I would take a look at the Yamaha FG-75. Red label from the late 60s- early 70s made in Japan model. Easy get in nice shape for about $200...1 11/16 nut with thick rounded v-neck. Ladder braced....basically same body as LG, but all laminates....build like a tank. Boxy strummer, but sweet and soulful on single notes and fingerstyle. http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2047675.m570.l1313.TR0.TRC0.H0.Xyamaha+fg-75+red+label&_nkw=yamaha+fg-75+red+label&_sacat=0 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobouz Posted July 22, 2014 Share Posted July 22, 2014 The recent Epiphone EL-00 Pro (made in Indonesia) can be a very nice guitar. Solid spruce top & laminated mahogany back & sides. I sampled three, and one clearly stood out, as is often the case. Impressive tone, playability, and build quality at this price point, plus a Fishman pickup. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zombywoof Posted July 22, 2014 Share Posted July 22, 2014 "Substitutes" are tough. But an alternative smaller body inexpensive guitar is another matter. I use both a late 1930s Supertone parolor and Regal Recording King Concert. Ran me $30 each, The Supertone ain't much in the sound department - kinda thin and hollow sounding. Pretty much sounds like you would expect a very cheap guitar to sound like. But the spruce top, mahogany body Regal is nice sounding and playing and a very cool looking guitar. Personally though if I really wanted a somewhat better quality guitar I would be seeking an Epiphone Bluesmaster. They were discontinued a few years back but still show up for sale and are well worth the hunt. In my opinion, these things will give the Gibson Blues King one heck of a run for its money. It will run you more than many of the guitars already mentioned but they are well worth it. I play a 1946 LG-2 and if I was looking for something to sit in for it which would not take too big of a bite out of my wallet it would be the Epi Bluesmaster. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigshot Posted July 23, 2014 Share Posted July 23, 2014 I have a great little Koa Larrivee parlor. It's my favorite guitar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QuestionMark Posted July 23, 2014 Share Posted July 23, 2014 The recent Epiphone EL-00 Pro (made in Indonesia) can be a very nice guitar. Solid spruce top & laminated mahogany back & sides. I sampled three, and one clearly stood out, as is often the case. Impressive tone, playability, and build quality at this price point, plus a Fishman pickup. I second this suggestion. I traded a guitar in my collection that I never played for an Epiphone EL-00 PRO, then put a better bone saddle on it than it had and voila, when I am playing the thing I often forget it is an overseas made guitar and not a Gibson LG1 or LG2. I say LG1 or LG2, because while the LG1 was Ladder braced and the LG2 was X braced, the solid topped X braced Epiphone EL-00 Pro sounds and plus somewhere inbetween both to me with its OO shape. Plus, its got a great vintage vibe to it with an exceptional sunburst and neck. Cool vintage vibe tuners, too. Small bodied concert sized guitars like the OO and LGs have a sound of their own, and though the Epiphone EL-00 may not sound like the Gibson L-00, to me the Epi version sounds a heck of a lot like the LGs. I don't really notice any negative impact on its sound from its laminated back and sides although realistically when I put in the new bone saddle I intentionally raised the guitar's action a bit so, with the strings being higher over the soundhole, it would be louder than it previously was. The only negative I found, and its a matter of personal preference, is I found the Fishman undersaddle pick-up to be a bit quacky sounding for my fingerpicking style. This is atypical of a number of undersaddle pickups in my opinion. I prefer using my Fishman Acoustic Sound Hole Rare Earth Humbucker pickup on it, but have kept the factory installed undersaddle one in the guitar as a backup if my soundhole pickup battery fails, etc. and I need to revert to it. (Plus, its not worth it to me to take it out.) Hope this suggestion is helpful. I recommend you try one as an inexpensive alternative to a LG2. For a sound sampling, check out this audio of me playing Got To Get You Into My Life on YouTube. I'm playing the Epiphone EL-00 acoustically. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJFsjm2CW2g QM aka Jazzman Jeff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smurfbird Posted July 23, 2014 Author Share Posted July 23, 2014 Thanks all for the info and suggestions. I did try an EL-00 Pro at GC and was shocked at how much I liked it. And the Caballero 1964 could do the job as well. Just need to physically find one and see how it feels. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red 333 Posted July 23, 2014 Share Posted July 23, 2014 Yeah, I haven't seen the Cabelerro yet (it's new), but it intrigues me. If it's anything like the EL-00, it out to be a pretty good little player. Epiphone makes some very good affordable guitars these days. Red 333 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QuestionMark Posted July 23, 2014 Share Posted July 23, 2014 The new Epi Caballero intrigues me, too. I have a 1965 Epiphone FT30 Caballero into collection and from the link 's photo it looks identical visually to the new reissue. Mine has always been a nice playing mahogany guitar with a lot of grit to it. For some reason I always felt it played and felt better than the equivalent LGO, though I could never pinpoint why. At guitar shows when I see a LGO to this day I still compare two and find the Caballero grittier. Must have something to do with how the MCCarty era always tried to make Gibson a bit better than Episode, but I think it had the opposite effect on the LGO and Caballero. Looking forward to trying the reissue sometime. Very cool that they reissued it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onewilyfool Posted July 24, 2014 Share Posted July 24, 2014 My friend has a Eric Schoenberg designed Recording King that was quite inexpensive relatively, has a great sound, Adi top….just a fantastic guitar!! I've played some Blueridge guitars that were just great, and I think Eastman has come out with an 00 size, that has great reviews! Good hunting! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QuestionMark Posted July 24, 2014 Share Posted July 24, 2014 Any idea if the many 00's now out, many which play quite well, are all actually made in the same overseas factory? Makes me wonder,. No clue though. QM aka Jazzman Jeff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
larryp58 Posted July 24, 2014 Share Posted July 24, 2014 Epiphone! When you're talking cheaper substitutes, Epi's are great inexpensive guitars. But I will add, it's not always the guitar but the player! I would say 90% of the sound is in the player's fingers! So, if you were blind-folded, an EL-00 in Clapton's hands would make you swear it's a $5000 guitar! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jblue212 Posted July 24, 2014 Share Posted July 24, 2014 I recently bought an Alvarez AP66SB Parlor. It looks a lot like the LG-2 Americana I really wanted, but a helluva lot cheaper. It's a nice little travel guitar. Doesn't sound as good as my Gibson of course, but it's nice to have as a backup when I don't want to take the L200 with me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobouz Posted July 24, 2014 Share Posted July 24, 2014 Any idea if the many 00's now out, many which play quite well, are all actually made in the same overseas factory? There's certainly a lot of Chinese production these days, but to my knowledge Epiphone's EL-00 was coming out of Korea for many years, and then was switched to Indonesian. The current Indonesian production of the EL-00 Pro appears to be consistently good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jedzep Posted July 24, 2014 Share Posted July 24, 2014 I've owned 50's and early 60's xbraced Goyas and Levins made in Sweden that were very close to LG2 sound quality. They pop up on Ebay occasionally, but you have to stay above the model 22's. 24's and 26's are xbraced. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chunky Neck Posted July 28, 2014 Share Posted July 28, 2014 Since you enjoy the ebay hunt and like old guitars, I would look for an old no-name parlor guitar. Small size for traveling. There are some real affordable ones floating around, especially if it doesn't have a fancy pedigree. My friend has an old Regal parlor size from the 30s or 40s that's solid as a rock and he tosses it in his pickup taking it on long trips. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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