That’s MY guitar!!! Thank you SO much @Trogly for your advice, kindness and professionalism. You are the real deal and I would recommend your service to anyone. You went out of your way to do right by me even if it meant you didn’t make a sale and that is epic! Thank you again and I can’t wait for my new guitar.
I’ve got the LP bug big time and I really love the Japanese LPs I’ve sorta been set on a Tokai but I’d take an Edward’s, Maybach or even a Grass Roots maybe. I think you did way better than the Epiphone if Gibson finally eventually starts putting that headstock on all the Epiphones their values on the used market will probably drop like a brand new boat.
The moment Trogly finds out Japanese made guitars kicks Gibson's butt on everything from construction quality to finish, from components to sound. Long live Edwards and all other incredible Japanese guitar brands! 🇯🇵
@@beermetal2003 and still kicks butts... I've played Edwards and E-II Eclipses, and you almost can't tell the difference other than some higher end electronics and parts on the E-II, but just looking and playing, they feel pretty equal...
@@beermetal2003 So? Gibson guitars in today's day and age are absolute doodoo water lmao overprices pieces of garbage. So is their "QC". So much better to spend a lesser amount of money on instruments that last long, play great, don't cause pain in backs/shoulders, get the job done, and feel so much better to play.
My Edwards LPC and Tokai LP have been getting way more playing time than my Gibsons, and with good reason. Especially that Tokai, the qc is immaculate.
Edwards/ESP makes superb guitars. Their QC is up there with the best in the world Gibson could learn a lot from them. Funny how you Mr Trogly don’t nitpick Gibsons poor QC and just put it down to “well that’s Gibsons for you” given their horrendous QC for the price. Maybe next time you get a brand new Gibson in go over it like you did with this Edwards. I’d buy one of these in a heartbeat along with almost any single cut PRS SE or Solar guitar made in Indonesia like my gloss black Tremonti or my Solar GC1.6 T-FAB. QC is awesome and poly smokes nitro lacquer any day of the week coz I want my guitar to look the same in ten years and not fade into some other colour. Cheers from NZ 😎🎸🤘
Thank you, a normal person. The amount of gibson fanboys in these comments is pathetic. But this is more a collectors channel, not a guitar players channel. The irony is that if they bought with their brains and not their egos gibson would have to improve to compete. But because they sell their brand and stupid people who don't play guitar buy them they can sell trash for high prices.
@@rethinktone i know that this is a Gibson, primarily, channel and Austin aka Mr Trogly doesn’t deny that. In fact courtesy of Mr Trogly I’ve learned a ton about guitars even though im not interested in buying aGibson. . He pulled apart an Ibanez Pia during the 2020 NZ lockdowns. Guess what? I bought the rare Sun Dew Gold Pia and because of Austins video I know exactly what to do and what to expect. I also send him emails occasionally on Gibsons for sale here that might pique his interest. He’s a great guy, and tbh a great historian. Id never heard of the M3 for example and other Gibsons and that’s why I keep coming back here to watch the videos. Yes i was a bit annoyed with this one hence my comment but he has the New Guitar DY service and we get to see other guitars like the Edwards today and well I wouldn’t have seen this on YT anywhere else. I’ve got Japanese websites bookmarked for when i hopefully get work again but that’s gonna be a while so i dream through these videos. Cheers, Peter
@@PeterMoore350 I am very familiar with trogly. I don't think he would disagree that he is more of a collector then a player. But the reason why gibson continues to be garbage because their are people that still support them
@@rethinktone yeah i know. I mean the machine marks on the fretboards of every Gibson? I’ve had 6 Solars currently got 5 (sold a fave to pay some medical bills) no issues with that or the PRS or heck even my Indonesian made Harley Benton Gotoh single cut (the sparkly blue one) was almost flawless and definitely no tooling marks on the fretboards Edit: btw HB have a black single cut with FR gold HW id love to own. Sold the Gotoh one same week as my Solar yep for medical bills
I have owned 3 custom shop les pauls and the edwards gold top I own blows all of them out of the water and stays in tune extremely well. Very worth the money and they are plentiful on reverb usually without import fees or anything. I got mine brand new for 900 shipping included
Oh BS.."Blows it away". Whatever dude, blindfolded you could probably only tell the differemce via the sound of the pickups. Oh and the Edward's is pretending to be something it isnt.
@@cromBumnyTell everyone you got suckered in to paying $10K for a guitar with no quality control, without telling everyone you got suckered in to paying $10K for a guitar with no QC. Even $5K is overpriced for any Gibson that isn’t custom shop or relic’d. You can pay for the name all you want. You’re still getting 10% of the guitar you could have if you weren’t just focused on impressing people with big names. It’s your money to waste though so what I say shouldn’t matter. But I got a feeling you’ll comment something to me that proves I touched a nerve.
@@guitarflyer172 And I use all of them regularly besides my Buckethead Studio because I’m afraid to get it dirty…😂 I didn’t say they’re not good guitars. They’re just overpriced. And I get pulled into paying what they ask just as much as the next guy! But to think that they’re worth, to a player, what they’re priced based on what they do, is ridiculous. You can pay for really nice LP shaped guitars that you don’t have to worry about scratching up for far less and they’re able to sound just as good as a Gibson does for 90% of the people that play.
Well, they used to suck, but that was a very long time ago. Basically back when they were the equivalent of today's Made In China for cheap manufacturing, so they haven't sucked since maybe the early 70's. Since then though, yeah. I would agree 100%. With MIJ stuff, you actually get what you pay for, even if it's expensive nowadays.
This Edwards LP-CTM looks nicely built and appointed, great pick Cameron! Looks like the windings on these Edwards pups are smaller around than the Gibson P90, maybe 2/3 the width of traditional. And the tones back that up, a lot brighter than Gibson P90s. Can always mod to Gibson or boutique P90s if more vintage tones are desired. Elixirs are awesome strings, nice they put them on here.
Epiphone does make a P90 LPC, it's a Guitar Center exclusive though and only comes in black. However as an owner of an Edwards I'm confident the Edwards would blow away the Epi on fretwork alone lol
@@RobertNolan In the beginning he said they look slimmer but at the 11:15 mark I think he said the apparent binding thickness tricked his eyes. Just checked mine and it's a full 2 inches thick.
I recently bought a Epiphone Les Paul Custom with P-90 pickups, February 2024. By the number not printed but stamped into the headstock like a Gibson says it was made in 2023. It has become my favorite go to guitar. Looks and sounds great.
In Canada, Long and McQuade, and likely others, have Edwards' available! EDIT: I was mistaken. I confused the E-II line with the Edwards line. The E-IIs can be found on the Long and McQuade site.
Great looking fretboard and fret job. No tooling marks that I could see. “Tidy” is the word for this guitar. I’m not familiar nor have I ever played one. Nice job
All mahogany can also be a PRS SE McCarty Standard… PRS SE used to have “Soapbar” pickups, not sure why they stopped offering them. Edit: I was actually a beta tester on Elixer Strings! Hated them. I’m not sure if they got better, but it turned me off on coated strings for good. Edit again: I actually almost bought an Orville Firebird! But, it had some problems that I did not want to deal with.
I put Elixir on all of my guitars. It does have a different feeling, being so slippery for example. Well I rarely change strings, once a year at most. A friend of mine put them on for longer than 5 years and he still playing. We are in a poor country and $10 a month (or even a gig) can add up very fast. Of course if you make money from playing it would make sense to invest on strings, but I don't make any lol. I tried many of the long life strings, and most of them last 3 months at most. Elixir is good for the investment. However, it's not for everyone.
Hey Trogly, There's a very good chance those are stainless frets, which are pretty common on ESP brands these days. That would explain why you were so impressed with their level of shine. It might also explain why your fingers turned black, lol! Could also have been dye from the macasser ebony fingerboard. I played 6 vintage Gibson les Paul's at the music shop a few days ago and left with another ESP😂 To each their own. Keep up the great work!
I love love love my Edward’s LP. The major selling points to me were bang for the buck (is course) and weight. They tend to be around the 8lb mark. If you don’t need the Gibson headstock I highly recommend trying to pick one up on the used market.
I had the opportunity to go to Japan last December and visit the ESP Big Boss and Custom Shop in Tokyo. It’s lawsuit guitar heaven, so many shapes that you’d expect to see a Fender or Gibson logo on the headstock - but it’s all ESP, Edwards, and their other sects! I brought home the Edwards Les Paul Custom (the Black Beauty with the humbuckers) and it’s the best guitar I’ve ever had the pleasure of owning. There’s not a day that goes by that I don’t play it! Truly one of the best Gibson/Epiphone alternatives.
I’ve had one of their ‘lacquer taste’ (nitro over poly) ‘59 LP’s (when they still came with Duncan pups) for about 10 years, and it’s a great guitar. I’ve played it regularly for all that time, in addition to gigging/jamming with it, and it has held up very well. I LOVE the look of these P90 customs! The only issue I’ve had with mine is a broken input jack plastic surround, and that was because I dropped it. I replaced it with a metal one, and she keeps on singing. 🙂
Had an Edwards LPC and a Gibson LPC at the same time with the same Duncans and I A/B'd them both back and forth through a DSL50 and the Edwards sounded like the Gibson, but not as girthy. The Gibson was just a fuller version of the same sound. If you had them at different times it might not be as noticeable but there was just a little more beef in the Gibson on a direct comparison. That said, great guitars and I'd buy another in a heartbeat.
I've become obsessed with Japanese made Les Paul styled guitars over the past few years. I haven't turned my back on Gibson, but the quality of most of them that I've gotten and the prices of them (even as popular as they've become) make it a worthwhile pursuit.
I have three Edwards 1970 Flying V's and they are fantastic guitars. The fit and finish is amazing, better than many Gibsons that I have seen and owned. You cannot go wrong with these guitars. Plus they make a beautiful 1970s Flying V with a round headstock and small block inlays for about $1300 which you cannot get from Gibson for under $10,000.
It seems to me that you look for details that you don't normally look for in Gibsons (i.e, you can see the unscrapped binding at 11:25 and the seam line at 11:44 ) and it kind of looks like you point them as if they were "little flaws" that Gibsons do not have, but pretty sure they do.
I have 2 Edwards Les Pauls (a Standard and a Custom). Really love them. Out of the box it was so much better than even a Gibson Les Paul Tribute and it's not close. I recommend them.
I really like Japanese LP replicas, I've got a Tokai LS80Q from 2004 and a 1981 Greco EGF850, both are great playing and sounding guitars. I've been considering getting an Edwards or Navigator as well. This looks like a really nice guitar, Japanese craftsmanship is top notch.
Not sure how it's done on the Grass Roots, Edwards and Navigator lines but ESP actually tapes off the binding, atleast at first. They have reels on their Instagram on them removing the tape
The rounded horn where the binding is missing you can tell by looking at it from the side as seen on 11:34. You can see how the horn isn't carved at a straight line. But rather bowed.
I heard these are pretty cool nice playing guitars. The pickups are not quite as hot as gibsons but very close. I bought a chibson to see how they were and someone messed up the frets they were not filed done on the ends so what a job for me. It was OK when I finally finished it. Not for me though! I sold it got an extra hundred for it so it worked out thank God.
I imported their E-SA-138LTC nearly 17 years ago to convert into a Lifeson ES355 copy. BEFORE Gibson released their abomination of a signature model. I put the Lyre Vibrola tailpiece on it, along with a sort of Varitone switch. It is an awesome Guitar with solid maple construction (Not laminate) Ebony fretboard and the stock with the Seymour Duncan pickups. My only knock on it ever , was the mother of plastic fret markers.
I own several Edwards Les Pauls and they are all awesome . Best bang for your buck. Im a Gibson fan but don't like the prices these days. So best value is Edwards most are stock with Seymour Duncan pickups. Quality is there. That is a nice Edwards cool review
I was wondering when you'd do an Edwards! I love mine. I've owned a couple of EII/Standard Series Eclipses and a couple of Les Paul Studios. It feels like a blend of both of those. I like the way ESP plays more but I like the traditional Les Paul look more so it's the best of both worlds. I also feel like the fretboard radius relatively flat, which I enjoy so another win for me but maybe not if that isn't someone else's thing.
I just bought 2 Edwards flying v's from a Japanses dealer. The Japanese make quality guitars! They are beautiful v's! I paid NO customs duties to Missouri. They went from Japan to Texas to Missouri in less than a week!
Hey Trogly. I thought it was kind of offensive to the brand and its history referring to an Edward’s as a mere “chibson”. Of course they are Gibson knockoffs in essence, but they differ a lot from chibsons since they aim on recreating looks, aesthetics, feel and sound with top notch craftsmanship. Nowadays they are a lightyears better than USA line gibsons, but unfortunately don’t get the hype or love they deserve.
I picked up recently a Edwards Les Paul although mine is the none serial number version for what I understand is an earlier one. It's white in color but it has a slight yellowing going on. Came stock with Seymour Duncan JB & 59N. Gotoh tuners. I would definately want to know more about this guitar since it doesn't have a serial number other than a few hand written numbers in the pickup cavity.
For so very long I have wanted a '54 custom black beauty. This would be an absolutely KILLER alternative (and maybe put a lollar staple in), but dang it that Cherry is gorgeous!
In Russia Japan clones are very common and popular. And sometimes most people will prefer good Edwards or History guitar instead of original Gibson. This guitars are very good
That Edwards is a LOOKER! Just an FYI, GC had an exclusive buy within the past year, featuring an Epiphone Custom (R6 black) with P90's, priced at 799.99. Great Review!
Finally, this one show up here 🤘 One reputable dealer in my country have one, is it you who bought it Austin? 😁 The Black Custom with SD pups are gone, only the white one are available and cherry standard. This Edwards and Tokai LP is the affordable LP I'm considering, rather than bought an Epiphone and upgrade it. For an upgrade project, maybe pink GrassRoots LP is good enough 🤘
Got an ESP with an ebony board and had the same black finger issue. It went away after a string change/fretboard clean. I thought it was some sort of dye to make the fingerboard darker but after cleaning it off straight away it was (and still is) very dark, so not sure if necessary or if has done it's job already.
I simp pretty hard for japanese manufacturing. Everything from my higher end yamaha kits, to my aerodyne bass, to my browning rifle and vortex razor optic. Excellent quality.
I've never played a Japanese les paul I didn't love. In fact, after trying and failing to find a really well made Gibson that didn't cost $3000+, I ended up importing my Tokai LS150 about 15 years ago. It's such a great instrument. Came with a nice hardshell case with the hot pink velvet interior to my door for $1500 and I've used it for countless videos on my channel having recently showed it off with the new FRX Floyd Rose mounted onto it. The Tokai's are still easy to get from several Japan importers on Ebay.
I have a bunch of older Japanese Gibson style acoustic and electric guitars, Greco, Orville, Orville by Gibson as well as real Gibson’s and they are nice guitars. I bought them in the early 2000s when they were pretty cheap.
They do make extremely well made guitars and their QC is spot on, i have a nice 59 burst with Seymour duncans and a black custom and im a very happy chappy! 😊 🎸
I have 5 Edwards from early 2000. All stock with Seymour Duncan’s, some have nitro over thin poly, LTC series. They’re built and play better than any Epiphone and some people will argue Gibson too.
Did you notice that the upper bout (where the toggle switch is) is actually a different shape to a Gibson/Epi? It has the same curvature as the Eclipse. Sit it side by side with a Gibson and you'll see it. I never noticed it until someone pointed it out now I can't unsee it!!
Beautiful guitar, very impressed with the hardware and the attention to detail on the neck. This brand is new to me, awesome and great explanation of this brand of guitar. I’d buy one
Tis a handsome guitar , the headstock inlay looks like a combo of the traditional split diamond and the newer chandelier , I could see EVH fans appreciating the brand name ( nuck-nuck ! ), Japan sure knows how to make quality instruments...Thanks Trogly !
I own 2 edwards. A Inoran Signature in purple burst made in Japan, late 90s which is wicked and an ELP92 black top with A FAT AS HECK NECK! Hank Hill level neck! BIG NECK! Also the ELP is modded with a SH1 in the bridge, thinking of replacing the tuners, that is where newer *mid 2000s till now* edwards suffer. MADE IN CHINA, although ESP wont say it.... "But they're finished in Saitama Japan!" Yeah..... ok. Still I bought the ELP for the same price I would have a GIBSON LPJ which was also great in a shootout with the ELP. My inoran signature is one I got when I first came to Japan in 2019. It is a great guitar. One of the best guitars ever, just not a "LES PAUL" more like a HSS strat with an LP shaped body and a bolt on neck with a LP scale length.... I keep it in C# standard with 13-56 jazz medium strings. The ELP on the other hand has been in Japan since 2008 when it was produced and is pretty much a les paul. Not quite as good as close to the real thing as older Japanese copies from greco, but still around upper tier epiphone level in playability / feel. Only thing is cosmetically you will see things that would not pass with a higher end epiphone like spliced in fixes on inlays or really crookedly installed tuners. Both are good guitars and edwards is rare in the west so it's kind of cool to have one out there I guess. Also the name is sick coming from me haha.
I have an Edwards too. I bought my Alexi Laiho's signature 20 years ago and the build quality was just top notch. Definitely better than some of my more expensive guitars 😂😂😂 Also kinda surprise to learn they were made in China though. I actually thought it was made in Japan when I bought it
I bought an Edward MIJ LP Deluxe Goldtop intending on modding it into a Pete Townshend LP Deluxe which adds s Super Distortion HH and a tone of knobs and switches. Someone put in Gibson mini ….but I decided not to mod it because it sounded so good! The resonance of the body unplugged blew me away
I’ve only known these existed for about two weeks and boom Trogly has a vid up on them lol. I’m very curious about the the nitro finished ones and it’s cool to know they use the abr 1 bridge I think they’re sick especially with those slim necks and ebony fret boards
The fact that ESP can make a guitar this good for so much less than Gibson's new Epiphone range shows just how Gibson are taking the piss with their prices. The fret work alone on this tops any Epiphone and the majority of Gibson USA stuff for much less money.
Gibson are trading on marketing and brand, not quality. Luckily for them their core market doesn't have quality top of the list (or maybe not even anywhere on the list!) so Gibson will continue to do OK.
It sounds pretty cool. And I really like that read a lot. I'm not running up to buy one anytime soon but I got to say I would love to get one of my hands because it makes me want to play
Not sure if I missed it but did you ever confirm what kind of fretwire they're using? LTD has gotten pretty consistent with stainless on guitars in that price range but I haven't been able to confirm what Edwards is using for these. You did say they were very shiny out of the box which would make me think stainless, given the shipping time.
I have the Jimmy Page Edwards lp that I bought about 10 years ago. Still one of the best feeling LPs I've played. Intend to replace the bridge pup at some point.
Not really come across this brand in the UK... but will deffo investigate them now! That example looks good, sounds great and seems to be much better than Gibson in the QC department! Good choice, Cameron... sure it's 'only' for the students! 😅
Trogly I’m trying to find the video where you unboxed (maybe reviewed) a bright red, maybe Les Paul Modern. Either the Lite or the figured cherry. Maybe. Any ideas how I could find that?
He mentioned that it's slightly thinner of a body than the real Gibson body. Does anyone know the body thickness and if it will cover putting in a staple pickup? Really considering buying one of these.
P-90's may be designed for Jazz but they are so great for Rock'n'Roll !!! Regarding the black fingers, polishing compound will take several cleaning before gone in my experience. I'm surprised again and again by how how much cleaning is needed after a fret polish. FWIW
Don't forget to add a hard case too. Which the Epi comes with. They use Mahogany sourced from Indonesia. Which I believe is the same as Epi but not Gibson, of course.
That's a pretty sweet guitar IMO. I reallly like it. Wish i had the money to import one at the moment. Love the sound of it. I'm impressed. Oh and in the demo of it loved the, story of my life chords 🤘🤘one of my favorite song's to play on guitar
I toyed with the idea of one of these before buying the inspired by Gibson Custom Shop. I would, more than likely, have purchased one through eBay and it would have cost as much for sure. I did not want something used off eBay and that looked like the majority of the Japanese stuff I could get. The Grassroots stuff was a lot of substitute wood. I bought the Epiphone from a trusted source and that felt safer. The mother of pearl all over the new Epiphone is really pretty. The specifications and the pickups and electronics make the guitar sound and play amazing.
@@the_hippykiller22 no it's not... both guitars are Made in China, the Edwards gets painted and hardware/electronics installed in Japan, so at best, the paint is better on the edwards everything else is literally the same or comparable. Edwards have been made in china for a while now. If you want a true esp made les paul, Navigator is it. Hell even Chibsons do rounded fret ends now. So where's this insane greatness coming from besides people thinking it was made by ESP Japan when infact it's not.
I can't believe I'm correcting all mighty Trogly... but here I go!! Ehemm: Sir, there is actually an Epiphone LP Custom with P90. There's a limited edition run you can find on GC, I, myself, do own one and is fantastic, it seems to be a 57 style.
I believe I saw a pic years ago of George Lynch holding an Edward's Les Paul and it was striped 80s super-strat style (the joke being of course that it was Edward Van Halen's Les Paul).
That’s MY guitar!!! Thank you SO much @Trogly for your advice, kindness and professionalism. You are the real deal and I would recommend your service to anyone. You went out of your way to do right by me even if it meant you didn’t make a sale and that is epic! Thank you again and I can’t wait for my new guitar.
Dude seriously, enjoy that thing. I really like it 🤘🤘
I’ve got the LP bug big time and I really love the Japanese LPs I’ve sorta been set on a Tokai but I’d take an Edward’s, Maybach or even a Grass Roots maybe. I think you did way better than the Epiphone if Gibson finally eventually starts putting that headstock on all the Epiphones their values on the used market will probably drop like a brand new boat.
Congrats, looks and sounds like an awesome guitar!
Great choice!
Cool guitar. Enjoy it & inspire the next generation. Thank YOU sir!
The moment Trogly finds out Japanese made guitars kicks Gibson's butt on everything from construction quality to finish, from components to sound. Long live Edwards and all other incredible Japanese guitar brands! 🇯🇵
Amen!!!!!!!
They are made in China and have final finishing in Japan
@@beermetal2003 and still kicks butts... I've played Edwards and E-II Eclipses, and you almost can't tell the difference other than some higher end electronics and parts on the E-II, but just looking and playing, they feel pretty equal...
@@beermetal2003 So?
Gibson guitars in today's day and age are absolute doodoo water lmao overprices pieces of garbage. So is their "QC".
So much better to spend a lesser amount of money on instruments that last long, play great, don't cause pain in backs/shoulders, get the job done, and feel so much better to play.
My Edwards LPC and Tokai LP have been getting way more playing time than my Gibsons, and with good reason. Especially that Tokai, the qc is immaculate.
Truthfully it looks better than most of the Gibsons you have on here.
So what's the weather like in Bejing
@@cromBumny You know Edwards are made in Japan right?
@fisheatingjoe yes and I also know you arnt a real person.
@@cromBumny you’re weird…. 🤦🏻♂️
@@cromBumny plus you can’t spell. lol
Japanese luthiers are insanely good. That Edwards is a testament of their craftmanship. That neck is top notch. Acoustically that guitar is ALIVE!
I collect Japanese guitars. The Edwards brand are really nice, I highly recommend them.
What do you think about 80s Grecos and Burnys?
Edwards/ESP makes superb guitars. Their QC is up there with the best in the world
Gibson could learn a lot from them.
Funny how you Mr Trogly don’t nitpick Gibsons poor QC and just put it down to “well that’s Gibsons for you” given their horrendous QC for the price.
Maybe next time you get a brand new Gibson in go over it like you did with this Edwards.
I’d buy one of these in a heartbeat along with almost any single cut PRS SE or Solar guitar made in Indonesia like my gloss black Tremonti or my Solar GC1.6 T-FAB. QC is awesome and poly smokes nitro lacquer any day of the week coz I want my guitar to look the same in ten years and not fade into some other colour.
Cheers from NZ 😎🎸🤘
Thank you, a normal person. The amount of gibson fanboys in these comments is pathetic. But this is more a collectors channel, not a guitar players channel. The irony is that if they bought with their brains and not their egos gibson would have to improve to compete. But because they sell their brand and stupid people who don't play guitar buy them they can sell trash for high prices.
@@rethinktone i know that this is a Gibson, primarily, channel and Austin aka Mr Trogly doesn’t deny that.
In fact courtesy of Mr Trogly I’ve learned a ton about guitars even though im not interested in buying aGibson. .
He pulled apart an Ibanez Pia during the 2020 NZ lockdowns. Guess what? I bought the rare Sun Dew Gold Pia and because of Austins video I know exactly what to do and what to expect.
I also send him emails occasionally on Gibsons for sale here that might pique his interest.
He’s a great guy, and tbh a great historian.
Id never heard of the M3 for example and other Gibsons and that’s why I keep coming back here to watch the videos.
Yes i was a bit annoyed with this one hence my comment but he has the New Guitar DY service and we get to see other guitars like the Edwards today and well I wouldn’t have seen this on YT anywhere else.
I’ve got Japanese websites bookmarked for when i hopefully get work again but that’s gonna be a while so i dream through these videos.
Cheers, Peter
@@PeterMoore350 I am very familiar with trogly. I don't think he would disagree that he is more of a collector then a player. But the reason why gibson continues to be garbage because their are people that still support them
@@rethinktone yeah i know. I mean the machine marks on the fretboards of every Gibson? I’ve had 6 Solars currently got 5 (sold a fave to pay some medical bills) no issues with that or the PRS or heck even my Indonesian made Harley Benton Gotoh single cut (the sparkly blue one) was almost flawless and definitely no tooling marks on the fretboards
Edit: btw HB have a black single cut with FR gold HW id love to own. Sold the Gotoh one same week as my Solar yep for medical bills
Agreed. Never seen him as determined to find fault as in this review. Guitar looks superb.
The Tokai & FGN brands from Japan are incredible values.
Tokai , FGN and Edwards / Navigator.. superb QC and excellent wood .. plus lovely Gotoh parts
I have owned 3 custom shop les pauls and the edwards gold top I own blows all of them out of the water and stays in tune extremely well. Very worth the money and they are plentiful on reverb usually without import fees or anything. I got mine brand new for 900 shipping included
Oh BS.."Blows it away". Whatever dude, blindfolded you could probably only tell the differemce via the sound of the pickups. Oh and the Edward's is pretending to be something it isnt.
@@cromBumnyTell everyone you got suckered in to paying $10K for a guitar with no quality control, without telling everyone you got suckered in to paying $10K for a guitar with no QC.
Even $5K is overpriced for any Gibson that isn’t custom shop or relic’d. You can pay for the name all you want. You’re still getting 10% of the guitar you could have if you weren’t just focused on impressing people with big names. It’s your money to waste though so what I say shouldn’t matter. But I got a feeling you’ll comment something to me that proves I touched a nerve.
@@stop736 I got a feeling you don’t own a Gibson. lol
@@guitarflyer172 And you’d be wrong by about 5 guitars…
@@guitarflyer172 And I use all of them regularly besides my Buckethead Studio because I’m afraid to get it dirty…😂
I didn’t say they’re not good guitars. They’re just overpriced. And I get pulled into paying what they ask just as much as the next guy! But to think that they’re worth, to a player, what they’re priced based on what they do, is ridiculous.
You can pay for really nice LP shaped guitars that you don’t have to worry about scratching up for far less and they’re able to sound just as good as a Gibson does for 90% of the people that play.
You need to document a Navigator by ESP custom shop !
Agreed! They’re on a whole other level
I second this!
Japanese craftmanship has been and will always be second to none...
Well, they used to suck, but that was a very long time ago. Basically back when they were the equivalent of today's Made In China for cheap manufacturing, so they haven't sucked since maybe the early 70's.
Since then though, yeah. I would agree 100%. With MIJ stuff, you actually get what you pay for, even if it's expensive nowadays.
Navigator is their custom shop version. You should definitely check those out. ESP's custom shop level is second to none
When are you gonna do a Heritage guitar. I'd like to see the gibson comparison
That guy made the right choice…he is gonna be very happy with that guitar 👍
Trogly, you can't put anything Japanese made in the same cheap "Import Guitar" category. Japanese quality is second to none.
Next up, some reviews of the lawsuit era models; Hondo, Aria Pro, Ibanez, etc
My Premier is sweet from when I was a kid
This Edwards LP-CTM looks nicely built and appointed, great pick Cameron! Looks like the windings on these Edwards pups are smaller around than the Gibson P90, maybe 2/3 the width of traditional. And the tones back that up, a lot brighter than Gibson P90s. Can always mod to Gibson or boutique P90s if more vintage tones are desired. Elixirs are awesome strings, nice they put them on here.
I’ve owned seven Edwards LPs and I love them all. My E-LP-135 ALS/RE is the best Les Paul I’ve ever played.
Epiphone does make a P90 LPC, it's a Guitar Center exclusive though and only comes in black. However as an owner of an Edwards I'm confident the Edwards would blow away the Epi on fretwork alone lol
Plus the Epi has a narrower than standard Gibson nut width, which I didn’t like when I tried it.
Do you happen to know the body thickness of these? He mentioned they were a little slimmer but didn't give the spec.
@@RobertNolan In the beginning he said they look slimmer but at the 11:15 mark I think he said the apparent binding thickness tricked his eyes. Just checked mine and it's a full 2 inches thick.
@alvinalcid5617 EXCELLENT THANK YOU
Your ability to generate videos about unusual guitars on the daily is very impressive.
I recently bought a Epiphone Les Paul Custom with P-90 pickups, February 2024. By the number not printed but stamped into the headstock like a Gibson says it was made in 2023. It has become my favorite go to guitar. Looks and sounds great.
In Canada, Long and McQuade, and likely others, have Edwards' available!
EDIT: I was mistaken. I confused the E-II line with the Edwards line. The E-IIs can be found on the Long and McQuade site.
Got a link? Because I can't seem to find any.
I just checked L&M's website .. no EDWARDS guitars.
@@Robdarian Sorry I was mistaken, it was the E-IIs I was thinking of.
@@miserychannel69 Sorry I was mistaken, it was the E-IIs I was thinking of.
Great looking fretboard and fret job. No tooling marks that I could see. “Tidy” is the word for this guitar. I’m not familiar nor have I ever played one.
Nice job
Just to let you know, Epiphone does offer a P90 LP Custom. It's a Guitar Center exclusive model.
My local store had at least one the other year. It was basically like a 55 Custom.
All mahogany can also be a PRS SE McCarty Standard… PRS SE used to have “Soapbar” pickups, not sure why they stopped offering them.
Edit: I was actually a beta tester on Elixer Strings! Hated them. I’m not sure if they got better, but it turned me off on coated strings for good.
Edit again: I actually almost bought an Orville Firebird! But, it had some problems that I did not want to deal with.
I put Elixir on all of my guitars. It does have a different feeling, being so slippery for example.
Well I rarely change strings, once a year at most. A friend of mine put them on for longer than 5 years and he still playing. We are in a poor country and $10 a month (or even a gig) can add up very fast. Of course if you make money from playing it would make sense to invest on strings, but I don't make any lol.
I tried many of the long life strings, and most of them last 3 months at most. Elixir is good for the investment. However, it's not for everyone.
Hey Trogly,
There's a very good chance those are stainless frets, which are pretty common on ESP brands these days. That would explain why you were so impressed with their level of shine. It might also explain why your fingers turned black, lol! Could also have been dye from the macasser ebony fingerboard. I played 6 vintage Gibson les Paul's at the music shop a few days ago and left with another ESP😂 To each their own. Keep up the great work!
Edwards guitars are beyond amazing!!! And for a lot less money.
I have a 1989 Edwards Lp standard
With fret nibs …Build quality is insane and much more chunkier 50s neck… awesome
I love love love my Edward’s LP. The major selling points to me were bang for the buck (is course) and weight. They tend to be around the 8lb mark. If you don’t need the Gibson headstock I highly recommend trying to pick one up on the used market.
I had the opportunity to go to Japan last December and visit the ESP Big Boss and Custom Shop in Tokyo. It’s lawsuit guitar heaven, so many shapes that you’d expect to see a Fender or Gibson logo on the headstock - but it’s all ESP, Edwards, and their other sects! I brought home the Edwards Les Paul Custom (the Black Beauty with the humbuckers) and it’s the best guitar I’ve ever had the pleasure of owning. There’s not a day that goes by that I don’t play it! Truly one of the best Gibson/Epiphone alternatives.
Nice review. I was just thinking it'd be nice to see a Tokai review. But this will work too.🤗🤔😉
I’ve had one of their ‘lacquer taste’ (nitro over poly) ‘59 LP’s (when they still came with Duncan pups) for about 10 years, and it’s a great guitar. I’ve played it regularly for all that time, in addition to gigging/jamming with it, and it has held up very well. I LOVE the look of these P90 customs!
The only issue I’ve had with mine is a broken input jack plastic surround, and that was because I dropped it. I replaced it with a metal one, and she keeps on singing. 🙂
I imported an Edward’s…best decision I made. And, I paid no import duty or taxes. It’s better than the Gibson I own
Fake
@@cromBumnyit’s a guitar, not an election. Why the fuck would Japan set up bots for guitars?
@@cromBumny Get a grip ffs
@@cromBumny no u
@@rkisf90 umm he meant the guitar is fake. Which it is. Nothing but another copy of someone else's design. No better than any Chinese LP copy.
Epiphone does make an LP Custom with P90's as an exclusive for Guitar Center.
I was just about to say this.
That thing is gorgeous
Had an Edwards LPC and a Gibson LPC at the same time with the same Duncans and I A/B'd them both back and forth through a DSL50 and the Edwards sounded like the Gibson, but not as girthy. The Gibson was just a fuller version of the same sound. If you had them at different times it might not be as noticeable but there was just a little more beef in the Gibson on a direct comparison. That said, great guitars and I'd buy another in a heartbeat.
Man, that thing sounds great. Congrats to the new owner.
I've become obsessed with Japanese made Les Paul styled guitars over the past few years. I haven't turned my back on Gibson, but the quality of most of them that I've gotten and the prices of them (even as popular as they've become) make it a worthwhile pursuit.
I have three Edwards 1970 Flying V's and they are fantastic guitars. The fit and finish is amazing, better than many Gibsons that I have seen and owned. You cannot go wrong with these guitars. Plus they make a beautiful 1970s Flying V with a round headstock and small block inlays for about $1300 which you cannot get from Gibson for under $10,000.
It seems to me that you look for details that you don't normally look for in Gibsons (i.e, you can see the unscrapped binding at 11:25 and the seam line at 11:44 ) and it kind of looks like you point them as if they were "little flaws" that Gibsons do not have, but pretty sure they do.
He's probably on gibson payroll in some
way, shape or form....
it isn't in his best interest to point out Gibson QC flaws as intensely as that, it brings the stock of the brand down.
I have 2 Edwards Les Pauls (a Standard and a Custom). Really love them. Out of the box it was so much better than even a Gibson Les Paul Tribute and it's not close. I recommend them.
I really like Japanese LP replicas, I've got a Tokai LS80Q from 2004 and a 1981 Greco EGF850, both are great playing and sounding guitars.
I've been considering getting an Edwards or Navigator as well.
This looks like a really nice guitar, Japanese craftsmanship is top notch.
Not sure how it's done on the Grass Roots, Edwards and Navigator lines but ESP actually tapes off the binding, atleast at first. They have reels on their Instagram on them removing the tape
The rounded horn where the binding is missing you can tell by looking at it from the side as seen on 11:34. You can see how the horn isn't carved at a straight line. But rather bowed.
I heard these are pretty cool nice playing guitars. The pickups are not quite as hot as gibsons but very close. I bought a chibson to see how they were and someone messed up the frets they were not filed done on the ends so what a job for me. It was OK when I finally finished it. Not for me though! I sold it got an extra hundred for it so it worked out thank God.
I imported their E-SA-138LTC nearly 17 years ago to convert into a Lifeson ES355 copy. BEFORE Gibson released their abomination of a signature model. I put the Lyre Vibrola tailpiece on it, along with a sort of Varitone switch. It is an awesome Guitar with solid maple construction (Not laminate) Ebony fretboard and the stock with the Seymour Duncan pickups. My only knock on it ever , was the mother of plastic fret markers.
I own several Edwards Les Pauls and they are all awesome . Best bang for your buck. Im a Gibson fan but don't like the prices these days. So best value is Edwards most are stock with Seymour Duncan pickups. Quality is there. That is a nice Edwards cool review
I was wondering when you'd do an Edwards! I love mine. I've owned a couple of EII/Standard Series Eclipses and a couple of Les Paul Studios. It feels like a blend of both of those. I like the way ESP plays more but I like the traditional Les Paul look more so it's the best of both worlds. I also feel like the fretboard radius relatively flat, which I enjoy so another win for me but maybe not if that isn't someone else's thing.
I just bought 2 Edwards flying v's from a Japanses dealer. The Japanese make quality guitars! They are beautiful v's! I paid NO customs duties to Missouri. They went from Japan to Texas to Missouri in less than a week!
I got one for $700, with shipping included. It has a rosewood fingerboard, Pearl inlays, and a AAA Flamed maple top. It's so worth it!
6:28 at the knobs you can see the finish is quite thin, which is a good thing. You can see the wood grain slightly.
Hey Trogly. I thought it was kind of offensive to the brand and its history referring to an Edward’s as a mere “chibson”. Of course they are Gibson knockoffs in essence, but they differ a lot from chibsons since they aim on recreating looks, aesthetics, feel and sound with top notch craftsmanship. Nowadays they are a lightyears better than USA line gibsons, but unfortunately don’t get the hype or love they deserve.
Do you own ESP? If not, stop being butt hurt
@@cromBumny yes, I’m ESP’s biggest shareholder
I picked up recently a Edwards Les Paul although mine is the none serial number version for what I understand is an earlier one. It's white in color but it has a slight yellowing going on. Came stock with Seymour Duncan JB & 59N. Gotoh tuners. I would definately want to know more about this guitar since it doesn't have a serial number other than a few hand written numbers in the pickup cavity.
For so very long I have wanted a '54 custom black beauty. This would be an absolutely KILLER alternative (and maybe put a lollar staple in), but dang it that Cherry is gorgeous!
In Russia Japan clones are very common and popular. And sometimes most people will prefer good Edwards or History guitar instead of original Gibson. This guitars are very good
1:19 Epiphone has P90 Custom. I saw several in the Guitar Center. But it seems it is GC exclusive model.
Raising that bridge pickup made a huge difference. That is a beautiful looking and well specced guitar.
That fretwork is amazing. Besides being well-polished, the fret ends are rounded off beautifully.
That Edwards is a LOOKER! Just an FYI, GC had an exclusive buy within the past year, featuring an Epiphone Custom (R6 black) with P90's, priced at 799.99. Great Review!
Finally, this one show up here 🤘
One reputable dealer in my country have one, is it you who bought it Austin? 😁
The Black Custom with SD pups are gone, only the white one are available and cherry standard.
This Edwards and Tokai LP is the affordable LP I'm considering, rather than bought an Epiphone and upgrade it.
For an upgrade project, maybe pink GrassRoots LP is good enough 🤘
I am in Japan - I am spoiled. Guitar shopping here is pretty good. ;)
Got an ESP with an ebony board and had the same black finger issue. It went away after a string change/fretboard clean. I thought it was some sort of dye to make the fingerboard darker but after cleaning it off straight away it was (and still is) very dark, so not sure if necessary or if has done it's job already.
I simp pretty hard for japanese manufacturing. Everything from my higher end yamaha kits, to my aerodyne bass, to my browning rifle and vortex razor optic. Excellent quality.
I've never played a Japanese les paul I didn't love. In fact, after trying and failing to find a really well made Gibson that didn't cost $3000+, I ended up importing my Tokai LS150 about 15 years ago. It's such a great instrument. Came with a nice hardshell case with the hot pink velvet interior to my door for $1500 and I've used it for countless videos on my channel having recently showed it off with the new FRX Floyd Rose mounted onto it.
The Tokai's are still easy to get from several Japan importers on Ebay.
Pls send us the link to your channel
I have a bunch of older Japanese Gibson style acoustic and electric guitars, Greco, Orville, Orville by Gibson as well as real Gibson’s and they are nice guitars. I bought them in the early 2000s when they were pretty cheap.
They do make extremely well made guitars and their QC is spot on, i have a nice 59 burst with Seymour duncans and a black custom and im a very happy chappy! 😊 🎸
I have 5 Edwards from early 2000. All stock with Seymour Duncan’s, some have nitro over thin poly, LTC series. They’re built and play better than any Epiphone and some people will argue Gibson too.
Did you notice that the upper bout (where the toggle switch is) is actually a different shape to a Gibson/Epi? It has the same curvature as the Eclipse. Sit it side by side with a Gibson and you'll see it. I never noticed it until someone pointed it out now I can't unsee it!!
Beautiful guitar, very impressed with the hardware and the attention to detail on the neck. This brand is new to me, awesome and great explanation of this brand of guitar. I’d buy one
Les Paul 54 without staples pickup in neck position but witch hat knobs like the 68 Les Paul Custom Black Beauty?
As for me - I like it! It looks just great. I am wondering if this guitar was available in the US, what would it sell for? Still the premium?
Tis a handsome guitar , the headstock inlay looks like a combo of the traditional split diamond and the newer chandelier , I could see EVH fans appreciating the brand name ( nuck-nuck ! ), Japan sure knows how to make quality instruments...Thanks Trogly !
I own 2 edwards. A Inoran Signature in purple burst made in Japan, late 90s which is wicked and an ELP92 black top with A FAT AS HECK NECK! Hank Hill level neck! BIG NECK! Also the ELP is modded with a SH1 in the bridge, thinking of replacing the tuners, that is where newer *mid 2000s till now* edwards suffer. MADE IN CHINA, although ESP wont say it.... "But they're finished in Saitama Japan!" Yeah..... ok. Still I bought the ELP for the same price I would have a GIBSON LPJ which was also great in a shootout with the ELP.
My inoran signature is one I got when I first came to Japan in 2019. It is a great guitar. One of the best guitars ever, just not a "LES PAUL" more like a HSS strat with an LP shaped body and a bolt on neck with a LP scale length.... I keep it in C# standard with 13-56 jazz medium strings.
The ELP on the other hand has been in Japan since 2008 when it was produced and is pretty much a les paul. Not quite as good as close to the real thing as older Japanese copies from greco, but still around upper tier epiphone level in playability / feel. Only thing is cosmetically you will see things that would not pass with a higher end epiphone like spliced in fixes on inlays or really crookedly installed tuners.
Both are good guitars and edwards is rare in the west so it's kind of cool to have one out there I guess. Also the name is sick coming from me haha.
i have a older edwards from 2012 and it came stock with seymour duncans but those oem pickups sound just as good
i have an Edwards John Sykes model that came with Seymour Duncan pups and i absolutely love it...Cheers
6:39 “I like my deep dish guitars boneless.” 😂
Edwards, Tokai, FGN,have better quality than Gibson
They do indeed I have A. 🎸FGN Bass
I have an Edwards too. I bought my Alexi Laiho's signature 20 years ago and the build quality was just top notch. Definitely better than some of my more expensive guitars 😂😂😂 Also kinda surprise to learn they were made in China though. I actually thought it was made in Japan when I bought it
I bought an Edward MIJ LP Deluxe Goldtop intending on modding it into a Pete Townshend LP Deluxe which adds s Super Distortion HH and a tone of knobs and switches. Someone put in Gibson mini ….but I decided not to mod it because it sounded so good! The resonance of the body unplugged blew me away
I’ve only known these existed for about two weeks and boom Trogly has a vid up on them lol. I’m very curious about the the nitro finished ones and it’s cool to know they use the abr 1 bridge I think they’re sick especially with those slim necks and ebony fret boards
The fact that ESP can make a guitar this good for so much less than Gibson's new Epiphone range shows just how Gibson are taking the piss with their prices. The fret work alone on this tops any Epiphone and the majority of Gibson USA stuff for much less money.
Gibson are trading on marketing and brand, not quality. Luckily for them their core market doesn't have quality top of the list (or maybe not even anywhere on the list!) so Gibson will continue to do OK.
It sounds pretty cool.
And I really like that read a lot.
I'm not running up to buy one anytime soon but I got to say I would love to get one of my hands because it makes me want to play
Not sure if I missed it but did you ever confirm what kind of fretwire they're using? LTD has gotten pretty consistent with stainless on guitars in that price range but I haven't been able to confirm what Edwards is using for these. You did say they were very shiny out of the box which would make me think stainless, given the shipping time.
I got an E-LP-CTM this week, also had Elixir strings
Now that I like! This guitar speaks to me big time. That cherry finish, belly carve & P90 pups, Gibson should seriously offer this model.
I have the Jimmy Page Edwards lp that I bought about 10 years ago. Still one of the best feeling LPs I've played. Intend to replace the bridge pup at some point.
Edwards better than any Epiphone post 1970!
I have an Edwards that looks just like the Randy Rhoads Les Paul Custom. Its a great guitar
Not really come across this brand in the UK... but will deffo investigate them now! That example looks good, sounds great and seems to be much better than Gibson in the QC department! Good choice, Cameron... sure it's 'only' for the students! 😅
Trogly I’m trying to find the video where you unboxed (maybe reviewed) a bright red, maybe Les Paul Modern. Either the Lite or the figured cherry. Maybe. Any ideas how I could find that?
He mentioned that it's slightly thinner of a body than the real Gibson body. Does anyone know the body thickness and if it will cover putting in a staple pickup? Really considering buying one of these.
Anytime i see guitars like this, makes me want to take a guitar buying trip to Japan
P-90's may be designed for Jazz but they are so great for Rock'n'Roll !!! Regarding the black fingers, polishing compound will take several cleaning before gone in my experience. I'm surprised again and again by how how much cleaning is needed after a fret polish. FWIW
Don't forget to add a hard case too. Which the Epi comes with. They use Mahogany sourced from Indonesia. Which I believe is the same as Epi but not Gibson, of course.
It looks good, sounds good, and Trogly it's a new guitar you tube order, for guitar presentation. Sorry for my English .
That's a pretty sweet guitar IMO. I reallly like it. Wish i had the money to import one at the moment. Love the sound of it. I'm impressed. Oh and in the demo of it loved the, story of my life chords 🤘🤘one of my favorite song's to play on guitar
There is a GC exclusive Epiphone LPC available right now.
I toyed with the idea of one of these before buying the inspired by Gibson Custom Shop. I would, more than likely, have purchased one through eBay and it would have cost as much for sure. I did not want something used off eBay and that looked like the majority of the Japanese stuff I could get. The Grassroots stuff was a lot of substitute wood. I bought the Epiphone from a trusted source and that felt safer. The mother of pearl all over the new Epiphone is really pretty. The specifications and the pickups and electronics make the guitar sound and play amazing.
I'm sure your Epi is decent all things considered but this is miles better as far as quality and playablility.
@@the_hippykiller22 no it's not... both guitars are Made in China, the Edwards gets painted and hardware/electronics installed in Japan, so at best, the paint is better on the edwards everything else is literally the same or comparable. Edwards have been made in china for a while now. If you want a true esp made les paul, Navigator is it. Hell even Chibsons do rounded fret ends now. So where's this insane greatness coming from besides people thinking it was made by ESP Japan when infact it's not.
I can't believe I'm correcting all mighty Trogly... but here I go!! Ehemm:
Sir, there is actually an Epiphone LP Custom with P90. There's a limited edition run you can find on GC, I, myself, do own one and is fantastic, it seems to be a 57 style.
I was referring to the Inspired by Gibson Custom range
I believe I saw a pic years ago of George Lynch holding an Edward's Les Paul and it was striped 80s super-strat style (the joke being of course that it was Edward Van Halen's Les Paul).
I want that guitar