Lawsuit Guitars! I Love 'Em!

[Stereordinary]

I have two late 70s, early 80s Japanese lawsuit guitars and I think they're great.  If you've ever checked these out, don't be fooled by the "just as good if not better than a Gibson/Fender/whatever" hype.  They are a different quality entirely, but they're still great guitars.  Here's mine, a '77 Ibanez LP copy in Cherry Sunburst and an '84 Greco LP copy in Black with all Nickel hardware.  Enjoy and discuss!



Click photos for larger views.

[JazzBlaster]

the set neck ones are really great! if you are lucky you can get one for a few bucks

[Stereordinary]

My Greco has a set neck, and it weighs a ton.  (Co-Worker: Agrees, It must be made out of "rock")

[1946dodge]

I have a G&L Comanche 6 with Leo Fender's signature on the upper horn and stamped on the bridge.
I was informed by a Fender rep that he could legally seize the guitar, saw it up and replace it with a Fender of equal value.
Fender sued G&L for using Leo's signature and his name on this guitar.
G&L stopped making them.

I stil have mine.

He would have seized and sawed it over my dead body, or his.

[JazzBlaster]

My Greco has a set neck, and it weighs a ton.  (Co-Worker: Agrees, It must be made out of "rock")

I love heavy guitars! my first Fender was a tele that I got cheap cause it weighed a ton.

[vegasrock]

...........

[djetz]

I love 70s Ibanezes.

[darkstriker]

Tokai Love Rock (the Les Paul copies) are being sold by an online store here in Portugal!

they're great guitars and cost under 1000€ (except for the top of the line one, but it's still less than half of a Les Paul).

[eggwheat]

Tokai 'breezysound' tele blows most fender teles out the water imho

[Sauerkraut]

My Greco has a set neck, and it weighs a ton.  (Co-Worker: Agrees, It must be made out of "rock")

your funny joke was not lost on me

 

[fullerplast]

I had a small collection of these;  '76 Ibanez LP, 2 Ventura SGs, Univox LP, 2 Univox Hi-Fliers, 2 no-name Jazz basses (one with black blocks and binding on maple), Ventura P-Bass, Memphis set neck LP, and a Memphis custom tele. All of them had the correct "lawsuit" headstock, except the hi-fliers but they were pretty close. 

They varied in quality from pretty darn good to excellent! 

[scottme]

I'm looking after a late 70s Ibanez LP at the moment and it sounds great. The hardware is a bit dodgy though.

[1946dodge]

I have an aria pro II thor sound TS400 that is beautiful, sounds and plays awesome and has quality matchind expensive guitars.
I paid 125 for it.

[serial]

I had a KILLER '75 Ibanez Destroyer-IMHO still the best of the bunch, but now getting really pricey ($1500+).  The Grecos (Ibanez-same company) are quite good-I really like their Icemans and LPs from the late 70s/early 80s.  Tokais from that period (actually through '85-85) were also really nice.  The new ones aren't as good I dont' think.  Agreed that the hardware is the biggest downside.  Tuners were usually ok, but could be better, bridges were the worst (often pot-metal) problem with those guitars.  Pickups could be a little microphonic at high volume/gain, but overall, these are solid good guitars that are fun to play. 
I remember going into my local shop in '84 when they finally started getting in the vintage reissues (USA).  They were selling in the $750 range and I walked in with cash looking for a LPB or FR '57.  They had neither in stock, but I wanted a guitar NOW.  I played all seven 57/62s that they had and none of them did much for me.  I was pretty bummed and was on my way out of the shop when the owner semi reluctantly called me back to check out a Tokai.  He handed me a bright yellow '62style and it blew the Fenders out of the water.  I walked out with it in minutes, spending only $279 out the door.  Not bad.  I still have the neck from a Breezysound that I just could never get rid of-I love that neck!

[burker]

I have a beat up 70's "Aspen" strat copy, amazing glassy chimey sound from that guitar, I like it better than any real strat ive played, and it was only $120 ... the thing looks super 70's, disco headstock, maple neck, super grainey natural body, trippy "aspen" logo...