Grassroots: G-RV

 This Summer's new additions by ESP included the above G-RV-55 guitar, a simple V-type instrument yet looking very attractive. Again, I wish the stores here would make the Grassroots models more available for us budget conscious dweebs.

Depth differences

When we scrutinize LP-type guitars, many of us would like to assure ourselves of the instruments' body depth. This feature determines how much a copy detracts from the original LP hence the tonal difference. Of course, this isn't the end all determinant, other tone shaping factors do come into play as well; electronics, wood type, finish, etc.

A quick look at my Edwards & Grassroots above shows a clear depth difference, the Edwards sporting a thicker body than its Grassroots counterpart. The clearance at the neck heel is a good visual guide. Also note how the neck heel profile differs as well; the Edwards sporting a bulky make while the Grassroots' slimmer version is more akin to the ESP Eclipse model.

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PS: EHX Little Big Muff $70- good for today only (17th May '11)

Les Pauls?

Are the guitars in the above pic Les Pauls? No they are not. They are merely copies (my Edwards & Grass Roots singlecuts- I favour them to the Gibsons). I talked to someone recently about Les Pauls & the lad was whining endlessly about the instrument quality & body chambering until he mentioned the Japanese Les Pauls being more worthy in terms of craftsmanship proportionate to the asking price. So my natural question to him was, which Les Pauls are made in Japan? The answer was Edwards, so I duly told him they aren't Les Pauls, they are merely copies. We, lazy folks, find it convenient to refer to them as such. Only Gibsons are Les Pauls. But he insisted they are by virtue of design. So there we have it; insistence based on a personal interpretation. 

Grassroots: G-LP-55C

Grassroots has another LP-alike model in their catalogue (new for 2011): G-LP-55C. I just wish they are more readily available here. While we look to the Edwards brand name as an alternative to the ESP selections in terms of cost, those guitars remain to be out of reach for many of us beginners or those working with a tight budget. The Grassroots offer a better range in this aspect.