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Post subject: Is this a good deal? (trading Epi Les Paul for Warmoth Tele)
Posted: Wed Feb 08, 2012 8:20 am
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Hello everyone, I've had my Les Paul for a while but lately I've been really wanting a strat or tele. First of all, here is a picture of my guitar, It's a 2002 Korean made Epiphone Les Paul.
Image

All I know about the guitar which I may be trading for is what the guy told me:

"u.s.a. Warmoth Mahogany Tele with a carved top, Mahogany Neck/ Rosewood Fretboard, locking tuners and Humbuckers in the neck and bridge"

Picture of said guitar:

Image

Basically all I want to know is this a good deal? I don't know very much about Warmoth. Would anyone be able to tell me an approximate value of this Telecaster? Thanks for looking!


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Post subject: Re: Is this a good deal? (trading Epi Les Paul for Warmoth T
Posted: Wed Feb 08, 2012 8:29 am
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http://www.warmoth.com/

Price out what those components are worth on the Warmoth site and that should give you an indication of what it cost to put together. HOWEVER, it seems to be true of most partscasters that they will almost never sell for close to what they cost in parts. I've seen many guys who put together partscasters have much better luck breaking up the guitar and parting it out than selling it as a complete unit. So take that into consideration. Lets say there's $700 worth of parts there, that doesn't mean the guitar as a whole is worth $700.

Also, is this a local deal or internet trade? If you've actually put your hands on the guitar then that's a lot safer in determining the quality of the instrument. Yes, they may be premium parts, but what was the skill level of the person who put them together?

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Post subject: Re: Is this a good deal? (trading Epi Les Paul for Warmoth T
Posted: Wed Feb 08, 2012 8:36 am
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It's local, apparently the guy has experience building guitars.


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Post subject: Re: Is this a good deal? (trading Epi Les Paul for Warmoth T
Posted: Wed Feb 08, 2012 9:42 am
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Korean Epi LPs are not scarce nor are they singularly desirable. This is not to say that your's is a POS by any means. Having said that, consider what your guitar cost new and what it typically sells for used. Now compare it to what the Warmoth (build) typically cost whoever in both money and time. Theoretically, the Warmoth (build) should easily sell for more than your Epi. Also and as has been said, parting out the Warmoth (build) would surely bring more than selling it as a complete unit where now, all the parts are used yet in totality, should easily sell for more than your Epi. On face value, regardless of whether the Warmoth (build) remains intact or is parted out, this is clearly an unbalanced trade in your favor which leads me to believe that the Warmoth (build) may have a major issue or issues. That old expression, "If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.", immediately comes to mind. Unfortunately in today's day and age, one has to be most vigilant in protecting their own interests. Granted, I could be totally wrong here but if it were me, unless I could first examine the Warmoth (build) without any kind of obligation, I would never commit to a trade.

As always, this is merely IMO where YMMV.

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Post subject: Re: Is this a good deal? (trading Epi Les Paul for Warmoth T
Posted: Wed Feb 08, 2012 11:44 am
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LesserPaul wrote:
It's local, apparently the guy has experience building guitars.

Martian is right to give it a good inspection before committing. But if it were me and both guitars were in about equal condition I'd jump on that Tele. I say this cause the build quality on the Warmoth should be far superior. After all Epiphone LP's do not have solid carved tops for one and I've heard other owners question whether certain year epiphones are use true mahogany backs and necks. I started a thread 3 years ago about my Epiphone Les Paul (that I have since upgraded with Gibson pickups and given away as a gift) and it got some interesting responses. http://www.mylespaul.com/forums/epiphone-les-pauls/30371-samick-era-les-paul-vs-qingdao-era-les-paul.html

From what I see Epiphone LPs are routinely popped on craigslist for cheap very often, so would'nt be hard to obtain another in the future.


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Post subject: Re: Is this a good deal? (trading Epi Les Paul for Warmoth T
Posted: Wed Feb 08, 2012 1:31 pm
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I think Warmoth stuff is a bit overpriced. Personally I would try get a Fender one, or a good Squire.


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Post subject: Re: Is this a good deal? (trading Epi Les Paul for Warmoth T
Posted: Wed Feb 08, 2012 2:13 pm
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Thanks for the input, it's much appreciated. Since I can check out the Warmoth in person before i commit to a trade, what are some things I should look out for? I've also had a few people offer me MIM teles and strats. Would you guys go with a MIM or the Warmoth? (assuming there is nothing wrong with the Warmoth)


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Post subject: Re: Is this a good deal? (trading Epi Les Paul for Warmoth T
Posted: Wed Feb 08, 2012 3:31 pm
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money-wise this is a fair trade... depending on what pickups are in there... pretty much the same guitar however... humbuckers with mahogany body...

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Post subject: Re: Is this a good deal? (trading Epi Les Paul for Warmoth T
Posted: Wed Feb 08, 2012 6:30 pm
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If it were me...and it isn't, I'd keep the LP and find a more "traditional" tele down the line... or maybe one with a humbucker and a regular tele bridge pickup. Is there something you don;t like about the Epiphone? There are a lot of cool pickup options to explore.

Of course, sometimes it just nice to get a "new" guitar, and I understand that too... all too well. Both guitars you have pictured look pretty nice to me, and the tele is not your run of the mill tele so thats pretty cool. As someone else mentioned, if you trade and then decide down the road you want another Epi LP, replacing it should be easy...

Again, as someone else mentioned... make sure the build is up to par on the tele before trading... you'd hate to get a crooked neck or bridge or something like that. Hope it all works out for you, cheers.


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Post subject: Re: Is this a good deal? (trading Epi Les Paul for Warmoth T
Posted: Wed Feb 08, 2012 6:41 pm
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Aside from the usual, first and foremost, check the intonation. If (with a decent set of strings) the guitar does not intonate, the instrument is DOA due to the fact that one way or the other, it is not put together correctly.

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Post subject: Re: Is this a good deal? (trading Epi Les Paul for Warmoth T
Posted: Wed Feb 08, 2012 6:47 pm
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LesserPaul wrote:
Thanks for the input, it's much appreciated. Since I can check out the Warmoth in person before i commit to a trade, what are some things I should look out for? I've also had a few people offer me MIM teles and strats. Would you guys go with a MIM or the Warmoth? (assuming there is nothing wrong with the Warmoth)


You should be looking at the assembly quality. Is the neck connected straight in the pocket, is the neck plate on straight on the back side, is the bridge aligned straight and true to the neck, are the strings lined up where they should be, are the tuners installed straight, is the nut installed and cut properly, how is the intonation, etc. Take nothing for granted that it's fine. Remember that this instrument was not put together in a production facility and it never went through Q.C. It might be great, but it might not. There's a lot of amateurs out there who think they're guitar builders. Warmoth are pro quality parts, so I'd be more concerned about the assembly than the pieces.

Also look at the quality of the finish. Warmoth lets you order parts either finished or unfinished - so find out if the owner did it himself or not.

And of course, playability. How does it feel? How does it sound?

I guess the question has been raised here already - why would the seller trade a guitar built out of premium parts for a dime-a-dozen Korean Epi? Who knows? Maybe he built it thinking these were his dream specs and when it was all together he just didn't bond with it (that happens often). Or maybe he put it together and it has some kind of flaw in the build like it doesn't intonate properly. Just go in with your eyes open.

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Post subject: Re: Is this a good deal? (trading Epi Les Paul for Warmoth T
Posted: Wed Feb 08, 2012 8:31 pm
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Powdered Toast Man wrote:
I guess the question has been raised here already - why would the seller trade a guitar built out of premium parts for a dime-a-dozen Korean Epi?.


I was wondering the same thing...

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Post subject: Re: Is this a good deal? (trading Epi Les Paul for Warmoth T
Posted: Thu Feb 09, 2012 5:21 am
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CajunBlues wrote:
Powdered Toast Man wrote:
I guess the question has been raised here already - why would the seller trade a guitar built out of premium parts for a dime-a-dozen Korean Epi?.


I was wondering the same thing...


This is why I said earlier, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

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Post subject: Re: Is this a good deal? (trading Epi Les Paul for Warmoth T
Posted: Thu Feb 09, 2012 9:58 am
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Resale value of part-o-guitars is usually not worth the build, I built a very good Tele a while back and I traded it for an 80s set neck Fernandes Revolver and I consider myself lucky. It's actually a very nice guitar, just not my style.


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Post subject: Re: Is this a good deal? (trading Epi Les Paul for Warmoth T
Posted: Thu Feb 09, 2012 11:59 am
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the epi has no strings, go with the warmoth since it has strings.

but in all seriousness i'd find some other tele if you want a tele, that's not a tele, that's a lp in the shape of a tele


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