# 2015 Les Paul Tradition Ltd Edition for Japan



## Prsman (Feb 13, 2016)

During my latest lp craze, I checked out one of these lps at the local L&M.

Anyone own one? Thoughts?

Aside from the crap robot tuners, I dug it. Really loved the fit and finish, 60s neck and the fact the fret wire went right to the end of the fingerboard (harder for the high e to slip off)..hate those nibs. As well, it had a great top with an authentic looking cherry burst (looked like an r9).

2800 or 2900 ( forget) seems a tad high, but man, i really liked it when compared to the current stds and to the reissues I've owned.

Weight was up there (approx 9.5), but still, she rang loud and true.

Thoughts? Am I a schmuck paying that price for a 2015?

Oh yeah, save for the robot tuners, it has none of the other infamous appointments from 2015.


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## jdto (Sep 30, 2015)

If you like it and you are ok with the price, that's all that matters.


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## SG-Rocker (Dec 30, 2007)

The Edmonton area L&Ms were listing them at $2400 during the Black Friday sales. 

It's an overpriced Traditional IMHO.

L&M bought 55 of them for their stores in 2015 and their inventory shows about 45 still in stock.... try a lowball offer, they might bite.

A few weeks ago I fell in love with a '16 Les Paul Classic Exclusive.
Same idea as the Japan series.... it was listed at $2600 and I took it home for $1700.



Sent from my SM-G930W8 using Tapatalk


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## aC2rs (Jul 9, 2007)

By your description, it sounds like the Japanese market Traditional you tried is the guitar for you.
If so, don't get hung up on the asking price too much and buy it.

Make them an offer on it, the worst they can say is no, but I have found that L&M will work with you.

Good luck.


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## SG-Rocker (Dec 30, 2007)

Here's what I would do....

1) Low ball them with a $1700 offer
2) If they balk, remind them that it's been sitting in stock since 2015 (if not late 2014)
3) Remind them that for an 'exclusive and limited 55 guitar offering' they are still sitting on > 80% of them
4) Remind them how unpopular the wide neck and nibless binding is with buyers
5) If they don't bite, leave your number and walk, tell them the offer is on the table and to call if they change their mind after checking your facts.

Worked for me with my purchase.


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## hextall2772 (Apr 18, 2016)

Not sure if it helps but I have the ltd for Japan V. killer guitar. I payed full price but the few they have left aren't moving and have been discounted a bit. If I never had it I would buy it again at full price.


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## Prsman (Feb 13, 2016)

SG-Rocker said:


> Here's what I would do....
> 
> 1) Low ball them with a $1700 offer
> 2) If they balk, remind them that it's been sitting in stock since 2015 (if not late 2014)
> ...


According to the L&M employee helping me out, the price is "locked" in at $2,899, so he can't move at all.

Killer les paul but 2899 seems too much. Strange they refuse to tango because 2016 stds are on sale for $2,499.


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## SG-Rocker (Dec 30, 2007)

Prsman said:


> According to the L&M employee helping me out, the price is "locked" in at $2,899, so he can't move at all.
> 
> Killer les paul but 2899 seems too much. Strange they refuse to tango because 2016 stds are on sale for $2,499.



Show your salesman this link and ask him to shake his head....

Gibson Les Paul Standard T 2017 Electric Guitar (LPS17HSCH1) - Heritage Cherry Sunburst

Then tell him to enjoy sitting on that guitar for another 4 years.


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## StevieMac (Mar 4, 2006)

Headsup @Prsman: L&M Peterborough has one up for grabs in the Boxing Day sale...

GIBSON LPTDJHSCH GIBSON LP TRADITIONAL JAPAN LTD-HS NEW *$2,399.00 
*
Perhaps you could leverage that deal to negotiate a better price on the one you've tried and like i.e. "I could grab that one and have you folks bring it in for me. I'd rather just buy the one you have here though (for the same price)..."


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## SG-Rocker (Dec 30, 2007)

L&M in Edmonton (Whyte) is selling their Japan model for $1999.

Be forewarned that they replaced the auto tuners with Grovers and it looks like Ray Charles did it. 

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## Diablo (Dec 20, 2007)

Reminds me of when Gibson made LP's for the Japanese market designated with Yamano. Those were consistently among the most beautiful LPs I'd ever seen.


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## Prsman (Feb 13, 2016)

StevieMac said:


> Headsup @Prsman: L&M Peterborough has one up for grabs in the Boxing Day sale...
> 
> GIBSON LPTDJHSCH GIBSON LP TRADITIONAL JAPAN LTD-HS NEW *$2,399.00
> *
> Perhaps you could leverage that deal to negotiate a better price on the one you've tried and like i.e. "I could grab that one and have you folks bring it in for me. I'd rather just buy the one you have here though (for the same price)..."


Should be interesting to see how the L&M dudes respond to this tidbit.


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## SG-Rocker (Dec 30, 2007)

Found this at Edmonton South L&M
















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## tomee2 (Feb 27, 2017)

These are now $2199 on the L&M website. and no, I don't work there... just seems like a great deal of a guitar for the price, and if ya'all go buy them then I can stop being tempted


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## Prsman (Feb 13, 2016)

Yep...the ones i played were great, save for the robotuners.


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## capnjim (Aug 19, 2011)

My buddy just bought one. He loves the 60's neck. He got it for 2199$ and they threw in a new set of tuners. It is a kind of unique guitar having the thinner neck. It also has no circuit board, pots and orange drop caps.
The robot tuners might be ugly, but they sure work well. My buddy loves them as he has poor vision and has problems tuning regular guitars with the clip on tuners.
But, he will still probably put on the new tuners just to retain the traditional look,
The top on it is really nice, not too much, just enough flame.


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## KGPM1979 (Apr 6, 2018)

StevieMac said:


> Headsup @Prsman: L&M Peterborough has one up for grabs in the Boxing Day sale...
> 
> GIBSON LPTDJHSCH GIBSON LP TRADITIONAL JAPAN LTD-HS NEW *$2,399.00
> *
> Perhaps you could leverage that deal to negotiate a better price on the one you've tried and like i.e. "I could grab that one and have you folks bring it in for me. I'd rather just buy the one you have here though (for the same price)..."


I ended up buying the one from L&M in Peterborough, got it for $2199. They had already replaced the g-force tuners with Grovers which is fine by me. There are many factors involved when buying a guitar, however I think most guitarists would agree that when you find a guitar that feels, plays, and sounds really good, paying a few extra bucks is not that big of a deal, within reason of course. I almost never have a plan when I buy new guitar. It's just one of those magical things, when you find the right guitar, you just know. And that's exactly what happened to me with this Les Paul traditional. Every time I play it I fall in love with it a little more lol.


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## Prsman (Feb 13, 2016)

KGPM1979 said:


> I ended up buying the one from L&M in Peterborough, got it for $2199. They had already replaced the g-force tuners with Grovers which is fine by me. There are many factors involved when buying a guitar, however I think most guitarists would agree that when you find a guitar that feels, plays, and sounds really good, paying a few extra bucks is not that big of a deal, within reason of course. I almost never have a plan when I buy new guitar. It's just one of those magical things, when you find the right guitar, you just know. And that's exactly what happened to me with this Les Paul traditional. Every time I play it I fall in love with it a little more lol.


congrats b'y!

yep...they are killer. would have bought one at that price had I not pulled the trigger on my R0 a few wks back.

However, I can safely say that these particular traditionals got me back on the lp train.


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## Tiller (Apr 10, 2018)

I spent 3 months in the winter/spring of 2017 shopping for a new LP. Between the 3 local Long & McQuade's in the Halifax area I tried around 70 guitars with a mixture of Standards, Traditionals and Custom Shop items. But I kept coming back to the Dartmouth store and the 2015 Japan Ltd Ed they had on the wall. At first it was marked at $3199 but the day I walked in to try and beat them down on price it had dropped to $2399 and I simply picked it up and carried it to the counter. I've owned three LP's in the last 37 years ('74 Gold Top & 85 Sunburst) and this is easily the best player of the three by a mile.


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## jnewman68 (Apr 10, 2018)

Tiller said:


> I spent 3 months in the winter/spring of 2017 shopping for a new LP. Between the 3 local Long & McQuade's in the Halifax area I tried around 70 guitars with a mixture of Standards, Traditionals and Custom Shop items. But I kept coming back to the Dartmouth store and the 2015 Japan Ltd Ed they had on the wall. At first it was marked at $3199 but the day I walked in to try and beat them down on price it had dropped to $2399 and I simply picked it up and carried it to the counter. I've owned three LP's in the last 37 years ('74 Gold Top & 85 Sunburst) and this is easily the best player of the three by a mile.


Mine looks a lot like yours (I'll try and post a pic soon); just got it from L&M Ottawa. I almost bought it last year, decided I'd get it during Gibson month this year and then watched in horror as the number of guitars dropped and dropped! Finally put it on layaway just to be sure. I absolutely LOVE this guitar...the slim neck feels great with my small hands and the 59 Tributes just roar. I also have a 2016 SG Standard and for whatever reason the Les Paul is way, way louder. I wasn't a fan of G force until I actually got the guitar but so far so good...changing strings is a breeze and haven't had any issues with off-pitch tuning.
I feels sorry for anyone who walked away from these guitars just because they were 2015's or because they thought they were made in Japan. I know I'm biased but IMO the quality on this model is very close to Custom Shop levels.


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## Tiller (Apr 10, 2018)

jnewman68 said:


> Mine looks a lot like yours (I'll try and post a pic soon); just got it from L&M Ottawa. I almost bought it last year, decided I'd get it during Gibson month this year and then watched in horror as the number of guitars dropped and dropped! Finally put it on layaway just to be sure. I absolutely LOVE this guitar...the slim neck feels great with my small hands and the 59 Tributes just roar. I also have a 2016 SG Standard and for whatever reason the Les Paul is way, way louder. I wasn't a fan of G force until I actually got the guitar but so far so good...changing strings is a breeze and haven't had any issues with off-pitch tuning.
> I feels sorry for anyone who walked away from these guitars just because they were 2015's or because they thought they were made in Japan. I know I'm biased but IMO the quality on this model is very close to Custom Shop levels.


The G-Force was the only thing I didn't like about it when I bought it. Of the 1050 - 1100 of these that were built the first 150 - 200 had regular Kluson's installed, but those were all included in the 1000 or so that were sent to the Japanese market. I had a bit of a tuning issue with the G-Force installed and had L&M install a set of these...








...Kluson Revolution locking tuners. It was as close to the old Kluson look/feel as I could find while being able to have 19/1 locking tuners. Now the tuning is as stable as any guitar I've owned.
Because of the original fuss that the Japanese importers made over the changes to the 2015 line all of the units under this special production code were given extra QA time to ensure they were not returned. We just happened to luck out that L&M grabbed a handfull of the over run. A couple of American companies also received a few but dropped the Japan reference when selling them, but they retained the same code. Musicians Friend did a video review of one of theirs...


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## jnewman68 (Apr 10, 2018)

I'll keep an eye on the G-Force and won't hesitate to switch it out if it gives me any headaches; for the time being though it's really nice being able to switch from standard to open G in a couple seconds and then back again. One thing I do know for sure is that this guitar is the definition of a 'forever guitar'.


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## aC2rs (Jul 9, 2007)

Thanks for bringing these tuners to my attention.
They look like drop in replacements for regular Gibson or Grover Deluxe style tuners.



Tiller said:


> ...Kluson Revolution locking tuners.


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## Tiller (Apr 10, 2018)

aC2rs said:


> Thanks for bringing these tuners to my attention.
> They look like drop in replacements for regular Gibson or Grover Deluxe style tuners.


They are, but note that they make two different sets of the same tuners. Two different sizes depending on the size of the stock tuning peg hole. One for larger modern tuners and a narrow one for older Kluson equipped guitars.


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## Prsman (Feb 13, 2016)

Prsman said:


> Yep...the ones i played were great, save for the robotuners.


The first japanese ltd lp that got me turned onto this run is still for sale. I played it again last night. Great axe. Unplugged, it rings like my new R0.

she's marked down too. oh boy.


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## Tiller (Apr 10, 2018)

Prsman said:


> The first japanese ltd lp that got me turned onto this run is still for sale. I played it again last night. Great axe. Unplugged, it rings like my new R0.
> 
> she's marked down too. oh boy.


The L&M in Bedford still has the one on display I played last year when I was looking for mine. Plays and feels very similar to mine.. ..I just liked the top on mine a little better. Still.. ..they are down to $2199.. ..if your looking for a new Les Paul in the Halifax area you'd be nuts to not give this one serious look.


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## Percy (Feb 18, 2013)

So this is why i see so many Gibson Les Pauls for sale on Ebay from Japan!


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## jnewman68 (Apr 10, 2018)

okay, here's my first attempt to post a picture...


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## jnewman68 (Apr 10, 2018)

jnewman68 said:


> okay, here's my first attempt to post a picture...


Well that didn't go quite as well as I'd hoped! If you right click on the IMG it opens up the pics on my Facebook Les Paul owners group page. The shots aren't very good 'cos I don't have software to edit them; the resemblance to Tiller's guitar however is striking.


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## jefleppard65 (Sep 15, 2018)

i just bought one of these and i'm waiting for delivery. the reviews are encouraging so







i'm cautiously optimistic. they seem amazing.


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## Prsman (Feb 13, 2016)

jefleppard65 said:


> i just bought one of these and i'm waiting for delivery. the reviews are encouraging so
> View attachment 357423
> i'm cautiously optimistic. they seem amazing.


Nice score!


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## jefleppard65 (Sep 15, 2018)

Prsman said:


> Nice score!


judging by the reviews, this model sounds like it turned out much better than gibson had intended. i think players flatly discounted it bec of the much-hated g-force tuners.


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