Agree! I have a LP studio that came with a set and it’s instant 1960/70s rock tones with no effort. It is harder to get a modem tone, for me anyway, but maybe I don’t spend much time trying to get those tones anyway. Ive got a fat strat and the atomic humbucker in that gives me tighter modern tone when I want it
Here here! 2nd the motion. For those that have not experimented with pickup height, I suggest you do so. Especially if you feel you are not liking a pickup sound. Even slight adjustments can make a significant difference. Especially when using overdriven tones.
I 100% agree Reverend. The early Burstbucker pickups have become my favorite. Many years ago I decided to switch all of my Fender and Gibson guitars back to Fender/Gibson brand pickups. It has worked out very well for me. This pickup change coincides with my purchase of a vintage Plexi Marshall. All this time my problem was the amplifier, not which pickups I was using, but I digress. I've found that the early, un-potted Burstbuckers are (for me) perfect. In one of my older LP Custom I've added a separate ground wire to one of the pickups and wired it permanently out-of-phase. Now when both pickups are selected I can control the amount of phase by adjusting the volume controls. That along with '50s wiring provides all the tonal options I could ever hope for out of a traditional Les Paul.
@Blue LOL yeah. I love the combination of bad playing and not having tuned the guitar. But Troggz is still an overall awesome fella. Who else would ever document and show us all these cool guitars like this?
Tak Matsumoto used to be my go to guy for guitars, even my username is a combination of his last name and my first name. I used to import all their albums, live DVDs and was very close at one point in buying the Epiphone Elitist, but It would have taken like 6 months to get it shipped. The Tak Burst is such a beautiful guitar. Even his DC Brown Burst is gorgeous. Hopefully someday I'll be able to buy one.
Nice choice, I'm a big Tak/B'z fan & have seen B'z perform in Japan 7 times, his playing/tone is so good. The Kanji on the truss rod cover is actually his daughter's name (Rei) he has it tattooed on his shoulder too. But I was unaware it was signed underneath, that's really lucky (I wonder if any other owners have checked there lol)
what a Bummer about the pick ups. Thanks for still going thru with the documentation for us Trogley, I appreciate it. I love the look of that black binding it looks great with that top. Im not usually a quilty kind of guy but it looks really good. Thanks as always Austin. God Bless you and the family
I took a chance and ordered a Aqua Burst DC all the way from Sweden. Tak is my favorite guitarist and getting the burst, the Canary Yellow 'Prototype' and the red or ebony DCs is my collection dream
I lived in Japan for a few years and got turned onto Tak while there. For anyone not familiar with him or B'z, definitely check them out. Really glad to see Tak (or his gear at least) getting some props!
So the pickups he pulled look like the correct Tak edition Burstbucker pickups for this guitar? I read that the Japanese Elite models got those wax potted special edition pickups, whereas the later Japanese Epiphone Elitists got standard USA Burstbuckers.
YASSSS, More Tak Matsumoto guitars please!!! Especially one of his DC's. I love his blue/teal colored ones. They really coordinate well with the abalone inlays.
I would also like to recommend Tak Matsumoto Group TMG 1, with Eric Martin (Mr Big) and Jack Blades (Night Ranger, Damn Yankees). A really good mid 2000's Hard Rock record.
I'm sure it's a great guitar but the dark binding makes it look, at first glance, like a studio. If I'm paying for a standard I want that binding to stand out.
If I recall, the burstbuckers are the stock pickups. I do temembering reading somewhere that they were supposed to be special pups made for him but they were ultimately burstbuckers
Tak has great taste, love this guitar and that quilt is beautiful..Always wanted an Epi Elite so hard to come by but the quality on them is better then Gibsons in many respects, but their not cheap and are hard to come by.
I can tell you from personal experience Gibson had those cases at least as late 2001 because my 2001 Les Paul Custom came in exactly that case. I kept it when I traded it for a 2007 Custom Shop in Cherry Sunburst because it has some little puppy hairs from my deceased Chihuaha in it still, so I still have it. But, yes I know 2001 is just 2yrs after the end of the 90’s but I wanted to say something because you’ve called that a 90’s case many many many times now & they were available/supplied in the early 2000’s still.
The Epiphone Elitists were great. They were a brand for Gibson to bring their Japanese-made stuff into the U.S. market. Problem was they were too good, and might’ve been eating into the Gibson USA sales!
Its funny that they were such a failure in the US even though they were super great quality (i had 4 of them). Idiots would usually say the same thing. You can buy a USA Les Paul Studio for the same price. I think the African Mahogany was the secret to their great tone (African Mahogany is rumored to be used on the 58-60 Les Pauls).
High end Japanese craftsmanship is second to none. If it is not perfect it's not acceptable. Combine that with a massive guitar culture, yes Japan can easily produce better guitars than the USA, you will pay more for them too.
The Elite/Elitist's are killer guitars. I've owned several over the years and currently own 2002 Custom with the correct Gibson headstock. Took me forever to find that one in good condition. Too many people just don't get how good they really are.
@Mike P I had many people tell me to just buy a Gibson when I would you use one of my Elite/Elitist's. They had no clue how good they really are and wouldn't even give them a chance.
That’s a subtle burst, it’s like a dark amber to a light amber burst. If that headstock side ding is the same side as the replaced tuner, this may have been dropped on something and that poor tuner took most of the impact.
I used to own the Elite version of the Tak Burst, great guitar. I should have never sold it. I do own a 2002 Epi Elite Custom though with the correct Gibson headstock that is going no where. I watched for that guitar in good condition for years before finally finding it.
I owned a Les Paul elitist standard in honey burst and it was the best Les Paul I owned. Sold it to help pay for legal stuff years ago. I think about it all the time. Such a great guitar.
I have one of these fantastic guitars. I'm in love with it. I have the original pickups and they don't sound like yours at all. they sound much less clear and more punchy.
Did you get a chance to see the Gibson factory film from the 60s on gibson TV of the original plant? I wish we could hear some of these artists here. I keep hearing of artists from other countries and how good and popular they are. I mean that's one gorgeous guitar. If the music is that good let's hear it too. I find this guitar reminds me of the Ibanez Iron Label I have. It's the only guitar I have that has mother of pearl for trim by the binding bordering some gorgeous babinga. On the clip you showed of the artist that Flying V looked enormous on him.
Tak is my 2nd favorite guitar player after EVH! I've been following his career since the 90's and he is incredibly versatile. I've wanted a Tak Double cut since the day I first saw him play one but being only sold in Japan makes it hard to acquire one!
I have an unrelated question? I bought a used 2011 50's Tribute Les Paul with a hard case. I paid $800 plus tax and shipping for a total of $974. My question is what are your thoughts on this guitar? Did I get a good deal?
those inlays 🥵🔥 I absolutely love abalone, probably even more than MoP and MoTo. It just looks so good on damn near anything. Not as MUCH on a burst, but dude it looks soooo smart on an Ebony or Alpine White body. Greetings and well wishes from Utah!
hey trogly, could ya tell me one thing? i inherited one of these MAYBE from a friend a couple years ago...it appears to be identical to the one in this video, but i have my doubts... since these were made by "gibson japan"... are the truss rods nuts like an american gibson, or are they the ubiquitous allen key almost all asian guitars use? trying to figure out if its real or a knockoff... and no one i know has ever seen a "japanese GIBSON". thanks brother.... rock on!
The weirdest coincidence. Two days ago, a Tak Matsumoto Custom Shop firebird popped up on Marktplaats (Market Place), a Dutch classified advertising site. Its seller was asking five hundred and fifty euros for it - so I immediately jumped on it. According to him, it was in excellent condition - which was confirmed by attached photos - and came with the COA. We basically had an agreement that I was going to pick it up the next day, but when I woke up, both the listening and the seller had disappeared…
I have an ‘04 Std which had those Burstbuckers. Try as I might with heights etc I couldn’t get them to sound anything other than terrible. Actually replaced with a set of Tonerider AC2 pickups which were a significant improvement.
First of all congratulations for the channel, for guitar fans there are no others like it. I wanted to know who supplies your guitars and if you buy them or lend them to you. A greeting from Spain.
Go for the Epiphone version of this guitar, or the double cut, made in Japan as part of the Elitist series. It will stand up to any American made Gibson. And probably at a lower price. IF you can find one.
I hope you can get hands on Ken Kitamura (L'Arc~en~Ciel band) Fender Red Galaxy Stratocaster guitar and Machiya's (Wagakki Band) 29th fret Baritone guitar ^^
i like PRS guitar finished, the finished always looks fancy even PRS SE, i think because very good lacquer finished , it looks like many layers lacquer, that thick lacquer cover whole body,and polish lacquer to crystal clear, and no binding or plastic binding ,so never have that problem lacquer sink in to that gap between binding and body?
In case no one has confirmed it for you, the writing on the truss rod cover is indeed Tak's name in Kanji. Could mean something else in another dialect though. I can't say.
On a very messy day at the Gibson Factory, the tak matsumoto firebird and the bonamassa bonabird were born due to a swap of necks. Or it‘s just a funny cooncidence
Those pickups could very likely be the original. My Elite came stock with the exact same pickups. Someone may have put in a different set then put the originals back in.
Honestly? It reminds me of a Mitchell (Guitar Center in-house brand), but with a much more active top. Maybe it’s the abalone inlays and black binding… I associate those specs with cheap guitars
would it be possible for you todo a special on just currently availed dealer specials from Gibson...for example Sweetwater had an exclusive to the Epiphone Blueberry Fade. are there any othre dealers who have that sort of thing that can be currently ordered?
Always a fun surprise to see Tak and/or B’z be mentioned on a Western platform.
If you set those BurstBucker's height according to the Gibson specs, they are astonishingly good sounding pickups.
Agree! I have a LP studio that came with a set and it’s instant 1960/70s rock tones with no effort. It is harder to get a modem tone, for me anyway, but maybe I don’t spend much time trying to get those tones anyway.
Ive got a fat strat and the atomic humbucker in that gives me tighter modern tone when I want it
Here here! 2nd the motion. For those that have not experimented with pickup height, I suggest you do so. Especially if you feel you are not liking a pickup sound. Even slight adjustments can make a significant difference. Especially when using overdriven tones.
@@PhoenixGuitars yes, failed to agree with the pup height thing. A couple of mm can take you from something you don’t like to glorious tone!
@@honkytonkinson9787 'A couple of mm but can make all the difference in the world'. That's what...he said I guess? ;)
I 100% agree Reverend.
The early Burstbucker pickups have become my favorite. Many years ago I decided to switch all of my Fender and Gibson guitars back to Fender/Gibson brand pickups. It has worked out very well for me. This pickup change coincides with my purchase of a vintage Plexi Marshall. All this time my problem was the amplifier, not which pickups I was using, but I digress.
I've found that the early, un-potted Burstbuckers are (for me) perfect. In one of my older LP Custom I've added a separate ground wire to one of the pickups and wired it permanently out-of-phase. Now when both pickups are selected I can control the amount of phase by adjusting the volume controls. That along with '50s wiring provides all the tonal options I could ever hope for out of a traditional Les Paul.
Favorite time of day... a new Trogly's Guitar Show!!!
@Blue
LOL yeah.
I love the combination of bad playing and not having tuned the guitar.
But Troggz is still an overall awesome fella.
Who else would ever document and show us all these cool guitars like this?
In France I start my day at work with The T’sGS 😉
Lets all chip in and by him a strobe tuner. Cuz yeah nothing makes me cringe more than an out of tune open A chord...chaaaaaaannnngg
@Blue I turn of the videos long before the playing demos. Their other channels with 200 dollar guitars that should far better that his. 😂😂😂
14:20 Everyone has to take a drink! Trogly likes the neck pickup!
Tak Matsumoto used to be my go to guy for guitars, even my username is a combination of his last name and my first name. I used to import all their albums, live DVDs and was very close at one point in buying the Epiphone Elitist, but It would have taken like 6 months to get it shipped. The Tak Burst is such a beautiful guitar. Even his DC Brown Burst is gorgeous. Hopefully someday I'll be able to buy one.
Nice choice, I'm a big Tak/B'z fan & have seen B'z perform in Japan 7 times, his playing/tone is so good.
The Kanji on the truss rod cover is actually his daughter's name (Rei) he has it tattooed on his shoulder too.
But I was unaware it was signed underneath, that's really lucky (I wonder if any other owners have checked there lol)
What a gorgeous guitar.
Trogly PLEASE do a Japanese epiphone review like the Elitist! You're the best person to compare them to Gibson USA's. Thanks!!!!
I really like the black binding. It looks like the black edge coat on a premium handmade leather product.
The Canary Yellow is awesome! Also, his solo guitar album “Hana” is mind-expanding.
what a Bummer about the pick ups. Thanks for still going thru with the documentation for us Trogley, I appreciate it. I love the look of that black binding it looks great with that top. Im not usually a quilty kind of guy but it looks really good. Thanks as always Austin. God Bless you and the family
I think the black binding is what grabbed me. It really gives the whole guitar a really different vibe.
I took a chance and ordered a Aqua Burst DC all the way from Sweden.
Tak is my favorite guitarist and getting the burst, the Canary Yellow 'Prototype' and the red or ebony DCs is my collection dream
I lived in Japan for a few years and got turned onto Tak while there. For anyone not familiar with him or B'z, definitely check them out. Really glad to see Tak (or his gear at least) getting some props!
That's pretty beautiful. I like the burst and the black binding and the dark rosewood and the inlays. OK, I like all of it......
this is awesome, love Tak's music & B'z!
I have three different Tak Burst from Epiohone Elite, GIBSON and Gibson Custom shop, those pickups are original made for Tak burst for sure.
So the pickups he pulled look like the correct Tak edition Burstbucker pickups for this guitar? I read that the Japanese Elite models got those wax potted special edition pickups, whereas the later Japanese Epiphone Elitists got standard USA Burstbuckers.
Man I just wanna say, thank you for such wholesome content! I love everything that comes into your shop, sadly, I’m left handed…
Now THAT...is worthy of carrying a "custom" badge....really sweet guitar...Tak \m/
Tak Matsumoto is from the band Bz I got to see the band live in NYC when I was in college. It was amazing.
Trogly's in the HOUSE!!!
YASSSS, More Tak Matsumoto guitars please!!! Especially one of his DC's. I love his blue/teal colored ones. They really coordinate well with the abalone inlays.
@@cloudstrifelv alright now you gotta make a vid on it with the full story!!!!!
Gotta love Tak's stuff. I think he even had Gibson model one of his DCs after his Yamaha strats.
That is one beautiful guitar and a beautiful Brazilian RW fingerboard!
I would also like to recommend Tak Matsumoto Group TMG 1, with Eric Martin (Mr Big) and Jack Blades (Night Ranger, Damn Yankees).
A really good mid 2000's Hard Rock record.
I'm sure it's a great guitar but the dark binding makes it look, at first glance, like a studio. If I'm paying for a standard I want that binding to stand out.
I agree 100%, I think ivory binding would have made it a stunner
Thanks for typing that so I didn't have to ! My thoughts exactly .
That's the first thing I thought. Nice top but needs ivory binding.
I agree. I also think abalone binding would go nice with the inlays.
It won’t feel like a studio at all, the thicker body makes a big difference
Love that quilt top, the abalone inlays & the black binding.
If I recall, the burstbuckers are the stock pickups. I do temembering reading somewhere that they were supposed to be special pups made for him but they were ultimately burstbuckers
Tak has great taste, love this guitar and that quilt is beautiful..Always wanted an Epi Elite so hard to come by but the quality on them is better then Gibsons in many respects, but their not cheap and are hard to come by.
Mij epiphone are great
I have mij epiphone amazing guitar
The Tak double cutaway looked very cool ...
I can tell you from personal experience Gibson had those cases at least as late 2001 because my 2001 Les Paul Custom came in exactly that case. I kept it when I traded it for a 2007 Custom Shop in Cherry Sunburst because it has some little puppy hairs from my deceased Chihuaha in it still, so I still have it. But, yes I know 2001 is just 2yrs after the end of the 90’s but I wanted to say something because you’ve called that a 90’s case many many many times now & they were available/supplied in the early 2000’s still.
You did the right thing keeping that case because it had a little fur left from your best friend.
The Epiphone Elitists were great. They were a brand for Gibson to bring their Japanese-made stuff into the U.S. market. Problem was they were too good, and might’ve been eating into the Gibson USA sales!
Gorgeous guitars
Its funny that they were such a failure in the US even though they were super great quality (i had 4 of them). Idiots would usually say the same thing. You can buy a USA Les Paul Studio for the same price. I think the African Mahogany was the secret to their great tone (African Mahogany is rumored to be used on the 58-60 Les Pauls).
High end Japanese craftsmanship is second to none. If it is not perfect it's not acceptable. Combine that with a massive guitar culture, yes Japan can easily produce better guitars than the USA, you will pay more for them too.
The Elite/Elitist's are killer guitars. I've owned several over the years and currently own 2002 Custom with the correct Gibson headstock. Took me forever to find that one in good condition. Too many people just don't get how good they really are.
@Mike P I had many people tell me to just buy a Gibson when I would you use one of my Elite/Elitist's. They had no clue how good they really are and wouldn't even give them a chance.
hey trogly the 玲 symbol is his daughter's Japanese name
That's so cool!
I love it. the only thing I would change is the knobs. I would try the plain vintage amber speed knobs.
Love that black binding. Good looking LP
That’s a subtle burst, it’s like a dark amber to a light amber burst. If that headstock side ding is the same side as the replaced tuner, this may have been dropped on something and that poor tuner took most of the impact.
I used to own the Elite version of the Tak Burst, great guitar. I should have never sold it. I do own a 2002 Epi Elite Custom though with the correct Gibson headstock that is going no where. I watched for that guitar in good condition for years before finally finding it.
Black binding makes it look like a fancy studio to me .maybe tortoiseshell or the gretsch gold for that price tag?
I owned a Les Paul elitist standard in honey burst and it was the best Les Paul I owned. Sold it to help pay for legal stuff years ago. I think about it all the time. Such a great guitar.
I had to sell a brand new gun once to buy a lawyer. I never got to shoot it.
How much do not having the coa case candy and not having the original case devalue a collectable guitar ?
That thing is beautiful. I love the binding. If it had been available for mine, I would have gotten it.
13:34 interesting Peter Green kind of LP tone there. Nice ax!
I have one of these fantastic guitars. I'm in love with it. I have the original pickups and they don't sound like yours at all. they sound much less clear and more punchy.
I guess it's part of the point, but IMO the black binding just doesn't pop enough. From a distance it may look like a fancy Studio
That top and those inlays. Oh my
Did you get a chance to see the Gibson factory film from the 60s on gibson TV of the original plant? I wish we could hear some of these artists here. I keep hearing of artists from other countries and how good and popular they are. I mean that's one gorgeous guitar. If the music is that good let's hear it too. I find this guitar reminds me of the Ibanez Iron Label I have. It's the only guitar I have that has mother of pearl for trim by the binding bordering some gorgeous babinga. On the clip you showed of the artist that Flying V looked enormous on him.
Gibson should make a Jimmy Sakurai signature. There was a Tokai signature model, but that dude is fantastic, he deserves the real thing.
Great looking guitar!
Tak also has signature Epiphones,including the Epiphone Elite Les Pauls
Tak is my 2nd favorite guitar player after EVH! I've been following his career since the 90's and he is incredibly versatile. I've wanted a Tak Double cut since the day I first saw him play one but being only sold in Japan makes it hard to acquire one!
I have an unrelated question? I bought a used 2011 50's Tribute Les Paul with a hard case. I paid $800 plus tax and shipping for a total of $974. My question is what are your thoughts on this guitar? Did I get a good deal?
I've got a beautiful Tak Epi Elitist...One of my most stunning Les Pauls...The quilt on it is Blistering...and no "Tak Matsomuto" font...
Geez, if you could guarantee Rosewood like that, I'd almost be willing to give up Ebony. That fretboard is gorgeous.
I miss the Epiphone Elitist series. They are my favorite guitars marketed by Gibson over the last three decades.
those inlays 🥵🔥 I absolutely love abalone, probably even more than MoP and MoTo. It just looks so good on damn near anything. Not as MUCH on a burst, but dude it looks soooo smart on an Ebony or Alpine White body.
Greetings and well wishes from Utah!
hey trogly, could ya tell me one thing? i inherited one of these MAYBE from a friend a couple years ago...it appears to be identical to the one in this video, but i have my doubts... since these were made by "gibson japan"... are the truss rods nuts like an american gibson, or are they the ubiquitous allen key almost all asian guitars use?
trying to figure out if its real or a knockoff... and no one i know has ever seen a "japanese GIBSON".
thanks brother.... rock on!
The weirdest coincidence. Two days ago, a Tak Matsumoto Custom Shop firebird popped up on Marktplaats (Market Place), a Dutch classified advertising site. Its seller was asking five hundred and fifty euros for it - so I immediately jumped on it. According to him, it was in excellent condition - which was confirmed by attached photos - and came with the COA. We basically had an agreement that I was going to pick it up the next day, but when I woke up, both the listening and the seller had disappeared…
I have an ‘04 Std which had those Burstbuckers. Try as I might with heights etc I couldn’t get them to sound anything other than terrible. Actually replaced with a set of Tonerider AC2 pickups which were a significant improvement.
I've got a 2014 epiphone tak! Double cut custom Ebony finger board Gibson burstbucker's 2&3 very nice!!! Thanks!
Nice Tak feeling demo play!
hey Trogly! are we going to get your review of the gibson Theodore?
The kanji on the truss rod cover is propably 鈴 'bell' or 玲 , which is a common name for Japanese/Chinese females.
Have you guys seen the new Gibson “Theodore” guitar?
I'm in Japan. B'z were huge in the 90s.
1:17 I see a big ding on the back of the guitar. How did that get there?
First of all congratulations for the channel, for guitar fans there are no others like it. I wanted to know who supplies your guitars and if you buy them or lend them to you. A greeting from Spain.
Anyone else notice the the star looking design in quilting below the tailpiece?
Go for the Epiphone version of this guitar, or the double cut, made in Japan as part of the Elitist series. It will stand up to any American made Gibson. And probably at a lower price. IF you can find one.
My fovorite Japanese guitarist is Jimmy Sakurai of Led Zepagain. Amazing Jimmy Page channeling , must have had his hair curled. LOL.
Trogs been practicing folks. Sounding good man
Really dig the top and finish on that one
This guitar is stunning
My daily dose was fantastic as always thanks Trogly
Love the abalone inlays. Overall a super cool guitar!
very pretty instrument. thanks for sharing trog
I love the truss rod cover!
Beautiful quilt top!
Would have liked to hear the original signature pups, maybe they can find you a set to swap those Burstbuckers with.
Only seems fair.
I didn't realize he is the guitarist of b'z. Really amazing guitar riffs
Pretty crisp there Trogly
Like to know the story behind that truss rod cover.
I hope you can get hands on Ken Kitamura (L'Arc~en~Ciel band) Fender Red Galaxy Stratocaster guitar and Machiya's (Wagakki Band) 29th fret Baritone guitar ^^
Hey buddy when will you be reviewing the Theodore Ted mcardy Gibson guitar
Ordered your Theodore yet?
Another day without a notice
LOL, story of my Life!
Greetings Sarge
This Tak is one of my favorite Signatures as it totally fulfills my abalone sickness.
I wonder if we’ll see a Theodore video in the coming weeks
I thought gibson started weight relief in 1982 on all models except LP Traditionals?
i like PRS guitar finished, the finished always looks fancy even PRS SE, i think because very good lacquer finished , it looks like many layers lacquer, that thick lacquer cover whole body,and polish lacquer to crystal clear, and no binding or plastic binding ,so never have that problem lacquer sink in to that gap between binding and body?
That character on the headstock is not his name. I think it means the "sound of jewels tinkling".
Apparently, B'z was good enough to be one of the non-DLC songs that you got when you bought the game Rocksmith 2014
And Tak Matsumoto's Go Further was part of the Track List
The abalone is drop dead gorgeous!
In case no one has confirmed it for you, the writing on the truss rod cover is indeed Tak's name in Kanji. Could mean something else in another dialect though. I can't say.
On a very messy day at the Gibson Factory, the tak matsumoto firebird and the bonamassa bonabird were born due to a swap of necks.
Or it‘s just a funny cooncidence
Thanks
Tak model yeah
Hey Austin, it looks like the Epiphone Elitist model comes with BB 2&3…. Maybe a swap out!??!?!
That top is stunning!!!
Those pickups could very likely be the original. My Elite came stock with the exact same pickups. Someone may have put in a different set then put the originals back in.
Honestly? It reminds me of a Mitchell (Guitar Center in-house brand), but with a much more active top. Maybe it’s the abalone inlays and black binding… I associate those specs with cheap guitars
would it be possible for you todo a special on just currently availed dealer specials from Gibson...for example Sweetwater had an exclusive to the Epiphone Blueberry Fade. are there any othre dealers who have that sort of thing that can be currently ordered?