COLUMBUS LES PAUL

Bridge Pickup - Inductance - 4.54

History

In the 1970’s Elger Guitars, became the sole North American distributor for Japanese guitar manufacturers, Hoshino Gakki Gen. These look alike guitars were not built to the same specifications as their American counterparts, many of them used bolt-on necks, inferior electronics, and multi-piece plywood tops. However. the Japanese instruments had personality and were faithful to the original designs. Some of the inlays and fonts were almost identical to the original Gibson and, after much complaining, in 1977 Gibson’s parent company filed a lawsuit against the Hoshino corporation for copying their “open-book-style” headstock.

Interesting Fact :- A Columbus Les Paul copy guitar used by DEPECHE MODE sold at auction for £4600

Columbus made guitars for catalogues and were really crappy made with single coil inside humbucker covers. But they also made high end Les Paul copies too (as above). Pancake nato body beautifully finished, Bolt on neck with Gotoh tuners, Gotoh PAF pickups. Beautifully made on par with Grecos. Gurneys and Ibanez.

The Columbus is a better made guitar! The tell tale signs of the higher end models have a large diamond on the headstock where as the cheap ones had a very small one. The higher end models inlays are better being more like Gibson, are perloid and start at the 3rd fret, you can also see through the lacquer on the side of the sunburst ones showing that its pancake not multiple laminate like all the cheaper ones!

So when you hear mixed reviews for Columbus Les Pauls you'll know now there are two entirely different guitars.