Guitars: New, used, or vintage

[Zeppelin4Life]

Im saving for a good guitar. I need one, badly. I spend too much time with the music to be using crap now. The les paul is my thing, it just feels right. its the guitar for me. but the $ is insane on some of thoes new ones, compared to others companies like Fender. Do you think its a better idea to look for a vintage 70s or 80s les paul vs getting a brand new one? I mean, it will be worn but sometimes this is all aprt of the tone + characters. the downside is obviously who knows what it has been thru and who knows the life left in the parts. but I dont know. Ive read stories about Gibsons quality control getting pretty crappy over the last few years. Their top quality is going into the custom models...the '59 les paul, for example. but im not at the point where I can afford a $3999 guitar!!! so, what would you do...

thanks

Dave

[Everybody's X]

I would buy one pre-82. $1500 ought to get you there
If I could afford a silverburst that hasn't turned green I'd be all over it.


You might also check out Heritage Guitars, built in the original gibson factory by original gibson employees. They make a fine les paul and are much more realistic in price.

[chickenbop]

Hey Zep,
If you want an affordable lp,try to find a laquer-top edwards lp copy on ebay.They're made in japan,have seymour duncan pickups and have the correct lp headstock style.They're definately as good as any les paul under $1500 quality-wise.They usually go for around $500-600.The only thing that sucks about them is that they have plastic fret inlays.The cool thing about the edwards is that they're very rare in the US so it's like you're playing a custom guitar rather than a copy.
If you want a better les paul than a gibson,try an american hamer.They smoke gibsons in every way.The only new gibsons that compare to hamers are the historic models.The thing that stinks about hamers are the headstocks.They look kinda lame to me.

[maz]

search ebay for lawsuit les paul. enjoy the goodness. most any of them are really great. So great Gibson sued them, and i wasn't just over body shape.

[soundguy]

zep-

I have a heritage LP and the QC is as poor on that guitar as any production line models, dont get fooled by the price, they both say gibson on the headstock...

go out and play some guitars, buy the one that you like and can afford the most. Get some use out of it and when it starts to suck smash it on stage.

dave

[Randy]

search ebay for lawsuit les paul. enjoy the goodness. most any of them are really great. So great Gibson sued them, and i wasn't just over body shape.

I am not sure of this, but the Hohner LPs must have been part of that lawsuit. Even though the neck is bolted on, mine has amazing sustain and sounds great. I got it for $100. It's heavy, so make sure your shoulders are strong. And oh yeah, they aren't all that pretty.

[Huntlabs]

I'd start visiting lots of music store and checking classified adds. Not ebay. Go and play your next potential guitar. Find one that feels right and sounds good.

If you find one with crappy frets, rotten tuners or shitty pots they can be replaced. I bought a 78 black Les Paul, needed tuners, frets and a new pot. Got it for $600 bucks.

Find a really good shop to get it in good shape.

Personally the new Gibson stuff is overpriced bullshit. Some of the Ibanez, $300 gutars play as well as the $3,000 gibsons. You can always replace the pickups and have a good set up / fret dress done. It is amazing what a good guitar tech can do to make a guitar play well.

Have fun!

[i am monster face]

Get a Harmony.

Ian

[KennyLusk]

With deciding to pop some coin and buy a guitar you've been dreaming about for so long my experience was it should give you that "wow" when you hold it in your hands and when you play it and hear it the first time.

You can find the guitar that's exactly what you want with a little bit of beating the streets and looking around, and a little patience.

Nothing beats the moment you feel and hear the guitar that has the "wow" factor for you.

[SKEETER]

If you like Pauls, find a Yamaha SG or SBG with an ebony fretboard on ebay. You can get them under a grand, and they kick the best LPs ever mades ass by a mile. They have the same girthy feel, but sound better, and are better balanced. You can also set the action much lower than on Pauls.

[Meriphew]

If you're set on an actual Gibson Les Paul, I think the '57 Historic Goldtop's are a good deal. Just make sure you play the actual guitar before you drop a couple K's for it.

[lonesome_tone]

Gibson's new stuff is really, really atrociously overpriced. Used is certainly cheaper, but for the fancy models you're still talking a good amount of money.

You could:

Buy one of the new Faded series. Its a real les paul with a definitely not-fancy finish, but they're a real good value.

Buy a used SG! Lighter than a Les Paul, for sure. Lots of really great sounds, every bit as classic I would say. In fact, in high school I paid like $400 for a pretty nice hooked-up one. (bigsby, coil taps, yadda)

Buy a Les Paul studio from the 80s - they lack binding and other fancy stuff but are often a good deal.

you know Jimmy Page used a Tele on the first two records, right? ok, ok just checking....

[Electro-Voice 664]

Zep, buy an old guitar. Are you really 16? I am 30 when I was 16 I went to all the guitars stores and guitar shows and remember thinking how over priced a 1960s les Paul was for $1200. The originals were made once and that was it. The ones that made it through the 80s without getting new pickups and a floyd rose route job, are getting harder to find and costing more money. But that is only going to get worse. Think of you UA preamp. That little box cost over $1000~ it may be worth that in ten years. But if you buy a 40 year old guitar today IT WILL hold its value if not double. The new ones suck and are priced for the guys who think "well in 1957 when Page got his LP, it was new to him, so whats the difference if in 2005 I get a LP thats new to me?" The difference is vast and they old ones are better.

Don't go to the dark side and pay top dollar for a shiny new hunk of fire wood, with a gibson logo. As for the fender vs Gibson, thats up to you apples and oranges. But, vintage vs. new. Would you go to the depths of Mordor witha new Les Paul? Fuck No

[flatcat]

There's a friend of a friend of mine at www.guitargai.com. He sells Japanese guitars - Tokais, Burnys (sp), Orvilles - that look pretty nice. I've always wanted a 335 from him, but never really got the scratch together. Something else always intervenes.

Anyhow - he sells on eBay too, but usually has a nice assortment of Japanese-made Fender and Gibson lawsuit guitars. $1000-1500 will get you something very nice, I think, maybe even a little less. He has a gold-top Greco Les Paul for $750. I've never bought from him, but I know people that have and have been happy, FWIW.

Oh, and he also had a REALLY gorgeous Gretsch 6120 copy. I don't know if it's still up there, but it's beautiful, even if it isn't orange.

edit: It's still there. $1075, under Greco. It's here

[wrenhunter]

If you're set on an actual Gibson Les Paul, I think the '57 Historic Goldtop's are a good deal. Just make sure you play the actual guitar before you drop a couple K's for it.

You said it. I got a new '54 reissue last year for $2K; it's awesome. I think you can swing a used '57 RI for around 1600. I'd definitely go that route over a new Standard.