Les Paul advice needed

Dirty_Frank

Ok, my modded Epiphone Les Paul custom is done. The neck has warped and the frets are entirely worn out. To get it fixed, the music store needs to send it to a Gibson certified tech who will reheat the neck, plank it down to straighten it, replace the frets, and replace the truss rod. More than likely the reheating process will destroy the inlays and they'll have to be replaced as well.

This whole process is going to cost some serious $$$.

Since it's only an Epiphone, I don't really want to do this, since the electronics are starting to go, the finish is worn etc. The guitar has been played into the ground.

I've decided (pending on the banks response) to just say screw it and get a Gibson.

Here are some options:

I saw a '92 Les Paul standard in dark burst for sale for about $1650 CDN. I haven't played it yet, but it looked like it was in pretty good shape. Does anyone know if this a good price?

Les Paul Classic- They're selling them new at a local store that usually has pretty good prices, but I'm concerned about the finish. Apparently the nitro finish is really fragile and will chip and dissolve if I'm not careful. Also, how's the playability on these guitars? Is it the same as a 60s neck standard?

Les Paul Standard- I know this one is going to kill the wallet, but I know I'll be very happy with this one. I have a friend who got one about a year ago with a 50s neck, and he got the tuners replaced he even took it home.

Help is appreciated. I know there are some people here who know their shit and others who know, but rarely speak up.

WindNoSail

Sorry I am not an expert, but I can give you my opinion. I played with the Epiphone LP, both Korean and Japan made this weekend. They in my opinion do not compare in sound quality to the Gibson. So I think you are right to get a Gibson.

When I compared Gibsons, I didn't see one under $1200 US. I did some comparisons between the newer models and some replicas and I felt the replicas actually sounded better to me as well. I was surprised but the electronics are different. And I liked the neck which was a little smaller.

The price of the 1960 and 1959 replicas were $2600 US, ouch! But, I think that is what I want now that I know more.

Don't sell your car or you dip into your 401k based on my advice though

Enjoy!

exhausted

Dirty_Frank wrote:

I saw a '92 Les Paul standard in dark burst for sale for about $1650 CDN. I haven't played it yet, but it looked like it was in pretty good shape. Does anyone know if this a good price?

well, that's about 60% the cost of a new one which seems decent.

Les Paul Classic- They're selling them new at a local store that usually has pretty good prices, but I'm concerned about the finish. Apparently the nitro finish is really fragile and will chip and dissolve if I'm not careful. Also, how's the playability on these guitars? Is it the same as a 60s neck standard?

L&M has the gold top classics which are a limited edition on this month and they're sweet. i wouldn't worry about the finish. nitro is more high maintenance but i can't see there being a huge difference between the classics and standards on the finish side. the playability would be similar to a 60s neck standard.

Les Paul Standard- I know this one is going to kill the wallet, but I know I'll be very happy with this one. I have a friend who got one about a year ago with a 50s neck, and he got the tuners replaced he even took it home.

always nice. thicker neck which i prefer but that's a personal choice.


long & mcquade is 0% for a year on all gibson stuff this month.

JofZ

Marks guitar loft in NH is the single best source for used Gibson's period. He has accurate tone reports, honest prices and he is a good guy. Many LPF members use him.
Right now he has 2 really nice standards priced around 1600. A really nice 99 and a good looking 03.
You can go new if you are willing to go plaintop and condisder an R8. I see them all day around 1900.

If you want help just let me know, I buy Les Pauls more then I should LOL and my wife is a saint.

House53

JofZ wrote:

Marks guitar loft in NH is the single best source for used Gibson's period. He has accurate tone reports, honest prices and he is a good guy. Many LPF members use him.
Right now he has 2 really nice standards priced around 1600. A really nice 99 and a good looking 03.
You can go new if you are willing to go plaintop and condisder an R8. I see them all day around 1900.

If you want help just let me know, I buy Les Pauls more then I should LOL and my wife is a saint.

You do enjoy the les pauls... have you seen the new r8 plaintops at 123... really nice looking.

If I get another les paul I want a black custom with chrome hardware... like the now discountinued 68 LP Custom CA

JofZ

House53 wrote:

You do enjoy the les pauls... have you seen the new r8 plaintops at 123... really nice looking.

If I get another les paul I want a black custom with chrome hardware... like the now discountinued 68 LP Custom CA

BB's are sweet, and I love them. Right now I am on a Jr kick. If I can find a nice one in TV yellow that hasn't had a head crack and isn't priced with 6 months of vintage inflation built in then I am a buyer

Pacomc79

JofZ wrote:

BB's are sweet, and I love them. Right now I am on a Jr kick. If I can find a nice one in TV yellow that hasn't had a head crack and isn't priced with 6 months of vintage inflation built in then I am a buyer

Love JR's and Deluxes for that matter. I love the feel of the murph Marley.

House53

I am actually shopping for a decent keyboard for the band... I turned into the piano/organ/harmonica playing lead singer... It is fun.

So, I need to find a good deal on a decent keyboard.

I still take the Gretsch to practice though... it really is a great guitar.

did you ever buy a white falcon? If not, you should.

JofZ

House53 wrote:

I am actually shopping for a decent keyboard for the band... I turned into the piano/organ/harmonica playing lead singer... It is fun.

So, I need to find a good deal on a decent keyboard.

I still take the Gretsch to practice though... it really is a great guitar.

did you ever buy a white falcon? If not, you should.

Jack of all trades huh?

Harp is cool, I grew up playing piano but I could never leave it and go back to it with out feeling like a tard. I didn't pull the trigger on the Falcon because I spent cash upgrading my last Les Paul. I bought new pups, plastic, bridge and saddle. It never ends!!

House53

yeah... jack of all trades, master of none.

I haven't played piano regularly in a while... but rock n roll piano is a bit different and simpler to play than a more complex classical piece.

Well... you should still get a Falcon.

JofZ

House53 wrote:

yeah... jack of all trades, master of none.

I haven't played piano regularly in a while... but rock n roll piano is a bit different and simpler to play than a more complex classical piece.

Well... you should still get a Falcon.

I need to get my wife in on my priorities LOL
JR, Falcon, Plexi, Tweed, LOLOLOL

I was forced to play classical from the age of 4 till about 15 and hated every minute of it. Now I wish I had stuck with it. There is nothing better then a B3 IMO.

House53

I will get right on buying that hammond... I am sure it will go well in our new place. My wife and I are buying furniture, window treatments, art, etc. It puts a hit on my gear fund.

I did manage to get a place for the tophat in our main living area...

I am sure we can put the hammond in the dining room... I can play dinner music then.

I played from 5 to 13... I didn't hate it, but never really enjoyed it. I am glad for the experience though.

JofZ

House53 wrote:

I will get right on buying that hammond... I am sure it will go well in our new place. My wife and I are buying furniture, window treatments, art, etc. It puts a hit on my gear fund.

I did manage to get a place for the tophat in our main living area...

I am sure we can put the hammond in the dining room... I can play dinner music then.

I played from 5 to 13... I didn't hate it, but never really enjoyed it. I am glad for the experience though.

Everyone needs to have a B3, I would vote for kicking out the dinning room table to make room for it. My wife didn't go for it either

I have been trying to sneak in my gear into the living room. I thought I was being succesful, bringing my board in and my amps and then my axes. But then my new Germino arrived and I placed it smack in the middle of the living room. She just looked at me and said, either you move it or I am and we both know how pissed you will be when I move it for you. So I moved it against the wall and she smiled. I know she has no more paitence for my gear in the living room.
Last night I found all my tab books and some pedals stacked on my Allen. I was not a happy man LOL.

exhausted

all my stuff lives in a corner of the basement. it's a cave. but at least no one touches my stuff.

http://brehell.ca/greg/pics/studio.jpg

JofZ

exhausted wrote:

all my stuff lives in a corner of the basement. it's a cave. but at least no one touches my stuff.

http://brehell.ca/greg/pics/studio.jpg

I dig the workstation, how do you like the Mbox?
Nice collection you got there

exhausted

the mbox is fine. i'm very happy with it. i'm still at 6.4 and need to get the 7.0 upgrade but i'm not in a big hurry.

everyone once in a while i'll get a glitch but not very often and only when i'm up over 25 tracks etc.

Pacomc79

House53 wrote:

I will get right on buying that hammond... I am sure it will go well in our new place. My wife and I are buying furniture, window treatments, art, etc. It puts a hit on my gear fund.

I did manage to get a place for the tophat in our main living area...

I am sure we can put the hammond in the dining room... I can play dinner music then.

I played from 5 to 13... I didn't hate it, but never really enjoyed it. I am glad for the experience though.

How about a used Hammond XK 3? It's keyboard sized and it looks like furniture. Would be very cool.

JofZ

Fuck it, just get the Steinway and hock the furniture

House53

I will have a big piano someday. That's for sure.

Pac, I like the XK 3 and XK 2... I also am intrigued by the Nord Electro series... they have a well reviewed hammond tone and a good selection of piano, and other acoustic instruments.

I am not wanting a multiboard setup just yet.

Pacomc79

House53 wrote:

I will have a big piano someday. That's for sure.

Pac, I like the XK 3 and XK 2... I also am intrigued by the Nord Electro series... they have a well reviewed hammond tone and a good selection of piano, and other acoustic instruments.

I am not wanting a multiboard setup just yet.

The nord electro is tight as balls. I'm not a great organ player, I just screw around really, but those sound really good. Screw the pinaner, go all organ!! Then just include Higher Ground and Gimme Some Lovin in the set

My old roomie had a very nice 88 weighted key Yamaha that was not extremely flexible, but it did a decent organ and the piano was stellar. Granted, it cant touch the EX GF's insured 85 year old Steinway but hey, nothing really can. It was fun annoying the neighbors running that keyboard through my insanely loud Ultimate Chorus, and then going off on extended tangent solos on hey jude from the orange.

Je_Suis_Alive

Get a fender rhodes!!!!!!

House53

Pacomc79 wrote:

The nord electro is tight as balls. I'm not a great organ player, I just screw around really, but those sound really good. Screw the pinaner, go all organ!! Then just include Higher Ground and Gimme Some Lovin in the set

http://www.music123.com/Nord-Electro-2-61-Key-i121620.music

This might be the winner... I will have to see if there is one available locally to try out.

Pacomc79

Je_Suis_Alive wrote:

Get a fender rhodes!!!!!!

+1 they sound awesome with a bit of OD too.

Dirty_Frank

HEY! You cunts highjacked my thread!

jk.

JofZ

Dirty_Frank wrote:

HEY! You cunts highjacked my thread!

jk.

LOL
Jump on one of those standards Mark has, they will be gone in less then 48 hours.
Otherwise, contact Jason S at the Music123 custom shop and get a quote on a plaintop R8, you'll be happy.

brain of c

get a silvertone

Dirty_Frank

JofZ wrote:

LOL
Jump on one of those standards Mark has, they will be gone in less then 48 hours.
Otherwise, contact Jason S at the Music123 custom shop and get a quote on a plaintop R8, you'll be happy.

Although I know I can get them for cheaper that way, there is no way I'll buy a guitar of that value without even playing it. :(

And besides, the duty at the border would probably kill me.

enharmonic

Dirty Frank,

Is it my confusion, or are the only LP's that feature nitro the Historics? I thought that Gibson switched over to poly on the regular production line? I know for certain that the Epi isn't nitro. Nitro is very expensive because of the environmental controls placed on builders who spray it.

As far as buying a Les Paul goes, I won't even try to talk you out of it. Les Pauls (good ones) rock, and if that's your thing, then by all means, dive on in . I wouldn't rule out a Heritage though. They are technically real Gibsons, being as though they are built in the original Gibson facorty by original Gibson employees on the original machines used to make the Les Pauls up until the early 80s (when Gibson moved to TN)

You might also try to chase down a Gary Moore LP. It had a lemon-drop finish and no binding...kept the cost down and it rocked. I personally would not pay any more that $1600 for a used Les Paul made in the last 10 years regardless of its pedigree. People ge so carried away with LP prices, and there's always a market for them. Some people just have to have a Gibson

House53

sorry to hijack the thread... I would get a '54 Oxblood like this:

http://www.thegearpage.net/board/showthread.php?s=&threadid=112984

very cool.

JofZ

Dirty_Frank wrote:

Although I know I can get them for cheaper that way, there is no way I'll buy a guitar of that value without even playing it. :(

And besides, the duty at the border would probably kill me.

You would be the first to not trust Mark
His tone reports are accurate and he is a player.
If you need to import it, why not pay the duties? You have an advantage with the exchange, so you should offset some of the fees. Otherwise, there are a couple really good Canadian LP dealers if you want me to put you in touch with them, the problem is they will have 1 or 2 axes to look at.

What are you looking for tone wise?

Pacomc79

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=7366379520&rd=1&sspagename=STRK%3AMESE%3AIT&rd=1#ebayphotohosting


speaking of Les Pauls, oh man I LOVE OXBLOOD!!!