Need Les Paul Custom Purchase Advice

P

PatF

Active member
Please school me on new Les Paul Customs. I have the go ahead to order a new LPC. My brother-in-law just got a brand new one and it is killer.
I'm looking at the Custom Shop ones from American Musical Supply and they are around 4K. They all seem to have the Richlite fingerboards instead of ebony....? Are they long tenon neck joints?
I've kind of been all over the map with my decision. I was just going to get a Precision kit or hunt around for a nice Edwards or Burny. Not sure what changed my wife's mind, but I've got to get it done before that green light turns yellow.
 
Buy a used Historic/Re-Issue as it will have ebony and 9 time out of 10 a better built guitar than production LPC's. Depending on neck profiles you prefer get a 57 RI fatter neck or a 68 RI slimmer neck.

Go to the Les Paul Forum and ask away and learn before you burn money. I was a LP newbie back in 2012 after wanting one out of the blue after 30 years of playing Fender, Charvels and Jacksons. I learned a lot over there. I lave 3 LP's, a 2012 Trad + and 2 RI's, 3 PU BB7 and a Goldtop R7. I got the 57 LPC for about $2500 (2008 model) and the R7 for about $2100 (2009 model) shipped..don't blow $4500 on a new LPC.

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Buy a Norlin. Real ebony fingerboard, slim maple neck, no weight relief. Way less than $4500
 
Thanks for the advice. Shawn, your guitars are beauty. Paulyc, I do like the maple necked ones and like volutes. Don't want a pancake body though. I like the fatter 50's neck profile better.
 
Late 70's pancake body went away. 83 they started weight relieving. So an 78-83? Will give solid body and maple neck.
 
If you buy new you immediately lose value. You pay 4K and sell for $2500. And you get richlite. Norlin will retain value and I prefer the sound myself. The new ones are however very playable. If you get a historic used get the 68 as the 57 doesn't have maple top. You can also get a 70-74 with mahogany neck. Or a 68-69 but that will be 6k plus
 
I would never pay $4K for richlite board production line. Never. Buy used... I'd go for a 2002-2010 Historic Reissue BBR7 or 68RI... or even a production Custom which can be had for $2000-$2300 in excellent condition used. All of these will have real ebony fretboards. With the Historic Customs you get ebony, solid non-weight relieved body, and the long neck tenon. And much better consistency from guitar to guitar. The late '70s-early '80s are really hit or miss. Have to play them in person first.
 
Thanks. Good info. Head spinning from reading MLP all morning. The 78-83 advice is solid. I have a friends 82 here now and it is perfect.
 
I have 3 custom shops ( bought used) and one FGN and an Edwards these guys are correct find one used and save your dough the Japan guitars are killer for the price but there not equal to a solid set up CS .
 
Buy a 68' reissue with ebony. Truly the cream of the crop imho of the LPC's. Fat neck and insane substain and all the right parts.
 
Starman22":jqktise7 said:
Buy a 68' reissue with ebony. Truly the cream of the crop imho of the LPC's. Fat neck and insane substain and all the right parts.
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I would recommend this as well. The only '68RIs with a slim neck are the Tribursts they were sold by GC. All the other '68RIs have super thick necks, that are larger than any of the other Reissues. If you can find a '68RI made between 2002 and 2005, these have the fattest necks of an Gibson you'll find. They truly are baseball bats.

But as far as specs go for the '68RIs, Ebony fretboard, no weight relief, long neck tenon, ABR-1 bridge, and typically come with 57 Classic PUPs. If you can find one, it's the best bang-for-the-buck Gibson ever released (as far as LPCs go).
 
Cheers. I'm on the lookout. Is Reverb the best resource for used or forum classifieds? I do check craigslist all the time.
 
halebox":260mxxae said:
If you buy new you immediately lose value. You pay 4K and sell for $2500. And you get richlite. Norlin will retain value and I prefer the sound myself. The new ones are however very playable. If you get a historic used get the 68 as the 57 doesn't have maple top. You can also get a 70-74 with mahogany neck. Or a 68-69 but that will be 6k plus
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the reason I wanted a 57 was because of no maple top...its all mahogany.
 
I have 2 LPC with richlite boards. They sound better than similar LPC with ebony boards that I've played and they look great. I would only buy a LP that I've personally played, unless you could return. I've played too many LPs that didn't sound good, regardless of fretboard material
 
mhenson42":2vpoqfde said:
I have 2 LPC with richlite boards. They sound better than similar LPC with ebony boards that I've played and they look great. I would only buy a LP that I've personally played, unless you could return. I've played too many LPs that didn't sound good, regardless of fretboard material
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Ohhh... Mathew... Talk like this will get your keys to the TGP executive bathroom and privileges to the corporate beach house pulled. Tisk. Tisk.

:no:

Just kidding ... :D :LOL: :LOL:

I personally can't stand it. Especially from a company that pushes and markets Historic accuracy down to the most minute details so much. They change the formula for the plastic in the pup rings and want to add $1000 to price... but change the fretboard wood... for the same or more $$$... not thanks. I call BS.
 
Wizard of Ozz":3c9564fo said:
mhenson42":3c9564fo said:
I have 2 LPC with richlite boards. They sound better than similar LPC with ebony boards that I've played and they look great. I would only buy a LP that I've personally played, unless you could return. I've played too many LPs that didn't sound good, regardless of fretboard material
Click to expand...

Ohhh... Mathew... Talk like this will get your keys to the TGP executive bathroom and privileges to the corporate beach house pulled. Tisk. Tisk.

:no:

Just kidding ... :D :LOL: :LOL:

I personally can't stand it. Especially from a company that pushes and markets Historic accuracy down to the most minute details so much. They change the formula for the plastic in the pup rings and want to add $1000 to price... but change the fretboard wood... for the same or more $$$... not thanks. I call BS.
Click to expand...

:LOL: :LOL:

Paying new/retail for a LP is crazy.

My point is, I care more about how the guitar sounds than what it's made of. People seem to go ape-shit over Aristides guitars and they're basically 100% synthetic. Before I bought my first Richlite LPC, I was concerned about the who ebony/richlite thing. But once I played it, I was sold on the sound and the board looks like perfect ebony. I ended up buying another LPC and this one sounds even better. I will say that I have yet to play anything that sounds better to me than my R8. But that has a rosewood board.
 
Price check please: 2009 '68 RI VOS - $3299
It's on CL but its from a shop about an hour away, so I can play it.
It's faded white and I'm a huge Randy fan.
 
I paid just about that for my mint 2007 shipped from Japan in aged white. You obviously are going to barter so yes that's what they run. Just make sure it's got all the case candy and such. Also look into your budget and think about pulling the 57 classics out and putting something hotter in. I put a set of Duncan Black Winters in mine and it's just crazy heavy sounding. Just my $.02
 
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