I want a Les Paul

[base341]

Hello Bob, I just caught this thread over the past couple of days, read through it and coincidentally, I've been gassing for a Les Paul since December myself. First off, congrats in your new LP!

I wanted a new Traditional Pro II but, didn't like the tone of the 3 examples I've played at GC which meant I wasn't going to buy one sight unseen (unless it was super cheap like a used one I missed out on for $1,250!).

Since I wasn't too happy with the Traditional Pro II's, I did like one particular Standard but it was $2,699 + tax. I didn't like it THAT much. So I started thinking about the historic models like the R8 and R9. Most of these that I've played have sounded awesome. In fact there was a used R9 that sounded heavenly but it was priced in the high $4k range. I had to ask about it and they were willing to bring it down to $4,200 but, still too rich for my blood

So back to the drawing board. Been looking at ALL the R8/R9 models posted for sale on the forums I frequent and kind of was leaning towards getting a nice R8 for about $2,500 or so when a particular situation occurred at my local GC:

I walked in with my son to see if they received any new under $2,000 new LP Traditional models and was told no was about to walk out when I saw this cool Les Paul Custom model on the counter with these two guys hovering over it. When one of the walked near me I asked if they were buying that LP on the counter. The guy said no, his friend was actually looking to sell it to get a different guitar and promptly went to go tell his friend I asked about the guitar. A minute later the LPC's owner YELLS out, hey you want to buy it! They're only giving me $1,600 for it. If you give me more, it's yours!

Less just say that within 15 minutes I walked out of there with this in hand:

It's a Les Paul Custom 1968 Reissue in Tricolor Sunburst. Quest ended

Holy shit
SCORE!

 

[rupe]

Wow...beautiful score Ivan!

 

[Bob Savage]

Nice LP Ivan!!! Congrats man.

 

[stephen sawall]

The Custom looks great...

 

[Schaf]

I keep wanting to buy a basket case LP and have a floyd put on it. Although I am starting to see the floyded ones going for the low $2k range, which isn't bad. I never got over the studio's lack of binding, just bugs me on some primal, lizard-brained level. I had one for awhile, just never felt like a 'real' LP to me. I'm a horrible Gibson snob I guess. Welp, back to the P90 special

I struggled with the binding thing for a bit too but got over it when I realized if I can get a nice studio I can probably afford another guitar too. Considering I generally beat the pulp out of my guitars (and sometimes take a saw to them), I'd probably end up knocking the binding off somehow anyway.

This right here is why I love the trad pro. $1400-1500 any day of the week. 50's or 60's necks. The ones I've played, played great. That's only three, but all three of them played pretty darn good right off the rack. And this from someone who has tweeked every single guitar I've bought. Could it have played better? Yep, with a few minor adjustments. If I ever get another, that's what I'm getting. But they're like 1900 brand new. But they're everywhere used. Things is with guitar center, even used you can send it right back for 30 days if you don't like it. To me these are a great value if you like Les Pauls.

Oops. Looks like you got one. That looks sweet!!!

 

[Norumaniac]

Hello Chubtone
Can you please get in touch with me by email? Thank you!

Steve wants that new Les Paul Jr or Special or whatever because he doesn't feel complete unless he has something up for sale in the classifieds.

Like a few others in this thread, I have been romanced by the IDEA of being a Les Paul player probably 20 times over the last 30 years. I have owned several bitchin' ones, including a real '68, a '69, a few from the early 70's, mid 70's, late 70's and some newer Reissues and Custom Shop ones. I even owned one of those Max replicas that everyone is crazy about. I also owned John Norum's old Gold Top that John owned when Mark Cameron was his tech. Mark said that Les Paul is the best sounding Les Paul he ever heard and he has always wanted to buy it. Some people on here believe Mark Cameron has a good ear. John couldn't keep it in tune and I could cynically say "that's because it's a Gibson", but I had a new nut installed and new tuners. For a Gibson, it stayed in tune pretty well. I loved looking at it, I just didn't like playing it and shockingly to every one else on the planet, I didn't like recording with it. For the way I play and the style I play, I really don't think LP's even sound that good

I freaking love the way a nice Les Paul looks. I love it. I think in the right sunburst, a LP Standard is the most beautiful guitar ever made. That Bartlett thread Brad posted a couple of years ago was the coolest thread on any guitar forum I have ever seen.

 

[errrrrl]

Test first if possible brother... the necks can be like night and day. I never thought much about it til I got to play a nice R7 with a super fat bat-like neck... I had to make it mine!

 

[errrrrl]

Hello Bob, I just caught this thread over the past couple of days, read through it and coincidentally, I've been major league gassing for a Les Paul since December myself. First off, congrats in your new LP!

I wanted a new Traditional Pro II but, didn't like the tone of the 4 examples I've played at GC which meant I wasn't going to buy one sight unseen (unless it was super cheap like a used one I missed out on TGP for $1,250!).

Since I wasn't too happy with the Traditional Pro II's (and the half a dozen Other traditional models I tried out), I did like one particular Standard but it was $2,699 + tax. I didn't like it THAT much. So I started thinking about the historic models like the R8 and R9. Most of these that I've played through the years have sounded great. In fact there was a used R9 last month at a GC that sounded heavenly but it was priced in the high $4k range. I had to ask about it and they were willing to bring it down to $4,200 but, still too rich for my blood

So back to the drawing board. Been looking at ALL the R8/R9 models posted for sale on the forums I frequent and kind of was leaning towards getting a nice R8 for about $2,500 when a particular situation occurred at my local GC:

I walked in with my son to see if they received any new under $2,000 new LP Traditional models and was told no was about to walk out when I saw this cool Les Paul Custom model on the counter with these two guys hovering over it. When one of the walked near me I asked if they were buying that LP on the counter. The guy said no, his friend was actually looking to sell it to get a different guitar and promptly went to go tell his friend I asked about the guitar. A minute later the LPC's owner YELLS out, hey you want to buy it! They're only giving me $1,600 for it. If you give me more, it's yours!

Less just say that within 15 minutes I walked out of there with this in hand:

It's a Les Paul Custom 1968 Reissue in Tricolor Sunburst. I didn't even plug it in. i strummed it acoustically and sighted the neck. I waited until I got home to test it out. It wasn't muddy/wooley sounding down low like so many LP's are so quest ended

Holy crap... score of the century I'd say!

 

[Ventura]

Deeeeee-lish!!!!

Love me some Lester