Bare Knuckle Pickups Forum
Forum Ringside => Guitars, Amps and Effects => Topic started by: jibidy on May 31, 2009, 12:02:36 PM
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Ok so in september, After a summer of saving, I was planning on buying a nice Les Paul...However as i'm still only a minimum wage dishwasher, when I say Les Paul I mean Epiphone black beauty (or similar).
However a trip to mansons and a try on a real gibson les paul standard I'm now thinking of getting it in finance (is that what its called when you pay monthly?) lol.
I've never spent more than £500 but i've also not owned many guitars.
My mate who was with me at mansons is convincing me with the argument "you may aswell get the real deal because you'll never need another guitar and you won't think about 'the next step up' you will have exactly what you will ever need."
So my question is this.
Should I spend out over a year paying of a gibson Les Paul?
Or should I stick with student budget and get a cheaper non gibson brand?
My only worry is moddifying. If i get a gibson can I put heavy gauge strings on it for my prefered lower tuning. I know some bands already do. Is it to discriminative against the craftsmanship and thought thats gone into the guitar?
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Are you totally sure LPs are the guitar for you? I'm a fan of buying quality gear, but your friend's argument doesn't hold much water if there's the chance you'll discover you don't like the LP's neck, you want better upper-fret access, or you need a lighter guitar, etc etc. LPs are awesome, but they're not for everyone. Beware the honey-moon period, too ;)
Also, I'm not sure Gibson SGs are necessarily always as much better than Epiphones as the pricetag would indicate. My understanding (going off forum legend) is that you can snag a very good Epi if you take the time to look hard. Of course, there are some outstanding Gibsons around too (a fair few on this very forum), but there're some terrible examples, too. It's probably true that the average Gibson is better than the average Epi, and the best Gibson is better than the best Epi, but I think with your budgetary restraints you'd be better off hunting around for an excellent Epi than shelling out for a Gibson.
But yeah, you can put whatever gauge of strings on whichever guitar you get. I don't know how the stock pickups on Epis or Gibsons go for detuned stuff, but if you buy a cheap, good, Epi you will be better able to afford some Warpigs ;)
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Well I definatly think LP's are for me. I love the sustain and natural compression sound. And i like it bag and fat.
We also tried some strats and tele and i found them quite frustating. no girth at all, just felt feminine.
Im also thinking about how it will last. If I get another Epiphone now will I just be thinking about a gibson next year??
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If you get a Gibson now you'll be thinking about another Gibson next year, lol. I think the smart move would be to hunt for one of those fabled awesome Epi LPs before you go spending big. I don't think there's any escaping the siren's call: no matter how awesome the guitar you buy you'll still want just one more. It's an emotional thing which is inaccessible to logic. Or maybe you're built different to me (and the people I know!)
Mmm, guitars :)
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Try other LP types IE decent tokai's(prob jap ones in that price range), edwards etc or odities like the Duesenbergs, a lot of people prefer the feel and build to the "real thing"
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or if proper LP money...why not go for a feline one...built to your spec
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Hahaha Yeah I can definatly see where your coming from.
But I'm thinking if I did buy a Gibson now why the hell would I buy another one next year. I'm not a stickler for the tiny details e.g. Slightly more chambered body and different jack socket.
I have spent £200 pounds on headphones and I dont think I need any more.
I have spent £600 on a 40" LCD 1080p samsung TV and I don't want any bigger.
I have spent £1300 on an iMac and so far I'm not thinking of anything else.
I could make a list of things i have bought and use and I'm satisfied with but my guitars somehow don't fit in it.
Is this going to drive me insane lol??
sgmypod .Im thinking Proper LP money only in the sense that I can get it on the monthly. And I'de like to be able to try out the guitars before i commit this time...from the many internet buy mistakes I've had in the past.
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$%&# it get the Gibson :lol: If you can definitely afford the monthly payments and you definitely want the Les Paul that much...
Let's assume you're getting about £5 an hour, and the LP Standard is rocking up to about £1400 nowadays, that's 280 hours of work, that's 16800 minutes, that's 1008000 seconds of your life. If 11.7 solid days work is worth a Gibson to you then do it!
Also make sure you check what you're paying APR-wise on a finance gig... Anything more than 0% and ur getting ripped off! :lol:
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Fair enough would try the competition IE the Duesenbergs, Tokai etc....or Bluesbird if you can find one (sorry love mine) prob still get to buy them on monthly
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I would rather get an Edwards and a nice set of BKPs. You dont get the name but who cares, the only problem with that is resale value, but if its a nice enough guitar you shouldnt have too many problems with selling it?
I havent actually tried an Edwards but if my Pearl MIJ is anything go by, the Japanese ones are awesome guitars.
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HAHA thanks for so many speedy replies.
I think I will travel a bit and try out some different models until I ready to buy.
And even if it means £30 a month for 3 years compared to £130 for 1 year i'm not going to be paying extra indysmith haha screw that.
Im just thinking I want a real Pro guitar now. Its time I think, to bite the bullet and stop trying to get good little bargains That I can never get around to modding and end up selling for nowhere near the price I bought it for.
I also think ide like to buy brand new for the whole guarantee thing.
Oh and I think I could cut that down to perhaps 9 or 10 day solid work because I get very good tips 90% of the time. :lol:
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I also think ide like to buy brand new for the whole guarantee thing.
I was just about to recommend that you at least consider buying s/h ... and then you posted that comment! But I'd still recommend looking at s/h because there are some pretty good deals around - new prices are up c30% on last year because of exchange rate movements (and other stuff), whereas shops with "old" s/h stock and reduced cash flow might be persuaded to offer some good deals on that old s/h stock ... saving you enough for mods / pedals / strings / beers / etc!
Re the guarantee thing - a guitar isn't really like a washing machine or a TV. There's not a whole lot that can "go wrong" with a guitar after you've bought it. And most things that "go wrong" can be fixed by a decent guitar tech. Just make sure that you check it over thoroughly before you buy it ... make sure that the neck is good & straight and that the truss rod is working, check the finish thoroughly and look for any repairs already done ... etc. Gibson's don't have the best of reputations so don't assume that you're getting a great guitar just because you're spending a load of money.
Whether you buy new or s/h, a shop should offer you at least 1 free set-up, maybe in 3-6 months time when the guitar settles down and you get to know it properly and understand what you want from it. Of course, a set-up is only as good as the tech that does it, so that offer may be worth quite a lot or nothing at all ... but the set-up should resolve any issues (or things going "wrong") that arise.
The choosing part is probably the best bit ... so don't rush it ... take your time, visit plenty of shops, try loads of guitars in each shop (even stuff that you might assume isn't what you want) 'cos a lot of what makes the "right" guitar is in the feel, not in the name on the headstock.
:)
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Play some Gibsons, compare as many as you can and buy the one that sounds best.
Genuine Gibsons are nice, and if you get a good one, they are better than Tokai's or Epi's. A bad one isn't worth it but a good one is.
Make sure you are happy to make the payments, but yeah, get the Gibson.
(these are my opinions only of course)
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Don't be a chump, buy second hand.
Guarantee's are not worth it unless it's a complex electrical item such as your TV or iMac.
A guarantee on a guitar... ? the worst that could happen is a headstock break and they'd probably say it's your fault anyway.
I've never ever ever ever seen an advantage to buying a first hand guitar. Unless you enjoy insane depreciation. I don't even see it as first hand to be honest, if it's off the wall then many many people have played it already.
(i may have just re stated what GuiTony said above me, but eh!)
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Guitony.
I think I'de be interested in buying second hand but you cant usually get a monthly option on S/H gear can you?? I'm not sure.
If there was a very nice second hand Les Paul at £1000 and one that was brand new but I could pay monthly. I'd have to go with the brand new one, simply because I'd be more comfortable with paying out little monthly.
I like aileeans thinking. Get the gibson. But I will look at others like sgmypod said.
I'm guessing i'll end up coming away with a new les paul standard but watch this space.
Adam.M
I can certainly see you're point but I like brand new, even if it is off the wall. Its guaranteed to not have been fondled with or had and sketchy mods done. It would be how the manufacturer intended.
A little bit of play cant be that band can it?
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I'm with you jibidy, I have some illogical thing about wanting "new" when I'm planning on the "next guitar" - I never even consider second hand. I have got two "second hand" guitars, I'm happy with them, but they were in the shop when I was trying, I didn't go hunting, they came to me.
I don't know what to say on the "to gibbo or not to gibbo" question.
A year or so ago, I tried a Gibson LP standard that was creamy and gorgeous in tone and feel. It was £1400, might have got some money off... but I didn't think I was in the market for upgrading my Epi that day, so I walked away (and bought an Explorer for £900 instead :roll:). In many ways, having read what people say about them on here, I suspect I "should" have bought that LP (except I still have my arbitrarily imposed "I won't spend over a grand on a guitar" limit).
Only months later I was looking to replace my Epi, and I bought a new Japanese Tokai Love Rock for £550. It is gorgeous. I tried some real LPs that day, it whipped them soundly. The guy in the shop knew what I was doing, and was happy to put it aside for me for a few hours, he even offered to do it, I didn't ask, while I went off and tried other options - he knew I was coming back even though I wasn't sure.
But it's not quite, I think, as gorgeous as that Gibson I tried a few weeks earlier... But if you were to walk into the room with that gibbo right now and said to me "gimme the Tokai and £850, and it's yours..." I'd have to say "on yer bike mate, it's not worth 850 more than mine..." ...that's why I chose the Tokai that day and didn't decide to save up for when I found another special Gibson.
... it's personal taste and what your dream is. I'm a Fender man really, I'm happy with (even prefer) Mexican and Japanese, but I do like my headstocks to say "Fender" on them... For Les Pauls etc, I'm not quite so precious about it :lol:
I'd advise caution right now, but I do think you are going to get a Gibson Les Paul sooner or later, and once you've got one, you'll probably get another (and another, etc, if you can) :)
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It's a bit of a dilemma:
If you had the cash in your pocket/bank account then I agree - go for a good secondhand one, save a packet over the price of a new one and have it setup/fret dressed by a pro and maybe some BKPs in there.
That way if in time you didn't like it so much you could probably sell it for what you paid for it secondhand (you could swap the BKPs back for the originals prior to selling and use the BKPs in another axe)
If you don't have the money , and can get good terms on paying monthly then that may be a good option , just be careful to find an LP that you love the feel and sound of
If you went custom built (you knew I was gonna say that) then you can still pay monthly , and get the guitar you want but you wont get it till the price is fully paid off.
It would take a good while to build so you'd have some time , but if it would take you 3 years to get all the money , then it might drive you a bit crazy waiting for your guitar
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I am not a fan in the present climate of people spending money they have yet to earn. A well set up Epi or othert copy (good fret dress and action adjustment) with a set of appropriate bkps will probably sound better and be as nice to play as a stock gibson. Epi LPs do not hold their price that well secondhand and you could probably pick up a real nice one for £200-250 which gives you plenty of money for a set of pickups and a setup.
Then enjoy and save, if once you have saved the cost of the Gibson you play them and love them over your Epi or whatever you can have the Bkps changed back to the origional, sell the Epi for close to what you paid and buy the Gibson.
You will enjoy this a lot more and you will be absolutely certain that it is the right guitar.
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This might be a good one _ I would check with the seller if it is a bol n neck or a set one
A set neck version of this would be ace
I suggest this as the Aria has a all access neck like on my Lion Models (it was a source of inspiration)
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Aria-PE-Les-Paul-Copy-Only-169-99_W0QQitemZ140324012874QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV?hash=item20abf6834a&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1688%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1318%7C301%3A1%7C293%3A1%7C294%3A50 (http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Aria-PE-Les-Paul-Copy-Only-169-99_W0QQitemZ140324012874QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV?hash=item20abf6834a&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1688%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1318%7C301%3A1%7C293%3A1%7C294%3A50)
And it's in Newton Abbot, Devon, so may be do-able for you travel wise
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try an Edwards ... a forum member had one (Pierre) sold it a bit ago, cos he needed the cash.. and it was one of those even i feel drawn to it. white, black hardware, ebony board, binding all round. and for not a whole lot of money. japanese build quality
here you go: http://bareknucklepickups.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=16460.0
he may still have it. IMO, it's all the les paul you'll ever need... but if the Gibson decal (well, lack thereof) bothers you, there's no helping but getting a gibbo.
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I think nfe bought that Edwards.
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Ok so in september, After a summer of saving, I was planning on buying a nice Les Paul...However as i'm still only a minimum wage dishwasher, when I say Les Paul I mean Epiphone black beauty (or similar).
However a trip to mansons and a try on a real gibson les paul standard I'm now thinking of getting it in finance (is that what its called when you pay monthly?) lol.
I've never spent more than £500 but i've also not owned many guitars.
My mate who was with me at mansons is convincing me with the argument "you may aswell get the real deal because you'll never need another guitar and you won't think about 'the next step up' you will have exactly what you will ever need."
So my question is this.
Should I spend out over a year paying of a gibson Les Paul?
Or should I stick with student budget and get a cheaper non gibson brand?
My only worry is moddifying. If i get a gibson can I put heavy gauge strings on it for my prefered lower tuning. I know some bands already do. Is it to discriminative against the craftsmanship and thought thats gone into the guitar?
Buy a used one.
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Just buy a Les Paul, the GAS will never leave you if you don't :?
The Japanese Tokai's are the best Value at around £650, they are very close to the real thing.
The Vintage Lemon Drop for around £250 is meant to be a great guitar for the money.
I have seldom bought things on credit but the things I've convinced myself would be great purchases to buy on credit usually have been and been long term keepers I've got loads of use from.
I say go for it, I put my money in my house which has lost more than you LP ever will!
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Cheers for the replies.
I think i'll end up getting a gibbo and some may say learn the hard way. If it doesn't come off worth it then i'll know in the future.
I could always sell it and go custom or get a cheaper alternative and do it up.
I have always though that getting a cheaper alternative is better but I'm just to lazy. + 1 to andyR buying second hand seems like your not getting the full product.
And I will definatly try lots of LP's like Jonothan said, I will make sure I love the feel and sound.
AAhhh guitars eh?
watch this space.
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the big problem is that if you go with the gibson, the "you'll never want to upgrade" theory isn't necessarily true. There are *always* better guitars (at least in theory)- if you go with a standard range gibson, you might find you later want a custom shop model, or a more boutique guitar (e.g. huber or similar).
if you won't be happy unless you have a gibson, and you can definitely afford it (i'm not a big fan of buying on credit, unless it's 0% and you definitely have the funds to cover it, because if you don't, you'll be annihilated by the accruing interest from day 1), by all means go for it. Just don't assume that the gibson will definitely make you happy either. :D
If it doesn't have to be a gibson, MIJ copies, as tom mentioned (edwards aren't 100% MIJ, as far as i know they're started off in china, but they're great guitars), can be as good if not better guitars for less cash. Unfortunately they're not as good value at the moment because of the pound's fall versus the yen, it might make more sense to wait until the pound recovers a bit.
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Your mate sounds like my dad, if I were you I'd get a Gibson.
The worst thing that could happen is that you sell it again and try and Epiphone but have money left over for other stuff but since you can try Gibsons, this is unlikely. If you buy an Epiphone, it may be cheaper etc and you might be satisfied however you might think you could've got a Gibson. You wouldn't think that if you got the Gibson instead of the Epiphone.
That's my 2 cents I suppose.
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If you buy new you will lose money, if you buy secondhand you probably wont. Watch out for some 0% deals they may be paid for with discount that would be available on the instrument and therefore not really be 0%.
Best of luck finding the right guitar remember to try several shops.
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If you buy new you will lose money, if you buy secondhand you probably wont.
I don't have any to back my response up so I'll just say that that is the biggest load of cr@p ever.
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2 things spring to mind here. (this is based on the way I tend to be, it may not apply to you at all)
1) I think you are gas'ing for a Gibson, therfore nothing else will please you as much, and if you don't you'll always wonder if you should have. I'll say again, a good Gibson is worth the money, a bad or average one probably isn't.
2) You always lose money on a new buy, that's just life, but Gibson LP's depreciate less than most others, and gain value over time faster than most others (yes, there will be exceptions, I'm talking genrealities here). A Gibson LP will probably be worth the ticket price again in 3-4 years provided the economy doesn't go further to hell.
The 'take it away' scheme run by the art council is 9 monthly payments at 0% discount, with no catches, a good scheme, I'd probably avoid any others. You need to put down 10% up front.
Make sure you compare as many as possible. When Sue was looking for her's she tried about 4 2008 Standard LP's, one stood out, but was sold before we could buy it. Then a new pair came into stock and one of them was as good, and was black :)
Also play them unplugged and plugged in, the black one we bought sounded good accousticly but wasn't the most stand out, but plugged in it had a projection that floored the others.
If it sounds like a plank unplugged it's probably not worth plugging it in, but if it has some life and resonance then don't discard it until you've plugged it in, it may surprise you.
Check the pickup heights too, make sure they are the same or they will bais your test.
Oh, and we want pics when you get it :)
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If you buy new you will lose money, if you buy secondhand you probably wont.
I don't have any to back my response up so I'll just say that that is the biggest load of cr@p ever.
What on earth makes you say that? People that buy new anything buy them because they want new - new houses gain money slower or lose money faster than older ones, antique furniture holds onto value or may increase, New cars, guitars, electrics almost anything carry 15% Vat secondhand ones bought privately do not. Usually drop from new is around the Vat + 10% i.e. minimum of 25%. There are a few things that buck this trend especially things that are in very short supply. Otherwise most such items lose around 50% and clothing items around 80% of their value from new.
If you buy a new Gibson and keep it many years you probably wont lose money in absolute terms, a new guitar gaining those in use scratches etc loses value a secondhand one with a few more may lose a bit but nothing like as much. I would expect a £1900 Gibson after some use to fetch around £1400 ish on Ebay. I would expect one bought on ebay for say £1200 to sell for around £1200 am I wrong in that?
Also happend on this maybe some more knowledgeable will shed light if it is as good as the guy is implying
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Aria-pro-II-1979-LC-430-Les-Paul-MIJ-vintage-Matsumoku_W0QQitemZ250434115594QQcategoryZ33040QQcmdZViewItem
QQ_trksidZp3907.m263QQ_trkparmsZalgo%3DSIC%26its%3DI%252BC%26itu%3DFICS%252BUFI
%252BIEW%252BUA%252BIA%252BUCI%26otn%3D15%26po%3DLVI%26ps%3D54
(http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Aria-pro-II-1979-LC-430-Les-Paul-MIJ-vintage-Matsumoku_W0QQitemZ250434115594QQcategoryZ33040QQcmdZViewItem
QQ_trksidZp3907.m263QQ_trkparmsZalgo%3DSIC%26its%3DI%252BC%26itu%3DFICS%252BUFI
%252BIEW%252BUA%252BIA%252BUCI%26otn%3D15%26po%3DLVI%26ps%3D54)
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OK. Fair enough.
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Watch out for some 0% deals they may be paid for with discount that would be available on the instrument and therefore not really be 0%.
that's a very good point. I've seen plenty of online shops claiming to have 0% deals, but they expect you to pay the RRP. If you pay cash, you might get 15% discount (or more). As you say, that's not really 0%, in my book anyway. :)
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All of my guitars atm are second-hand, but I've bought a couple of new guitars and amps in the past (and have lost a few hundred when I sold them). It really helps to call every guitar store within about 2 hours drive that stocks what you want (and internet stores that ship what you want) and haggle with them all. By the time I finish calling around I usually end up with a discount of between 35-45% off the RRP (and probably about 15-20% less than what I would have paid if I had just haggled in person at a store). Recently I could have got a 6505 combo at cost price - but I just didn't like it enough to justify the purchase.
I'm probably not telling anyone anything they don't know, but it always surprises me just how much music stores are willing to discount in order to secure a sale - sometimes even selling at cost in order to undercut a rival store.
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the big problem is that if you go with the gibson, the "you'll never want to upgrade" theory isn't necessarily true. There are *always* better guitars (at least in theory)- if you go with a standard range gibson, you might find you later want a custom shop model, or a more boutique guitar (e.g. huber or similar).
Well yes, we all know that's true. But didn't we all learn that by buying a guitar we thought would be the only one we'd ever need? Then eventually (or maybe quite quickly!) the "I want one of those" feeling came back.
There's no point going from a £500 Epi (or whatever) to a "Made by Paul" PRS just to avoid the "problem" of maybe wanting something "better" at a later date. £500 or £30,000, your tastes are going to change over the years anyway.
I'm finding a lot of this thread pretty silly, to be honest. New or s/h, finance or buy outright, worrying about resale value.... we're talking as if jibidy is making some irreversible, life-or-death decision... when all he's doing is buying his first really good guitar. It's not like buying a house or investing in a football club.
If you want a Les Paul, shop around, find one you like and buy it!!! You may keep it for life. You may hate it after six months. It may be the start of a collection. None of that matters, if you can afford it, get what you want now! :D
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A Gibson LP will probably be worth the ticket price again in 3-4 years provided the economy doesn't go further to hell.
Certainly not 3-4 years...
I'd say the value slides down sharply immediately then wobbles for 15 years, then starts rising up and at 20-25 years it's back at ticket price and rising.
And by ticket price, I mean the equivalent new models price at the time in the future. I've played mid 80's and 90's Gibson's and they're not that expensive... though mostly because the TOM's are damned ugly sometimes. Big blocky ugly things, euurrgh.
And depending on how old the company is, that can be shortened. Take PRS for example, I'd shave the 15 years to 10 years and the 20-25 to 15-25 ... and if you have one that's 25... damn... you're rich.
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A Gibson LP will probably be worth the ticket price again in 3-4 years provided the economy doesn't go further to hell.
Yeah I didn't phrase this very well, I meant the guitar will return to the price you paid for it. New prices tend to go up, and the second hand price is usually a % of the current new price, therefore it gets dragged up too.
3-4 years is optomistic for that, but I know someone who recently sold an LP for the same price he bought it new and it was 4 years old at the time.
Agreed, it would take a lot longer for the sencond hand value to catch up with the current new value.
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Buy the Gibson. You'll find no peace of mind until you do. If you buy a copy,you'll still want the Gibbo.If you dont like it people will snap your hand off when it comes time to sell/trade. Theres some kind of interest free deal with music shops going on now.
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No - buy my Orville By Gibson Les Paul Custom!
Mike
PS - is that a tad of a hard sell? :lol:
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Haha I like Philking.
But seriously i think i'll just go with a Gibbo... almost for the learning experience. If i dont like it im sure a can try something else even if i lose money, thats part of the learning experience.
And I would certainly never pay £30,000 for a PRS unless i won the euro millions.
It is certainly an interesting topic, I think its been well covered.
Cheers guys. :)
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It took me 5 LPs to get the right one.
Started with an Epi, had a couple of Edwards, a Gibson standard, then a custom shop R8, its been just the R8 for a long time.
There was quite a long gap when I was LP-less between the standard and R8, but when the right one came along, that was it.
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Well yes, we all know that's true. But didn't we all learn that by buying a guitar we thought would be the only one we'd ever need? Then eventually (or maybe quite quickly!) the "I want one of those" feeling came back.
There's no point going from a £500 Epi (or whatever) to a "Made by Paul" PRS just to avoid the "problem" of maybe wanting something "better" at a later date. £500 or £30,000, your tastes are going to change over the years anyway.
I'm finding a lot of this thread pretty silly, to be honest. New or s/h, finance or buy outright, worrying about resale value.... we're talking as if jibidy is making some irreversible, life-or-death decision... when all he's doing is buying his first really good guitar. It's not like buying a house or investing in a football club.
If you want a Les Paul, shop around, find one you like and buy it!!! You may keep it for life. You may hate it after six months. It may be the start of a collection. None of that matters, if you can afford it, get what you want now! :D
of course, i probably do overthink my purchases. :lol: But the fact that he posted what his friend said suggested that he gave it some credence, and I just wanted to make sure that he knew it wasn't necessarily true. It might be, of course. Just depends. :) Get as much advice as you can (as it never hurts to have more information and opinions), but then make your own mind up, as you'll have to live with it. That's the best advice I always have.
Yeah I didn't phrase this very well, I meant the guitar will return to the price you paid for it. New prices tend to go up, and the second hand price is usually a % of the current new price, therefore it gets dragged up too.
3-4 years is optomistic for that, but I know someone who recently sold an LP for the same price he bought it new and it was 4 years old at the time.
Agreed, it would take a lot longer for the sencond hand value to catch up with the current new value.
other big problem is that if it takes any length of time you have to take inflation into account, as that's going to eat into any gains in a pretty big way.
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other big problem is that if it takes any length of time you have to take inflation into account, as that's going to eat into any gains in a pretty big way.
Granted. I wasn't trying to say you won't lose money, just trying to say that Gibsons tend to gain it back again faster than most.
Jibidy, go play some Gibbo's, any and all you can get your paws on.
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Jibidy, go play some Gibbo's, any and all you can get your paws on.
+1, based on your responses to everything that's been said, that's what you gotta do....
(almost tempted to do so myself... :roll:, nah, fight it Andrew :lol:)
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I would say either go Custom, or buy 2nd hand.
Practically every guitar I've ever bought has been 2nd hand, and wouldn't even consider spending that amount of money on a new guitar.
Several years ago I got my 1998 Gibby LP Standard for £825, and it was fitted with Duncans when I got it. So I sold those, got some Mules for it, a setup and now it's a great guitar. I paid just over £600 for my 1997 PRS Custom 22 with Birds, which would've easilly been over £1000 new.
There's alot to be said for shopping around and buying used, it's worked out very well for me :)
For around £350 - £400 you could get a 2nd hand Japanese Tokai LP and with some work, don't see why you wouldn't like it as much as a Gibson in the long run. I really like mine now it's been setup and got RYs in it.
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Depends on how hung up you are on the Gibson name, if it has to be a Gibson buy one but I recommend the s/h route if you can.
My Gibson LP cost me £1450 brand spanking new, sold it two years later for £950 - £500 quid loss ouch!!! Swore I'd never buy new again.
Paid £300 for a s/h Tokai MIJ Love Rock a couple of months ago. In my opinion its as good as the Gibbo maybe not as pretty but its the tone we should be interested in! Its still worth £300 and will be in six months when my tastes change, as they frequently do :)
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Save up until you have enough for a Les Paul.
In the meantime, buy a 2nd hand epi or tokai that you can sell when you get the real deal. You will get most of your money back for the 2nd hand epi or tokai; just view it like a rental
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Granted. I wasn't trying to say you won't lose money, just trying to say that Gibsons tend to gain it back again faster than most.
sure :)
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If the money was there and someone said they wanted to get a Gibson I would say go and buy one now, but since we are talking about finance here thats why I advised the copy (SH) + bkps.
I was not talking about buying something just to sell I was talking about saving for the Gibson and then when you have the £1400 or so in the bank and the copy to sell you can really determine if the Gibson is worth the difference. You will know what you gave up to have it.
Then there is no chance that 6 months down the line you are paying for something you dont want anymore.
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buying a brand new guitar is like throwing a 1/4 of it's value down the drain soon as you leave the store - they don't hold their value at all.
be smart and play some used guitars, you'll save enough to buy some BKPs and have change left over.
I've only ever bought used guitars except my first guitar and a Les Paul classic plus bought for £1600 and sold a couple of years later for £1250. All my other guitars have been used and when sold I've always made my money back.
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$%&# it get the Gibson :lol: If you can definitely afford the monthly payments and you definitely want the Les Paul that much...
Let's assume you're getting about £5 an hour, and the LP Standard is rocking up to about £1400 nowadays, that's 280 hours of work, that's 16800 minutes, that's 1008000 seconds of your life. If 11.7 solid days work is worth a Gibson to you then do it!
Also make sure you check what you're paying APR-wise on a finance gig... Anything more than 0% and ur getting ripped off! :lol:
+9999
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i have a custom shop warren haynes les paul and i love it. theres something a bit magical about a good les paul i think. its not my main guitar at all and i could point out some design flaws that have been with the les paul forever but there is still something magical about it... i know that sounds like a stupid spiritual thing to say but its true ! when i wake up and look at my guitars the les paul gives off a nice warm glow of goodness which other (arguably better) guitars dont. im pretty sure i wouldent get that from an epiphone... i would pay the extra chunk for the smiles.
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buying a brand new guitar is like throwing a 1/4 of it's value down the drain soon as you leave the store - they don't hold their value at all.
be smart and play some used guitars, you'll save enough to buy some BKPs and have change left over.
I've only ever bought used guitars except my first guitar and a Les Paul classic plus bought for £1600 and sold a couple of years later for £1250. All my other guitars have been used and when sold I've always made my money back.
to some people, it's worth the extra to get something which you know is new. As long as you know that you're paying more and are ok with that, that doesn't make you stupid. it's just a different opinion.