Do I NEED a Les Paul?

[Armistice]

I have the opportunity to buy a friend's LP Standard tobacco sunburst, hardly ever played, near mint condition for considerably less than a new one would cost...

He'll sell it to me for $2000 Australian - new, the best they get around here seems to be $3500 (no, I'm not making this up, that's what they cost in Aus...). He's selling it because he wants to buy his son a motorbike and if I don't buy it it'll end up on eBay...

Although I've always told myself I'd get an LP one day, I don't play electric guitar much of late and I already have a PRS Custom 22, so it's not like I'm lacking a choice instrument.

Also, I've never played this guitar, and my friend lives in another state, so I can't just drive over to his house and give it a strum, it'd have to be bought unplayed by me...

The guitar collecting side of me says "get it" but the rational person says "you'll never use it".

What to do?

Opinions please...

 

[32-20-Blues]

Get it. You'll regret it in a few years when you get back into playing guitar, or when you too need to buy your son a motorbike. Think of it as an investment.

 

[pikingrin]

Get it. You'll regret it in a few years when you get back into playing guitar, or when you too need to buy your son a motorbike. Think of it as an investment.

+1 Why the hell not? I mean, c'mon... eh? c'mooooon...

 

[Anfontan]

As the voice of reason in the back of your mind, and if you have the money to spare-I advise you to go for it!

 

[ez_willis]

It's an investment. It will go up in value.

 

[Flamin Lip]

I fall in and out of love w/ my LP, but if what u say about market value in AU is correct, and you arent spending yr kids daiper money to get it, go for it. It wont go down in value!

 

[punkin]

Do you need it...NO. Do you want it...OBVIOUSLY.

Nothing quite like a Gibby LP. Like one of the previous posters stated, I too fall in and out of love with them but would never get rid of them. They have their own sound and when things are jammin' just right, they're the perfect guitar for the moment. They're so very versitile to boot.

If you're a player and you've got the cash flow. I'd say pick it up. Do your homework first make sure it's a legit guitar and that you're getting a fair deal. If nothing else...put it in the case, and sell it again in a few years. You'll break even.


Good luck!

 

[c7sus]

Nobody needs a Les Paul.

But if you have the coin there's lot's worse things you could blow it on than an LP.

 

[Gorty]

I have the opportunity to buy a friend's LP Standard tobacco sunburst, hardly ever played, near mint condition for considerably less than a new one would cost...

He'll sell it to me for $2000 Australian - new, the best they get around here seems to be $3500 (no, I'm not making this up, that's what they cost in Aus...). He's selling it because he wants to buy his son a motorbike and if I don't buy it it'll end up on eBay...

Although I've always told myself I'd get an LP one day, I don't play electric guitar much of late and I already have a PRS Custom 22, so it's not like I'm lacking a choice instrument.

Also, I've never played this guitar, and my friend lives in another state, so I can't just drive over to his house and give it a strum, it'd have to be bought unplayed by me...

The guitar collecting side of me says "get it" but the rational person says "you'll never use it".

What to do?

Opinions please...

Buy it!




You will get more than $3500 for it in a few years here in Australia if you decide you want to sell it!

 

[Codmate]

It sounds as though you could sell it on immediately for a profit, so you can't really lose - unless the guitar is in a real state!

 

[dave.....]

les paul

buy it ..... play it..... love it....

 

[metalj]

Makes nice wall art while your not playing it.

 

[gcapel]

Investment indeed. You buy stocks when the cost is low and sell when it's high. If it were me I would play it. Besides, everybody needs a les paul. Tobacco burst is a great finish as well. I'm sure you will tell a significant difference in the LP and PRS.

 

[perceive]

Well all I can say is $2000 or less for a standard... well.. the ebay prices are higher than that as a general rule... look at the retail prices on them in .au and at the least you will have a guitar you will love... at worst you may turn a profit if you think it is not you... if you have the cash to do it ... well... I wouldn't be holding back too much longer....

 

[Unsprung]

I once thought I didn't need a Les Paul, and earlier this year bought an Ibanez JTK2 Jet King for the "solid body/dual humbuckers, but without the Les Paul price" factor. Then I turn around, late this summer (and totally on a whim) I ordered an Epiphone Les Paul Jr. 90 from Musician's Friend. Sure it's a Paul with a single (bridge) P90, but with the addition of a Bigsby B5 it'll be one of my main surf guitars. A few months ago, I tried a Gibson Les Paul Faded Double Cutaway (two P90s), at Guitar Center, and completely fell in love with it. As soon as I can get that one, and add a Bigsby B5 to it, I'll use it for rockabilly, surf and surfabilly.

Matt

 

[ausrock]

Dave (Armi),

I hate having to say this, but buy the bloody thing at that price cause the Studio Plus I have, you know the one you were thinking about .............well mate, I can't come anywhere near that Std's price by 5 or 6 hundred.

As to whether you need it or not..........................well NO, you really need a Desertburst Studio Plus

Chris

 

[Armistice]

Now how did I know you'd all say that....

Thanks people and happy new year - I'm pleased to report that on the first day of the working year, the skies have opened and it's bucketing down.... could the drought be ending?

Hey Chris / Aus - I was actually trying to get hold of you to ask you a question about how I'd go about shipping the damn thing from deepest darkest rural Queensland down to the big smoke but your PM box was full, and as usual I've lost your email address, although mebbe it's on my home PC... any ideas on the best way to transport it?

Also, talking of the desertburst, you'll recall that there was one of the wall in Allans in Sydney that I went and had a look at to see what I might have been buying.... well it's still there... was that like 2 years ago now or something?

I'm surprised you still have yours actually....

My only problem with the friend's LP is that it has the scratch plate already attached, and I'm not a fan of those, but still, for the price...

 

[Chris Shaeffer]

I bought an LP Custom new back in the early 90's when I was still a teenager living at home with no bills. Took me a year to save up for it.

I'm *never* letting that thing go. I LOVE playing it. Paid $1100 for it and could probably get almost twice that if I ever needed to sell it. I play an accoustic more, now, and have a Gibson Chet Atkins that gets more playtime than the LP- but I'm so glad I have that thing and haven't sold it over the years.

I'd say buy it if you can afford it. You can take the scratch plate off- if its the same thing we call a pickguard here in the States.

 

[notCardio]

I don't know what 2 grand is in $US

but if it's a tobacco s/b in good shape, you should buy it and then sell it to me!

I've been really jonesing for a tobacco s/b for several years now, and lo and behold, I've got a bit of cash in my pocket.

This does not bode well for me.

 

[perceive]

Now how did I know you'd all say that....

Thanks people and happy new year - I'm pleased to report that on the first day of the working year, the skies have opened and it's bucketing down.... could the drought be ending?

Hey Chris / Aus - I was actually trying to get hold of you to ask you a question about how I'd go about shipping the damn thing from deepest darkest rural Queensland down to the big smoke but your PM box was full, and as usual I've lost your email address, although mebbe it's on my home PC... any ideas on the best way to transport it?

Also, talking of the desertburst, you'll recall that there was one of the wall in Allans in Sydney that I went and had a look at to see what I might have been buying.... well it's still there... was that like 2 years ago now or something?

I'm surprised you still have yours actually....

My only problem with the friend's LP is that it has the scratch plate already attached, and I'm not a fan of those, but still, for the price...

So have you bought it yet?