Epiphone Les Paul Custom

[hixmix]

(and I have a hard time calling 70's 'vintage',

Yes. The amount of time needed to pass before something is deemed 'vintage' seems to shrink every year. As misused and overused a term as 'classic'.

 

[jimistone]

$650...oh OK I thought they were higher than that.

I guess I will have to take my other post back and change my thinking.

If I really wanted a les paul custom bad...and had enough money to buy a brand new epi. I would try to save another $500 and find a 70's era Gibson. If I found one and couln't get them to come down to $1000...I would probably borrow a couple of hundred if it was one I really liked and wanted.

Like I said, the older Gibsons are safe investments...they are not going down anytime soon. The old guitar price books show them valued at $1200 to $1500...on many of the 70's era pauls. That means there are deals out there for under a grand if you are patiant and look a while.
That is the best deal on a les paul custom out there!!....
I don't believe these low prices will last forever. Man, I have seen the value of my 66 strat soar in recent years. It wasn't even seen as collectable until the late 80's.

I had a 70's era custom that I sold a while back, and it played and sounded better than the brand new ones do now IMO.
It would be the way I would go on if trying to put a les paul custom in my hands

IMO it is better to save for the gibson.

That being said, if my heart was set on an epi....I would find a used one for $250 or $300.

 

[jimistone]

I have been looking on ebay...there are several 70's era gibsons in the $1000 range...nice ones. There is a nice natural finish one that need electronics for under $500 (that would be the one I bought if I was shopping)

Check out this one...with a $549 "buy it now" option

Gibson Les Paul Custom Supreme imported from China. Nearly brand new condition. Gold hardware looks new. This guitar plays great. Don't be fooled and buy an imported one that's unplayable. I took it to a shop and had everything adjusted on it - action, intonation, and frets. The guitar tech thought it was a USA Gibson until I told him it wasn't. This thing is heavy, like the real thing. About 8 or 9 pounds. All electronics work perfectly. Used Hardshell case included, that is fully functional. It is not a crummy cardboard one; case has 1 missing latch. Guitar says Made in USA on the head with an official looking serial number, but it is an import. This is as close to the real thing as you can get for a fraction of the cost. A USA Gibson Les Paul Supreme will set you back $2000 +. Winning bidder will definitely not be dissapointed. Shipping is $40 to lower 48. Serious bidders only please. Feel free to email with any questions you may have.

It is a very cool looking paul IMO!

 

[jimistone]

I love this style of fretboard inlay

 

[PhiloBeddoe]

To each his own, but I would personally not support these Chinese fakes. I have never played one, but you can bet they are built from the cheapest available materials and sound horrible. They are also obviously not authentic Gibsons so they have no resale value.

Counterfeit goods are rampant in China. Beware. They manufacture counterfeit versions of nearly everything there. There was an instance of counterfeit milk powder being sold to about 12 unsuspecting mothers whose babies died as a result.

OK, I'm off the pulpit now. Hey, try that Epi LP Custom out. They are easy to find in stores. If it sounds good then go for it!

 

[mike2731]

WOW, a lot of info and opinion here guys. Thanks a bunch. Thankfully, the small town I live in has just about nothing in quality guitar shops, but there is a little shop down the road that has a Gibson dealership. I've been looking around on ebay and have noticed a lot of Gibson LP Customs only sell in the $1500-2000 range, so maybe that could be an option after all (if I sell a few other things). I REALLY like the Alpine White LP's with the gold hardware. I will try to get to the local store to try a few out though.

 

[hixmix]

I had a 70's era custom that I sold a while back, and it played and sounded better than the brand new ones do now IMO.

Yes. That's the thing. If you pay the extra money for a really good new guitar now, the expensive, choice woods are going to age well and sound even better as time passes.

 

[karma1]

I had an Epi Les Paul Custom for a while. I liked the guitar, but the main problem for me was that it was unbelievably heavy and uncomfortable to play. I didn't care for the stock pickups and changed them for Gibson 490R/498T, but I didn't like them either. Soon after I sold it and got a '92 Gibson Les Paul Studio Lite. I put a Seymour Duncan Seth Lover humbucker in the neck and it sounds wonderful. The Studio has the ebony fingerboard and slim 60's style neck compared to the wider neck on the Epi. It's a great guitar and weighs about the same as my Strat.

 

[BrentDomann]

I've never played one, but I've heard a bit about the "Orville" brand name. Apparently it's made by Gibson in Japan, and the quality is up there. You'd probably have to buy used off of eBay (which can be a fricking mess), but they might be worth a look.

And for those headstock fiends, the Orvilles have good ol' Gibson headstocks. A little electrical tape and you'll look like a Gibson owner who hates marque-pushing.

And, for my curiosity, if there are any owners out there, I'd like to hear a review.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orville_By_Gibson

 

[Lt. Bob]

I have the Zak Wilde Epi and I like it quite a bit.