Collecting Les Pauls, great article

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Author Message   Chazmo Username: Chazmo Registered: 3-2007 Posted on Sunday, September 02, 2007 - 7:50 pm:    The LA times published this a couple of weeks ago. Great read. I think it expresses some common, concerning thoughts about guitar collecting in general. I'm sure many of you will find this interesting (if this is a re-post, I apologize): http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-me-bu rst21aug21,0,5123547.story   Chucke99 Username: Chucke99 Registered: 2-2007 Posted on Sunday, September 02, 2007 - 8:07 pm:    Nice article. I am in love with bursts: The violin bursts of the Artists, the classic sunbursts of the strats and jazz, and the cherry bursts of the Performers and 2350's. -Chuck   Chazmo Username: Chazmo Registered: 3-2007 Posted on Sunday, September 02, 2007 - 8:25 pm:    Can't argue with that, Chuck. A beautiful guitar is a timeless thing...   Lofapco Username: Lofapco Registered: 7-2007 Posted on Sunday, September 02, 2007 - 9:29 pm:    Great article.... Makes me want to keep checking every pawn shop I drive by! Paul   Chucke99 Username: Chucke99 Registered: 2-2007 Posted on Monday, September 03, 2007 - 12:44 am:    So this 1960 Sunburst LP just went for $125K. I guess a '59 is worth $500K because it's a year older. Ebay Item #250159627561 -Chuck   Talajuha Username: Talajuha Registered: 11-2006 Posted on Monday, September 03, 2007 - 4:32 am:    $125k means 35 to 45 new Ibanez high end guitars or 20 to 30 rare collectible Ibanez's. $500k means ... too many ... Juha   Chazmo Username: Chazmo Registered: 3-2007 Posted on Monday, September 03, 2007 - 9:12 am:    I know what you mean, Paul! Yeah, good article isn't it. It's incredible that Les himself is so blown away by all this. Juha, there's no way to compare these to Ibanez products (yet). The seroius, life-changing collector money just isn't going after these products. That may never happen since the early IBZ stuff was mostly copycat, good as it may've been. But, if you spot a vintage Gibby or Fender in a pawn shop... ;-)   Ubetcha Username: Ubetcha Registered: 7-2006 Posted on Monday, September 03, 2007 - 12:50 pm:    I don't understand the LP mystique at all, I've never liked the things. Too heavy, body is too small, cost too much. I had a '69 goldtop deluxe about 25 years ago, and I hated it. But yeah, if I see one in a pawnshop & I'll snap it up no problemo.   Tonedef Username: Tonedef Registered: 3-2004 Posted on Monday, September 03, 2007 - 2:22 pm:    Thanks for posting the link. I would have missed this article otherwise, and it was very well written. Tonedef   Ccs Username: Ccs Registered: 3-2001 Posted on Monday, September 03, 2007 - 8:45 pm:    Good read,thanks. I myself never found one I had to have until a few years ago,at the age of 39,but I've always respected and enjoyed the mystique and legend of the model.Mine is only a '77 Custom though,nothing I can retire on. But they are still out there.When my uncle died,maybe 10 years ago,he still had has '54 Les Paul Jr and his '59 burst.Both bought new.My cousin,his son,has them now.So I myself still consider them one owner guitars.Just sitting in a house down in Pa. No need to say he's my favorite cousin   Chazmo Username: Chazmo Registered: 3-2007 Posted on Monday, September 03, 2007 - 9:08 pm:    Glad you guys are enjoying the article. Ccs, you may have a rich cousin there.   Dave_g Username: Dave_g Registered: 1-2002 Posted on Monday, September 03, 2007 - 11:37 pm:    Ccs....My second guitar , in High School, was a 1956 Les Paul Black Beauty (Just like Petes !) ..the so called "fretless Wonder"...I was never without that guitar until is was stolen in 1977. I paid $3000 for it in 1976......an absurd amount of $ ! I replaced it back in '77 with a 1969 SG standard (kinda like Petes !)that I bought for $200, which I still own !   Sixvsix Username: Sixvsix Registered: 3-2002 Posted on Tuesday, September 04, 2007 - 11:10 am:    I have 10 Lesters. That includes a couple of copies. Most of the Gibsons are between 8.4Ib and 8.13Ib and one is 9Ib on the nose. They all play roughly the same but they all sound different. Go figure six   Gemberbier Username: Gemberbier Registered: 5-2006 Posted on Tuesday, September 04, 2007 - 6:44 pm:    Although I was (and am) originally a Strat fan, I have a collection of Lesters too. It just happened. Single Cuts Two '78 Gibson The Pauls; one Epiphone LP Standard Cherry Sunburst; one Vantage DL-450 Bullion Gold (by Samick like the Epi, with a very low action and .009-0042 strings); Double Cuts: one '94 Gibson Les Paul Standard DC amber; one Yamaha SG400 cherry red (with .011 tops and .42 bottoms to compensate a neck torsion, caused by heavy bottom strings) one Ibanez ST-50 one Jarock ST-105 knock-off. Actually I hate heavy axes if I can't sit down, but it's a fact, they have a very good tone. Ergonomically nothing beats a Strat. The strings I normally use on the Lesters are .010-.046 (any brand) or .010-.042 (Gibson). The Vantage set-up however was so exceptionally good, that I left it that way. Ginger   Ccs Username: Ccs Registered: 3-2001 Posted on Tuesday, September 04, 2007 - 7:49 pm:    Dave....That was an insane amount of money back then!Well worth it I'm sure but wow!! That's really rough that it was stolen.Have you ever tried to trace it all these years later? With all these sites and registries you never know. My frets are about .021 and she plays great,just like her ancestors. What I love about her I also hate at times.The fact that she weighs in at 12.3 pounds.I'm not as young as I used to be.   Dave_g Username: Dave_g Registered: 1-2002 Posted on Tuesday, September 04, 2007 - 9:19 pm:    CCS, NAh..I never looked back. I managed to acculumate a large collection of SG's before I got my first LP as a college graduation present from my then girlfriend. Its a silverburst x-1 (pre-studio)..Has dirty fingers pups and weighs a TON...still have it. I have since aquired a number of burst standards, classics and my new toys-a pair of Studio Plus (?) I think thats the name. Anyway they are chambered bodies with sick flamed tops. All of my LP's (I have around 20 of them) have been refitted with Burstbucker PRos and vintage Gibson Embossed pup covers from the '71/72 era. I also replace the knobs with the old witchat knobs of the 70'•••••• is the look I want and ya can't beat the BB Pro's for near authentic PAF sound.   Roland_g303 Username: Roland_g303 Registered: 5-2007 Posted on Wednesday, September 05, 2007 - 3:55 pm:    That's a great article. I love the Ibanez gits, but I consider myself a Gibson guy by heart. I have a '70 deluxe gold top and I love it. I also have a... '65 ES 125 TDC '70 Melody Maker (Pelham Blue SG shape) '76 L6 '06 SG Junior (IMHO the best bargain Gibson out there today) There great guitars and if you get a chance pick up the DVD 'Les Paul: Chasing the Sound'...it was on PBS a while ago, but is available on DVD. It's great! What a genius. Patrick

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