theflyingturtle Posted May 21, 2017 Share Posted May 21, 2017 I hope this doesn’t come off as rude. It isn’t meant to be. This just seems like the best place to ask. To start off I would like to explain that I am trying to select and buy a Les Paul style guitar but my knowledge of electric guitars is too limited to know how to pick one. What I want is a great playing, sounding, and looking guitar in that order of importance. However, because I am a singer who plays acoustically 99% of the time I can’t see putting thousands into a nice LP because it won’t be used or cared about enough to justify. But where does that leave me when I have a use for a LP but not much need? Tone wise I like Mark Knofler, Gary Moore, and Slash’s lead tone on Knocking on Heaven’s Door. I characterize their tone as big, thick, fat, singing, with a nice bite to the pick attack. I want this guitar to sound like a LP as close as possible. Right now it seems there are three choices. 1. Buy an R8 or even a standard. It would scratch the itch but I am not that itchy. 2. A used Tokai, Heritage, or other similar guitar that will need no work. Good but pricy. 3. A cheap CL Epiphone/Agile/Studio. Then swap pickups and parts. It could get expensive and is it silly to put $200 pickups into a $200 guitar??? Right now that is what seems to be in front of me. Did I get that right and what would get me there? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Riffster Posted May 21, 2017 Share Posted May 21, 2017 In this situation I would go for this: https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/LPTR17SGNH Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theflyingturtle Posted May 21, 2017 Author Share Posted May 21, 2017 So, one vote for a decent, lower end Gibson? Okay. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabs Posted May 21, 2017 Share Posted May 21, 2017 Yeah id say the same.. They are all made in the same place by the same people.. The lower end ones just have less bling, thinner finish, no binding or MOP inlay... But they still play and sound great. What to look out for.. There are two main neck types on a Gibson, fatter rounded 50s neck and 60s slim taper. After that pretty much any Les Paul will get you that fat sound you are after if you have the appropriate amp.. Check this vid if you haven't seen it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabs Posted May 21, 2017 Share Posted May 21, 2017 To add to that.. Heres some interesting ones.. This is an Ash body LP.. pretty cool and I think it has quite hot pickups http://www.gibson.com/Products/Electric-Guitars/2017/USA/Les-Paul-Custom-Studio-S-Series.aspx The Tribute Ts are very pouplar http://www.gibson.com/Products/Electric-Guitars/2017/USA/Les-Paul-Tribute.aspx#LPTR17FHNH1 And then theres the Faded T http://www.gibson.com/Products/Electric-Guitars/2017/USA/Les-Paul-Faded.aspx All very cool guitars if you ask me :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Izzy Posted May 21, 2017 Share Posted May 21, 2017 I sold a fabulous 1994 Studio Gibson Les Paul. Sounded incredible, played amazing. Yes, it looked good too, but it wasn't fancy. I would buy a 90s LP if I bought one again, which I wouldn't because of my bad back. That is the ONLY reason I gave it up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theflyingturtle Posted May 21, 2017 Author Share Posted May 21, 2017 These LPs, they seem nicer than the Studio model. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SteveFord Posted May 22, 2017 Share Posted May 22, 2017 Get out there and play a couple. I picked my used Studio over ones costing a few thousand dollars more, it just felt better to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sparquelito Posted May 22, 2017 Share Posted May 22, 2017 Buy the Gibson. It'll hold its value. Everything else will depreciate. Think about your kids and loved ones, and those who will be left behind when you pass. How many sandwiches and jugs of milk will they be able to buy when they go and try to pawn a Tokai, Heritage, or Epiphone for God's sake?? :unsure: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldCowboy Posted May 22, 2017 Share Posted May 22, 2017 How much you play it is nobody's business but yours. You're likely to care more about it if it's a nice guitar. If comfort, sound, and looks matter - you can have all three with a decent Les Paul. Look at it this way: if you played mostly electric, why limit yourself to a budget acoustic? If you, in that circumstance, decided to stop playing acoustic and sell the thing, you'd probably be able to recoup most of your investment. Why be stuck with a cheap guitar and no money? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dennis G Posted May 22, 2017 Share Posted May 22, 2017 Buy the Gibson. It'll hold its value. Everything else will depreciate. Think about your kids and loved ones, and those who will be left behind when you pass. How many sandwiches and jugs of milk will they be able to buy when they go and try to pawn a Tokai, Heritage, or Epiphone for God's sake?? :unsure: Not to be a contrarian, but I have an '07 Gibby LP Standard that I paid approx $2400 USD for and today it's worth, guess what? about $2400 USD. I'd suggest you buy the one that talks to you, regardless of any presumed resale value. If you're buying for investments, than your in a whole different world. My two cents and YMMV. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Black Dog Posted May 22, 2017 Share Posted May 22, 2017 If you really want a tool, not art, then the Tribute T is a good way to go. If you want just a little art then the 2017 Gibson line up has all kinds of shinier guitars starting at not too much more... If you want other stuff like coil splitting, etc then it goes up. If you don't need to have a Gibson, any of the higher end Epi's are probably good, and shiny too (except for the really cool looking flat black 50's tribute)... Oh, and zZounds has the best selection that I have seen. They also have a bunch of 2016's that are less $$ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Megafrog Posted May 22, 2017 Share Posted May 22, 2017 I would go for the Tribute T. I have one and though I have a 58 VOS a Traditional and some studio Les Pauls, the Tribute T is my go to. I am not afraid of damaging it, it looks good and sounds great. A lot of bang for the buck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
merciful-evans Posted May 22, 2017 Share Posted May 22, 2017 Buy the Gibson. It'll hold its value. Everything else will depreciate. Think about your kids and loved ones, and those who will be left behind when you pass. How many sandwiches and jugs of milk will they be able to buy when they go and try to pawn a Tokai, Heritage, or Epiphone for God's sake?? :unsure: Tokai and other MIJ LPs have been commanding a pretty respectable price in my neck of the woods for many years. http://www.japanguitars.co.uk/ I bought a guitar from this fellow.... http://www.whitstableguitars.co.uk/ If I was in the shoes of the OP I would be looking at Gibson Studio HP, Maybach Lester series, or a used MIJ model. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sparquelito Posted May 22, 2017 Share Posted May 22, 2017 Not to be a contrarian, but I have an '07 Gibby LP Standard that I paid approx $2400 USD for and today it's worth, guess what? about $2400 USD. I'd suggest you buy the one that talks to you, regardless of any presumed resale value. If you're buying for investments, than your in a whole different world. My two cents and YMMV. To be fair, I did say that the Gibson will hold its value, while those other brands will depreciate. To be able to fetch $2,400 for a guitar that you paid $2,400 seven years ago is pretty darned good! (And I'm dismissing the 1950's early 1960's Gibson and Fenders from this discussion, because they obviously are in a league of their own when it comes to unbelievable appreciation in cash value... My comments were in the here and now.) My advice to the OP wasn't about 'investments' (as in collecting, buying, and selling purely for profit margin) but more in the vein of a common sense approach to making a guitar purchase. If you walk into a music store and there's a Chinese-made Fender Modern Player Telecaster selling for about the same price as a fully-loaded Indonesian Squier Telecaster, (and assuming they both talk to you), then the wiser purchase would be the Fender, and not the Squier. Just a few years later, the Fender will sell for close to what it MSRP'ed for, and the Squier will be worth much less. The 'Fender' on the headstock matters in the long run. No slight to Epiphone owners (and I have owned and loved Epiphones my whole life), but it's the same with Gibson and Epiphone, only the initial investment in the Gibson is bound to be a bit steeper. Apologies if I offended. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldCowboy Posted May 22, 2017 Share Posted May 22, 2017 It's hard to offer advice on something like this. No two of us will think exactly the same way or see instruments in the same way. We get caught up in things that may not matter to the OP and are potentially just more confusing. I tend to agree with Sparky's take on this, but in the final analysis the individual person is likely to trust their gut for good or for ill☺ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
american cheez Posted May 22, 2017 Share Posted May 22, 2017 if you dont want to spend alot of money but want a decent guitar, there are lots of options. the older tokais are great guitars, dean makes a single cut that is pretty good for about $400 new. there are some nice epiphones. but the best deal will be on an old gibson faded with a neck repair. $250-$300 and you'll have an awesome guitar. don't worry about resale value, that sound can be had from alot of places besides gibson. with your intended use of the guitar, there is no reason to spend alot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MichaelT Posted May 22, 2017 Share Posted May 22, 2017 I'm very happy with my Tribute T as well. I LOVE my Standard with the finish and all the other bells and whistles but the Tribute is a good player, feels and sounds like a Les Paul and in my opinion, it's a quality instrument for less than $1000.00. You might even be able to get a good used one or a price reduced one. And, the link posted to the Tribute on Sweetwater looks good. I've heard a lot of good things about Sweetwater and talked with one of their sales reps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pippy Posted May 22, 2017 Share Posted May 22, 2017 ...What I want is a great playing, sounding, and looking guitar in that order of importance... As has been touched upon by others here you are spoiled for choice but it mainly comes down to what you consider to be "great...looking". Carved-top LPs all play - essentially - exactly the same except where the neck profile is concerned. You may like a slim-taper neck; you may like a '60s profile neck; you may like a '50s profile neck. As you are primarily an acoustic player you might be more comfortable with slightly more heft to the neck than the first two mentioned and find a '50s more suited to your technique/preference. Only you will know this for sure and you should try out all styles before making a decision. All Les Pauls will sound like Les Pauls. Some will sound different to others, of course - P90s as opposed to PAF-style and so on - but they will still all sound like Les Pauls. Given your noted 'Player-list' I'd suggest a humbucker-equipped LP would best offer what you are after as these will give more of what is generally regarded as the 'classic' Les Paul sound. 'Looks' is the only really tricky one. What do you like? I think the Tribute Gold-Top in post #2 looks gorgeous and for $899 is an absolute steal. Having said that I have 4 LPs and they are all different variations of a Sunburst finish... Studios are great guitars fitted for much of their existence with exactly the same hardware as the high-status Les Paul Custom but offered simply without the 'Bling'. Do you want 'Bling'? Do you want binding to the body? Do you want a figured maple top? These details add quite a bit to the price without adding the slightest bit to the tone. How important to you are fancy looks? How much are you prepared to pay over-and-above for fancy looks? FWIW if it was me who was after a new Les Paul - and knowing what sort of stuff I like and what I consider to be 'important' - I'd go for a 2017 LP Traditional T. IMO it offers the best mix of my preferred hardware and very good looks for a reasonable price. YMMV. Pip. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Plains Posted May 22, 2017 Share Posted May 22, 2017 Maybe state what your neck preference is and a more accurate budget. You're not going to buy a R8 if you're not willing to spend thousands. Maybe get a Studio if you don't care for binding, around $800 used, and throw in a good set of aftermarket pickups. Personally, I would go for one made before 2006. They have 9 weight relief holes and are generally in the 9-11 lb range. Sept/Oct onwards have chambered bodies, more hollow, and don't sound the same. Not saying they sound bad, they're just different. Not to be a contrarian, but I have an '07 Gibby LP Standard that I paid approx $2400 USD for and today it's worth, guess what? about $2400 USD. I think you are a little optimistic. More like $1,400 - $1,700 for a Standard if you actually want to sell it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rct Posted May 22, 2017 Share Posted May 22, 2017 I'll offer my advice from a long life of experience: Spend Money. Yer welcome. rct Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Black Dog Posted May 22, 2017 Share Posted May 22, 2017 I'll offer my advice from a long life of experience: Spend Money. Yer welcome. rct Leave it to a Jersey boy to get right down to it... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Farnsbarns Posted May 22, 2017 Share Posted May 22, 2017 I'd stop looking. If aesthetics come last it seems obvious you should be out trying them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dennis G Posted May 22, 2017 Share Posted May 22, 2017 To be fair, I did say that the Gibson will hold its value, while those other brands will depreciate... Apologies if I offended. No apology necessary and no offense taken or intended either. I'll admit to misreading "Hold value" thinking "appreciation". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldCowboy Posted May 22, 2017 Share Posted May 22, 2017 I'll offer my advice from a long life of experience: Spend Money. Yer welcome. rct Therein lies the bitter truth. And the clean truth w/all the BS hosed off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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