Joe M Posted March 15, 2019 Share Posted March 15, 2019 I've got a line on one of these, the older, original version with the HB in the bridge, not the newer models. The seller says the guitar was made in 2011, but I'm pretty sure I read somewhere they were only made for two years, 2007 and 2008. Which one of us is wrong, me or the seller? Also, what would be a good price for the guitar, assuming it's in original condition? Thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sparquelito Posted March 16, 2019 Share Posted March 16, 2019 I've got a line on one of these, the older, original version with the HB in the bridge, not the newer models. The seller says the guitar was made in 2011, but I'm pretty sure I read somewhere they were only made for two years, 2007 and 2008. Which one of us is wrong, me or the seller? Also, what would be a good price for the guitar, assuming it's in original condition? Thanks. You are correct, mostly. The original Gibson Les Paul BFG and the BFG Limited Edition variants, were only made in 2007 and 2008. The Gibson Les Paul BFG Gator model, and the BFG Tremolo models, however, were made in 2011 and 2012. I hope this helps. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sparquelito Posted March 16, 2019 Share Posted March 16, 2019 The BFG Tremolo would go for $975 in mint condition. The BFG Gator, $875. The BFG Limited Edition, LPLP 2007-2008, $2,500. The BFG Limited Edition 2008, $1,000. And finally, the original and first BFG, $850. Weird, I know. This is according to Fjestad's Blue Book. :( Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabs Posted March 16, 2019 Share Posted March 16, 2019 (edited) The BFG Tremolo would go for $975 in mint condition. The BFG Gator, $875. The BFG Limited Edition, LPLP 2007-2008, $2,500. The BFG Limited Edition 2008, $1,000. And finally, the original and first BFG, $850. Weird, I know. This is according to Fjestad's Blue Book. :( They also did a Gary Moore one.. I had one for a while.. Was an awesome guitar but the neck was too fat for me.. I think my one cost about £850 and was made in 2009... There does seem to be some 2011s out there though https://reverb.com/item/14222947-2011-gibson-bfg-les-paul https://reverb.com/uk/item/232535-gibson-les-paul-bfg-2011-gator-green-black-studio-p90-all-original-original-bag This was my one Edited March 16, 2019 by Rabs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AngelDeVille Posted March 16, 2019 Share Posted March 16, 2019 The BFG Tremolo would go for $975 in mint condition. The BFG Gator, $875. The BFG Limited Edition, LPLP 2007-2008, $2,500. The BFG Limited Edition 2008, $1,000. And finally, the original and first BFG, $850. Weird, I know. This is according to Fjestad's Blue Book. :( That’s a confusing short history... I got one of the newer p90 versions, I wish I had the humbucker in the bridge like the older version. Very nice guitar. And well worth the clearance price. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe M Posted March 16, 2019 Author Share Posted March 16, 2019 Thanks for the info, guys, I appreciate it.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
01GT eibach Posted March 17, 2019 Share Posted March 17, 2019 Lookds like the new ones w/ humbuckers or P90s are going for $649 at the moment New BFG Ebony Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AngelDeVille Posted March 17, 2019 Share Posted March 17, 2019 Lookds like the new ones w/ humbuckers or P90s are going for $649 at the moment New BFG Ebony Dude! That’s tempting to pick up another, I got mine for $729... I’d get a HB model and put some ******* covers on the pickups... I am not a Neanderthal.... We don’t have uncovered humbuckers in this household. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
01GT eibach Posted March 17, 2019 Share Posted March 17, 2019 Dude! That’s tempting ... I know. Me too! LOL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eclecticsynergy Posted March 18, 2019 Share Posted March 18, 2019 They also did a Gary Moore one.. I had one for a while.. Was an awesome guitar but the neck was too fat for me.. I think my one cost about £850 and was made in 2009... There does seem to be some 2011s out there though https://reverb.com/item/14222947-2011-gibson-bfg-les-paul https://reverb.com/uk/item/232535-gibson-les-paul-bfg-2011-gator-green-black-studio-p90-all-original-original-bag This was my one That's a nice one. I favor fatter necks myself. Also happen to love P90 neck tone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cooltouch Posted March 20, 2019 Share Posted March 20, 2019 Yep, $649 was too tempting for me. I bought one yesterday. I was after one with P90s, which seem to be harder to find than the HB models. Fortunately, I found one at a local Guitar Center, so quick like a bunny rabbit, I scooted over there and grabbed it. A very interesing guitar. It is rough. Relic'd in a way -- or just intentionally crudely finished. Except the neck and fingerboard, which are very nicely done. I was expecting a fatter neck profile, but it is very close to the Slim-60s profile. I actually like that it doesn't have any fingerboard inlays. I've played classical for many years and I like that clean look. As long as it has the side markers, that's all I need anyway. My BFG plays great -- as nicely as my regular Les Paul. And that P90 sound, well, I just love it. So I am very happy with what I have. Really, rough or not, I consider this to be a spectacular deal on a Gibson. Especially a LP with P90s. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabs Posted March 20, 2019 Share Posted March 20, 2019 Yep, $649 was too tempting for me. I bought one yesterday. I was after one with P90s, which seem to be harder to find than the HB models. Fortunately, I found one at a local Guitar Center, so quick like a bunny rabbit, I scooted over there and grabbed it. A very interesing guitar. It is rough. Relic'd in a way -- or just intentionally crudely finished. Except the neck and fingerboard, which are very nicely done. I was expecting a fatter neck profile, but it is very close to the Slim-60s profile. I actually like that it doesn't have any fingerboard inlays. I've played classical for many years and I like that clean look. As long as it has the side markers, that's all I need anyway. My BFG plays great -- as nicely as my regular Les Paul. And that P90 sound, well, I just love it. So I am very happy with what I have. Really, rough or not, I consider this to be a spectacular deal on a Gibson. Especially a LP with P90s. Yes.. BFGs have their own thing going on don't they.. I get why people may be put off by the unfinishedness of them but like you I really liked it a lot.. The one I had, had the P90/Humbucker combo and one of the most interesting things about it was the sound of the middle position.. Unlike any other I have heard. Its a monstrous sound, sort of like you can hear the pickups fighting each other, but in a good way :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cooltouch Posted March 20, 2019 Share Posted March 20, 2019 Heh, I know what you mean. I also own an old Kramer Focus 1000 that originally had a single HB in the bridge position. I modified it by putting a P90 in the neck position. Turned that guitar into an awesome, flexible screamer. And yeah, the middle position does indeed produce an interesting sound. Kramer Focus 1000 circa 1986 by Michael McBroom, on Flickr I've been kicking around the idea of stripping the BFG and taking a sander to the top -- smoothing it down, then refinishing it. But I'd probably kill its resale value if I did that. I just need to get used to the coarse nature of the guitar, I tell myself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cooltouch Posted March 21, 2019 Share Posted March 21, 2019 (edited) I couldn't resist tweaking the looks of my new BFG. I just really didn't like the looks of the very pale, very dry rosewood fingerboard. And since it doesn't have any fret markers, which makes the fingerboard look like a classical's I decided to push it a bit further. All good classicals have ebony fingerboards. So I decided to use an old luthier's trick and dye mine black. Yep. I used Fiebing's Leather Dye, which is the dye to use if you ever want to dye wood black, btw. Except for you folks in California, who can't buy it because of who knows what weird law you people have to put up with. Good thing about Fiebing's is, because it is a dye, it soaks into the wood, so it won't rub off after extended playing. So here's a pic of my BFG with ebony-look fingerboard. Edited March 21, 2019 by cooltouch Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe M Posted March 22, 2019 Author Share Posted March 22, 2019 As the op in this thread, I kinda switched horses in this race and bought the newer version BFG from GC. For $649, how can you go wrong? Since I’m a Tele/Strat player, I wanted one with the p90’s, not the HB’s. It’s the perfect alternative to the Fender single coils, more balls without overdriving an amp like buckers can. Really like the guitar, the chambered body makes it light for a Paul. Plus, the guy selling the older BFG on CL wanted way too much money. Win, win. The only real thing I don’t like about the guitar is the light-colored fretboard. So, cooltouch, can you give me more details about how you dyed your board? It looks great and would love to give it a try...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cooltouch Posted March 23, 2019 Share Posted March 23, 2019 (edited) Joe, Fiebing's is actually very easy to use. I bought my bottle (4 oz) at a Tandy's Leather Crafts store for about $7. It comes with a fluffy swab on a metal handle and I recommend using this swab to apply it with. One thing I didn't do that I recommend is sanding down the sides of the fingerboard. The sides are finished with whatever Gibson used to finish the neck. Because the sides are finished, the Fiebing's doesn't adhere. I haven't done it yet, but what I'm gonna do is mask off the sides of the fingerboard, lightly sand it down with probably 400 or 600 grit sandpaper, then cut out pieces of adhesive backed paper -- like stickers -- the size of the fret markers, place them on the markers to mask them, then swab down the sides. OK, what I did to color the fingerboard was dead simple. I just dipped the swab in the Fiebing's bottle, then pressed it against the inside edge of the bottle to remove excess liquid. Then I just swabbed down the fingerboard. I noticed as I was doing so that there were areas where the dye sort of welled up, so I went back over these areas to remove the excess. Fiebing's dries very quickly, so after only a few minutes, I was able to take a paper towel and scrub down the fingerboard. There was very little residue that came off onto the paper towel. Scrubbing down the fingerboard with a paper towel also removed all dye from the frets, and the small amount of dye I got onto the nut. The result was impressive. It looks like an ebony fingerboard -- except for the sides, which I will be taking care of as soon as I can find my stash of sandpaper. And it doesn't rub off. Ever. But even if it were to, all I'll have to do is touch it up again with more Fiebing's. And with all that leftover Fiebing's you have -- an almost full bottle -- you can redye any of your black shoes, your wife's black purses, and anything else that's leather that you want to be jet black (again). And of course, you can dye any other of your guitars' non-ebony fingerboards with this stuff. Edited March 24, 2019 by cooltouch Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe M Posted March 26, 2019 Author Share Posted March 26, 2019 (edited) cooltouch, Thanks for the info, definitely gonna have to give it a try, if I can find the stuff.... EDIT TO ADD: Hmmm, happened to think, because you didn't sand down the sides of the fretboard, does it look like the board is bound??? Edited March 26, 2019 by Joe M Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cooltouch Posted March 27, 2019 Share Posted March 27, 2019 (edited) Bound? I wish. This is the first Gibson I've ever owned without a bound fingerboard. I've even fantasized about how I could go about installing binding on it. Whereabouts are you located? If in the US and not in California, you should be able to find the stuff. Mail order, if nothing else. If not, I'd recommend you go to a a shoe repair facility, or a leather crafts store, and ask what they use for leather dye. Edited March 27, 2019 by cooltouch Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cooltouch Posted March 30, 2019 Share Posted March 30, 2019 Well, I thought I'd add a little update to my dye project. Yesterday, I dyed the edges of the fingerboard. I did much as I described above. I masked off the fingerboard, then lightly sanded it with 320 grit sandpaper (couldn't find any 400, but 320 is plenty fine enough). I tried cutting out some tiny circles from sticker material, but failed miserably at it. They're just too tiny for scissors, and I didn't feel like messing with a X-acto blade for this. So I just went ahead and applied the dye, hoping for the best. So I used the applicator, from which I squeezed out excess, and it was really nothing more than a couple of swipes with the applicator and that was it. I let the fingerboard dry for about five minutes, then scrubbed down the edges with a paper towel, then peeled off the masking tape. Looked great, except that I couldn't see the side fretboard markers anymore. So I tried scratching away the dye from the little circles with my thumbnail. That actually worked pretty well. But they're no longer bright white like they used to be. And as a result, hard to pick up in dim lighting. I find this kinda annoying, so rather than try anything too aggressive with them, which might remove dye or fingerboard material, I think I'm gonna try an old classical guitarist's trick. Since almost no classicals have fingerboard side dots, but since many classical players like to have these dots, what we do is use a silver colored fingernail polish. Just one light dot of the stuff at each of the frets where a dot is desired. I don't have any at present. I bought some stuff some years back that I thought was silver but it has a magenta cast to it, and goes on looking pink. I've been putting up with the color, but I've decided I'll wait with this Les Paul until I can get some proper silver, or else figure out another way to brighten up the dots. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
01GT eibach Posted March 30, 2019 Share Posted March 30, 2019 ... It looks like an ebony fingerboard -- except for the sides, which I will be taking care of as soon as I can find my stash of sandpaper ... The final result was impressive -- looked very good. Did the sides go as planned? Would you had done something special if the guitar had fret markers (blocks, traps, or dots)? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabs Posted March 30, 2019 Share Posted March 30, 2019 Well, I thought I'd add a little update to my dye project. Yesterday, I dyed the edges of the fingerboard. I did much as I described above. I masked off the fingerboard, then lightly sanded it with 320 grit sandpaper (couldn't find any 400, but 320 is plenty fine enough). I tried cutting out some tiny circles from sticker material, but failed miserably at it. They're just too tiny for scissors, and I didn't feel like messing with a X-acto blade for this. So I just went ahead and applied the dye, hoping for the best. So I used the applicator, from which I squeezed out excess, and it was really nothing more than a couple of swipes with the applicator and that was it. I let the fingerboard dry for about five minutes, then scrubbed down the edges with a paper towel, then peeled off the masking tape. Looked great, except that I couldn't see the side fretboard markers anymore. So I tried scratching away the dye from the little circles with my thumbnail. That actually worked pretty well. But they're no longer bright white like they used to be. And as a result, hard to pick up in dim lighting. I find this kinda annoying, so rather than try anything too aggressive with them, which might remove dye or fingerboard material, I think I'm gonna try an old classical guitarist's trick. Since almost no classicals have fingerboard side dots, but since many classical players like to have these dots, what we do is use a silver colored fingernail polish. Just one light dot of the stuff at each of the frets where a dot is desired. I don't have any at present. I bought some stuff some years back that I thought was silver but it has a magenta cast to it, and goes on looking pink. I've been putting up with the color, but I've decided I'll wait with this Les Paul until I can get some proper silver, or else figure out another way to brighten up the dots. Scrape the dots with a sharp edge... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cooltouch Posted March 31, 2019 Share Posted March 31, 2019 (edited) 01GT Eibach, good question. Because fret markers are non-porous, I could probably apply the dye and wipe it off without problems. But I think that what I'd do, just to be sure, would be to test it out on a portion of a fret marker or block, and see what happens. If it looks like it might be a problem removing the dye, then for sure, I'd mask off the fret markers or blocks with masking tape. Fancy shaped markers would be a real PITA though -- like those found on a PRS, for example -- so I hope I never have to do one of those fingerboards. Rabs, that's a good idea. Scraping with my fingernails didn't work all that well, but something like a knife edge might work better. I'll give that a try with the dots on my BFG before I resort to fingernail polish. Edited March 31, 2019 by cooltouch Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cooltouch Posted April 2, 2019 Share Posted April 2, 2019 Just a quick follow up. Rabs, I took your advice. I used a sharp knife and carefully scraped away the dye from the fret markers. Worked great! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabs Posted April 2, 2019 Share Posted April 2, 2019 Just a quick follow up. Rabs, I took your advice. I used a sharp knife and carefully scraped away the dye from the fret markers. Worked great! Always good to hear back, cheers.. Good job Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AngelDeVille Posted April 3, 2019 Share Posted April 3, 2019 So where’s the pictures? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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