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right price for '47 LG-2?


sumner77

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Greetings. Wish I had photos, but I played a '47 LG-2 at a local shop today that had a very fine vintage sound. I came in to play a Legends L-00, which I liked a lot. Even I know the obvious; they are different guitars, but to me they are both small body gibsons. As nice as the L-00 was, the LG-2 sounded like a house with an extra room or two. Let me also say the LG-2 was fairly heavily oversprayed, not refinished, will need a neck set in a few years, but was pretty crack free.

 

What I would love to know is what you guys think is a fair price for a late 40's great sounding, VG+ condition LG-2? They want $3,000, which seems high to me.

 

Thanks

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The right LG-2 can be so sweet. 40's and 50's are exceptional. Prices seem to vary quite a bit as each one is different. $3K is high end from what I have seen for that year, but if the right instrument, not totally unreasonable.

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I know I will never change the mind of anyone who wants a vintage guitar, but I am going to simply offer these questions:

 

If you take $3000 and look at the used market, what two or three recently made guitars might you end up with for your cash? How much playing versatility would those purchases give you that a single LG-2 may not?

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I bought a '47 LG-2 last year and paid $2800 for it. It was from a private party who would have listed it for $3000 had I not picked it up. It was in very good condition- needed nothing. excellent action, saddle height, etc. Essentially a one owner guitar. Banners in similar condition are pushing $4000. I would say $3000 could be reasonable.

 

I was offered a trade for it that I couldn't pass on, but it was a sweet little guitar!

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What does "pretty crack free" mean? Is that like "sorta not pregnant"? :-k If any cracks at all, it will affect value. As will the overspray. Factor in the neck-reset (even if a "few" years away) and probable refret, and the potential market is reduced a bit. Still, $3,000, although at the high end of the spectrum, doesn't seem out of the ballpark. But, I would do some comparison shopping at the vintage dealers and on gbase.com. Pay particular attention to condition issues to help you get a sense of how they're affecting the asking prices.

 

As an aside, I have a Greven made repro of a 1934 LOO and a 1946 LG-2. While I love the Greven, there's nothing like a true vintage small body Gibson. If you love it, can afford it, go for it. But, if you can talk him down a bit, mucho better.

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Thanks y'all. No hurry to rush and buy this particular guitar, then, though it seems I've discovered a rich vein of instruments to hunt from. I am becoming guilty of 'vintage bias', but it seems to me if you are hunting at the high end, and in new instruments that includes Gibson Legends, Greven, Santa Cruz, etc, then the lessor known small body LG-2's are a good bet. I have played damn few 30's L-00s, but none have yet sounded as good as this LG-2.

 

San Francisco, when I wrote that phrase I knew I'd want it back. What I shoulda said was that after a quick look with my amateur eyes it had no cracks.

 

One last question to LG-2 players: is there a fairly big difference between the late 40's guitars and the early 50's?

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I know I will never change the mind of anyone who wants a vintage guitar' date=' but I am going to simply offer these questions:

 

If you take $3000 and look at the used market, what two or three recently made guitars might you end up with for your cash? How much playing versatility would those purchases give you that a single LG-2 may not?

 

[/quote']

 

I am with Ballcorner!

 

To some this is heresy but don't we all spend ages extolling the build quality of Bozeman, the return to traditional manufacturing methods of the True Vintage range (for example)

 

All Bc is saying is "consider" what else one could do with $??? or £000s.

 

Nothing wrong with vintage bias, nothing wrong with "igottahavenewitesa"

 

There's consideration there.

 

Or is it a debate?

 

Or a conflict?

 

Or a GAS attack?

 

And that conundrum is why we love suffering it and talking about it!

 

For me?

 

New sounds good, if I could buy new ( OK Nuff Said NOT going there again !)

 

Can't afford "vintage". ( I have trolled around and settled on the fcat( pro-tem) that my next is a J200 Variant. If anyone can sponsor a 46 RW then I will dance to their tune)

 

As JK has done his very best to point out "vintage" as a word/description is ambiguous.

 

Here, in the UK, a Vintage car is declined as being built prior to 1930.

 

The defination of a "vintage guitar" is somewaht different. I know my 79 J45 ain't and a 47 LG possibly is but where is the line

 

And really does it matter?

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I also had a '53 LG 3. The neck was just too narrow for Hoss to put up with. If you like large necks, you're more apt to run into them with the versions from the 40's.

 

For the record, I like the L-00 model quite a bit more than the LG2. With prices for LG2s jumping up over 3k, I'd keep the L00 on my short list. A good one is special.

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