canon_mutant Posted February 25, 2009 Share Posted February 25, 2009 Well, if I'm actually going to do this I'm down to this decision. I have a connection that can get me either of these for $5499. On the one hand since that's two REALLY nice guitars and three nice guitars, this is really not a justifiable decision but remember I'm the guy turning 50 this year and I have always wanted THE Les Paul from my year of birth. So, any opinions on which would hold its value better? The 50th R9 and my 50th birthday is entirely too cool but this quilt top is everybit as gorgeous in its own way as the 50th R9s I've seen and it has a signed by Les Paul pickguard. The Traditional and Custom are the less expensive LPs on my shortlist but this "I'm turning 50" this year thing is getting the best of me! Midlife crisis. At least I'm not buying a red Corvette and running around on my wife! thoughts appreciated, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Plains Posted February 25, 2009 Share Posted February 25, 2009 I don't like quilt tops, personally. They're too busy. If you're going to buy a guitar based on how well it'll hold it's value you're buying for the wrong reasons because both will lose money. I'm sure some people will pay extra for Les Paul's signature but I don't see why. He signed a book for me and it's nothing special, really. He's signed a million things in his life and he does it for free every week. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
canon_mutant Posted February 25, 2009 Author Share Posted February 25, 2009 I don't like quilt tops' date=' personally. They're too busy.If you're going to buy a guitar based on how well it'll hold it's value you're buying for the wrong reasons because both will lose money. I'm sure some people will pay extra for Les Paul's signature but I don't see why. He signed a book for me and it's nothing special, really. He's signed a million things in his life and he does it for free every week.[/quote'] Hmmh, I wish the ebay link was still available but a Les Paul Gold Supreme "Les Paul Signature" guitar sold some time ago on Ebay for almost $10K. If you type in "Les Paul Supreme" in the search box on GC.com you can still see the guitar [sold new for only $2899] but they sold out long ago. If you click on the guitar you're PC will lock up, or mine does anyway. A bug in the GC website they said they were going to fix but it's still there. Good news is the local GC is getting a 50th DB in this weekend and reserving it for me to come in and play. Of course I have a friend that pulled some strings, pun intended. Since I've never even played an R9, this will at least wet my taste buds and help me decide if my 50th birthday is really worth this much? Of course, the Cherry is what I want, and it will come from GC distribution. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Plains Posted February 25, 2009 Share Posted February 25, 2009 Was it this guitar? (Not mine) This is a special edition made for LP's 90th birthday. Just because one idiot paid $10,000 for a $3,000 guitar, doesn't mean the next 90th birthday LP one will sell for that much. Also, a problem with eBay is that it's world wide. That guitar may have gone to somebody in a far off country where LPs are hard to come by. Did you know an R9 is something like $9,000 - $10,000 down in Australia? Your last post got me thinking...why haven't you played an R9 yet? Have you played any historic reissue? R7, R8, etc? If not, you should...just to get a general understanding of how they are. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
canon_mutant Posted February 25, 2009 Author Share Posted February 25, 2009 Was it this guitar? (Not mine)This is a special edition made for LP's 90th birthday. Just because one idiot paid $10' date='000 for a $3,000 guitar, doesn't mean the next 90th birthday LP one will sell for that much. Also, a problem with eBay is that it's world wide. That guitar may have gone to somebody in a far off country where LPs are hard to come by. Did you know an R9 is something like $9,000 - $10,000 down in Australia? Your last post got me thinking...why haven't you played an R9 yet? Have you played any historic reissue? R7, R8, etc? If not, you should...just to get a general understanding of how they are. [/quote'] Yup, that's the guitar. Where'd you get that pic? The ebay sale was a stateside sale [uSD]. And you're right about just because some idiot . . . but I would think limited run special edition [reissue] guitars would hold their value and even appreciate over time. If not, I'm suddenly losing interest again. I have played a used R7 years ago but it had issues. That's it. Have played a Supreme, a Custom, 2008 Standard, a Classic, and a Traditional but per my previous post, I get to play a 50th R9 this weekend. Unfortunately, they have a DB coming in, not Cherry, but at least I can get the vibe. Of course I could always fall in love with the DB when I see it but I doubt it. Whether Traditional, Custom, or R9, [my remaining shortlist] I have wanted that classic cherry burst LP look. Again, if not for my 50th birthday thing, I wouldn't even be considering spending this kinda money for the 50th R9. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Plains Posted February 25, 2009 Share Posted February 25, 2009 I saved that picture a while ago, belongs to somebody here on the forum...maybe from the past. If retaining value is important to you, you should know that of the 500 official anniversary R9s Gibson is making only around 20% of them will be Darkburst. That means they'll be harder to come by if the 50ths become desirable years later...but it also means that since 80% of them are cherry that most people then will probably also want a cherry R9. So what if you loose $2,000 on a guitar? You only live once! That's how I look at it. I've dumped $35,000 + on music equipment alone in the past little while and even if I never recover one red cent of it, they've made me extremely happy and I don't regret a single purchase...including the ones I've sold. My point is not buying the guitar may be a choice you will not regret. Not buying it because you were afraid of losing a few dollars is something you might look back on in 5 - 10 years and regret. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
canon_mutant Posted February 25, 2009 Author Share Posted February 25, 2009 I saved that picture a while ago' date=' belongs to somebody here on the forum...maybe from the past.If retaining value is important to you, you should know that of the 500 official anniversary R9s Gibson is making only around 20% of them will be Darkburst. That means they'll be harder to come by if the 50ths become desirable years later...but it also means that since 80% of them are cherry that most people then will probably also want a cherry R9. So what if you loose $2,000 on a guitar? You only live once! That's how I look at it. I've dumped $35,000 + on music equipment alone in the past little while and even if I never recover one red cent of it, they've made me extremely happy and I don't regret a single purchase...including the ones I've sold. My point is not buying the guitar may be a choice you will not regret. Not buying it because you were afraid of losing a few dollars is something you might look back on in 5 - 10 years and regret.[/quote'] Good points all. I think the fundamental problem is my anal a$$ engineer brain is trying to cost justify spending $5500 on a guitar and there really is none. If that's the case, I should buy a Traditional and a Custom for what I'll end up paying for the R9. Truth be known, I'm going to go in Saturday morning and play an R9 for the first time and if some kind of spiritual bond occurs, I'll be sacrificing some cash and getting a probably undeserved but I'll take it $5500 50th birthday present. If, however, I play that R9 and pick up a Traditional and frankly can't tell the freakin difference, well then that's OK too I guess cuz then I'll get two really nice guitars instead. The point to this thread was just trying to gauge whether a 50th R9 or a Les Paul Signature would be more likely to hold value and so far you're the only one that has cared to chime in on the subject or there just is no answer period. All purely subjective . . . Appreciate your thoughts, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Plains Posted February 26, 2009 Share Posted February 26, 2009 Yeah, not many people frequent this section of the forum. If you posted the same question in the Les Paul section you'd get more hits. Do you know what the differences are between a reissue and a Traditional or a Custom...construction wise? Secondly, do you care what they are? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Staxman Posted February 26, 2009 Share Posted February 26, 2009 I dunno, It's such a personal thing when picking a Gibson and deciding how much money it's worth to bring it home. They're all too expensive if you ask me, just my luck I like them so much. They are so inconsistent that you need to play many of them to see if they've really got the mojo you like. Then if it does, deal with whether it's a $2,500 model or $5,000 + job. I've only ever owned one R9, an 06 model, and I loved it dearly but I was afraid to mess with it because of how much it cost. The guitar was just sweet. It felt incredible to hold, perfectly balanced and vibrant. It just sang when you played it, even unplugged. But Gibson's aren't the kind of guitars you can play a lot without having to keep adjusting the setup, they live and breathe quite a bit so when you make one a "player" instead of a collectors piece, you end up messing with it a lot. As much as I loved that R9, I wanted to play it all the time but couldn't get myself to feel comfortable putting any fret-wear or scratches on it. So when I did play it I really babied it and din't play agressively. I ended up selling it on E-Bay to fund the purchase of my Alex Lifeson 355 and a Les Paul Axcess. One could argue the Lifeson should be a collector's piece, but to me these are both real players, and I don't hold back on them at all like I did on the R9. I think the 50th R9s are just gorgeous, would love to have another R9 someday when I can feel ok with playing the darn thing a lot instead of just trying to preserve it's mint-condition value. You only live on this planet once, Garth, and they may not have Les Pauls wherever your going next. Follow your heart on this one my friend, but my 2 cents is don't spend a ton on an R9 just to set it on a stand and admire it, if you get one then justify up front spending big bucks on a guitar you really intend to play and get enjoyment out of. Otherwise, get something you will play a lot and enjoy without worrying about putting a little play wear on it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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