eldiablo Posted March 6, 2009 Share Posted March 6, 2009 Hi Everyone. Great Forum here... I am in the market to buy a brand new 2008 Les Paul. My budget is no more than 3K out the door. Less if possible. I've tried the 2008 Traditional and the New 2008 Standard. Although I liked the Traditional The new Standard just felt right to me. Guitar Center is selling the 2008 Standard for 2699.99 plus Tax. They offered me 10% off this price. My Question is... Is this a good/fair deal? or can I do better? Any other opinions, suggestions or recommendations are welcomed. Thanks for your help! -EL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Plains Posted March 6, 2009 Share Posted March 6, 2009 $2,700 is the list price at GC? I'm sure you could beat that if you walked into a mom & pop's shop with a wad of money in your pocket. Before you buy a guitar, play a '57 or '58 reissue. Their list price on GC just came down to $3,100. You can probably get one for less. You can also buy mint condition used '58s for around $2,000 in the US. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rocketman Posted March 6, 2009 Share Posted March 6, 2009 I'm sure you can do better. GC pretty much has a 10% sale going on all the time (just ask them to mail you a catalog and you'll see a coupon nearly every month). With your budget I'd play a whole bunch of LPs, as Are Nine states and see which one feels/sounds right for you. If you can take your time before you buy, you'll appreciate it a lot more later... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobv Posted March 6, 2009 Share Posted March 6, 2009 The price sticker at the big box stores is going to be the "minimum advertised price" set by Gibson. They're confident that nobody else is advertising it lower, so they can have "we'll beat it" policies. In reality you can get 10 or 15% off of that because they're always sending out coupons to the mailing list for these kinds of discounts. You can do just as well or better from a mom-and-pop, assuming that they have the guitar you want. As for specific numbers, it's really not fair to publicize the specific deal you got if the dealer had no idea you were going to do that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LPDEN Posted March 6, 2009 Share Posted March 6, 2009 $2' date='700 is the list price at GC? I'm sure you could beat that if you walked into a mom & pop's shop with a wad of money in your pocket. Before you buy a guitar, play a '57 or '58 reissue. Their list price on GC just came down to $3,100. You can probably get one for less. You can also buy mint condition used '58s for around $2,000 in the US.[/quote'] +1 for looking at the R7 and/or R8... I've been watching eBay listings end with R8's mostly going over $2,200 on up to $2,900 depending on condition and year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eldiablo Posted March 6, 2009 Author Share Posted March 6, 2009 I'm going out Guitar hunting tonight... Hopefully I'll find an R7 or r8 to try. I am worried about dropping 2k-3k on ebay with the possibility of a counterfit. I'll let you guys know how it goes. I've wanted a Les Paul since 1975 when I was just a kid and feel like one with the thought that I'll soon own one of my own. Thanks for all the help I appreciate it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NeoConMan Posted March 6, 2009 Share Posted March 6, 2009 Stay away from Guitar Center if you can. Trust me on this one, they are worse than a crooked car dealership. A good rule of thumb is the retail list price. You should be able to get 1/3 off that. MSRP of $3,000 should get you out the door for around $2k. The reissues are indeed the way to go, but a new Custom is a great piece as well. I've bought and sold many guitars on Ebay, the basics are very simple. Good, detailed pics - lots of 'em from every angle. Make sure you clearly know what the serial number is. Then call Gibson at 800-444-2766 and talk to customer service about it to make sure it's legit, open 24/7. (They may give you info the seller doesn't know...) If the Ebay ad has spelling and grammatical errors, don't bother. You wanna buy from somebody too dumb to do an ad? 100% feedback rating, long time member, lotsa transactions are all key indicators they aren't selling junk. Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carbonite Posted March 7, 2009 Share Posted March 7, 2009 Psst... If you buy online there are many ways to get one without paying taxes. Just order from a retailer that isn't from your state. For instance, musicians friend didn't charge me tax because they don't operate in my state. That is if you can deal with getting one new in box and never having played it first. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NeoConMan Posted March 7, 2009 Share Posted March 7, 2009 True, no interstate or federal sales tax but they won't deal. Price is usually fixed at the MAP and some stores will match it - tax included. My dealer often will. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carbonite Posted March 7, 2009 Share Posted March 7, 2009 Hey Neo, while your here. Isn't that SG you have in your sig in fact just one of these or am I missing something? http://guitars.musiciansfriend.com/product/Gibson-EDS-1275-Double-Neck-Electric-Guitar?sku=517600&CJAID=10381297&CJPID=2278521 EDIT Never mind. I figured it out. lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brundaddy Posted March 7, 2009 Share Posted March 7, 2009 Hi Everyone. Can I do better? YES. Buy used. No matter what you will pay waaaayyyyy too much if you buy new. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChanMan Posted March 7, 2009 Share Posted March 7, 2009 MF has the Standard PLUS for $2699 http://guitars.musiciansfriend.com/product/Gibson-2008-Les-Paul-Standard-Plus-Electric-Guitar-?sku=519337 The Standard is a mere $2499 http://guitars.musiciansfriend.com/product/Gibson-2008-Les-Paul-Standard-Electric-Guitar-?sku=519336 Here's the thing about deals.... it only really matters what you think. I got my Standard for less than $2499 (the sticker/sale price), but more than the deal others have been able to cut. I feel like I got a GREAT deal on my LP. My advice is to start playing standards... everywhere you can and as many as you can get your hands on, both new and used. You will eventually find one that, for lack of a better term, just "fits" you better. Feels better, plays better, sounds better. THAT's the one you buy... cut your best deal and you'll walk away happy no matter what. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LPDEN Posted March 7, 2009 Share Posted March 7, 2009 I've mentioned this before, but I'll mention it again since it's timely. Shop until you find a place that will between 35% and 40% off. If you're buying local, take into account sales tax too. And the tax sometimes is worth paying becuase you have the actual guitar in your hands to evaluate and don't have to roll the dice on what shows up, or what someone else's take on it is... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NeoConMan Posted March 7, 2009 Share Posted March 7, 2009 Brundaddy is right about buying used. As soft as the market is now, used guitars are getting cheap if you have the energy and desire to shop. If you're thinking mail order, then seriously consider new and used on Ebay. I've done very well there. I understand if you want new only, it's YOUR guitar and has a lifetime warranty. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.