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gibson custom 1978 opinion


m1julien

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Posted

hi everyone !

 

i'm new to this forum, and i'm like to buy my first electric guitar

 

i saw this one

 

http://cgi.ebay.com/1978-Gibson-Les-Paul-Custom-Black-LEFT-HANDED_W0QQitemZ370184565705QQcmdZViewItemQQptZGuitar?hash=item370184565705&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1205%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1318%7C301%3A1%7C293%3A1%7C294%3A50

 

i made an offer for 2550 and the guy is ready to accept, do you think this is a good deal ? should i buy this guitar ?

 

i'd like your opinion, you gibson lovers =)

 

thanks !

Posted

From '77 - '78, Gibson quality had improved. I'd like to see close up pictures, but if it's a good one, a converted price of £1,700 would make it a tempting buy in the UK.

Posted

hello !

 

so you think i should better buy a today's Gibson Les Paul rather than an old vintage one ?

 

i think i'm gonna ask for other pictures !

Posted
hello !

 

so you think i should better buy a today's Gibson Les Paul rather than an old vintage one ?

 

Well, many guitarists would probably recommend you buying a new Les Paul, but I don't think it's good to give advice without knowing some important things about Gibson.

 

Today's Gibson Les Pauls are chambered; not solid, not weight relieved (except for the Les Paul Traditional and the expensive Custom Shop Les Pauls). New, chambered Les Pauls have a very different tone compared to an older solid or weight relieved Les Paul. Chambered = brighter, clearer, thinner, less compressed, more acoustic/hollow tone (closer to an ES-335). Solid/weight relieved = darker, warmer, thicker and more compressed tone. My rule is: 'the lighter the Les Paul, the lighter the tone'. 'The heavier the Les Paul, the heavier the tone'. This is generally true, in most cases (as long as the woods are the same -ebony fretboard vs ebony fretboard/maple cap vs maple cap/rosewood vs rosewood etc. Most Les Paul Customs have an ebony fretboard, mahogany body and maple cap.

 

A new Les Paul hasn't aged for 20/30/40 years; therefore it will never sound the same as an old, well-played Les Paul with old woods.

 

Many Custom Shop Les Pauls are artificially aged to make it look like you're playing a real '59 Les Paul...well, it's still not 20/30/40 years old.

 

That 1978 Les Paul Custom looks great. Play the guitar first before buying...if it plays/sounds great, then you're the lucky owner of a real piece of SOLID Gibson Les Paul history.

Posted

hello bram

 

i thank you very much for your response !!

 

the thing is i wont be able to play it before because i live outside the usa.....

 

but thanks for the advice!

Posted

Ask for a picture of the back of the headstock showing the serial number, a picture of the volute, a decent picture of the frets, another of the cutaway, a close up of the bridge and stop bar and a picture showing the carve of the top. A shot of the control cavity would be good to see if the shieldcan is fitted. Customs of this era have the shieldcan and no ground wire. From the pictures, it looks like the left handed twin of my 1980 Custom.

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