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Help with buying a Les Paul

Jadecrow

By Jadecrow
in Gibson USA

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Jadecrow

Jadecrow

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Hey everyone... My boyfriend is a very awesome guitar player and he's had his eyes set on a Gibson for a looooooong time.. Since neither of us can get a Gibson (yet) and since he'd rather wait and buy a Gibson, I thought Id give him a Les Paul for his birthday but the one he wants is the Les Paul custom which i cant afford either >.< i have a budget of 500$ to 600$ and i don't wanna get him a crappy guitar. Plus i can't ask him cause i want it to be totally unexpected. He usually plays rock and mostly songs from Guns n Roses. He plays lead in his band and most guitars i see are for beginners and i dont think he'd like that very much. Help???

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cqlove

cqlove

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Hey that's cool that you want to get him a les paul. The best advice I can give you is that if he wants a custom then you best not get him anything other than a custom. Because what will most likely happen is that the guitar you get him, such as this one http://www.sweetwater.com/guitargallery/electric/all/s023190698/ will probably be sold in the future to get the custom.

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Jadecrow

Jadecrow

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lol!! no he wouldn't sell it...In about 3 years we'll be done studying and then the both of us are gonna be pilots [biggrin] and then he'll be able to afford it without selling his other guitars :-k Btw i think that link you gave is broken. I was wondering whether he would like the Les Paul 100?? http://www2.gibson.com/Products/Electric-Guitars/Les-Paul/Epiphone/Les-Paul-100.aspx

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cqlove

cqlove

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Yes Gibson's MSRP is always really high. That les paul 100 is sold around here for 199$ not 499$ like Gibson claims. Yes sweetwater will sell you that guitar for that price. Sweetwater is a good and reliable place to buy guitars from as I have bought from them before.

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Yaff

Yaff

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Hey everyone... My boyfriend is a very awesome guitar player and he's had his eyes set on a Gibson for a looooooong time.. Since neither of us can get a Gibson (yet) and since he'd rather wait and buy a Gibson' date=' I thought Id give him a Les Paul for his birthday but the one he wants is the Les Paul custom which i cant afford either >.< i have a budget of 500$ to 600$ and i don't wanna get him a crappy guitar. Plus i can't ask him cause i want it to be totally unexpected. He usually plays rock and mostly songs from Guns n Roses. He plays lead in his band and most guitars i see are for beginners and i dont think he'd like that very much. Help???[/quote']

 

First let me say what a fantastic idea. But, I suggest you think about the following before making a decision:

 

The USA Gibson Les Paul`s start off with the "Studio" range. They are very similar to the full blown Standard, but without the expensive finishing (binding around the body and neck + wood finish). They have the desired Les Paul tone and feel fantastic to play. For example, this fist one is my Gibson Standard and the second my Studio VM

 

013.jpg

 

IMG_2912-1.jpg

 

The lower cost Studio Vintage Mahogany / Worn Brown has a Mahogany top, opposed to the Maple top on most of the LP range. It makes the sound a little darker, but this should not be viewed as an issue. Not only could you pick up a used one within your budget, its the type of quality guitar he make keep for a life time. I would not even consider letting it go.

 

You may also be able to fins a second hand Studio with the Maple top for your budget. Apart from the finish, it would be very difficult between it and a full blown Standard or Custom.

 

The only problem I can see, is you most probably do not have enough knowledge to pick a good one or spot a fake. With this in mind, I recommend you do one of the following:

 

1 Print a picture of the guitar and present it to him with an IOU - This way he can try before you buy and you can be assured he gets something he loves

 

2 Find a reputable Gibson shop with one in stock and in budget - Could be challenging

 

3 Find someone to help you buy, with the required knowledge to ensure you get a good one

 

Guitar`s are individuals and they can differ significantly as a result of the manufacturing process and how they have been handled since. It can be a bit of a mind field and it would be a great shame if such a nice idea ended up with disappointment.

 

All the best [biggrin]

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Xinnix

Xinnix

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What a great girlfriend! [biggrin]

 

For the price you can get a Studio which is a REAL Gibson LP! Especially used.

 

If your boyfriend is that good of a player and Said he wants a Gibson.

He already knows why and what for. So, I'd find a way to get him a Studio.

Especially if you want to make an impression.

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gretsch65

gretsch65

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Guitar players are very picky in what they want. If it is not the exact make and model and color he wants he may not like it. I've tried settling for the less expensive model(although a great guitar) it was not the one I really wanted. Which years later I finally purchased.

A lot of the bigger music store offer no interest payments for a year. That is always an option. That is how I purchased a few of my more expensive guitars(without the wife getting too upset).

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BigKahune

BigKahune

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For the price range you mentioned, look at used Les Paul Studios.

 

http://shop.ebay.com/?_from=R40&_trksid=p3907.m38.l1313&_nkw=les+paul+studio&_sacat=See-All-Categories

 

Or off Craig's List in your area - http://www.craigslist.org/about/sites

 

Stay in your range - he can always sell it in a couple years, and more than likely break even or make a little bit on it.

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cwness

cwness

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Thanks for your help cqlove...u sure that it isn't a beginner sorta guitar??

 

Here your talking about an Epiphone which is made by Gibson but is not a true

Gibson. If you boyfriends wants a True Gibson get a used Studio like suggested

above.

 

CW

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Yaff

Yaff

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Thanks guys... I know that he likes the sunburst finish.. is this the one you guys are talking about??

 

http://www2.gibson.com/Products/Electric-Guitars/Les-Paul/Epiphone/Les-Paul-Studio/Finishes.aspx

 

If so i could extend the budget just a bit to get him a new one...

 

The link is for Epiphone, not a USA Gibson. This would be a risk, as many would not view this as a true Gibson.

 

I think you should be looking at oe of the following:

 

http://www2.gibson.com/Products/Electric-Guitars/Les-Paul/Gibson-USA/Les-Paul-Studio-Faded.aspx

http://www2.gibson.com/Products/Electric-Guitars/Les-Paul/Gibson-USA/Les-Paul-Studio.aspx

 

Regrading the finish, on your budget, I would focus on getting a quality guitar opposed to how it looks. If buying second hand is an issue. ask someone to help you.

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Jadecrow

Jadecrow

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Oh yea ...i forgot to mention... He had once said that if he can't get a Gibson he would get an Epiphone Les paul which is why i thought that an Epiphone Les Paul studio would be cool.. Btw you cant really find a new orrr old Gibson in Maldives.. I would have to get one from some place like Singapore.. and finding a used guitar from another country could be hard

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sbrogdon

sbrogdon

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I would highly recommend giving him a piece of paper saying " I love you, lets go buy you a guitar". The reason I say this is I know personally that no two guitars feel the same, not even same models. If he is like me, or most players I know, when you pick up a guitar you either make a connection with it or you don't. I recently bought a Les Paul Studio that feels better in my hands than a few of the other LP's I played that day. This is not to say the others are bad, they may have not been setup where this one may have already been setup by a tech. But this Studio just jumped out at me. There was an Epiphone Les Paul Prophecy ( the more expensive Epi's) that was the same price and looked much better than the Satin Black studio I choose. The guitar (les paul studio) just felt right in my hands.

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Foxboron

Foxboron

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I would highly recommend giving him a piece of paper saying " I love you' date=' lets go buy you a guitar". The reason I say this is I know personally that no two guitars feel the same, not even same models. If he is like me, or most players I know, when you pick up a guitar you either make a connection with it or you don't. I recently bought a Les Paul Studio that feels better in my hands than a few of the other LP's I played that day. This is not to say the others are bad, they may have not been setup where this one may have already been setup by a tech. But this Studio just jumped out at me. There was an Epiphone Les Paul Prophecy ( the more expensive Epi's) that was the same price and looked much better than the Satin Black studio I choose. The guitar (les paul studio) just felt right in my hands. [/quote']

 

+1 on the piece of paper idea

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Jadecrow

Jadecrow

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LOL... as much as i love the paper idea i can't do it cause we DONT have a shop that sells Gibsons in Maldives!!! (Plus iv'e already found a cool way to surprise him) i can't take him and show him guitars...and i cant afford a plane ticket aaand a gibson..this is why i needed help in the first place [biggrin] I had not played the epiphone emily the strange guitar before i got it but my mum gave me one on my birthday and i absolutely love it..all i know is that he would love an epiphone les paul......so I'm still thinking i'll get him that epiphone les paul studio.. any other suggestions??? :-k

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