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Do i really need a new AJ?


modoc_333

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i've always been an electric player. hard rock. lately i've enjoyed my Southern Jumbo though. i'm jonesing really bad for a particular AJ though... one of the best i've ever played. unfortunately i have to get rid of one of my 2 les pauls to fund it. my R8 will never leave. so, the early 70s LP custom would be the candidate. i would pocket some cash along with the deal. stupid? or just follow my heart. i like the custom, and the value will increase... but i love the AJ. in some ways i feel i'm forgetting my roots by taking this route though! give me your voices of reason!

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Voices of Reason???? Hmmm. . . . I dunno much about that. . .

 

. . . but the bottom line really depends upon how much you play & enjoy the guitar you are giving up and how much you'll play the one you're receiving. Some of my best deals have been trades/purchase impulses that I resisted. That said though, all other things being equal, I'm usuually inclined to make the transaction. There are certainly exceptions, but you can almost always replace a guitar that you regret having traded/sold.

 

I "need" an AJ too! [lol]

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Played electric for over 20 years and reckoned I always would

 

But tastes can change - got rid of my last electric several years ago and rarely miss it

 

Financially, wish I still had the 1961 Les Paul / SG Custom with 3 PAF pickups that was traded in 1990 for a Firebird V reissue and cash to indulge vices I no longer have -- and sometimes wish my 1983 Korina Explorer reissue and Mesa amp were still around, and my 57 Tele with slight overspray wasn't bad either...

 

Where were we? Oh yeah, the last of those guitars were gone by 1995 and seldom missed, mainly remembered when someone on a guitar forum poses a question like yours -- thanks for the memories...

 

You already know a good AJ is a great guitar, and tonally the R8 has you covered, so the issue is sentimental attachment to the early 70's Lester, and how bad a beating you're willing to take moneywise...

 

Post photos and soundclips when you get the AJ

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Go for the AJ if it speaks to you and you love it.

 

You already have a Lester, so you've got that voice covered in terms of your tonal arsenal, so I say go for the AJ and enjoy it...life's too short to get too hung up on these things.

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Well, the necks on the AJs can be a comfortable fit for an electric player, so there's that. And you care for the sound. So what about the Paul? The one's from the period that Ive played weigh a ton. Heavy to wear and no resonance to add nuance to what comes through the pups. So, sentiment aside, Id dont see a loss there. Cheers, J

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... i'm jonesing really bad for a particular AJ though... one of the best i've ever played. unfortunately i have to get rid of one of my 2 les pauls to fund it. ... stupid? or just follow my heart. ...

 

Variety. An acoustic will allow you to approach other styles of playing you can't touch with an electric. I encourage you to get your AJ. Even if you have to part with one of your LPs. BTW, have you seriously looked at other funding options that might allow you to keep both of your LPs?

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thanks guys. some of you missed that i do own a Southern Jumbo. so i'm not totally without a nice acoustic that i dearly love. the old LP is a cool guitar, but not a great example of an old les paul. this AJ is a great example of a new AJ though. that's one thing that leans me toward thinking it's a smart deal. my 2 real issues are that i don't want to totally get away from electric. i'm a hardcore LP loving guy. so, i sort of feel it might be something i regret one day. i also know that one day i'll check a price guide and feel stupid. as mentioned before though, the early 70s LPs aren't the best playing or sounding guitars. i could spend less and get a better one new. i just hate to miss out on the financial gains of sitting on this one a few more years.

all of that being said, the smartest guys i know who work in the vintage market always tell me to just buy what i love, and making a profit later is just icing on the cake. so, i think i'm going to do. [biggrin] how can i resist a guitar that i really love when it will cost me a guitar that just like?

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Sounds like the move I made back in the '70's. I had a Les Paul "Black Beauty" 2 pick-up model that I purchased new. After a few years, I got out of the "hard rock" mode and went back to country rock and acoustic. I have regretted it ever since. I say hang on to your Les Paul and just save up for the AJ. There's not a day goes by that I don't wish I still had my Black Beauty. Especially since they've re-issued the model that I had!!!:-

 

http://www2.gibson.com/Products/Electric-Guitars/Les-Paul/Gibson-Custom/50th-Anniversary-1960-Les-Paul-Custom-Black-Beauty.aspx

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I'm going to be a complete heathen here.. If its down to cost then i would suggest keeping your electrics and get a different acoustic. We have 4 different brands of acoustic and if you want something with real nice sound at a lower cost i'd suggest you try a washburn southwest series. either with or without cutaway and also electro acoustic version.

They look amazing with the spalted finnish and they sound pretty sweet for the money

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the washburn won't cut it... not even ANY AJ. i want THIS AJ! lol. i work for a dealer so i have been lucky enough to have it at home for a little over a week giving it an honest test drive. i've decided to do it. i have been using the LP, but i haven't really enjoyed it like i should. i just keep it in a different tuning so i don't have to change one of my other guitars around. i was hesitating to sell it b/c of the increase in value that it will take in years to come, but i would enjoy the AJ much more... and i think in 10 years i would still be talking about the one that got away if i don't buy the AJ. the old LP will simply make a "yeah, i used to own one of those, it was ok" story.

so, i'm getting the old girl ready for the block this week. i'll take some pics of the AJ and post them when i get a chance!

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Agree with your choice, but I'm not stable when it comes to guitars...

 

For me, my musical muse whispers seductively, guitar lust kicks in, then I come up with rational reasons to get the guitar...

 

You do a credible job of laying out a thoughtful internal dialogue weighing the pros and cons, and upon careful reflection, deciding to make the deal...

 

Perhaps it was simpler -- you played the AJ and had to have it ??? I'm probably wrong...

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