Carpster61 Posted February 13, 2011 Share Posted February 13, 2011 Hello everyone, I hope this is in the right section. I am new here and I live in London. I have a Fenderstrat but when I went out today, I fell in love with a Gibson .... The Gibson Les Paul 1959 vos (Ice Tea) ... I didn't know the cost until I asked ..... £3700.00 .. !!! I don't really know much about guitars, all the gear and no idea springs to mind. Could someone please tell me if there is any major differences in sound between the American Standard Strat 2008 and the 1959 VOS, or any other differences? The guy in the shop said I may have to wait 6+ months for the guitar because I am left handed ... Is there any truth in this? I have heard that the tooling has to be changed round in the factory. Is that meaning they will be making the guitar especially for me, hence the long wait? Any help greatly appreciated .... Thanx ..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nick. Posted February 13, 2011 Share Posted February 13, 2011 Well, this is just my opinion but I would consider the Gibson more for Rock, Hard Rock, while the Strat would be mor for softer music, but that's only my opinion. And, I hate to break it to you, but the reason your guitar could take 6+ months is because left handed players are a lot less common then right-handed players. So unfortunately the guitar won't be made specially for you. Hope that helped somewhat. :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neilpanda Posted February 13, 2011 Share Posted February 13, 2011 Hey there welcome to the forum! I think thats a great price for the guitar. I think they go for 5700 USD new, probably about 4200 euros. strats and les pauls would obviously sound different for many reasons. to the untrained eye these two guitars have quite a lot in common. They both are hunks of wood with six strings, that plug into an amplifier to make music. But to the guitar aficionado the differences are many. Some of the comparisons that can be made between the Strat and the Les Paul involve differences in: 1. Tone 2. Pickups 3. Feel 4. Weight 5. Amp Compatibility since youre in europe, the reason for the delay in the guitar coming would be because there is probably not a lot of the guitar in lefty in your area. the guitar will probably come straight from the factory because Im not sure they make a lefty for the 59 vos. so yea Id say theyre making it just for you. if you like it, go for it! Im sure youll be pleased Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carpster61 Posted February 13, 2011 Author Share Posted February 13, 2011 Thanx for that guys .... I thought exactly the same thing ... I thought the Gibson lends itself more towards the gutsyer rock, which is what I want to play and the Strat lends itself more towards the Blues etc ... I really have no idea, it is just what my ears tell me .. ha,ha .. !!! I am well aware that there is not much call for left hand ones and there are none in london ... !!! When I order it, it will be coming straight from the factory and that is the reason it will take 6 months or so. He said one guy had ordered 2 white studio les paul customs and he is still waiting after 7 months .. !!! The Gibson website under frequently asked questions confirms what I said which is that the tooling has to be turned round in the factory and that tells me that they will be making the guitar especially. The frequently asked question is something like "Why dont we build so many left handed guitars". How dare they persecute us lefties .. Ha,ha .. !!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neilpanda Posted February 13, 2011 Share Posted February 13, 2011 Thanx for that guys .... I thought exactly the same thing ... I thought the Gibson lends itself more towards the gutsyer rock, which is what I want to play and the Strat lends itself more towards the Blues etc ... I really have no idea, it is just what my ears tell me .. ha,ha .. !!! I am well aware that there is not much call for left hand ones and there are none in london ... !!! When I order it, it will be coming straight from the factory and that is the reason it will take 6 months or so. He said one guy had ordered 2 white studio les paul customs and he is still waiting after 7 months .. !!! The Gibson website under frequently asked questions confirms what I said which is that the tooling has to be turned round in the factory and that tells me that they will be making the guitar especially. The frequently asked question is something like "Why dont we build so many left handed guitars". How dare they persecute us lefties .. Ha,ha .. !!! dont worry, you lefties can actually say gibson made a guitar specially for you! us right handers all feel the same :unsure: and its not the problem with switching the tools around, there actually is no problem because guitars usually take that long to make Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carpster61 Posted February 13, 2011 Author Share Posted February 13, 2011 Just pasting this from this site, which I got from the FAQ's >>>>>> "Currently the demand for right-handed instruments far outdistances that of left-handed models. Since left handed models require a complete re-tooling of our production line it should be impractical for us to devote equal amounts of resources to producing both varieties. There are several regular production lefty models and many may be special ordered. Please contact an authorized dealer if you are interested in ordering a left-handed model. If you are outside of the US, you can locate your country’s distributor online by clicking here." Looks like mine will have to be a special order .. maybe more money? The guy is going to call me on Monday after he has spoken to the factory ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neilpanda Posted February 13, 2011 Share Posted February 13, 2011 Just pasting this from this site, which I got from the FAQ's >>>>>> "Currently the demand for right-handed instruments far outdistances that of left-handed models. Since left handed models require a complete re-tooling of our production line it should be impractical for us to devote equal amounts of resources to producing both varieties. There are several regular production lefty models and many may be special ordered. Please contact an authorized dealer if you are interested in ordering a left-handed model. If you are outside of the US, you can locate your country’s distributor online by clicking here." Looks like mine will have to be a special order .. maybe more money? The guy is going to call me on Monday after he has spoken to the factory ... Im guessing it will be more money, leftys tend to cost a little more (more labor) but remember, the guitar is at a great price, in the end, you might be paying the same price as a righty at most other stores Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nick. Posted February 13, 2011 Share Posted February 13, 2011 Well, good luck, I hope you get it really fast! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carpster61 Posted February 13, 2011 Author Share Posted February 13, 2011 Will let you know on Monday .. Ha,ha .. !!! It is usually about £200 more for a leftie, as it was for my Fender Strat. That price is for the right hander but the guy in the shop said he would do me a deal. He assured me i wouldn't pay more than £4000. This is going to wipe me out of my money totally but what the hell .... As a cabinet maker, I know what beauty is when it comes to wood and it is a lovely bookmatch. Only thing I have to do now is learn to play it ... I had my mates 2008 Les Paul plaint top in my hands earlier today and I can feel the difference instantly in the weight. The whole guitar just felt better than the Strat, but it was a bit 'end heavy' which was fine by me. The wider neck was perfect for my sausage fingers. As I said i'll keep you all infomed how much I pay and how long it will take to get to these shores if you want to know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NeoConMan Posted February 13, 2011 Share Posted February 13, 2011 There's a BIG difference between a Les Paul and a Strat. Not bad or good - just very different. Strat is much more versatile, but there's a tonal limitation when you really want to rock. The big Wall of Guitars sound that drives classic rock stuff like Aerosmith, Kiss, Guns n Roses and such? Gotta be a Les Paul. It's true that production is spotty on Lefty Gibsons. I advise you to contact Gibson Customer Service directly via email. See if what they tell you squares with what your dealer says. I know where two 58 Reissues are here in Phoenix - still brand new. They were part of the last Lefty run several years ago. Something most people don't like to consider when buying a pricey guitar... What if it just isn't what you expected? Here's the good news on that; A Lefty Les Paul will ALWAYS be worth a substantial amount of money. If you find it doesn't get played much, then put it away. Somebody may come along at some point and offer you stupid money for it, especially if it's in good shape. Or keep it, and use it as art - seriously, how many people do you know who have a beautiful Les Paul in their home? It's a very different animal than a Strat, you'll see when you start exploring. Oh - you're gonna need a good QUALITY tube amp to really unlock the secrets within... Good luck to you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carpster61 Posted February 13, 2011 Author Share Posted February 13, 2011 Thankyou very much for that .. The only way it can't be what I expect is the bookmatch ... Working with wood as I do, I fully realise that wood is natural and one veneer will vary with another ... I really like the defianition of the darker flame effects of the bookmatch, they may or may not be too defined but that'll be fine. The amp I have at the moment is the Fender Hot Rod Deluxe for my strat ... After this spend on the Gibson I wont be buying any amp any time soon.... Thanx so much to everyone, this really has helped me. I can sleep easy now, reassured i'm doing the right thing .. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NeoConMan Posted February 13, 2011 Share Posted February 13, 2011 Deluxe is a good start - you'll be okay there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carpster61 Posted February 17, 2011 Author Share Posted February 17, 2011 Hi Guys, Just to update, I took the plunge and ordered it yesterday ... I put down £2000 deposit, the rest payable in about 6 months when it arrives .... I heard a few guitars in the shop and had my heart set on that one anyway. The reason it will be so long is because it will be a custom build and will have to be made for me as I am left handed. Can't wait now. I'm trying to learn to pick on my Strat instead of strum now, so I can try to use the Les Paul the way it should be used when it comes.. lol ... Thanx for the advice guys .. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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