ozz Posted March 3, 2011 Share Posted March 3, 2011 Alright guys, my first post... I bought my first Gibson about 8 months ago and it is a 1998 ebony Blueshawk w/varitone. The guitar is in mint condition. I don't know if many people here are familiar with the Blueshawk but it is the BEST playing guitar I've ever played through a tube amp; the blues p90s are so versatile this guitar can handle anything from E335 jazz tones on the neck position to Stones / Zeppelin-like vintage tones in the bridge position with the gain turned up a pinch on my Ampeg Super Rocket 100W. The Neurosis-like tones are completely awesome in the bridge position as well! Those who own one know what I"m talking about. The down-side is it's a fingerprint magnet and because of that I'm paranoid of playing it all the time as it's such a beautiful instrument I can't stand the thought of causing permanent blemishes because of palm prints (no pick-guard). Because of my paranoia I find myself playing my Schecter S1 the majority of the time as the Blueshawk seems very fragile with it's thin maple top. I never planned on selling this guitar HOWEVER I have come across a guitar collector with the most ridiculous Gibson Les Paul collection I've ever seen and he's letting go of some of his mint condition gear. Among the items he's selling include : Gibson Classic Custom, Gibson GT, Gibson Standard Root Beer & Gibson Studio Premium Plus (sunburst) I'm interested in the '03 Studio Sunburst Premium Plus (490r / 498t pickups)... he wants $1250 for it; and I will gladly pay that... My question is. $1250 is a lot for me to pay. For my Gibson Blueshawk he'll do a $600 cash difference for the Les Paul Studio Sunburst Premium Plus. Can anybody give me some insight on what they'd do? Pics included. And one last question, is it possible to install a pickguard on the Blueshawk without hurting the finish of the guitar??? Thanks guys! ozz Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
strat-o-steve Posted March 3, 2011 Share Posted March 3, 2011 Your original Blueshawk is a rare guitar to a degree, and is roughly worth in the ball park of what a used LP studio would be. Personally I would keep the Blueshawk and just try to buy the LP off the guy outright. :) Then you can keep the Bluehawk safe for special occasions and have a LP to jam on a daily basis! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ozz Posted March 3, 2011 Author Share Posted March 3, 2011 Your original Blueshawk is a rare guitar to a degree, and is roughly worth in the ball park of what a used LP studio would be. Personally I would keep the Blueshawk and just try to buy the LP off the guy outright. :) Then you can keep the Bluehawk safe for special occasions and have a LP to jam on a daily basis! The problem with that though steve is that $1250 is out of my price range regardless of how bad GAS I have... I would say that $1250 for a studio lp with a premium plus sun burst finish is a fair price, right? Truth be told, I paid $400 for the Blueshawk & I'd be paying roughly $600 for one sick les paul but I'd be giving up a Discontinued Gibson which sell for wayyy more than I wanna spend on E-bay. Not a lot of Blueshawks out there & the shape a lot of them are in is kind of questionable. Truthfully though I've never seen a les paul studio premium plus sunburst guitar either. Ahh... decisions... I appreciate your input. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EvanPC Posted March 4, 2011 Share Posted March 4, 2011 Do you know the year of the Studio +? I've got an 06 and absolutely love mine. Mine was made at some point right before they began chambering the guitars instead of using the "weight relieved" method. I was at a GC the other day, handling some of the Studio's they had, and I couldn't believe how light they felt compared to mine. I can't speak for tonal differences, but I prefer the heavier, more "solid" feel of mine. I'm of the opinion that the Premium Plus's made at or around this time are some of the best available in the Studio line up. Of course, I'm biased, but I just wonder why Gibson discontinued them. Part of me thinks that their price point was a bit too close to a "full blown" Gibson, and people didn't have enough incentive to trade up in price that high. Regardless, I think they're gorgeous guitars, and with the exception of some aesthetic bells and whistles, just as good as most other Gibsons. 1250 is probably a fair price for the guitar, considering it's in excellent shape. After writing all this, I realize I haven't really given you any real useful input, but I guess I'm driving home the point that if you decided to part ways with your guitar for this one, you can be sure you're getting a great guitar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
strat-o-steve Posted March 4, 2011 Share Posted March 4, 2011 Well, if you only payed $400 for it, then I say go play the LP Studio and see how you like it...If you do, I guess that would be a fair trade! :) I don't have a Premium Plus model, but I have a wire red Studio with gold hardware and I love it! I guess the Premium Plus is designated as such due to a flamed maple top????? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EvanPC Posted March 4, 2011 Share Posted March 4, 2011 Well, if you only payed $400 for it, then I say go play the LP Studio and see how you like it...If you do, I guess that would be a fair trade! :) I don't have a Premium Plus model, but I have a wire red Studio with gold hardware and I love it! I guess the Premium Plus is designated as such due to a flamed maple top????? Yes, for the most part, I believe the AAA flamed maple top and gold hardware (at the time it was being produced)were what warranted a "premium plus" name. Also, and I'm not sure of this, but the high-gloss finish may have also had to do with the higher price tag. I don't remember other studio's having it when I bought mine. I could definitely be wrong though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ozz Posted March 4, 2011 Author Share Posted March 4, 2011 Do you know the year of the Studio +? I've got an 06 and absolutely love mine. Mine was made at some point right before they began chambering the guitars instead of using the "weight relieved" method. I was at a GC the other day, handling some of the Studio's they had, and I couldn't believe how light they felt compared to mine. I can't speak for tonal differences, but I prefer the heavier, more "solid" feel of mine. I'm of the opinion that the Premium Plus's made at or around this time are some of the best available in the Studio line up. Of course, I'm biased, but I just wonder why Gibson discontinued them. Part of me thinks that their price point was a bit too close to a "full blown" Gibson, and people didn't have enough incentive to trade up in price that high. Regardless, I think they're gorgeous guitars, and with the exception of some aesthetic bells and whistles, just as good as most other Gibsons. 1250 is probably a fair price for the guitar, considering it's in excellent shape. After writing all this, I realize I haven't really given you any real useful input, but I guess I'm driving home the point that if you decided to part ways with your guitar for this one, you can be sure you're getting a great guitar. It's a 2003 model, I posted a pick in my first post. I appreciate your input. The guy I'm considering buying it from says he thinks it's one of the best playing Les Pauls he has (and he has Custom Shop & somewhat exotic Les Pauls (like the LP GT)). I wouldn't consider paying $1250 for a 'used' Les Paul Studio except this one is sunburst with the premium plus top... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ozz Posted March 4, 2011 Author Share Posted March 4, 2011 Well, if you only payed $400 for it, then I say go play the LP Studio and see how you like it...If you do, I guess that would be a fair trade! :) I don't have a Premium Plus model, but I have a wire red Studio with gold hardware and I love it! I guess the Premium Plus is designated as such due to a flamed maple top????? I know steve but he lives 5 hours away! I'm just REALLY at odds as to whether or not I want to part with the BluesHawk, the $650 he's giving me is more than fair but I cannot decide if I want to let go of the 'Hawk. The tones this guitar gives out with the blues p90s through my ampeg super rocket cannot be beaten as far as vintage Stones / Zeppelin tones are concerned. However the black finish is so prone to palm-prints & fingerprints I find myself SUPER PARANOID every time I play that instrument that I literally put a guitar cloth between where my arm rests on the guitar. Considering I"m only $400 invested in the Hawk, getting a Studio LP w/ Premium Plus top for $600 should be a no-brainer but as anybody who owns a BluesHawk can attest to, that guitar is ONE OF A KIND. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobouz Posted March 4, 2011 Share Posted March 4, 2011 FYI - The LP you're looking at was called the "Studio Plus" in '03, and was designated to have a "AA" flame maple top. The model was later changed to the Premium Plus with AAA top (can't remember the year of the change). I have a Desertburst '03 Studio Plus. The tops on these varied considerably. Mine would qualify as AAA in most anyone's book, and it's a beauty. I've purchased a gold/black P94 to put in the neck position, which could be an option for you if you're hooked on the P90 sound. My overall recommendation would be that you keep the Blueshawk & buy the LP as well. Down the road you'll be glad you did. If you can truly afford only one, evaluate every aspect of the LP before leaping. Pickups can be changed, but playability is a completely different matter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ozz Posted March 5, 2011 Author Share Posted March 5, 2011 FYI - The LP you're looking at was called the "Studio Plus" in '03, and was designated to have a "AA" flame maple top. The model was later changed to the Premium Plus with AAA top (can't remember the year of the change). I have a Desertburst '03 Studio Plus. The tops on these varied considerably. Mine would qualify as AAA in most anyone's book, and it's a beauty. I've purchased a gold/black P94 to put in the neck position, which could be an option for you if you're hooked on the P90 sound. My overall recommendation would be that you keep the Blueshawk & buy the LP as well. Down the road you'll be glad you did. If you can truly afford only one, evaluate every aspect of the LP before leaping. Pickups can be changed, but playability is a completely different matter. Excellent advice, thank you. I'm leaning that way as well but I hadn't planned on buying a guitar, this guy was just slimming down his collection and in doing so he gave me a serious case of GAS. For me, paying $1250 for the LP Studio Plus is not possible at this time, but with my trade I can easily swing $600 for a high quality Gibson. The problem is, I'll be giving up a high quality Gibson as well. I mean, honestly, if I'm going to pay $1200 for a Gibson LP Studio, I would generally just buy a new one, but the sunburst finish is just beautiful... I might heed your advice and just wait a few more weeks + save up $$ to just out-right buy the Les Paul if he still has it (which he may not...). I really want that Les Paul. But I really love my BluesHawk. Toughest decision ever, quite honestly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stein Posted March 5, 2011 Share Posted March 5, 2011 you said something that doesn't quite make sense. you say you are afraid to really play the blueshawk because of damaging/blemishing it but you are willing to part with it for a mere 600 bones? if you were going to do a trade, the obvious thing to do when checking the money aspects would be to check the book value on each of the guitars. and just like cars, there is the trade in value, the used value, and the retail value. if you are giving up your guitar for trade in value for a guitar at private party or retail value, you have to consider that a loss. i am not commenting on which is which here, (i don't know the values of the 2 guitars you are asking about-i haven't looked them up) but that might help you decide if it is worth it to you. personally, i always question the advantage of giving up something you like, even if it is not worth much. given the fact that even with the same guitar model, there will always be some you like and some you don't. so even if you can replace it, there is that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fringe Lunatic Posted March 5, 2011 Share Posted March 5, 2011 When I was a kid, I was super-cautious about my equipment. I wanted it to be and stay pristine. I didn't allow anybody to play my beloved Gibson, lest something terrible happen to it. A scratch was reason to sulk for days. I had to learn that this obsession was, well, unreasonable and unrealistic. My gear was there for me to make music with, not to be a stationary piece of art to hang on a wall and admire. I needed to learn that smudges, dings and scratches were a reality, and that my discomfort with that reality was what needed to be dealt with. Same with new cars, new furniture.....new anything. I still have a tendency (these things never seem to totally go away) to want my stuff to never get old or worn, but I know better now. If you really like that Hawk as you say you do, then I suggest you keep it and play the living crap out of it. That's what it's there for. And keep a polishing cloth handy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jnastynebr Posted March 5, 2011 Share Posted March 5, 2011 I wouldnt do it. This clown is offering you the low end value on a trade for an item that he has priced at the high end. Im pretty sure $1250 is about what a Studio Premium Plus would cost you brand spankin' new. It doesnt matter if its in mint condition, its still a used guitar and should be priced accordingly. If this guy is in the USA, he would be lucky to get $1000 for that guitar. I would offer him the Blueshalk plus $350. If he counters, I would go as high as $400, but after that, I would tell him to go punch mud. Take a min to look on ebay and see what a Studio Premium Plus goes for. If he is firm on 1250, Its going to be a long time before he finds someone to sell that thing to. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigKahune Posted March 5, 2011 Share Posted March 5, 2011 ... I would say that $1250 for a studio lp with a premium plus sun burst finish is a fair price, right? ... Welcome. No. $1250 is the high end of what people are asking on ebay, and they aren't getting it. If you search the completed listings, most are sold for around $800 - $950. Here's the link - http://completed.shop.ebay.com/i.html?MA2ShowItems&_ipg=50&_sadis=200&LH_SALE_CURRENCY=0&_in_kw=1&_sacat=See-All-Categories&_samihi=&_samilow=&_fpos=Zip+code&_oexkw=&_udhi=&_udlo=&_rdc=1&_adv=1&_sop=12&_ex_kw=&_nkw=les+paul+studio+plus&_dmd=1&_okw=les+paul+studio+plus&LH_Complete=1&_fsct=&guest=1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theroan Posted March 22, 2011 Share Posted March 22, 2011 I wouldn't pay more than a grand for any studio. At $1250 you could get a classic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EvanPC Posted March 23, 2011 Share Posted March 23, 2011 Welcome. No. $1250 is the high end of what people are asking on ebay, and they aren't getting it. If you search the completed listings, most are sold for around $800 - $950. Here's the link - http://completed.shop.ebay.com/i.html?MA2ShowItems&_ipg=50&_sadis=200&LH_SALE_CURRENCY=0&_in_kw=1&_sacat=See-All-Categories&_samihi=&_samilow=&_fpos=Zip+code&_oexkw=&_udhi=&_udlo=&_rdc=1&_adv=1&_sop=12&_ex_kw=&_nkw=les+paul+studio+plus&_dmd=1&_okw=les+paul+studio+plus&LH_Complete=1&_fsct=&guest=1 I'm confused...the link you provided...I see three sold Premium Plus', two of which sold for 1300+, and one which went for 850. Or are you differentiating the Studio Plus model from the 2 Studio Premium Plus models? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jnastynebr Posted March 24, 2011 Share Posted March 24, 2011 What did you decide? Did you keep the Hawk? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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