Delta Blues Posted December 29, 2011 Share Posted December 29, 2011 I was wondering if you fine folks might be able to help me with a appraisal for this wonderful 55 Goldie. Let me know if you need any more info or pics. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Delta Blues Posted December 29, 2011 Author Share Posted December 29, 2011 Delete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slim Chance Posted December 29, 2011 Share Posted December 29, 2011 First ... How does it play and sound? Everything working? How's the action? Your Goldtop looks well played and of course that's okay. I love my '56. As you know P-90 Gibson Goldtop guitars can still be quite valuable ... $20k to $30k depending on condition, playability, and originality. Hard to tell a lot with just photos ... but a few things I noticed, where is the "Les Paul model" writing on the headstock face? Tuners might not be original, I thought in '55 the backs read "Kluson Deluxe" not "Gibson Deluxe". And on the back of the headstock the 6 digit S/N is missing. Looks like your Goldtop has the original frets as nubs are showing. Electronics in cavity look okay but you'll need to check pot codes as well as try to determine if re-soldering was done anywhere. Finish looks right, especially the "greening" area. Plenty of finish checking which is expected. Run a blacklight all around the guitar to check for evidence of breaks, repairs, and refinishing. Not sure if that's an original Lifton caramel brown and pink interior 4-latch "cali girl" case ... the exterior of yours is really dark. These cases are worth a lot ... $1k to $2k. You might get an online evaluation and value from Gruhn's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Delta Blues Posted December 29, 2011 Author Share Posted December 29, 2011 It's got some significant wear in the cowboy chord area but is still somewhat playable. It sounds fantastic and the action is excellent but the guitar could defiantly use a fret job. I've just been reluctant because it's original and I don't want to alter the neck binding. Everyone that has played it are floored by the rich tone. This guitar has been well played. If you listened to it, you'd understand why. The guitar was refinished by Gibson sometime in the 70's. For some reason the serial number and the Les Paul Model logo were removed from the headstock and not put back. It's anybody's guess as to why. The tuners were replaced in the late 80's but I still have the originals. No body repairs have ever been done to the guitar other than having it refinished once. It has a one piece body. I've never weighed it but it's close to 8 pounds. It's surprisingly light weight. The electronics are all original as far as I know except for the plastic jack plate which was also replaced when the guitar was refinished. The pots still work great and are not scratchy. I still have the original plate. I can't find the date code on the pots. There is only a small diamond shape on one side and U.S. on the other. It's kept in the case with the manufacturing certificate. The case is the original from when the guitar was bought in 50's. It does have four latches but it's is in pretty ruff shape and is kept safely in a closet. I only brought it out for these pics. I'm not familiar with the term "cali girl" so I can't verify that. I keep the guitar stored in a flight case these days. Thanks for your time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slimt Posted December 29, 2011 Share Posted December 29, 2011 Nice Gold Top.. Just from the pictures.. it looks Very Original.. I wouldnt take anything to Gruhn.. Talk to Stan at Elderly .. or Dave at Daves Guitars.. But talk to Dave only.. Theyll look after you right.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobB Posted December 29, 2011 Share Posted December 29, 2011 Blue book Publications has a Blue Book of electric guitars available. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pfox14 Posted December 29, 2011 Share Posted December 29, 2011 The guitar was refinished by Gibson sometime in the 70's. For some reason the serial number and the Les Paul Model logo were removed from the headstock and not put back. It's anybody's guess as to why. The tuners were replaced in the late 80's but I still have the originals. I keep the guitar stored in a flight case these days. Thanks for your time. So, not a totally original '55. Refinish and replacement tuners will bring the value down. That's just the way it is. I would guessimate value at around $15-18K considering the work that has been done to it and the non-original parts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slim Chance Posted December 29, 2011 Share Posted December 29, 2011 What a CRYIN' SHAME about the removal of the LP model name and serial number. Why, why, W-H-Y? Even though your Goldtop been refinished it still has value, like Paul pointed out, and can be a truly great player guitar. And what an iconic guitar. So take it in, or overnight it, to a qualified repair guy or shop that knows vintage LP's -- and go over your options for the frets and binding ... as well as a proper setup. The repair person can also tell about the originality of the electronics and case and anything else you're wondering about. Don't forget insurance. Get a receipt from the repair guy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Delta Blues Posted December 29, 2011 Author Share Posted December 29, 2011 I'm not sure why the Les Paul logo and serial number were not put back on. The guitar was refinished originally by Gibson at the old Kalamazoo plant. If I have any work done to it, I'll most likely send it back to Gibson again and let them restore it again. Maybe this time they will put the logo back on. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pfox14 Posted December 29, 2011 Share Posted December 29, 2011 Blue book Publications has a Blue Book of electric guitars available. The tough thing about using the price guides is judging the guitar's condition. There's nothing in these price guides that tells you what the condition rating should be with a 70s refin & new tuners NOT to mention tons of play wear. Is it good? fair? I'd say fair. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GuitarBuilder Posted December 29, 2011 Share Posted December 29, 2011 The tough thing about using the price guides is judging the guitar's condition. There's nothing in these price guides that tells you what the condition rating should be with a 70s refin & new tuners NOT to mention tons of play wear. Is it good? fair? I'd say fair. Without seeing it in person, I would guess between 40% and 50%. The missing serial number is a real problem in my opinion. According to Fjestad, this is worth less than $11,500. I would urge you to get a professional appraisal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Delta Blues Posted December 29, 2011 Author Share Posted December 29, 2011 The tough thing about using the price guides is judging the guitar's condition. There's nothing in these price guides that tells you what the condition rating should be with a 70s refin & new tuners NOT to mention tons of play wear. Is it good? fair? I'd say fair. Again I've got the original tuners. They still work but were replaced because one got bent. I'd imagine someone out there could prob repair it (bend it back). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slim Chance Posted December 29, 2011 Share Posted December 29, 2011 Again I've got the original tuners. They still work but were replaced because one got bent. I'd imagine someone out there could prob repair it (bend it back). The replacement tuners are not that big of a deal at this point. A good repair guy could PROBABLY fix the bent shaft (that is; fix it or break it) on the original tuner. Just know that you can find these exact tuners, in good shape, on eBay most of the time if period correct tuners is important to you. The guitar has been refinished ... the serial numbers and logo are gone ... so the value will never recover to a normal range. You should decide what to do about the frets though. If you continue to play the guitar then at some point it won't be playable, if you don't address that. I understand your anxiety about refretting, and that would be a much bigger issue for a clean original guitar, but it's more about playability now. You could swing your concerns over to the Les Paul forum (lespaulforum.com) and run it by the guys in the "Vintage Les Paul" section ... they really know LP's of all ages. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stein Posted December 30, 2011 Share Posted December 30, 2011 DELTA BLUES, that is one COOL axe! Gotta say, thanks for sharing it here with us. As for an appraisal, if it is for insurance reasons, the Blue Book is good. It is a vintage axe, and having it replaced with the same options or mods of the same age would be impossible, so insure for the max. It seems only fair. If you are looking to sell, you are wise to seek advice and get REAL appraisals, because often these things can be worth far more than we think. But, the shock can go both ways. It is awesome when we find out we have something worth a butt-load, but it sucks when we think we do and find out the guitar has major "detraction's". When it does, it is better to be upfront and be aware, because whoever is going to pay the price is GONNA check, and I think (opinion) a buyer is more comfortable having the most info and background then if the seller is not upfront, because originality is king when it comes to high-priced vintage axes. Obviously, you know a refin is going to be a major hit to the value. Generally it reduces it by half, but could be much more or less. Do I see gold in the control cavity? I can't tell from the pics, but if it was an all-gold model, that would be at least good to know. I don't think the tuners are a big deal, sinse you have the origonals and there are no extra holes, but I notice the bridge has a retaining wire. That would put the bridge at a date no earlier than '60, if I am correct. The solder on the volume pots looks like it has less oxidation on them than the rest, so I would check into it. It could be from the refin, or it could mean more unoriginal parts. It is good that you have what looks like bumblebess, but if they aren't what belong in the guitar, it does you no good here. (It seems a little early for those, but I can't say for sure). You WILL want to check for date codes and whatever else you can see on the pots. The point here is that you can't take it for granted in this case, because it does have a refin and a newer bridge. ^THIS^ is why you need to do research, or take it to an expert for a real appriasal, because most WILL find these things. It is far better to try and sell a guitar for what it is, rather than what it isn't. If you can find out where and when some of these discrepancies came from, it will be far better than just taking a hit because of what isn't original. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.