artstuff Posted December 25, 2012 Share Posted December 25, 2012 Hello! I know that when we talk about Vintage Guitars people are divided. One rate them high others say a new guitar is the better deal.... Anyway, I am born in 1974, so it would be cool, one day to have a guitar who is as old as I am. But how much do you have to pay for a "normal" used Les Paul from this years? I know that about Fender Strats from the 70s it is said that they are all crap but still people pay thousands of dollars, euros or pounds.... But how about Les Pauls? Bernhard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pippy Posted December 25, 2012 Share Posted December 25, 2012 One of the things to bear in mind regarding carved-top LPs in the '70s was that until about '75/'76 the choice was pretty much either Custom or DeLuxe. The Standard wasn't readily available before this time (although there are a few around) so if your preference is for full-sized 'buckers then you are looking at either a Custom or something post '76. Do you like '74 Customs? DeLuxes? Specials? Enough to buy one over any other instrument? Let's face it; it's not going to be a cheap'n'cheerful purchase so you'd better be sure you want it! Have you even played any from the '70s? I've played both 'great' and 'garbage' examples from this period so careful selection is of paramount importance. As you already know, LP QC in this period was variable (to put it mildly) and I certainly would avoid buying anything 'Sight-Unseen' at all costs. Seriously. If I were you I'd go back to the very basics and ask myself why I am considering buying an LP from the '70s? Do you really think the wood will have aged so as to give you some mystical tone? As has been pointed out Ad Nauseam, when all those Classic albums by the likes of Clapton, Peter Green, Paul Kossoff, Mike Bloomfield were recorded the guitars were all between 5 and 10 years old. I understand how having an LP from the year of your birth could be cool but if the instrument is not as good as a modern example then the idea is, IMHO, seriously flawed. Prices? Check completed ebay sales is the most realistic option. Let us know how things go and good luck! P. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlanH Posted December 26, 2012 Share Posted December 26, 2012 One of the things to bear in mind regarding carved-top LPs in the '70s was that until about '75/'76 the choice was pretty much either Custom or DeLuxe. The Standard wasn't readily available before this time (although there are a few around) so if your preference is for full-sized 'buckers then you are looking at either a Custom or something post '76. Do you like '74 Customs? DeLuxes? Specials? Enough to buy one over any other instrument? Let's face it; it's not going to be a cheap'n'cheerful purchase so you'd better be sure you want it! Have you even played any from the '70s? I've played both 'great' and 'garbage' examples from this period so careful selection is of paramount importance. As you already know, LP QC in this period was variable (to put it mildly) and I certainly would avoid buying anything 'Sight-Unseen' at all costs. Seriously. If I were you I'd go back to the very basics and ask myself why I am considering buying an LP from the '70s? Do you really think the wood will have aged so as to give you some mystical tone? As has been pointed out Ad Nauseam, when all those Classic albums by the likes of Clapton, Peter Green, Paul Kossoff, Mike Bloomfield were recorded the guitars were all between 5 and 10 years old. I understand how having an LP from the year of your birth could be cool but if the instrument is not as good as a modern example then the idea is, IMHO, seriously flawed. Prices? Check completed ebay sales is the most realistic option. Let us know how things go and good luck! P. Sounds like time for a nice 2013 custom reissue.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
old mark Posted December 28, 2012 Share Posted December 28, 2012 I bought a 1974 Les Paul Custom about 21 years ago for $1000...that would not even get you close to one now. I have seen them offered for $5000 or so, depending on condition. Mine was a good guitar, second only to my '68 Les Paul Custom...but I would not pay more than the $1000 I paid for it. It was not a very well made guitar, although how much of that was the individual instrument vs the "pancake" body I do not know...but it did develop a split along the joint line right through the finish along the centerline of the upper side. I have several newer "lower end" Les Pauls -a 50's Tribute Studio and 2 LP Specials - that are better players for me...My new 2012 Les Paul Junior Special that I just got for Christmas is probably the best playing Les Paul I have ever owned in terms of quality, fit and playability and just overall sound...the guitar is alive when played unplugged and I really like the baked maple fret board - it feels better than the rosewood on my other LP's. My overall favorite Gibson solid body is my 1999 SG Special. mark Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
artstuff Posted December 28, 2012 Author Share Posted December 28, 2012 thank you for all your comments so far :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stein Posted December 28, 2012 Share Posted December 28, 2012 There recently was a thread on here relating to a '73 Custom, and one guy posted that the "Blue Book" placed the value at 2600 for "good" condition, and another guy posted the "Vintage Pricing Guide" (did I spell that right?) at 3800-4800 in EXCELLENT condition. I don't have either book, but the way I take that is that in the RARE case a Custom would be "excellent" might fetch that much depending on the dealer, but on average, 70's Pauls seem to go for around the same as any other year, maybe less. In my personal experience, 70's ones have always been selling for somewhat less than others, but I haven't been out shopping for a few years. I don't disagree with what anyone has said here, but I personally have a soft spot for the 70's versions. They ARE different, the tops are carved different, the feel is different, they are usually HEAVY, the headstocks look different...I could go on and on. But to me, while they are NOT the same as what most consider a 'proper' LP, I can also see that with the design and idea of what they are supposed to be, the differences could be desireable, or not detract so much. I should add that although I sometimes have a preference for some of these things, I have never bought one because when they were around all the time, I never found one that had exactly what I personally wanted in most guitars I would buy. Either it was not the color I wanted, or had that dark dull sound, or was beat up too much or in the wrong places. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
artstuff Posted December 30, 2012 Author Share Posted December 30, 2012 :-) the last weeks I checked several homepages where you can buy used things and searched for a 70s Les Paul: And ignoring the possibility that the used Les Paul is maybe totally crap I found out that normally in Europe the Les Pauls are sold for much more money than in the US of A. I would say the factor is about x 2. I have to check the customs duty for importing a used guitar. Maybe buying in the US is worth a try.... ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thefishingline Posted December 31, 2012 Share Posted December 31, 2012 prices have come so far down on the 70's because o fthe economy startung back in 2008...you can now find a beauty of a 71-73 deluxe for under $3k and based on conditon even down around $2500 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StepsWhatWas Posted January 10, 2013 Share Posted January 10, 2013 '74 is smack in the middle of the Norlin era. Many say these guitars are not as good as examples from prior to '69 or after '86. And from what I can tell, prices of Norlin era guitars are quite a bit lower than non-Norlin. Search around here for more info on this: http://www.mylespaul.com/forums From the MLP forum: "On Dec 19, 1969 Ecuadorian Company Ltd (ECL) bought controlling interest in Chicago Musical Instruments (CMI) which owned Gibson. The new company was named Norlin. Gibson was Norlin's last musical company asset to be sold off, in January 1986." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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