FADED LES PAUL REISSUES: Thoughts?

A lot of people on the Les Paul Forums like the faded LPs. I'm sure you can score a used one for really cheap. If I were you, I'd go through some of the forum dealers at the LPF. They are all great dealers that are much better to deal with than eBay or Musicians Friend.

 

It is a BRILLIANT site, much like this one. They have vintage LP collectors that are extremely knowledgeable.

www.lespaulforum.com/forum

Great bunch of members and can tell you more than I can.

 

Nice pics! It takes around 24 hours to get approved to begin to post.

Go to the Dealer Blvd section. There are a few dealers that are approved from the LPF.

My s/n is Sea Bass over there as well.

 

I luvs guitars! I'd love to add a LP to my miniscule lineup of guitars. In time...

 

You can't go wrong with a Gibson. I've got a standard with the 50's shape neck. Best guitar I have. Those faded ones look really cool, but I think you should slap a pickguard on it if you get one.

 

I have had a LP Standard, Baseball neck, for a few years. Other than my house and my WRX, it is the best purchase I have made. The guitar really does sound better now than when I bought it. There is simply nothing else like it,

- Chris

 

I didn't know there was a Les Paul forum either! Thanks for the link! I'll post the pics of my guitars soon.


That faded one's nice. Reminds me of Gary Moore's.

EDIT: That is a cool forum. Look what I've come across

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=ADME:B:BCA:US:44&item=230042605116&refitem=230042158786&itemcount=4&refwidgetloc=bid_confirm_email&usedrule1=CategoryProximity&refwidgettype=cross_promot_widget&isfrommerc=1
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Is that a Les Paul Slash on the right with the Tobacco finish (quivers...)?

I think the faded LPs look awesome. Agreed to go for one for solid playability (at least that's where I'm at right now...).

 

Here are my (well-played) babies.

1980 Custom & 1974 Custom 20th Anniversary.
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Awesome Customs Gemm! I guess I'll post my LPs as well!

2001 LP Studio Plus (desert burst)
2001 LP Custom (alpine white, scuffed of its clear, handpainted rose, cleared over)
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Kick His Ass, Sea Bass!

 

You know it! I've had that nickname ever since that movie came out...all through little league and everything. Nevermind the fact that I FINALLY figured out that Sea Bass in the movie was a closet gay making love at truck stops. LOL oh well.

 

Bro.. Tell me you have a WINE EM, DINE EM, 69 EM hat and ill lose it!


Seriously though.. i just went to the lespaulforums.com and when i went to sign up it says, "Email entered has been blocked by the administrator"

So i tried all 3 of my emails, and all said the same thing. So I Emailed the administrator and THAT email got returned undeliverable. You think you can throw your weight about and pull some strings over there to find out what the frick I have to do to become a member?

Ya'll some high-rollers over at that forum. I want in.

 

The "Faded" line of LP's aren't Reissues, but more or less just a Standard with a non-glossy unpolished satin finish. I believe it's still nitro lacquer though and have seen several instances of owners using Virtuoso Polish (available at music stores and such) to polish it out to a reasonably glossy shine. They can be had reasonably cheap in the used market & that is the only way I'd ever buy a current Gibson. Their QC has become rather dismal in recent years yet their prices continue to go up and up. I would definitely recommend checking out as many as you can before you buy as their quality, fit, and finish can vary quite a bit. Depending on your budget you might be happier going with one of the Historic RI line. Their quality tends to be better than the lower lines (such as the Faded models) and in the used market a nice one can be had for a somewhat reasonable price.

Now, if it were me buying right now I would definitely consider other brands and most likely go for a Japanese made LP-type guitar or a Heritage H15X. Navigator LP's are quite possibly the best "production" made LP-style guitars out there for the money (unless you go boutique; then a Gustavson is as good as it gets, but you'll definitely pay for it). They're made by ESP and are said to be every bit as good as if not better than Gibby's Historic & CS guitars for less money. I have an Edwards LP (also made by ESP in Japan) which is absolutely fantastic and on-par with any current production Gibson I've played and it was a fraction of the cost. One-piece mahogany body, one piece neck, long neck tenon, solid top (same thickness as Gibson), US Duncan pickups ('59 and Custom), all Gotoh hardware, and nitro lacquer finish. The workmanship is top notch too.

The Heritage guitars are made in the old Gibson Kalamazoo, MI factory and are made by old Gibson workers; many of whom have been there since the good ol' days. I'd definitely check out Jay Wolfe Guitars (he's in FL I believe) as he's the largest Heritage dealer out there. You can get a top notch H150 spec'd out however you want it for a lot less than a comparable Gibson and be sure that the workmanship is going to be great. However, resale on them tends to be pretty bad so for the best deal you're better off buying used. There used to be a Heritage dealer local to me and I've played quite a few of 'em so I can assure you they're the real deal.

Oh, some other guitars you might want to check out if you can find them are the Robin Avalon & the Hamer Monaco. Both are USA made and are near boutique level in quality without the super high prices. In the used market either can be had for VERY reasonable prices and are a nice change of pace from the traditional LP shape. You should be able to find a nicely spec'd used one of either model (assuming they aren't super fancy) for about the same price as a LP Faded (give or take).

As far as the Les Paul Forum goes...well, I haven't visited there for a while and don't plan on going back anytime soon. Ciao Bello 348: that seems to be a regular occurance with that forum and the folks who run it seem to be a bit...well, "picky". Plus some of the board members get a bit brand snobbish which may skew the info you get. Just my opinion though so take it for what it is. If you want to get a great unbiased opinion on any guitar-related gear I'd definitely recommend heading over to The Gear Page: www.thegearpage.net/board There are plenty of real pro musicians there plus many regular Joe's so you'll get a great cross section of info. I'm a big guitar nut too so I've visited my fair share of forums & it is by far my fave.

Just my $.02....

 

Just wanted to add that if it HAS to be a Gibson and you really want a new guitar then Musicians Friend has several models on clearance which may fit the bill for you:

Studio:

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Gibson-Les-Paul-Studio-Electric-Guitar?sku=517030

LP Vintage Mahogany (only available through Musicians Friend or Guitar Center):

http://www.musiciansfriend.com/product/Gibson-Les-Paul-Vintage-Mahogany-Electric-Guitar?sku=517536

The latter is probably the best deal out there on a real Gibson guitar. It doesn't have all the bells & whistles, but should be a good solid LP (assuming the quality is up to par).

 

I don't have the hat. I'd love to get one that says that. My girlfriend would really enjoy it!*sarcasm*

I think you might not be able to use a free email domain over there, I'm not quite sure though. PM me your info, (email) and I'll see what I can't do. I'll tell them your problem.

I agree with this. The finish just lacks the shine. That being said, they are still very sexy guitars! As for the QC, some say there are problems, but it's all individual preference. I for one, have not ran into any sort of problems poor fret jobs or poor inlay work. Maybe I've been lucky with the ones I have seen, played, and purchased.

I do agree that if you have around $1600 or so to throw down on a guitar, that the used historic market is a GREAT option. For not much more money you can get an R7 gold top or R8. Plus you'd get a long neck tenon, custom shop quality, and depending on who previously owned it, possibly an RS electronics upgrade.

 

Yeah, it just takes some time to wade through a bunch of 'em to find the right one that works. The Faded models (and an ES-333) I've seen polished up turned out really nice and gave it an almost vintage look. I agree that a used R7 (assuming the prev owner didn't abuse it) is probably the best Gibson deal out there...as long as you like the Goldtop finish (although there have been some in special finishes like Oxblood and Black, but the sell for more). Plus the neck is nice and chunky which I prefer.

Anyway, here's a pic of my Edwards "Jimmy Page" LP (for some reason Webshots or this forum won't allow the pic to show up here, but just click the link below):