Les Paul buying/investment advice

tohmy

Inspired
I`m looking to fill a hole in my guitar collection and have been looking at a lot of Les Paul`s recently.
Hopefully I will find a guitar that also gains in value over time.
My big question is should I buy a new or used guitar?
The new ones that i`m looking at would be the 2013 Standard Plus/Premium models (Desert Burst).
Used I`m looking more in the direction of a custom shop Slash or reissues with a slim neck.
Right now I have some €2500/$3500 saved with the possibility of selling my old 1983 JCM800 100w that I don`t need to free up some more funds:)

What would be the best investment? The Gibson custom shop models seems to be quite a jungle of models to navigate...
 
I really like the 59 models and especially the Tom Murphy aged models. I watch these on line all the time and they tend to hold their value well. One of the members on here has one and did a you tube video showcasing it and it sounded great as well. If I bought another one it would be one of these. They are quite expensive though.
 
By no means am I an expert but I would think the older of a model you can the better the better off you will be. Personally I don't think the Les Paul is gaining any ground when it comes to an investment. There are to many out there and it was a baby boomer guitar and it's not in the spotlight much anymore.

If I were looking to buy a guitar as an appreciating investment I would be looking at anything that has Eddie Van Halen's name on it that could be considered rare.
 
The LP's can be hit or miss with tuning. I had a desert burst that I got rid of due to G string instability (even w set up and nut sauce). Also had a n SG , 61' re issue same thing. Sold it too despite it's insane tone. But now have a 03 Traditional w Bonamassa pups, and a Lifeson custom shop w a floyd. Zero tuning issues with either. My 2 cents
-Don
 
I really like the 59 models and especially the Tom Murphy aged models. I watch these on line all the time and they tend to hold their value well. One of the members on here has one and did a you tube video showcasing it and it sounded great as well. If I bought another one it would be one of these. They are quite expensive though.

I have looked at those and they are quite nice, but somewhat expensive. At least €4-5000 used.
 
The LP's can be hit or miss with tuning. I had a desert burst that I got rid of due to G string instability (even w set up and nut sauce). Also had a n SG , 61' re issue same thing. Sold it too despite it's insane tone. But now have a 03 Traditional w Bonamassa pups, and a Lifeson custom shop w a floyd. Zero tuning issues with either. My 2 cents
-Don

What year was that desert burst you had? IFAIK they have gotten better after they started with the PLEK setup?
 
I think investment is a bad thing.. Old guitars are so valuable because of the numbers, only so many 58 or 59 bursts ever created, so there is the price. Find one that speaks to you.

If I buy a Standard today and sell it tomorrow, I would take a €500 loss without even playing it. Doing the same thing with a used Slash custom shop, I'd probably get back what I put in it. But in the end, like you said, I have to find one that speaks to me.
 
I have a Musician's Friend catalog from 1982 where a Les Paul Custom costs just over $600. A new one today costs about $4,000.

So, how much would that 1982 Les Paul sell for today? How much would today's Les Paul have to sell for to equal the same profit margin in 30 years?

I don't see guitars as a good investment. Buy them because you like them.
 
I don't see guitars as a good investment. Buy them because you like them.
I totally agree. I got my LP in 2012 and I love it. I want to pick it up as soon as I look at it. I don't regret a single £/$
 

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Gibson collectors choice #2 Goldie, best Les Paul i've ever tried. If you can get one.... or #4 Sandy...

I'm looking at the Nik Huber Orca 59. German made, so you should be able to try one.

But i'm probably buying a Suhr custom tele this week, so the other stuff has to wait.
 
I don't think anything 2012+ will have the collector value or increase in value...

if you want a good les paul that will appriciate get one from like 1995-2000

i wouldn't even consider buying one after that-

the collector market is weird-- avoid 70s 80s 90s are good 2000s blow
 
I don't think anything 2012+ will have the collector value or increase in value

I think some people said that about the late 50's models too.... At the beginning of the 60's.... :D

Time will tell. The Goldie is already a collectors item.... A friend of mine has the only one in Norway. He was offered 6000$ more than he gave for it 6 months after he got it.
 
I have a Musician's Friend catalog from 1982 where a Les Paul Custom costs just over $600. A new one today costs about $4,000.

So, how much would that 1982 Les Paul sell for today? How much would today's Les Paul have to sell for to equal the same profit margin in 30 years?

I don't see guitars as a good investment. Buy them because you like them.
Very good point! I bought a Gold top Deluxe in 1970 for $750.00 (new). Today, I've seen them go for as high as $8,000.00.
I choose a guitar by the action, the intonation, overall condition, and mostly how it sings to me. Collecting is one thing, the love affair is a different story.
 
Thanks for all your input guys!
I have seen the Sandy/Goldie/Rosie guitars at Gregor Hilden`s "shop" (Gregor Hilden / Blues - Guitars & Amps for Sale) and they are all very nice, but not within my budget. There is a very nice Rosie about 10 meters from me right now :)
I`m looking for an alternative to buying a 2013 Standard and that would be in the used R9/R0-G0 ballpark I think.
I do have a lot of great guitars (PRS, Strat, tele, JPX, Ibanez J. Craft, Epi Zakk Wylde), and the only thing missing right now is a nice LP :)
 
of course, pauls can be incredible investments -- but not in the lower end of the market. the good investment stuff costs big bucks.
just throwing it out there -- there are some great japanese replicas, some are better than what gibson have been making for a long time imo. Tokai for example have made some incredible instruments which hold their value very well.
 
Along this line, who makes the best Les Paul copies? I love the look of a LP - in my mind, that guitar IS rock and roll. I have a 2003 Standard that is heavy as hell - so heavy it's uncomfortable. I know that LP's tend to be heavy, but this is heavy for an LP. And, because of the huge heel at the neck joint, it's very difficult to play anything higher than about the 17th fret.
 
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