I'm unsure about this...

[slashgoldtop]

Hello all, I guess I had better explain my situation first. Because of a weekend job I have (I'm 16 so still in school), I can afford to purchase a Gibson Les Paul Traditional on 24 month finance.

It works out at around £60 per month. I am a huge Lester fan, due to many of my favourite artists/musicians playing them.

And I have worked out that if I were to keep it for 10 years, it would work out at just under 50p per day.

However, I just can't seem to get my head round the £1650-800 price tag I do not question that providing I find one that is right for me, that they are excellent guitars, but of course it is a lot of money, especially for someone my age.

Could any owners or experts tell me why it is worth this kind of coin for these guitars, apart from their beautiful tops

Many Thanks

[Oranjeaap]

Im extremely against buying (any) items when you dont have the money.
Having debts is baaad, and having them when you are only 16 years old is even worse.
If I were you, id save up every penny. Do some jobs for the neighbours or something. Check out the used guitars in your area every now and then and wait till you see the perfect one.
I think Les Paul studios are just as good as most other models. DO you realy need a traditional? I dont think so.

[geetarjonny]

Originally Posted by slashgoldtop

Hello all, I guess I had better explain my situation first. Because of a weekend job I have (I'm 16 so still in school), I can afford to purchase a Gibson Les Paul Traditional on 24 month finance.

It works out at around £60 per month. I am a huge Lester fan, due to many of my favourite artists/musicians playing them.

And I have worked out that if I were to keep it for 10 years, it would work out at just under 50p per day.

However, I just can't seem to get my head round the £1650-800 price tag I do not question that providing I find one that is right for me, that they are excellent guitars, but of course it is a lot of money, especially for someone my age.

Could any owners or experts tell me why it is worth this kind of coin for these guitars, apart from their beautiful tops

Many Thanks

Hi SGT,

Basically the more you pay, the more quality you will get through better woods and better craftmanship. Guitars seem to hold there value pretty well compared to other things so you wont really lose a lot of money come to selling it (if you do). You can certainly pay a lot more for a guitar than £1600-£1800 say a custom shop for instance and many other guitars head on up to £20,000 plus new!! I say buy it and enjoy it dude

[geetarjonny]

Originally Posted by Oranjeaap

Im extremely against buying (any) items when you dont have the money.
Having debts is baaad, and having them when you are only 16 years old is even worse.
If I were you, id save up every penny. Do some jobs for the neighbours or something. Check out the used guitars in your area every now and then and wait till you see the perfect one.
I think Les Paul studios are just as good as most other models. DO you realy need a traditional? I dont think so.

Most guitar teachers will tell you, along with players, the better the guitar you can afford, the better! especially acoustic.

[Oranjeaap]

Originally Posted by geetarjonny

Most guitar teachers will tell you, along with players, the better the guitar you can afford, the better! especially acoustic.

Did you read his post?. He cant afford it, thats the whole point.

[slashgoldtop]

Thanks for the replies guys.

Oranjeeap I appreciate has a good point about having debts at 16. I'm currently paying £40 p/m till October for a Fender P-Bass which I don't mind doing, because I love the bass and my job. Of coure the Gibby would be a different ordeal, as the Fender was only a 12 month plan as opposed to 24 months.

And again I respect the Studio, and the opinion of Oranjeeap. However, these go for about £550-950 new in the UK. I do not want to spend that money now, then in a year or too be GASing for a Trad. Of course, I would have to sit down and play both thoroughly before making any judgement, I hate to be a judger of what appears written on the spec sheet.

And this summer holidays, I intend to work my arse off doing whatever jobs I can to make some coin

I forgot to add that the finance option is 0%, so interest isn't an issue.

And Jonny, I know what you mean about having higher quality materials for higher price. I can definetely feel a difference even between my cheapie first guitar and low end MIC Tokai LP.

Thanks again

[jhmp]

OK, If I heard you right, you have a bass and 2 electrics.
-Um, I'm with Oranjeaap on this. If you're working thats great! Keep working, save your money, take some girls out and enjoy your youth NOW!!!
Save some coin, play a lot of guitars and have a choice when the time comes. For that kind of money and some luck you could even get into a vintage refin, or have a choice of higher quality used gibby. The point is have a choice and don't be a slave to debt while you're young, you have the rest of your life for reality.
-If you're anything like the rest of us, you dive in feet first. Don't be like us, be better!

[Robinv]

Agreed with oranjeaap, buying stuff on a financing plan becuase you can't afford it turns out bad in nummerous situation. Also the law is a lot more complicated when buying stuff on a loan (Even tough the call it diffrently for commercial reasons, its basically a loan which you have to pay down). Also a lot of these deals have a fine print on them which allows the store to charge huge fines if a payment is late.
If you're gonna buy it with a finance plan make sure you're aware of every detail of the deal and which rights both you and the store have. Most people don't even know their rights when they buy something and the company they bought it from will take full advantage.

Unless ofcourse its a loan from your dad or something who buys the guitar for you and you pay him back bit by bit, Then I'd say go for it :P

- On a side note, I use a studio and it plays like a dream

[Dawsons]

If you can get a Traditional on 24months Interest Free finance pal, go ahead and bite their hand off!!

I don't know of anyone who offers such a finance option anywhere close to that! If I could get it myself I would do! I take it you've got someone to do the finance for you as you're 16?

[GitFiddle]

You need to look at buying a guitar like buying stock. You should never spend more than you can afford to lose. Say you sign up for two years of debt for a chunk of wood and pick out the guitar of your dreams.

You're jamming at a backyard party and set it down for a minute and next time you look its gone. Or you are loading up your gear and one of your buddies accidentally backs over it with their car. One way or the other, its gone in a flash. You are still going to be obligated to make those payments for two long years.

I didn't buy my first Gibson LP until I was over 50.
I've had tons of guitars before that but never any that cost more than 700 bucks. If it gets stolen or lost in a fire or car accident, I can still pay my mortgage, I can still make the car payment, I can still buy groceries etc... you get the idea.

Don't be in such a rush to go into debt. Les Pauls will be around for a very long time. I would build up my cash nest egg and go on a long term search for that magical used LP that will probably cost you half as much.

[Oranjeaap]

Id buy a used guitar anyway. Lots cheaper and just as good. If you give it a good polish it looks almost like new. The scratches will be there eventually even if you buy it new.

[azzapeel]

if you save up and pay cash, as soon as you`ve done that you can start thinking of your next purchase. if your in debt for 24 months, you have to wait that long before you start thinking of buying again. also another year or so and your mates will be going on holidays etc. but you will be sittin at home not being able to afford it.( unless you can get a good paying job ).

[Olds442]

Originally Posted by Oranjeaap

Id buy a used guitar anyway. Lots cheaper and just as good. If you give it a good polish it looks almost like new. The scratches will be there eventually even if you buy it new.

This.

But pay cash you saved up for it, don't go into debt.

[ctkarslake]

Originally Posted by Oranjeaap

Id buy a used guitar anyway. Lots cheaper and just as good. If you give it a good polish it looks almost like new. The scratches will be there eventually even if you buy it new.

Agreed, forget new, buy used! You'll have to save up for less time and when/if it comes time to sell, you'll most likely get 100% of your money back or more. As soon as you walk out of the store with a new guitar, (BAM!) you've lost 1/3 the price you are still going to have to finance for 2 more years, yuck.
It is a lot cheaper and not just as good, it's better! A guitar that's been played a ton is a happy one. I only buy used (it's been a great two years!)

Most of all, take your time, you've got a lot more of that than most of us around here.

[KenG]

If you want a new guitar and can swing the montly payments, there's nothing wrong with buying one now. Yes some us, myself included, had to wait till we were older for top of the line pruchases but that doesn't mean you have to. Nor do you have to settle for used.
0% interest free finiancing is a great deal provided the sales price doesn't have the finiancing costs already built into the price.
Saving up money can be a good lesson as well but if you were to spend 2 years saving up for a purchase the money you saved has devalued during that period as the price of the guitar continues to rise. By the same token buying a guitar today interest free means when it's piad for in 2 years the guitar's new price will be higher but you paid a 2 year old price for it.
Your decision really.

[KenG]

If you want a new guitar and can swing the montly payments, there's nothing wrong with buying one now. Yes some us, myself included, had to wait till we were older for top of the line pruchases but that doesn't mean you have to. Nor do you have to settle for used.
0% interest free finiancing is a great deal provided the sales price doesn't have the finiancing costs already built into the price.
Saving up money can be a good lesson as well but if you were to spend 2 years saving up for a purchase the money you saved has devalued during that period as the price of the guitar continues to rise. By the same token buying a guitar today interest free means when it's piad for in 2 years the guitar's new price will be higher but you paid a 2 year old price for it.
Your decision really.