1974 Les Paul Custom. To Buy or Not to Buy?

[btomalley]

Hey Guys.

I wanted to get your opinion on a guitar that I am very intent on purchasing.

However, at the same time it is very expensive so I'm trying to cover all my bases.

My local GC has a 74 custom in black. It has all the right wear and looks the way gibson would do a factory relic. All natural, no maluse, just play wear.

Apparently the Electronics were switched out by gibson (according to guitar center) to 76 specs. It has open coil t-top pickups instead of covered PAF's.

Also, it is a factory second.

They want 2200 for it. Good buy??

 

[1981 LPC]

Looks good!

Please post this in the Norlin Years section. Lotsa members there with a good view on market value.

 

[acstorfer]

Price sounds very reasonable. There isn't anything else? No refin or anything? Neck is in good shape? Seriously, that's a really good price for a 74.

 

[Dino Velvet]

If no headstock repair and you like it. Do it. Thats a good deal. See if it has the case with the purple lining. Think they did those that year. Agreed, the Norlin boyz here will know more.

 

[Greg's Guitars]

It's a good deal IF the work can stated be verified as done at Gibson( I doubt GC can prove it), if not ,then it's got "replacement parts" and more in the range of 1600.00 would be a good deal.

 

[Ace Warslave]

Great price..in australia you will pay much more close to $3000-4000...

 

[acstorfer]

It's a good deal IF the work can stated be verified as done at Gibson( I doubt GC can prove it), if not ,then it's got "replacement parts" and more in the range of 1600.00 would be a good deal.

Even if the work was done by someone other than Gibson, it's still a great deal. The guitar would have came with T-Tops and not PAF's anyway. All that's really been changed are pots and caps and that isn't a biggie.

You're not going to find a 74 Custom for $1,600.00 unless it had major modifications or a broken neck.

 

[acstorfer]

Try to check somehow (take off the truss rod cover) to see if the neck is mahagony and not maple. If it's maple, then the guitar is post '75. If it is, $2,200.00 still isn't outrageous.

If it really is a 74, and really the closest way to confirm that would have been by the original pot codes, it is towards the top of the Norlin era guitar ladder. A big part of it's desirability would be it's association with Randy Rhoads. If it was white it would be significantly more.

 

[rychus]

I have a (I truly believe its a 75 due to pot date code) 74 custom according to Top Shelf music. It has lots of non-original parts on it and I wouldn't let it go for 22. Unbroken, hell yeah.

BTW - under the covers are T-tops.

 

[geezberry]

looks goood

 

[blindriver]

My only LP is a 74 bb, never felt the need to seriously look for another type of Lester

 

[geezberry]

Randy Rhoads used a 74' ....buy it or i will...

 

[qwank]

do it

 

[smcgov]

That's a good price, even if some parts may not be original.....

 

[ARandall]

I'm curious about the 'electronics changed out to 76 specs' bit. Pickups were the same for both years.

I'm also wondering how the swap could ever be verified.

 

[paulgibson]

I wouldn't buy a guitar like that from guitar center


Posted from Mylespaul.com App for Android