A ratio that I found sad/interesting

[Mosster47]

I've owned Gibson LP Standards, Classics, Traditional, and Customs ranging from the late 70's up to 2014. I'm not talking like one or two here, of all the models I'm pushing around 100 total all combined. I have tried many many R-guitars and never found one that I felt the price tag was worth what I was playing. I've owned two MIJ Tokai Love Rocks. I've owned one MIJ Edwards.


In my keeper collection I have one Gibson Les Paul Traditional Satin Mahogany. Gibson made this line one year. I love everything about this guitar. My M-59 Tokai I'll never let go of. I was going to sell the Tokai LS-160, but it's such a nice guitar I can't find the benefit of selling it even though I might not play it that much. I regret selling the Edwards.

Out of all those countless Gibsons I have one keeper, one I regret selling (an 89 Custom). Out of three MIJ LP's I have two keepers and one I regret selling.

Does anyone else have a similar experience? I haven't gotten into Navigators, Greco, Burny, Orville, or any other Japanese company. I am blown away by their craftsmanship already.

 

[Whoopysnorp]

I have sold very few guitars in my life. I bet I can count them on one hand:

• A crappy plywood SX goldtop
• An Agile AL2500
• An Ibanez RG560
• An Edwards E-LP-98LTS
• An Edwards E-LP-92CD

Close, but I just managed it (I'm not counting a Dean V that I got in a trade and never intended to keep). Of these, the E-LP-98LTS was the one I regret selling the most, and I intend to get it back if my bandmate ever decides to get rid of it. I never owned anything from the big G, but I do sort of know what you mean, yeah.

 

[Whoopysnorp]

These Tokais right here are the only reason those Edwardses went up for sale, by the way.

 

[reborn old]

It's always nice hearing testimonials from voices of experience.

I regret selling more than a few, but take comfort in the fact new owners probably appreciate
and play them at least as much as I did.

Several high end Tokais, an Edwards and a Greco EGF were standouts
I would have kept of about 20 LP's I've owned, if justified by circumstances
at the time.

I suspect ratios might be better with Kalamazoo manufactured G!bbys.

 

[Mosster47]

I suspect ratios might be better with Kalamazoo manufactured G!bbys.

I can imagine so John. Those largely coveted guitars are older than my parents, so their price tags were the size of a rental property by the time I had enough funds to start feeding the addiction.

I've never played a real 59, but I've played a real 58 in a guitar shop in Dallas, TX that looked like it had been drug behind a car on the way to the shop and they wanted around $20k for it. I have to say I wasn't impressed. I played a real 60 in a shop in Frankfurt that was in about as good of shape as possible and it's the finest instrument I've ever touched. It was right after they switched to the Euro and they wanted somewhere close to 50,000eu for it. In the fifteen years since then those prices have doubled.

If I remember right they only made 1,680 Standards from 1958-1960 so scarcity makes them a tough find and the 1980's that saw the butchering of many of them makes one in near original shape only for the wealthy, not even the rich, the wealthy.

Much like cars in the 1980's, if American manufacturers want to produce junk at a high price the Japanese will make their way here with a far superior product at a lower price to steal away all of the smart consumers while the flag wavers keep the home companies afloat. Then of course the Koreans will corner those without a lot of funds that want something new. My goodness this sounds familiar doesn't it? lol

 

[Mosster47]

These Tokais right here are the only reason those Edwardses went up for sale, by the way.

Wowzers! That's a pair right there!


(touching my temple) "You will sell me that Custom one day soon!"

 

[Whoopysnorp]

Wowzers! That's a pair right there!


(touching my temple) "You will sell me that Custom one day soon!"

That's the same thought I had when I saw a picture that wulfman posted of it like a year ago. Worked for me...but I wouldn't hold my breath if I were you.