New Member Looking to buy Les Paul, your thoughts please!

[Sonnyboy]

Hey there fellow Les Paul fans,
A friend of mine is going to sell his Gibson Les Paul, and im almost dead set on buying it.
I was hoping to post some pictures and give some detail on the axe,and then maybe ya'll can chime in and give me an opinion or two!
Anyway a picture is worth a thousand words,so bear with me while i try my luck at uploading a few pics....
Thanks in advance!

 

[bouche03]

If you head onto photobucket and set up an album just cut and paste the IMG code under the photo. Thats should get them up

 

[Sonnyboy]

testing...

And now for the concerning part

SERIAL# 94046181
Its about 12#'s.
Fat neck(In my opinion)
Seller is asking 1000$ with case, which he says he bought it for.
Story behind axe is that it was played by an old timer for years before he passed away,and his wife had to sell it.
She sings!
Any thoughts or opinions are welcome.
Thanks very much.

 

[Sonnyboy]

If you head onto photobucket and set up an album just cut and paste the IMG code under the photo. Thats should get them up

You are the man...

 

[Ledheadforlife]

She's a beauty but I wouldnt pay more than $800 with that repair. Just my 2 cents.

 

[onioner]

Meh, if that repair is solid, and it's a great player, a grand sounds fine to me. IIRC that's a fine time for Gibsons.

 

[Montrose]

She's a beauty but I wouldnt pay more than $800 with that repair. Just my 2 cents.

Agreed. I'd maybe pay a little cash and a trade? If it's a solid repair, I think it would be a great player, but I'm one to always worry about that crack. Otherwise, I would totally get it! It's got a real nice burst. Good luck!

 

[SkyDog07]

some think they become better guitars after a proper neck repair. If you like how it plays and sounds I'd say go for it. great looking guitar.

 

[Ledheadforlife]

some think they become better guitars after a proper neck repair.

I've heard that alot too, but it sounds like denial and/or wishful thinking to me.

 

[nlopez]

How does the neck feel to you? I would just wonder if the neck repair was done really well.

 

[dirty little face]

I wouldn't pauy more than a grand, have you considered letting a lutherie look it over?...

 

[PsychoCid]

"Better" would be ridiculous, but a repaired neck is "stronger" than the wood was originally, this is just science.

If the repair is done correctly, it could easily be "as good as" it was before. In other words, you shouldn't feel it. I have a Hamer Californian with a repaired neck, it is still one of the best playing and sounding (DiMarzio JB-J bridge p/u, MIG Schaller Floyd) fiddles in my stable.

 

[Sonnyboy]

Its a players axe for-sure.She plays great,and she screams.IM a little concerned about how well it will stay in tune,i havent played a full gig with it yet.
Then I found out I could buy an 05 standard, in mint condition for 1200$ with a case at my local guitar shop.Although i havent played or seen it i heard its a beautiful cherry sunburst...Im really torn here.

Can some verify that these are original pots for a 94 Les Paul?

Thanks for your input.

 

[Tudorp]

I think those a vintage style pots aren't they? Mine is a 98, and mine have the "Gibson" logo on the back of my pots. And those are pretty cheap caps, I dont think those are what Gibson come with..

 

[HarryAndAGuitar]

Its a players axe for-sure.She plays great,and she screams.IM a little concerned about how well it will stay in tune,i havent played a full gig with it yet.
Then I found out I could buy an 05 standard, in mint condition for 1200$ with a case at my local guitar shop.Although i havent played or seen it i heard its a beautiful cherry sunburst...Im really torn here.

Can some verify that these are original pots for a 94 Les Paul?

Thanks for your input.

I'd get the 05 standard it's only 200 more and it's mint.

 

[guitarcarl]

I was excited for you until I saw the repair. I'm sure it plays well-but for resale and value I would plunk down 200 more for the newer mint one at the store-Don't rush on this (I know, I know-you got the fever).

 

[jmg257]

$1k is a lot of money...sure wouldn't put it towards a guitar with that kind of damage...especially if a newer mint one is just a couple hundred more. Seeing that crack would bug me every time.

 

[Sonnyboy]

I think those a vintage style pots aren't they? Mine is a 98, and mine have the "Gibson" logo on the back of my pots. And those are pretty cheap caps, I dont think those are what Gibson come with..

Honestly I'm not 100% sure.
Ive seen some diagrams(and it does look like Gibson wiring)
But I don't have enough first hand experience to say.
Anybody?
Thanks.

 

[Jaaniic]

I'd get the 1200$ one without looking back. I had a washburn with repaired headstock and I really thought that the headstock's gonna just fall off while I'm playing or carrying it I know it wouldn't but the feeling is not that great. You don't feel that the axe is reliable at all(even though it might be as reliable or even more reliable as a guitar without a repair).

 

[moff40]

I've heard that alot too, but it sounds like denial and/or wishful thinking to me.

The neck is definitely stronger than wood after a PROPER repair. It won't adversely affect the tone or the structural integrity of the instrument.

That said, how does someone tell if it was repaired properly? The good repairs I've seen are invisible (the repair on my Studio was), but you pay extra to make it that way. Maybe it was repaired right, but they passed on the cosmetics. I've seen pictures of some real butcher jobs too, using screws and dowels, kitchen knives.

The reality is that no matter how good the repair, and whether it's warranted or not, a break does decrease its resale value.