Shanks first impressions, neck carve question

[freebyrd 69]

One thing to add here.....you should be able to find a used Shanks for under 5k. $4200-$4500 would be fair, so, your R8 plus $2800 is too much.

 

[Rango]

One thing to add here.....you should be able to find a used Shanks for under 5k. $4200-$4500 would be fair, so, your R8 plus $2800 is too much.

GC HOLLYWOOD is always HIGH. But they do have stock on the wall, it' the only place I know where you can walk in and find guitars like that on the wall.

Interesting price range, I was looking at Shanks before I bought my Lemon R9. Lots of good guitars in that price range.

 

[indravayu]

GC HOLLYWOOD is always HIGH. But they do have stock on the wall, it' the only place I know where you can walk in and find guitars like that on the wall.

Interesting price range, I was looking at Shanks before I bought my Lemon R9. Lots of good guitars in that price range.

Yeah, their prices are a little ridiculous and, while they do cut deals, their deals aren't as sweet as I was used to getting in NYC (where I lived until late 2013).

They're asking $5999 for this used Shanks, but were willing to go down to $5500 for me. I explained to them that I can get a new one for around that and guys are selling used ones in the area of $4500-4800 online, but they just would not budge. I would have taken it at $4800, but not at $5500.

GC has another used Shanks down in FL for $5199 that they could order for me (and hopefully knock a few bucks off) - they tried to talk me out of it, though, by saying it may have issues, since it's been owned and sold back to GC twice now. Could just be flippers having their way with it, hard to tell without having it in hand.

 

[Sct13]

you can buy mine for 5400 and keep the R8........


J... K...

it aint goin know ware.....

But I did FINALLY finish a 4x12 cab project the other day and was able to let loose a wad today.......(wife left for a few hours) so I got to crank all the Marshall's to 11 or better...

Had had all sorts of combinations of mad switches and cabs....bark at the moon and making the dust rattle....

but I used the CC#7, glad I have that guitar....

that's all KARANGGGG!

 

[sikoniko]

If your making music with the R8 then keep it as is too....HM will do a great job, but it will be changed forever...no going back.

I didn't HM several awesome guitars because it wasn't really needed.

My last one (in progress) is because the finish was rubberlike compared to others and I wanted a CC7 like feel to it

I disagree here. I will never buy a Les Paul again without knowing at some point, depending on funds, it will be made over by Kim. It takes a good guitar and makes it better in every way.

neck shape on my makeovers: perfect
paint job: beautiful
resonance and tone: amazing!

When I had to sell a guitar due to a job loss, I kept my makeover over a real '56 goldtop.

 

[Sct13]

So your intent is to HM every one you get, regardless of its strengths and weaknesses....that's fine...and certainly your prerogative.

I would not consider the CC7 to be HM'd ....at least # 101...its has something going on with it....

The neck is very ridged and I think that has something to do with it..??

 

[sikoniko]

So your intent is to HM every one you get, regardless of its strengths and weaknesses....that's fine...and certainly your prerogative.

I would not consider the CC7 to be HM'd ....at least # 101...its has something going on with it....

The neck is very ridged and I think that has something to do with it..??

I don't for-see buying another Les Paul anytime soon in the future. Maybe next year I will buy a vintage single cut jr. With that being said, if I did buy another Les Paul, I would factor in a HM as part of my plans with the guitar, absolutely. I would also factor in replacing just about every piece on the guitar too. *my* experience has been that a HM will not make a good guitar worst. It will only make it better. YMMV.

While I hesitate to speak in absolutes, I just don't see buying a new guitar anymore. There are plenty good used ones on the market these days. And the rate at which some people flip guitars, there are a lot of un-played, or barely played guitars out there as well.

 

[indravayu]

You know what's funny? After coming very close to trading in my R8 on Wednesday, I have been playing it non-stop for the past two days (had a lot of free time leading into the holiday weekend, haha) and I have come to the realization that it really is a fine specimen of an Historic.

I guess sometimes you can luck out buying one of these blind on the internet, because this thing is just a sweet sounding guitar and nearly effortless to play (one of the things that threw me off about the Shanks was how hard, in comparison, I had to work both my hands to wring out the notes; this R8 practically plays itself!).

Maybe, because it's a plaintop, the Custom Shop made up for the lack of flame by giving it a little extra TLC when they built it? Maybe the 2014s really are just magical?

I'm going to have to check out some more Collector's Choice models to see if I can find one that tops it (without having to sell a kidney to pay for it), but if I had to keep this as my only Les Paul (can't afford more than one at the moment), I would never feel dissatisfied with it.

 

[Sct13]

Then you have made the right, well informed choice.

Play that R8 till the paint peels!

 

[indravayu]

Then you have made the right, well informed choice.

Play that R8 till the paint peels!

Right on!

Now, I just have to find a way to overcome my addiction to flipping guitars! It has gotten particularly bad the past 8 or 9 years - I have gone through more guitars in this time than in the previous 22 years. Of course, the flare-up of the addition coincided with me joining my first internet guitar forum (TGP...AKA the House of the Devil)

 

[Sct13]

At first I found buying and selling was a lot of fun, but there were a few close calls regarding shipping and I worry about my customers complete and total satisfaction....I began to see that it is a stressful undertaking, with so much money at stake, not to mention a reputation to guard.

Also the wife thinks very concrete in regards to buying, as if it has no value After you buy it and it is a permanent fixture and therefore an expense that we don't need....she does not see that the values do not depreciate (like shoes or a purse) and that can sometimes cause un needed conflict....

I think I'm done, least this year.....the R8 build at Gibson and my HM are paid for...I may sell one more to thin it out ....but I am no longer actively seeking a another....

maybe a husk that is bad enough to be cheap, but restorable to its former glory....

 

[sikoniko]

At first I found buying and selling was a lot of fun, but there were a few close calls regarding shipping and I worry about my customers complete and total satisfaction....I began to see that it is a stressful undertaking, with so much money at stake, not to mention a reputation to guard.

Also the wife thinks very concrete in regards to buying, as if it has no value After you buy it and it is a permanent fixture and therefore an expense that we don't need....she does not see that the values do not depreciate (like shoes or a purse) and that can sometimes cause un needed conflict....

I think I'm done, least this year.....the R8 build at Gibson and my HM are paid for...I may sell one more to thin it out ....but I am no longer actively seeking a another....

maybe a husk that is bad enough to be cheap, but restorable to its former glory....

I think many of us have the luxury of being able to try out a bunch of guitars until we find that one. The problem is it becomes very easy to chase new guitars and forget about playing them! It would almost be nicer if Gibson, for example, would go back to *just* making a cherry sunburst Les Paul... then I wouldn't be craving for so many different variations of the same guitar. Let the guitar age and fade on its own and it becomes what it becomes - that would be 'vintage correct' would it not? Obviously, that isn't going to happen... so instead, I have to have more self control - which is NOT what Gibson wants from me. lol. I'm trying to keep myself down to one guitar a year.

 

[Sct13]

Yea its kind of a maturing....I have been playing nearly 40 years and have been through many guitars,,,,but non so alluring as a Les Paul since about 2005 (for me)

I think I got the bug under some sort of "control" now....