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Gibson Les Paul goldtop P90

Gibson Les Paul goldtop P90
« on: October 12, 2011, 08:33:22 AM »
Hello everybody,

I have been looking for a Gibson LP goldtop with P90 pickups in the Netherlands and on ebay.  I did not know very much about this guitar or vintage guitars in general since I have been playing my Gibson Les Paul standard from 1979 since I bought it in 1981. I never looked for any other guitar. But now the P90 sound appeals to me too so...  Well the problem is that I find too many LP gold tops with P90's!  The confusing thing is that the price varies from 700 euros to 2500 for the various (too many) reissues. I did not expect to be able to buy one new for 700 euros! and am able to pay more but where do they differ?  How can I recognize the better quality reissue except by price?  Any help would be welcome. I have understood that there are less desirable chambered guitars and perhaps? more desirable VOS reissues. Are these VOS better because more exact copies? I would like the P90's to be real not stacked or whatever... Many questions in fact not mentioning goldtops form The Heritage guitars or Vintage V100 guitars.  Thank you.
« Last Edit: October 12, 2011, 08:36:35 AM by wilfrid »

jules

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Les Paul Goldtops
« Reply #1 on: October 13, 2011, 11:48:04 AM »
Hi Wilfred
 
Guitar prices do not necessarily reflect how good a guitar is unfortunately. Sure a $1000 guitar will be better than a $100 guitar, but a brand new $2000 Gibson may well not be better than a $700 Gibson a few years old.
 
Some people would never buy a used instrument. Some people would never shell out the full whack for a new instrument.
 
A lot of the price difference in Gibsons (in general) comes down to fancy finishes and inlays, whilst the actual playability and sound doesn't change too much.
 
Cheaper brands often use different woods and contsruction (which will sound a little different, not necessarily worse though)
 
Can you give us some specific examples of Les Pauls you are considering?

gibson p90 goldtop
« Reply #2 on: October 14, 2011, 08:02:57 PM »
Hi Jules, thanks for answering. Well to be very specific, there is a 1972 goldtop for sale here in the netherlands which you can see if you follow this link : (half of it is in English)
http://muziek.marktplaats.nl/snaarinstrumenten-gitaren-elektrisch/488532422-gibson-les-paul-goldtop-standard-deluxe-1971-1972.html

It is certainly expensive at 3500 euros,  which is I do not think I would want to pay unless when I see, feel, hear and smell it I lose my senses and happen to carry 3500 with me.

So,  is an old and worn Gibson from 1972 a better investment than a brandnew custom shop VOS etc. Gold Top?  I understand that this is all very difficult for you to answer in my place. But just quality wise,  is a 1972 Gibson Gold Top guitar always an excellent quality such as you would expect from a new that costs that much?  Wood, hardware and original P90's. etc.?  Or you really paying 1/2 or 3/4 just for its age?  I do not mind it being second hand at all and it is thrilling to know that the guitar has been around so long but I must try to be a little objective too.

Well, that is what I can say.  Its really just me wondering and being indecisive  out loud.  All this vintage talk is new to me and I realize that my guitar has actually become a semi-vintage guitar itself but is it any better than it was or than a new one?  I don't think my guitar is worth very much now, perhaps 1500-2000 euros? OK thats just theoretical as I would never sell it.

Well, before I fill pages and pages of rambling thoughts...

bye

VOXguy

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Gibson Les Paul goldtop P90
« Reply #3 on: April 10, 2012, 10:07:43 PM »
I recently sold a '75 Deluxe in cherry burst to a professional Jazz player in New York City.  He claimed to have interviewed Les Paul for an article in Rolling Stone magazine some years ago and Les paul had told him his favorite Les Paul guitar made by Gibson was the mid-70's Deluxe with the mini-humbuckers.  Anyway, the previous owner had mounted P-90s on the guitar, but had kept the mini-HBs; so I remounted them for the sale.

I took a new, mint Traditional Goldtop LP worth about US $2,000.00 in trade plus US $500.00.  Its lighter and has the exquisite computer "PLEK" set up which is perfect.

I still have a '78 Deluxe in the natural maple color top with mini-humbuckers; the only difference between the '75 and '78 is that by '78 the pots are covered by a metal can inside the body.  This is a very sweet guitar in naer mint condition.  I am looking for $3,000.00 on it.

Finally, I also have a 2008 Standard Plus LP in light iced tea that is my favorite.  If I wasn't a Fender guy, I could live with just this guitar.  I really like the locking tuners on the Plus model.

One thing I do know is that in the USA Gibson guitars are ten times harder to sell than Fenders, and there are mare fakes of Gibsons than any other brand.
« Last Edit: April 10, 2012, 10:10:04 PM by VOXguy »

 

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