Need Some Advice - Selling My Les Paul

Guitarist

Guitarist

Mesa-ologist
I have a 06 R8 and as of late, I'm just not sure if I can justify keeping it. I've been playing my Epiphone for a while, since I've been at college, and I'm pulling some great sounds out of it.

It got me thinking, if I can be inspired by a $500, why do I need to drop all this money on a CS instrument?

So... I'm thinking about selling my R8 to fund another Les Paul and Strat, because I've wanted one of those for a while now.

If I do sell, I'd like to get at least $2200 from it, as I've put considerable money into upgrades (including CS Duncans!).

I'd like your advice as to how to split the costs... I'm sure I can get a good strat for a grand or so, but a LP??

What do you guys think of all this?
 
Re: Need Some Advice - Selling My Les Paul

i think your custom shop Gibson with custom shop Duncans will be worth as much as your college tuition if you hold onto it until you're 40.

no Epiphone will be able to do that.
 
Re: Need Some Advice - Selling My Les Paul

I have a sneaky suspicion that none of the upgrades that you've done increased it's value. Maybe if you include the original pickups in the deal, that'll help.

I'd check some of the finished auctions at ebay to see what the going prices are like. Also, places like Elderly and Willcutts seem to have used Les Pauls in about the same price range.

Good luck.

I know someone who's a longtime Les Paul fanatic, and he's owned some very desirable Gibsons in the past. He just got a somewhat beat up used Epi Les Paul for about $220 w/HSC recently. He seemed pretty darn happy with the thing! He had his tech switch the tone controls to the '50s style, and at least for the time being, he's pretty thrilled with the thing. I really envy the deal he just got!

I could see selling the Gibson if you have a Epi you like. It's worth a big chunk of change. Sell it though. If you try to trade it, the dealer has to make good money reselling it, and he'll give you a lot less than what he can sell it for.

Pete
 
Re: Need Some Advice - Selling My Les Paul

The main reason you probably like the Epiphone is that it has a more standard neck profile.
The 58 is like a baseball bat, so if you DO decide to sell it, I'm sure you'll dig a regular Std 50's neck and an American Strat with modern C neck.

I've had slim and fat necks, and honestly, medium C's are what I like best. Everyone gets all ga ga about Historics, but those boatnecks are a bit much. They make it harder to jump between guitars because they feel so different.
 
Re: Need Some Advice - Selling My Les Paul

I'm not a fan of anything bigger than the 59 roundback myself. Before 59 I think those boatnecks had about an inch of thickness (so like Gearjoneser said, that could be it)!! My hands just are not that big!!

I don't mind the Fender "C" but find my hand gets fatigued on them when playing them for extended periods of time (over an hour or so straight).

Everyone is different though, so who knows. I know a guy who really digs those boatnecks, but his hands are huge too.
 
Re: Need Some Advice - Selling My Les Paul

If you only have the epi at college, of course your gonna pull some great sounds out of it.
A - B'ing the two side by side might be a different thing. If you only had your R8 with you, you'd probably want to sell the Epi. - Don't make any rash decisions!!!
 
Re: Need Some Advice - Selling My Les Paul

You'll regret selling that guitar in 50 years. I guarantee it.

I look back 50 years and think of all sorts of guitars I wish I hadn't sold.
 
Re: Need Some Advice - Selling My Les Paul

Its really all about the guitar in question,

and you.


Price tag be ****ed. If a $500 guitar works better for you than a $2200 one, don't fight it. Embrace it, my son.


However, there is something to be said about selling off your guitars. If you have great connection, or memories with the axe, then don't sell it. I regret selling my first; a MIM strat. Nothing special at all, but still.....



edit- wtf we can't say dam?
 
Re: Need Some Advice - Selling My Les Paul

Keep it. You're in college. It's an investment. The Les Paul I bought in high school for $400 is worth at least $1800 now. I'd even keep it locked away in a case. Only sell if you desperately need the case, and even then, you'll regret it.

The only guitar I'd consider maybe selling it for would be a mid to late 90's Les Paul Classic Premium Plus- particularly the first few years when they didn't have the yellow inlays. Those guitars can be had for about $2200 and will continue to go up in value since they have extremely flamed tops. Furthermore, you have the slimmer neck, more similar to your Epiphone.

Once day the supply of flame maple is going to run out (the quality is already diminishing) and you'll probably see plain maple with flame maple veneers, like on some omported Les Paul Copies (like Edwards).
 
Re: Need Some Advice - Selling My Les Paul

I was about in the same situation. My first real electric was a wine red 1975 Les Paul Custom. I sold it to fund a whole bunch of more flexible (and lighter) gear.

It was the right thing to do, although today it would bring several times the money.

Why? It just binds too much money and in your current situation the same amount of money is worth more. In 15 years your R8 will be worth - say - twice as much, but you will have more than twice the money to spare.

Also, don't forget that having an expensive guitar is not risk-free. It can be stolen, burned or damaged. If you don't take it to any gigs and practice then the effective value for you is even less.

And you already have a guitar that does the playing part for you.
 
Re: Need Some Advice - Selling My Les Paul

I totally see the point in keeping the ones you play and letting go of the ones that have collector's value, but that just raises the question of how badly do you need the cash right now? If you end up holding onto it, keeping it mint, then maybe selling it when your kids or grandkids need to go to college...the value will be much higher and your dollars will go much farther.

If it was me I would never have bout the custom shop Gibson in the first place...but if I HAD one, it would be in a case under my bed next to my gun for the next 30 years.
 
Re: Need Some Advice - Selling My Les Paul

Empty Pockets said:
If it was me I would never have bout the custom shop Gibson in the first place...but if I HAD one, it would be in a case under my bed next to my gun for the next 30 years.
Click to expand...

That reminds me to comment on another thing regarding the increasing value.

The increasing value doesn't buy you anything unless you actually sell the guitar. If you pay $2500 today and would get $5000 in 15 years, then you will not have a single cent in your pocket unless you actually sell it. This detail is harder to work out than it appears at first. Since the value is constantly increasing, you can't easily pick the best time for selling. If you prepare for re-selling a now brand new guitar you can never play it, at least not outside your home.

If you pre-determine it for, e.g. your first house downpayment, that works better. But then you can't pick the sell time emotionally at all anymore and the question arises why not just buy some mutual funds instead?

If I was looking for an investment safer than anything stock-based I might buy a vintage guitar. But I would buy one that is already old and has dings and scratches so that I am allowed to play it.

Also, if the stock market totally collapses so that the guitar was the safer investment, then the country is probably in such a dumpster that you cannot sell an expensive guitar when you want to. And worse, there will be other owners of vintage guitars who have (had) more money than you in the stock markets, lost that money and now must sell more urgently than you and ruin your price.
 
Re: Need Some Advice - Selling My Les Paul

uOpt said:
That reminds me to comment on another thing regarding the increasing value.

The increasing value doesn't buy you anything unless you actually sell the guitar. If you pay $2500 today and would get $5000 in 15 years, then you will not have a single cent in your pocket unless you actually sell it. This detail is harder to work out than it appears at first. Since the value is constantly increasing, you can't easily pick the best time for selling. If you prepare for re-selling a now brand new guitar you can never play it, at least not outside your home.

If you pre-determine it for, e.g. your first house downpayment, that works better. But then you can't pick the sell time emotionally at all anymore and the question arises why not just buy some mutual funds instead?

If I was looking for an investment safer than anything stock-based I might buy a vintage guitar. But I would buy one that is already old and has dings and scratches so that I am allowed to play it.

Also, if the stock market totally collapses so that the guitar was the safer investment, then the country is probably in such a dumpster that you cannot sell an expensive guitar when you want to. And worse, there will be other owners of vintage guitars who have (had) more money than you in the stock markets, lost that money and now must sell more urgently than you and ruin your price.
Click to expand...

True. and the very reason all of my guitars are <$600 players and not collectors items :smokin:
 
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