Why is the Les Paul so over priced?

[guitfiddle]

Re: Why is the Les Paul so over priced?

Just be glad your dad isn't smitten by an early 20's Loar mandolin. Those things clock in at around $100,000 these days.

 

[Funkfingers]

Re: Why is the Les Paul so over priced?

The short answer to the OP question is supply and demand.

The Gibson Les Paul (and good derivatives) makes some fabulous noises through an overdriven valve amplifier like no other electric guitar can. Guitarists crave this capability. Manufacturing the product is hand labour intensive. Man (or, is that now "person"?) hours cost money. Hence, the finished product is costly.

While it is true that the big inlays and binding are not essential to the sound of a Les Paul, it does look kinda naked without them.

As dr.ad. pointed out earlier, anybody who desires the Gibson Les Paul sound and look enough will find a way to raise the money to buy one.

 

[Aceman]

Re: Why is the Les Paul so over priced?

If ppl stopped buying les paul and stopped paying what Gibson is putting them out for, you better believe the price would come down.

No it wouldn't. They would buy a line of whatever people were buying, raise that brands prices, lower that brands quality, driving customers to something else. Then they would buy another line that was actually better than Gibson for the price and compete against themselves with that brand with a new awesome marketing campaign and an artist model that beats the Gibson version at 1/10 the price.

Finally, they would actually RAISE the prices of Gibson's in an attempt to make you beleive they are even more valuable and rare than they actually are.

 

[ImmortalSix]

Re: Why is the Les Paul so over priced?

Les Pauls are bad-ass, and all you naysayers just jealous you can't afford one.

 

[MikeM]

Re: Why is the Les Paul so over priced?

It is an exaggeration, but you can get a better guitar with less money than the Gibson. Every way I add it up, I can get an Epiphone Les Paul Studio, replace every frikkin' part and have a guitar better than any Gibson Les Paul. I'm not starting this argument. You can trash me if I want but I have every justification.

Wrong. I've spent $800 on my Epi, my Gibson is in a whole other league. Same shape, totally different guitar.

 

[Jessie's ghost]

Re: Why is the Les Paul so over priced?

Wrong. I've spent $800 on my Epi, my Gibson is in a whole other league. Same shape, totally different guitar.

On the other hand, if you mainly play Metallica from the EMG/Boogie years, you might not notice much of a difference.

 

[John_L]

Re: Why is the Les Paul so over priced?

A Heritage LP costs just over a half a Gibson, is better made and sounds better. If you want a pretty guitar then a PRS SC250 is less than a Gibson and again sounds more like a Les Paul should. If you want a top of line single cut for hard rock then you have the PRS SC250 or the Anderson Bulldog. Put bluntly if you can get over the name on the likely to break off headstock then there are a lot better choices than a Gibson Les Paul.

 

[Jessie's ghost]

Re: Why is the Les Paul so over priced?

John L, how nice of you to show up in a Gibson-bashing thread! I never would have expected it!

 

[formula73]

Re: Why is the Les Paul so over priced?

A Heritage LP costs just over a half a Gibson, is better made and sounds better. If you want a pretty guitar then a PRS SC250 is less than a Gibson and again sounds more like a Les Paul should. If you want a top of line single cut for hard rock then you have the PRS SC250 or the Anderson Bulldog. Put bluntly if you can get over the name on the likely to break off headstock then there are a lot better choices than a Gibson Les Paul.

Or, if you want the grandaddy of all those guitars, the guitar they WISH they were, you go buy the real thing.

...but I'll admit you're right about the Heritage...

 

[John_L]

Re: Why is the Les Paul so over priced?

Or, if you want the grandaddy of all those guitars, the guitar they WISH they were, you go buy the real thing.

...but I'll admit you're right about the Heritage...

Gibson haven't bade a decent Les Paul in many years.

 

[formula73]

Re: Why is the Les Paul so over priced?

Gibson haven't bade a decent Les Paul in many years.

I beg to differ, sir. The plastic on my Traditional Pro looks kinda pink-ish, but aside from that, it's all the LP I could ever want and then some. Substantial weight, meaty tone with nice cut, fast neck, tobaccoburst, traps, fret edge binding, semi-plek'd setup, and the splitters are a bonus. I haven't handed it to one person who didn't instantly love it, from the old school Gibson guy to the thrash player to the 7 string virtuoso/math metal type guy. Speak not of which you know nothing.

 

[some_dude]

Re: Why is the Les Paul so over priced?

A Heritage LP costs just over a half a Gibson, is better made and sounds better. If you want a pretty guitar then a PRS SC250 is less than a Gibson and again sounds more like a Les Paul should. If you want a top of line single cut for hard rock then you have the PRS SC250 or the Anderson Bulldog. Put bluntly if you can get over the name on the likely to break off headstock then there are a lot better choices than a Gibson Les Paul.

So, if the Heritage sounds better than a Les Paul and the PRS sounds more like what you feel a Les Paul should, then neither of them actually sound like a Les Paul.

Sweet. Now I know that if I'm looking for the Les Paul sound I should probably avoid those two guitars.

Cheers, :friday:

 

[formula73]

Re: Why is the Les Paul so over priced?

So, if the Heritage sounds better than a Les Paul and the PRS sounds more like what you feel a Les Paul should, then neither of them actually sound like a Les Paul.

Sweet. Now I know that if I'm looking for the Les Paul sound I should probably avoid those two guitars.

Cheers, :friday:

I love deductive reasoning.

 

[80's_Metal]

Re: Why is the Les Paul so over priced?

There are faster and cheaper cars than the 1957 Thunderbird ....but that doesn't mean they are better and especially not as cool. I'd dump as much as I could into the guitar or car or gun or girl of my dreams.

Some ppl spend lots on fenders too... I don't get that.

 

[Funkfingers]

Re: Why is the Les Paul so over priced?

Some ppl spend lots on fenders too... I don't get that.

It's Only Rock 'n' Roll (but I like it)

 

[IanBallard]

Re: Why is the Les Paul so over priced?

Les Pauls are bad-ass, and all you naysayers just jealous you can't afford one.

Not. Even if I was swimming in money, I would rather buy a custom-made instrument for that kind of money. I mean, $8000 for the cheapest Page No. 2? I could have a luthier build me a guitar to MY spec and still have some grip left for an SLO-100 and cab for that.

Pure prestige BS. Same with Fender. While you can get a really good, American made pro Strat for about $1000 nowadays, you can BUILD ONE with moderate tool skill for way less than that with the best components out there. Both companies use status to sell instruments for as much as the market will bear.

That said, I am very anti-corporatization of America and I'd rather support smaller builders and shops than Fender/Gibson/Guitar Center.

 

[BigJoe77]

Re: Why is the Les Paul so over priced?

The short answer to the OP question is supply and demand.

On the 42nd reply, the truth hits.

Pure economics 101. They cost that much because people are willing to pay that much and because there is enough scarcity to drive the pricing.

Things are only overpriced if they don't sell for the price being asked. Everything beyond that is a matter of motivation.

 

[Binnerscot]

Re: Why is the Les Paul so over priced?

LPs..meh

That doesn't seem too bad of price for the age. New ones are very overpriced.

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: Why is the Les Paul so over priced?

Les Pauls are bad-ass, and all you naysayers just jealous you can't afford one.

Ya know...the sad part is that there is a lot of truth is that statement...

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: Why is the Les Paul so over priced?

A Heritage LP costs just over a half a Gibson, is better made and sounds better. If you want a pretty guitar then a PRS SC250 is less than a Gibson and again sounds more like a Les Paul should. If you want a top of line single cut for hard rock then you have the PRS SC250 or the Anderson Bulldog. Put bluntly if you can get over the name on the likely to break off headstock then there are a lot better choices than a Gibson Les Paul.

What a load of poop...

The PRS, Anderson, and Heritage are JUST as likely to break off at the head since they all use the same design...

I'm also curious how does a Heriatage sound better and how is it made better...