Why is the Les Paul so over priced?

[JOLLY]

Re: Why is the Les Paul so over priced?

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

I'm curious to know how many, if any Heritage's he's actually played. He lives in the U.K. I live in the U.S. where Heritage guitars are made, and I've hardly ever even seen any of the guitars. I've been in countless music stores in my life and not one single time have I ever seen a Heritage guitar in a store. The only places I've ever seen or played a Heritage guitar were at guitar shows. Also, people can read a regurgitate all the misinformation they want to on the internet by talking about how much better Heritage's are than Gibson, how they're made by all the original Gibson employees and all that blah blah blah crap. I've played about 20-30 Heritage guitars in my life. I don't think they play or feel anything like a Gibson.

 

[Got_tone?]

Re: Why is the Les Paul so over priced?

Is the young lass in your avatar being held upright by guywires?

:laugh2:

 

[some_dude]

Re: Why is the Les Paul so over priced?

2. From there, it is probably fair to say Gibsons are somewhat overpriced. Whatever guitar you like better, there are other manufacturers making stuff as well built with as good quality parts and wood for less, or better workmanship for the same price. I think LP's are about 15-20% (new) inflated for the name and reputation, which is deserved for tone, but not for craftsmanship, which leads me to the next point,

Here's the thing I don't know if people know about...

Retailers often have to conform to MAP... Minimum Advertised Price. Note that means 'advertised' and not 'final' sale price. Gibson (along with many other companies) enforce MAP policies so that one retailer doesn't clearly undercut another retailer.

Some shops stick to MAP like it's gospel, but others will give you a lower price if you ask them in person. Musicians Friend is obligated to advertise at MAP, as are other online sources people usually refer to in threads like these, but you can walk into a brick and mortar dealership and walk out with money off the advertised price.

When I bought my R6 I was given around 25% off.

 

[distortionhead]

Re: Why is the Les Paul so over priced?

Let me clarify my original post. I was not saying that the LP's are a bad guitar at all. In fact, the type of music i play verses the type the old man plays is night and day. His guitar of choice is the LP mine is not. I just noticed that he has spent a ton of money on them.

Now hear me out. He is OLD and thinks that real guitars were made to last and it should last a very long time. He also is a guy who plays the living crap out of them and feels these are very dependable and durable PURE gigging guitars. He prefers the LP's from the late 60's to the mid 70's thats his preferred guitar because he thinks they all have a "soul" as in they all feel and sound different.

maybe yes maybe no, but i could not afford (even if i preferred the LP) old LP's or vintage ones. I meant no disrespect to any LP owners and by overpriced (maybe the wrong term) i meant in short the above where i said i couldnt afford to buy the amount or age of my father.

Play what you play and enjoy it life is too short ---RAWK ON BROTHERS!!!

 

[some_dude]

Re: Why is the Les Paul so over priced?

Let me clarify my original post.

I don't think people are ragging on you. More the gibson haters vs the gibson hater haters going back and forth again.

 

[distortionhead]

Re: Why is the Les Paul so over priced?

looks like i started a pissing contest. NOT INTENDED

 

[Jessie's ghost]

Re: Why is the Les Paul so over priced?

looks like i started a pissing contest. NOT INTENDED

No matter. We usually have one or two of these going at a time.

 

[karpathion]

Re: Why is the Les Paul so over priced?

No matter. We usually have one or two of these going at a time.

Looks like the admins are gonna have to add another G to the banned topic list.

These threads can get ugly sometimes.

 

[distortionhead]

Re: Why is the Les Paul so over priced?

Looks like the admins are gonna have to add another G to the banned topic list.

These threads can get ugly sometimes.

what do you mean the above (G to the banned topic) never heard of that before.?

 

[Chickenwings]

Re: Why is the Les Paul so over priced?

Once something becomes a collectors item its value becomes only limited by what people will pay for it. Thats when it worth more than the sum of its parts. Think about some wines that may be so old that they are undrinkable, but because the bottle is unopened it is worth a lot of money. Or possibly the red strat that jimi burned....obviously it unplayable, but its worth a lot of money. So your dads 1969 Les Paul is now a collectors item and in that respect, it sounds like he got a really great deal. Also, 5500 is not really a lot of money to spend on a guitar for some of the really nice hand built things going.....look at the price of some of the things coming out of Gibsons custom shop, or Benedettos or DeAngelicos and cover your eyes if you are looking at the prices of concert level classical guitars.
People do not just buy guitars based on their funtionality. There is tonal preference of course, and the value of the woods etc as well as the cost of the labour involved in making the axe, but that is generally covered when a retail price is agreed upon. When instruments increase in value due to their collectability status then the sky is the limit.
One last thing that always makes me laugh about Les Pauls tho....Gibson stopped producing the les paul in 1962 due to lack of poularity! Believe it or not! They went back into production in the late 60s after the british invasion and people wanted to emulate those guys (who in their own way were trying to emulate the american blues giants of a previous generation).
As far as "soul" goes....thats up the the player, not the guitar.

 

[GoldenVulture]

Re: Why is the Les Paul so over priced?

Try some Aussie prices.
- http://www.allansmusic.com.au/prodcat/Electric_Guitars-Basses/brand/Gibson.aspx -
They're a major music retail outlet.

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[80's_Metal]

Re: Why is the Les Paul so over priced?

Oh I love how everyone chimes on in about how sucky the Gibson Les Paul is... all of these guys have strummed a few of them. Maybe even recorded a few catchy tunes with these "sub-par" and "over-priced" instruments..... :naughty:

 

[Jessie's ghost]

Re: Why is the Les Paul so over priced?

Try some Aussie prices.
- http://www.allansmusic.com.au/prodcat/Electric_Guitars-Basses/brand/Gibson.aspx -
They're a major music retail outlet.

They also want $2k for an American Standard Tele, so…

 

[GoldenVulture]

Re: Why is the Les Paul so over priced?

what do you mean the above (G to the banned topic) never heard of that before.?

Stickied in the Sound Room - go read them , you obviously haven't.

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[Jessie's ghost]

Re: Why is the Les Paul so over priced?

Oh I love how everyone chimes on in about how sucky the Gibson Les Paul is... all of these guys have strummed a few of them. Maybe even recorded a few catchy tunes with these "sub-par" and "over-priced" instruments..... :naughty:

Uh… uh… that's all marketing. Paid endorsements and stuff. These guys all played Hamers, or PRS, or some ghost-built custom pieces by small builders when they were in the studio or at home. In reality, they tried Gibsons, but they couldn't keep the headstocks glued on long enough to finish a show. Because of the design flaw and the… uh… shoddy QC… or something.

Um, yeah… that's it.

 

[Got_tone?]

Re: Why is the Les Paul so over priced?

looks like i started a pissing contest. NOT INTENDED

Don't sweat it. This still manages to happens whether you post a NGD or praise Gibson for a job well done.

Edit: By the way, I kind of already knew that this thread was gonna go down this road just by reading the title. Look we have almost 100 post and 5 pages of the same old crap.

 

[Gearjoneser]

Re: Why is the Les Paul so over priced?

During this whole thread, I just kept thinking.....

I WISH my dad was a Gibson collector.

Distortionhead, who do you think is going to inherit these toys that are rising in value? If I were you, I'd be pointing him in the direction of every classic guitar!

 

[Mr 9finger]

Re: Why is the Les Paul so over priced?

I'll be the first to admit I'm not a Gibson fanboy. I'm a fan of guitars. Period. That being said, anyone that doesn't understand why LP's cost so much really need to stand back and take a look at the big picture.

The bottom line is, not only do they have 50 years of prestige behind them, they are an investment. At this point, it's going to take a couple decades of really bad QC to really even do anything to them and even then, it's just going to drive the prices of "the good years" through the roof. An example of that are the pre and post Norlin era Gibsons.

Prestige and investment points aside, they and Fender for that matter, are made in the U.S. In case you haven't noticed, anything made in the states is normally going to cost more. With the case of Gibson, a lot of their jobs are skilled laborers, which drives their costs up even more and gets turned over to us, the consumers.

People can bring up names like PRS, Suhr, Anderson, whoever. I don't know about the other 2, but PRS commands a real heavy price tag on some of their models already. Imagine what their prices are going to be if they are still around another 30ish years to hit their 50th anniversary.

Yeah in some ways you are paying for the name and prestige, but you're also buying into a part of rock music history. Not many brands can say they got it right the first time like Gibson can say with the LP and Fender can say with the Strat.

 

[BloodRose]

Re: Why is the Les Paul so over priced?

the old boy can afford it he and mom are pretty well off (at least to me they are) But i asked him "honestly, whats so special"? his response was "the last thing my father bought me before he passed on was a 69 LP and its more sentimental than anything". "I sold it to help my new family get ahead because we were just starting out and it was the only thing of value i had. As much as i loved that guitar and what it stood for, my sacrifice was little loss to achieve a bigger gain".

But i guess my dads friend called for him to let him know after all these years he ran into my old mans HOLY GRAIL! my mom actually got the phone when he called and sent the money down to purchase it for the old boy's B-Day present.

I guess i get it now, at least that side of it.

To him it could have been a Hondo.. It was mainly about the sentiment and getting back what was lost.. Now he'll have his cake (family) and eat it too.

Id love to replace the trans am I sold when I started my fam. there are better cars out there, but its the sentiment.

As far as Gibsons.. Ive played ALOT of average ones over the last few years and really bashed them cuz the prices are aimed at collectors. Because they can get it..
But if you find a great one, its very special..

 

[BloodRose]

Re: Why is the Les Paul so over priced?

Why is an Ibanez Steve Vai bolt on neck, no binding model cost just as much as a Gibson Les Paul that has binding, a set neck, a flamed maple cap, and makes you feel like you're getting a BJ at the right moment you hit that perfect note? Why ask why? It is what it is.

Speak Da troof brudda Jolly!!