Les Paul buying advice?

[mike wtf]

A buddy of mine just offered me a 1976 Les Paul custom in good shape, for $1700. The everything is stock except the pickups, is this a pretty good deal?

[Jack Daniels]

76 Les Paul Custom will have a Maple neck and not mahogany. It will sound brighter than the earlier ones. Still has the sound of Rock-n-Roll, just not what some consider the "classic" Les Paul tone. Still a nice guitar. It seems that this price is fair for this model/year etc. 70's Paul's are getting up there in price. The 75-80 ones will eventually catch up, but the maple neck thing is a slight deterent for some. What color? Black is King. Solid white or wine is second/third. The bursts are not quite a popular and the price reflects that.

[mike wtf]

It's wine with gold, it looks beautiful

[treeofpain]

Sounds fair.

[twinrider1]

Sounds like a pretty good price I think. If he has the original case it makes it a better deal. What pups are in it?

I have a '74 Custom and a '77 Custom. Honestly, the maple neck on the '77 feels great. Very fast.

Pics?

[mike wtf]

It's got a JB in the neck and a pearly gates in the bridge, but due to some contractual obligations I have with EMG, if I play this guitar out i'm supposed to be using EMGs (but theoretically I'm supposed to be playing washburns as well), but I'd really like to throw a 500T in the bridge. It also apperantly had a tap coil installed in the 80s and was taken out and the hole was repaired by a luthier, I couldnt even tell. I played it and it is super fast.



Is this something I should jump on right away or should I keep searching? I'm definitely in the market for a custom, and I wouldn't mind cosmetic damage since I tour 9 months a year and it's inevitable anyway. I feel like this thing is almost too nice for me, haha.

[edwarddavis]

Considering what guitars cost , if its a great player and you will use it a lot seems like a ok deal. I will say that if theres a hole in it for a coil tap that mau ne a issue if you go to sell it. As much as I hate to say it times are a bit hard and there may be a better one out there . I personally dont buy a guitar unless I know I can get what I paid back if I sell it.
Learned my impulse lessons long ago, Nothing sells better than a stock mint guitar

[lakehaus]

Sounds like a player, not a collection piece. If it feels right, I say get it. The price is not unreasonable for what it is. You can always throw your obligatory EMGs in there if you don't like the sound!! As EdwardDavis points out, don't expect huge appreciation in value - but your goal is to play, not to collect, right?

Oh, the serial number is on a decal and begins with 00 followed by 6 digits, the model, and Made in USA, correct?

[gkoelling]

Originally Posted by mike wtf

It's got a JB in the neck and a pearly gates in the bridge, but due to some contractual obligations I have with EMG, if I play this guitar out i'm supposed to be using EMGs (but theoretically I'm supposed to be playing washburns as well.

Back when Vince Gill endorsed EMG he still played his '53 Tele.

[Austinrocks]

$1700 is a fair price for the guitar, and the wine color is very nice as well.

[AaeCee]

Originally Posted by Austinrocks

$1700 is a fair price for the guitar, and the wine color is very nice as well.

Yes indeed, and you should easily be able to sell for that if needed. Just check the weight....LPs from that era can run quite heavy, some well over 10 lbs.

[gtraddict]

Go for it if you really like the guitar