Thoughts on this 1974 CSL Les Paul Custom

DB1

I'd agree - I have a Columbus 335 type that I've finally 'made available' - it was bought fairly recently through nostalgic reasons as it was exactly the same as the first guitar that I ever bought. I think it cost £53 in 1976, or something like that, which wasn't that cheap. I'd advise people who wanted to have a 'players' guitar to buy a modern one - as I put in the ad (it's not on here) 'I don't think that they'd quite reached the golden age of Japanese guitar making when this baby rolled off the production line'. Look for a Squier or an Epiphone, etc, and you won't go far wrong.

But as a fun piece of nostalgia, without spending too much, great - and yes, the pickups do sound good. My friend, who first taught me a few chords, had an Arbiter LP Junior in TV Yellow, which I thought was the absolute business then. Mind you, I thought the Columbus was a 335......

guitars4you

DB1 said:

I'd agree - I have a Columbus 335 type that I've finally 'made available' - it was bought fairly recently through nostalgic reasons as it was exactly the same as the first guitar that I ever bought. I think it cost £53 in 1976, or something like that, which wasn't that cheap. I'd advise people who wanted to have a 'players' guitar to buy a modern one - as I put in the ad (it's not on here) 'I don't think that they'd quite reached the golden age of Japanese guitar making when this baby rolled off the production line'. Look for a Squier or an Epiphone, etc, and you won't go far wrong.

But as a fun piece of nostalgia, without spending too much, great - and yes, the pickups do sound good. My friend, who first taught me a few chords, had an Arbiter LP Junior in TV Yellow, which I thought was the absolute business then. Mind you, I thought the Columbus was a 335......

I started full time in 1978 but started as a Sat lad with my dad in the shop from around 1974 - recall these on the wall and yes around £50ish - Bolt on neck I recall - Those sat amongst a couple of Kimbara models - Both came via FCN, the distributor of the day, but many Kimbara models were a touch better and many Gibson-esq models had a glue in neck, but around £120 ish

Agree about the nostalgia angle but not the greatest guitar you'd own - Get a better started model like a Pacifica for the equivalent of less funds today

ICBM

guitars4you said:

Agree about the nostalgia angle but not the greatest guitar you'd own - Get a better started model like a Pacifica for the equivalent of less funds today

But they're just so *bland*...

(Actually exactly what you want as a beginner - no awkward "character" to have to overcome and work around while you're also trying to master the simple things.)

DB1

ICBM said:

guitars4you said:

Agree about the nostalgia angle but not the greatest guitar you'd own - Get a better started model like a Pacifica for the equivalent of less funds today

But they're just so *bland*...

(Actually exactly what you want as a beginner - no awkward "character" to have to overcome and work around while you're also trying to master the simple things.)

Definitely. I recently sold an Epiphone Zephyr Blues Deluxe (Epi's take on the ES-5, of course with the triple P90's) via a 'well-known auction site' - it was lovely, but the p/u placings can make life a bit difficult at times, and the neck, although I liked it, was quite flat. I had an enquiry from a very nice chap who was learning to play and I felt duty bound to suggest something easier to start with - more 'bland', as you say, which would have been perfect. He thought that it might be part of the 'fun' of learning, but struggling with a guitar that's relatively hard work, unless you're pretty proficient, isn't much fun at all. In the end it went to a great guy from S. Wales, who is more than proficient!