I've very sadly had a close relative pass away quite suddenly and they knew of my love of all things guitar and have left me a little bit of money. Now i've actually got a bit of money put away myself that I had earmarked as my "Les Paul Custom....one day" fund. So i'm looking at combining the funds to finally get myself one and I intend on it being a guitar that will definitely not be sold on for several reasons.
Now this leads me to the difficult few questions;
1. New (as the new customs seem to be back in the right direction) or Used?
2. What year if I hunt for used ( I always liked the idea of a birth year one, but finding a mint 1987 custom is likely to be very difficult within my budget)
3. Where the hell do I find used Mint/excellent condition Customs? I live in the north near Middlesbrough.
Thanks guys, my budget is approx £3k and i'd be wanting an Ebony LPC.
Comments
As far as a particular year to look for, then IMO no definitive answer - Some might give you a definitive 1989 is best or 1990 is best, but you can find a good example in good condition from many years across the 80's and 90's and even the 70's - Certainly when you consider feel, tone, condition, playability - equally you can find a mediocre example from many years but you'd soon ignore such an example once examined
IMO I'd look for a nice used example and be patient until the 'Les Paul Custom -----One day' materialises - Based on your comments of 'inheritance funds' then I can see why you'd suggest 1987 so maybe go with this option as it obviously will always mean something to you
Personally I'd avoid 70s/early 80s if you value your back working properly.
Another point of contention for some is the gold hardware - On most used examples you'll come across, then all/most will show various signs of fade/wear/pitting - It is just part 'n' parcel of gold hardware - Personally I would not worry about it, providing, the feel, tonal character etc is as what it should be
I would take one over a new one at the same price every time.
"Take these three items, some WD-40, a vise grip, and a roll of duct tape. Any man worth his salt can fix almost any problem with this stuff alone." - Walt Kowalski
"Only two things are infinite - the universe, and human stupidity. And I'm not sure about the universe." - Albert Einstein
The biggest issue is physically getting the chance to try them as the north east isn't really home to a large population of vintage gibson guitars. ha!
I bought a used one recently, being in the North West they are a bit thin on the ground, but they do pop up every now and then.
I think Andy Baxter (Leeds) had a 90's Ebony Custom for sale, seemed to be hanging around for a while then reduced.
Try reverb, Ebay, Gumtree. (Although ebay has lots of overpriced fixed price listings that never sell)
1975-1986 ish can be found for around 2k (Norlin era, maple 3 piece neck, weight varies)
Some say 1987-on they really tightened up the specs, went back to a mahogany neck, made really good LP's up to about 2000 when the quality went off a bit. Can go for 2-2.5k on ebay.
Pickups varied a few times in the late 80's.
90's onwards they did some black beauty re-issues, Mahogany cap like the original Custom, with '57 classic pickups which are a Gibson's PAF replica.
The newer customs do not have ebony wood fretboards if that matters, it's now some sort of composite material.
Definitely try a few from different eras, they all feel and sound slightly different. Enjoy the hunt!
+ when did Gibson first bring in the Richlite option