Value of a Gibson Heritage 80 Standard

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Hi guys

Any views on the approx value of a Gibson Heritage 80 Standard? New Kings Road have one for about £4K that someone I know is thinking of buying ‘as an investment’. Is that very dear, or there or thereabouts on price? All opinions welcome. Many thanks. 
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  • matonematone Frets: 211
    Far too expensive !
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  • guitars4youguitars4you Frets: 14031
    tFB Trader
    You don't see many clean examples now under 3k - based on original - nice top - case etc - it is fine someone saying I paid 2k 10 years ago, but they don't really exist at those prices now - there is one in Denmark Street Guitars for £3500 - http://www.denmarkstreetonline.co.uk/product-details/Gibson-Heritage-80-Standard-Les-Paul ; - For 4K I'd want a very good example and check they have the correct Shaw pick-ups

    there is the issue now that if you are buying many customers will say £3k or 3.5K yet if they are selling they say £4K

    I've seen some with awesome tops and some a bit bland, so that will have an impact on the price - I've sold them in the past at top price that is based on ultra clean, paperwork and a great top - But I've sold for less on a non-original 'players grade' version - So take that into account

    In 1980 they were meant to be the first 'commercial' vintage based LP without having all the correct details - In 1980 a regular LP sold at £400 whilst a Std 80 sold at £600 - 50% more which at the time was some serious increase over a regular model - Since then the whole R9 market has super seeded them in one format or another

    Let me know if I can help further on this
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  • matonematone Frets: 211
    Agree,there`ve been a lot of better LP`s produced since which offer much better value.
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  • I’ve owned and sold two of these, each got me around £2500 after quite a few weeks of advertising. They’re great guitars but i think the majority of les paul aficionados want the ‘truer to original’ spec R9’s and R8’s which are the same sort of price.
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  • richardhomerrichardhomer Frets: 24793
    edited November 2017
    They are not very accurate as reissues (pointy cutaway, three-piece necks) and usually very heavy.

    I’m unconvinced one would be a great investment. A decent Historic is a much better guitar.
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  • matonematone Frets: 211
    More 70`s than 90`s but definitely belong in the 80`s !!!
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  • guitars4youguitars4you Frets: 14031
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    They are not very accurate as reissues (pointy cutaway, three-piece necks) and usually very heavy.

    I’m uncoonveinced one would be a great investment. A decent Historic is a much better guitar.
    I'd agree regarding weight and an R9 as a better player - yet the values have done okay and consistently done okay since 1980 - I can still recall only get 2K for them and indeed 2.5K - I'd probably have to pay more than that now to get one in the shop - Granted I can't comment on the price in 2027, but based on the past, they've done okay, certainly compared to most other Gibson's from and since 1980

    Trying to recall his name, but a guy who does some of the shows, was at Crewe and will be at Liverpool/Aintree in a couple of weeks, has a nice example - one owner since new - around 3K ish (can't recall the exact price) - he always has a few LP Dlx's with him if you can remember
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  • ICBMICBM Frets: 71957
    They are not very accurate as reissues (pointy cutaway, three-piece necks) and usually very heavy.
    That's something of an understatement :).

    I have to say I like late-70s/early 80s Les Pauls in some ways - I like the solid feel and tone, even when it borders on them being too heavy, although only up to a point (11lbs to be exact!) - but I really can't live with that sharp cutaway tip, it just looks completely wrong. Shallow I know, but I know I'm far from alone and that does seriously affect the desirability and value, and I can't see them being a good investment since much more accurate reissues are still in full production.

    I feel the same about the similar Fender 'Dan Smith' Strats - they were once touted as being valuable and good investments, but that was only because they were less horrible than what had immediately preceded them… apart from the improved body contouring and four-bolt neck with (wrong shaped) small headstock, they were essentially just a late-CBS Strat. Modern vintage reissues are *far* better guitars, both in terms of vintage accuracy and plain quality.

    £4K is far too much in my opinion.

    "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

    "Just because I don't care, doesn't mean I don't understand." - Homer Simpson

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  • guitars4youguitars4you Frets: 14031
    tFB Trader
    ^^^^^^^^^^^^  - I think you are correct about Dan Smith 82 Strats as well @ICBM - but you have to remember with both the 82 Strat and the 1980 Heritage Std 80 that we had come from an era of mediocrity (the 70's) - Both Fender and Gibson, in lieu of the Jap invasion, wanted to go back to their roots and improve what they offered - Compared to many models from the 70's, both the 82 Strat and Heritage Std 80 are someway above them - Yet in many ways, both just showed Fender and Gibson that they are on the right track but need to do more - Gibson then came out with the whole R9 program - whilst Fender ran into ownership and no USA factory for a fair time in the 80's, eventually they launched the highly successful C/Shop program  As such the 1980 LP and 82 Strat were a step in the right direction for future improvement - today I'd agree that as a guitar to play, both 82 Strats and the Std 80LP are okay but there is better
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  • No way as an investment 
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  • SkippedSkipped Frets: 2371
    edited November 2017
    I am not sure why they would be an investment. And the horn shape is way off and is hard to ignore.

    I like the slightly later (mid 80's) Pre-Historics much more. I think they show how good the Tim Shaw pickups are in a great guitar. Mark Knopfler is probably the most famous person to own and play one of these. Most people agree that the guitar sounds incredible on Brothers in Arms (the song) and he uses a 'Burst live to re-create the sound of the Pre-Historic! Another 80's Pre-Historic user is Warren Haynes. He told Guitar Player it is his number one guitar (Huh? Not the Gibson Custom WarrenHaynes then? )

    But still not an "investment" even though prices seem to  be creeping up.
    Oh - Maybe that is what investment means. 


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  • musicman100musicman100 Frets: 1705
    edited November 2017
    In general guitars are not investment and certainly not these days 
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  • guitars4youguitars4you Frets: 14031
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    No way as an investment 
    I wonder if we'd have had FB 10/20 years ago what the discussion and opinion would have been then when someone said I've seen one for sale at £1500 or £2000 - and now they have doubled - No one knows what the price will be in another 10 or 20 years time
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  • SteveRobinsonSteveRobinson Frets: 6914
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    Skipped said:
     Mark Knopfler is probably the most famous person to own and play one of these. 

    ...

     Another 80's Pre-Historic user is Warren Haynes. He told Guitar Player it is his number one guitar (Huh? Not the Gibson Custom WarrenHaynes then? )
    Also Slash (91 goldtop) and me (89 goldtop)
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  • ICBMICBM Frets: 71957
    No way as an investment 
    I wonder if we'd have had FB 10/20 years ago what the discussion and opinion would have been then when someone said I've seen one for sale at £1500 or £2000 - and now they have doubled - No one knows what the price will be in another 10 or 20 years time
    I'll take a small bet that in 10 to 20 years time they will still be worth about £2500, same as they are now - in numbers, not real terms. And much less than a 20-year-old R9 will be.

    (Worth as in what they actually sell for privately for cash, not London dealer asking price or with trade-ins.)

    "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

    "Just because I don't care, doesn't mean I don't understand." - Homer Simpson

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  • guitars4youguitars4you Frets: 14031
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    ICBM said:
    I wonder if we'd have had FB 10/20 years ago what the discussion and opinion would have been then when someone said I've seen one for sale at £1500 or £2000 - and now they have doubled - No one knows what the price will be in another 10 or 20 years time
    I'll take a small bet that in 10 to 20 years time they will still be worth about £2500, same as they are now - in numbers, not real terms. And much less than a 20-year-old R9 will be.

    (Worth as in what they actually sell for privately for cash, not London dealer asking price or with trade-ins.)
    I agree that a 20 year old R9 will probably out price a Std 80 in 10/20 years time, but don't agree on the 2.5K  - I'd pay 2.5K now for a clean example with case, good working order tags etc, knowing I sold the last one for far more than that - 4K maybe pushing it at the moment but I still bet they will sell it - I'm not saying they are the greatest LP and granted it was never meant to be an R9 replica, but they are getting close to 40 years old - with character and some collectible vibe, so not a shortage of buyers who prefer that to a new 2018 LP Std at £2499
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  • fretfinderfretfinder Frets: 4978
    edited November 2017
    In general guitars are not investment and certainly not these days 
    Ffs don’t tell my wife that!!  o

    Btw the Heritage Standard 80 is ex-Micky Moody. Personally I don’t think that enhances the value at all, except perhaps to an über fan (if any). 
    250+ positive trading feedbacks: http://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/57830/
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  • crunchmancrunchman Frets: 11413

    Personally, I wouldn't pay more than £2k.  I'd rather have a second hand R8.  I wouldn't pay more for one of these than I'd pay for an R8.  To be honest, I'd probably shop around for a good Traditional rather than one of these.

    The only reason they are that price is because they are seen as collectible.  As players guitars they aren't worth it.

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  • guitars4youguitars4you Frets: 14031
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    crunchman said:

    The only reason they are that price is because they are seen as collectible.  As players guitars they aren't worth it.

    Don't tell everyone but you could apply this theory to a large amount of what we now consider to be cool, odd ball, weird, wonderful, collectible and vintage guitars - But there is still some magical mojo that takes us in that direction sometimes
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  • Great to see the debate about the Gibson Les Paul Heritage 80. I am speaking from my 31 years experience of owning & playing these wonderful guitars.
    Firstly, they are an important part of Gibson history with all the mojo to match, everyone of them that I've owned & played has been very similar, tone & playability wise, they are outstanding guitars.
    I will never part with mine now I've pretty much played every other electric guitar out there.
    I have recently come to the conclusion that why have a copy when you can have the real thing, after all Gibson never claimed they were a reissue or a copy , they were only based on a 59 Les Paul, incorporating all the best bits & adding enhancing features.
    Yes Tim Shaw was called in to recreate a 59 humbucker & what an excellent job he did, buts that about as far as it all went copy wise.
    Finally, I consider them to be a must for any Les Paul fan, they are already collectable & worth every penny.
    Hope I haven't offended anyone but I can only speak from my experience. 
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