1981 Les Paul standard , is it good?

skikdi53

Hello,
Looking for this one at GG, is it good for the price?
Thank's.
https://www.guitarguitar.co.uk/product/px201104363796003--gibson-1981-les-paul-tobacco-sunburst-pre-owned

RaymondLin

What year did the valut on the neck stop? (yes I've been watching trogly's youtube channel....

crunchman

10.3lbs !!???

Not for me.

I don't think that era has the best reputation.  It's definitely not the classic Les Paul recipe with a 3 piece maple neck.  I definitely wouldn't buy without trying first, although at that weight I wouldn't even bother to try it.

At that money, you are close to used R8 territory.  If you can find a 2017 blowout model that doesn't have the monster neck I think that would be a better option.

skikdi53

Haha thank's @crunchman , i have a 2017 R8.

guitars4you

Bottom line is if it feels right, plays right and looks right then it is good

Granted 80's LP's don't come with the best reputation - However amongst some mediocre/poor examples are some very good examples that defy the bad reputation

Prices are rising and I sold a similar model/age recently for that price, but it was exceptionally clean - Looked more like 4 years old and not 40 - The frets I'd expect to be clean before it was offered for sale - Selling a guitar with worn frets is like selling a car with worn tyres - Not sure why you should be putting it right - IMO £1999 is pushing it in that condition - I know it is from a dealer

springhead

It won't be as good as your R8!  Very heavy, maple neck, maybe has the Tim Shaw humbuckers which started around then but I don't think they're any better than Custom or Burstbuckers.   

guitars4you

rare to have an ebony board on a Std 

lustycourtier

guitars4you said:

rare to have an ebony board on a Std 

Its a standard LE. 

skikdi53

Thank's guys, don't really need it and i cannot play it before buying, so it isn't for me.

WezV

in terms of build quality, they are generally fine guitars.  It is not the classic les paul recipe.  



*laminated maple necks - more stable and less likely to snap at the headstock.  
*heavier weights.  this is what people were after in the 80's because many felt "heavy=sustain".  It's what guitar factories were selling in the 80's because light mahogany was getting harder to find.  Chicken or egg
*misshapen cutaways and pointier horns
*flatter carves with a  lot less obvious contours

Gassage

It's a very good price. However, maple neck isn't for some. Not bad weight for that era, either.

However, looking at the bridge pup to bridge space, I'll bet that's a converted deluxe.

Gassage

RaymondLin said:

What year did the valut on the neck stop? (yes I've been watching trogly's youtube channel....

Ironically, 1981. Although you can find them from the mid 70's on that don't have them.

Mudcrutch

The 80s wasn’t a great decade for lots of guitar companies.
Im not a fan of anything Gibson after mid 70s and the same goes for Fender.
IMO they are just companies now trading on there historical names.
Times are a changing .
So many brilliant individual guitar builders out there now if you want something special one off
that will sound outstanding and shed loads better and cheaper than any 59 Gibson or 60s Fender.
History is a wonderful thing..

Caffeine_Vampire

Mudcrutch said:

The 80s wasn’t a great decade for lots of guitar companies.
Im not a fan of anything Gibson after mid 70s and the same goes for Fender.
IMO they are just companies now trading on there historical names.
Times are a changing .
So many brilliant individual guitar builders out there now if you want something special one off
that will sound outstanding and shed loads better and cheaper than any 59 Gibson or 60s Fender.
History is a wonderful thing..

Try getting your money back on resale though... history carries weight.

Stevepage

10.3lbs and ebony fretboard. Yes please!

Dontgiveupyourdayjob

crunchman said:

10.3lbs !!???

Not for me.

I test-drove a 1982 Standard when I was searching for a 'birth year' guitar. Hands down the heaviest guitar I've played, felt like it was made of iron girders! 

meltedbuzzbox

springhead said:

It won't be as good as your R8!  Very heavy, maple neck, maybe has the Tim Shaw humbuckers which started around then but I don't think they're any better than Custom or Burstbuckers.   

You can't quantify that statement at all.
You haven't played that 80s guitar or the ops R8.

God there is some blanket statement bs thrown about this place.

p90fool

I like heavy Les Pauls and the maple neck is a bonus, but it's impossible to judge it without playing it.

It's certainly not a guitar to be avoided on principle though. 

springhead

meltedbuzzbox said:

springhead said:

It won't be as good as your R8!  Very heavy, maple neck, maybe has the Tim Shaw humbuckers which started around then but I don't think they're any better than Custom or Burstbuckers.   

You can't quantify that statement at all.
You haven't played that 80s guitar or the ops R8.

God there is some blanket statement bs thrown about this place.

Nope, not played either but I do have a pair of Shaw humbuckers and a pair of Burstbuckers and not sure (!!) why the Shaws have earned the reputation and value that they have. They’re nice but over praised I feel.  

Sassafras

skikdi53 said:

Thank's guys, don't really need it and i cannot play it before buying, so it isn't for me.

If I was dropping 2 grand on a guitar I'd want to try it out.
There no other way of judging whether it's any good.
When it was made will only tell you it was made X number of years ago.

Fortheloveofguitar

Will also have the shorter and flatter frets if they’re still original. 

I had an all original 1980 model and could really feel the difference in playability with those frets