Les Paul Custom going rate/buying advice

TeleMaster

FelineGuitars said:

TeleMaster said:

Loobs said:

pt22 said:

This is the best Custom I’ve seen in a bit. 

https://felineguitars.com/collections/guitars/products/feline-guitars-lion-supreme-custom-black-beauty

Meh, that’s not a LP. 

No, it's probably better.  

That one is kind of like a Standard with Custom Inlays as the body has the single ply binding  etc

It has BKP Mules and Grovers etc so it has some damn nice features 

It also weighs about 8.5lbs so it's not like wearing a small family size car round your neck 

I do get the thing of wanting to have the same brand name as your heroes for that childhood/teenage dream "cool factor" but at the end of the day I'd personally choose the better sounding /playing guitar from a playing sake rather than bragging rights.

Having said that we love taking Gibsons and making them play to their best as we did for Craig.(and countless others)

Yea I do think I should I should bring the Gibson I have to you but I've tried multiple techs/luthiers now and I've just come to the conclusion that me and Gibsons don't mix  

matt_sefton

TeleMaster said:

topdog91 said:

It's not authentic.

How is it not authentic? Is it not a real Feline? 

I think he was referring to Gibson’s “play authentic” mantra

matt_sefton

Have you considered looking at overseas sites? Guitarpoint in Frankfurt have several black customs in stock. They ship worldwide and are very well regarded. I’ve got no affiliation - just looking at their site earlier 

Mike58

Loobs said:

I’d like to treat myself for my 40th which is coming up relatively soon. Interested in a black custom. Probably not vintage, so 80s/90s on. What’s the going rate for one that’s in good condition, has frets and isn’t a boat anchor, and what years/specs should I look out for/avoid?

you have had a lot of answers… most of them not too relevant re your exact first post.
you want a black custom, 
you want to know rate for a good one
what year/spec to avoid.

my answers are, £3-4k
avoid richlite fingerboard .

bodhi

I don't really have much of value to add here, but my first proper Les Paul was this '57 reissue faded cherry Custom. The only guitar I now bitterly regret selling.

There's a similar one for sale on Reverb for £4K, which is way more than I'm personally willing to drop on a guitar, but if I had the cash I'd have snapped it up already.

Gerz6558

I'm a bit late to this, and good advice already given. I decided to get a black custom earlier this year for my 40th too! In an attempt to correct the mistake I made a few years ago, selling my 1989 white custom.

The pre custom shop custom Les Paul's seem to list around 3k upwards these days. I managed to snag a 92 "prehistoric" custom in black for 3k, because the electrics and pickups had been messed with a bit. Thankfully it's a lot lighter than my old 89, which must have been a 11 pounder. Will not be letting this one go, prices are getting stupid.

Maybe just save a search on eBay for customs and check daily, and hopefully you'll jump on one that's been listed at a reasonable price like I did (not that reasonable really, but in relation to today's prices...). Good luck!

Loobs

FelineGuitars said:

TeleMaster said:

Loobs said:

pt22 said:

This is the best Custom I’ve seen in a bit. 

https://felineguitars.com/collections/guitars/products/feline-guitars-lion-supreme-custom-black-beauty

Meh, that’s not a LP. 

No, it's probably better.  

That one is kind of like a Standard with Custom Inlays as the body has the single ply binding  etc

It has BKP Mules and Grovers etc so it has some damn nice features 

It also weighs about 8.5lbs so it's not like wearing a small family size car round your neck 

I do get the thing of wanting to have the same brand name as your heroes for that childhood/teenage dream "cool factor" but at the end of the day I'd personally choose the better sounding /playing guitar from a playing sake rather than bragging rights.

Having said that we love taking Gibsons and making them play to their best as we did for Craig.(and countless others)

Well, with all due respect, you’re not exactly impartial  

timmypix

Bit late to the thread, but I sold my 2017 Custom for 3.4k and bought my 1996 Custom for 3.5k from GuitarGuitar in 2022. From what I've seen on the groups and eBay, I don't think that's changed much.

Loobs

matt_sefton said:

Have you considered looking at overseas sites? Guitarpoint in Frankfurt have several black customs in stock. They ship worldwide and are very well regarded. I’ve got no affiliation - just looking at their site earlier 

Good point, I’m actually based in Germany, although a Brit, so German sites will also be visited when I’m ready to buy. 

FelineGuitars

Loobs said:

FelineGuitars said:

TeleMaster said:

Loobs said:

pt22 said:

This is the best Custom I’ve seen in a bit. 

https://felineguitars.com/collections/guitars/products/feline-guitars-lion-supreme-custom-black-beauty

Meh, that’s not a LP. 

No, it's probably better.  

That one is kind of like a Standard with Custom Inlays as the body has the single ply binding  etc

It has BKP Mules and Grovers etc so it has some damn nice features 

It also weighs about 8.5lbs so it's not like wearing a small family size car round your neck 

I do get the thing of wanting to have the same brand name as your heroes for that childhood/teenage dream "cool factor" but at the end of the day I'd personally choose the better sounding /playing guitar from a playing sake rather than bragging rights.

Having said that we love taking Gibsons and making them play to their best as we did for Craig.(and countless others)

Well, with all due respect, you’re not exactly impartial  

Oh the guitar could be a Tokai or a Burny or an Epiphone or whatever - if it feels great , sounds great and plays well

We simply get a lot of guitars through our hands and there are some fab guitars of all brands 

Yes - we have been proud of the guitars with our band on them in the past, but any guitar that makes you want to play and gives good results is a winner in my book.

It is very hard to get away from the logo on the headstock , but we have seen players who owned an absolute killer Squier strat that they had had modified , set-up and made to be everything it could be, trade it in for a few quid towards their dream of a "proper Fender" only to find that that waterslide transfer with the "right name"  didn't get them a better guitar in some cases.

Don't get me wrong a proper black LP custom is sexy as fuck and like everyone else: one or more of my heroes has looked way cool with one and I would have wanted one ...just a question of finding - THE ONE ....with sensible weight, amazing resonance, great action and killer fretwork and a tone to die for.

Voxman

ElectricXII said:

They can look cool, but I've never really understood why Customs are so very much more expensive than Standards. A bit more bling, yes, but two grands worth? 

I suppose if people are willing pay the asking price, then who am I to question it. Being a P90 guy, I'd love a '54 spec Custom, but I'm not prepared to pay that kind of dough.

Aside from the double binding, Grovers, ebony board, diamond etc they do feel, sound and play very different to a Standard. Neither is better or worse than the other, they are just different.  I have a 1990 Custom that I love but I'd also like to get a Standard too... Perhaps a gold top or lemomdrop. 

topdog91

Voxman said:
Aside from the double binding, Grovers, ebony board, diamond etc they do feel, sound and play very different to a Standard. Neither is better or worse than the other, they are just different.  I have a 1990 Custom that I love but I'd also like to get a Standard too... Perhaps a gold top or lemomdrop. 

*Very* different? How so?

ziggynugget

CavemanGrogg said:

I know 70's Les Paul Customs in very good condition - no neck break repairs and finish in what I would call very very good condition for their age that they look like they where rarely if ever played, go for between £4-£7k, which I find hilarious considering how much hate Norlin era Gibsons get - I personally like the Norlin era Gibson especially their necks.

I think the Norlin era acoustics are where some of the frights are........  IMO

ziggynugget

darthed1981 said:

<insert joke about Chibson thread here>

£150

ziggynugget

PhilKing said:

I had my 1970 refretted, as I couldn't get on with the small frets.  It made a huge difference in how it plays.

Beautiful looking things these Customs.......  Love the one gold pup, Phil.......

ziggynugget

Lovely......... those witches hats.............

ziggynugget

Craigeymac86 said:

Grrrrr..........

topdog91

@ziggynugget You can quote multiple posts to reply to in a single reply rather that replying individually.

NB The editor doesn't insert a blank line after each quote so I'd recommend doing so before you hit the Quote button again and again for other posts. Otherwise you'll have to edit the HTML to fix it.

ziggynugget

topdog91 said:

@ziggynugget You can quote multiple posts to reply to in a single reply rather that replying individually.

NB The editor doesn't insert a blank line after each quote so I'd recommend doing so before you hit the Quote button again and again for other posts. Otherwise you'll have to edit the HTML to fix it.

Okey Cokey, I'll try it..........
I'm not great on here, I have to say.......

Voxman

topdog91 said:

Voxman said:
Aside from the double binding, Grovers, ebony board, diamond etc they do feel, sound and play very different to a Standard. Neither is better or worse than the other, they are just different.  I have a 1990 Custom that I love but I'd also like to get a Standard too... Perhaps a gold top or lemomdrop. 

*Very* different? How so?

I think you're just going to have to try one of each to answer that.