70s Les Paul Deluxe with headstock repair - value?

A_T_W

So I've just spotted that there's a 72, I think, LP Deluxe on sale near me. It seemed like an incredible deal to me on first sight, but then I read that it had a headstock repair and the neck had been refinished; other than that it was all original, and the finish (goldtop, natch) was in pretty good shape.

I was just wondering what the local experts ( :P ) thought would be a reasonable price for that kind of guitar with those kinda of issues. Checking on ebay 70s models in good conditions go for like £2000 plus, so I'm not sure how much of a discount is expected on that.

Cheers all

ICBM

Typically 10% to 33% less than normal depending on how well the repair has been done. (For 10% it's going to have to be ultra-professional and as good as invisible.)

I probably wouldn't pay much over £2K for a 70s LP Deluxe anyway - and especially not without playing it first. They can be very nice, but they're not that rare and some of them aren't all that great either.

But then I may be out of touch because I paid £250 for my '70.

That was in 1986, to be fair .

I paid a grand for one with a badly repaired headstock about ten years ago, re-repaired it and sold it for £1500 a year or so later. The repair was still visible, but not easily felt like it was before!

Iamnobody

I can't help on value but if you pass up the opportunity let me know!

A_T_W

Haha will do, just feeling it out first

fretfinder

You could probably pick up a recent R8 for about £1700 and I suspect it would be a far better playing and sounding guitar...

ICBM

fretfinder said:

You could probably pick up a recent R8 for about £1700 and I suspect it would be a far better playing and sounding guitar...

I'd take a *good* 70s Deluxe over an R8. But not a bad one.

fretfinder

ICBM said:

fretfinder said:

You could probably pick up a recent R8 for about £1700 and I suspect it would be a far better playing and sounding guitar...

I'd take a *good* 70s Deluxe over an R8. But not a bad one.

Depends also whether you like a fat neck on your Les Paul, as you won't find one on a 70s Deluxe.

ICBM

No I don't. I also don't mind a bit of extra weight, as long as it's not excessive. I find 70s Les Pauls just feel and sound more solid than the Historics, even though the Historics are also not weight-relieved. It's not just that, it's something to do with the *hardness* of the wood, and you can hear it in the tone and feel it in your left hand - better resonance.

The 70s guitars are also usually well-made - OK, in some ways made wrong... layered bodies, less carving and paddle headstocks etc - but still the fit and especially the finish is better than on a lot of modern ones. As is the fretting usually, although that can be fixed on the new ones.

OK, you can easily find an overweight, dead-sounding 70s Les Paul too - but you can also find a soggy-sounding Historic. (The earlier 90s "pre-Historics" are a slightly different thing though, they seem much more consistently right.)

Having to buy either blind at the same price I'd probably have to go for the new one, because they are at least a bit more consistent, but then I probably wouldn't buy any Gibson blind, except possibly for a pre-Historic.

fretfinder

Aah, the earlier 90s 'pre-Historics, I don't like them as they don't have fat necks!

ICBM

fretfinder said:

Aah, the earlier 90s 'pre-Historics, I don't like them as they don't have fat necks!

Some of them do. A friend has a couple which are way too fat for me.

Unless you like actual tree trunks, perhaps .

fretfinder

ICBM said:

fretfinder said:

Aah, the earlier 90s 'pre-Historics, I don't like them as they don't have fat necks!

Some of them do. A friend has a couple which are way too fat for me.

Unless you like actual tree trunks, perhaps .

Nope, I just generally like R7, R8, and R9 necks. I've played a few pre-Historics and they all had slimmer necks than any R7/8/9s I've played or owned. No doubt they can vary a little due to the hand-finishing though.