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What were some good years where Gibsons quality was really good that I could get a les paul for a decent price?

50s and 60s

if its the actual 50s and 60s LP, its going to cost a bomb. The historic custom authentic LP quot;reissuesquot; could give you the closest you can get to those years of LP. And its about 2800 for a 57' to 4000 for a 60'

If you're looking for something other than hype and a bit older, you can look for some Les Pauls between 1978 to '80 or '81. Late '80s Pauls are very nice and cheaper; and early '90s (circa 1992-'93) are a good bet. Nice sounding is subjective, but these years will generally offer better craftsmanship.

don't shop by year...there afe good sounding Pauls from the 70's (our own Stevo has a killer sounding 77 model) and there are bad sounding, new Pauls...if I were shopping for an LP right now I would go CS Historic if I had the money and of not I'd look into some late 80's amd early 90's Standards...FWIW, the new Faded Standards are pretty killer guitars, as are the new Standards...

Yep, it's really not a year thing but as a rule I avoid mid 1975 to 1988 LPs just because Gibson was particularily squirrelly with the specs on those guitars. You need to play those guitars to find a keeper.

The 90s were all generally nice guitars and the specs were normalized. You still need to play them first (as with all guitars) but chances are you'll have an easier time with those guitars as compared to the Norlins.

I have a 95 LP std, a 98 LP std and a 2001 CS 59 re-issue LP and all three are great sounding and playing guitars.

Best bang for your buck, find a early-mid 90s historic re-issue goldtop. You should find one for around $1700 and they are incredible sounding and playing guitars.

If thats too pricey, look for 90s LP std. The 70s LPs are now being called quot;viintagequot; and that jacks up the price more than they are really worth as a player IMHO.


Originally Posted by guitarplayerWhat were some good years where Gibsons quality was really good that I could get a les paul for a decent price?

ANY... the Wood and craftsmanship make a good guitar, not the year... there are gems and dogs to be had from each and every one of the last 60 years

Figure the 50's and 1960 ones are going to set you back a fortune (even a good 50's Jr. will run some serious change (I sold my 58 Special for 5K last year). The '69-70 ones are insanely overpriced ($14K ) and the rest of the 70's are getting outrageously overpriced for what they are. As far as what you're forking out for a 70's Norlin LP... Usually a 2 piece quot;sandwichquot; body, a 3 piece top, the very early 70's LPs had full size humbuckers as an option (so before the name Deluxe had been decided on, the quot;Deluxequot; was the quot;Standardquot;- don't try to make too much sense of the LP nomenclature system) usually they're really really heavy, in 70 they widened the headstock and towards the mid 70's the finish got really thick.

As people have mentioned, you have to play the guitar- don't fall in love with a guitar just because it's quot;vintage,quot; fall in love with a guitar because of it's sound, it's comfort, it's looks... (my apologies to anyone- but multi piece bodies, 11 lbs, volutes, wide headstocks, short tenons, 3 piece tops, and thick finishes do not make a guitar desirable- that's not saying a guitar containing those traits can't be the right one for you...)

I think Gibson did a really nice job of coming back and making some really nice guitars in the mid-90's. You also should be able to find a used R7 Goldtop for under $1700. If price is more of an issue, used Studios are great guitars and you can find them around for well under a grand.

Personally, I would stay away from buying new Gibsons. That company has made some horrendous mistakes at the upper management levels.

Take out a loan, sell one of every organ you have, rob a couple of banks, and get you a '59.

I'm going to have to agree with the guys that said it doesn't matter about when it was made.....to an extent. It seems of late the quality is dropping. Though I'm sure you can still get a good sounding Paul if you searched hard enough.

Didn't mean to insinuate that I endorse shopping by year ... Just advising that if you ARE looking for old, stay away from the overpriced utiliarian instruments (seriously, those 70s Gibson guitars are can be poorly crafted-- they got better when the Nashville Gibson plant picked up the slack from Kalamazoo, hence the year suggestions). Any guitar's problems/shortcomings can be remedied with some work, but why spend all that money on a guitar that needs work? What you like is all that counts.

1957,1958,amp;1959...... Oh you said for a decent price.... sorry


Originally Posted by ZerberusANY... the Wood and craftsmanship make a good guitar, not the year... there are gems and dogs to be had from each and every one of the last 60 years

1 Garbage ones were made all throughout history as well as good ones. Only way you can know is by playing them. There is no period of years that they are any better than any others, just different.

well, just look at me. I ain't gonna get any more LP and thats for sure, prolly a double neck if things get better. Apart from that, Gibson price are getting more and more by the year.
i would invest in amps and accessories the next time

I think you guys nailed it. Only thing I'd add is to still play modern day Gibsons and you might be surprised that there are some that are extremely well made.

I think a lot of it has to do with where you buy your Gibson from. I would NEVER trust Musician's Friend or Guitar Center. If you ever need a really good place to buy Gibsons, just send me a PM and I'll tell you all about a place I purchased my RI 0 LP Special DC from and the positive experience I've had.

They all suck....buy a Fender.. (JOKING!!!!) I love good LP's.

Can't go by year when looking at guitars. Just play as many as you can, new and used. One will jump out at you and say, quot;here I am, take me homequot;. I'm jealous of the person who has the early 90's Studio I had to sell. She was a player.

I agree with Robert S. 70's and 80's are hit or miss. I think the 90's will be remembered as the last decade of true quality from most of the big guitar manufacturers......equal to, or exceeding the 50's/60's quality.

I like Historics, but you don't have to focus on them. There's are a zillion Stds, Customs, and Std Prem Plusses that are stellar Gibsons. If I was buying by trying, I'd consider ANY era. If I were buying off of Ebay, I'd limit myself to 1988-2005, and then assume I'd have to do an extensive setup for it to play as good as my current 3.


Originally Posted by The Golden BoyIf price is more of an issue, used Studios are great guitars and you can find them around for well under a grand.

I’ll second that! Studios have all the benefits of factory Standards and Customs, though you don’t need to shell out for plastic binding and bling. A wine red studio is a beautifully understated instrument.