FEATURE
A BEGINNERS GUIDE TO SHOPPING FOR A LES PAUL Rich Murdocco
For
Gibson’s
ESP, the product variants of the Les Paul was
adorned with an ebony fretboard, mother-of-
encyclopedic product history and today’s
the
uninitiated,
navigating
byzantine in comparison. I was surprised to
pearl accents, and built to artist specifications.
modern variants of the Les Paul can be a
learn there were so many variants of the model
Typically, most shoppers opt for the Studio
herculean task. While the variety presented
– the Less Plus, Studio, Classic, Traditional,
models in the $1000 range, while the traditional
ensures that there is a Les Paul to meet every
Custom, all of which have differing weights,
Les Pauls with neck binding, mother of pearl
player’s needs, it can be intimidating for those
electronics, pickups, and neck profiles.
inlays, and the classic looking burst finishes sell
entering the labyrinth for the first time.
for $2,000 on up.
What follows is a casual shoppers guide to
Being a first time Gibson shopper, I discovered
buying a Les Paul, written for those without
The used market for the Les Paul is robust,
this fact first hand. As a longtime player of
the time (or patience!) to dive into the different
thanks to the widespread popularity of the
Jackson and Ibanez guitars, I decided to
models available today. By providing a casual
instrument. Pricing is relatively stable, since this
broaden my horizons by going outside the
guide that will introduce what to look for, you,
popularity that makes them so plentiful on the
Super Strat realm. The newest target for
the buyer, find the right guitar for the right price.
secondary market also happens to keep them
acquisition was to be a Gibson Les Paul – a
desirable. When shopping for a used Les Paul,
bonafide American-made classic that conjures
Choosing the Model
be sure to note the instrument’s build quality,
up images of Jimmy Page cutting blues-
By choosing a Gibson Les Paul, you’re already
which has seen its ups and downs throughout
driven riffs through an overdriven Marshall.
committing to spend anywhere from $799 for a
the decades. In recent years, quality control
Accustomed to the relatively straightforward
relatively sparse faded series Les Paul Studio to
has been standardized, with 2016 being one
offerings from the likes of Jackson, Ibanez, and
upwards of $6,000 for custom shop Les Paul
of the strongest years for the brand, while the
50
May June 2016
CollectibleGuitar.com