So I was talking to my other half about guitar purchases over the weekend having decided I needed to scratch the Les Paul itch I’ve had as long as I can remember and having accepted it would be an Epiphone or similar. When she said you should just by the real thing, that way you won’t get the itch to upgrade and the guitar might even go up in value. So after I picked my jaw off the floor I need to re-evaluate my options! I’m looking second hand and probably up to £1500/£1600 so what should I be looking at from the Gibson range? Is that enough money to get me something nice or do I need to up the budget £100/£200?
I would got for old spec, that means no push pulled pots, no coil split or phase inverse unless you really want to.
Strangely recent years that means getting the Traditional and not the Standard (they tend to muck about with the Standard) but it depends on the year, sometimes the Classic.
Some years the Traditional are weight relief, some are solid, again, you need to do research.
off my head, avoid 2015 with the robot tuners with it's logo and asymmetrical neck carve, unless you like that . Go for late 90’s to early 2000’s if you want something older. They call that the good wood era. Then Gibson started to play with the spec a bit so you need to look carefully on a case by case basis. Tbh you need to judge them case by case basis.
£1500 will get you a Les Paul, I’d say a Traditional. But prices are going up, some people are asking £1800 now, I did see one sold on a forum for £1300 last week though. I suggest you sign up to The Fretboard forum as the sales section there are lower than eBay being no fees.