Why I Don’t Think Gibson “Custom Shop” is worth it (opinion)
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 20 พ.ย. 2020
- everysingleguitars.com
This Gibson Les Paul Custom "Black Beauty" is so beautiful...
The headstock design is elegant... the construction is superb... the tone is crisp, clean and clear...
But the retail price is over $5000+ USD....? YIKES.............
When is too much... TOO MUCH?
Over $2000...? $3000...? $4000....? Even $5000.....?
Even though this Gibson is amazing, is it TRULY worth the ridiculous asking price?
I'll tell you what I think...
__
Timeline:
- Why I was Hesitant to buy this Guitar @ 0:25
- Most Iconic Guitar Ever? @ 1:30
- How Heavy? @ 3:15
- Highest Quality Feature? @ 4:24
- What’s the Neck Like? @ 6:10
- Weakest Part of this Les Paul Custom @ 6:35
- TONE TEST @ 8:05
- So is it TRULY WORTH $5000? @ 9:50
- FINAL OVERALL SCORE @ 12:40
**The Guitars Reviewed..... So Far......
docs.google.com/document/d/1N...
-------------------------------- THE REVIEW -------------------------------
Model:
- Gibson Les Paul Custom "Black Beauty" (CS Factory)
Average Price:
- $5000
Country of Origin:
- Made in USA
Tone Rating:
- 9/10
- Build Quality:
- 9.5/10
Pros:
- Superb & outstanding build quality all around
- Classy and luxurious design.. starting from headstock down to the body
- Nice good weight to it, around 10LBs.. which I personally LOVE
- Very comfortable thicker C shaped neck profile
Cons:
- $5000+ price tag makes it not affordable to majority of population
___
*Strings on MY Electric Guitars:
- D'Addario NYXL Strings (my favorite) = amzn.to/34NlWWm
- Ernie Ball Regular Slinkys (my 2nd favorite) = amzn.to/2GC2nZn
- Ernie Ball Skinny Top Heavy Bottom (on my punk/rock guitars) = amzn.to/3lyOeei
*Strings on MY Acoustic Guitars:
- Elixir 80/20s (my all time favorite) = amzn.to/3nClz9M
- Ernie Ball Earthwoods (most well rounded) = amzn.to/3iLForx
- D'Addario Phosphor Bronze (best bang for your buck) = amzn.to/3jJqZxv
*My Main Gear:
- My Camera = amzn.to/3nwzbn0
- My Mic = amzn.to/2GC0tYJ
- My Headphone = amzn.to/3nCdQZj
- My Speakers = amzn.to/3nG6Omi
- My Harddrive = amzn.to/30S3QBJ
- My Memory Card = amzn.to/34HFdZq
INSTAGRAM:
- @ everysingleguitars
#LesPaulCustom #GibsonBlackBeauty #GibsonCustomShop #CustomShopGibson #GibsonLPCustom #GibsonLP #GibsonLPCustomReview #GibsonCSReview #GibsonCustomShopReview #GibsonLPBlackBeauty #GibsonPAF - เพลง
ALL THE GUITARS I REVIEWED HERE @ everysingleguitars.com
Timeline:
- Why I was Hesitant to buy this Guitar @ 0:25
- Most Iconic Guitar Ever? @ 1:30
- How Heavy? @ 3:15
- Highest Quality Feature? @ 4:24
- What’s the Neck Like? @ 6:10
- Weakest Part of this Les Paul Custom @ 6:35
- TONE TEST @ 8:05
- So is it TRULY WORTH $5000? @ 9:50
- FINAL OVERALL SCORE @ 12:40
Hey mate I agree with the price way too much. I am a Fender fan or was with today’s Fenders. I have a standard Strat that got a ding from dropping it. It’s a 2010 model USA. I decided to refinish it and when I started removing the blue finish underneath was a downer. I found it was 7 pieces of scrap wood glued together and ply on the front and rear. Probably meant to be a sunburst. I contacted Fender and was told that they didn’t expect their customers to refinish their instruments. If you want a 2or3 piece body they only come on high end and custom shop models. So be careful when buying a Fender I still love my older ones but will only buy a natural finish where you can see the timber. I thought Fender was known for their 2 or 3 piece alder or ash bodies. Thanks for the video new subscriber. I have a 50th anniversary LesPaul custom with all the features you mentioned on that custom shop and plays better than most Gibson’s I’ve played. Greetings from Australia mate 👍🇦🇺
IDK people paid 5 grands for a pair of basketball shoes or $1500 or more for a Leather jacket it all depends what money is worth to you and what you're willing to spend it on
@7:15 😂 there's plenty of 1959 Les Paul custom guitars, an the all have the pickguard intact 😉
He is right too expensive
Anything Custom Shop Gibson is not for a player starting out for sure. Those guitars are really made for the player that wants their favorite Gibson Les Paul to be the absolute best.
Other types of Gibson in the shop apply the same way. Fender and PRS does the same thing in their shops, not for the average player. The price in custom shops are worth it to the
advanced player. For the average? no. If you play all the time and want something to last and sound its best? you fork out the cash. It's the same for a car, if you want just a car to take you to and from work there are many affordable choices. If you want a luxury car? you fork out the cash lol. I do agree with you on the pickguard, I just remove mine and problem solved. Great video.
I work as a PLEK operator for the Custom Shop.
we put in a lot of integrity and patience in each process of each guitar. Although these guitars aren’t affordable for every guitar player to buy or even play, it still is one of the best guitars to ever exist IMO and that’s from seeing how the shop and the luthiers take care of each guitar. The care, the extra steps in process to add life to these instruments, truly amazing being part of the process. Nice guitar 🤙🏽
I always wanted it ask. Are the Les Paul Customs (the modern ones with the 498/490 pickups) considered a custom shop model like the historic reissues and have that extra attention to detail? Or are they more like the standard models but with the added aesthetics?
Yes they are considered custom shop models! All the extra attention and job integrity! Custom shop takes care of a lot more characteristics in hardware and dimensions that buyers intentionally want on their piece.
@@virtuesmusicofficial Aweosme! May check one out soon then.
@@virtuesmusicofficial Great info! The customs we ge here in the UK are invariably MUCH heavier than the reissue guitars, they definitely don't get the light wood that the others seem to.
@@emcg.9655 Gibson ships lower quality guitars to UK?
Impossible goal. But you'll never run of out content. Smart.
Who knows ......
Yeah nobody said he's going to keep every single guitar. He could sell or trade to keep getting more
A goal does not have to be achieved, it is simply something to aim for
Guitars and gears first. Furniture and decor second. Priorities!
Why are people ragging on the couch lol ?
😂😂
I was like that for a while lol those were some of the funnest times
Your Gibson will be worth more in 10 years than your Honda Accord.
It will never keep pace with inflation and will be a major pain to get rid of in a recession unless he drops the price. But this guy was smart and bought second hand, so yeah - he will probably more or less get his money back as long as he treats his guitar like a museum piece and keeps it in pristine condition. Take a look how long these pieces hang around on reverb.com. The prices always end up dropping.
@@Chrishagen um, been looking at the sold for the past year, and it's safe to say your comment didn't age well as the used custom market is through the roof and constantly selling.
@@rxdoctordaddy1795 well I actually own a Gibson Les Paul Standard in heritage Cherry sunburst, in excellent condition, with case and original truss rod tool… and I can’t sell the fkn thing.
@@Chrishagen Because it's a Standard. I was looking for a Custom Cherry Sunburst (rather rare it seems), but I may as well have been looking for a fucking unicorn. Was told it's 2 years wait if ordered new...
@@Chrishagen that's because you most likely suck at selling. Pick your game up and stop making excuses. That's what losers do.
Killer clean tones on that setup! Your house looks like mine $10k in guitar gear and a $50 chair for furniture. 😂 priorities.
I had to have a good gaming chair first
IMO it's worth it. In fact, I'd warn those of you considering a Standard to NOT try a custom shop. Because if you do, you'd realise that oh no!! Now I've gotta save another 4k to get the custom shop!! The guitar is more than the sum of it's parts... It would have the proper ABR-1 bridge, long neck tenon, tubeless truss rod, aniline dye, hide glue fit, historically correct plastics, wiring, bumblebee capacitors, top quality woods selected for its construction etc. Any one of these would not make much of a difference to how a guitar sounds and plays, but ALL of them being put together by a team of highly skilled craftsmen transform the instrument into a true goliath of the guitar world!
Your comment about 'don't play unless you can pay' is spot-on. Gibsons's CS guitars feel amazing, and Fender's Team-built CS guitars definitely feel like a step up, especially with regard to the fretboard and finishing. I'm not 100% convinced that a Masterbuilt Fender is (in real terms and not just in perception) that much better again though. Then again, I'm not entirely convinced that a Master Builder does *everything* himself, as it seems to me that they kind-of oversee most of the work, which is done by trusted individuals. BTW I have nothing to back that idea up, but even allowing for the long waiting lists, how can one man possibly plan, build, paint, finish and test so many guitars every year by himself, especially with the required finesse and attention-to-detail that you are supposedly paying the premium for?
Shoot I love my new 2021 Standard as much as my 82 Custom. Is the Custom on a different level? Ah Yes lol But Gibson’s new Standards are amazing guitars! Now the 59 reissues……..they’re on a different level all by themselves! They just feel different.
Im just saving up for a Custom, wanted to buy a Classic, tried out the Standard and was ready to buy it....but out of curiosity i had to play it...
Oh well
You have a poster of The Answer, so I value your opinion! Lol
😂
The Gibson Les Paul Custom was first released in 1954, as an offshoot of the Les Paul and several years before the Les Paul Standard. By 2004, Gibson moved all the production of the LP Custom to their Custom Shop, which previously focused on reissues of historic models, as well as limited runs of signature models. The Custom Shop is located in a different building, and is a completely separate division of the company. Hence the slightly unwieldy name of this guitar.
55 was the first year for the custom.
Custom was requested by Les Paul so it would show up better on black & white TV.
Rightly so @@bravestarr8857
The regular gibson models have improved very significantly in the last few years. I would look there first before going custom shop if you are just starting out. I think most folks looking for a custom shop Gibson are fully aware of the price though.
Hey why is Guitar plural in your channel name?
you're making me wanna pull out my white custom..
The all white LP custom is clean af....
I have 2 white customs and 1 black….love them.
Interesting take on the subject, good job on the video!
Just found your channel. Love it. Looking forward to the moment you will achieve your goal. 😎🎊 subbed, peace!
🙏
Im looking into one 7000 Canadian for the one I want it hurts my butt thinking about it
I own a 2020 custom. Plays like a dream and is beautiful. I just feel that for that much money everything should be totally perfect, quality control is still lacking a little bit. Example: all the strings pinch in the nut, so when you tune it they jump, the other thing would be finish issues, the lip of my control cavity cover is not painted very good. Yes I love the guitar , am a les paul guy, but like i said , for that much money should be dead on perfect.
I put a real bone nut on any guitar I get no matter what. The difference is always more than worth it. Gibson nuts are always fucked up.
You do know Gibson has a return policy right?
@@Panic42000 I love the guitar! Im very happy with it. I’ll eventually get a bone nut put on it. Gibson Custom should have better quality control though.
@@hollywoodck22 I know a guy who once worked with Gibson and he told me although it has gotten a little better quality control up there was not the best. He said “one problem is you had a bunch of Tennessee Billy Bobs who wouldn’t know good quality if it kicked them in the butt and a lot of them would get their panties in a wad if you try to discuss quality matters with them in an attempt to help make them aware of what they were doing.“ he went on to say that was part of the reason why he left Gibson because he got tired of running around fixing other people‘s shit and nobody really seem to care about anything except making a buck and that was it!
@@phayzyre1052 Interesting information thanks
I got a mint 1987 custom black beauty with chrome hardware for 2k on craigslist, it is totally worth it if you can find one for a good price.
I love the silver chrome LP customs. Very different look than the gold ones
Love the avatar! Bob Ross rules!
Excellent review. How does this compare to R9 VOS in terms of playability(ease of play) ?
whats hard is that some gibsons are amazing, some are not. its like u have to try a bunch and eventually u find the one in the store and its just a feeling. it could be this way with a lot of guitars but definitely with gibsons.
Yeah the price is way to much...BUT its the most beautiful guitar ever made!
Its not really. Les paul customs from the 75-81 era were going for 3500-5000 in the early 2000s. Some beat it up plain jane blacks that had been gigged repaired wtc were 1700-2000 dollars. Customs from that era nowadays will be as expensive as this brand new custom shop. This isnt like a fender custom or one of those brands typically made in asia. This is something you either have to have or you dont.
Facts
Sucker by John Mayer? A new demo classic!
😂 great ear
I feel like it was kind of missed when ranting about the pickguard style that this is because it's a carved top. Of course you can bolt pickguards directly to a flat surface, but this isn't flat.
Definitely the heavier guitar the better for me too. I love the back with crisp white binding. Great video (no, I do not have the budget for any Gibson).
I own Memphis 339 studio. I feel like even gibson entry models are still very expensive considering other standard models from other brands like Fender. Gibson standard models cost 3 grants, and I find that's no brainer. Not everybody is doctors or lawyers to afford those guitars, and maximum price for gigging musician is probably 2.5 grant IMO. Gibson builds great quality guitars, even studio models are great. If you are considering to buy gibson, go for studio, because I directly compared 339 standard and studio, and they both don't sound different in quality wise. It's like buying BMW 3 series. Although 3 series are entry model in BMW, they are still BMW, and although studios are entry model in Gibson, they are still Gibson.
The Memphis 339 is a great guitar
But I want the M series M3
Im not a dr or a lawyer. If you want stuff bad enough youll make it happen. I knew a pizza delivery guy in a punk band that wanted a white lp custom and got it. So its doable.
Excellent video ! I finally know all about this mythic guitar and appreciate !!!
great honest review. when you get to this level, you have to spend more and more to only get slightly more quality. it's for a certain audience who find value in that next-level of quality.
Well said
Diminished returns
Great video! Though instead of comparing the guitar to a car(because realistically whoever is even considering a CS Gibson is probably not even currently looking for a car), I would have said said you could get a used Les Paul Standard for that money, and spend the rest for setup, a good amp, effects, accessories.
Awesome video. I'd like to see your review and share your thoughts on PRS guitars. I know you covered the Silver Sky, but could you review the PRS Custom 24s, Paul's Guitar's, and perhaps Private Stock?
Ya I def will once I get my hands on 1
I have a 2004 Custom that I love. It's a '57 Historic collection version. It was a one owner guitar that never left the case. I got it somewhere around 2011 for $3K and that was the most I ever spent on a guitar let alone a used guitar. I rationalized the price by comparing it to brand new Customs that were not as nice yet cost 30% more. Now 11 years later it's still a stellar guitar and I could sell it for more than I paid.
All that said....The prices on these have gotten insane. There are many guitars available for 1/3 the cost that are serviceable professional grade instruments. But they're not a Les Paul Custom.
Everything is going up. You bought at the right time.
You got a good deal. Historics are the best.
Inflation
I’d say you’d have a high rating on an ESP Eclipse as well. Very sleek and great feeling.
I prefer the tone and feel of the Gibson Les Paul but I wish I could have those hemispherical XJ stainless steel frets on the Paul.
Says the eclipse is full thickness but it feels slimmer and it’s neck is a thin U.
Love my Eclipse. WAY less money and incredible engineering and quality.
@@guitarman11000 what year do you recommend
@@everysingleguitars I have a 2021 LTD EC 256.
I sold my les Paul and kept my eclipse standard lol
@@nomadicexplorers why would you do such a thing?? les paul sold??
Sounds amazing.
I think worth every penny.
You should be proud.
Nice revew Bro never seen your Channel before , Good Job I like it
My Custom feels like its 15lbs. lol What year is yours? BTW thanks for your honest review I feel the same. I paid $3,200. used in flawless condition. MSRP was 6k in 2014. I love mine had to sell 2 great guitars to buy it though. 6128t TVP gretsch, and ESP E-II FRX. I'll miss them.
I had a '69 LP that I kept for 48 years. Liked it a lot, but the 11 lbs were killing my back. Finally I have sold it and got myself a '59 RI that weights 8,25 lbs. + all CS features: a great instrument, worth the money in all aspects IMO.
if you're not a big fan of the straight pickguard of the les paul check out heritage's h150 pickguard, it follows the body contour a little more
do you think paying $ 2700 for a used guitar is a good deal?
Same model as your video, but it does not have authenticity papers, very light scratches and it has its case. Thank you.
anything under 3g is good. assuming the guitar is in good condition and all original
Seriously. I need to ask now. What do you do for a living? How are you able to afford all this shit
I invest alot... I flip alot... 80% of the guitars you’ve seen on this channel I’ve flipped.. built my way up 1 by 1
Excellent review
I agree about the pickguard
As much as I like the look and the specs of a les paul custom, I'd probably stick to the standards. The block inlays and split diamond headstock inlay , to me,, are the coolest parts of a les paul custom but that just doesn't justify the 2200 dollar difference. I'd love to get one some day but for now, it's not happening.
It's more than the inlays though...if you haven't played one, go try one and you will feel the difference. The custom has the long neck tenon and better wood selection than the Gibson USA models. The custom shop guitars will feel slinkier and have way more sustain--that to me is the biggest difference. No amount of part swapping and setup can make the Gibson USA guitar feel like the Custom Shop. I don't mean this disrespectfully, truly, if you are more than an average guitar hobby player, you should be able to pass a blindfold test as to what is custom shop vs USA line. If you can't tell the difference...then you just don't have the familiarity with this level of guitar. It's like what's the difference between a Rolex and some other lower mechanical watch...they both do the SAME thing exactly, but they are in fact very different. And the person listening to you play in the back of the bar has absolutely no idea the difference and will not be able to tell. So it's really more of a feel to the player when it comes to which one is justifiable and what you want vs what you need etc.
To be honest I feel the way about Les Paul's the way you feel about strats. I got a les paul 50s recently and the the truss rod was maxed out. Manufacturing error. Had to give the guitar back - was super disappointed as I paid a small fortune for it and it still had a MAJOR QC issue. If you're paying close to 4k for a guitar it better god damn be perfect. Great review man, I appreciate your insights and your honesty. Gibson's are great guitars and I love em' but still have a long way to go.
The truss rod was maxed out from the factory? Someone in between the factory and you had to mess with that guitar and screw something up.
Sounds great and fantastic playing! What’s the tune you played here at 8:15?
I don't know about this instrument, but I tried a custom shop LP a few months ago and couldn't believe they actually make guitars as good as that.
It more or less played itself. I couldn't afford it, but it's nice to know they make them like that.
On that note, it is very difficult to go back to anything different. I've gotten used to my R9 now, but I envy that first-time "wow, this really plays itself" feeling.
I love heavy guitars myself …good vid
Always, ALWAYS try to buy these kind of guitars second hand. Never paid more than 3K for my LPCs.
Prices are going up, for one in good condition and and all original you will be paying more than that for sure.
@pj bakes not in my neighborhood, the idiots around here want almost full price all guitars. When they list for a proper price someone grabs it up fast and 3 days later is listed for 1/3 more that previous listing.
someone has to buy them new for you to buy them used
Where? Cause all the Customs I see are 4-10 grand
@@johnhareiel5118 that was pre Biden inflation. But you can still barter some down I bet
good i found this , i own a lp standard 2017 and was looking at this custom . so wait , here in europe the price difference is about 1200 euro ( 2600 standard/3800 custom) so 30%. is the build quality not justifying this if you play 2 hours a day in your opinion ? nice channel man , sub !
Build quality was one of the best I've ever seen in my life
Nice review 👍
Answer: I own a true historic 1957 black beauty( 2016) and YES! it was worth every penny.
My friend, I love Gibsons and I completely agree. I can see paying maybe $3000 for a Gibson custom Les Paul but that’s it.
Another thing that Gibson does that pisses me off is all of that weight relieving nonsense. Gibson claims that the weight relieving was a “customer driven issue“ and started doing that crap in 1983. Problem is I’ve been playing guitar since 1980 and have come across probably thousands of Les Paul owners (both custom and standard). I have yet to come across ANYONE that asked for that crap. Like you I don’t mind a little extra weight because for me that’s what gives the Les Pauls it’s classic tone. To my ear all that Swiss cheeseing they do to those guitar bodies kills the tone. I have compared several post 1983 Gibson Les Pauls to the pre-1983 non weight relieved versions and to my ear the weight relieved Les Pauls do sound a anemic when compared to the older versions. I wish Gibson would offer to those who wanted the non-weight relieved versions as it should be up to me (the customer) to make the choice whether I want that or not!
Aside from that Gibson still has a lot of work to do if they want to stay competitive because I’ve played a few PRS guitars and in my opinion many of them kick Gibsons in the butt when it comes to tone. I stood tall, applauded and cheered loudly when Gibson fired that weirdo Henry Juczkiewicz A few years ago but Gibson needs to get their heads out of their rear ends and start listening to their customers once again.
Stay competitive? Gibson is selling guitars as fast as they make them. They can’t even keep up with the orders they have. Gibson has been around for over a hundred years they aren’t going anywhere.
Hate weight relieved also .
My les paul custom red widow had a pick gard but not installed. I bought gibson pickup rings and detachable pick gard from 2017 studio hp for mine. I am not putting screws into it.
I have two PRS Private Stock both north of $15K .. I picked up a Custom 1 piece 5A top directly from Gibson... $10199 .. and honestly, it totally worth it... this is the older sibling of the PRS's and frankly a fine instrument in every respect.
I have a 1957 3 humbucker I've been jamming it for 22+ year's this one was 10grand I got a little cheaper I bought 18grand worth other stuff so I've been playing it since. I took the pick guard off of this one I've been offered 20grand for this one it's a great investment you can always get your money back + oh this one ain't never for sale. Good video thought you were gonna bash on Gibson for a moment enjoy that beautiful piece of art.
I got a Les Paul Custom Axcess with Floyd Rose and ebony vos finish and I’m in love with it. Whether a guitar is 200 or 20000 it’s more about how it inspires you than anything else.
You just helped me out a whole lot bro
Same mindset here. That is one sexy guitar, no question. But you can get other sexy guitars for a fraction of the price. And sure the quality will not be the same. The amount of quality control that goes into a $4k guitar is insane. I bet they treat every single one like it's their firstborn and you can't compare that to a guitar that costs 700 bucks. But to me, a 700 dollar guitar is still perfectly playable and will sound amazing. Will it be 𝓹𝓮𝓻𝓯𝓮𝓬𝓽, like this Gibson? Probably not. But the improvement you'd get with this Gibson will not be worth a $3.000+ upcharge. Most people won't even be able to tell the difference.
I've been playing an Epiphone SG and a made in Mexico Fender Strat and they're fine. Good guitars, never had a problem. Paid 500 for the SG and 750 for the Strat.
Also, screw weight. Love the Les Paul sound, but that thing feels like a boulder when you try to play standing up. No, thanks ^^
Unlike Fender, Gibson really shines with their custom shop and tone wise/fit and finish. Their long neck tenons, true ABR-1 bridge are only in their custom shop and historic models, not in their standard USA line. While fender makes their high end USA production just as good as their custom shop without such a massive price gap. As a Gibson fan, I agree that Fender has the better option with essentially making their high end USA guitars play and sound just as good without leaving out anything crucial like Gibson does with their USA line. Of course I know everyone can’t spend 4K-6K, so that’s also a bummer.
You have to factor in that Leo designed all his guitars to be mass produced. Leo was not a luthier, nor did he think along those lines: the result is that he broke many rules and became the standard; his way of operating is cheaper. On the contrary, every Gibson guitar up to and including the Les Paul is built with the mindset of a luthier. That translates to: expensive.
But Leo´s vision was such a massive impact on the industry that Gibson took notice: the SG, Explorer, V and Moderne are producing- line friendly guitars: they are simply cheaper to produce.
Abr bridge not only on cs gibson, once i have lp classic from 2001 and its using abr bridge....from what i can tell since im a gibson fanboy since i start playing guitar, gibson luthier put everything that lying on their desk that time when they build one guitar....just my opinion maybe im wrong 🤷♂️🤷♂️🤷♂️
@@fedboy21 but it’s not the true ABR-1 bridge. That goes directly in the body. The USA les Paul’s have saddles that the abr-1 bridge sits on.
No. The 1990-2005 classic had a true studs in bridge like a custom shop of today. Set neck and no Hollywood veneer on the head stock were the major difference between the two.
Funny enough my epiphone Bonamassa black beauty came with a long neck tenon
sweet channel, good luck with your goal!
Interesting. Good review.
I used a ‘73 that I bought new for 25 years in a band. I’ve also had a 70, 89 and 03. I now have a ‘17 Custom Shop custom bought used for 3k. All good but this last is the best.
This will make you sick. In 1986, I answered an add in our local news paper, $300 for a Gibson Les Paul Custom Black Beauty. Our newspaper was published in Benton Harbor, Michigan. Benton Harbor is only about 45 minutes away from Kalamazoo. The Gibson factory in Kalamazoo shut down in 1984.
I didn't think this was real but, just in case it was I called the guy. He said the guitar was still for sale, I told him I would be right there to look at it, with the money.
I went to the address he gave me and when I pulled in the driveway, I could see the Gibson factory right down the street. I parked in front of the Craftsman house and a guy who looked like Edgar Winter , (but not albino), came out onto the covered front porch and took me around the side and led me down to basement door. AT this point I am like, this is scary, as he held the door open for me to go inside the basement. Inside the door there were furnace pipes and not a lot more, just lots and lots of furnace piping. I kind of stood to the side near the door, just in case this was a trap, and he stepped around left of the pipes and motioned me to come in. So I did. He stepped around me towards a single very neatly made bed. Stooping in front of it he pulled a out a black gator skin case and placed it on the bed. Stepping back he said, go ahead "open it". I had to stoop down with him right there behind me to open the case.
When I opened the case it was lined with yellow gold fur and inside was the most spotless Black Beauty Les Paul I have ever see. I stood up and stepped back and,...I handed him the money.
Yup, I had just scored a 1978 Gibson Black Beauty Les Paul. I closed the case, handed him the money and thanked him and got the hell out of there as fast as could. I didn't calm down until I was almost halfway home. Man that was creepy.
Now the part that will make you absolutely sick. About 10 years later my best friend of 30 years stole the guitar. We have not been friends since.
Damn that sucks man. Did you ever confront your friend who stole your guitar? I would be PISSED.....
@@everysingleguitars yes. But obviously, things are never going to be the same and I hope he enjoys his travel trailer life.
I own a 2020 Gibson Les Paul standard gold top w/ P90s. Not a custom shop Gibson, but damn expensive, close in quality, and worth it. I've been contemplating making the jump from Gibson's Standard series to a custom shop model for a while, and I most likely will do it in the next year or two. My choice to do so is based on the extra care the custom models get, although my standard is great, I feel as though the special TLC the custom shop guitars get are worth the money as a life-long investment.
Also, as an aside; from my experience, *overly* heavy guitars (like... I mean ultra heavy) are usually suspect. It mostly -- to me, at least -- means the quality of the wood is poor, or that there are multiple pieces of wood in the body causing it to be heavy. Also, when playing a gig for a long period of time with a SUPER heavy guitar it is simply awful for shoulders/neck. Long term use of this causes nerve damage (I have seen it firsthand). That's just my take -- I think *overly* light guitars are also bad, they sound wimpy fwiw.
Cheers.
The weight comes down to a few things if you consider the metal and plastic hardware to be identical: density of the resin in the wood and amount of glue and paint used. As for overly light not sounding good, that’s subjective. My subjective opinion is that more resonant makes a better sounding guitar. I think lighten examples sound better to my ears. I also believe that you came easily darken up a bright chirpy guitar and it is very hard to brighten up a dark guitar.
Gibson custom les pauls are the best guitars made imo.
Good video but I would’ve liked more information on why it’s not worth the price or what you would buy instead. You just said it’s a lot of money but didn’t list any cons of the guitar or mention more affordable alternatives that can get you comparable tone/playability. Guitars can also cost a lot more to build than you may think. High grade hardwoods and components are very expensive and master luthiers (who dedicate decades of their lives to the craft) are in short supply and deserve to be paid well for their time. $3,500-6,000 is very typical of custom shop guitars of any brand and you get can expect outstanding build quality and playability like nothing off the shelf. But I do agree that nobody other than an experienced musician looking for a well-deserved upgrade really needs to be in that market, and going above that ~$5,000 range is simply not going to make your music any better! By comparison, my brand new Japanese-made Kawai piano was $5,000 and it’s a tremendous piece of craftsmanship!
You have to be aware of the value selling this guitar. This guitar keeps his value, it even can increase in value. You cant say that on your squier, mexican fender or les paul studio.
What other guitars keep 90+% of his value? In that way it is a great investment too.
I agree partially but at this time studios and even tributes have increased in value. I was looking at future tributes thinking of trying them for the steinberher tuners. New they were closed out at 450-500 bucks a few years ago. Used now they're 900-1000+. That's a pretty high return. Gibson in general is usually a good investment if you get a good price.
Clark is correct. Gibson les paul customs from the mid to late 70s have gone up to what this costs from the 3k dollar range 15 years ago. Thats a big return.
I like heavy for the same reason.
I had a 1967 LP Cherry Sunburst that I sold and wish a million times I had it back. I came very close to purchasing the same guitar you have in your hand. At the time back in the 70's, it was $3500. You are a lucky guy to have such a great guitar. With my 1967 LP, I played through a Twin stacked on top of a Fender Bassman cabinet. That setup would scream. Those were the days. All I have now is a 1970 D-35 Martin purchase new.
Why’d you sell ur 67’ LP?
@@everysingleguitars The guy's I played with all went separate ways and I didn't have anyone else so I sold all of my equipment and bought my first Harley-Davidson and still riding today. I have the money to buy another LP but playing by yourself is not fun.
They’re expensive but good quality. What’s even way worse is spending 2 grand on a Gibson USA (non custom shop), and ending up with a trashy piece. Custom Shop guitars are lifetime pieces. My first custom shop Les Paul was a ‘57 Goldtop, which were a little over 2 grand new at the time. Now the same guitar brand new is double the price unfortunately. 🤷🏻♂️
For guitar players on a budget, I think Fender makes a more reliable cheap guitar because they’re more utilitarian in their design. Just a bunch of parts bolted together.
Agreed
@@everysingleguitars Fender custom shop is half what a full custom Gibson costs and better value. Cars are way expensive now. Used car prices skyrocketed.
@@GuitarsAndSynths Used car market is crazy rn.....
@@everysingleguitars I know that’s why I’m keeping my old car
How do you end up with a trashy piece? You do know Gibson has a return policy?
For us older gentleman that grew up wanting this guitar and couldn’t afford it well now I can R68 the wait was worth it enjoy life while you still can 👍
Gibson custom shop vs the eastman equivalent? Which is better?
Played a bunch last week and the answer is no. None of them felt special, frequent QC issues, but I to say, the custombuckers do sound beautiful. Really wanted to fall in love but nope. So I'll probably once more with a 594.
Thanks bro. Now I need you to get a ESP original eclipse and review that please 🙏 🙂
so theres a Gibson Les Paul custom for sale on my local craigslist, but I'm wondering if they just put a trussrod cover on a studio. Is there a model that doesnt have the binding on the body? It's a 2008
every LPC has the white binding. it's one of the classic trademarks
Can i add them to the list for the Customs now? I see them all the time at the nashville plant
5:30 What he had actually said was that he wanted the guitar to look like it was _wearing_ a tuxedo (compared to the common model which was in the gold finish at the time)
Look at Kiesel/Carvin. Made in USA custom shop, you can get your own specs fully tricked out with exotic woods/finishing and it's still gonna be anywhere 1500-3500 max.
I bought a Gibson Les Paul Custom back in 2015 brand new, it did cost 4000 bucks, prices have been going up since then, its a fantastic guitar but I think the LPC is for people that really want a LPC, for the most common person I think you get as good guitar if you go with a Gibson Les Paul Standard or Traditional or something similar, those are half the price and just as good. Thanks for a good video..
What year is this guitar?
Gibson les paul custom is a one off build by a different line at the gibson custom shop. The best goes into it. That's why it's called the gibson les paul custom custom shop.
What amp do you recommend? I know thats a massive question
I stand by the Fender Princeton Reverb 🙌
You can do my Epi Les Paul Studio 2012 if you want to maybe compare it to this
It's black aswell
No binding
Great video , I completely agree with you on the price point , no need to get that with all the other Les Paul options
I have a 2021 Alpine White Custom Les Paul. I paid $2,750.00 for the LPCS, and the guitar is well worth it. Never pay retail for anything.
I like Gibson. I think it’s a mistake, though, that they don’t re invent the headstock. Reduce the headstock angle a couple degrees and reduce the string angle at the nut. An expensive guitar shouldn’t have a crappy headstock design, regardless of the instruments history.
they did it 1965 - 1983, 14 degrees instead of 17. both the sound and the feel suffered. they got back to 17 eventually.
The most iconic and beautiful head stock ever, especially the inlay. To each his own.
from 1965 to 1983 they did use a reduced angle, 14 degrees instead of 17. I've had several of those - great wood, great pickups, but compared to the newer historics the articulation (attack -> punch + legibility in the mix) suffered quite audibly, just because of the headstock angle.
I got a String Butler to solve that problem and haven't looked back.
Love the spin around guitar video when talking about weight. Smacks lead singer...... wow funny shit
can't find the video...
@@waldo3448 Start this video at 3:55.......
@@Keeping-It-Real-55 i mean original haha but thanks anyway, already did 5 sec ago!
@@waldo3448 th-cam.com/video/-yHowHsFxDA/w-d-xo.html
Duh??? The reason the pickguard is mounted like that is because it's a Carved Top unlike most Fender's are Flat Tops and therefore, the GIbson pickguard had to be mounted as such.
The only way for me to afford a gibson Les Paul custom is to sell my '91 gibson Les Paul classic and '97 gibson Les Paul standard. Do you guys think it's worth?
Nah. Customs just have more high end appointments and I hear they sound marginally brighter. Keep your 2 LPs and mod one if you want a new guitar. If you want the look, you can go for a Japanese Tokai LP Custom. Make sure its Japanese.
Hey at time frame 8:08 you start to play an amazing song. Is there a name to that song?
Free Falling - John Mayer version
It is a great guitar, I just got a custom shop Gibson les Paul custom in black for a steal a couple of months ago. It had a great headstock repair and it lowered the price to 2400 dollars.
Keep hearing people talk about the weight, and i played an acrylic les paul for the longest time which was 14lbs. To go from that to 9lbs is no issue for me.
I have the same guitar got it in July but this one or mine also isn’t a black beauty the black beauty has three pickups😜
Hello, is the guitar with slim neck or?
Thick neck
I have actually always been a Fender Startocaster player,and have a few Strats.A 1997 Stevie Ray Vaughn strat,1997 Jimi Hendrix Woodstock strat,2015 American standard strat,a 1954 Reissue strat...so my sound is mainly Stratocaster driven.However do to the simplicity of Fender Guitars, Bolt on neck Etc... there is no way i will spend “Custom Shop Money on a Strat,Tele..etc....I spend that money on Gibson,due to the complexity of the instruments.I had no problem dropping $6500 on my 2018 Gibson Custom shop 1960 Burst reissue Otherwise known as an R0, $6500 on my 2019 60th Anniversary 1959 Burst reissue otherwise known as an R9,and $4900 on my 2016 Gibson SG 1961 SG Reissue.Gibson frets are also definitely harder and tougher than Fender.My Stevie Ray Vaughn and Jimi Hendrix Startocasters barely have hours on them,and i have flats on my frets allready from wear.I just fret levelled and recrowned my 1954 strat reissue a month ago,and allready have wear spots, my Custom Shop Les pauls....? No
I don't own an instrument over £3000, but I have to say this: Price is relative. Whether something is "worth it" depends on more factors than just whether you can afford it. Wages and disposable income varies - the next person may have more disposable income. I wouldn't be able to speculate on the average salary of Custom Shop purchasers. But I would certainly get away from this idea of "whether something is worth it" or overpriced. It's all opinion. Some people want that name on the headstock, some don't. Some see it as a simple tech/spec comparison and think it's only about components which they can source for cheaper, elsewhere. Some people see it as just a tool, others see it as a musical instrument. Some people want USA made, some are satisfied with Far Eastern made. But if you play the thing, lust after it, care about the legend or heritage, devote a significant amount of time to your craft and/or career, then what is worth it will vary and the idea of expensive starts to fade way - those guys are going to spend the money - and (mostly) they're going be very happy that they got a Custom Shop Les Paul.
You could replace your last sentence with any Custom Shop. Congrats on being one of the few level headed commenters regarding high end guitars. Usually people complaining about spending over $200, and praising Harley Benton instead.
I agree it depends on the person buying it I myself am a bluesman I have many stratocasters that I spend a good amount of money on but that black beauty is calling me I want it for the look & sound e335 is to big for me & a flying v is a pain in the ass to practice with so I will get that same sound out this black beauty already got the skull guitar strap waiting
I love gibson guitars 🎸 ♥️, just bought a gibson, all the greats had them , elvis , roy orbison ect
Agreed, boss. Great channel man! Keep it up
🙏🙏
I agree with you all the way.
Weakest point of construction is the 17 degree headstock
Damn i been thinking about Customs for the past week and now this video pops up, such a beautiful classic! Looks and sounds lovely but that price is so serious!
How else are you gonna attach a pick guard to a carved top. The Fenders you pointed out are all flat tops
it is expensive. so the best thing is to buy it 2nd hand for a more affordable price.
A Custom Shop Gibson Les Paul Custom are priced ridiculously high, but there's an actual benefit. Visit this video in four years and see what that same guitar goes for. That Prius will be worth $2700 and the Gibson will be worth $6 to $6.5K if kept in very good condition.
I have a 2014 Gibson Silverburst Les Paul Custom I bought new for $4k. Current going price $5k - $5,900 as of 8/22/21 Even with inflation, Ive seen appreciation.
Beyond all that, no guitar; part for part, even (US) labor is worth $4k. It's the brand, the players, and the history behind it. There are more than enough people willing to pay the premium for one.