Is this plank really worth nearly $4g?

**Woody Sound** · 12-21-2020, 10:58 PM

Gibson Custom 1960 Les Paul Special Double Cut Reissue VOS - Cherry Red | Sweetwater

**Alder Statesman** · 12-21-2020, 11:18 PM

Not for me.

**Jabberwocky** · 12-21-2020, 11:22 PM

You may ask the same question about the equivalent Collings:

Collings 290 Throbak P90s | The Music Emporium .

**jads57** · 12-21-2020, 11:29 PM

Not for me either ! But I'm 63 and remember a Johnny Smith costing $1200 New from Gibson. So I come from an era that saw solid bodies being nowhere the value of a Carved Archtop guitar.
Unfortunately the guys who played Archtops that were considered the guitar icons I grew up with are no longer with us.

**BickertRules** · 12-21-2020, 11:30 PM

Nope.

Reverend Sensei 290 Electric Guitar - Korina Burst | | Reverb

**zdub** · 12-22-2020, 12:23 AM

If somebody buys it then yes.

**Gabor** · 12-22-2020, 01:12 AM

Originally Posted by Woody Sound

Gibson Custom 1960 Les Paul Special Double Cut Reissue VOS - Cherry Red | Sweetwater

I always had doubts for any new solid body gutars priced over $2000... Having no arched body what is the human (luthier) factor? Premium materials of course could be expensive, but not necessary the priciest material the best nowadays....Neck and all parts could be done with CNCs and other machines. Even the neck and frets leveling and smoothing done by human work to the perfection, that should not cost over $200 extra per guitar...

The same goes to multi $1000s Telecasters.

**Joeontheguitar** · 12-22-2020, 05:28 AM

A Les Paul is an archtop, though this LP special isn't.

Custom shop Gibson solid bodies require more time to get them right, but are they worth the 4k plus prizes? To me they don't, considering that an Eastman SB59 (1800-2300 USD) is probably at least as good as the average CS solid body Gibson in the 4k price range, it means you pay 2k for the name on the headstock.

**ragman1** · 12-22-2020, 06:02 AM

It is very clean

**silvertonebetty** · 12-22-2020, 07:14 AM

Originally Posted by Woody Sound

Gibson Custom 1960 Les Paul Special Double Cut Reissue VOS - Cherry Red | Sweetwater

No you can buy a real USA made guitar from the 60s for that

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**mad dog** · 12-22-2020, 08:25 AM

Not for me. Best LP special I've tried (outside of a friend's '56 original) was a 700 Orville. You don't have to spend big bucks to get a really good solidbody guitar.

**marcwhy** · 12-22-2020, 08:32 AM

As discussed many times here, questions of "worth" or "value" are always based on psychology/philosophy/socio-economics, and more; if you like $200 jeans, and someone else likes $25 jeans, so be it.

[and no, I would not purchase that Gibson even if I had an extra $4K, but that's me.]

**silvertonebetty** · 12-22-2020, 09:20 AM

Originally Posted by marcwhy

As discussed many times here, questions of "worth" or "value" are always based on psychology/philosophy/socio-economics, and more; if you like $200 jeans, and someone else likes $25 jeans, so be it.

[and no, I would not purchase that Gibson even if I had an extra $4K, but that's me.]

I couldn’t agree more . You can find a guitar just as good or better for cheaper.

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**Doctor Jeff** · 12-22-2020, 09:34 AM

It’s only $106 a month though...

**Jim Soloway** · 12-22-2020, 12:16 PM

Originally Posted by Jabberwocky

You may ask the same question about the equivalent Collings:

Collings 290 Throbak P90s | The Music Emporium .

I choke on the price but I have to say that I've played several of the early 290's at multiple NAMM shows and they were absolutely magical.

**Alter** · 12-22-2020, 12:49 PM

I 've bought all my solidbodies used, never paid more than 500 for a bolt on, strat or tele, but its been a few years. I would consider paying up to 1000 for a bolt-on, 1500 for a neck through, that's it.

**fep** · 12-22-2020, 02:10 PM

Worth it? not for me.

I have the humbucker version of a Revstar but for a Les Paul specs guitar, i.e. woods, scale length etc. with P90s this:

Yamaha Revstar RS502 Electric Guitar | Musician's Friend

**zdub** · 12-22-2020, 02:19 PM

Originally Posted by Doctor Jeff

It’s only $106 a month though...

Yep, you can have it for less than one Starbucks a day.

**zdub** · 12-22-2020, 02:22 PM

Originally Posted by Jim Soloway

I choke on the price but I have to say that I've played several of the early 290's at multiple NAMM shows and they were absolutely magical.

Curious as to what made it so.

**Jim Soloway** · 12-22-2020, 03:15 PM

Originally Posted by zdub

Curious as to what made it so.

Pretty much everything. I remember sitting in their booth the year they released the first 290s. There were a bunch of serious players, none of them affiliated with Collings, and we all just sat there passing around one of them with the dog hair finish and everyone was equally stunned. I'm not sure that Collings was happy about it. They had a booth that featured a lot of much more expensive guitars and the only one getting any play was that 290. It was flawlessly built, beautifully finished, a perfect weight with great balance, and just sounded wonderful. The neck, frets and fingerboard made everyone happy despite a lot of different preferences. Just really great guitars. My recollection was that the first batches retailed for around $2500 and a few of them ended up on the used market under $2000. I wish I had bought one (although I probably would have sold it like everything else so I don't feel too bad).

BTW, the later humbucker version and the ones with the less traditional body shape did absolutely nothing for me. None of that original magic was there.

**Litterick** · 12-22-2020, 03:19 PM

It is not a lot of money if you have a lot of money.

**myhandhurts** · 12-22-2020, 03:22 PM

Absolutely not. I happily spend my days looking for [and finding and playing] guitars under $1000 [usually WAY under] that sound and play great. I prefer older ones that are dried out with necks that are settled in. People have been indoctrinated with hype and a well-rehearsed sales pitch to blow their cash on the long-dead dream based on the name on the headstock. Then, there is the "boutique" stuff........
I wonder how long it'll take to see Chinese guitars with a $4000 price tag??

**Jim Soloway** · 12-22-2020, 03:33 PM

Originally Posted by myhandhurts

Absolutely not. I happily spend my days looking for [and finding and playing] guitars under $1000 [usually WAY under] that sound and play great. I prefer older ones that are dried out with necks that are settled in. People have been indoctrinated with hype and a well-rehearsed sales pitch to blow their cash on the long-dead dream based on the name on the headstock. Then, there is the "boutique" stuff........
I wonder how long it'll take to see Chinese guitars with a $4000 price tag??

I imagine the street price is less but MSRP on the Eastman Pagelli PG2 is $4300
Eastman PG2 | Guitars 'n Jazz

**Gabor** · 12-22-2020, 03:55 PM

Originally Posted by marcwhy

As discussed many times here, questions of "worth" or "value" are always based on psychology/philosophy/socio-economics, and more; if you like $200 jeans, and someone else likes $25 jeans, so be it.

[and no, I would not purchase that Gibson even if I had an extra $4K, but that's me.]

Although the your statement is absolutely correct, this does not implicate in any way it not worth to talk about it, and reasoning pro and contra arguments, hoping lowering the effect of media and advertisement and cultural hypes.

**Jim Soloway** · 12-22-2020, 04:01 PM

Originally Posted by Gabor

Although the your statement is absolutely correct, this does not implicate in any way it not worth to talk about it, and reasoning pro and contra arguments, hoping lowering the effect of media and advertisement and cultural hypes.

You're making some assumptions that I would argue are at least incomplete. There is much more at play than just "media and advertisement and cultural hypes".