I scored a 1956 Les Paul

[Larz]

Agree....if you aren't 100% in love with it and confident with a $5.5K guitar, return it.

[Vass]

I'd punch out. No great deal there. $500 under value is nothing, a theoretical, possible 10% discount to what someone could possibly pay for it, someday.

And screw GC "we don't discount vintage". If it hangs there long enough they'll discount anything.

With the issues the guitar has I have to ask you, what "slot" does this fill for you? Do you/did you have a "I need a 1956 LP in any condition at all" slot? If so, cool, but with 40 guitars I think you know the game by now, and just the fact that you're asking tells me that you know you got a bit of "buck fever" on this one and may have pulled the trigger too quickly.

Having said that, yeah, you do deserve it, and I don't know much about the availability of 1956 LP's. If the fact is that any you find in that range are going to be in this shape, well hell, having a 56 Paul in any condition is pretty cool IMO. I just don't know where you are at in this as far as how important LP's are to you or how badly you need this particular axe "slot" filled in your collection.

[straycat]

Well the option here is to find some correct parts and figure out what the original color was and with a little TLC and a refin back to original it could be worth twice what he payed for it.
rsguitarworks could help with all that stuff and make the guitar look original and bring the value up quite a bit.
A 56 to me is an investment worth a proper refin.
Your boss must be a real ass clown not to be flexible.
I'd tell him to go to sleep and drive to Winchester anyway.If you are coming down 75 thru Lexington its only 14 miles to Winchester.
The tops on the 50's are flatter Don so thats normal.

[markD]

oh, it is an investment, for sure. but, with what he already has into, the question becomes "is there enough wiggle room for the cost of the restoration?" he's already $5000 into the guitar. vintage parts get real pricey, real fast. don could easily drop another $2000 into for the proper restoration. what then? is the value going to increase enough to justify the work? vintage guys are PICKY. there aren't many of these left, so they can't be TOO picky, but is it worth it to don in the long run?

[DonP]

Your boss must be a real ass clown not to be flexible.
I'd tell him to go to sleep and drive to Winchester anyway.If you are coming down 75 thru Lexington its only 14 miles to Winchester.
The tops on the 50's are flatter Don so thats normal.

No, we take 71 not 75, so it'd be a couple of hours out of the way. He drives while I work. I'd love to drive while he works. Have you ever worked on a laptop in a car with a person who has road rage 1/2 the time? I'm car sick 1/2 the time.

[DonP]

Ok, I've had a chance to play it. This is my first P90 LP, and I like the tone a lot. It's very different than my HB equiped LP's (GR8, G0). More mids and less bass, more growl. I played some AC/DC and was very happy with the tone.

To clarify things, this guitar plays great as-is. It is great as-is. It has a brand new finish like a non-VOS R9. I'm sorry guys but gold tops have never really appealed to me (or plain tops for that matter even though I own a G0). I like the top, I just wish a better job was done to bring out the flames. The top looks sort of like a faded series. I may take it to RS or Historic Makeovers or some other place for a re-finish, but this would not be for a long time, because the finish on it is in great shape.

There is nothing that NEEDS to be done to this guitar. It's very playable right now.

So, at the moment, I'm keeping it for at least the 30 days, and since I have 12 months to sell off and come up with the $5.5K (+$50 for Gruhn's appraisal), I'll very likely keep it.

I really like the P90's even though I'm a metal head. I like a rebelious tone, and these have it. So I really doubt I'll put humbuckers in here.

The issues as I see them (wish list):

Nut work. The slots are deep and need to be cleaned up. Nothing major. It's got a nylon nut like my 2009 CR8.

I'm a stickler for nickel hardware. Plenty of choices out there. I'm not going vintage unless it's at a good price. I'm in no hurry, can do it one piece at a time. I've used pigtail and others and have been happy with all of them.

Same with the plastic. This Gibson USA stuff can go. I can pick up a pickguard here, a poker chip there. I may go vintage if I find good deals. If not, repro stuff is fine. I have a buzzy pickguard on the CR8 along with DiMarzio rings. I have Gibson historic stuff on all my USA guitars.

I very much prefer an ABR-1 over a Nashville bridge. Since I double up my thumb wheels, I don't see this being an issue (plug and re-drill).

I'd like to get that one inlay replaced, but there isn't a hurry with this. In fact, it makes it "special" in some weird way LOL!

The frets - Gruhn said he thought it's been refretted. If it has, I don't know why they would have used vintage old fretwire, and why would they grind it down so low (like it's had a lot of fret jobs). I think it's the original wire myself. I think it's been leveled quite a few times. The ends are ground down more than the center of the frets. In fact the ends of the fretwire remind me on fretless wonder stuff on LP Customs. I'd like to get larger frets, but I'm in no hurry to do this. The frets in there are likely original, and have been nicely done. I'll play the hell out of them and where them down to nothing before re-fretting.

[Vass]

Ok, I've had a chance to play it. This is my first P90 LP, and I like the tone a lot. It's very different than my HB equiped LP's (GR8, G0). More mids and less bass, more growl. I played some AC/DC and was very happy with the tone.

To clarify things, this guitar plays great as-is. It is great as-is. It has a brand new finish like a non-VOS R9. I'm sorry guys but gold tops have never really appealed to me (or plain tops for that matter even though I own a G0). I like the top, I just wish a better job was done to bring out the flames. The top looks sort of like a faded series. I may take it to RS or Historic Makeovers or some other place for a re-finish, but this would not be for a long time, because the finish on it is in great shape.

There is nothing that NEEDS to be done to this guitar. It's very playable right now.

So, at the moment, I'm keeping it for at least the 30 days, and since I have 12 months to sell off and come up with the $5.5K (+$50 for Gruhn's appraisal), I'll very likely keep it.

I really like the P90's even though I'm a metal head. I like a rebelious tone, and these have it. So I really doubt I'll put humbuckers in here.

The issues as I see them (wish list):

Nut work. The slots are deep and need to be cleaned up. Nothing major. It's got a nylon nut like my 2009 CR8.

I'm a stickler for nickel hardware. Plenty of choices out there. I'm not going vintage unless it's at a good price. I'm in no hurry, can do it one piece at a time. I've used pigtail and others and have been happy with all of them.

Same with the plastic. This Gibson USA stuff can go. I can pick up a pickguard here, a poker chip there. I may go vintage if I find good deals. If not, repro stuff is fine. I have a buzzy pickguard on the CR8 along with DiMarzio rings. I have Gibson historic stuff on all my USA guitars.

I very much prefer an ABR-1 over a Nashville bridge. Since I double up my thumb wheels, I don't see this being an issue (plug and re-drill).

I'd like to get that one inlay replaced, but there isn't a hurry with this. In fact, it makes it "special" in some weird way LOL!

The frets - Gruhn said he thought it's been refretted. If it has, I don't know why they would have used vintage old fretwire, and why would they grind it down so low (like it's had a lot of fret jobs). I think it's the original wire myself. I think it's been leveled quite a few times. The ends are ground down more than the center of the frets. In fact the ends of the fretwire remind me on fretless wonder stuff on LP Customs. I'd like to get larger frets, but I'm in no hurry to do this. The frets in there are likely original, and have been nicely done. I'll play the hell out of them and where them down to nothing before re-fretting.

This sounds about right. No point in getting it "correct" while you're using it as a player. Like you said, wait in the weeds, keep your eyes open, and nail your parts as they come at your price....then, when you decide it's time to move the guitar, get it refinished & slap em on. No sense getting it "correct" today if it's playing awesome already, wearing them out over a few years and then having to do it all over again when you let it go.

[markD]

sounds like a plan!! yeah, P90's are killer. i love them, even though they hum like a mother....that throaty tone is well worth it!!

[Robert Burns]

Plus im thinking that if Gruhn says its worth "$6K.. in this economy then its only really worth $4K.. now. Seems everything is down 30% overall

[straycat]

RS can hook you up with any part you will need so keep them in mind they are great guys.
Heading over there tomorrow to wire up a 3 pick up L.P.and get help with a trick wiring thing we are going to try.