90's Les Paul Studio advice

[vklobucar]

A local fellow is selling a wine red 90's Les Paul Studio for $800 OBO

I have not owned a Les Paul in over 20 years but have been wanting a cheap one for a while. From what I recall the 90's studios were just as good as the Standards save for the burst top and binding.


Any advice or comments?

How does that price seem BTW?

[Sephiroth]

$800 for a 90's one? So he's pretty much selling it for what he paid for it?

The studios are NOT just as good as the standards. The studios come with the same pickup set found on the explorers, flying "V's," and a lot of SG's (490r/498t I think), and that pup set just doesn't sound sweet enough for a Les Paul. And no binding on the body I can get past (with the right finish), but no binding on the fretboard makes the guitar feel naked to me (only vintage strats are excused from a lack of fretboard binding to me). Plus they only put the 50's tree-trunk necks on those things, so don't expect it to be a particularly comfortable guitar.

For $800 you'd be better off getting an Agile and dropping burstbuckers or PAFs in it.

[straycat]

Everybody says 90's were the best years for studio's.
I have an 83 and love it.I gave $550.00 for mine.I have had worn cherry and worn brown and gave $600.00 for each.
If its in great condition thats a fair price.
490 498 are OK pick ups but a set of Duncan APH 1's would be a decent upgrade.
I would install a modern RS pot kit or a pot kit from Martin six string because the stock Gibson electronics are pretty lame.
You may have 500k pots or 300k Gibson uses whatever they have on hand.

[vklobucar]

If they come with ultra thick neck then ever better as my fav guitar is my ubber thick neck PC1 strung with 13-56's

As for pickups and pots, I can always swap them out if the price is right no?

I am gonna offer $700 if he has the OEM hardshell case. Sounds okay?

[lhrocker]

The price seems fair if the guitar is in near mint condition w/gold hardware and ebony board. Offer the $700 and see what they way. If the guitar speaks to you, then it would be whatever it's worth to you.

[straycat]

Lot of the 90's had ebony boards so a +.
Yeah thats a fair offer IMO.Let us know how the deal goes.No case offer $500.00

[vklobucar]

BTW this one has chrome hardware. Would that have made it cheaper back when it was new?

[straycat]

I think they were the same price.

[chrisolson]

$500-$600, unless it's the white one with the ebony board.

[Musician78]

It really depends on the buyer. A buddy of mine sold his for 650. It had killer flame, but was far from mint and needed a fret job. I still can't believe he got 650 for it...

[axmann]

A guy I know has a virtually un-played 1990 black one. ebony board, in a Brown Standard case. The case is messed with inside. The guitar is minto. I agree, the pickups are barf in it for some reason. The non bound neck actually felt way cool.This one didn't seem like a baseball bat. It felt very Hamer-ish. $600 asking. Somewhere on here we talked about this before. not to repeat myself but a friend has a newer sunburst studio, rosewood board. 2006 maybe? It sounds and plays fantastic. He payed $850 used.