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Les Paul Standard - $2,400 (Columbia Falls)
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Here is what the fella I bought this from wrote in his post:
Gibson Les Paul Faded ‘50s 2022 KILLER TOP, Wizz PAFs
For sale is my 2022 Les Paul Standard Faded 50's neck, in honeyburst. This guitar is different… special. This is a ‘once in a lifetime’ top. That factor, saddled with my upgrades, my inclusion of the original hardware, and my testament that this a superb instrument is why I set my price point where it is.
I got this guitar a while back and have played about 40/50 gigs with it. Most of those gigs were wedding jobs, where I'm always in a suit, so there is very minimal wear. The handful of other jobs I did with this Les Paul left very minor worming on the back And there are a couple of other tiny marks. Nothing major, just not a 'brand new' guitar. There is also some burnishing of the finish , most notably on the back of the neck and where my forearm rests, where the finish looks buffed to a higher luster than the rest of the guitar. This is quite common for guitars with satin/matte finishes.
This Les Paul has been modified with the following;
Replaced Nashville bridge with Faber Tone Lock bridge with brass saddles and Faber ABR-1 conversion studs. Original bridge and studs included in this sale.
1. Replaced Sprague 'Orange Drop' caps with Emerson paper in oil 'Bumblebee' repros .022 uf for bridge, .015 uf for neck. Originals included in the sale.
2. Replaced the Burstbucker I & II pickups with a set of Wizz Premium Clone PAF's. BB I & II included in sale. They will be packed in the Wizz box.
3. Replaced the stock pickup rings with Wizz M-69 repros. Originals included in sale.
The difference the Faber bridge makes is quite noticeable. More sustain. More note separation and clarity. High notes have a bell-like quality. I am really pleased I tried this bridge on this guitar. I will probably retrofit my other Les Pauls with this bridge.
The Burstbuckers actually sound quite nice! I was impressed with them. That being said, the Wizz sound GREAT! Aleks makes an awesome pickup. Lot's of 'Mick Taylor' approved tones to be had. His and Tom Holmes are my favorites. The rings have nicely distorted to match the contour of the top.
The caps don't really affect the sound until you use the tone control. The Emerson “Bee's” can really get that 'woman tone'... Through the right fuzz or LOUD amp, there will Beano question that this guitar wails!
Now, on to the star of the show. That TOP! Holy smokes, what a TOP! This piece of tiger maple rivals those I have seen on R9's and CS stuff. 3 dimensional with lots of movement and depth. All this with a satin finish. I can't image how it would look under a gloss! I have been looking at these, and haven't seen a top that even comes close! Along with this eye-popping top, you get a very dark, even shaded rosewood board. They aren't all this chocolaty, I can't stand a light colored rosewood board... yuck!
All the Gibson case candy is included. Gibson has been shipping guitars with a photograph of it in the factory (I got one with my 2019 Les Paul Special). The case has some minor scuffing, couple dings in the tolex, but no breaks. Nothing unusual for a workingman's guitar. Snug fit and great latches. For the life of me I cannot train the lid strap to fall inside the case without me manually putting it there. Case is odorless. I am not a smoker, and smoking has been banned in venues for ages now.
Now for nit picky stuff;
There's some pencil graphite on the nut. I was getting some pinging on the D & G, this fixed it. I use .011”- .049” strings, if you use a lighter gauge, YMMV. The Wizz were shiny nickel when new... they tarnish up rather quickly. I have polished them clean a handful of times and a couple weeks later, back to what you see here. If you want your own funk, just hit 'em with some Silvo... and play it for a week... The tarnish doesn't bother me, but I wanted to point out that they tend to tarnish rather rapidly.
This Lester is set-up with .011”-.049” D'addarios, the neck is almost dead flat, maybe .005” of relief. Action is 4/64” at the 17thfret. This is a turn-key guitar. You could throw the box in your car, drive to a gig and play it the day you get it.
Yes, you can buy a new one for $2299, buy Wizz pickups for $425, buy Emerson caps for $68, buy the Faber bridge for $170... spend your time (provided you know how) or spend your money getting a tech to replace all this stuff. That's $2962 (plus tax, and in some instances s/h) not including labor. Good luck finding a top this stunning. Additionally, I can vouch this is a great player, with exceptional tone. Lastly, there is some credence to buying a guitar that has some play wear/use... you are less likely to be beside yourself in anguish when you finally put a ding in it.
So, why am I selling? Simple, I want a PRS McCarty.