| Author |
Message |
John Shanley (Johns)
| | Posted on Friday, October 08, 2004 - 11:03 am: | |
Everyday I do a search for anything Ibanez on Ebay. Today this popped up: Gibson Les Paul Tiger Top Great Imposter! (Here's the URL if you want to check it out...maybe even put a bid in. http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=60874824)
Here's the description given:
Quote:This is not a Gibson guitar. It has been converted to look like a very expensive tiger top Gibson Les Paul ($2,000-5,000). I call it the great imposter. A dealer told me it started out as a very good set neck Ibanez Les Paul copy. Note the headstock shape is correct. The body is see thru mahogony with a deep red laquer finish with cream binding on the body and neck. It has the Gibson Les Paul logo on the headstock and crown inlays on the neck. The neck is thin and fast. The top is a very beautiful ribbon flame with a 3d quality to it. It is an 1/8 in thick maple vaneer and not the cheap plastic fotoflame like the Epiphones. The electronics are right with Van Zandt Vintage Zebra Humbuckers with braided cables that sound great. The pots and caps are right too. The guitar is very light and is in 8.5 out 10 condition and here's the kicker. It comes with a $150 authentic Gibson hardshell light brown case with the pink satin cover for the guitar! This is a great player and stage guitar you can have for a fraction of the cost of the real McCoy. This guitar is so correct it will fool 9 out 10 people. Buyer pays the shipping and a low reserve will make this unique guitar find a good home fast.
I've taken the liberty of fixing the lousy photo:
The question: What do you think this is worth and why? |
John Shanley (Johns)
| | Posted on Friday, October 08, 2004 - 11:03 am: | |
Well, nobody here seemed to care too much about this err...unique Ibanez item to comment. But, the guitar generated more interest and bids on ebay than many other cool Ibanez axes. The final bid was $626.00 and still, the reserve was not met.
This kind of price is quite confusing. What is the value in this guitar? It's collectibility as an Ibanez is lost and it's NOT a Gibson. Is it $650 worth of great wood and construction? (how could you ever know, site unseen?)
What's your take?
JohnS
ICW |
Jim
| | Posted on Friday, October 08, 2004 - 11:03 am: | |
I bid on it and was afraid to go over $500, It is a laminated top. It might be a nice conversation piece but I think it's overpriced. |
John Shanley (Johns)
| | Posted on Friday, October 08, 2004 - 11:03 am: | |
Jim:
Thanks for jumping in. It's great that you were interested in the guitar.
First off, let me say that I'm not trying to run the axe or the seller down or be negative. I was pretty fascinated with the item. But, I'm truly confused as to how others (including the seller) have placed a value on this particular guitar. Especially, compared to other Ibanez items for auction.
Take the Ibanez LP with half vine. Now that's an unique Ibanez with collectible value. Yet it's priced to move around $450 (and it didn't move 3 auctions before this last). Or the doubleneck Strat/PBass that wouldn't go for more than $600 and change (has anyone ever seen one of these before?). Or the killer burl mahogany '82 Artist 305 that's hoovering in the low $400s (this puppy is worth twice that and most likely will kick the butt off any real LP you could find for that kind of $$$).
I have to admit that I've wanted to take a beater Artist or LP copy and give it a complete overhaul to see how hot I could make it. But dressing it up as a fake Gibson didn't even come into my noggin. But hey, if I can get over 6 bills for something like that...maybe there's a biz opportunity here.
So, Jim, care to gives us your thoughts on what made it worth $500 to you? Inquiring collectors want to know.
thanks,
JohnS- ICW |
Harry Cody
| | Posted on Friday, October 08, 2004 - 11:03 am: | |
It looks nothing like a re-tooled Ibanez to me -- the knob placement is wrong, and something about the placement of the three-way makes me think of Epiphone...
A good LP with a Gibson logo (even an admitted replica) will bring more money than a good LP with the name Tokai/Ibanez/Fernandes/Aria/Ganson( yes, there is such a thing!), because most of us bought the copies when we couldn't find or afford the real deal... however, this particular guitar is so far off the mark that I wouldn't even have bid on it.
Harry |
Dale Williams
| | Posted on Friday, October 08, 2004 - 11:03 am: | |
I have a set neck les paul replica. It has Gibson headstock logo, and Les Paul Model headstock logo. It is brown sunburst with a carved maple top which is solid, and has a set neck. It plays and sounds great, very comperable to a real les paul.I have pictures and will email them to anyone who would like to see them. These pictures aren't real clear, but lend an idea of what this guitar is all about. And one intriguing feature of this guitar is the serial number stamped on back of neck in black ink 5 9852. The headstock logos are decals, not inlayed.
My email address is guitrman@webtv.net. Thanks, Dale Williams |
Herrjurgan
| | Posted on Friday, October 08, 2004 - 11:03 am: | |
I have a "lawsuit" model ES-175, the irony is this guitar originally sold cheap. The pickups and extra work put into it to pseudo-gibsonize the original, may have decreased it's potential value and probably cost more than the original outlay. $800 to $850 would be a retail price to pay. The original cost put many of these in the throw away catagory which means they may be getting scarce. Hence the pumped up value. I would rather go looking for a real Les Paul with the same amount of money this seller is probably reserving at Ebay. |
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