Imagine this...

psyx

Imagine you visit your uncle on his farm in the countryside and you poke around the cellar looking for christmas lights or something. Suddenly you notice a guitar case covered in an inch of dust...

You take the case down and dust it off to reveal the word "Gibson"... You open it up and inside you find an original 59 les paul. The case hasnt been opened since 1962, so the guitar is spotless and in pristine condition.

Would you sell it, keep it or what?

You can always dream...

AlanRatcliffe

I'd put a bit of wear on the frets for the experience, but I doubt I'd keep it. I'm to practical. Their value as an instrument has long since been surpassed by their value as a collectible.

Given the value, I wouldn't dare play with it at home, let alone gig it. But if I were to sell it, the proceeds would set me up very nicely with a guitar every bit as good (costing less than one tenth of the price), plus a bunch of other top gear and a comfortable investment for my dotage.

Chocklit_Thunda

I'd keep it. And I'd respray it candy apple red or black and change out the pickups for teh brootal metal toanz and I'd slap a Bigsby on it.

warrenpridgeon

Right now I am imagining finding something really excellent at a pawnshop for like R1000... lol...
--seriously--

IceCreamMan

i'd be like Alan ....their value far surpasses their ability these days I reckon.

Sell it , set my self up with a current Gibson of my choice and muck around with the rest of it.

nice to dream though, its like when I buy a lotto ticket....cept I think I have more chance of actually find that gibson

psyx

IceCreamMan wrote: i'd be like Alan ....their value far surpasses their ability these days I reckon.

Sell it , set my self up with a current Gibson of my choice and muck around with the rest of it.

nice to dream though, its like when I buy a lotto ticket....cept I think I have more chance of actually find that gibson

apparently there are something like 1037 59's unaccounted for

Chabenda

Yup - sell it!!! It would sit under your bed all the time, you'd drag it out to look at it frequently, show all of your mates (some of whom you wouldn't allow to touch it) then one day you'd just up and sell it. Left behind would be your good old faithful Tele/Strat/LP etc that you pick up every day to play.

It's great owning those types of guitars but you never, ever bond with them as a guitarist.

vic

psyx wrote:
IceCreamMan wrote: i'd be like Alan ....their value far surpasses their ability these days I reckon.

Sell it , set my self up with a current Gibson of my choice and muck around with the rest of it.

nice to dream though, its like when I buy a lotto ticket....cept I think I have more chance of actually find that gibson
apparently there are something like 1037 59's unaccounted for

Only 643 Les Paul Std's were shipped in 1959 and only 246 LP customs were shipped in that same year.

psyx

Vic wrote:
psyx wrote:
IceCreamMan wrote: i'd be like Alan ....their value far surpasses their ability these days I reckon.

Sell it , set my self up with a current Gibson of my choice and muck around with the rest of it.

nice to dream though, its like when I buy a lotto ticket....cept I think I have more chance of actually find that gibson
apparently there are something like 1037 59's unaccounted for
Only 643 Les Paul Std's were shipped in 1959 and only 246 LP customs were shipped in that same year.

Oh... Well I got that from
http://www.mylespaul.com/forums/vintage-les-pauls/177150-how-many-59s-there.html#post3395278

I was just 300 out according to this guy

Ok,here's how I see it...There were produced around 1700 "bursts".According to burstserial.com,663 of them have been logged.That leaves us with another 1037 unaccounted for... Of course there are people who have not "logged" them for whatever reason.(and know perfectly well what they have...) How many could they be...?And how many guitars?(owned by those individuals) 100?(guitars) 200? (Those are VERY optimistic numbers...) On the other hand,some of those were permanently destroyed for whatever reason.Again,how many could they be? 50? 100? (well I just DON'T/CANT believe that they are so many...)

So,with those numbers in mind,there must be at least 737 bursts somewhere out there waiting "to be found"! That's a huge number,considering all the hype the last 1 or 2 decades...And remember, those individuals who have them,just don't know what they have in their hands...

vic

psyx wrote:
Vic wrote:
psyx wrote:
IceCreamMan wrote: i'd be like Alan ....their value far surpasses their ability these days I reckon.

Sell it , set my self up with a current Gibson of my choice and muck around with the rest of it.

nice to dream though, its like when I buy a lotto ticket....cept I think I have more chance of actually find that gibson
apparently there are something like 1037 59's unaccounted for
Only 643 Les Paul Std's were shipped in 1959 and only 246 LP customs were shipped in that same year.
Oh... Well I got that from
http://www.mylespaul.com/forums/vintage-les-pauls/177150-how-many-59s-there.html#post3395278

I was just 300 out according to this guy

Ok,here's how I see it...There were produced around 1700 "bursts".According to burstserial.com,663 of them have been logged.That leaves us with another 1037 unaccounted for... Of course there are people who have not "logged" them for whatever reason.(and know perfectly well what they have...) How many could they be...?And how many guitars?(owned by those individuals) 100?(guitars) 200? (Those are VERY optimistic numbers...) On the other hand,some of those were permanently destroyed for whatever reason.Again,how many could they be? 50? 100? (well I just DON'T/CANT believe that they are so many...)

So,with those numbers in mind,there must be at least 737 bursts somewhere out there waiting "to be found"! That's a huge number,considering all the hype the last 1 or 2 decades...And remember, those individuals who have them,just don't know what they have in their hands...

"Bursts" refer to all the non-Goldtop models....these were made in 1958, 1959 and 1960.

http://home.provide.net/~cfh/shippin4.html

psyx

Vic wrote:
psyx wrote:
Vic wrote:
psyx wrote:
IceCreamMan wrote: i'd be like Alan ....their value far surpasses their ability these days I reckon.

Sell it , set my self up with a current Gibson of my choice and muck around with the rest of it.

nice to dream though, its like when I buy a lotto ticket....cept I think I have more chance of actually find that gibson
apparently there are something like 1037 59's unaccounted for
Only 643 Les Paul Std's were shipped in 1959 and only 246 LP customs were shipped in that same year.
Oh... Well I got that from
http://www.mylespaul.com/forums/vintage-les-pauls/177150-how-many-59s-there.html#post3395278

I was just 300 out according to this guy

Ok,here's how I see it...There were produced around 1700 "bursts".According to burstserial.com,663 of them have been logged.That leaves us with another 1037 unaccounted for... Of course there are people who have not "logged" them for whatever reason.(and know perfectly well what they have...) How many could they be...?And how many guitars?(owned by those individuals) 100?(guitars) 200? (Those are VERY optimistic numbers...) On the other hand,some of those were permanently destroyed for whatever reason.Again,how many could they be? 50? 100? (well I just DON'T/CANT believe that they are so many...)

So,with those numbers in mind,there must be at least 737 bursts somewhere out there waiting "to be found"! That's a huge number,considering all the hype the last 1 or 2 decades...And remember, those individuals who have them,just don't know what they have in their hands...

"Bursts" refer to all the non-Goldtop models....these were made in 1958, 1959 and 1960.

http://home.provide.net/~cfh/shippin4.html

My mistake!! Apologies

vic

psyx wrote:
Vic wrote:
psyx wrote:
Vic wrote:
psyx wrote:
IceCreamMan wrote: i'd be like Alan ....their value far surpasses their ability these days I reckon.

Sell it , set my self up with a current Gibson of my choice and muck around with the rest of it.

nice to dream though, its like when I buy a lotto ticket....cept I think I have more chance of actually find that gibson
apparently there are something like 1037 59's unaccounted for
Only 643 Les Paul Std's were shipped in 1959 and only 246 LP customs were shipped in that same year.
Oh... Well I got that from
http://www.mylespaul.com/forums/vintage-les-pauls/177150-how-many-59s-there.html#post3395278

I was just 300 out according to this guy

Ok,here's how I see it...There were produced around 1700 "bursts".According to burstserial.com,663 of them have been logged.That leaves us with another 1037 unaccounted for... Of course there are people who have not "logged" them for whatever reason.(and know perfectly well what they have...) How many could they be...?And how many guitars?(owned by those individuals) 100?(guitars) 200? (Those are VERY optimistic numbers...) On the other hand,some of those were permanently destroyed for whatever reason.Again,how many could they be? 50? 100? (well I just DON'T/CANT believe that they are so many...)

So,with those numbers in mind,there must be at least 737 bursts somewhere out there waiting "to be found"! That's a huge number,considering all the hype the last 1 or 2 decades...And remember, those individuals who have them,just don't know what they have in their hands...

"Bursts" refer to all the non-Goldtop models....these were made in 1958, 1959 and 1960.

http://home.provide.net/~cfh/shippin4.html
My mistake!! Apologies

Please no need...those are just figures and may not be that accurate ?

Sean

Definitely sell. But that in itself could be a real mission.

Bob-Dubery

psyx wrote: Imagine you visit your uncle on his farm in the countryside and you poke around the cellar looking for christmas lights or something. Suddenly you notice a guitar case covered in an inch of dust...

You take the case down and dust it off to reveal the word "Gibson"... You open it up and inside you find an original 59 les paul. The case hasnt been opened since 1962, so the guitar is spotless and in pristine condition.

Would you sell it, keep it or what?

What.

Specifically going to my uncle and telling him he has something that's potentially worth a lot of money.

If he tells me I'm a good boy and I can keep it because I was honest then I keep it safe in it's case and stash it away until I retire.

warrenpridgeon

X-rated Bob wrote:
psyx wrote: Imagine you visit your uncle on his farm in the countryside and you poke around the cellar looking for christmas lights or something. Suddenly you notice a guitar case covered in an inch of dust...

You take the case down and dust it off to reveal the word "Gibson"... You open it up and inside you find an original 59 les paul. The case hasnt been opened since 1962, so the guitar is spotless and in pristine condition.

Would you sell it, keep it or what?
What.

Specifically going to my uncle and telling him he has something that's potentially worth a lot of money.

If he tells me I'm a good boy and I can keep it because I was honest then I keep it safe in it's case and stash it away until I retire.

I am from the south... more likely to find a banjo in the barn... hehehe...

But yeah...I too would sell the Gibby and buy a collection of guitars with the money... well... not really... but I would sell it...

Bob-Dubery

Banjos you say?

You find an original Gibson Mastertone and you're in the pound seats. And it's believed that there are a couple knocking around here still.

warrenpridgeon

X-rated Bob wrote: Banjos you say?

You find an original Gibson Mastertone and you're in the pound seats. And it's believed that there are a couple knocking around here still.

Imagine finding a set of duelling banjos...

RobbieZ

I think I am different. I will keep it. Leave it as it is and every once in a while play with it.

chris77

Sell it. And quick ?

Another question worth considering is, what about your uncle? You know, with it being found in his cellar and all that.... Do you tell him kinda btw "O yeah, I found this old guitar in your cellar and since I play I was thinking of maybe taking it and seeing if It is still usable, you know.... Might not be worth fixing it, but aaagh you know how I like to tinker with things so It'll be Ok, yes? I'll buy you a bottle of Jack to say thank you...."

or

"Hey Oom Jan, how much would you ask me for this old guitar I found in your cellar." And then pay the man his asking price and sell it on for an astronomical profit without Oom Jan being any the wiser.

or

Do you tell him straight up what it is, how much it's worth and what a lucky bleddie bastard he is for knowing someone like you who will sell it on on his behalf for a fair commission.

AlanRatcliffe

chris77 wrote: Another question worth considering is, what about your uncle?

Uncle who?

?