New les paul

Bill - This question might be better placed in the 'Guitars and Amps' section of the forum, but I will try and help out...

Do you have much experience with guitars yourself?  If you are a relative newbie to the field, then I would highly suggest getting a friend or associate who is very familiar with them to go along with you.  They can play the impartial 'devils advocate'.

It is all too easy to get carried away with a guitar that LOOKS like a guitar that one of your heroes of yore played.  Heck, even I have done that after YEARS of guitar buying -- but you need to take the emotion out of it a little bit so you can look at the practical aspects of the guitar, namely:

1. Are there any obvious signs of poor workmanship on the guitar (i.e. paint finish not even, gaps where the wood joins etc.?
2. Is the neck straight and not twisted?
3. Are the frets all level, and finished off properly so no sharp edges are evident when you play?
4. Are all the electronics (knobs, pickups, switches) in good working order with no noise or crackling?
5. Does it SOUND good plugged in?
6. Does it SOUND good UNplugged?
7. Is it comfortable to play?  Not too heavy or unbalanced when sitting AND standing?
8. Is there any evidence of repaired damage to the guitar, e.g. broken headstock (which Les Pauls are notorious for)
9. Is it beautiful?

Many other things to look out for, but once again - your buddy will hopefully be able to help out.

Guitars are the same as most other things - you get what you pay for.  You will find a vast difference between a $100 guitar and a $1000 guitar, but not much more improvement between a $1000 guitar and a $10,000 guitar.

What I am saying is - don't go cheapest option, but don't go crazy either.

You didn't mention if you were actually looking at a Gibson Les Paul per se, or a copy or other brand such as Epiphone etc.  Most brands are fairly decent, but even an actual Gibson will need a thorough check out to make sure it is OK.  If you are going to spend thousands on a Gibson LP, I'd spend another $50 to $70 to get a good guitar tech to give it a thorough inspection for possible problems.

My advice is to take your time, visit lots of shops and play a lot of guitars before you make a decision.  Don't overlook the used market too, as there are lots of good instruments available second hand, which will save you money.  Downside is that there is no real warranty with second hand purchases, but the positive is that you can recoup your investment much more easily on a second hand guitar if you decide to sell it later.

Hope this helps.  Perhaps if you tell us a bit more about what you are looking for in a guitar, the type of music you play, whether you are looking for an instrument to play regularly or to collect etc., we can give you more advice...

buying a Les Paul is a big job! - So many models, so many differences. Devan has made some very valid points.

When looking for one for my son a couple of years ago we could not find a Gibson to match our budget new or secondhand as the name adds a lot of numbers to the price tag, and their low end new models do not compare to other manufacturers single cut mahogany body, maple top set neck twin HB guitars, sound wise or atheistically.

That is what I was politely trying to skirt around in my first post.  Unfortunately Gibson's QC is a bit 'hit and miss' these days.  You could find a gem, but you could equally find some that are below par for what they should be.

Don't discount Les Paul equivalents out there.  The PRS single cut line for instance, or Heritage etc.  There are just so many makes and models out there now that you are bound to find something that suits you and your playing style.

Best of luck!