1983 American Fender Strat vs. 1977 Gibson Les Paul Standard

[steve.h]

So, I recently acquired a 1983 American Fender Strat:





Which looks & plays great, but just isn't my style. A guy offered me a '77 Les Paul Standard for a straight-up trade:





Which is much more my style (rock/metal). Would y'all say it's a good trade? As you can see the previous owner was an idiot and installed switches for coil tapping, which significantly lowers the value of the LP. Thoughts?

[octatonic]

An '83 all original strat isn't worth mega-bucks at the moment, but look at the values of 70's strats.
Who would have thought that ANYONE would pay over $2000 for an early 70's Fender?

That coil tapping mod on the Lester is a real PITA, but it isn't unworkable.
You could take out the switches, fill the holes and refin the areas (or have a pro finisher do it).

There will always be evidence of the mods on the Les Paul but you could return it to stock and not lose too much.

It really comes down to you- are you a predominantly player or a collector?
If a player then go for the Les Paul if it suits your style, and return it to stock in the process.

If you want to speculate on an 80's Fender you are taking the (very) long road.
Is it a nice player?

My path would be keep the strat, buy the Les Paul for cash, return it to stock and eat noodles for a month or so. :-)

[kafka]

I think it's a good straight-up trade. Don't worry about collector value. They're player guitars. If the coil taps bother you, have them filled.

[theGeek]

It all comes down to preference. Really, if you're into metal than the LP is a better way to go. But I'm sure you already knew that.

As far as the coil taps are concerned... very unfortunate. What you need to do is just become famous and call that your "signature" guitar. Like the EVH Frankenstein.

[Musiclab]

70's era LP are the dark ages for Gibson, while their value has gone up, they're just not that great, bottom line is this if you like the guitar and you don't like the strat, do it,

[Jack FFR1846]

If it were me, I'd make the trade. I don't personally like strats, however. All the hype about value will start to dematerialize as the recession hits. That 80's strat is sort of like an 80's American Motors car. Yah, it's old, but so what? I like the HH setup far more myself...but that's my personal preference. Be sure to play the LP before you buy it. I'm pretty picky and only like about 1 out of 20 LP's that I play (less so of the strats).

jack

[The Beatsmith]

Pick whichever plays and sounds best to you - screw the 'market value'!

[The Beatsmith]

Originally Posted by Jack FFR1846

Be sure to play the LP before you buy it. I'm pretty picky and only like about 1 out of 20 LP's that I play (less so of the strats).

Agreed!

[theGeek]

Originally Posted by Musiclab

70's era LP are the dark ages for Gibson, while their value has gone up, they're just not that great, bottom line is this if you like the guitar and you don't like the strat, do it,

Although Gibson doesn't like to talk about it there are a few years in the 70s where Gibson didn't have their machines setup correctly and the higher frets were so far off that they were pretty much impossible to play in tune beyond the 15th.

So +1 on playing it! Even now if you go to GC, WWBW or SamAsh or where ever play 15 LPs and one will sound good enough keep. Strats seem, for many reasons, to be more consistent. And there are an infinite number of arguments as to why...

[phaedrus]

My 1977 Les Paul is a beast and I am a huge stickler for intonation. This is a no brainer, my friend. A strat (to me) feels like a toy. The 1977 Les Paul is a tank of a guitar with huge and precise sound.
Before that I had a great 98 American sunburst strat. Compared to the the 77, it is a toy IMHO

[steve.h]

Unfortunately, the guy backed down. He probably found this thread and realized the mistake he was about to make!

I've got another guy offering me a Charvel 750XL for it, and am planning on taking it, as it's quite a rare guitar, and is considered one of the best imports ever made (apparently).

[heyman]

I have a 76 Black Les Paul Custom.. It rocks. Solid, heavy and it only gets better with age.

[FFTT]

You'd be better off trading for an 83-85 Gibson Tim Shaw Era LP or ES-335.

They had the first real PAF re-issues and their value is going up nicely.

[kafka]

Originally Posted by steve.h

Unfortunately, the guy backed down. He probably found this thread and realized the mistake he was about to make!

I've got another guy offering me a Charvel 750XL for it, and am planning on taking it, as it's quite a rare guitar, and is considered one of the best imports ever made (apparently).

Well, if you like it. Some Charvels are pretty good. Don't consider rarity unless you're thinking you like it that much and will never see another again. It will never have any collector value.

[Musiclab]

Originally Posted by theGeek

Although Gibson doesn't like to talk about it there are a few years in the 70s where Gibson didn't have their machines setup correctly and the higher frets were so far off that they were pretty much impossible to play in tune beyond the 15th.

So +1 on playing it! Even now if you go to GC, WWBW or SamAsh or where ever play 15 LPs and one will sound good enough keep. Strats seem, for many reasons, to be more consistent. And there are an infinite number of arguments as to why...

thats the least of it, besides the odds of a LP from the 70's not being refretted by now are slim if it's been played. If you look at a 70's era LP and compare just stuff like the carving of the top, the general workmanship it's pretty apparent why they're not that good

[Master Tang]

I dunno.

I agree with the comments about the 70 Pauls being the worst out there.
As far as value, it's what you feel you are getting. I don't like the fact that he put holes in the top. He could have used push/pull pots, and saved the drilling.

An alternative would to be to wire up a another pickguard made up with two humbuckers and put it in the strat... Easy enough, and there would be no huge modifications to the guitar itself.

[steve.h]

Got the Charvel, will post pics.

[TAVD]

You'd be able to get $5k for the strat within 5 years. I would've kept it.

EDIT: Looks like some are worth that now.
1983 FENDER USA STRATOCASTER 1957 RI - Fullerton!!! - eBay (item 140232403898 end time May-22-08 01:08:22 PDT)

[steve.h]

Originally Posted by TAVD

You'd be able to get $5k for the strat within 5 years. I would've kept it.

Doubtful. In the condition it was in, and using any previous years' trends as a reference, it won't 5x in value in 5 years. It was worth around $1000-1300 as far as I've read, and with inflation it's actually LOST value. I may end up eating my words, and I wouldn't be the first to have a story about "the one that I shouldn't have sold", but the guitar I traded it for will be my main song-writing/performing guitar for years. One must look at personal value, as well as monetary, to make a rational decision!

[kafka]

Originally Posted by TAVD

You'd be able to get $5k for the strat within 5 years. I would've kept it.

EDIT: Looks like some are worth that now.
1983 FENDER USA STRATOCASTER 1957 RI - Fullerton!!! - eBay (item 140232403898 end time May-22-08 01:08:22 PDT)

That's some wishful thinking pricing if ever I saw it.

[steve.h]

Originally Posted by kafka

That's some wishful thinking pricing if ever I saw it.

Yeah, and mine wasn't a re-issue. Nor was it in top condition, or all-original (new nut).


(BTW, the neck is dated September '84, but he's selling it as a late '83!)

[octatonic]

Originally Posted by kafka

That's some wishful thinking pricing if ever I saw it.

LOL... yeah, totally.
Bat-shit crazy pricing actually.
He won't get anyone playing that sort of money- that is late 60's pricing.

[FFTT]

I waited 10 years for my friend to sell me his '85 Shaw Era Black and Cream LP Studio Standard.

He had 4 of them and gave me the choice of "The Black" or his Tobacco Burst.
He may still be selling the Tobacco Burt.

My '93 USA Dakota Red Strat Plus w/ Golds is another really nice guitar with surprising
quality considering what I paid for it new and compared to what's out there now.

You don't have to spend a ridiculous amount of money to get a great guitar.
You just need to be patient.

[TAVD]

Originally Posted by kafka

That's some wishful thinking pricing if ever I saw it.

Yeah, I know it. I was just joking about that $5k price.

[intolerance]

77 was a weird year for Gibson, I think they were still owned by a furniture company then? You missed the Kalamazoo factory by a year, if it was a 78 with the last 3 of the serial under 500, I would say TRADE.