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Thread: "The Paul" Reissue

  1. #1
    Forum Member OldStrummer's Avatar
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    "The Paul" Reissue

    In my regular Reverb email notices, I saw that Gibson is reissuing the rather obscure guitar, The Paul. Sometimes also referred to as the Firebrand, this guitar was supposed to be a stripped-down, less expensive version of a Les Paul, with no bindings, uncovered pickups, and a simple finish over the walnut body.

    My days of buying Gibson electrics is mostly over (I have two Les Pauls and two SGs that I'm looking to divest from my collection; I'm keeping the two ES's), so I'm not about to plunk down the $1,400 (did someone say "less expensive?") MSRP I've been reading. But I definitely like the looks of one!



  2. #2
    Forum Member Don's Avatar
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    Re: "The Paul" Reissue

    I like the idea of the stripped down walnut guitar but think the price is a little high. What does an original sell for?

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    Forum Member OldStrummer's Avatar
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    Re: "The Paul" Reissue

    Quote Originally Posted by Don View Post
    I like the idea of the stripped down walnut guitar but think the price is a little high. What does an original sell for?
    There are several on Reverb. The low-end is going for $900. There's a sweet 1979 with OHSC listed for $1,100. That one looks like the neck PU has been replaced. The high-end is asking $1,795.

    Oh, I just saw one listed for $780. If you can stand the smell of smoke...

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    Forum Member S. Cane's Avatar
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    Re: "The Paul" Reissue

    It's kinda easy to find a '79 in good condition.

    Anyway, with the current budget Gibsons we have available, like the Studios, Tributes and such, I doubt it would be a great deal to get a Reissue of a budget guitar from the late 70s for $1,400

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    Forum Member OldStrummer's Avatar
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    Re: "The Paul" Reissue

    Quote Originally Posted by Sérgio View Post
    It's kinda easy to find a '79 in good condition.

    Anyway, with the current budget Gibsons we have available, like the Studios, Tributes and such, I doubt it would be a great deal to get a Reissue of a budget guitar from the late 70s for $1,400
    And there you have it. Well put, Sérgio. Given the financial situation at Gibson, what's the rationale of offering a "reissue of a budget guitar at $1,400?"

  6. #6
    Forum Member S. Cane's Avatar
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    Re: "The Paul" Reissue

    Quote Originally Posted by OldStrummer View Post
    And there you have it. Well put, Sérgio. Given the financial situation at Gibson, what's the rationale of offering a "reissue of a budget guitar at $1,400?"
    And let’s not forget, this is actually a "reissue of a NORLIN ERA budget guitar at $1,400”... Not meaning to bash on all of the Norlin guitars but still...

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    Forum Member Offshore Angler's Avatar
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    Re: "The Paul" Reissue

    Quote Originally Posted by Sérgio View Post
    It's kinda easy to find a '79 in good condition.

    Anyway, with the current budget Gibsons we have available, like the Studios, Tributes and such, I doubt it would be a great deal to get a Reissue of a budget guitar from the late 70s for $1,400

    Ding ding ding! With the going rate for a Studio this reissue is aimed squarely at collectors and not players.

    Do they say where it's made? That finish looks very un-Gibsonlike.

    Chuck
    "No harmonic knowledge, no sense of time, a ghastly tone, unskilled vibrato, and so on. Chuck is one of the worst guitar players I know" -Gravity Jim

  8. #8
    Forum Member S. Cane's Avatar
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    Re: "The Paul" Reissue

    Quote Originally Posted by Offshore Angler View Post
    Ding ding ding! With the going rate for a Studio this reissue is aimed squarely at collectors and not players.

    Do they say where it's made? That finish looks very un-Gibsonlike.

    Chuck
    Yeap. As long as one deems a reissue "collectible", yes.

    As for the finish, the website lists it as "Satin Nitrocellulose lacquer" at one section (read faded) and "vintage walnut gloss" (whatever that means) on another... I'd say it's probably finished just as most faded models, with maybe an extra elbow grease on the buffing.

    Basically it's a stripped down 490r/498t les paul without any bling and resembling he 70s budget model, for a non budget price.

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    Forum Member gibsonjunkie's Avatar
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    Re: "The Paul" Reissue

    Quote Originally Posted by KennyF View Post
    I was working at an audio store in Parsippany, New Jersey in '79/'80, which was two doors down from Long & McQuade Music, in the same strip-mall. I remember this line of guitars, and as I recall, they weren't exactly flying out the door. I recall "The SG" version from this series, and I also recall playing it a LOT, but I never even thought about buying one. Actually, my first new Gibson was a Ferrari Red Les Paul Custom, that I bought from Manny's in Manhattan, a few years later. That guitar cost me a little over $800.00 new. I should have kept that one!
    Where did you work? I was audio manager at Sam Goody in Monmouth Mall from '75 - '80.
    "We catched fish and talked, and we took a swim now and then to keep off sleepiness." Mark Twain

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    Forum Member gibsonjunkie's Avatar
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    Re: "The Paul" Reissue

    I luv me some Gibsons, but I see that as a maybe $8-900 guitar max.
    "We catched fish and talked, and we took a swim now and then to keep off sleepiness." Mark Twain

  11. #11
    Forum Member Offshore Angler's Avatar
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    Re: "The Paul" Reissue

    Sheesh, I get the de-featuring to lower the cost but are they now so cheap they put the pickup selector in the control cavity? That's about as useless a place for it as they could have come up with. Really?

    Chuck
    "No harmonic knowledge, no sense of time, a ghastly tone, unskilled vibrato, and so on. Chuck is one of the worst guitar players I know" -Gravity Jim

  12. #12
    Forum Member Don's Avatar
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    Re: "The Paul" Reissue

    The Paul always had the switch there. Saves a little labor on the wiring. I wonder if this one's on a PCB with plug in pickups- no skilled labor required!

  13. #13
    Forum Member S. Cane's Avatar
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    Re: "The Paul" Reissue

    Quote Originally Posted by Offshore Angler View Post
    Sheesh, I get the de-featuring to lower the cost but are they now so cheap they put the pickup selector in the control cavity? That's about as useless a place for it as they could have come up with. Really?

    Chuck

    It’s always been there, The Paul has always been a very low cost guitar (pretty good, nevertheless). That’s why I said it wasn’t logical to reissue it at $1,400

  14. #14
    Forum Member jrgtr42's Avatar
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    Re: "The Paul" Reissue

    My #1 guitar is a 1980 Firebrand SG. In researching them, it seems that The Paul and The SG (for all intents and purposes same specs, just different body shapes) were offered in mahogany and walnut, The XXX was more often in walnut, the Firebrands were about 50/50.
    They had the satin finish, t-top PUs and stripped down asthetics, though usually ebony fretboards.
    If this reish came in at a grand or less, I'd think a lot would be sold.
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    Forum Member gibsonjunkie's Avatar
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    Re: "The Paul" Reissue

    Quote Originally Posted by KennyF View Post
    U.S.Stereo in Parsippany, New Jersey. They were a small chain of 3 stores; Parsippany, Eatontown and Paramus.
    My wife was from Eatontown and we lived in the area from '75 until '80. I think I remember that store - more competition for us!

    Small world.
    "We catched fish and talked, and we took a swim now and then to keep off sleepiness." Mark Twain

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