'57 Gold Top Les Paul

[Lerb21]

According to one of my friends, his father owns one that he got from his father. He doesn't know much about guitars but from what he says it's in good condition and all original.



I gave him the reaction above and told him that the guitar is worth A LOT.

So, what is the price range for one of those nowadays?

[Mark Davis]

A couple years ago they were 35k so they are probably higher than that now.

[furrfurrfurr]

This is a job for George Gruhn. It's worth it to get it appraised.

gruhn.com

[Mike Eskimo]

Speaking of Gruhn, he's had 2 57 goldtops on his site for a while.

One is $80k and one is $100k.

Both are PAF models though.

They did make soapbar ones in 57 also.

Remember though - that's what ol' Georgey is asking - not what they're worth.

[casterway]

I knew a guy that traded a Takamine acoustic and $400 for one in the 80's. Really.

[Spidercaster]

Originally Posted by Mike Eskimo

Speaking of Gruhn, he's had 2 57 goldtops on his site for a while.

One is $80k and one is $100k.

Both are PAF models though.

They did make soapbar ones in 57 also.

Remember though - that's what ol' Georgey is asking - not what they're worth.

I was just looking at these today (and dreaming). I was offered one about 20 years ago for $8K. One of those "would have, should have" things from the past.

Same answer as always - It's worth whatever someone is willing to pay him for it.

Can you get some pics? Please!!!!!

[BigDaddyLH]

I see Gruhn has a '59 Lp Standard that been reduced from 275,000 to 199,000. What a steal!

[Lerb21]

Wow. Just wow.

I talked to him today.

He said, "yeah my dad was planning on selling it today."

I asked him how much. He said 8k. I wanted to see whether or not it was all original so I drew a picture of a standard to the best of memory and asked him if anything looked out of place.

He took one look at it and said that the guitar didn't look anything like the LP I drew, and I'm a fairly decent artist. He said it wasn't pointy enough.

I then drew a Flying V and he said, "Yup, that's it."

He said he though it was a Les Paul because it looked like on Guitar Hero. I facepalmed.

Now I'm disappointed. It's still one that was old enough that his grandfather gave it to his dad and more than likely didn't mod it. So now we go from a '57 goldtop to a flying V.

Sigh

[dan1952]

Originally Posted by Lerb21

Wow. Just wow.

I talked to him today.

He said, "yeah my dad was planning on selling it today."

I asked him how much. He said 8k. I wanted to see whether or not it was all original so I drew a picture of a standard to the best of memory and asked him if anything looked out of place.

He took one look at it and said that the guitar didn't look anything like the LP I drew, and I'm a fairly decent artist. He said it wasn't pointy enough.

I then drew a Flying V and he said, "Yup, that's it."

He said he though it was a Les Paul because it looked like on Guitar Hero. I facepalmed.

Now I'm disappointed. It's still one that was old enough that his grandfather gave it to his dad and more than likely didn't mod it. So now we go from a '57 goldtop to a flying V.

Sigh

I hope you're being facetious, Lerb, because an original '50's V is worth a lot more than a '57 gold top.

[BigDaddyLH]

Originally Posted by dan1952

I hope you're being facetious, Lerb, because an original '50's V is worth a lot more than a '57 gold top.

My uncle was a roadie and he has a room full of junk, like a strat someone set on fire!

[casterway]

Put it this way. If you can buy an original Flying V, from the 50's, for $8000, you can resell it and buy a really nice house.

[Mark Davis]

A 58 V is worth a ton of $$ way more than a 57 LP.

Find out what the serial # is even 57-58 Les Paul Jrs are selling in the 8k range.

Flying V Electric Solidbody
Available: 1958 to 1963, 1981 to 1984
Collectibility Rating: 1958-1963: A+

1958 Flying V introduction specs:
Korina (African Limba wood) body, 2 humbucking P.A.F. pickups, 3 knobs in straight line, strings anchor thru body, V-shaped string anchor plate, white or black pickguard, body shoulders square at neck, all frets clear of the body, raised plastic logo, black ridge rubber strip on side of lower treble bout, triangular peghead with rounded top, gold plated parts, natural finish, brown almost retangular case with peghead side slightly narrower than butt side and pink case lining. Original stock only made in 1958. It is thought two batches of 40 instruments (80 total instruments) were made in 1958 only.

[ROADMAN]

get over there and ask him to let you play it...you'll never get another chance




1958-59 Gibson flying V 120,000 to 145, 000 smackaroos

[Telesavalis]

better ship it to me so I can determine if it's genuine or not.

[dantonel]

Originally Posted by Telesavalis

better ship it to me so I can determine if it's genuine or not.

(Don't do it, It's a Trap!!!)

[Lerb21]

Originally Posted by dantonel

(Don't do it, It's a Trap!!!)

[edhead]

Could it be a late 60's V?

Flying V


$8,000 would be about right for one of them, wouldn't it?

[Stuco]

First thing, tell him to tell his dad not to sell it until he finds out what it really is.

[jyates1959]

Hope you are able to see it!

[tboy]

Originally Posted by edhead

Could it be a late 60's V?

Flying V


$8,000 would be about right for one of them, wouldn't it?

Yeah. But there's a boatload of different V's out there. If it's from that initial second generation batch, like '66 to ~'73, it could be worth that. Most others are worth much less, 800 to 4K range.

But, seeing as he didn't even know it was a V, who knows. Do him a big favor and have a look. Could save a huge kick in the pants if it's actually one of the few 50's floating around. But even those cherry 60's models are very cool guitars.

[FMA]

One of my local stores -- a place that gets a lot of cool vintage stuff -- had a '59 Flying V. It had plugged Bigsby holes and was oversprayed. I stopped by the shop, just by chance, on the day he got it. It was beautiful. The guy at the shop, who had dealt a lot of very nice vintage pieces, was speechless. He just said, you have to see this and he opened the case and along with me, just gawked.

Still, the guy sold it. I'm not sure what he got for it, but he had it listed at $85,000.

So I guess what I'm saying is if that's an old V, get an appraisal. If one with some issues -- the Bigsby holes and overspray -- went to 85 grand, you can imagine what an original piece would get. Or maybe you can't. I can't wrap my brain around spending that much to buy a guitar.

[chet]

There was a great story in VG a couple of years ago about a guy who found someone who had both the Gibson Korina Explorer and Flying V guitars. He doesn't say what he paid for them but it was probably a fortune.