How Much Is A 1954 Les Paul Body Worth?

It's worth the value assigned by any potential buyer because there is no absolutely no market for a mongrel guitar that happens to have a 1952 Les Paul body--if that story is true.

It may even be the best-playing guitar in the entire universe, but that doesn't put it remotely the same league as an all-original or near-original 1952 Les Paul.

Without an appraisal/authentication by a reputable vintage dealer, right now it's simply a guitar with a fantastical story (there are boatloads of those) and a Gibson logo on the headstock.

 

If you’re Brad Pitt, I’m Scooby Doo.

 

Now, I know a lot about vintage Gibsons, but nowhere near as much as I know about vintage Fenders, so interpret this as you will. The top carve looks kinda weird to me, it's very prominent/pronounced. Now, I have personally seen genuine 50's Les Pauls with pronounced top carves, and they do exist, but they're probably in the minority. The way the top carve was done back in the day at the kalamazoo factory was with this rotary-pantograph-mill thingy (that's the best way I can describe it), so they were somewhat consistent. What stands out to me more is the inlay. It doesn't really look like the old cellulose nitrate pearloid sheet material made by Mazzucchelli SpA. that Gibson used back in the 1950s. Another thing that stands out to me is the control cavity and switch cavity covers, they don't quite look original to me. Now I could be wrong, but to me, they don't have the "pucker" marks around the screw holes like most original 50s LP's do. It's important to point out, when I say pucker, I am not talking about shrinkage like cellulose nitrate guards do, but a rather a very subtle "contraction" around the screw holes, I don't exactly know what plastic Gibson used for the back covers, it's something I've been researching for a while now. Then there is the tuning machine ferrules. Assuming those are not replacement tuners, those should be the stepped lip ferrules, the kind seen on brands outside of fender. Is this a genuine 1952 Les Paul? I do not know. Ideally I could look at this thing up close and in person, but in lieu of that, I can only offer what I can from the pictures. What is more important, in my opinion, is whether or not it sounds like a good guitar.

 

Seems you didn't really read the OP. The only thing that is supposedly original is the body underneath the new paint job. The neck is a supposedly a replacement, as is every other part.

As I have said before in this thread, it doesn't matter whether it is actually a '52 body or not. It pretty much has zero effect on the value. "Authenticating" whatever there is left to be authenticated is a complete waste of energy. It's worth whatever a player thinks its musical value is worth. It has near zero collectible value.

 

It you’re scooby doo, I’m Ryan Reynolds.

Where are the back shots of the D28 ?

The Brazilian aspect of those guitars is as important as anything else.

The Schallers wipe so much of the 50’s off it . Period tuners are needed/not too hard to find.

 

Surely the back of tht Les Paul would show some signs wear?!

 

If you’re Ryan Reynolds, I’m a 1952’ Les Paul gold top.

 

Well, it being a '52 would at least offer some reasoning as to why all that work was done. A '52 LP has a trapeze tailpeice bridge thingy and a shallow neck angle so neck resets and bridge mods are fairly common on them.

 

The logo is worth 85 cents just as a laugh.

 

Yeah, isn't that like selling a Chibson?

The Gibson Custom Shop can make a neck with that logo, but is Moonstone authorized to do so? I think not.

 

I like the Martin a lot, though I don't have a clue what it's worth -- not as much as they're asking, it seems like, by quite a bit. If I got a chance to play that Gibson and it played and sounded as good as my LP Studio, I'd go a solid $799 on it. I'll sell you a fairy tale to go with it . . .

 

Imo, and it’s a non-professional opinion....if that Martin is a great player, it’s worth in the neighborhood of what he’s asking.

That LP isn’t worth anywhere close to $15k, probably not $8500.

Consider you have a Partscaster that has a legit 52 body and everything else is new stock, including a new finish. Would you pay anywhere close to a 50s Tele price? No way. And even that would be a bigger seller imo than the LP because if you gradually bought the age appropriate parts, you could easily turn it into a 1952 Telecaster. That LP is never going to turn into a legit 50s LP.

 

IIRC a '52 top would have a very pronounced, dished carve to it.

I wouldn't consider that guitar as anything but a music making tool. If I wanted something like that as a tool, I'd buy a Gibson.

 

Sorry to hear that. I wasn't suggesting suing him, or that it's not a quality neck, but I can't imagine a counterfeit guitar to be worth that much.

$1000 maybe, considering the body and the neck quality, $2000 only if someone's willing to pay that.

 

I'm not a guitar expert, but almost anything I've ever seen refinished or restored loses it's value. Even if it was all beat up it would be worth a lot more than a refinished one.

Ever watch the show "American Restoration"? I almost cry when someone brings in their grandpa's 1905 bicycle and Rick makes it look like "brand new"...for $7500.00 .

Then the grandson says "That's beautiful, it looks just like the day grandpa bought it!"

Rick smiles and says, "Yup, and we were right on budget, that'll be $7500."

 

And we've come full circle. Does this mean the guitar is real?

 

I wouldn't go near either of those guitars.