Les Paul Custom Silverburst 2012 or 2013

lns · Mar 14, 2019

This is my first post here
I’m considering a Silverburst that the seller say is from 2012
Can someone help me to decipher the meaning of a serial number on a Les Paul Custom? CS 301290

I think it may be a 2013 so it It’ll probably have a Richlite fretboard & 490R/498T pickups

A Richlite fingerboard - will it affect the price & ability of the guitar to keep its value as Gibson moves back to Ebony? The seller wants ~2500$ Fair? I’m in Europe BTW

SimonBarSinister · Mar 14, 2019

lns said:
This is my first post here
I’m considering a Silverburst that the seller say is from 2012
Can someone help me to decipher the meaning of a serial number on a Les Paul Custom? CS 301290

I think it may be a 2013 so it It’ll probably have a Richlite fretboard & 490R/498T pickups

A Richlite fingerboard - will it affect the price & ability of the guitar to keep its value as Gibson moves back to Ebony? The seller wants ~2500$ Fair? I’m in Europe BTW

That is a 2013 serial... I have a 2012 and either way they will have Richlite. Honestly, I have several Ebony LPCs as well as this Richlite one. Its fine. Sounds great , plays great...

If you like the guitar buy it...

Never think of a CS guitar in terms of investment (unless it is a very special and limited run). I would point out that that price is closing in on what a pre 2011 would cost with an ebony fretboard....

Good Luck

lns · Mar 14, 2019

SimonBarSinister said:
That is a 2013 serial... I have a 2012 and either way they will have Richlite. Honestly, I have several Ebony LPCs as well as this Richlite one. Its fine. Sounds great , plays great...

If you like the guitar buy it...

Never think of a CS guitar in terms of investment (unless it is a very special and limited run). I would point out that that price is closing in on what a pre 2011 would cost with an ebony fretboard....

Good Luck

Ok, yes there is a black LPC from 1999 available too & it will have Ebony & that seller wants 2600$. The Silverburst is more rare though, especially in Europe.

you think I should try & lower the price because of the Richlite? I know it’s not an investment, it’s just a nice bonus with Gibson Customs that they will keep most of its value

Tim Plains · Mar 15, 2019

You should try haggling (can't hurt) but $2,500 is a fair price for a Custom regardless of what year it was made.

El Gringo · Mar 15, 2019

If you have a concern about the silverburst keeping it's value then by all means get the Ebony Les Paul Custom with the Ebony board for a $100 bucks more .

lns · Mar 15, 2019

Thank's a lot for your opinions.
It turns out the back of the silverbursts neck is "matted" / "satined" or however you say it in english - someone has roughen up the lacquer to get a satin feel. It's professionally done & Im waiting for photos, but still

How much of the price would be affected by such a mod do you think?

El Gringo · Mar 15, 2019

lns said:
Thank's a lot for your opinions.
It turns out the back of the silverbursts neck is "matted" / "satined" or however you say it in english - someone has roughen up the lacquer to get a satin feel. It's professionally done & Im waiting for photos, but still

How much of the price would be affected by such a mod do you think?

I am not well versed in price or value but if it were me I would go with the Ebony fingerboard and smooth neck and not the roughed up neck with richlite fingerboard .

lns · Mar 15, 2019

El Gringo said:
I am not well versed in price or value but if it were me I would go with the Ebony fingerboard and smooth neck and not the roughed up neck with richlite fingerboard .

Even with a reduced price? I messed up the conversion calculation; the ‘99 Ebony LPC is 2800 & the ‘13 Silverburst is 2700 asking price but I may be able to lower it a few hundred to 2160-2200.

Pro Silverburst;
My favorite LPC finish together with alpine white
Price

Con;
Matte back of the neck (looks to be professionally done & I prefer a satin feel for playing)
Richlite FB
May be more difficult to get my invested money back if I ever sell it?

Pro Ebony;
Ebony FB
Will be a safer buy if I ever sell

con;
Not as aesthetically pleasing IMHO

Thunder Dump · Mar 16, 2019

SimonBarSinister said:
That is a 2013 serial... I have a 2012 and either way they will have Richlite

Not true. The last full year for ebony fretboards was 2011. Gibson says the last Custom with ebony has serial #CS200599, so there are a handful of 2012 Customs with ebony. Remember CS serial numbers are sequential so that doesn't mean there are 599 Customs with ebony. It means any Custom that was one of the first 599 guitars made in 2012 will have an ebony board.

lns · Mar 16, 2019

Thunder Dump said:
Not true. The last full year for ebony fretboards was 2011. Gibson says the last Custom with ebony has serial #CS200599, so there are a handful of 2012 Customs with ebony. Remember CS serial numbers are sequential so that doesn't mean there are 599 Customs with ebony. It means any Custom that was one of the first 599 guitars made in 2012 will have an ebony board.

So the #CS200599 doesn’t mean it’s the 599th guitar made in Nashville in 2012?

SimonBarSinister · Mar 16, 2019

lns said:
So the #CS200599 doesn’t mean it’s the 599th guitar made in Nashville in 2012?

That is what it should be...

I had seen that post years ago on myLPF about the last Gibson LP with Ebony etc but I have never or seen or heard that from Gibson. Since they generally don't discuss Serial Numbers I would like to see that stated from Gibson.

I will say I have NEVER seen a 2012 Ebony Custom and I looked when I was buying a silverburst...

The answer I received from Gibson and every dealer I use was that there were no more Ebony in 2012...

So maybe they are out there but I couldn't find one and I really looked...

lns · Mar 17, 2019

Here she is,

59shredandburn · Mar 17, 2019

Very nice I love the silver bursts now go play the heck out of it !

lns · Mar 18, 2019

Just polished her with some Dunlop 65 & removed lots of sticky grease from the richlite fretboard - the previous owners guitar tech seem to have applied lemon oil. Strung her up with 10’s in E standard, applied some nut sauce & raised the tailpiece to clear the high e from touching the backwards ABR bridge (don’t want to bother flipping the saddles now) & am adjusting the intonation & truss rod - plays & sounds fantastic

how can I tell what pickups it has? The 57 classics have the same pole pieces as the 498t/490r

this is the first time I have seen a Les Paul Custom in person

Les Paul Custom Silverburst 2012 or 2013

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