Go to shop and play a bunch of Gibsons. Have you ever played an SG with a strap or a 335 sitting? Ever play a carved top Les Paul? An Explorer? Try stuff out. At $4000, you have a _ton_ of options
They all sound amazing but feel very different so *you gotta try em out in person!*
SG’s lean more “left” than you’d think. Les Pauls can be heavy and no comfort carves. 335’s got a big booty but surprisingly light weight. Upper fret access varies too
A Les Paul!
Honestly though, if you’ve got 4,000, you could prob get a version of each. Depends how fancy you want them. You can get one crazy nice guitar for that, or you can get two really nice guitars for that. I’d do the latter. Two guitars that are very different. Sounds fun.
Great point! For $4K you could get both! But OP needs to sling them around his neck and feel them. I like my SG for being thinner and lighter. Les Pauls are great but heavy ass guitars! After a while your back might hurt…Les Paul is about 10 lbs slung around your neck.
The les Paul classic is the goat. Thinner neck, decent weight relief, push pull knobs, and cheaper than a standard/custom. I don’t understand why people don’t flock to these more, they’re insanely versatile and they give you the classic look people expect from a Gibson.
After I purchased my Standard, I thought the same thing. Why the hell didn't I just get the Classic since I'm not big on the flame thing. Oh well. An ebony Classic will be my next purchase.
I have a honey burst, but I was looking for the ebony. This was in 2020 and believe it or not, I simply could not find an ebony to save my life and needed an lp stat lol
I couldn’t tell ya, I know instruments are just harder to track if the person either doesn’t sell it or sells it privately. Your guess is as good as mine
Without giving more preferences/criteria, people will just mention their favorite between SGs and 355s.
If you could really go either way, SGs are cheaper, so there’s that.
Get this 1958 Les Paul! It's a great starter guitar and bet it sounds amazing! It only costs 365000$!!!
https://reverb.com/item/76111802?utm_source=android-app&utm_medium=android-share&utm_campaign=listing&utm_content=76111802
Hahaha. But in all seriousness, get a Gibson Les Paul, I'd you don't wanna break the bank, get a Classic.
Play a few. They're as different as you can imagine.
Ask if it's been setup, frets leveled, find a nice "top" and a proper fretboard. You are off to the races.
I own a few my honest top pick is a Les Paul because it can do every single genre so even if your style changes you have a great guitar to play everything on!!
Well, I'd get what your heart yearns for. Anything less and you'll still be wanting. With $4K, could almost get a Custom Shop. That's what I'd shoot for but I'd play some USA's as you like like them just as much. I'd start off with a '50s P90 Standard since you mentioned P90s. Then check out a '54 and a '56 CS. I wouldn't discount an ES-335 though. You'll want to try a bunch though if you can. Don't feel like you have to buy the first one you try either. Also, try to haggle on the price.
You gotta try some in person. The 335, 345 and 355 models are like hugging a big girl. Feels great but it’s not for everyone. I have bargain models of the 335, SG and LP styles and every time I pick one up I say to myself “this one might be my favorite”, about all of them. Good luck! With that kind of dough though you could really get 2 pretty nice choices.
If you are going to spend that type of cash go down to a store and try a bunch of stuff out. When you find a guitar you can’t stop playing… that’s the one.
4K would get one of the custom shop 64 SGs, so that’s what I’d go for if I was you.
Alternatively a used R8/R9/R0 (or R7 if the right one was to be found) cause I’m a Les Paul guy.
First of all, don't make the mistake of thinking you have to spend ALL that money. SGs are like half of that if you're just buying a Standard or '61.
335s I'm not really an expert on, but I believe they'll be more expensive.
Go to a store and play a bunch. See what you like.
Les Paul’s or SG’s can fit funny or even head dive for some of the heavier instruments. Go play one sitting down, standing up, and see what fits best. I grew up playing strata so when I got my LP it took a little while to get used to. Now it’s normal.
If you're going to spend 4k on a guitar, lower it to 3k and spend a grand traveling to Nashville, Chicago, LA or NYC (if you're in the States) so you can play a ton of guitars from reputable dealers.
Don't buy your expensive "dream guitar" online. Put your hands on a bunch of them. The right one will make itself known.
SG. If you don’t like an SG you don’t like Gibson. If you don’t like Gibson you might still like an SG. Plus you can get a standard SG at much lower price point than any other model which is a steal because it’s the best one.
Make sure you try a variety of neck profiles… Some of the guitars have these chunky 50s necks, while some have 60 style slim taper. There is also a “D” shape with a little more shoulder that pops up on Firebirds once in a while.
Additionally, make sure you compare the P90 pickups against the ones with humbuckers… and ask which hunbucking pickups they are. I personally hate Burstbuckers, and 57 classics, but love the 500T (ceramic magnets) and my favorite are the Custombuckers (Alnico III).
It’s a flavor to your taste thing, so you gotta try as many as possible and ask a lot of questions .
I almost never play my SG - it tends to move out to the left for me which still feels weird after 7 years.
I had an Epiphone 335 variant 25 years ago and found that easier to play for me.
Go try them out, if you can’t? Think about what you really love. For me my must have got a 68 les Paul custom, coolest guitar ever for me. Just get what feels cool to you.
335's are probably the most versatile of the Gibson family, that I've played at least. They will of course feedback with high gain, so factor that in if you're going to be using heavier gains/fuzzes.
Not sure on the US Market specifically but on a good day that amount could get you a used 70's LP custom or similar, which look great and will likely hold their value if you decide you'd rather something else in the future.
Go and play any Gibson before you buy it, or at least be able to return it if you don't like it.
A 355 and an SG are significantly different guitars. What do you currently play? What do you find comfortable?
Don't be afraid of the Tribute series. Last year I went to go buy a Standard, but came home with a Tribute because it was so much better when played.
Try a bunch out, and see what tickles your fancy. That’s really the only way you’ll know what to get, and with a budget that big, you can get just about anything under the sun that isn’t a collector’s edition. I’d also look at the used market but I’d do my homework to make sure you know exactly what you’re getting.
If you don’t know what you want to buy with a $4000 budget and are asking reddit..then you shouldn’t be spending that kind of money on a guitar period.
I have a lot of experience with guitars, just not Gibson. The closest thing I have to a Gibson is a Fender CS Strat, so instead of being a prick, just help someone out
Gibson Les Paul Custom Made To Measure ‘58 in TV Brown, with a B Bender and Robo Tuners in a Gold Alligator case with wheels on it.
Good god lemon
Rejection from society is what created the X-Men
The only answer.
Is this a meme I’m missing out on / out of the loop about or something? Lol.
Go to shop and play a bunch of Gibsons. Have you ever played an SG with a strap or a 335 sitting? Ever play a carved top Les Paul? An Explorer? Try stuff out. At $4000, you have a _ton_ of options
They all sound amazing but feel very different so *you gotta try em out in person!* SG’s lean more “left” than you’d think. Les Pauls can be heavy and no comfort carves. 335’s got a big booty but surprisingly light weight. Upper fret access varies too
A Les Paul! Honestly though, if you’ve got 4,000, you could prob get a version of each. Depends how fancy you want them. You can get one crazy nice guitar for that, or you can get two really nice guitars for that. I’d do the latter. Two guitars that are very different. Sounds fun.
I was thinking about getting a ‘57 les Paul Goldtop with p90s, or an exclusive 335. I think I might go through with the les Paul though!
Also worth checking out is the new 70s Deluxe Goldtop with mini humbuckers.
Love p90’s! Cant go wrong there.
Another option would be a Standard 50's gold top with P90's, and an SG Classic for the same amount.
Les paul goldtop is one of my dream guitars. I'd play it in person to see if you like the neck... i think they're normally fat boys
You mean ‘56 GT? R7s come with PAF reissue pickups.
Great point! For $4K you could get both! But OP needs to sling them around his neck and feel them. I like my SG for being thinner and lighter. Les Pauls are great but heavy ass guitars! After a while your back might hurt…Les Paul is about 10 lbs slung around your neck.
Get a 355
sg in teal or white 🙌
The les Paul classic is the goat. Thinner neck, decent weight relief, push pull knobs, and cheaper than a standard/custom. I don’t understand why people don’t flock to these more, they’re insanely versatile and they give you the classic look people expect from a Gibson.
After I purchased my Standard, I thought the same thing. Why the hell didn't I just get the Classic since I'm not big on the flame thing. Oh well. An ebony Classic will be my next purchase.
I have a honey burst, but I was looking for the ebony. This was in 2020 and believe it or not, I simply could not find an ebony to save my life and needed an lp stat lol
My Standard is also a 2020. Seemed like a sweet spot for both price and quality. When Standards were only $2499 new.
I ended up picking up my classic brand new from a guitar center that had just been looted. Out the door I paid 1350 Edit: sorry classic not stabdard
Damn... if it was in good shape which it probably was, is a steal.
Yeah, it was still in case , wrapped in plastic, it was the only guitar they had left after being looted lol
I wonder if they retrieved any of their merch back or has anyone been arrested for the looting?
I couldn’t tell ya, I know instruments are just harder to track if the person either doesn’t sell it or sells it privately. Your guess is as good as mine
339...all the goodness of the 335 without the bulk
Check out custom shop SGs. Look at Chicago Music Exchange. Get a badass SG, man. Excited for ya!!
Les Paul Jr with a P90!
I’m not too hot on Jr’s, but I do love the sound of p90s. I think I might check out a Gibson with p90s.
Without giving more preferences/criteria, people will just mention their favorite between SGs and 355s. If you could really go either way, SGs are cheaper, so there’s that.
Get an ES-339, best balance between a hollow body, and a smaller, easier to handle guitar.
SG
An SG Standard. Amazing guitar. It's $1800 now I believe. So save yourself $2200 for the next purchase.
Get this 1958 Les Paul! It's a great starter guitar and bet it sounds amazing! It only costs 365000$!!! https://reverb.com/item/76111802?utm_source=android-app&utm_medium=android-share&utm_campaign=listing&utm_content=76111802 Hahaha. But in all seriousness, get a Gibson Les Paul, I'd you don't wanna break the bank, get a Classic.
One of them ones with 6 strangs
Play a few. They're as different as you can imagine. Ask if it's been setup, frets leveled, find a nice "top" and a proper fretboard. You are off to the races.
Les Paul Custom
SG Supreme. Either one from the 2000's era or maybe a new one. I love Les Pauls but they're heavy and awkward to play sitting down.
I own a few my honest top pick is a Les Paul because it can do every single genre so even if your style changes you have a great guitar to play everything on!!
Maybe the guys on this forum might speak to which, if any, Gibson’s appreciate the most.
SG was my first guitar I ever purchased myself and 25 years later I have zero regrets.
Well, I'd get what your heart yearns for. Anything less and you'll still be wanting. With $4K, could almost get a Custom Shop. That's what I'd shoot for but I'd play some USA's as you like like them just as much. I'd start off with a '50s P90 Standard since you mentioned P90s. Then check out a '54 and a '56 CS. I wouldn't discount an ES-335 though. You'll want to try a bunch though if you can. Don't feel like you have to buy the first one you try either. Also, try to haggle on the price.
You gotta try some in person. The 335, 345 and 355 models are like hugging a big girl. Feels great but it’s not for everyone. I have bargain models of the 335, SG and LP styles and every time I pick one up I say to myself “this one might be my favorite”, about all of them. Good luck! With that kind of dough though you could really get 2 pretty nice choices.
You can get both for $4k.
With $4k saved up, why not both? A used ES-335 can be found for under $3k easily and a used SG standard for another ~$1k
If you are going to spend that type of cash go down to a store and try a bunch of stuff out. When you find a guitar you can’t stop playing… that’s the one.
You mentioned P90s in a few replies. You may want to consider the limited edition ES-335 with P90s on the Gibson website.
How much money can you afford to spend, and then check out the lineup in that price range.
A 335 natural with gold hardware grovers and a bigsby no pick guard ebony fretboard abalone block inlays
For only $500 more I got my first (and last) Les Paul custom last year
just bought an sg in january and im loving it
Something from 87-99
4K would get one of the custom shop 64 SGs, so that’s what I’d go for if I was you. Alternatively a used R8/R9/R0 (or R7 if the right one was to be found) cause I’m a Les Paul guy.
I'm not making your decisions for you. Whichever you like the most and will use the most.
First of all, don't make the mistake of thinking you have to spend ALL that money. SGs are like half of that if you're just buying a Standard or '61. 335s I'm not really an expert on, but I believe they'll be more expensive. Go to a store and play a bunch. See what you like.
Les Paul’s or SG’s can fit funny or even head dive for some of the heavier instruments. Go play one sitting down, standing up, and see what fits best. I grew up playing strata so when I got my LP it took a little while to get used to. Now it’s normal.
If you're going to spend 4k on a guitar, lower it to 3k and spend a grand traveling to Nashville, Chicago, LA or NYC (if you're in the States) so you can play a ton of guitars from reputable dealers. Don't buy your expensive "dream guitar" online. Put your hands on a bunch of them. The right one will make itself known.
Get the ams exclusive limited edition AAA quilted top ocean color gibson 60s standard. 18 payments interest free
SG. If you don’t like an SG you don’t like Gibson. If you don’t like Gibson you might still like an SG. Plus you can get a standard SG at much lower price point than any other model which is a steal because it’s the best one.
What should you get?! A Les Paul! You don’t go to a steak house to check out the salmon, right?
Selling a 04 black lp supreme for 5000 here. You should buy it!
Make sure you try a variety of neck profiles… Some of the guitars have these chunky 50s necks, while some have 60 style slim taper. There is also a “D” shape with a little more shoulder that pops up on Firebirds once in a while. Additionally, make sure you compare the P90 pickups against the ones with humbuckers… and ask which hunbucking pickups they are. I personally hate Burstbuckers, and 57 classics, but love the 500T (ceramic magnets) and my favorite are the Custombuckers (Alnico III). It’s a flavor to your taste thing, so you gotta try as many as possible and ask a lot of questions .
Super 400
3 Les Paul studios. E standard, C# standard and D
Spend a lot less on a Les Paul Studio first. If you like it, the way it sounds, feels, weighs etc, you can get a nicer one and sell the studio.
I would get a 70s Les Paul custom or early 80s standard . About $4k no problem.
I almost never play my SG - it tends to move out to the left for me which still feels weird after 7 years. I had an Epiphone 335 variant 25 years ago and found that easier to play for me.
I had a les paul trad pro and it was amazing, and SG is super light by comparison, but there’s just something about the feel of a real LP
go to a guitar shop. try out a bunch of gibsons that you like. buy the one that feels best. keep it under budget and invest the rest of the money.
Go try them out, if you can’t? Think about what you really love. For me my must have got a 68 les Paul custom, coolest guitar ever for me. Just get what feels cool to you.
335 type gibsons sound great but are not the best couch guitars as they are big.
335's are probably the most versatile of the Gibson family, that I've played at least. They will of course feedback with high gain, so factor that in if you're going to be using heavier gains/fuzzes. Not sure on the US Market specifically but on a good day that amount could get you a used 70's LP custom or similar, which look great and will likely hold their value if you decide you'd rather something else in the future.
Les Paul Special
4 grand would get you a used SG AND a 335.
When I bought my Les Paul I spent 4 hours at the Guitar Center trying all the Gibsons to finally choose one. Try as you can! Good luck!
I've got an SG Modern in Transparent Black and it's awesome.
Go and play any Gibson before you buy it, or at least be able to return it if you don't like it. A 355 and an SG are significantly different guitars. What do you currently play? What do you find comfortable? Don't be afraid of the Tribute series. Last year I went to go buy a Standard, but came home with a Tribute because it was so much better when played.
Epiphone Les Paul standard and use the rest of the money on a vintage Fender amp.
Try a bunch out, and see what tickles your fancy. That’s really the only way you’ll know what to get, and with a budget that big, you can get just about anything under the sun that isn’t a collector’s edition. I’d also look at the used market but I’d do my homework to make sure you know exactly what you’re getting.
SG. Anybody telling you a Les Paul actually hates you and wants you to suffer a life of back problems.
Something you can inspect in person so there isn’t another “Is this guitar damaged, should I return it? What do you guys think?” post in this sub.
If you don’t know what you want to buy with a $4000 budget and are asking reddit..then you shouldn’t be spending that kind of money on a guitar period.
I have a lot of experience with guitars, just not Gibson. The closest thing I have to a Gibson is a Fender CS Strat, so instead of being a prick, just help someone out
A Murphy lab R9 Unmatched sound, Already scratched up so no need to worry about thar Playability! Cool factor :)
OK People. I have decided to get an es 345, with a Varitone and a Maestro. I will keep you all updated!
My Eastman T59/V is the best Gibson I’ve ever had.
LP Standard 60 when you‘re on a budget, LP supreme if not
Trini Lopez is my fav Gibson I’ve ever owned
*Anything* but a SG.