Price watch (95): BFG edition

Pic: Sweetwater

Greetings, folks. This is not another issue for contention but an attempt to understand the after-market climate & it's price related. I'm sure you've come across the Gibson Les Paul BFG before. It's that bare-bones LP which received a generous number of plaudits & disdain, depending on which camp you are from. The LP BFG used to be available at Swee Lee & listed for $1.5K +/- before further iterations were made available along the way with the accompanying price variations. 

I cam across a couple of BFG listings in the after-market recently which offered food for thought when it comes to pricing discontinued products. The first listing depicted above shows a $1K asking price. I personally find this a fair proposition as the guitar is in a well-played condition & it comes with a hard case of similar condition.

The other listing is a little confusing (it depicted other BFG models) & the asking price is way more. There is no way to assess if this figure is a deserving asking price for the guitar as no actual pictures were included (maybe seller can provide to you personally upon request). 

How much does a BFG go for these days? The politically correct answer is - it depends on demand & supply forces. Do we peg the price according to after-market listings which are not from this country (I currently know of one store here listing their pre-owned products using this formula)? No because the demand-supply conditions are different there compared to local circumstances which I believe is fair application here. So it all boils down to value perception; the seller lists the guitar for that amount which he thinks is deserving. We need not agree to the amount because our perception of value is different as a buyer. 

Of course, there's this arguably false consideration that all discontinued products should command a hefty price tag due to its scarcity. Then again, we need to return to the demand-supply understanding; the final price of the guitar is what had been agreed by both the buyer (demand) & seller (supply) & not a virtual strict adherence to scarcity.  

BFG 2018

If you recall, this was the initial incarnation of the LP BFG Gibson did back in 2007/ 2008. Oh yes, I bought one. Love the fact that the bare finish added much to clarity & the hum-P-90 combo was what I was looking for at the time of purchase.

Wasn't aware they did a 2018 version of the BFG. 

Both P-90/ humbucking versions are offered so there's no hybrid combo this time. Also, no wooden knobs, no kill switch, no Grover tuners & the fretboard is granadillo. Those humbuckers there are labelled as open coil humbuckers which would fetch very little in the after-market. Oh, it's only offered in black. 

Single cutting the NYE

It's the final day of 2015. Many of us are heading home after a half day at work, some of us aren't even at work. Hopefully all of us are in the mood to celebrate. I'm spending time with 2 singlecut guitars, the first of which is the above Gibson Les Paul BFG. I didn't immediately buy the BFG when it debuted in 2007. The first batch of them were all snapped up at Swee Lee & I didn't even bat an eyelid for a simple reason- I'm not a Les Paul fan. However, a year or so later, the guitar was listing for a promotional price, rightfully so because almost everyone who bought the guitar deemed it a let down of sorts due to severe corner cutting, the finish in particular. There was a chunk of top wood missing at the treble side just above the neck pickup. Many traditionalists find the finish appalling as they were used to the finished feel of the other models.

I bought it for its finish; I'm more at home with a lacquerless feel & the lighter weight means the instrument would give a little bit more manifestation in the upper frequencies. I'm not looking for a bottom end boom with this guitar, definitely not. As I wasn't a fan of Gibson pickups in general (still not), the bridge position now features a Seymour Duncan C5.

The other singlecut on my play list today is this PRS SE 245. It's the opposite of what the BFG offers; a rather heavy guitar which was finished from one end to the other. It's also the first generation of SEs to be manufactured in Indonesia. I thought since it was an SE version, it should be in the same league as the Squiers & Epiphones out there but I had a hard time treating it as a lesser brand name because it was above expectations in many aspects; playability, tone & QC in particular. The manufacturer had made it a point to differentiate the SEs from its American siblings so I'm here to tell you that it's never in the shadows of the upper tier counterparts. Awesome value for money!

Aid

This is how I prevent myself from grabbing the wrong knob at the wrong time. Sometimes we need such minor help to make our guitar playing time more meaningful but the thing that prevents us from doing so is the concern that we might be desecrating the authenticity of our instruments. I'd rather live with my preferred features in my instruments than become a bumbling fool when it matters most.

Re-string: Gibson LP BFG

I had some time yesterday prior to the lunch out, gave my BFG a re-string. I consider this an LPJ predecessor. Assuming you understand what the LPJ has to offer in terms of instrument finish, the BFG was everything LPJ is now. But I believe you won't buy the BFG based on the following accounts...

There wasn't a particular high standard when it comes to wood quality. The pocked marked wood surface seen above & jagged edges were acceptable.

Frayed joint edges were also acceptable. There were many 'hairy' instances on this guitar which would induce a splinter episode if you aren't too careful with handling.

Seriously, 'missing' bits from the flame top. 

However, the LPJ of today are way ahead in terms of the physical respect of the guitar. What you see here in the BFG are absent in the LPJ. It seems that there is this realization that people are not agreeable with quasi-trash, regardless of the revered brand name. But the BFG was conceived to manifest such raw manifestation which many players failed to understand & embrace. I bought one knowing all this was part of the 'package' but more importantly, it's my first exposure to a gloss-free Gibson neck & I some how liked it (still liking it) better than the traditional lacquered Gibson neck. Also, the sharper, more defined overall tone won me over.

GIbaon: Les Paul BFG Gator

This is a recent addition to the Gibson Les Paul BFG manifestation- the Gator. Anything special to look out for? Zilch. The 'Gator' reference is the reptilian hue you see above, the manufacturer stated that the scale-like carvings on the guitar's top gave the guitar its identity. If I refinish my current BFG to look like the one above, I might be able to own a Gator without actually having to purchase one. But no such intentions in the mean time.

Hey, dad! (Part 43)

Hey, dad! I've got my shades on & rocking out with your BFG. I'm doing great, don't you worry 'bout a thing!

Big Friendly Screamer

It's been an OK week for me, got a new bass- happy. The Cort X-3 was a reality check or a reminder rather, that lighter guitars aren't bad-sounding. Speaking of which, I had been playing my LP BFG here for the last 2 days, the lightest of all my LPs, coupled with my Ibanez TS9B.

The BFG was repulsive to many traditional LP fans but not with me; I'm one of the estranged players who prefer a satin finished instrument & the lighter (chambered) body ensures much clarity for my needs; not quite the forte of LPs in this consideration. The TS9B sounds appealing with the BFG but I didn't use it as a stand-alone drive source, just a booster for my Marshall's rage. It somehow complemented the guitar's bright character. The value of good tone definitely adds on to one's playability, psychologically or otherwise. I'm not an LP fan but given the right set up, it's a joy to play. But I always frown upon the need to stretch my digits at the upper frets & this hampers fast fretting.

The vacant helper

I've been excessively critical when it comes to an unmarked fretboard. However, over time, if one is familiar with one's instruments, the hand moves without visual assistance. Last night, I was messing around with scales, particularly combining them to manifest some chromatic havoc, in terms of positional organization, the blank fretboard helps a lot. I'm actually thankful my LP BFG sports such a feature.

BFG- another return

We'd all thought the Gibson Les Paul BFG had seen its demise a few years ago only to be revived as a Gary Moore version & subsequently the Zakk Wylde incarnation. This year, the Gibson people put a simple whammy bridge in lieu of its tune-o-matic original. This gets my vote as the type of change or technical tinkering in offering us variety for our considerations. Aside from the Epiphone LPs, there isn't an off-the-shelf Gibson model which sports a variant bridge. I'd give this a thumbs-up as opposed to whatever technological revamp Gibson is doing to their Firebird model.

OK, it's dinner time.