Help buying a Orville Custom

Tokai Forum

Help Support Tokai Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
Joined
Jan 4, 2008
Messages
20
Reaction score
0
I'm considering buying myself a black Orville Custom. I've huge plans for it. Install a 3rd pickup, and a Bigsby! :D
Gonna make it look like this!
http://www.woodbrass.com/images/woodbrass/LES+PAUL+CUSTOM+57+BIGSBY.JPG

So, which Orvilles am I suppose to look after? which years, and who are they suppose to be made of?

I've heard that Orville is the best option if you want a Les Paul Custom? Is that right?

I've found some on ebay's. Which of these would be the best choice?

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Orville-by-Gibson-LPC-MIJ-Black-Beauty_W0QQitemZ150207980122QQihZ005QQcategoryZ47072QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/FugiGen-Orville-x-Gibson-Les-Paul-Custom-MIJ-Vintage_W0QQitemZ180208468163QQihZ008QQcategoryZ47072QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Orville-Gibson-Black-MIJ-LPC-USA-PUs-Seymour-Duncan_W0QQitemZ150207363794QQihZ005QQcategoryZ47072QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Orville-Gibson-Les-Paul-Custom-Black-MIJ-by-Fujigen_W0QQitemZ150207350479QQihZ005QQcategoryZ47072QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
 
The best guitar out of those you have posted is the first one. Guitars with 'Orville by Gibson' on the headstock instead of just 'Orville' are generally better guitars. This is not always true though, there may be specific Orvilles that are excellent!
 
In my opinion Orville by Gibsons are better guitars than the current Gibsons, with the exception of the 'Historic' models.
 
Thanks for the replies!

It's very tempting to buy one of those, and install a 3rd pickup and a Bigsby.
Those are beautyfull!

226299.jpg


GibsonLPBlackBeauty3.jpg
 
Keep looking I'm sure one will come up before too long. Much easier & cheaper than fitting a 3rd pickup :D
 
I don't know much about Les Pauls, but I do know that routing the body of a guitar for an extra pickup is often not a good idea, and will nearly always reduce it's value. Even if it doesn't reduce the value, you won't get back the money you pay out to have the work done.

If you own a guitar that you love (maybe because the neck is perfect for you), & you know you are going to keep that guitar for the rest of your life (so you don't care about it's resale value) it just might be worth having major surgery done on it, if it will make you love it even more.

Apart from that situation, I don't think it's a good idea - better to wait for a 3 pickup model to come along, and buy that. Then, if you don't get on with it, you can sell it and (hopefully) get your money back.

However, it's your money and your decision....

Mike
 
I saw a 3 pickup Orville by Gibson the other day on Yahoo Japan.

http://page17.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/v41350631

and here is another

http://page5.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/auction/e72008222

There are only 3 pickup Orville by Gibsons and no Orvilles and they were mostly made around 1990.
I havn't seen many 3 pickup Orville by Gibsons on ebay and there doesn't seem to have been too many that were made.
 
another thing to consider ziggy just in case you may not have done so yet; go and play a 3 pickup Lester and see how you actually like playing one with a third pickup

I purchased a 3 pickup Burny RLC, which was a fantastic guitar :D
Only thing was, I was nearly always hitting the middle pickup with my pick, which was extremely annoying.

I eventually bought a 2 pickup Burny RLC as a replacement & sold the 3 pup model.

Just something to think about, in case you haven't alraedy done so..............
5LPs.jpg
 
I definitely agree with mijvintage on this point, even on 'superstrats' with 2 humbuckers and a single coil in the middle I find there isn't enough room if you are used to playing a 2 humbucker guitar, you need to adjust your playing style to suit.

They do look cool though :D
 
Is it me, or are those bound headstocks too big? Maybe it's my eyes, or the binding confusing me, but they just look too big. :eek:
 
The problem is that the only two guitar stores in this town only has ESP, Epiphone and other brands which is non interesting. Perhaps they have one Gibson LP Std in stock, but rarely. Never anything more expensive.
 
stratman323 said:
Is it me, or are those bound headstocks too big? Maybe it's my eyes, or the binding confusing me, but they just look too big. :eek:

The custom headstocks do look big, but that's how they are.
 
They ARE bigger than the Les Paul standard headstock, but I think you are right the binding makes them look bigger still.
 
Gibson Custom head stocks have always been wider than the Standards, and the Burnys mirror that as well

1/4 inch wider at the top, 1/4 inch wider at the waist, 3/8 inch wider at the bottom

Just another vintage feature that the lowly Burny models have correct, along with the end bound frets & more 8) ............................
 
Ziggy

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Greco-EG-600-Custom-Black-3PU-LP-MIJ-Guitar_W0QQitemZ220193344760QQihZ012QQcategoryZ33040QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Very fair price!!
 
Is that Greco chambered?

Here is another one:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=170163465954

Looks like it would not be 90's, but 84-86? The headstock and electronics?
 

Latest posts

Back
Top