1989 Orville LP

Tokai Forum

Help Support Tokai Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

lps

Member
Joined
Dec 16, 2008
Messages
7
Reaction score
0
Hey guys, I've gotten the opportunity to buy a 1989 Orville By Gibson LP Standard, long tennon neck with 57 classics for $650. I was wondering if I could get some info on the guitars from that time and if they are comparable to gibson lp standards, thanks!

EDIT: the guy says that the guitar was stressed during shipping, enough to crack the nitro finish, but not fracture the wood. Says he will throw in 75 to get the part refinished, so guess that puts the guitar at 575?
http://img523.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc0528ox1.jpg
 
I wouldn't touch that guitar. The guitar was "stressed" in shipping??

That's a cute word for a cracked headstock - the finish cracked like that due to some kind of trauma to the wood underneath. Looks like it was dropped on end.
 
That looks too suspicious, IMO; looks like the finish has cracked off due to some type of damage to the underlying wood, as Marcus stated

IMO, I wouldn't risk messing with an example as that
 
I was talking to someone who said that they bought a OBG custom and it had the exact same issue, and it had in fact only been a finish crack, and not a headstock break...still worth checking out?
 
lps said:
I was talking to someone who said that they bought a OBG custom and it had the exact same issue, and it had in fact only been a finish crack, and not a headstock break...still worth checking out?

You can't polish a turd. I'd stay away from it.
 
Looks like the classic Gibson-type headstock fracture to me. OK, it might not be, but do you really want to take the risk? :eek: I wouldn't.

Mike
 
lps said:
Hey guys, I've gotten the opportunity to buy a 1989 Orville By Gibson LP Standard, long tennon neck with 57 classics for $650. I was wondering if I could get some info on the guitars from that time and if they are comparable to gibson lp standards, thanks!

EDIT: the guy says that the guitar was stressed during shipping, enough to crack the nitro finish, but not fracture the wood. Says he will throw in 75 to get the part refinished, so guess that puts the guitar at 575?
http://img523.imageshack.us/my.php?image=dsc0528ox1.jpg

The price says it all. He wants to sell it soon.
It doesn't look like it is just the finish and it doesn't really look like nitro.
 
Run away from this one - NOW! This is the downside of a mahogany neck w/no volute. I had a similar issue w/a Gibson ES330.
 
scooticus said:
Run away from this one - NOW! This is the downside of a mahogany neck w/no volute. I had a similar issue w/a Gibson ES330.

Buy a strat. Last gig I was at, my strap came off of the front horn mid song - headstock bounced off the floor to about knee height with an audible OOOOHHH from the audience.....strapped it back on and it wasn't even out of tune. :eek:
 
Yeah I have to agree with everyone else...I would stay away...

I have a genuine (LOL..that sounds strange) finish only crack in mine that runs maybe 2cm in the typical location. It looks nothing like that. Mine is as thin as a hair and it doesn't even penetrate all the layers of the finish.

Now I won't go as far as some others so far....from the picks it does look like the finish could have been chipped away around those areas....but like others have said...how did that happen? If your really interested in it take it to a luthier and have them check it out....Find out if it is a repair job or an honest finish chip/crack....would give you some good bargaining power...If the seller won't do that then obviously something is up.

As for ObG standards I would say that they are better in some ways and not as good in others compared to a Gibson factory USA.....I own a ObG standard and it sounds amazing. Not chambered...long tenon etc.....but new USA gibsons do have long tenons again and they do use a 1 pce honduran mahogany where as orvilles are multi piece african....so again pluses and minuses in my opinion. Where Orville's seem to excel is in their reputation for consistently great sound.

Basically I would (sight unseen of course) take an Orville over any gibson factory model.....but probably not custom shops...
 

Latest posts

Back
Top