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1988 Gibson Les Paul Showcase Edition


leok

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1988 Gibson Les Paul Showcase Edition in Silverburst. This is a limited edition guitar, one of 200, and has a certificate of authenticity to go with it. Everything is all original except for the truss rod cover which is a genuine Gibson cover if that matters. The guitar is really clean, especially considering the age. There is the slightest wear on the back, but no rash. On the front you can see two shallow impressions, I tried showing it in the pic. The silverburst hasn't yellowed all that much like older silverbursts usually do. 2050 shipped with a paypal eCheck or similar.

 

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I've been asked, and the more I look the more I wonder....

 

I thought there were 200 silverburst LPs in the Showcse Edition made. I saw a post on Gibson's forum that said.

 

"

 

The original Silverburst Les Paul is the Custom Silverburst from the 70's and 80's. I own a Custom Shop Silverburst Les Paul Standard (Showcase Edition) from 1988 (with ebony fretboard); 200 of these Showcase Edition guitars were produced and only about 20 (or even less) of them in the Silverburst color (month June). The back is all black with the original Silverburst paint on the top of the guitar; it also turned green over time.

 

"

 

So, does anyone actually know if there were 200 silverburst showcase editions made? Or if there were 200 total showcase editions made and that means there are about 8-10 editions out there? There is a guy selling a goldtop showcase ediiton up here now, I just want to know exactly how rare each is.

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There was a Les Paul Custom Lite Showcase Edition in 1988. It was a variation of the LPCL, which has a much thinner body with a tummy route. Of course, it is a Custom, so it has ebony fretboard, block inlays, split diamond inlay on the headstock, and multi-binding. The Showcase edition had black hardware instead of gold, a gold finish, and EMG instead of Gibson "circuitboard" pickups. These guitars are valued in the $2k range and 200 were purportedly made.

 

From what I can tell, yours is a normal Standard , but in silverburst finish and with black hardware/EMGs. Sort of the same vibe as the LPCL Limited in a Standard version. It's hard to know how to value yours, to be honest. The black hardware, EMGs, and silverburst finish are all love/hate things...

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That is correct, it is not a custom , just a showcase edition. From what I can tell there were 9 showcase editions, a few of the were 'custom' and the rest standard. I've seen the U2 strat, a 335, and 3 LPs, only the custom lite looked like a custom. I also never saw a 'custom' silverburst showcase edition, only the standard so I don't know if that quote is off base a little. Sounds like it.

 

But I can't tell if out of the 9 models, there were 200 of each or 200 total.

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I should be close to a trade for an LP custom, but I wanted to bump and say that the original owner got me the original truss rod cover, so now this guitar will be all original.

 

The only difference appearance wise is that the white on the truss rod cover won't be so bright. Just and FYI.

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Those are the original pickups in the showcase edition.

 

It's funny, I had some guy email me and say "I know for a FACT that EMGs were not put in any Gibson except the signature line. And also you say that the EMG 81/85 were stock but they weren't even created in 1988!"

 

All of which is easy to prove completely wrong on the internet. Point being, this one has thrown MANY people for a loop.

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I actually felt bad about paraphrasing, so here was the message I received.

 

"I do not believe the pickups are original, please email me the serial number to verify it with gibson, I know for a fact that gibson only EMG on signature series not on showcase models!

BESIDES you are saying your guitar is an 1988, well there was no emg 81/85 back then!"

 

Never mind the serial is on the freakin certificate very legibly. The only comfort I can offer him is that the showcase editions aren't very well documented.

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I actually own one of the Gibson Les Paul Custom Showcase Editions in metallic Ruby Red from March of 1988. I've researched the Showcase Editions about as thorough as possible and here's what I've learned:

 

1. There were actually 250 of each of the Showcase Editions made (200 for domestic and 50 for Japan).

 

2. In the Les Paul series Showcase Editions, they offered a Les Paul Custom Showcase Edition (Ruby Red metallic, EMG's, Black hardware), a Les Paul Custom Light Showcase Edition (Gold Top, EMG's, Black hardware), and a Gibson Les Paul Standard Showcase Edition ( Silverburst, EMG's, Ebony fretboard, and Black Hardware), which appears to be the item for sale in this thread.

 

3. These were not made in the custom shop, they were standard production.

 

4. All should be labeled with a yellow Showcase Edition ribbon on the back of the headstock.

 

Most of this info came directly from Gibson's Customer Relations division, but depending on who you get when you call, you could get completely conflicting info.

 

Some time ago, I owned one of the ES-335 Showcase Editions, which was a Vintage white, with beige binding, EMG's and all black hardware. An ES-335 loaded with EMG's was a strange beast indeed.

 

My Les Paul Custom Showcase Edition is far from light. It's probably a 10 lb'er, but it's an awesome guitar. I left the EMG in the bridge, but changed the neck pickup out to something milder, but they work together well. I can highly recommend these guitars. Hope this info helps!

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I have one , emg's have been replaced. I bought it brand new and said back then its a keeper. I still have it. I have a chambered sunburst les paul, it's a 07 standard and now play it because of the weight being chambered it weights right at 6 lbs

 

and my 91 telecaster plus w/ trem. probably 9-10 lbs , I might sell soon because I never play it.

 

would like a Gibson BFG with the tremelo, with a 60's neck and inlays in the neck and paint.

 

Make it hapen Gibson :thu:

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