I have been learning guitar for several years.  Although I took lessons when I was in my teens, it wasn’t until adulthood that I started getting serious about improving my chops.  I purchased a Fender Telecaster last year and have loved it, but now I feel like it is time to move up to a more sophisticated instrument.  I am wanting something that has a little different sound and better wood.  I will probably also go with a more colorful guitar, since my current one is off-white.  The more color I can find, the better!

My hope is to find a Gibson Les Paul - one of the most popular guitars ever made.  I had the opportunity to tour the Gibson plant in Tennessee a while back and was blown away by the amount of craftsmanship that goes into these guitars.  Even watching them paint the guitars was a methodical process.  It was very artistic and slow, party because a great deal of it was done manually.

The problem is that because of this high level of quality, the Les Pauls are very high priced.  Some models sell for several thousand dollars, which is probably not in most people’s budget.  Instead, I hope to just keep an eye out on Craigslist or auction sites and find one that is used - but still in nice condition.  I’m hoping this won’t prove to be a tough task.

The other big question every musician must face is whether or not to sell their first guitar or keep it as a backup.  If I am hoping to expand my sonic options by getting a new guitar, it seems like it would defeat some of the purpose to get rid of the original one.  While the extra cash might come in handy for the Gibson purchase, I think I would prefer to have the extra options afforded to me by having two very different electric guitars. 

I also did some research on low cost guitars and posted it here.  Learn Guitar
Maybe someone looking to get started in guitar playing will find it of use. 
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