Jeez... You reminded me of my best friend. He's prone to overthinking things like this, spiraling out of control. Just sell the damn thing, it's already costing you way too much time questioning yourself. Enjoy life. Gear comes and goes.

Mr. John Nathan Cordy, guitarist Rob Harris (Jamiroquai) mentioned you in his video. He said that he watches you to learn more on soloing. You da man! I have a Tokai LP that is marvelous but I'm not a great player. Nonetheless, it is a great guitar.

Your volume and quality of videos is outstanding. Thank you for doing what you do, without ego and being condescending.

I have the same relationship with my Les Paul too. Sometimes I hate it and sometimes I love it. I think some of it has to do with how different LPs feel and sound from other guitars. Especially the one I have. Your brain is burned into playing the other ones and coming back to an LP feels frustrating. But when it works, it just works.

You're my favorite guitarist and that Gibson Les Paul is my favorite guitar that I like to hear you play. You make some beautiful tones come out of that guitar. I can't stress this enough, you are way way better than a wedding band guitarist. I think you should be doing studio work like Tim Wright or you should be doing like a three-piece band where you play guitar like Matteo Mancuso.

I think you said it in the last sentence.. A Good setup transforms a mediocre guitar to the top !!

Disagree with Uncle Larry, sentimental value is VERY LEGIT! And guitars are instruments NOT just tools! Sentimental value is the only reason to ever keep a guitar! Every other guitar was just a rental anyway. Especially the expensive vintage guitars that are passed through Toms hands. Robert Baker just posted a video were Bukovac shows the boat anchor 70s Les Paul he did keep. Because of its sentimental value !

Thanks for sharing that bridge wrapping trick. The concept is brilliant, decreasing the angle at the bridge reduces stress and string breakage there, and (unless your abusing that area with your right hand), tuning stability. I can't wait to try restring one of mine like it in the morning!

My criteria for sell is a continuation of why buy a certain guitar. Does it still inspire me? Does it feel/sound right. Have I "bonded" with it in some substantial way? I had a Mexican Tele that I bought in the 90s, around the same time I bought a Washburn Bt-8. The Tele never meshed with me, after years of tweaking. So it was sold. The Washburn is still around. It played so well when I first got it, and still does. I changed pickups and it became more inspiring. I recently added a tremolo, and it sit next to my chair as my quick practice and noodling guitar. You just don't know how it's going to work out.

I actually needed to see this today. I have a guitar that I bought based on how it looked but I never play it. I just don't enjoy playing it. I have an opportunity to trade it for one that I really like. This helped me to decide.

ha, funny. It was me that asked about the 'sentimental guitar and when to move on' Q, and you're also making a video regarding it John. XD TBh, much appreciated since I need as many opinions on this this one. So yea, the reason why I asked that Q to Keith was, I pretty much have a similar story with you on one of my LPs. It's an early Korean made "Open book" Epiphone that's got the same birth Yr/Month as me; so pretty sentimental/special in that regards. It's a good guitar but with the down falls it has (specially on the neck profile and feel) I'm always torn on whether I should sell it or not. Great to hear a similar story and has me thinking on probably keeping it for a bit :D

John fwiw, i was listening to (not watching) the intro jam and the first time i lifted my head to look at the screen was as soon as you hit the first notes with the LP. You’ve had me looking at K-Lines on and off for years now but that LP really does suit you. If you sell it you know you’ll eventually just be looking for another one right!

On this one , the Gibson you can see that your feeling and enjoying what’s coming out of it, and it does sound pretty amazing, tough choice, if you don’t need the money and it’s paid for, what’s the rush, you definitely played with feeling and passion, great video as always, and great playing, thank you for what you keep putting out there for us to watch and learn

Yup - been there. I've been in love with the idea of owning a LP forever - finally found one I liked the feel of. Bought it new in 2016 - a standard in Desert Burst, and it hung on my wall for about 4 years...I barely played it. I think it was partly the weight and partly the cost I associated with it - I was treating it like a valuable artifact I didn't want to damage rather than a guitar to play and enjoy. That's weird because I have 2 other guitars that cost around the same (a PRS and an Ibanez) and I don't feel that way about those. My only regret in selling it is that if I had waited a few years I could have sold it for a lot more than I did! Last year I bought a used LP Studio off ebay for almost a third of the price of the Standard and it has become my main guitar. Love the sound, love the weight, love the whole vibe and I'm not afraid to ding it. I don't think I'd buy another Standard.

I think a lot of guitar players go through this exact same thing.. and I did this with a McCarty 594 just last year.. I almost stripped the finish off the neck until I changed the pickups.. brought some new life to the guitar, but… I do find when I’m on the fence like this and sell it, I never regret it. I think the idea of having the guitar takes over the logic of letting it go. Just my thoughts 💭

Use the money from the one you sell to buy a better one? 😂🤣

I understand the quandary. My old 89 LP plays so well. There are plenty of battle scars (including a crack in the laquer from an old headstock break) which will bring its value down unjustifiably low. I've resigned myself to never letting it go because I'll never be able to replace it pound for pound with something equally as good and I always need a Gibson in my life

I recently sold some guitars because I realized that I was not playing them. I had a Taylor T5Z that I kept going back and forth on. One day I would like it and then other day I would remember why I barely played it. I ended up selling it and right afterwards I wondered if I did the right thing. But I held onto the money for a little while so I could get something I knew fit me way better. It honestly felt good not having to think about a guitar I had that I did not want to play.

I'm convinced you are reading my mind with this video and the Les Paul vs Sire. I've been thinking about selling my Gibson for some time now, because of the same reasons. Sometimes the neck is sticky, sometimes not, the pots are faulty and I should change them, it's heavy, but it looks cool and says Gibsons

As soon as you want to- there are always new guitar experiences that are awesome

Only guitar I regret selling was an Epiphone 335 dot. I wasn’t playing it much but now I really miss it. If you don’t need the cash I’d hang onto the Les Paul. I have Les Paul Standard Plus from around 1989 and go through phases of not playing it much, but I do love it and recently I’ve been back to it a lot more. I’d never sell it unless I was desperate for cash. Great intro/outro as usual.

Yes! The same thing happened to me with a Gibson Les Paul Standard 50s which looked the part also. I kept it for 11 years and never really bonded with it although I kept trying to convince myself that I liked it (probably because it said “Gibson” on the headstock)... strange. I ended up selling it and never looked back. However, a bit more than a year ago, I ended up buying another Gibson... a Les Paul Standard 60s Faded, after playing it for a while in the store. I just loved everything about it... very strange indeed. The neck of the Faded version has more of a satin feel, so it is a lot less sticky and the sound (to me) is much much better than the 50s I owned before. I concluded that you really need to try before you buy... especially Gibsons for some reasons.

Interesting video... I have sold many guitars during my lifetime, some I haven't regretted at all & some I really do regret. The ones I sold without regret were the ones that I just didn't gel with. The ones I do regret have mainly been down to money issues & 1 in particular I do keep a look for. If I ever do see it up for sale I would move heaven & earth to buy it back. Nowadays, I'm better with my money & the instruments I have aren't for sale. Having said that, there are a couple I will keep for life, there are others that I will keep unless I can replace it with a better example, such as my 1990 Les Paul standard. It's really heavy, has that heritage "clown" burst finish & a plain top. If I found something lighter, with a more traditional cherry or vintage tea burst that I like, then I would possibly be willing to let my current standard go. But, I have had my standard for a long time now & would probably have to find something very special to replace it with. I hope you make the right choice with your guitar @John Nathan Cordy

I have two Les pauls I’ve never really connected with, but I love being the owner of them. Early Al Di Meola, Jimmy Page and Slash made me fall in love with the LP style guitar. I’m really not a rock guy and now that I’m older, I prefer 335s. I have copies but not a genuine Gibson 335. Everyday I think to myself I should sell all these guitars I really don’t want for THE guitar I truly want…. Maybe one day.

Love the Prestige reference. So true.

Hi John, been well over a year since I commented on any of your videos. Now I'll be 66 in just over a month, I own 20, 6 string guitars, two 4 string bass, 6 guitar processors, two custom guitar rigs, pa style, and a couple of amplifiers. Obviously you are much younger than me, and btw, you have a beautiful child. You need to look at this in a different light. I have three guitars I will never sell. My 74 strat, one owner me. A 1972 Ibanez lawsuit Les Paul that is just amazing, and a 73 Ibanez lawsuit Rickenbaker 4001 bass, that is also amazing. Then there are 3 other guitars that I take great joy in playing but to the right person for the right price I would sell. The rest were impulse buys that became projects to make them better than they were. I am basically a self taught Luthier. Decide which guitars you own that bring you the most joy playing and have an emotional investment in. The rest, I am sure were curiosity, or maybe impulse purchases and those are the ones that you can part with. You know which guitars have that just feel right when you're playing them, the rest, can contribute to any further purchases of whatever. On a side note. My first guitar processor was the Roland GP8, still have it, it's in mint condition. I haven't played in to a normal tube amp since 2003, and will never go back. And yes, still loving my GT 1000. Oh, and never look back, no regrets, life is like time, always moves forward.

I sold a PRS SE Santana recently as no longer played it. Others I prefered so this was my reason. Others I have sold are as an upgrade so no regrets as no longer have a place even though not bad guitars.

I have exactly the same thing with a 91 Les Paul Std. Sometimes I love it. Sometimes I think about selling it but worry about not being able to find something similar again at sensible £

Sorry to be long winded but this is an area I’ve thought a lot about: I was also ok with selling the ‘57 AVRI because I had (and still have) a Music Man Silhouette Special which I liked better in all aspects. While it doesn’t have the Fender appeal, it’s a wonderful guitar. Only reason I ended up with the CS is I missed the SSS config. Not because I wanted a Fender Strat. Silo Special is HSS and the Sadowsky is HSH. The name is only as good as the product that’s in your hands. Any time I’ve needed the money, for any reason, I’ve been ok with selling a guitar or piece of gear.

To be honest - I like the sound of this as heard though YT slightly better than your other vids.

The prestige is a fookin' great movie :D

Well Jonny lad, here’s my thinking after four decades of Les Paul’s and Strats, I have both and fully intend to stay that way. They are very different tools and I don’t use the Les Paul for things that I think are best done on a Strat and vice versa. By doing this, I’ve mostly avoided the conflict that you brought up in this video. If anything, playing one always makes me appreciate the traits of its counterpart.

A Gibson Les Paul that looks great and sounds killer checks 2 big boxes. If it can be made to inspire more consistently - via setup, string gauges or sanding/treating the back of the neck - pretty much all the boxes are checked and personally, I’d keep it. The other main consideration is can you afford it (?) I can’t answer that. Suggest doing some more set up tweaks and talk to someone about sanding or refinishing the neck back so you love it more. Robben Ford sometimes has the back of a guitar’s neck shaved to a carve he prefers, also removes finish I believe. When the guitar is the way you want it, give it 30 days before making a decision to keep or sell. The sound of a good Les Paul style is unique thing and a great sonic tool to have available. Whether it’s this Gibson or a knock off.

This LP sounds better than your other LP type guitars. It will hold its value when you actually have to sell for money reasons. If space is an issue sell your low end stuff and keep the high end. I have wasted a lot of time and energy trying on buying and selling

What did you play trough in the end with the LP? Sounded really nice!

John, today's opening jam was particularly tasty! Don't have much to add on the Gibson dilemma except to add if you are asking the question, you probably have the answer. But forget being sponsored by Truefire... you should be teaching courses for Truefire! I would love to learn one of your jams from beginning to end. Should I start an online petition to encourage Truefire to hire you?!

You have a Love Hate relationship with Gibson mate, but it's like that with all of us. There is no perfect Gibson, it has too many glued parts to ever be perfect, even if you manage to perfect it, it will always try to step out. 😉

I only own 5 electrics. I’ve bought and sold to finally get to the stage where I have really good examples of the big 4: 335, Les Paul, Tele and a strat. I then have a relatively cheap PRS DGT which is my main gigging guitar. Won’t sell any of them even if I don’t use them except for recording due to the emotional connections to each of them, but equally I don’t need any others.

I too have a similar love/hate thing going on with my 2019 SG "Batwing". Was never really thrilled with the sound coming from the OEM P90s so I decided to replace them. That in itself did help to inspire me to wanna play the guitar more than ever before but here's still a problem though. I'd recently bought a PRS SE CE24 and that instrument has taken over by 100% of the time of what I go to. I have other guitars in my collection too don't get me wrong. I guess the question that I keep asking myself is why is it that I tend to scrutinize the "Gibson" more so than all the others even if there is one that is a lesser favorite overall? Might it have to do with the price I had paid and the expectations therefore become significantly much higher? Or is it a subconscious thing?

Since l sold all but one and RE-starting l picked a theme- turquoise or flame maple top brown/orangey burst- l’ve stuck to that my last 4 guitars. I never want to sell them because l’ve made it personal BEFORE l purchased. I really dig yhose colors and it’s made me enjoy those guitars so much more- it’s my “collection”!

Do the Tokai Love Rocks you've played compare favorably to the Gibson or the Sire?

I'm having the same quandary with a Gibson SG that I bought mail order without playing. I had an SG that I bought when I was 16 and loved it but parted with it for a vintage LP Junior in the 70's. It had a Bigsby so I thought I'd love the SG 61 reissue (no trem). Can't bond with it, can't stand it, and it wants to be headstock down to the floor. But I'm hesitating trying to find a strap that will hold it up straight thinking that is the bonding problem. Trouble is I've got about 30 straps and so far nothing works.😝 I may start selling straps though.

I put my first guitar outside my front door with no strings on and it was gone the next day. Dad refashioned the smashed headstock with araldite. It had it's top taken off for repair and it looked like frankensteins monster. Ah the 12 string EKO that detuned perfectly overnight from E to Eb.

I had the same situation with my Suhr classic pro. Some days I loved it and others I hated it. I sold it during a period when I hated it and now years later I regret it. The problem wasn’t the guitar, the problem was me. How we engage with a guitar changes from day to day, week to week. I feel if you are on the fence you should put it away for a few months and see in the future if it can’t inspire you again. If not, then sell it.

When it sits in the case and i don't feel the desire to pull it out....or simply forget that it exists. And besides....your PRSs sound better.

Be interested to know how that Japanese Les Paul shaped thing compares to this Gibson. Maybe a nice old Tokai/Greco instead. Or, completely the other direction, a PRS 594?

A good test is - how much mental friction will I eliminate from my musical life if I just sell this guitar? I’ve definitely regretted selling guitars, but I’ve never regretted selling the ones that gave me more reasons to second guess myself or my musical direction. I’ve only ever regretted selling when I liked the guitar but convinced myself I could “trade up” for something “better.” It’s only a good guitar for you if it’s a reliable conduit for _your_ creativity.

It’s subtle but I think that guitar sounds great!

You could sell it and use the cash to try a used PRS Vela or CE24 and have a mortage payment or two left in your pocket.

I’m in a very similar situation with a Godin Icon Type 2 currently. It’s great sometimes. Other times it’s uninspiring.

Just so you know....still have the '96. I'm sorta in that space... Any way you can tighten it up...(the pick-ups sound killer)...

For me, because I'm not really a LP guy I have this feeling if I sell my LP I'll never spend the money to get one again, and because of the classic allure I feel like I'll at some point want something to scratch that itch. So I'm constantly thinking about selling it to get something that's more me and talking myself out of it. Have you ever tried an HH strat like the Fender Big Apple? I've sometimes wondered if that was more the ticket for me.

I sold a primo 1969 Martin D-18 to afford a beautiful classical guitar. No regrets. Years later I found a Martin OM-21 which more than made up for the D-18. Sold a beautiful ‘57 AVRI Strat to partially fund my Sadowsky S style . No regrets. Ended up with a ‘62/‘63 CS Strat. More than made up for the ‘57. We can always find another. One of my techs is less than enamored with the post Kalamazoo Gibsons. Tennessee climate is much different than Michigan. And they dropped some great craftspeople when they bolted. I’ve got a ‘69 LP that I’ll never sell. My first good electric. $300 used in ‘72. It’s modded, so forget resale. But it still plays like a great LP, sounds incredible, and stays in tune.

I sold both my (quite decent) Les Paul copies and never looked back. A Yamaha AES620L now scratches the LP itch but it feels very different to the Les Pauls and doesnt weight as much. When to sell without regret? Marie Kondo - when it gives you no joy.

''Well I might not need that expensive guitar anyways...'' Such a dad thing to say.

Last year I bought a Eastman SB59. Amazing instrument. Top notch quality. It cost quite a few, not an entry level instrument. Still, when I pack for a gig I don't think bringing her with me 'cause I'm afraid to be the one who plays the Chinese version of a Gibson. Are we sick or something?

I sold last year through Bath Rare & Vintage, 2 custom shop starts, Gibson LP HP, Gibson Howard Roberts and not regretted it. I now own a Mexican strat ( set up and new pickups by Monty's ) and a USA tele which always inspires. Now looking at the Larry Carlton T7 FM. Alternative instrument brands are far better value than the traditional dinosaurs at out of reach prices. I don't think I will purchase another Fender or Gibson again. For years we have been brainwashed to believe they are the best!

I find selling guitars very tedious: for a start buyers expect a hell of a lot for not much, charges on selling platforms are just insane now, and even finding suitable packaging can be difficult, then there's the risk of damage in transit. Often actually makes sense to actually keep them instead!

If you own your house, and are starting to outgrow it as a growing family of humans and canines ... could be worth start selling half a dozen expensive pieces like that. And then if you've got the garden space, or possibility for a loft, could put it towards a small house extension? Adding an extra 4.5 x 5 metre room would be both an investment to your house and family, but also your business here. And you could do DiY treatment yourself too. Might be more inspiring to have a really good dedicated space to work and play in than having lots of kit?

I sold my Les Paul and I now deeply regret it. If you have purchased any guitars pre--pandemic I say hold on to them. You'll never be able to buy them as cheaply again. If you think about what you paid for it and what you'd get for the same money today, it's a no brainer. Having said that if you need to sell a guitar then that's what has to happen.

I would never sell that one Sounds good I'm just amazed how the strat sounds close to the Gibson

“How to know when to sell a guitar” lol Video preview is mysteriously a Les Paul...lol! I can see why you favor a strat, it’s because of that chimney harmonic attack of the strat...

Some guitars are permanent, some are just for a while. And sometimes guitars change spots, and that’s usually hard. Before selling, why not do some non permanent mods (so it can be put back to stock). I’ve done random stuff to my Les Paul because it’s too sentimental to sell.

It's a never ending Quest to find what you desire in an instrument that was conceived by someone else. You have to throw caution to the wind and and make some modifications to suit your personal and ergonomic requirements. For example you could Tape off the extreme ends of the neck and rub the back of the neck down with 0.0 grade wire wool. If that is the only thing you don't like. Or has it got compounded issues for you . If you cannot rectify them then get shut of it. As a woodworking tradesman a bad tool is the worst thing you can ever keep. I think you are a Fabulous 😍 guitarist with such immense talent, all guitars need Tweaking even if they are made by The Almighty.Have Fun and I hope you find your Sonic pathway you're already a thousand times better than a lot of budding guitarists. Best regards. 😂Keep on Rockin. John

Love my Gibson LP so couldn't imagine selling

I feel a bit the same about my Epiphone LP. I'm not in love with it and don't hate it either. But it's the only LP model I own so I feel like it's work keeping for that reason. Which now having written it down is stupid. 🤔

If body language is any indication, it didn't look like you were enjoying playing that guitar. I think the Phil McKnight method of selling/trading up to the gear you really want and love playing is a smart approach.

My rule is never sell unless I really, really don't like the guitar/amp. I have sold guitars in the past that I really regret getting rid of.

Nah, we’re all in the same boat. I’ve got a 73 Les Paul Deluxe I’m on the fence about selling…

the only time you shoulld sell is if you plan to replace it, or if you are in dire financial strain, like last ditch effort kind of shit.

When I feel I have got most everything out of a guitar, and I see a guitar that is new, and exciting, then I will sell the old guitar

Just get rid of it finally! You gotta pull the thorn out! It’s not right for you I’d say!

This is freaky, I just put an ESP Eclipse Les Paul up for sale last night - looks exactly like yours, exact same colour, I was also 50/50 on selling it...maybe I should take the ad down 😅

I literally traded a 7 string for a strat today. I dont regret it.

Super sure Super is your favourite word dude. Super content though !

No amount of sentimental value and memories can be bought back trust me even u have cheap guitar if u sent it for proper setup it will sound good as you get better too

I know what I want to sell but I don’t know how to sell it. There are so many scams around that I don’t know how to sell anything

It’s hard for me to get rid of a guitar, which prevents me from buying more I suppose. It’s normal not feel inspired every time you pick it up, that’s why we all have more than one ;P Just think how much it’ll be to replace down the road if you ever want to buy another one. Prices aren’t getting any lower. The fact you felt the need to talk about it, I think is a sign you will regret letting it go. You sound like you no matter what you play

I forget, did you like the Eastman as an LP alternative.

Waiting for minimalist era. End of the day man, you have a sound - which is a) great and b) more or less the same on all your guitars because of how exact you are dialling in amp settings. Could easily do a solo album in less than a month if you stopped tossing gear just saying. Literally just shit out some of these intro jams with some more structure job done.

Never heard you complain that your Number 1 Strat doesn't have Fender on the headstock...

Waffling. I'd send her down the road. Its an absolutely beautiful guitar. Is that why you need it?

Ruminate away! These are thoughts I often have about guitars that are not inspiring me. Just because it has Gibson on the headstock is no guarantee of quality or even happiness. The fact you are lacking decisiveness is the answer to your question. Sell it and use the money to get something that floates your boat. Try an Eggle.

I'd take the Gibson to get the best possible set up but somebody who really know how to work on them. If after you're still hung up on it, then I'd sell it. I wouldn't worry so much about the Gibson name on the headstock. You've already proven you don't care so much that your K-Line's dont say Fender on the headstock. I'd say get the best botique Les Paul or Les Paul inspired you can afford. I really well made guitar always trumps a medicore one that has a heritage name on the headstock.

One trick is to put the guitar in the case, put the case in a closet. Three months later if you haven’t thought about the guitar, you probably don’t want/need it.

Put it away for six months. If you take it out of the case at that point and it’s not a breath of fresh air, sell it. If it makes things truly easier to just sell it, sell it. I’m getting too old for conundrums myself.

I'll give you 45p for les Paul

It looks and sounds great... but it sounds like you are trying to talk yourself into keeping it.

So you’re saying there’s two of you?

If the guitar burned in a house fire, would you buy it again with insurance money? If the answer is “no”, sell it.

I’d just sell it… lol

Sell guitar when that money helps u to buy new better guitar 🤞

"Uncle Larry" is weird a.f

Sell the gibbeaux!!!

Boring next.