Gibson Owners - How Do You Keep Up With...

[Teleplayer]

...all of the different models and shops they come from? Custom Shop, Historic, VOS, Reissue, Gloss Finish, Signature, Brazilian Board, Brazilian Board made in certain years - or on certain days of the month in certain years and on and on and on and on.

I swear, I would not even know where to start. Is there any general guideline to following the marketing trail these guys have created without either: A) Taking a Ph.D. course-load in Gibson guitars or B) Buying a Bloodhound to follow the trail?

Not trying to be funny here - I simply don't have the time to research and follow it all. Suggestions?

[codyj84]

I play a '78.... Thats all I say.

I hear ya though.. I wouldnt know where to begin. VOS, Historic, CS, R8........ Its all confusing...

Luckily, Im not in the market for a new one. My 78 is awesome. Have you thought about vintage??

[Ghostman574]

Originally Posted by codyj84

I play a '78.... Thats all I say.

I hear ya though.. I wouldnt know where to begin. VOS, Historic, CS, R8........ Its all confusing...

Luckily, Im not in the market for a new one. My 78 is awesome. Have you thought about vintage??

Right there with you...

I play a '69 Les Paul Custom. The only "newer" Les Paul I would look at is a 1991 Candy Apple Red Les Paul Standard with gold hardware...I wish I never sold that one.

[Jahn]

these days there is plenty of diversification in every company, trying to fill every nook and cranny. same goes with Fender, and Martin, and Taylor, etc etc.

[bynt]

I hear you. I'll add one and say that as ridiculous as Gibson is with all thier market flooding, they've got nothing on Fender. I'd like to see just how many different strats there have been in their catalogue.

Anyway, in answer to your question, a good place to start would be over at the Les Paul Forum. Some of those guys know how many grains were in the tops in a run of guitars built between march 88 and dec 89.

Kidding, but not by much. That should help you out.

[twinrider1]

Ha, I wonder the same thing about the zillion different Fender models. USA, MIM, MIJ, Thinskin, Highway, three different levels of Custom Shop Limiteds, and it goes on and on.

Basically, there are two levels with Gibson, USA and Custom Shop/Historic.

USA
regular production
Standard - a few models, having different pups, neck profiles, tops.
Custom - ebony neck, block inlay.

Custom Shop/Historic
A number of reissues of classic Standards of the past.
A few construction differences, closer to the originals.
Main differences between them are neck profile and tops (flame, plane, or goldtop)
R7 = 1957 Historic Reissue
So you'll see Custom Shop, Historic, RI, Reissue interchanged somewhat. Basically the same thing.

VOS isn't a model, it's just a finish option among Historics. VOS or GLOSS.
Brazilian boards? Not available since '03. There's a premium among some for these.
Signatures are same as signatures everywhere. Maybe change just looks, maybe some tweaks.

Hope that helps. Happy to answer any more detailed questions you have, but that's an overview of the Les Paul

[Pete Galati]

Both Fender and Gibson (and Epi) seem to do that. They seem to want to have a version of their popular models, for every market. Doesn't seem like they innovate much to me. They just specialize in repackaging popular designs from the '50s. Not that I've liked any new models they come up with.

[Clapton is God]

Twinrider1,

Thanks for that post, it was very informative! In regards to the R7, would an R8, or an R9 mean styled after a '58, and '59 respectively?

[justonwo]

Yep. "R" is for "reissue." The number indicates the year.

They're all small variations on the same themes. I will add that a couple of the Historic Les Pauls have P-90s (the 56 and the 54, but I don't think the 54 is offered anymore). Other than that, it's all about tops and neck profiles. That's correct.

And there is a claim that the R9s and R0s get "the best wood," which has never really been substantiated since that's so subjective anyway. They are far and away the most expensive, and they used to get the lightest wood, but these days the weight on most Historics has gone up. I seem to see them all between 8.5 and 9.5 lbs.

[Speed_Racer71]

[CS'56]

What is a Yamano? and what's the deal with the Tom Murphy Les Paul's??? I NEVER see a new one, only used. How do these Murphy's come about?

[twinrider1]

Originally Posted by Mark

What is a Yamano? and what's the deal with the Tom Murphy Les Paul's??? I NEVER see a new one, only used. How do these Murphy's come about?

Yamano
I believe it's a big Japanese dealer (distributor?). They have the reputation of getting the best looking Les Pauls. Something big changed recently as there was talk of 'yamano quality' Les Pauls being available here. Gibson is taking European distribution in-house, so maybe that was the big change.

Tom Murphy
Relics guitars. Some love his work, some don't. What seperates him from others is his work is done under the Gibson roof, and has their blessing, and maintains it's warranty. I don't know if he still does any himself, or now just manages a team that does it. Maybe both.
Could compare it to Roush Fords. Plenty of shops hop up Mustangs. But you can get a Roush through Ford, so there's some piece of mind.

[NatDeroxL7]

Originally Posted by Teleplayer

...all of the different models and shops they come from? Custom Shop, Historic, VOS, Reissue, Gloss Finish, Signature, Brazilian Board, Brazilian Board made in certain years - or on certain days of the month in certain years and on and on and on and on.

I swear, I would not even know where to start. Is there any general guideline to following the marketing trail these guys have created without either: A) Taking a Ph.D. course-load in Gibson guitars or B) Buying a Bloodhound to follow the trail?

Not trying to be funny here - I simply don't have the time to research and follow it all. Suggestions?

Anything with the word "historic" in it, or labled with an RX or G0 is all you need to know to land a great top of the line gibson.

Play as many as you can until you find 'the one', and what you will take home is a rock solid, quality chunk of wood that will provide you the best possible platform for creating your ideal humbicking guitar tone by changing pickups and electronics.

[LPSlinger]

Originally Posted by Teleplayer

...all of the different models and shops they come from? Custom Shop, Historic, VOS, Reissue, Gloss Finish, Signature, Brazilian Board, Brazilian Board made in certain years - or on certain days of the month in certain years and on and on and on and on.

I swear, I would not even know where to start. Is there any general guideline to following the marketing trail these guys have created without either: A) Taking a Ph.D. course-load in Gibson guitars or B) Buying a Bloodhound to follow the trail?

Not trying to be funny here - I simply don't have the time to research and follow it all. Suggestions?

Why do you have to know all of the different models and options in order to own a Gibson? I have a 2003 Les Paul Standard...that's more than enough information for me. When I was looking to buy one, I went into the store and played a few. That's probably the best option if you are looking to become an owner yourself.

[bonchie123]

Gibsons are actually really simple.

VOS is simply a finish. Theres VOS and Gloss on Historics.

R8 - 1958 Les Paul/Big Neck
R7 - 1957 Goldtop/Big Neck
R9 - 1959 Les Paul/Medium Neck
R0 - 1960 Les Paul/Slim Neck

Thats the Historic models.

Then theres the USA stuff, almost all Gloss finish. Studios, Classics, and Standards. There are some cheapie sub Studio models also but I don't keep up with them.

For the most part all Historics and Standards come with Burstbuckers. The Classics have 496 and 500's and the Studios have 498 and 490's. Very simple to keep up with.

Fender is just ridiculous on the other hand. Not only do they have all the different models of the Strat all with different pickups combinations, they all have different neck radiuses and its not as simple as slim, medium, and fat like Gibson.