I have been mainly a Fender guy. I always wanted to have Gibson guitars back when I started playing, but I couldn't afford the ones I wanted. Fender was more affordable. I also got interested in Hamer guitars. when I also started playing bass I wanted a Gibson. Several models I am looking for now have been sleepers just until about two years ago, the Victory guitars and basses and the G3 Bass. those are the instruments hanging in shops when I started. I also would love a nice Firebird. Would have loved the 2018 Elite or a nice white Firebird V from the 2000-2016 era. The Curleigh-era didn't produce any interesting stuff. And now the relic and artist signature stuff is even more boring. As you said, the L-5 was the Cadillac of Gibson. I can understand not producing the big jazz boxes anymore, but why not do a L-5s Les Paul. or people would love a Gibson Ripper/Grabber/G3 reissue and.Gibson brings out a Gene Simmons Thunderbird??? And it's a fake Thunderbird. see Anderton's Gibson factory tour vid, the T-birds now have set-necks, no neck-through. Gene Simmons wouldn't have been a signature artist of my choice anyway, but that guy played the Grabber back then and not a T-bird. Well, I was considering a Fender Am Pro II Tele Deluxe too ( which also has Tim Shaw pickups, like the Victory, that have a nice coil split tone). That is definitive a cheaper option.
I have one of their new Juniors 2020 I think. sounds great looks great, 7 pounds 2 oz. great weight for me. I sure didn't pay 1600 for it, that is a ridiculous price for a new junior. Something about the junior is just magical to me, and the chunky neck on mine has me feeling right at home since I'm a bassist first. I guarantee I could have bought an Epiphone junior and been happy though. to be honest compared directly in quality to say my sire S3 Strat past the electronics(cheap to replace) finish, rosewood figuring and fretwork I don't see a difference in quality. CNC has really equalized the guitar world.
Built a Fretwire Les Paul Standard. Tone is equivalent, with the hardware sent but I wonder if a more experienced luthier could help me tweek it a bit more!
I agree but one needs to underatand that the quantity always plummets quality. And i hate to see this company striving away from what it's been, but this is just life. I don't like Gibson as a company anymore, but i love my guitar nonetheless. my 2016 LP Studio was atrocious when it arrived. half of the fingerboard were dead notes and it didn't stay in tune after slightest of bends. Butt. Loved the sound, threw money at it, now i think this guitar will be mine for the rest of life. (probably also because i did a relic job on it) So yeah, you always should play the thing first, buy second. Any guitar can be good, any guitar can be crap. At the end of the day, the only thing that matters is: do you enjoy the hell outta it or you want something more? I'm happy coz i don't need anything more, this one is plenty, i love it. Perhaps yours is a competition though🍓
I'm not sure I fully understand what your criticism is. Why couldn't the Custom Shop produce 80 a day? On the recent Anderton's TV tour, Mat explained to Lee that the CS produces instruments that Gibson USA doesn't - such as the mandolins. It's not a single builder, it's a full factory with a full team of workers, as you know from being there. So I can't understand what the problem is with reaching a target of 80. Especially when you're simultaneously mentioning the high price - price is a demand lever, and it'll be set at a point that gets enough orders while stopping an influx (because not everyone has the money). If Gibson increased the prices to reduce demand further, we'd all be saying they're too expensive. I have a video on my channel where I talk about my experience buying a new R9, and reflecting on the price. My conclusion couldn't be any different from yours: although the price tag kinda looks absurd, every one that I played was simply incredible, from weight to tone to playability. The main reason it took me 2 weekends to decide wasn't because I was looking for a good one, but because they were all so good it was hard to choose one! I doubt my experience matches yours for how many guitars we've each played, and I'm not trying to suggest you've been wrong, but what you said with the Standards doesn't match my experience at all. I've owned multiple, from 2013 to 2021, and played countless others. I've never played a bad one, never played one that I could describe as sounding or playing bad. Some haven't necessarily been to my preference as much as others, but I'd have been happy to own any of them. I've been so happy with Gibson that I sold my PRS Core to part-fund my R9, and I haven't missed that guitar one bit - despite the fact it was truly exceptional. My gripe with Gibson today is more to do with their obsession with signature models and inflating the Epiphone price point. They're pushing their luck charging $1400+ for an Epiphone, in my opinion, and while Epiphone have certainly improved over the years they're not justified at that price point for me.
@@IkeGuitar Appreciate the kind response! I read that comment back and hoped it didn't come across as rude - as I said, I wasn't trying to knock your experiences, just adding my own experience as a counter. I've heard great things about the Kirk Hammett (actually, I'm overdue in uploading a video interview with a guy who owns 2 of the original ones with Brazilian rosewood - he bought one, said it was the best guitar he's ever played and it must be a fluke, so he bought a second to test it and it was just as good!)
Not rude at all- grateful you reached out! I can only speak from my personal experience. Life’s not black and white and mileage varies. Make sure you link that video when you upload it. I’d love to see it!
Had an R9 and it was terrible!! It was just awful! It was beautiful but played terribly and was so dull sounding… I returned it and bought a 2016 les Paul standard traditional and a 2016 standard HP and they both play phenomenal and sound amazing!!! The quad flame on the hp is sickeningly beautiful!!! To each his own and I respect those who play custom shop.. I tried and it wasn’t for me I’ll stick to USA
I feel ya. Have played wayyy more Standards than Custom Shops. But I’ve heard from many that Customs can be as hit or miss as a guitar down the list which is a bummer for how expensive they are.
A les Paul standard is worth what people will pay for it and people are paying it. I watched a video where they said at Sweetwater 3 out 5 guitars leaving the factory are Gibsons. Obviously people don’t think they sound like butt.
Hey man, what would you guess the ratio of good to bad on Les Pauls? When you see the way Gibson make Les Paul's they shouldn't be charging the money they do for them in my opinion!
![What You Need to Know Buying Older Gibson Customs. [They're Really Good]](/img/n.gif)
I have 2 Gibsons. A 1982 ES-335 and a 2008 CS Les Paul Class 5. They're both absolutely amazing guitars. Gibson is an awesome guitar company.
I’ve got a 70 335 myself. Love them to death!
I have been mainly a Fender guy. I always wanted to have Gibson guitars back when I started playing, but I couldn't afford the ones I wanted. Fender was more affordable. I also got interested in Hamer guitars. when I also started playing bass I wanted a Gibson. Several models I am looking for now have been sleepers just until about two years ago, the Victory guitars and basses and the G3 Bass. those are the instruments hanging in shops when I started. I also would love a nice Firebird. Would have loved the 2018 Elite or a nice white Firebird V from the 2000-2016 era. The Curleigh-era didn't produce any interesting stuff. And now the relic and artist signature stuff is even more boring. As you said, the L-5 was the Cadillac of Gibson. I can understand not producing the big jazz boxes anymore, but why not do a L-5s Les Paul. or people would love a Gibson Ripper/Grabber/G3 reissue and.Gibson brings out a Gene Simmons Thunderbird??? And it's a fake Thunderbird. see Anderton's Gibson factory tour vid, the T-birds now have set-necks, no neck-through. Gene Simmons wouldn't have been a signature artist of my choice anyway, but that guy played the Grabber back then and not a T-bird. Well, I was considering a Fender Am Pro II Tele Deluxe too ( which also has Tim Shaw pickups, like the Victory, that have a nice coil split tone). That is definitive a cheaper option.
I have an R8 too weighing 8.3lb and this one is a keeper.
It’s the best Les I’ve ever played. One of the best guitars!
I have one of their new Juniors 2020 I think. sounds great looks great, 7 pounds 2 oz. great weight for me. I sure didn't pay 1600 for it, that is a ridiculous price for a new junior. Something about the junior is just magical to me, and the chunky neck on mine has me feeling right at home since I'm a bassist first. I guarantee I could have bought an Epiphone junior and been happy though. to be honest compared directly in quality to say my sire S3 Strat past the electronics(cheap to replace) finish, rosewood figuring and fretwork I don't see a difference in quality. CNC has really equalized the guitar world.
Love the juniors. Wish they had a better rap. Unfortunate how the lines have taken weird directions and they keep changing so often.
Built a Fretwire Les Paul Standard. Tone is equivalent, with the hardware sent but I wonder if a more experienced luthier could help me tweek it a bit more!
I agree but one needs to underatand that the quantity always plummets quality.
And i hate to see this company striving away from what it's been, but this is just life.
I don't like Gibson as a company anymore, but i love my guitar nonetheless.
my 2016 LP Studio was atrocious when it arrived. half of the fingerboard were dead notes and it didn't stay in tune after slightest of bends.
Butt.
Loved the sound, threw money at it, now i think this guitar will be mine for the rest of life.
(probably also because i did a relic job on it)
So yeah, you always should play the thing first, buy second. Any guitar can be good, any guitar can be crap.
At the end of the day, the only thing that matters is: do you enjoy the hell outta it or you want something more?
I'm happy coz i don't need anything more, this one is plenty, i love it.
Perhaps yours is a competition though🍓
I'm not sure I fully understand what your criticism is. Why couldn't the Custom Shop produce 80 a day? On the recent Anderton's TV tour, Mat explained to Lee that the CS produces instruments that Gibson USA doesn't - such as the mandolins. It's not a single builder, it's a full factory with a full team of workers, as you know from being there. So I can't understand what the problem is with reaching a target of 80. Especially when you're simultaneously mentioning the high price - price is a demand lever, and it'll be set at a point that gets enough orders while stopping an influx (because not everyone has the money). If Gibson increased the prices to reduce demand further, we'd all be saying they're too expensive. I have a video on my channel where I talk about my experience buying a new R9, and reflecting on the price. My conclusion couldn't be any different from yours: although the price tag kinda looks absurd, every one that I played was simply incredible, from weight to tone to playability. The main reason it took me 2 weekends to decide wasn't because I was looking for a good one, but because they were all so good it was hard to choose one!
I doubt my experience matches yours for how many guitars we've each played, and I'm not trying to suggest you've been wrong, but what you said with the Standards doesn't match my experience at all. I've owned multiple, from 2013 to 2021, and played countless others. I've never played a bad one, never played one that I could describe as sounding or playing bad. Some haven't necessarily been to my preference as much as others, but I'd have been happy to own any of them. I've been so happy with Gibson that I sold my PRS Core to part-fund my R9, and I haven't missed that guitar one bit - despite the fact it was truly exceptional.
My gripe with Gibson today is more to do with their obsession with signature models and inflating the Epiphone price point. They're pushing their luck charging $1400+ for an Epiphone, in my opinion, and while Epiphone have certainly improved over the years they're not justified at that price point for me.
Fair criticisms! I’m also with you on the signatures. Although that Kirk Hammett looks nice 👀
@@IkeGuitar Appreciate the kind response! I read that comment back and hoped it didn't come across as rude - as I said, I wasn't trying to knock your experiences, just adding my own experience as a counter.
I've heard great things about the Kirk Hammett (actually, I'm overdue in uploading a video interview with a guy who owns 2 of the original ones with Brazilian rosewood - he bought one, said it was the best guitar he's ever played and it must be a fluke, so he bought a second to test it and it was just as good!)
Not rude at all- grateful you reached out! I can only speak from my personal experience. Life’s not black and white and mileage varies.
Make sure you link that video when you upload it. I’d love to see it!
Had an R9 and it was terrible!! It was just awful! It was beautiful but played terribly and was so dull sounding… I returned it and bought a 2016 les Paul standard traditional and a 2016 standard HP and they both play phenomenal and sound amazing!!! The quad flame on the hp is sickeningly beautiful!!! To each his own and I respect those who play custom shop.. I tried and it wasn’t for me I’ll stick to USA
I feel ya. Have played wayyy more Standards than Custom Shops. But I’ve heard from many that Customs can be as hit or miss as a guitar down the list which is a bummer for how expensive they are.
A les Paul standard is worth what people will pay for it and people are paying it. I watched a video where they said at Sweetwater 3 out 5 guitars leaving the factory are Gibsons. Obviously people don’t think they sound like butt.
Sometimes people don’t know what sounds good and sounds bad. Can’t really judge that off an online store. But I see the point.
To each it’s own bud.
I have a 2021 Les Paul Classic in smokehouse color and it’s absolutely beautiful and a joy to play. 🤷🏻♂️
Glad you love it, man! Those Classics can be great!
Hey man, what would you guess the ratio of good to bad on Les Pauls?
When you see the way Gibson make Les Paul's they shouldn't be charging the money they do for them in my opinion!
It depends on year and model. And it wouldn’t be fair to generalize. But nowadays? The Standards I find a good guitar every one in four about.