gibson R 6 opinions

musicegbdf

Ok, next year I will be 60 ( how did that happen !).
Anyway a birth year for me is of course 1956 . Have always loved the look of a gold top with P 90's so a R6 seems logical.

Anybody own one.? Should I look new or are there any particular good years ( not a 1956 ad I don't have that sort of money)
How much would a good example go for. What are the distinguishing features I should look for.
I assume there could be plenty of fakes around as well...
I have plenty of time and won't pull the trigger till next year so just doing the research now.

koss59

There are good and bad historics out there and unfortunetely with the R6 being a less common model it means finding a good one will be harder. If it was my 60th id buy a 56 junior then you have a small investment too.

chrisj1602

I've not owned an R6 but I had a 2008 R7 and was a really nice guitar, up there with the best stuff I've owned.

There are no good and bad years, but there are better ones for you to find! And the newer you get, the more historically accurate they are.

I wouldn't be worried about fakes, especially if you are trying before you buy. A real R6 will have a custom shop case and certificate, hang tags etc.

Basher

I have a 2006 R6, which I guess is sort of like an unofficial 50th anniversary model!

Weight can be high on some of the older ones, mine's just over 9lb which isn't too bad but many seem to be a lot nearer 10lb.

Bloody huge neck - not everyone's cup of tea.

I like the sound of the stock Gibson pickups, despite them being reasonably pokey (certainly not underwound). The one thing I'd change are the pickup covers which are a cream colour with a slight pink tinge. More recent reissues seem to use a much nicer, more ivory coloured plastic.

Interesting point about the certificates. I bought mine used and the original cert was lost. No problem as it had the correct case, electronics, stamps etc. Some find this a deal breaker but I wasn't too bothered.

I can't say I've ever seen an R6 fake reported in the forum. It wouldn't surprise me if they did exist but they're not exactly popular compared with flamey R9s and ebony Customs.

All in all, a very flexible guitar. Plenty of power without being as mid-focussed as an R7/8/9/0. Mine cleans up nicely with the volume control and the extra sparkle of the single coils really helps here.

Loobs

Just so nice. 

Even sexier in black though. 

Skipped

That is a great picture Basher.

Trouble is.....now we all want one.

musicegbdf

And I want one even more!
I guess the problem is getting one to try...
I like the idea of a fat neck. I will do my usual and take my time..

Alnico

I don't know enough about Gibson to know if this is exactly what you're looking for but i thought i would post it anyway. Maybe it's of some help..........

http://www.ishibashi.co.jp/u_box/e/select.php?cd=06-316562408

Y229,630 - £1243.44 before shipping and import duty.

Basher

@musicegbdf In the unlikely event that you're in the North West you'd be welcome to try it out or loan it for a while.

I'll probably be selling it soon anyway. I've resolved to "thin the herd" a bit and although I like it, it doesn't get played that much compared to the cheaper, dinged-in guitars I have lying around.

musicegbdf

This Basher, will bear in mind

Brize

You should be able to pick up a used R6 for around £1,800. The gold colour has changed over the years; Gibson say that it's become more historically accurate but I prefer the older gold. The colour changed dramatically in 2013 to a much 'greener' gold. The neck profiles vary slightly, as they do on all Gibson Custom Shop guitars. Most of them are quite big, but my R6 has a neck that's more akin to an R9. Some R6s can be on the weighty side - unless you're very lucky the best you can realistically hope for is a little under 9lbs.

2012 is the year to avoid due to the laminated fingerboards. There's nothing wrong with these guitars but they're tarnished, which affects resale value. 2003 is the year to have because all R6s from this year have Brazilian rosewood fingerboards, but they cost a pretty penny.

Make sure you play before you buy. I've owned around ten Gibson Custom Shop guitars and they're variable. Most are pretty good but there's the odd lemon that's tonally dead and the odd knockout that's more than the sum of its parts.

digitalkettle

I tried a couple of 2014 R6s last year...really well put together...both great...came home with one of them.

I think it's 8lb 8oz and the neck is a really good handful...noticeably chunkier than a recent R9.

My band has had a bit of downtime lately...I'm dying to gig it!