Gibson Custom Shops...R8/R9/R0?

Bridgehouse

Okay. I think I get Custom Shop Gibsons now.

After trading my Jag for an R6 Goldtop with the splendid @badlydrawnbanjo I have learned. It's a 2004, and it's absolutely stonking. It is, without exception the best 'newish' Les Paul I have played. I've had 3 Standards over the years and eventually flipped them as they weren't getting played. The R6 is in a totally different class. In fact, it's down the corridor, over the playground, over the sports field and round the back of the sheds for a sneaky B&H different...

Now. I have this little worm developing in my mind. If the R6 is this good - how good would an R8/R9/R0 be compared to a standard?

Am I going to end up blowing a wad on one and not regret it?

CHRISB50

It depends if you find a good one. It's still a Gibson after all, so you can never be sure. 

I've never had a bad experience with Gibson CS guitars. A mate at work ended up with a right dog. So they do exist. 

digitalkettle

I think 'they' will be along soon to advise you to look for a used 2014 R8...tops as tasty as some R9s

Bridgehouse

digitalkettle said:

I think 'they' will be along soon to advise you to look for a used 2014 R8...tops as tasty as some R9s

I know I'm going to sound like some sort of skanky outcast peasant or something.. but I much prefer plaintops to all that silly stripey tiger shizzle..

Brize

Gibson Custom Shop guitars are generally very good - I've owned around ten of them and still have five. Of those ten I'd say that three were very good, six were pretty good and one was tonally dead.

The Custom Bucker pickups used from 2013 onwards are a big improvement on the Burstbuckers, in my opinion. The 'True Historics' are ridiculously over-priced considering the de minimis nature of the upgrade, and they still haven't got the pickup covers right!

The biggest frustration for me with the Historic range is the neck profiles, which, regardless of depth, often seem to have far more shoulder than the original guitars did. This has improved over time, though.

Bridgehouse

So Gibson Friday afternoon variance aside, a post 2013 plaintop R8 looks like it might do the job then? 

Just need to find a good one that someone isn't offloading because it's a dog

Brize

Yep, a good '13 or '14 R8 for a little under £2k would be the order of the day.

Bridgehouse

I can see another flippin' WTB thread coming on. 

My wallet has started to give me that look when I get it out. 

Anyone want to try and persuade me that it would be a really really bad idea? (just for balance like, you know..)

IvisonGuitars

Bridgehouse said:

So Gibson Friday afternoon variance aside, a post 2013 plaintop R8 looks like it might do the job then? 

Just need to find a good one that someone isn't offloading because it's a dog

Or an earlier one. I've got a 2002 R8 with a brazilian board, lightweight, I stuck some Duncan Antiquities in it and it's killed GAS for another Les Paul DEAD ever since. I call it the 'Ferrari' as it plays better than every other guitar I have.

It does succumb to the silly stripey tiger shizzle though....

Bridgehouse

miserneil said:

Bridgehouse said:

So Gibson Friday afternoon variance aside, a post 2013 plaintop R8 looks like it might do the job then? 

Just need to find a good one that someone isn't offloading because it's a dog

Or an earlier one. I've got a 2002 R8 with a brazilian board, lightweight, I suck some Duncan Antiquities in it and it's killed GAS for another Les Paul DEAD ever since. I call it the 'Ferrari' as it plays better than every other guitar I have.

It does succumb to the silly stripey tiger shizzle though....

Goddamit man, you're not helping!

That would look much better with a plain top tho Just sayin'

richardhomer

miserneil said:
Or an earlier one. I've got a 2002 R8 with a brazilian board, lightweight, I suck some Duncan Antiquities in it and it's killed GAS for another Les Paul DEAD ever since. I call it the 'Ferrari' as it plays better than every other guitar I have.

It does succumb to the silly stripey tiger shizzle though....

That's a stunnning looking Les Paul Neil!

IvisonGuitars

Bridgehouse said:

miserneil said:

Bridgehouse said:

So Gibson Friday afternoon variance aside, a post 2013 plaintop R8 looks like it might do the job then? 

Just need to find a good one that someone isn't offloading because it's a dog

Or an earlier one. I've got a 2002 R8 with a brazilian board, lightweight, I suck some Duncan Antiquities in it and it's killed GAS for another Les Paul DEAD ever since. I call it the 'Ferrari' as it plays better than every other guitar I have.

It does succumb to the silly stripey tiger shizzle though....

Goddamit man, you're not helping!

That would look much better with a plain top tho Just sayin'

Yeah, I would agree, I prefer plain tops too but I couldn't let this one go...

richardhomer said:

That's a stunnning looking Les Paul Neil!

Thanks Rich, it's a killer guitar AND belonged to my guitar playing hero Mick Ralphs before me so it's one of those 'bury me with it' guitars :-)

horse

Bridgehouse said

Anyone want to try and persuade me that it would be a really really bad idea? (just for balance like, you know..)

Well, you like your R6, and the others aren't necessarily going to be any 'better' - just different, and a fair old chunk of cash

Bridgehouse

horse said:

Bridgehouse said

Anyone want to try and persuade me that it would be a really really bad idea? (just for balance like, you know..)

Well, you like your R6, and the others aren't necessarily going to be any 'better' - just different, and a fair old chunk of cash

Thing is - I now have 2x p90 based guitars and nothing with humbuckers! (Other than a Ric with humbuckers which doesn't count)

horse

Bridgehouse said:

horse said:

Bridgehouse said

Anyone want to try and persuade me that it would be a really really bad idea? (just for balance like, you know..)

Well, you like your R6, and the others aren't necessarily going to be any 'better' - just different, and a fair old chunk of cash

Thing is - I now have 2x p90 based guitars and nothing with humbuckers! (Other than a Ric with humbuckers which doesn't count)

Fuck it then - buy an R8!

Bridgehouse

horse said:

Bridgehouse said:

horse said:

Bridgehouse said

Anyone want to try and persuade me that it would be a really really bad idea? (just for balance like, you know..)

Well, you like your R6, and the others aren't necessarily going to be any 'better' - just different, and a fair old chunk of cash

Thing is - I now have 2x p90 based guitars and nothing with humbuckers! (Other than a Ric with humbuckers which doesn't count)

Fuck it then - buy an R8!

Thanks for trying anyway

RandallFlagg

My 2016 R8 is a very good guitar and is all the Les Paul I could ever want, the Custombucker pickups sound really, really good:

fretfinder

Brize said:

Yep, a good '13 or '14 R8 for a little under £2k would be the order of the day.

Finding one shouldn't be a problem, it's the 'under £2k' bit that might be the hard part...

Powerslave

fretfinder said:

Brize said:

Yep, a good '13 or '14 R8 for a little under £2k would be the order of the day.

Finding one shouldn't be a problem, it's the 'under £2k' bit that might be the hard part...

Agree - I would expect any seller of such to be pitching around the 2.2k through 2.6k mark depending on condition and private sale vs shop / eBay pricing.

guitars4you

fretfinder said:

Brize said:

Yep, a good '13 or '14 R8 for a little under £2k would be the order of the day.

Finding one shouldn't be a problem, it's the 'under £2k' bit that might be the hard part...

Agree - I think those days are getting harder - based on post Brexit pricing on today's new R8's etc then under 2K is somewhat of a bargain buy - However, someone who does not know today's market, is short of cash or selling an R8 with issues and you might get lucky

Ossyrocks

In my experience, the 2013/14 Custom Shop Les Pauls are better sounding and more consistent guitars than those from previous years. That's not to say there aren't good ones from earlier years, but they are harder to come by.

I've had a really dead sounding 2002 R7, a pretty good 2005 R8 and two really astounding 2014's.

I don't think it's so much to do with the hide glues they are now using, but I think the vintage correct truss rod plays a big part. In 2013 they stopped using the "condom" on the truss rod and the difference can be felt in your hand and the way the guitars resonate.

Also, the profile of the necks is better, they have less shoulder than the earlier years, so even if the neck is big, like on my 2014 R6, it's very comfortable to play and doesn't feel as square as my 2002 R7 did.

If you bide your time and keep looking, I reckon you could snaga 2014 R8 for around the £2k mark. 

Good luck,
Rob.