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He even had his friend who owned a well known 60 burst for years play mine and he agreed they're close enough
It is very nice when someone who has these vintage guitars like my hand made stuff and said they're very close, even phil harris played mine too
If it's well made and with good wood it'll get very close for most imo, if you've got the money to buy vintage that's great but most people haven't so will commission a handmade guitar, just my opinion anyway
(formerly customkits)
Just kidding.
(formerly customkits)
It boils down to each individual instrument. One of the things Gibson never get right is that the 50's all had tapered thickness headstock.
In the pick below of my replica you can see how the headstock tapers from the low E string to the G string. All the Bursts listed in BOB are the same. I actually feel it adds a bit of zing but we won't go there!!
Wow. Surprised to hear that because those I have played didn't seem to or maybe had very little. Glad yours have!
Edit: does this apply to certain years of the R9? I can't keep up with the various versions.
(formerly customkits)
(formerly customkits)
View my feedback at www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/comment/1201922
I think someone said it above, but you can get good guitars and not so good guitars at any price point.
I've got more experience of Fenders at different price points than Les Pauls, but sometimes you can find a Mexican one that is great. I've played Mexican ones that I would prefer to all but a handful of US guitars that I've played.
Having said that, I'd have to say that the best sounding electric I've ever played was a 50's Tele. The neck had been drastically shaved down, so it put the lie to the huge necks sound best generalisation that is out there as well, but it did sound absolutely huge. It was a refinish as well, so probably not down to some magic in 50's nitro. That's the only 50's guitar I've personally played though. I think that some of it is old wood, but there is more to it than that. I've played a couple of 69 (year of birth) Teles, but they were hugely underwhelming.
I'm not sure there is any one factor that makes a great guitar a great guitar - although I've never found one that sounds great plugged in that didn't sound good unplugged, so it's wood and construction more than pickups for me. Good pickups are the icing on the cake. If the underlying cake is horrible, it's wasted.
I've seen enough people say that they have played Bursts, or pre-CBS Fenders, that weren't great, to come to the conclusion that some were better than others (like modern guitars). I suspect the extra bit that the good old ones have is down to the way the wood has aged.
I have had numerous Gibson historics before and since and I would say none came close enough. Like the difference between CD’s and vinyl on my system. Same album, same system, but the vinyl will take it every time.
The nearest I have come in ownership is my TM replica, which to me gets me in the ballpark and is streets ahead of a Gibson Historic. With my eyes closed in a blind hearing and playing test, I’m sure I would struggle to tell the replica. That could not be said of any of the reissues I have played.
Rob
I'd never noticed this so it got me wondering. I've got three different model Gibsons, from 1960, 1984 and 2016. Having just found a ruler, all three of them have headstocks that taper as shown above. 1.5, maybe 2mm from neck to logo end. The '84 (a 335) and 2016 (a LP) are both Nashville, USA models, not CS. So are there some Gibson guitars that don't taper?
Maple is maple - the tops on the classic LPs were supposedly really important to the sound, but much is made about the 'hog when it comes to discussions like this and nothing about the maple. There's a reason for that, IMHO...
To address the OP's original question - both guitars are made of similar woods, to a similar design. So they sound similar. They both sound like Les Paul style electric guitars. Do they sound different enough to warrant the price difference? Only you can decide - but my opinion is that a lot written about late 50s Gibsons is fairy dust, flannel, marketing, and blanket sweeping statements. I'm sure there are great ones, and I have no doubt that the guitars mentioned above (with the exception of the Greenie Les Paul) are superb, inspirational guitars. But equally, I've played some superb, inspirational guitars that were made last year.