Sorted: Gibson LP Custom ‘54 Reissue

Brize · December 2022

Blaendulais said:

JR-GibboMan said:

Brize said:
Fishboy7 said:
donner said:
https://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/235461/fs-1997-gibson-les-paul-custom-1954-reissue#latest
This one, is it sold?
That's lovely. Is there something special about a 97 ?
No - see above. The newer the better, all else being equal.

the older 90s ones are better

I'd debate the older 90s ones are better. I think thats urban muth. The custom shop stuff now is far better

I've owned and played a boatload of Gibson Custom Shop guitars. I maintain that you should judge the guitar on its merits and that there are good and bad examples from every year. On balance, though, I think you're more likely to get a good one after 2013 when they changed to hide glue - those guitars just feel more resonant and alive to me.

Brize · December 2022

JR-GibboMan said:

TDubs said:
HoraceB said:
One on Reverb currently for £4,495

https://reverb.com/uk/p/gibson-custom-shop-54-les-paul-custom-reissue-2006-2015?hfid=63206578&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=18354914807&utm_content=campaignid=18354914807_adgroupid=_productpartitionid==merchantid=520171742_productid=63206578_keyword=_device=c_adposition=_matchtype=_creative=&gclid=CjwKCAiAhKycBhAQEiwAgf19etQCDSvmcAUZaNk5ScRATq5FkIibRBjrrF73OhDTEP0mPH8xZ7-6ZRoCyKcQAvD_BwE
This one was sat on eBay for ages with another private seller in Ireland. Eventually they kept dropping the price and I think it sold, to its current seller for maybe as little as £3k, which given the mods, was probably the right price. At least the current seller has tried to right the wrongs in terms of the mods.

thats my guitar..it was more then 3k plus flights..hotel costs.
replacement parts costs and labour costs to get it to where it is now.

Yeah, don't forget to factor the previous owner's aeroplane ticket into the value of a guitar!

breezytele · December 2022

I’ve been looking at this model too. Some of the clips I’ve heard have been great

I’ve read that in some examples, there is a lack of treble, almost a muffled tone. Others are fine

I also hope they’ve ditched that OTT yellow binding .

I’d expect some - that actually looks great -
but it just detracts from the overall aesthetic if the yellow lacquer is , well, far too yellow.

Brize · December 2022

breezytele said:

I’ve been looking at this model too. Some of the clips I’ve heard have been great

I’ve read that in some examples, there is a lack of treble, almost a muffled tone. Others are fine

I also hope they’ve ditched that OTT yellow binding .
I’d expect some - that actually looks great -
but it just detracts from the overall aesthetic if the yellow lacquer is , well, far too yellow.

For a while it was almost fluorescent - it looked ridiculous.

zhivago · December 2022

A used one popped up on guitarguitar...definitely not cheap, but here it is:

https://www.guitarguitar.co.uk/product/pxp221112396210006-8939755--gibson-custom-shop-54-les-paul-custom-ebony-pre-owne

*edit* I just realised it was mentioned earlier in the thread. Apologies.

Brize · December 2022

zhivago said:

A used one popped up on guitarguitar...definitely not cheap, but here it is:

https://www.guitarguitar.co.uk/product/pxp221112396210006-8939755--gibson-custom-shop-54-les-paul-custom-ebony-pre-owne

*edit* I just realised it was mentioned earlier in the thread. Apologies.

Looks like a 1999 model. Quite heavy and with weird tuners.

Blaendulais · December 2022

JR-GibboMan said:

Blaendulais said:
JR-GibboMan said:
Brize said:
Fishboy7 said:
donner said:
https://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/235461/fs-1997-gibson-les-paul-custom-1954-reissue#latest
This one, is it sold?
That's lovely. Is there something special about a 97 ?
No - see above. The newer the better, all else being equal.

the older 90s ones are better
I'd debate the older 90s ones are better. I think thats urban muth. The custom shop stuff now is far better

Just to recap..your opinion is the modern custom shop stuff is better than the 90s Custom Shop stuff?

Yep by a stretch

Kylef · December 2022

Still looking

JD50 · December 2022

Brize said:

Blaendulais said:

JR-GibboMan said:

Brize said:
Fishboy7 said:
donner said:
https://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/235461/fs-1997-gibson-les-paul-custom-1954-reissue#latest
This one, is it sold?
That's lovely. Is there something special about a 97 ?
No - see above. The newer the better, all else being equal.

the older 90s ones are better

I'd debate the older 90s ones are better. I think thats urban muth. The custom shop stuff now is far better

I've owned and played a boatload of Gibson Custom Shop guitars. I maintain that you should judge the guitar on its merits and that there are good and bad examples from every year. On balance, though, I think you're more likely to get a good one after 2013 when they changed to hide glue - those guitars just feel more resonant and alive to me.

I heard of tonewoods before but never toneglue

Brize · December 2022

JD50 said:

Brize said:

Blaendulais said:

JR-GibboMan said:

Brize said:
Fishboy7 said:
donner said:
https://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/235461/fs-1997-gibson-les-paul-custom-1954-reissue#latest
This one, is it sold?
That's lovely. Is there something special about a 97 ?
No - see above. The newer the better, all else being equal.

the older 90s ones are better

I'd debate the older 90s ones are better. I think thats urban muth. The custom shop stuff now is far better

I've owned and played a boatload of Gibson Custom Shop guitars. I maintain that you should judge the guitar on its merits and that there are good and bad examples from every year. On balance, though, I think you're more likely to get a good one after 2013 when they changed to hide glue - those guitars just feel more resonant and alive to me.

I heard of tonewoods before but never toneglue

Do some research - it's not cork-sniffery.

idiotwindow · December 2022

Brize said:

JD50 said:

Brize said:I think you're more likely to get a good one after 2013 when they changed to hide glue - those guitars just feel more resonant and alive to me.

I heard of tonewoods before but never toneglue

Do some research - it's not cork-sniffery.

It absolutely is cork-sniffery. I know hide glue has its adherents (especially in the acoustic world) and it has genuine advantages when it comes to guitar repair but the tonal advantages, assuming they are even perceptible with a solid wood guitar, are firmly in the rarified world of cork sniffing.

Brize · December 2022

idiotwindow said:

Brize said:

JD50 said:

Brize said:I think you're more likely to get a good one after 2013 when they changed to hide glue - those guitars just feel more resonant and alive to me.

I heard of tonewoods before but never toneglue

Do some research - it's not cork-sniffery.

It absolutely is cork-sniffery. I know hide glue has its adherents (especially in the acoustic world) and it has genuine advantages when it comes to guitar repair but the tonal advantages, assuming they are even perceptible with a solid wood guitar, are firmly in the rarified world of cork sniffing.

I don't claim to be an expert on such matters, but guitars need to resonate, especially between the neck and the body. Having a glass-like brittle glue joining the two is likely to allow far more resonance than a rubbery-type glue.

All I can tell you is that, having played many Gibson Custom Shop guitars from all eras, the guitars are better from 2013 onwards, all else being equal. Whether this is the hide glue, removal of the truss rod 'condom' or other changes I don't know, but the difference is entirely perceptible to me and I'm sufficiently unsophisticated that these types of changes generally leave me rolling my eyes.

At present I have 20 Gibson CS guitars, 4 of which are prior to the 2013 changes.

Kylef · December 2022

Still looking.

Kylef · December 2022

Bit of a random one here, but worth mentioning so others that are looking for the same model guitar are aware.

Was PM’d on here offering the guitar that I’m looking for with this pic.

https://ibb.co/WHY66pp

He sent me more pics, we discussed a price we were both happy with, and we were working out how to make it work. I asked for proof of a driving licence and a utility bill which he kindly obliged. I had a busy few days coming up as I was working away so I asked to give it a couple of days before making payment/posting so that I was home when we did the transaction. However, inbetween that time I saw the same guitar on Gumtree. I messaged the seller and questioned why it was for sale on gumtree when we had agreed a deal, he then claimed it wasn’t him selling it and had no idea how this pictures got on there. Cue smell a rat.

I asked him to place the utility bill next to the guitar and send me a picture, he said he would and then went quiet. I chased him up and he messaged back after (conveniently) deciding he was keeping the guitar now.

The search was back on, and I remembered I had spoken with someone on Facebook about one a couple of months before. I traced back the message, and lo and behold - the same pictures of the same guitar! I messaged him to see if he still had it, and I’ve had no reply.

Very strange, I’ve still no idea what’s went on, but just a warning to others. Someone less sceptical than myself could easily fall for it.

Hellsbells87 · December 2022

hide glue has its adherents

breezytele · December 2022

@Kylef , that’s an interesting cautionary tale.

One thing that puzzles me,
is the driver’s license and utility bill photos that he sent…

Presumably those are fake or stolen ?
Did you try and investigate that identity ?

good luck with your search- they’re great looking guitars

tomajoha · December 2022

GuitarGuitar currently have a used one

TDubs · December 2022

I assume you’ve seen the one @Jimihendrix1987 has for sale?

https://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/238240/fs-fender-ltd-cs-esquire-cs-strat-michael-landau-63-1964-gibson-sgjr-es330-gibson-lp54-custom#latest

Jimihendrix1987 · December 2022

Thanks @TDubs for the heads up.

I offered him my 54 custom at £4375. A very fair price considering the 54 in guitarguitar that it’s been refinished at they sell over £5000.

However, the yellow binding of mine does not convince many people. I don’t know why they did it that way from the factory but all the 2014-2015 limited edition 54 custom have the yellow binding.

i can only wish @Kylef in his search

Kylef · January 2023

New year bump

Howdy, Stranger!

Categories

In this Discussion

Become a Subscriber!

Sorted: Gibson LP Custom ‘54 Reissue

Comments