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Hi guys, tried posting this question in the Lounge section of the forum but got replys - which surprised me as it's not just related to Acoustics...

 

Anyway,....I recently saw a nice j45 "Historic Collection" for sale and and wanted ask ya'll what this Historic collection is all about? The only difference I can see from the various acoustic models is a Historic collection brand mark in the back of the headstock.

 

Does anyone know the details behind this Gibson line?

 

[crying]

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Fred (J1854me) and Bob (rar) will both tell you that it has no meaning other than some guitars got the stickers. When they ran out of stickers, that was it. [crying]

 

I thought I had read somewhere that the guitars had an 'aged' look to them. My J185 has a relatively dark spruce top, and it has the Historic Collection sticker.

 

??

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My 2005 J-45 is an "historic collection". It has a large orange oval sticker inside the sound hole & a small yellow/blue one on the back of the headstock.

I think this was the "standard" J-45 of its day, which only differs from today's in that it has the small white oval shaped tuners rather than larger silver ones.

Its wonderful btw......

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My 2005 J-45 is an "historic collection". It has a large orange oval sticker inside the sound hole & a small yellow/blue one on the back of the headstock.

I think this was the "standard" J-45 of its day' date=' which only differs from today's in that it has the small white oval shaped tuners rather than larger silver ones.

Its wonderful btw...... [/quote']

 

Would love to see some pictures Lefty!!!!

 

[cool]

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Here she is, nestled in amongst a Taylor 810 (since replaced by a Martin HD28), a Larrivee Parlor (sold) & a Moon Custom RD3.

Btw, I work in London so if you wanted to see/hear her for comparative purposes I could always bring her up to town one day?

 

IMG_0386.jpg

 

LeftyGuyatKaufmanKamp.jpg

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  • 1 month later...

Sorry for bumping this thread, but I've a quick question about a Hummingbird I've seen with a Historic Collection sticker on the back of the headstock/neck. The guy selling says it's made by the Gibson Custom Shop.

 

Now the only difference I can see between this guitar and a Hummingbird Modern Classic is that it has no pick-up. Does that sound about right?

 

Thanks.

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Sorry for bumping this thread' date=' but I've a quick question about a Hummingbird I've seen with a Historic Collection sticker on the back of the headstock/neck. The guy selling says it's made by the Gibson Custom Shop.

 

Now the only difference I can see between this guitar and a Hummingbird Modern Classic is that it has no pick-up. Does that sound about right?

 

Thanks.

 

 

[/quote']

 

Historic Collection Gibson's are not made by the Custom Shop. The "Historic Collection" sticker was really just a bulls**t marketing thing from Gibson. They are no different than the standard run of the mill Gibson except for the fancy sticker thing used for a few years. They are not bad guitar by any means but it say they are something special is false. The Custom Ship built guitars come with the Custom Shop sticker and have features not typically found on standard models. The seller is either lying to you or doesn't know what he is talking about.

 

Good luck

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Thanks ryanfender, much appreciated. Loads of great info there that I'll take on-board.

 

So, historic sticker aside, is the only difference between "historic" and "modern classic" the fact the MC has a pick up? [biggrin]

 

Visually it looks identical to the MC, same tuners etc. Oh, and it's a 2005 model if that makes any difference.

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Generally speaking, there should be no difference except the decal. I have seen "Historic Collection" J-45s with pickups in the past. Its a Gibson so who knows. Maybe they put out a Hummingbird without a pickup here and there.

 

Maybe someone else can expand on Historic Collection guitars and pickup installations?

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I called Gibson after getting my 2005 Historic, they basically said the 2005 series has a decal and no pick up.

 

Specifically asked if it was braced differently (lighter) and was told definitely not -- but it was based on an early model, whatever that means...

 

The guitar is quite alive with a classic maple vibe, and I detest built in pickups --- so it's fine with me...

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The "HC" moniker covers a lot of bases. As noted, that designation was applied to std models (J45, j185, etc) so you go from Early J45 to Hist. j45 (ie J45 with a pup to Mod. Classic (ditto) to... whatever current version. But it also covered ltd runs (Adv Jumbos) and (borderline) C/S (Orig. jumbo). Gibson being Gibson.

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Historic Collection Gibson's are not made by the Custom Shop. ... They are not bad guitar by any means but it say they are something special is false.

 

Actually, nothing is ever that simple with Gibson! First, there were (and are) a lot of limited edition guitars that get "Custom Shop" decals, and there were a lot of limited edition guitars that got "Historic Collection" decals. The number in the edition had nothing to do with choice of decal. The rule seemed to be that, if the guitars were intended to pretty closely resemble a classic '30s-'60s model, they got the "Historic Collection" and, if not, they got the "Custom Shop". Second, getting "made in the Custom Shop" is a matter of degree. All guitars are built at least partly on the regular production line by the same folks who build regular production models. This has been the case since 2001, IIRC. Even the customest of customs. (As Ren put it to me, why would he bend a side when the best side-bender on the line has way more experience doing it than he does, and as a result is way better at it?) Conversely, even the standardest of standard models may well be build from wood personally selected by Ren. There's just no clearcut distinction between Custom Shop guitars and non-Custom Shop guitars anymore. Every one is something special, although some are definitely more special than others.

 

In short, "Hey, it's Gibson!"

 

-- Bob R

 

P.S. I now see this kind of overlaps the preceding response. I guess that's what happens when you start writing a response, wander off for a few hours, then finish it.

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Actually' date=' nothing is ever that simple with Gibson! First, there were (and are) a lot of limited edition guitars that get "Custom Shop" decals, and there were a lot of limited edition guitars that got "Historic Collection" decals. The number in the edition had nothing to do with choice of decal. The rule seemed to be that, if the guitars were intended to pretty closely resemble a classic '30s-'60s model, they got the "Historic Collection" and, if not, they got the "Custom Shop". Second, getting "made in the Custom Shop" is a matter of degree. All guitars are built at least partly on the regular production line by the same folks who build regular production models. This has been the case since 2001, IIRC. Even the customest of customs. (As Ren put it to me, why would he bend a side when the best side-bender on the line has way more experience doing it than he does, and as a result is way better at it?) Conversely, even the standardest of standard models may well be build from wood personally selected by Ren. There's just no clearcut distinction between Custom Shop guitars and non-Custom Shop guitars anymore. Every one is something special, although some are definitely more special than others.

 

In short, "Hey, it's Gibson!"

 

-- Bob R

 

P.S. I now see this kind of overlaps the preceding response. I guess that's what happens when you start writing a response, wander off for a few hours, then finish it.[/quote']

 

Thanks Bob,

I totally agree with everything you said. I guess I should have clarified a little on why I said what I said. I wanted to convene to the potential buyer of this "Historic Collection" Hummingbird that I would not let a seller try to use the "Historic Collection" decal to say it was made by the Custom Shop because, as you pointed out, its impossible for him to know. Plus, its pretty low to state that in order to charge a higher price if thats what he is doing.

 

I may have used a board brush to paint the statement you quoted but it truly is unethically for a seller to use the"Historic Collection" decal as an justification to say the "Custom Shop" made it. Its a misrepresentation of the truth, plain and simple. Even though, I agree that the line between the Custom Shop and regular production get blurry.

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... but it truly is unethically for a seller to use the"Historic Collection" decal as an justification to say the "Custom Shop" made it. Its a misrepresentation of the truth' date=' plain and simple.[/quote']

 

Yep, absolutely right.

 

-- Bob R

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OK, let me toss in my Custom Shop story...

 

Maybe 6 or 7 years ago Guitar Center had some transluscent red J-185 EC's with the Custom Shop decal and certificate saying the Custom Shop built them for Guitar Center...

 

My investigation revealed the transluscent red finish was the only thing that made them "Custom Shop" -- no higher wood grade, no lighter bracing, etc., just the finish...originally they were going to make a "limited run" of 250, but they sold do many they built more without the added 1 of 250 designation...

 

I know this because the Knox Vegas GC had 2, one with a 1 of 250 designation, and the other with just the Custom Shop decal...

 

Part of the Gibson charm...

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