What year Les Paul '59 historic Reissues are best?

[Ray D]

Hello out there, this is my first entry into the Gibson forum. I need to know what kind of '59 re-issue to buy. I just recently bought a '57 Goldtop VOS which I love, and that one is a 2008. Here are my questions. I see quite a few 2000 or 2001 '59's on ebay. Are they the same specs as the newer '07 & '08 models? Holly headstock, long tenon, ect..? Can you tell me what the differences are, and are the 2000 and 2001 '59's just as good?

 

Thanks!!

[Ray D]

Thanks Joe, You seem to be the authority here, so thanks for you time & info!

[MReynolds]

Ray D, I just recently bought a 2006 R9 (pictured in my avatar). My main criteria was nothing older than 2006 because I wanted the "pleked" fret treatment so I would have a consistent feel over the whole neck. I got to play a 2002, 2003, the 2006 and a 2008 before I bought (all at the same store). Maybe it was just me, but it seemed like the '06 and '08 had the best feel to the neck/frets, very smooth playing. I settled on the '06 since it was pre-owned but never played (zero fret wear, perfect body) and saved myself about $2000.

[GR8GUITAR]

Thanks for the information. This appears consistent with a 1997 Les Paul, which was a promotional item for Coors. Unfortunately, we don’t have any other specific information available for this guitar. Thank you for the inquiry.

 

THIS IS WHAT I GOT FROM GIBSON.. ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. I CANT FIND OUT ANY SPECS ABOUT THIS GUITAR.. LOOKS LIKE A GIBSON, SOUNDS LIKE A GIBSON, PLAYS LIKE A GIBSON.. WHY CANT I FIND ANYTHING ON GOOGLE LET ALONE GIBSON.

 

I BOUGHT THIS GUITAR 10 YEARS AGO AND I STILL KNOW VERY LITTLE ABOUT IT. ANY HELP WOULD BE APPRECIATED. THANK YOU .

 

 

SERIAL# 791720

[GR8GUITAR]

I DID EXACTLY THAT.. AND THEY ASKED FOR PICTURES AND IGAVE THEM THAT VERY POLITY.. AND THEY VERY POLITELY- REPLIED--

Thanks for the information. This appears consistent with a 1997 Les Paul, which was a promotional item for Coors. Unfortunately, we don’t have any other specific information available for this guitar. Thank you for the inquiry.

 

NOW I AM A LITTLE FRUSTRATED AND CHOSE THIS FORUM. EVERYONE HERE IS VERY HELPFUL BUT HAVEN'T REALLY FOUND OUT ABOUT THIS GUITAR..THANKS..

 

SERIAL# 791720

[MReynolds]

you are absolutely right here mark. its true that the historics after 2006 had the pleked neck

so if we want super precision neck then only the post 2006s are ones to choose.

thanks for reminding us that. glad you love your burst so much now. from wildwood gtrs huh.....

great store.......maybe the best on the earth!.......j

 

check this out! anybody? too cool huh......

 

http://wildwoodguitars.com/electrics/misc/03033425/03033425.php

 

Exactly Joe...yeah I've been buying guitars from Steve at Wildwood for about 14-15 years now. He's a great guy, as all the guys there are. Check out these they have...

 

http://www.wildwoodguitars.com/electrics/misc/cr98002/cr98002.php

http://www.wildwoodguitars.com/electrics/misc/77517/77517.php

http://www.wildwoodguitars.com/electrics/misc/79916/79916.php

 

that last one is cool...'97 LP Ultima

[chongo]

you are absolutely right here mark. its true that the historics after 2006 had the pleked neck

so if we want super precision neck then only the post 2006s are ones to choose.

 

Don't put too much faith in the PLEK process to produce a "super precision neck" on a production guitar that may not find a user for several months after it leaves the factory; it's not bad, certainly, but it doesn't guarantee that by the time you get the guitar the frets will not have moved -- particularly true if the guitar has to live in an air-conditioned guitar showroom (with its relatively low humidity) for any length of time. Nor does it guarantee that you'll be able to take the action down as far as you'd like or that the guitar will not need truss rod adjustments prior to your playing it. Bear this in mind as well; a good setup (including a run on the PLEK) at any one of the places that feature PLEK machines (several in LA, Gary Brawer's in SF, for example) will probably run you around $200 (perhaps less) -- so you can have that same level of fret care on virtually any guitar you own. Remember, too, that any good setup (including one involving the PLEK machine) will change as you use the guitar, and that after as little as six months of moderate use, the advantage of having had the guitar PLEK'd will likely have gone away.

 

It's probably a good idea to educate yourself on what the PLEK process does NOT do (and on what still needs to be done by a competent luthier *after* the PLEK does its job, or during the process itself as recommended by the computer).

[chongo]

you dont have to be so ***** here. we know that we can get the plek treatment anywhere its available and nobody says that anything is perfect or whatever. we just say to everyone here only that the post 2006 models have the pleked neck and the pre 2006 models dont. and for those who want better neck we just suggest to go for the post 2006 models. very general and good yet exact advice right? your info is helpful but we dont need those pushed by you. its probably a bad idea to tell others what to do. only simply helping others are welcome to most of us i believe. anyways the free plekd neck is great so those who want' date=' go for the post 2006 models. good is good!

welleducated joe!

[/quote']

 

 

Didn't mean to whiz in your cornflakes, Joe, nor was I trying to tell anyone else what to do. Gibson is privately admitting that it needs to counter a perception among some customers that their guitars -- even their high end models -- aren't really a quality production for the money.

 

Thus, the PLEK has been employed more as a marketing tool than anything else. Here in Los Angeles, Guitar Center employees will simply state the obvious, that even the factory-PLEK'd guitars frequently need a setup (and sometimes a second check of the fret levels) before they're ready to play. And don't suppose that the PLEK process is "free" -- that's all figured into the cost of production on the guitars by Gibson. You always pay for every bit of Gibson's costs when you buy one of their guitars, and that includes the freebies that go to celebrities and endorsers, the big full-page ads in the guitar mags, the big NAMM displays. All that is factored into the price you pay for a guitar.

 

In the end, since you and I are both putting out helpful and exact advice where we can, it was simply important for me to note that by the time you get the guitar out the door, there's no particular likelihood that a PLEK'd guitar will be any more precise than any other non-PLEK'd guitar. And that it really might not be a good criterion upon which to select a guitar. IMHO, YMMV and all that.