First Reissue

[ufboy73]

Guys,

 

I am seriously contemplating making my first jump into the Reissue pool. I have spent most of my time playing and learning about differences in Fender vintages so I could use all the help I can get!

 

I am thinking of a '60 reissue because of the slimmer neck profile - my hand is certainly not very large (not necessarily really small but definitely not large) so I think this might work best for me. I have a couple of questions though:

 

1) Other than the physical appearance is there any difference between a gloss and VOS finish? for example, in FenderLand, the relic finishes are very very thin and some believe this has a noticeable impact on the tone of the guitar. Is the VOS thinner than the gloss or are there other differences that lead to differences in tone?

 

how about any differences in playability between the VOS and gloss?

 

2) other than my recognized consideration of neck profiles, are there any other differences across the r7, r8, r9, r0 reissues in terms of tone or playability?

 

3) I can't help but have a tiny nagging attraction to the r7. I really like the cherry burst but i also really like the goldtop and i cant help but feeling that the really classic les paul is meant to have the thickish, meaty neck found on the r7 and r8....what do you guys think?

 

4) finally, i know its personal but i'd be interested in your guys personal opinions of the value prop. of these reissues. I mean, clearly they are substantially more than les paul std and in some cases (i.e. r9 and r0) more than LP Customs. So, for those of you that have spent time with the reissues, was it worth it? any regrets?

 

thanks for any and all help.

[ibis]

1 If anything VOS is thicker; its an extra layer of chemical crudge but I wouldn't say it makes a difference on tone. The lacquer on reissues is very thin anyhow. No difference in playability, I have a gloss R7 but the VOS instruments I've played didn't have any extra VOS finish on the neck.

2 Now there's a subject that could ignite. Some say that the R7 and R8 have the meatiest tone due to the fat necks. Some say the very best tonewoods are used for the R9. Some say that every guitar in the reissue series is unique, its a matter of playing as many as you can and if you find one that speaks TO YOU, then buy it!

3 R7 Goldtops are cool, I own one. You'd better try one before you buy as the necks are CHUNKY (but very playable imo), a whole world away from the R0's. My R7 has an immense tone, which I have a feeling is due to the neck, but without having an entire harem of reissues to compare, I guess I'll never know. I'm happy with mine. As I said find one that was looking for you to be its owner! Goldtops are good value and still have the mystique that a good flame top has without having to try. Everyone judges a flametop (mine's better than yours etc), but goldtops are cool full stop!

4 Worth it? Yup, they are entirely different from any production LP that I've ever played/owned. I was LP-less, having sold my 2004 Std, thinking that they really weren't for me any more when I found my R7. Its much lighter that the Std and its tone is immense. The Std never really did it for me. We didn't bond. You should try and get your hands on some, you'll soon appreciate the difference. Then its a matter of personal finance.

 

Good luck

[Flamed Froggy]

Hi ufboy73,

 

1) It's just a point of view. When I bought my R9 I told to myself : "We are in 1959 and I get a Les Paul". So it's normal that's glossy. VOS finish means that you are in 2009 and you have found an old guitar which belonged to another guy before. As for tone I'm not sure that there's an impact. If you choose VOS finish, becareful when you clean your guitar because I was told that VOS finish turns to gloss finish if you clean it too hard.

 

2) I have small hands too, and I think R9 neck profile is enough. By the way, I have some troubles to play few songs so becareful, maybe R8 will be too thick for you. But the more you have wood the more you have sustain, so...

 

3) In the point number 1 you seem to be anxious about thickness of finish, you think that it can have an impact on tone. I think (I'm not sure) that Gold finish is thicker than Burst finish because it has to hide the wood. So, if you wanna have a thin finish, choose a burst one. In another hand, I don't understand what is a "Really Classic Les Paul" because first models are from 1952, so do you want a R2 ? If you want a thick neck and a busrt finish you should buy a R8.

 

4) If you "jump into the Reissue pool" you will realize what is a real good guitar. Modern solid body guitars can have a good sound but it's only thanks to pickups. Play a Reissue unplugged and you will see how much it sounds great. I have a LP Custom, I love it, but unplugged the best one is my R9. As for price, I bought my R9 in 2000 when it was very expensive so I think I spent too much money for it therefore, I have a small regret because of that, I should have waited. Nowadays prices are lower and I think it's a good time to buy a Reissue.

[Wondo]

I own two R0s about to get a third some time this year. They are great guitars. Does neck thickness affect tone? In my opinion, I say not really and I have played R9s and R8s and R7s and I really just think it depends on the wood of that particular guitar. If anything the 60 neck will suffer more from moving around with weather changes than the other models because of the thinner neck. One of the R0s I have has a fairly good size neck as far as R0s go. To me it feels just slightly thinner than an R9. But, the other R0 I have definately has the more traditional thinner profile. So, it really depends on the guitar. Some R0 necks are different from one another. As far as tone, the R0 with the larger neck also weighs 9.5 lbs. It is a tone monster. It is thick and very punchy. It has a very aggressive tone. The other one I have weigns 8.8 lbs and is a bit more resonant and chimey. They all have their own personality. Good luck, but whatever you do, since you are undecided, you better play a few before buying one sight unseen.

[ufboy73]

hey - thanks a lot guys.

 

things have gotten a little more confusing for me after trying out a few guitars. I really took to a '57 goldtop, '60 burst and a harrison model les paul that i was able to try. they were all desireable in their own way...but i would probably pick the '57 over the '60 (out of these specific guitars that i tried) it just had something about it. the neck was obviously huge compared to the '60 but there was still something just comforting and 'solid' about it.

 

What i am really confused about is the '57 vs the harrison. the '57 played better but the harrison had all the intangible mojo associated with it (look, history, collector aspect)...it wasn't a 'bad' player at all just not quite as nice as the '57. has anyone ever struglled with the same type of dilemna? its sort of like, do you just take the player or do you factor in the desirability of wanting a specific model for reasons other than solely playability...and if so, how do you work out what's really important to you.

 

clearly, long run, i need both!!