Nicolas Posted August 19, 2021 Share Posted August 19, 2021 Hi, I recently bought a 2003 Custom Shop Les Paul, but I'm completely lost on understanding what model it might be. It looks, feels, and sounds exactly like an R8... but the headstock, the tuning pegs, and the serial don't. Any idea which particular model it could be? Thanks! Here are more pics -> https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1RwEK7dKBWJFE_Jx3js75mHe1nBMGAFFE lpfront.pdf Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdgm Posted August 19, 2021 Share Posted August 19, 2021 https://www.gibson.com/Support/Serial-Number-Search Custom Shop regular production models CSYRRRR CS stands for "Custom Shop" Y indicates the production year RRRR indicates the guitar's place in the sequence of production I think what you have may be an R9 which has had the machine heads changed. Best wishes. 🎸 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nicolas Posted August 19, 2021 Author Share Posted August 19, 2021 Thanks for the response! It's very strange, the weight, the top and the finish is all like an R8, but the headstock has original grover machine heads (which I was told there were not replaced). Also the rod bell is a little bit lower than an R8/R9, and the serial is a CS instead of an 8 or 9. That's why I'm so confused. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NighthawkChris Posted August 20, 2021 Share Posted August 20, 2021 This is definitely not an reissue because you're right, the S/N would have an 8 in front of it if it were an R8. My Custom R7 has the 7 to lead the S/N - from 2003 as well. This is probably some type of Custom Shop Standard where it may have appointments of various historic Gibson LPs; the CS I believe is just Gibson Custom Shop's non-historic guitars. The COA would have been paper from this era as well - again like my R7. Perhaps call Gibson to find out what they have to say about the guitar. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nicolas Posted August 20, 2021 Author Share Posted August 20, 2021 Thank you very much for the response, I think is a Standard CS made to the specs of the R8. That's the closest spec I can think of. Thank you 😄 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JO'C Posted August 23, 2021 Share Posted August 23, 2021 I had a couple of Custom Shop Gibsons from 2003-2004 that I got at an auction and didn't know much about. I sent a pic of the front and back of the headstock along with the serial number to Gibson Customer Service. They told me what they were and that they were ordered by Fuller's in Houston. Not sure if they were ordered for a customer or on spec but back then the Custom Shop would make a guitar with specific features, not necessarily Historic or Reissue, whatever the customer wanted. Ten years ago Customer Service was very helpful. Not so sure nowadays. If they used an R8 body there should be markings as such inside the pickup cavity in the body. Also there should be vintage-style bumble bee capacitors in the wiring harness. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nicolas Posted August 23, 2021 Author Share Posted August 23, 2021 Thank you very very much for replying 😃, I sent the pics to the Gibson Support team, but to be honest I lost my hopes on getting a response from then. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NighthawkChris Posted August 23, 2021 Share Posted August 23, 2021 Wonder if the neck has a long tenon which would be historic spec. Run-of-the-mill Customs have short tenon. Not that either matters, just curious… 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.