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Liam · 11-27-2007, 07:38 PM

OK, updates added. Hope I got them all on there. Many thanks to sewood and kink56. Don't know if anyone else is starting to enjoy the list, but I am. Can we avoid any flames? I'm just going on what seems to be the best information available. This isn't a gospel, it's just a bit of history that will hopefully help people out when they're buying a Historic or Reissue Les Paul.

All proper Historic Gibsons unless noted with **, in which case Gibson USA "reissues"

Sunbursts

Heritage Les Paul introduced 1980 **
Les Paul '59 reissue introduced 1983 **
Les Paul "Flametop" reissue introduced 1991 **
Les Paul '60 reissue introduced 1991 **
Les Paul '58 reissue introduced 1993 - 1995 ("Re-introduced" in 2001 with "less figured" Top)
Les Paul '57 reissue introduced 1984 **
Les Paul '56 reissue introduced 1989 **
Genuine "Custom shop" Historics from late 1993
Les Paul '54 reissue 1997 - 2004
Les Paul '52 reissue introduced 1998 (I know they sold some in 2002, was it the end?)
Nitro cellulose finish
Nickel hardware
Small headstock
Holly veneer headstock
Corrected tuner angle 2003
Correct body binding around cutaway
Correct inlays, 2002 for R9, 2003 for rest of range
Long tenon body/neck join 1993 -
Classic 57 pickups
Burstbuckers 2002
Bumblebee caps 2003
CTS pots 2003
Authentic neck profiles 1992?
Brazilian rosewood fingerboards available ?-2003?
Tops get ridiculously "curly"
"Aged" guitars available from factory
Plain tops available 2001?
VOS 2006
Lightweight tailpiece
Wired ABR1
Non wired ABR1 2002 only

Junior/Special

Les Paul Junior '54 1986-1991 (Not stop-bar) **
Les Paul Junior '58 (DC) 1986-1987 (Not stop-bar) **
Les Paul Special '58 1976-1979 **
Les Paul Special Single cut reissue 1988 - 1998 (Grovers and P100, not stop bar, available HC, TSB or TV yellow, 60s neck) **
Les Paul "Junior" Special 1999? - 2003 ("Green" kluson type, P100s, not stop bar, only available in natural finish. Supposed to be 60s neck but quite chunky.) **
Historic RI Special 1997 (catalog in 1998)
Historic RI Junior 1997 (catalog in 1998)

Custom

Black Beauty '54 Reissue 1991
Black Beauty '57 Reissue 2PU 1991
Black Beauty '57 Reissue 3PU 1991
Custom reissue '68 (still waiting for this...)

Feel free to comment on accuracy - I'm keen for people to argue, less keen for people to fall out....

11-27-2007, 07:38 PM	#19 (permalink)
Liam V.I.P. Member Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Preston, Lancashire, United Kingdom Posts: 1,132 Thanks: 3 Thanked 0 Times in 0 Posts	Re: History of Historics OK, updates added. Hope I got them all on there. Many thanks to sewood and kink56. Don't know if anyone else is starting to enjoy the list, but I am. Can we avoid any flames? I'm just going on what seems to be the best information available. This isn't a gospel, it's just a bit of history that will hopefully help people out when they're buying a Historic or Reissue Les Paul. All proper Historic Gibsons unless noted with , in which case Gibson USA "reissues" Sunbursts Heritage Les Paul introduced 1980 Les Paul '59 reissue introduced 1983 Les Paul "Flametop" reissue introduced 1991 Les Paul '60 reissue introduced 1991 Les Paul '58 reissue introduced 1993 - 1995 ("Re-introduced" in 2001 with "less figured" Top) Les Paul '57 reissue introduced 1984 Les Paul '56 reissue introduced 1989 Genuine "Custom shop" Historics from late 1993 Les Paul '54 reissue 1997 - 2004 Les Paul '52 reissue introduced 1998 (I know they sold some in 2002, was it the end?) Nitro cellulose finish Nickel hardware Small headstock Holly veneer headstock Corrected tuner angle 2003 Correct body binding around cutaway Correct inlays, 2002 for R9, 2003 for rest of range Long tenon body/neck join 1993 - Classic 57 pickups Burstbuckers 2002 Bumblebee caps 2003 CTS pots 2003 Authentic neck profiles 1992? Brazilian rosewood fingerboards available ?-2003? Tops get ridiculously "curly" "Aged" guitars available from factory Plain tops available 2001? VOS 2006 Lightweight tailpiece Wired ABR1 Non wired ABR1 2002 only Junior/Special Les Paul Junior '54 1986-1991 (Not stop-bar) Les Paul Junior '58 (DC) 1986-1987 (Not stop-bar) Les Paul Special '58 1976-1979 Les Paul Special Single cut reissue 1988 - 1998 (Grovers and P100, not stop bar, available HC, TSB or TV yellow, 60s neck) Les Paul "Junior" Special 1999? - 2003 ("Green" kluson type, P100s, not stop bar, only available in natural finish. Supposed to be 60s neck but quite chunky.) Historic RI Special 1997 (catalog in 1998) Historic RI Junior 1997 (catalog in 1998) Custom Black Beauty '54 Reissue 1991 Black Beauty '57 Reissue 2PU 1991 Black Beauty '57 Reissue 3PU 1991 Custom reissue '68 (still waiting for this...) Feel free to comment on accuracy - I'm keen for people to argue, less keen for people to fall out....