is 2002 a good year for a gibson lp

[dorrus]

I want to buy me a Gibson les paul Custom black beauty from 2003
They seam to make them in the custom shop since 2004.
Is there a big difference in quality with the pre-custom shop black beauties?
Are 2002/2003 lp's chambered or wieght reduced?
What are 'bad' les paul years ( if there are such years?)
greatings
Dorrus

[dwagar]

I don't believe there are 'bad' years. Some things have changed over the years, but there are great Gibsons from every year.

[plecoman]

02-04 from My personal experience are not so good years. They went funny and lots of LPs had real bad finishes, badly applied binding, cracked paint jobs etc.. However, if you find a good one there is no reason not to get it. I think the way is to becareful. If its an Internet buy, with limited not so detailed pics from these years, I'd think twice.

03 Lp custom is not chambered. You would need to ask an expert if the 04 custom shop ones are better. To me, No, not at all, I highly doubt Gibson produces though in their CS, they just put them in Custom shop cases, and Charge X amount more... All a marketing scam if you ask me. I cannot see/hear/feel any notable imporvement.

[LoKi]

All Les Pauls after 1983 have weight relief holes in em. Looks like swiss cheese holes under an xray.

Not a big deal, not a lot of wood missing.

06-07 Standards and most production models are full blown chambered guitars.

[Axeman16]

Originally Posted by dwagar

I don't believe there are 'bad' years. Some things have changed over the years, but there are great Gibsons from every year.

+1.

[scozz]

Originally Posted by dwagar

I don't believe there are 'bad' years. Some things have changed over the years, but there are great Gibsons from every year.

+1,,,,,,,,,,This is absoulutely true. As far as CS guitars go, I have not seen a hugh difference. A good regular production LP works fine for me.

[Blues Power]

my 02 STD is absolutly fine. im not crazy about the BB1's but thats my own thing. mine is weight releaved. the finish is near perfect and so is the binding soldering and everything else i can find on it.

the only flaw i can find is that the German nickle turns black and is hard to keep shiny. there is a tranish prob in that dept.

my case came with a small chip near the latch. lol does that count for quality control....i doubt it. it could have happened onthe way home for all i know.

speaking of cases, theyre not the best or strongest ones out tthere. if you gig regularly id rec upgrading that

[decoy205]

They still had brazillian boards in '02 right?

[LongBeach]

My 02 Classic is an outstanding axe.
the b in Gibson on the headstock has a wierd dis-color /dark spot
that runs diagnol and almost makes that part of the letter look like
it's been cut-out from a distance. But it also makes it unique! that's the
way I look at it anyway.

Customs have ebony boards. Why settle for a Custom shop Black Beauty? Why not a R7 Custom RI?

[Mike60]

if you are looking for a Historic Custom ,I suggest an '06 or an '07,in either the '57 RI(humbuckers) or the R4(alnico & P-90).You will be sure of getting a long tenon and also in the last couple of years Gibby is putting out ,on the average,a lighter weight Custom than previous years...