REPLICA LP's

[billy]

Who makes really good replica les pauls now, where can i get one from?

[Mike60]

Gibson.They still make Les Pauls...

[billy]

True, and i'm very happy with my Gibson reissues i think they are outstanding guitars, especially when you find "the one" for you. But i'm looking into and very interested in the replicas made to EXACT 50's spec down to the finest detail, they don't have the $250,000 pricetag or whatever the originals cost now, like most people i will never be able to afford one. A replica or a conversion seems to be the next best thing. Its just there seems to be very little info on replicas, who makes them, cost etc...

[decoy205]

There's little info about them because its not really a thing that the big "G" likes too much. There are many custom builders around you have to just look to find them and they can build you what you want.

Check classifieds here too.

[dwagar]

I think one of the best options available today is Historic Makeovers. Find the best R9/R0 you can and ship it to them.

Replicas do come up for sale, but you didn't specify what price range you are looking at? There was a GC for sale a couple of months ago in Toronto (I think it was) for about $6K, there was a Max on here for, I think $15K.

Conversions are a good option, depending on the original parts, maybe you can find a good one in the $20-25 range (or less if stripped of parts).

[BurstintoFlames]

So whats not EXACT about the Historics? What are people doing in these conversions?

[BOBBO]

Originally Posted by BurstintoFlames

So whats not EXACT about the Historics? What are people doing in these conversions?

Ohhh Grasshopper , You have so much to learn !!!

[RCCola]

Originally Posted by BurstintoFlames

So whats not EXACT about the Historics? What are people doing in these conversions?

You'd be better off asking what IS exact about the Historics...much shorter list.

If you read this thread:

http://www.mylespaul.com/forums/vint...-historic.html

You'll get some insight.

[jomo]

Originally Posted by RCCola

You'd be better off asking what IS exact about the Historics...much shorter list.

If you read this thread:

http://www.mylespaul.com/forums/vint...-historic.html

You'll get some insight.

That thread is awesome, I'll be reading it for days now. Thanks

[BOBBO]

Originally Posted by BurstintoFlames

So whats not EXACT about the Historics? What are people doing in these conversions?

OK.. Here are just the major issues between Historics and Bursts ...Because my fingers are a bit achey !!! Anyway , To start off the tailpiece bridge & knobs aren't in their exact vintage locations ! Lots of differences in the woods used ! Brazilian rosewood back then and Indian rosewood used now ! Differrent metals used in some of the hardware than originaly used ! Top carve not deep enough ! Pickups nowhere near what a PAF was ! Fake Bumblebee caps ! Wrong pots ! None of the plastic is the right color or is true to vintage spec ! etc etc etc !!!! But Historics still rock !! Their just not as accurate to vintage specs as some of the detail obsessed here my like !!!

[Liam]

Is there anything on the current historic les pauls that's exactly right? I'm trying to think of a part that is just perfect. Potentiometers? Back section of the body probably isn't too far off?

There are quite a few nice replicas out there for not too much money, but like decoy205 says, the builders tend not to advertise them. Some won't even offer them for sale unless they know the customer fairly well.

Liam

[BOBBO]

Originally Posted by Liam

Is there anything on the current historic les pauls that's exactly right? I'm trying to think of a part that is just perfect. Potentiometers? Back section of the body probably isn't too far off?

There are quite a few nice replicas out there for not too much money, but like decoy205 says, the builders tend not to advertise them. Some won't even offer them for sale unless they know the customer fairly well.

Liam

Pots are wrong too !!! Their linear instead of audio taper !!! I guess the closest to getting anything right on the Historics is maybe the tenon !!!

[Liam]

Originally Posted by BOBBO

Pots are wrong too !!! Their linear instead of audio taper !!! I guess the closest to getting anything right on the Historics is maybe the tenon !!!

Just thought of something. Headstock veneers. They look fairly good nowadays. So, keep the tenon and the headstock veneer, possibly the back part of the body. Then get everything else changed to HM, VC, DMC, get the neck reshaped, new top carved with correct shape and control knob holes in the right place, correct looking finish and binding....

Replicas start to look more attractive by the minute!

[decoy205]

Originally Posted by Liam

Just thought of something. Headstock veneers. They look fairly good nowadays. So, keep the tenon and the headstock veneer, possibly the back part of the body. Then get everything else changed to HM, VC, DMC, get the neck reshaped, new top carved with correct shape and control knob holes in the right place, correct looking finish and binding....

Replicas start to look more attractive by the minute!

The more info i get on this subject the more i think wow why does Gibson bother calling them reissues there's almost nothing original about them.

Oh well. I've seen some really great replica guitars that are very passable for the real thing. I wish i could afford one.

[sapi]

Bobbo: about the top carve, as i've been told elsewhere and from what you can see on TBOTB, i think at least '07 R9's are pretty there, i had a photo of my R9 showing exactly that smear of light as you can see on TBOTB on the side of several top carves, but i deleted it. On the top pic here it's just visible.
Probably the Bursts varied too and were not so consistent.
Best,
jo

[BurstintoFlames]

So why didnt Gibson just do it right??? All these big companies (Marshall, Fender, Gibson) they all do the same old crap to get you to pay top dollar for Vintage reproductions that arent even close to what they say they are. You can find 100% Marshall Clones (Metro, im building a JTM-45), you can find 100% strats (Nash), but not 100% accurate Gibbys. Yes, I do beleive that the Historics are still great, but why not make them like they say?

[Big John]

Originally Posted by BOBBO

OK.. Here are just the major issues between Historics and Bursts ...Because my fingers are a bit achey !!! Anyway , To start off the tailpiece bridge & knobs aren't in their exact vintage locations ! Lots of differences in the woods used ! Brazilian rosewood back then and Indian rosewood used now ! Differrent metals used in some of the hardware than originaly used ! Top carve not deep enough ! Pickups nowhere near what a PAF was ! Fake Bumblebee caps ! Wrong pots ! None of the plastic is the right color or is true to vintage spec ! etc etc etc !!!! But Historics still rock !! Their just not as accurate to vintage specs as some of the detail obsessed here my like !!!

Don't forget the hide glue, which Gibson hasn't used for years.

[RCCola]

Originally Posted by BurstintoFlames

So why didnt Gibson just do it right???

I don't think they have any incentive to make the R9 more historically accurate. I think we'd all agree Gibson has no problem selling the R9 as it is. If Gibson wanted to change the R9 in any way, including making it more historically accurate, that would cost time and money. Then, they could either keep the R9 prices the same for customer goodwill (no way they'd ever do that) or they would have to increase the price of the R9. The latter would have people crying foul and they'd just introduce a new set of unhappy customers. Alternatively, Gibson could release a more elite version of the R9 but then that would just point out the flaws with the 'normal' R9 and then they would have two manufacturing processes and set of parts for two versions of the R9...

As it is, they're probably making the R9 the way it is now because they can share a lot of machinery, manufacturing processes, and parts with other Gibson models.

My 2 cents.

[Big John]

Originally Posted by RCCola

...As it is, they're probably making the R9 the way it is now because they can share a lot of machinery, manufacturing processes, and parts with other Gibson models...

Buy this man cigar. I think if the real truth was ever to be let out about the actual production cost comparison between a historic model and a standard line model, civil war would ensue.

Accurate to which particular example of a vintage 1959 Les Paul, as there are no two alike in any respect? But I understand what you mean. There is certainly no ONE accurate top carve!!

[dkirwan]

Originally Posted by sapi

Bobbo: about the top carve, as i've been told elsewhere and from what you can see on TBOTB, i think at least '07 R9's are pretty there, i had a photo of my R9 showing exactly that smear of light as you can see on TBOTB on the side of several top carves, but i deleted it. On the top pic here it's just visible.
Probably the Bursts varied too and were not so consistent.
Best,
jo

That is frickin' beautiful!!!! Screw the replicas!!!

[ledfree]

Originally Posted by Big John

Don't forget the hide glue, which Gibson hasn't used for years.

Also they don't/not allowed to use real nitro finnish.

[Liam]

Originally Posted by dkirwan

That is frickin' beautiful!!!! Screw the replicas!!!

It is beautiful, but I don't think that makes the replicas worthless. I'm glad that both are available. I really love my Historic R9. Doesn't mean I won't buy a replica to go with it one day.

Liam

[dwagar]

Originally Posted by ledfree

Also they don't/not allowed to use real nitro finnish.

sure they do. As I understand it, there's more plasticizer in it than in the 50s to stop the fade from UV.

I think a lot of the differences stem from mass production. Titebond is easier and I assume faster to use than hide glue, but that also adds the truss rod condom. We all know about Braz, old growth honduran mahogany etc.

Minuscule details, like we get into on the forums, don't matter a bit to 99.9% of the players out there. I think an R9 or an R0 is close enough.

If you want to get closer, ship it to HM. For under $3K, your Rx will be a lot closer to vintage spec. Braz board with hide glue, 50's style truss rod with no condom, best inlays around IMO, reshape the neck, old school finish, with or without fading and checking.

Replace the plastics etc if it really matters to you. There's no such thing as the ultimate PAF, so good boutique pups get you there. Replace the caps maybe, that doesn't cost much.

IMO the biggest problem with a replica or with a conversion is resale. If your replica isn't made by one of the top 3 or 4 guys, it's really hard to get the value back. Same with conversions. A lot of the value tags on who did the conversion.

[decoy205]

All very valid points Dwagar. For me i would want my Reissue or Replica to be as accurate as possible to play I never really sold any guitar that i've owned. Most of them aren't worth all that much but they all have some sentimental value to me.

When I can afford it i'm going to try and get the most accurate Les Paul as faithful to the originals as i can. whether its getting an R9 and doing a historic makeover or getting a hand made replica.

[sapi]

+1 Don.

[Big John]

I agree with dwagar; it all depends on who does the work. I'm lucky enough to know "the list", but you won't get anything out of me.

[sapi]

LOL Big John: I won't ask!
Mine is at HM. I miss my babeee ;-)

jo

[Joeydego]

I for one DONT know the difference down to minute detail, but one thing is for sure. My R7 and G0 sound, look, and play great. I can see wanting one as close as possible, but even if the Rx's arent even close, they sure are GREAT guitars.

[cryptozoo]

Question -- I know HM uses hide glue when they lay down the Brazillian board, but weren't all the pieces of orginal LPs joined using hide glue? I'd think it would make just as much (if not more) of a tonal difference using hide glue to join the mohogany back and maple cap as it would on the fret board.