More info on early 90's R9 wanted

[marrattable]

I bought this custom shop '59 years ago, in uk but came with no documentation. All I know is that it's awesome to play, sounds really dirty and was made in the [early ?] 90s, ink stamped serial number 9 5101.[Can't find anything on this number].Its most stunning feature is the tiger flame top.
Love to know more about it from you clever folk out there. What pickups are they, is it reckoned to be a good era for custom shop production, I find it as good as my VOS pearly gates.

[Barber]

Well, the top in inkeeping with mid 90's ! and the number suggests 1995 !

If that is correct, and it is unmodified, you will have Gibson 57' classic pickups in there, which will have the Patent applied for sticker on the underside of them, another thing to check would be the capacitors in the control cavity, i would think they would be small brown ceramic discs...

any better pictures of the inlays and the back of the headstock? from what i can see, the inlays are also consistent for 95' ,

People pay big (very big) bucks for those kinda tops from those kinda years

[scooter]

Damb! Thats a beauty! 1995 R-9 with a killer top! This is a keeper for sure! Ninetys Historics are very sought after..... I'll bet ya you'll have people here lining up for this one!

[marrattable]

Thanks so much for your excellent reply. Will try to take more photos tomorrow, here's a few I already have , including one next to the pearly.
Sorry about crappy photos , you should see the ones I rejected!

[scooter]

I would say that 95 is a pre-pearly! The coloring and fading look very close. Thanks for sharing with us.

[prs97]

WOW! gorgeous R9!

[pinefd]

Yep, 1995...and it's a beauty!


Frank

[marrattable]

How cool to hear from you all. Few more pics as requested, to show head and neck.
Any rough idea how much it may be worth, I paid a fair wad for it and may sell it one day, as business not so good.
I was told it never came with any documentation, is that true? All I have is a nice battered brown gibson case, with no logo.It is pink lined, with pink cover cloth, 4 brass buckles and a lock.

[RossingtonLP]

Very Nice............

PM me with a price and we can talk.........

Max

[Lespaul59]

Of all of the Les Pauls I've owned, the '95 R9 is the best sounding one of the bunch. I did upgrade the pickups and electronics. Here's mine:

[Barber]

Originally Posted by marrattable

How cool to hear from you all. Few more pics as requested, to show head and neck.
Any rough idea how much it may be worth, I paid a fair wad for it and may sell it one day, as business not so good.
I was told it never came with any documentation, is that true? All I have is a nice battered brown gibson case, with no logo.It is pink lined, with pink cover cloth, 4 brass buckles and a lock.

All appears to be original in the control cavity -

They didn't come with any documentation - that is true

the case is correct also.



With regards value, it is a niche market, prices can be all over the place i think and really depends if the right buyer is out there - maybe frank (pinefd) can tell you more.... ? Last time I enquired about buying one it was out of my price range !

[Lespaul59]

Originally Posted by marrattable

Any rough idea how much it may be worth, I paid a fair wad for it and may sell it one day, as business not so good.

Recently, I've seen '95 R9s in mint condition go for $6,000-7,500

Here's one that was sold not so long ago for $7,500:
1959 LES PAUL GIBSON HISTORIC R9 MADE IN EARLY 1995

[ctkarslake]

How cool that the one that sold is just 7 guitars away from the OPs guitar. Plus the fact that Gibson didn't make that many back then (like what, a couple hundred a year?). Not like today when they pump out over 1000 per year for each reissue year! Not a wonder these command a premium with those tops and low production numbers. They probably spent a lot more time on each one as well. Absolutely beautiful! Hang on to it if you can.

[pinefd]

Originally Posted by Lespaul59

Recently, I've seen '95 R9s in mint condition go for $6,000-7,500

Here's one that was sold not so long ago for $7,500:
1959 LES PAUL GIBSON HISTORIC R9 MADE IN EARLY 1995

For the record...$7500 was the listed price. We don't know what it actually sold for...unless you know that as fact.


Frank

[Lespaul59]

Originally Posted by pinefd

For the record...$7500 was the listed price. We don't know what it actually sold for...unless you know that as fact.

Frank

I'd called them about that one before it was listed as 'sold', and I was told that they had sold it for the amount listed.

That being said, it is the highest price I have seen for one. I would pay that for a '94 Murphy but not for a '95 (unless it had an absolutely crazy top).

[Lespaul59]

Originally Posted by ctkarslake

Plus the fact that Gibson didn't make that many back then (like what, a couple hundred a year?).

Gibson produced 550 R9s in 1995.

[Liam]

Originally Posted by marrattable

How cool to hear from you all. Few more pics as requested, to show head and neck.
Any rough idea how much it may be worth, I paid a fair wad for it and may sell it one day, as business not so good.

You don't see many in the UK from that era (thank you Rosetti) as they were really expensive. However I'll bet you've not lost any money on it. To the right buyer a '95 R9 will go for a real premium, probably between £3000 and £4000 in good condition, but the market is a bit weird at the moment.

Liam

[Barber]

The market is a bit strange, but I was talking to a member here, who I won't disclose too much about for the sake of privacy -
but he had been offered and turned down, a fair bit more than that...

[Liam]

Got to agree, to the right buyer it could be more, but '93 and '94 are the big years for silly money.

Liam

[rumbling_groover]

In the '90s the Historic Reissues were limited production. Very much like the artist series guitars are today.

The custom shop wasn't a separate facility, it was born out of the artist guitar programme, building custom guitars to artist requirements.

The guitars of the '90s have a truly handmade feel. In 1995 your R9 was the best you could get.

The mid to late '90s custom shop guitars are very highly regarded.

[flameburst]

My '97 came with a bit of case candy...



and a nice case...

[pinefd]

Originally Posted by Lespaul59

I'd called them about that one before it was listed as 'sold', and I was told that they had sold it for the amount listed.

Well, I hate to say it, but I'm not sure I'd trust...or believe anything that those guys have to say.

That said, there have been some monster top guitars from the mid '90s that have sold recently in the low 5 figures. So, anything's possible.


Frank

[scooter]

Originally Posted by pinefd

Well, I hate to say it, but I'm not sure I'd trust...or believe anything that those guys have to say.

That said, there have been some monster top guitars from the mid '90s that have sold recently in the low 5 figures. So, anything's possible.


Frank

I didnt want to say it, But I agree 100 percent!

[Lespaul59]

Originally Posted by pinefd

Well, I hate to say it, but I'm not sure I'd trust...or believe anything that those guys have to say.

That said, there have been some monster top guitars from the mid '90s that have sold recently in the low 5 figures. So, anything's possible.


Frank

+1

I agree with you Frank as it would make sense for some of the stores to try to bring the market back up.

[vds5000]

With all this talk of 90's R9's, how do pre '93 R9's rank? The ones I've seen (including my '92) seem to have tops that are (no pun intended) 'over the top'.

[delawaregold]

Originally Posted by Lespaul59

Gibson produced 550 R9s in 1995.

May I ask how you know this?

[Lespaul59]

Originally Posted by delawaregold

May I ask how you know this?

This has been known for a while on the other forum. Figures were obtained from Gibson by prominent members of the forum.

350 R9s in 1994 (first 200 painted by Tom Murphy)
550 R9s in 1995
550 R9s in 1996

[shtdaprdtr]

so now one day in like 20 years...are 90's reissues gonna fetch stupid prices cause they used the best woods old growth from whenever and were gonna try to replicate the 90's creme rings and ceramic caps blah blah blah

[shtdaprdtr]

beautiful guitar

[Liam]

Originally Posted by shtdaprdtr

so now one day in like 20 years...are 90's reissues gonna fetch stupid prices cause they used the best woods old growth from whenever and were gonna try to replicate the 90's creme rings and ceramic caps blah blah blah

The early historics will be the most desirable. Already heading that way. I don't suppose they'll go as silly as Sunburst 50's Standards, but they are rare, they are great guitars, collectors already want them.

Liam