Are All or Most Reissues Great LPs?

[Socrates]

I own a 2019 50s standard GT that I bought online last fall which I love...and it is also the only LP I have ever owned.

Been thinking of buying another LP but thinking about a reissue like an R0 or R8 in a burst of some flavor...either new or a used one in great condition.

Wondering how risky it is to buy a custom shop guitar without actually playing it first. Have any of you ever come across a bad playing/sounding reissue? Or is the odds of one like that coming out of the custom shop very low?

I know it is best to play the guitar first clearly...its just that in my case I live on a small island in the Caribbean (no guitar store or luthier) and would cost me at least $2k to fly into the US (air,hotel,car etc) to play some...so i have to factor this into my thinking.

I took a chance last year on the GT and it is perfect ...just wondering if i am rolling the dice with a reissue?

Any advice appreciated

 

[jenton70]

I've had over 140 of them and as embarrassing as that is, I can speak to their consistency. Like anything, there is a bell-curve. In this case most of them are really nice guitars. There is a small percentage of absolutely great ones and a small percentage of duds. The duds I've seen are still playable guitars. They just lack something the others have.

I think you stand a great chance of getting a very good LP, even sight unseen.

 

[Socrates]

I've had over 140 of them and as embarrassing as that is, I can speak to their consistency. Like anything, there is a bell-curve. In this case most of them are really nice guitars. There is a small percentage of absolutely great ones and a small percentage of duds. The duds I've seen are still playable guitars. They just lack something the others have.

I think you stand a great chance of getting a very good LP, even sight unseen.

Wow 140!!...you have played a lot of them...and here i am worrying about 1 LOL...thanks for your insight...good to know

 

[Blue Blood]

Yep.
Most of mine were excellent, one was ok. Only one turd.

 

[lunchbox]

I’ve played a bunch and owned a couple. They’re really nice, but as with all guitars, some are better than others. I’ve played USA line Gibsons that felt better than CS’s.

And, surprisingly, the bar-none best playing guitar that I’ve ever picked up was a 2005 Epi LP Custom that had been completely gone through. The string height was super low, it was perfectly intonated, and there was 0 buzz. I never should have sold it.

 

[SI49]

The best guitars I’ve played all had one thing in common: the heel of the neck vibrates equally with the rest of the body. Set neck, or bolt-on. Doesn’t matter. Although I will say that for some guitars, this only happens after it’s broken-in.

 

[Socrates]

Interesting positive feedback...appreciate it

 

[Sct13]

I had a few that were "not to my liking" for one reason or another....I just played my new one for about 45 minutes....I am looking for flaws....

140 ….jeeze get help man.....

 

[jenton70]

I had a few that were "not to my liking" for one reason or another....I just played my new one for about 45 minutes....I am looking for flaws....

140 ….jeeze get help man.....

Well to be honest that master list includes some other ones too and goes back to 2010. But I’m just splitting hairs in my own defensenow

 

[ARandall]

Whilst I'd guess not many worldwide would have the experience already shown here, an additional note is that each person has their own likes. So a guitar declared a 'shocker' by someone else may well be the very one that ticks every single box for you.
Its all about going out and trying guitars and finding that special one (or 140)

 

[Herb Utsmelz]

I've had maybe 3 dozen Gibsons (vintage or Custom shop) in my "career". Reissues are fairly safe to buy unseen. I've only had two that stand out as duds, one was new and one was used. Each had something structural going on. But as far as tone, I've been able to modify them to my liking if necessary. And then there's been others that have been good for me without turning a screw. Overall, I'd bet that you'll be fine shopping online.

 

[GearHo]

Buy a used goldtop, it won't break the bank, you can easily flip it if you like.

Don't buy into one year being superior to another, that's bunk.

One guitar is different than another either way, and Gibson has made consistently good guitars in all years of the historic line

2500 should get you a decent historic if you look around. There is a killer r8 in the classifieds for 2750 , so you can see with patience you will find what you are looking for

 

[PierM]

140 ….jeeze get help man.....

There is people over here with 400/500 reissues, or at least this is what they say.

 

[1allspub]

I’ve owned 4 R8s (just a 136 to go! LOL!)... 2 2014s, a 2016, and a 2018. All bought online (which is something I don’t like to do, especially with with Gibson USA guitars, but I digress).

All are/were very good. Is/was there a pecking order?... of course. But even my least favorite sounding of the 4 (which BTW, was visually stunning) was still quite good... it’s just that the others were even better. I think it‘s just more likely to get a Custom Shop in that solid area of the bell curve (as @jenton70 put it) than with a USA model, so your odds are definitely better. Just be sure to buy from a place with a good return policy on the off chance you do get a dud. Good luck!

 

[Thundermtn]

Only came across two turd/duds since i started playing them. The bell curve is spot on, make sure you can return it though as it's too much $ if it shows up and isn't your flavour.

Most can get setup and micro adjusted into a really amazing guitar. A stiff neck that is the right size for your hand is the starting point, the rest you can fix yourself.

 

[Mike J.]

Usually, I would say „you’re crazy, man!“, but I remember you explaining your logistical dilemma in an older post.

This given and given the fact that I have played many many CS reissues, I’d say you’ll be pretty safe getting a good guitar. I haven’t played one reissue that wasn’t a great guitar.

Get in touch with a dealer that is willing to do you a favor and personally pick a nice one for you, after you have explained what you are looking for.

Does it have to be an American dealer though? I know that Thomann is offering awesome service and I’m quite sure that you can talk to them and they will pick something from the showroom for you, if you explain your situation.

Good luck and hopefully you’ll soon be enjoying a wonderful CS LP.

 

[Pageburst]

I’ve found the recent Historics to be consistently outstanding. Playability, depth and nuance of tone are as good as any Les Paul new or vintage I’ve put my hands on.

The one or two I’ve encountered that weren’t as great out of the box plugged in, still sounded great acoustically and with a setup, new pots and pickups, they truly shined. I’d have no fear buying a recent Historic online.

 

[Socrates]

Thanks so much guys....now I pretty fired up to get a reissue ....the R8 for $2750 in the classifieds does look pretty sweet

 

[jenton70]

Thanks so much guys....now I pretty fired up to get a reissue ....the R8 for $2750 in the classifieds does look pretty sweet

That's a sweet price and the perfect jumping off point for historics.

 

[PauloQS]

I’m not anywhere near 140, but I’ve played my fair share. I found that although I might like one better among a batch, I’ve always found something to like about the ones that I’ve tried. I’ve been lucky to never have come across a dud.

For instance, I’ve tried two R0s back to back. One was new and was a Guitar Center exclusive, a G0, the other was a regular used R0. Although the regular R0 was prettier and a phenomenal guitar, I just liked the sound and comfort of the G0 a bit better.

They are generally beautiful guitars that play and sound awesome. Were I in your shoes, I’d take the gamble. A used one would allow you to recover your cost completely if you didn’t like it. And although the newer ones aren’t necessarily better than older models, I find that the consistency has improved over the years. You can still find ones that are just okay, but those are very far in between.