Are R8's as Good as R9's ???

[mplecha]

I've never played an R9. It's hard enough trying to find any lefty historics. I can't imagine a guitar playing any better than my R8, though. It has a nice plain top and a thick neck I can't keep my hands off of. If I was to buy another historic (which I probably will), I would more than likely try to find an R7. I love the baseball bat neck, and you can't go wrong with a goldtop. I like flame, but some of the R9s I've seen here are a little too much for me (very pretty, but a little too flashy for my taste)

 

[jwinger]

Yeah, British humour is a thing all unto itself and I know many Americans don't get it from previous visits to the States. It's very dry and ironic humour, almost verging on sarcasm.
The amazing thing though, is that Americans love Benny Hill..
Benny Hill went out of vogue in the UK way back in the late 70's. The slapstick thing never ever took off again after Python and it killed it for comedians like Benny Hill over here. The Brits far prefered the zany often sarcastic humour of Python. English humour is very subtle with hidden inuendos, double entendre's and sarcasm. A sort of studied insult rather than blatently swearing at someone.
Observing the members of the LPF over the years I have noticed that a typical response of an American say to an insult, would be to perhaps reply with an insult, showing that are angry.
The British on the other hand with the old stiff upper lip thing are far less likely to show that you have upset them and will respond with something that will make other people laugh at the person who upset them.
A typical Brit response to someone who may have upset them would be to not show anger in response, but to reply with something like. " What's on your mind if you'll pardon the overstatement. " Or " You must have a sixth sense Sir, because their is certainly no sign of the other five"
Probably the nearest thing in American humour to British humour is Jewish NY humour like Jackie Mason. ( Borscht belt humour ).

HOW ABOUT THESE CLASSICS!!

YouTube - Monty Python - SPAM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jNBNqUdqm1E&feature=related

oh and i think r8s are just as good as r9s

 

[guitarstan]

The Gibson Custom Shop web site states the R9 frets are wider and fatter enabling more dramatic bending than R8's.

Can anyone speak to this? I haven't noticed but I will check it out next time I get a chance.

 

[Tim Plains]

The Gibson Custom Shop web site states the R9 frets are wider and fatter enabling more dramatic bending than R8's.

Can anyone speak to this? I haven't noticed but I will check it out next time I get a chance.

I read that too, but I think they are the same on all reissues.

 

[BOBBO]

Sybil is an 05 R8 and when I go to my local music store I always play a bit on the new Historics he gets into the shop and I don't feel any difference in fret size between my 05 R8 and the 08 R9's !!! The neck sizes are pretty close too !!!

 

[mplecha]

this is quite a silly question..

 

[Axeman16]

would flame maple be considered better than plain maple? thats the only difference.

 

[the guy who invented fire]

I read in article in VG not too long ago where the folks at Gibson actually did say they used higher qualuity woods in R9's but FWIW, when I bought my R8 I really kind of wanted an R9...just wanted a flame top but the truth is the R8 I bought sounded and played better than the 3 or 4 R9's I did play that day...

I have found all historics to be pretty much on par with each other...some are better than others IMO but i've played R6's that were steller, R7 Cusotms that were so so...with Historic and VOS guitars all of them I've played were good but some of them are great and the model has nothing to do with that.

 

[BOBBO]

this is quite a silly question..

I read in article in VG not too long ago where the folks at Gibson actually did say they used higher qualuity woods in R9's but FWIW, when I bought my R8 I really kind of wanted an R9...just wanted a flame top but the truth is the R8 I bought sounded and played better than the 3 or 4 R9's I did play that day...

I have found all historics to be pretty much on par with each other...some are better than others IMO but i've played R6's that were steller, R7 Cusotms that were so so...with Historic and VOS guitars all of them I've played were good but some of them are great and the model has nothing to do with that.

Yeah ... It is a silly question !!! But i figured ( what the heck ) Personally , I haven't played a Historic that sounds better than my R8 but if you just need to have flame I could see getting the R9 !!!

 

[Texas07R8]

I had the sales guy at GC weigh my 58 and the 59 I was looking at and they both weighed exactly 9.3lb each. Both were 07s too. Necks and frets looked and felt practically the same, one of the other 59's I looked at the frets actually looked a little narrower than those on my R8.

Not too sure about the wood, the fretboards look the same and the backs on both look practically the same. Maybe the "rumored" better wood is simply the quarter sawn maple top grade???

 

[lowdfreq]

Oh yes I think that R8's are as good as if not better. I like the larger neck profile and smaller $ profile...personaly, I can't hear the flames

 

[VictorB]

The "better wood goes to the R9" thing is just hype. It's so they can justify a $2000+ upcharge from an R8 to an R9, for just a little flame. That's it.

 

[Deus Vult]

i've only had the opportunity to play 2 R9s (SA and GC each have 1) and my
R8 was better than both. The R9 at SA was nice and light and had the best neck ever on it, but I couldnt convince myself that it sounded as good/better than my R8. Not nearly as much resonance as my R8- and I knew it before I plugged her in.

I still would have bought it, but they wouldnt go for more than 10% off sticker (not to mention the fit/finish was AWFUL. and i mean AWFUL.)

 

[Liam]

Personally , I haven't played a Historic that sounds better than my R8

i've only had the opportunity to play 2 R9s (SA and GC each have 1) and my R8 was better than both.

So the consensus seems to be that R8s are actually better than R9s.

 

[Bhodie]

Actually.. if you paint the top of either one.. you get to the top of the heap.. (like my R7 VOS Gloss) Best of all worlds! 8 lbs, chunky neck, sweet tone, no distracting flame....

 

[shotgunlew]

Actually.. if you paint the top of either one.. you get to the top of the heap.. (like my R7 VOS Gloss) Best of all worlds! 8 lbs, chunky neck, sweet tone, no distracting flame....

 

[Texas07R8]

I read that in 1958 most Les Pauls made were actually gold tops and the burst numbers in 58 are the lowest of all the burst. Most were plaintops I'm told, so the flametop 58 should be the rare beast according to production numbers. Seems like the total of all Les Pauls between 58-60 was around 1700 and even less if you don't count the majority of 58's that were gold tops, so those early bursts are a rare bird indeed no matter what year.