Build Quality - Bad and Good Years Query for R9

[bruce98k]

Taking aside playability, features, and sound and only taking into account
build quality (materials, labor, degree of finish) are there any years to avoid regarding R9s. The laminated fingerboard is one for instance being a manufacturing short cut in my opinion (albeit due to material availability).

I have 3 R8s, 3 R0s, and no R9s and will be looking to add an R9 to the collection. IMO I favor older guitars (pre-2005) but will not let that aspect affect my future acquisition.

Appreciate your insight and opinions.

Thanks,
B.

 

[tspoon5150]

Play as many as you can, only pick the best sounding and the one that
fits your neck hand the best.

Forget everything else, period.

 

[Mstele97]

I played a 2007 r9 last night.....it was an ugly dog. The top was greenish honey un burst and the tone and playability was meh. My Traditional is a better guitar.....and my r8 from 2014 is in a whole other leauge. I had a g0 that was miles above the r9. Sometimes you can get too caught up in the r9 thing. You need to play them before you buy for sure.

 

[wallym]

I bought a 2009 R9.
One of the "Gold COA" 50th anniversary models. Cost me a small fortune.
The build quality is absolutely appalling, bad neck angle, poor finish, truely second rate rubbish.

It's got a great big fat neck and needed some major adjustments and a change of pickup plastics, so that I could get more than a few microns between the bridge pickup and strings.
But now, it plays real good and has a nice, comfortable feel to it.

But man, what a sound !!
A bloody "tone monster".

 

[Left Paw]

I don't think the lam board is a build quality issue. They probably built them quite well. Whether you like a two-piece fingerboard is a different issue. Doesn't sound like you do.

I don't think there are any years of Historics to avoid because of build quality issues. All are well-built with more attention to detail then the rest of the line.

 

[goldtop0]

Try the '13 and '14 R9s you're bound to find one that's a ripper. '12s I'd leave alone purely from the fact of the laminated board that year.....but if you find a good one at a good low price......pull the trigger.

 

[Sct13]

I have to add that every LP I have had from the Historic Line has been Killer, There was only a neck size issue for me to contend with, Like anything else on the Good Planet Earth, there is nothing perfect. Anything made by human hands is condemned to be flawed in one way or another.

The things to watch out for are few comparatively speaking, and I am talking about other guitars (yes from Gibson too) where the expected level quality is lower, hence the price difference. There are better quality instruments to be had by small builders too.

I want to direct you to the Historic Accuracy Page, where Gibson has been leading us along, getting the reissue WRONG for many many years. Until this years "True Historic". But historical accuracy aside, being for the "Rivet Counters" (us) the build quality of a large percentage of these is excellent.
And again as with anything else there are blunders that get past quality.

However I have run across a few that were boat anchors acoustically and very heavy, with Nitro a foot thick. So you need to know what years your going to like.

Therefore you have asked the RIGHT Question.

So a simple answer is; Play as many as you can from a broad spectrum of years and you shall find your answers. But you cannot sample all of them so your degree of error will be fairly high. So how do I know when I found a good one?

You don't, it's impossible to sample ALL of them, therefore you can't know a good one from a bad one with a reasonable degree of error given the sample size.

So...now what?

What I have done is try to sample at least one from every year, both plain tops and flame tops. Toyed with different neck sizes and hardware, pickups and pots.

I think I found a formula that I can live with knowing that my sample size is inadequate to encompass the entire Les Paul collection.

Pointers. Find you neck size....Find your weight find your top type (because pain tops can sound slightly different that Flame tops) IT has to do with the distribution of the wood fibers and the speed of vibrations through a given medium.

You want a good quartersawn back, a good Center quarter sawn neck, and if you can, a top that is book matched.

The years of historical accuracy that is viable FOR ME are 2009, 2010, 2011 In both gloss and VOS (Great Year) 2013 and 2014 (VOS) changes for the better in 13 and 14....

Again sample size and error in mind I did run into a finish problem on a 2010 R8

 

[spindrift]

I have found every one I've tried from the last ten years or so are superior instruments. Pick one you like- you can't go wrong.

 

[landguitar]

Play as many as you can, only pick the best sounding and the one that
fits your neck hand the best.

Forget everything else, period.

What he said.

 

[demillso]

I played a 2007 r9 last night.....it was an ugly dog. The top was greenish honey un burst and the tone and playability was meh.

Was that the one at GC perhaps? Color is a personal preference. I think that one could be decent with a good setup.

 

[sdlogan9]

I would think the only factor in this discussion would be quality of wood.

Has Gibson used the same Mahogany for all the years of production? The other things can be changed. But not the wood!

-Shane

 

[Left Paw]

Gibson always uses the best wood on Historics. Not to say it is the same wood through the years, but always the best available.

 

[deadlyweasel]

Judge with your hands and your ears. When I bought my R8 from HoG I played about 6 different guitars, 2 R9, 2 R0 and 2 R8s some damn nice flamey tops as well. Fit n finish were nice on all of them but they all paled to the feel and sound of the "lowly plain top I've had for months". best advice play as many as you can and done get too caught up in the top.

 

[Eric Duane]

I'm partial to the 07's I've owned 2 and played many. I'd recommend one for sure my friend.

 

[EasyAce]

R9 (Bloomfield sig model) made in 2009 and built impeccably:

 

[Mr.Paul]

I would by any LP from 1999 without playing it!
IMO an exceptional year.