Difference between a 1959 Gibson Les paul reissue Gloss and Standard VOS

[spenzer4935]

Hi To All!!!...

I just want to know what are the difference between the 1959 Gibson Les Paul Reissue Gloss and the 1959 Gibson Les Paul Standard VOS asside from the price?... I'm just a bit confused on which one is better and what are their differences... I don't know which one is the best one to buy...

Thanks all!!!...

 

[blamo]

one is Gloss and one is VOS

 

[River]

http://www.mylespaul.com/forums/gibson-les-pauls/50210-gibson-les-paul-101-a.html

 

[mfolet]

Gloss

VOS

Murphy aged

It comes down to taste...

 

[Guitarhack]

Difference is cosmetic only, sort of a hazy or satin finish. If you want a glossy finish the VOS finish can be rubbed out.

Here's Gibson's video about the VOS
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JkPJ579M_gU]Gibson Custom Shop Presents Vintage Original Spec - YouTube[/ame]

Heres a thread where people were discussing both gloss and vos.
http://www.mylespaul.com/forums/historics-reissues/151680-vos-gloss.html

You can find more threads by using the search engine and searching "vintage original spec"

 

[jamman]

the difference is the VOS gunk , aged hardware . and that's about it. Oh and with the gloss you get a complete finished guitar . The gunk comes right off and shines up nicely . i happen to like the dulled hardware and a shinny gloss finish . I think it looks great . I also have a TM and ... well it really doesn't do anything for the guitar . It does do something for the player ,imo . i'd go for the gloss everytime. but that's just my opinion.

 

[Alex W]

VOS is a lot easier to find than gloss. Not many gloss models in stock at most retailers.

 

[six-string]

Remember:
VOS + Polish + Elbow Grease= Gloss!

 

[MagPel]

Gloss

VOS

It comes down to taste...

So... one has one of them pickguard-thingamabobs and the other one doesn't??

Btw, lovely guitars. All three of them.

 

[blamo]

the one with the pickguard has more tone because of it.

 

[KenG]

I believe the finish is thinner on VOS as well!

 

[shesrealfine]

Remember:
VOS + Polish + Elbow Grease= Gloss!

the difference is the VOS gunk , aged hardware . and that's about it. Oh and with the gloss you get a complete finished guitar . The gunk comes right off and shines up nicely . i happen to like the dulled hardware and a shinny gloss finish . I think it looks great . I also have a TM and ... well it really doesn't do anything for the guitar . It does do something for the player ,imo . i'd go for the gloss everytime. but that's just my opinion.

And mainly remember that Gunk=Bunk...

I continue to be amazed that people think Gibson takes an already polished guitar off the line, takes the extra step of slopping some "gunk" on it and charges $300. less for doing some extra work.

Peeps, what you call "gunk" is where they just didn't clean or polish off the last bit of compound after the final polish for a VOS piece was done. That's it. It's not something they slapped on a polished guitar to make it look duller. When you clean the polish residue off you invariably polish up the guitar a little more and voila, you think it looks better because now it's shinier.

They do look better to some people when you clean off the polish residue, but unless you strip down all the hardware off the top and either wet sand it lightly and/or machine buff it, it's never going to be quite as shiny as a gloss in a side-by-side.

I'm talking about the wood; I have no idea what they do to the hardware.

Probably just me but I actually like the VOS finish better.

 

[SKATTERBRANE]

I liked your post because you are correct. But not because you like VOS better. Give me gloss.

 

[SKATTERBRANE]

You would think there would come a day when this question does ot have to be asked. It has been since 2006 that Gibson has offered Guitars that did not get the final fine polish stage.

 

[shesrealfine]

You would think there would come a day when this question does ot have to be asked. It has been since 2006 that Gibson has offered Guitars that did not get the final fine polish stage.

+1 and many thanks Skatterbrane.

I think this "gunk" thing started many years ago when someone who had visited the custom shop posted a pic of a bucket of what looked like pine tar (it was probably some sort of rubbing compound) and they labeled it as "VOS gunk". The pic still pops up every once in a while. From that day on it's what the majority of folks have believed.

It's amazing to me that people believe it, if for no other reason than just the ridiculous thought that Gibson would do more work and charge less...

 

[blamo]

I'm with Rod... Gloss is awesome. I love my gloss R8...

however, my wallet loves the VOS.

 

[Nirvana33]

Remember:
VOS + Polish + Elbow Grease= Gloss!

Not really. The VOS buffed out does not look the same side to side with a gloss. Also the pickups and hardware will never been as shiny as the gloss version. The VOS pickups are scuffed up in a bad way.

 

[River]

The hardware on a gloss ages pretty nicely, even with reasonable care and light-moderate usage. I like the contrast.

 

[DonLogan]

After watching the clip, screw the finishes, I want his voice.

 

[KenG]

+1 and many thanks Skatterbrane.

I think this "gunk" thing started many years ago when someone who had visited the custom shop posted a pic of a bucket of what looked like pine tar (it was probably some sort of rubbing compound) and they labeled it as "VOS gunk". The pic still pops up every once in a while. From that day on it's what the majority of folks have believed.

It's amazing to me that people believe it, if for no other reason than just the ridiculous thought that Gibson would do more work and charge less...

Even if it's only compound left on which I doubt highly as the consistency, colour and lack of buffing marks in the stuff doesn't add up (not to mention it'd come off with water), it's still somehing they put on a finish. It's not more work as you calim because there's less coats of lacquer to begin with and it's not buffed as much as a Gloss one is (heck you'd probably burn thru the VOS finish if you buffed as much as a gloss one) and how long does it take to hand apply something over a finish with a rag? I have 1 Gloss and 2 VOS (not including USA here) and the de-VOS shine certainly wasn't the result of a lot of effort on my part polishing either VOS.