Help Me Understand the "Reissue" Craze

[Deus Vult]

Here, here!! Just because it's an old LP doesn't mean it's going to sound and play great although there's a greater chance of it. I've heard vintage instruments that sounded absolutely
dreadful and newer ones that sounded incredible. It's pretty much a roll of the dice if you buy it without playing it first.

Why is there a greater chance of a vintage instrument sounding better? Because of "old growth" mythology? The species of rosewood on the fretboard? Those sweet vintage thumb wheels?

 

[Lamster]

Perhaps I'm not understanding the definition of a reissue or the concept of the craftsmanship of Gibson was better 50 years ago. Is a reissue basically a new guitar built from old specs? Is this a persona taste thing? If so, why do they cost so much more than a Gibson with modern technology, which by all rights should make an improved version of the old guitar.

Or is it as simple as if you want to have the sound of a 60's guitar, which being better or worse would be personal opinion, you either buy a 60's vintage guitar or a new one built to old 60's specifications?

Thanks

No your not misunderstanding it.
Its a good way for Gibson to make money out of wannabe guitars.( and or Guitarists)
The problem is that one can't simply go and by a 59 burst.
They are all owned by people that have no intention of selling them in their lifetime.
So unless you have pots of cash and stumble into an auction of a dead rock stars personal effects you will be lucky to find one.
How much better are they than a new one? there's the $5000 question.
It all depends on what you believe about tonewood, hand wound pickups and animal glues.
If you fall for that then make certain you buy the tone polish to go with it.

 

[Deus Vult]

No your not misunderstanding it.
Its a good way for Gibson to make money out of wannabe guitars.( and or Guitarists)
The problem is that one can't simply go and by a 59 burst.
They are all owned by people that have no intention of selling them in their lifetime.
So unless you have pots of cash and stumble into an auction of a dead rock stars personal effects you will be lucky to find one.
How much better are they than a new one? there's the $5000 question.
It all depends on what you believe about tonewood, hand wound pickups and animal glues.
If you fall for that then make certain you buy the tone polish to go with it.

Do you have any tone polish? How much?

Shut up and take my money!

 

[MikeC]

He still hasn't made a guitar that does the Les Paul thing better than a Gibson does.

Answers on a postcard to ...

I tried image-googling for "PRS rockstar". There wasn't any.

 

[freebyrd 69]

If a product has been developed/improved over more than 50 years, you would naturally assume, that the new product was better than the old.
If however that same company, decided to make more profit on the name they got when making high quality products, by lowering standards, but not prices and increasing volume, one day their name would be worn down and sales would drop.
They could then decide to make limited runs of the old quality product, that people have come to appreciate and then get higher prices.
It's the tomato story over again. Over the years tomatoes have become so tasteles, that we have to buy new and more expensive kinds of tomatoes with "more taste" that really just tastes like tomatoes should taste.
If Gibson just maintained the quality they used to(and which their high standard prices allows you to expect) there wouldn't be any need or demand for reissues.

The only flaw in your theory is your assumption that quality was better back then. Talk to anyone in the know.....it wasn't! They made far less, and, ya got what ya got. Paint flaws, binding bleed, string buzz....it was all there back in the day. The difference? The internet wasn't.

 

[freebyrd 69]

No your not misunderstanding it.
Its a good way for Gibson to make money out of wannabe guitars.( and or Guitarists)
The problem is that one can't simply go and by a 59 burst.
They are all owned by people that have no intention of selling them in their lifetime.
So unless you have pots of cash and stumble into an auction of a dead rock stars personal effects you will be lucky to find one.
How much better are they than a new one? there's the $5000 question.
It all depends on what you believe about tonewood, hand wound pickups and animal glues.
If you fall for that then make certain you buy the tone polish to go with it.

Check your facts. There have been plenty for sale recently.

I don't own them/gig them for the illusion of owning a burst. Just damn fine instruments that play great and sound incredible. End of story. "Worth" is subjective. If my equipment inspires me to play more, and sounds great to me, well there you have it. I have my worth.

 

[zamdrang]

"If my equipment inspires me to play more, and sounds great to me, well there you have it. I have my worth."

All that matters at the end of the day, well said.

 

[coho]

Not bashing here, but that "lighter" thingy on Reissues does not seem a rule to me. I still see way more over 8.5lb reissues than under 8.0 (and lot of average 9lb). My R8 it's 7.7lb, but I really struggled to find it that light.

Hi, I have owned many LP's and the ones I totally fell in love with are the Featherweight series that Wildwood used to offer.Mine 57 non-chambered, weights right at 8.0 and just comes alive when I play it. My friend has 7 of these and I've a/b'ed them all. They are so close that it is hard to tell mine out of the gaggle.

 

[waxout]

Several years ago I bought a 58 reissue it was like an "aha" moment. I couldn't believe it all the hype was true! The tone is thick but articulate, amazing natural sustain. It plays like a dream, the fit and finish is perfection. So naturally I had to have another one for back up. The second one (also 58 reissue) was a shadow of the first. I would say like an off the rack LP from GC, but I have off the rack LPs that sound and feel way better. I immediately resold the second one at a loss. I reconcile my loss with the idea that I have "The One" and knowing what I know now... I would have willingly paid more for it.

Bottom line, try to find The One, play it a lot, but don't hesitate to cut the strings if you find it doesn't do it for you.

 

[Thomas/Sweden]

I have this Historic Select '58 and it really is jizzingly good. Expensive like the best hookers in Sweden but equally as good.

 

[Kyle.Bull]

Check your facts. There have been plenty for sale recently.

I don't own them/gig them for the illusion of owning a burst. Just damn fine instruments that play great and sound incredible. End of story. "Worth" is subjective. If my equipment inspires me to play more, and sounds great to me, well there you have it. I have my worth.

Reason why my beat to hell, twice headstock repaired 2001 Studio will always be one of my favorite guitars. That's all that matters in the end.

 

[Lebond]

Probably best you stay away from a historic. I bought a R9 a couple of years ago after wondering what all the fuss was about. As a result I have recently just purchased another in a different colour. I think just one more historic and I'll be alright

PS. I'm not rich by any means, it took me a couple of years to save up for each of my historics.

 

[Kris Ford]

WHEN they are hand cut on a band saw and pin routed and NOT CNC'd..I might be interested...and believe the "hand made" claim.

Til then..no thanks.

 

[freebyrd 69]

WHEN they are hand cut on a band saw and pin routed and NOT CNC'd..I might be interested...and believe the "hand made" claim.

Til then..no thanks.

Why? CNC'd would be far more accurate and consistent. A lot of hands on goes on there.

 

[Kris Ford]

Why? CNC'd would be far more accurate and consistent. A lot of hands on goes on there.

To fully replicate the 50s build methods.

Either way, not interested.

 

[Kris Ford]

..and I've owned a '96 R7, '02 R7, '04 R7 and a '06 R8..

 

[freebyrd 69]

To fully replicate the 50s build methods.

Either way, not interested.

Hmm. Well, we have the 2017 Ford Mustang here at the dealership. The new build process and technology is awesome. Much better than if the FULLY replicated the 1965 process. Some things are done to benefit the overall quality and end product. Having owned many and watching them be built, I'd have to disagree with your hesitation. Again, the hands on process is still dominant in many aspects in Nashville. Also, SEVERAL of the original machines from Kzoo are still functioning and used during the build process.

 

[gball]

I had myself quite convinced that I needed an R8, so I set out to play every one I could find within a reasonable distance. Living in Los Angeles it wasn't hard to locate plenty of examples...and, I couldn't find a single one that was demonstrably superior to my 2016 Traditional. Maybe I got a truly exceptional USA guitar, but factoring in the prices of the R8's it made no sense to me at all to buy one, though I will admit that they are works of art in the appearance department for sure. Toward the end of my search (this was earlier this year) I stumbled across a '79 Silverburst Custom that just destroyed every one of them I had played in every way imaginable, and that's what I ended up with. I am very content now without the R8, I guess they just weren't for me.

 

[Kris Ford]

Hmm. Well, we have the 2017 Ford Mustang here at the dealership. The new build process and technology is awesome. Much better than if the FULLY replicated the 1965 process. Some things are done to benefit the overall quality and end product. Having owned many and watching them be built, I'd have to disagree with your hesitation. Again, the hands on process is still dominant in many aspects in Nashville. Also, SEVERAL of the original machines from Kzoo are still functioning and used during the build process.

I understand that for sure. But I have owned 4 RIs in the past, so I'm familiar with how good they are..just didn't bond with any of them, as nice and well built as they were. I'd love to try a new one to see if my opinion has changed, but I find everything I need in early 70's LPs, so I really have no reason to look anymore. Also, not to say I have anything against CNC built either..not one bit.

ACTUALLY..none of which matters really anymore, as I play Strats pretty much exclusively now.

 

[joey1234]

I just don´t understand why people think that CS guitars, in this case Reissues, are handbuilt. They are NOT. And the Custom Shop is not a place where a handfull of luthiers carefully handcarve that "mystic" and so much superior tonewoods. It is a factory where there is an assembly line operated by trained workers that with the help of machines build these guitars. Are they superior to the Gibson USA line? YES. Are they that superior that justifies the huge price difference? NO. Are they worth it? IT DEPENDS. If you can afford them, you will convince yourself that they are. If you can´t, they will just look like overpriced guitars. And on a side note, why do people value so much what wood is used on a SOLID BODY guitar? Do you play the guitar or just want an expensive piece of furniture? Do you know how sound works? It travels through air, in a electric solid guitar there is no space where the sound can go so in other words it really DOESN´T MATTER at all what kind of wood is used as long as it is solid. Also the reason why Gibson came up with the SG, was that the Les Paul just wasn´t good enough and wasn´t selling. So if you want an improved Les Paul but don´t want any of the improvements that have been made over the years, just get yourself a Gibson SG (Les Paul 2.0). It has been available since 1961, you know?