NAMM 2017 Historic Line

[dwk302]

Here are a few changes to the 2017 historic line based on my conversation with a Gibson rep at NAMM.

Standard Historic will inherit the TH plastics (pickup covers still look like non TH spec to me) and binding color. Dish carve looks significantly flatter to my eyes. You can choose your dish carve if you go M2M. There's a new nitro that is the thinnest CS has used. The standard historics here were excellent. The necks had that nice roll the TH had. I don't know if that's a new feature or if these necks just happen to be that way.


Updates to follow.

 

[raunch]

Thanks!

 

[indravayu]

Hide glue on the maple tops?

 

[Tim Plains]

Flatter top carve?

 

[KBMelb]

I actually prefer the flatter carve of my TH than the deep carve of my R7. The R7 looks better in pics though.

 

[Sct13]

maybe flatter where the pickups are ...I like this type of carve a lot.

 

[Deadletteroffice]

From what I was told by Gibson today at NAMM...

The Standard Historic and the True Vintage and morphing into one in the same. No more of either. The new line will simply be called Historic Reissue. They are removing the R from the serial #'s on the back of the headstock and the other upgrade appointments from the TV are incorporated into the Historic RI. All glue used is now Hide Glue. New nitro that they say is the thinnest ever. Fretboards are all now rolled. The PU covers appear to ME to be the TV spec. I own a TV and they looked right to me. Doesn't make sense they would incorporate all the other specs but not the PU covers.

He said the prices will be just under 5k for r7 and r8 and in the 6k range for r9. But he said he could not give specifics on that yet. He also said there will be option to order custom spec, neck shape, size, dish, body weight etc. And those will be in the 2016 TV price range.

 

[dwk302]

Second that on the hide glue. I was told a 3% price hike. Fine. The 2017s '59s felt like THs to me. They have that a certain "snap" I felt when playing TH9.

 

[indravayu]

From what I was told by Gibson today at NAMM...

The Standard Historic and the True Vintage and morphing into one in the same. No more of either. The new line will simply be called Historic Reissue. They are removing the R from the serial #'s on the back of the headstock and the other upgrade appointments from the TV are incorporated into the Historic RI. All glue used is now Hide Glue. New nitro that they say is the thinnest ever. Fretboards are all now rolled. The PU covers appear to ME to be the TV spec. I own a TV and they looked right to me. Doesn't make sense they would incorporate all the other specs but not the PU covers.

He said the prices will be just under 5k for r7 and r8 and in the 6k range for r9. But he said he could not give specifics on that yet. He also said there will be option to order custom spec, neck shape, size, dish, body weight etc. And those will be in the 2016 TV price range.

All good news for us in the long run. Thanks for the report!

 

[KBMelb]

All good news for us in the long run. Thanks for the report!

Yeah I guess the early TH adopters paid for the initial investment in the new plastics and now everyone can reap the benefits. i'm ok with that.

 

[jlb32]

From what I was told by Gibson today at NAMM...

The Standard Historic and the True Vintage and morphing into one in the same. No more of either. The new line will simply be called Historic Reissue. They are removing the R from the serial #'s on the back of the headstock and the other upgrade appointments from the TV are incorporated into the Historic RI. All glue used is now Hide Glue. New nitro that they say is the thinnest ever. Fretboards are all now rolled. The PU covers appear to ME to be the TV spec. I own a TV and they looked right to me. Doesn't make sense they would incorporate all the other specs but not the PU covers.

He said the prices will be just under 5k for r7 and r8 and in the 6k range for r9. But he said he could not give specifics on that yet. He also said there will be option to order custom spec, neck shape, size, dish, body weight etc. And those will be in the 2016 TV price range.

Hope that is true and Gibson is back to just one Historic Reissue per year.

Seems those on the other forum say the TH's are still alive for 2017 though?? Some of them seem to have close ties with Gibson Custom Shop and seem to say differently. Guess we will see. IMO Gibson never should have got away from one Historic per model year. Truely hope they get back to that in 2017.

 

[Deadletteroffice]

Hope that is true and Gibson is back to just one Historic Reissue per year.

Seems those on the other forum say the TH's are still alive for 2017 though?? Some of them seem to have close ties with Gibson Custom Shop and seem to say differently. Guess we will see. IMO Gibson never should have got away from one Historic per model year. Truely hope they get back to that in 2017.

Nothing there nor the good 30 minute talk with the rep indicates anything about both lines continuing. He was very specific about the incorporating of the lines. The main reason I started up the conversation was due to the product cards as well as the switch plate covers on the back all said Historic Reissue. So I approached him to ask if these were Standard or TV. And into it he went.

He seemed relieved in a way to be reporting the morphing of the lines. Regarding several points he stated "customers want" or "customers were confused by".

That said, he did say, as I previously mentioned, that there would still be an offering at the TV price level, but it would be special order only, and is custom spec to buyers taste.

 

[indravayu]

Yeah I guess the early TH adopters paid for the initial investment in the new plastics and now everyone can reap the benefits. i'm ok with that.

Same here.

 

[indravayu]

Hope that is true and Gibson is back to just one Historic Reissue per year.

Seems those on the other forum say the TH's are still alive for 2017 though?? Some of them seem to have close ties with Gibson Custom Shop and seem to say differently. Guess we will see. IMO Gibson never should have got away from one Historic per model year. Truely hope they get back to that in 2017.

I guess we'll know more after NAMM - perhaps True Historics are taking the place of what is now called the Historic Select series (a custom order line)?

 

[dwk302]

TH line will survive. I was told by someone high up in CS that they will no longer push TH on their dealers, but they will be available for order. Full TH specs will also be available through to the M2M program.

 

[dwk302]

This was cool. Ultra light weight with a fat neck spruce top inspired by Joe B's 1959 EMS-1235. Bright and spanky. Very cool.

 

[dwk302]

Brand new model, 1964 ES-354. This was phenomenal in person. Nice fat neck.

 

[dwk302]

I'm not sure what Gibson has changed, if anything, but the 2017 Memphis and CS lines feel livelier and have more "snap," if that makes any sense. I'm getting a different string response than I do with my 2014 and 2013 reissues. I don't know if it's the frets, or the construction, or what. I'd say it's an improvement.

 

[dwk302]

This was from behind the "curtain." I was able to get back there. Brand new '59 Historic. The plastics are TH spec. To correct my OP, looks like PUP covers are TH spec.

 

[dwk302]

New Freddy King ES-345. Don't have any details on this one yet.