The 2011 LP Traditional (Standard?) Faded Mega-Thread

[Brazilnut]

My favorite guitar ever!
The year before last, someone was selling a 2007 in beautiful shape here for $1850 shipped...While I dithered, someone else snapped it up. I hate myself.

 

[Brazilnut]

I wish Gibson would make some more...preferably the chambered version.

 

[joedonner2001]

My all-time bestie is this 2011 Traditional Faded. I instantly bonded with this guitar, and still love it after 10 years.

 

[LCPG282]

Today I decided to do a bit of cleaning on my 2008 Corsa LCPG#282 Heritage Cherry Les Paul Standard Faded and took the pickguard off. I had noticed that its colour had somehow faded to something like a tangerine burst since ten years ago when I bought it, but it was a surprise to see how much it had faded when I saw the original colour under the pickguard.
With:

Without:

Just by staying on its stand for the past ten years (and being played a lot too, reason why it has spent little time in its case) it has faded, just like original 50's Bursts. No direct UV exposition except the natural light that comes through the window (from SW.) How cool is that!
Anyone here with a faded Faded?

 

[LCPG282]

Here is a pic of the same guitar when I got it in 2012:

 

[joedonner2001]

Wow. That's a beauty.

 

[LCPG282]

Wow. That's a beauty.

Thanks Joe!
Indeed I also like the present colour much better than the original one. The clown burst is gone.
Wonder what it'll be like in 10 more years...

 

[joedonner2001]

I agree, the current colour is much easier on the eye.

Beautiful guitar.

 

[joedonner2001]

Wow, look at this 2008 Faded. Somewhat unusual beauty.

 

[LCPG282]

Never seen a Tobacco Faded like this one before, very cool indeed!
The price is Custom Shop level though.

 

[joedonner2001]

Never seen a Tobacco Faded like this one before, very cool indeed!
The price is Custom Shop level though.

I haven't seen that many tobacco burst Fadeds that I thought looked great, but this one sure does - damn.

In other news - new Faber bridge with nickel plated saddles day for my Trad Faded, just for shits and giggles:

 

[LCPG282]

Enjoy! Faber stuff is top notch (& Tone Pro's bridges are very good too IMHO.)

 

[DaveSG]

I haven't seen that many tobacco burst Fadeds that I thought looked great, but this one sure does - damn.

In other news - new Faber bridge with nickel plated saddles day for my Trad Faded, just for shits and giggles:

View attachment 624958

What's your takeaway? Better? Same? Worse? A lot of parts swaps are smoke and mirrors but I've heard so much good about the Faber stuff objectively changing the tone/sustain for the better; real curious. Looks great btw.

 

[joedonner2001]

What's your takeaway? Better? Same? Worse? A lot of parts swaps are smoke and mirrors but I've heard so much good about the Faber stuff objectively changing the tone/sustain for the better; real curious. Looks great btw.

I initially went with a Faber bridge with brass saddles, but also had the one with nickel saddles in my parts box, and always intended to try it out.

Honestly, I'm not sure there's a huge difference between them. The nickel plated saddles should in theory make the guitar a tad brighter, but it might also be my imagination.

I do however think that the Faber hardware is way superior to the factory hardware Gibson uses on their USA line of guitars. Would highly recommend the upgrade, including swapping the Gibson Nashville inserts with something like the Faber iNsert kit. That most definitely is an improvement in all respects, IMHO.

The only tricky thing with Faber bridges are those little circlips they use to secure the bridge saddle screws. I always struggle to get them out and back in when I need to flip saddles, and I had to flip 3 on this new bridge. Pain in the arse if your eyes aren't what they used to be.

 

[DaveSG]

I initially went with a Faber bridge with brass saddles, but also had the one with nickel saddles in my parts box, and always intended to try it out.

Honestly, I'm not sure there's a huge difference between them. The nickel plated saddles should in theory make the guitar a tad brighter, but it might also be my imagination.

I do however think that the Faber hardware is way superior to the factory hardware Gibson uses on their USA line of guitars. Would highly recommend the upgrade, including swapping the Gibson Nashville inserts with something like the Faber iNsert kit. That most definitely is an improvement in all respects, IMHO.

The only tricky thing with Faber bridges are those little circlips they use to secure the bridge saddle screws. I always struggle to get them out and back in when I need to flip saddles, and I had to flip 3 on this new bridge. Pain in the arse if your eyes aren't what they used to be.

Ah, okay. I appreciate your thoughts on all this and taking the time to write it.

And! Just so I can play along too, here is a pic of the 2016 LP Standard Faded that I used to own!

 

[joedonner2001]

Very nice guitar, that!

I've seen a few later runs, but at the moment don't even recall that there was a Faded run in 2016. It does ring a bell, but a very faint one.

I have a soft spot for 2016 due to owning a super nice Les Paul Special from that year. The only guitar which I liked enough to have kept alongside my '11 Traditional Faded.

 

[LCPG282]

NGD: this 2016 Memphis Historic Gibson Cherry Red ES 335 is the new friend of my best 2005 Standard Faded and 1972 Marshall SB. Another great Gibson, huge clear sound with plenty of rich harmonics! Bigger guitar than the Les Paul but 1Lb lighter.

 

[joedonner2001]

NGD: this 2016 Memphis Historic Gibson Cherry Red ES 335 is the new friend of my best 2005 Standard Faded and 1972 Marshall SB. Another great Gibson, huge clear sound with plenty of rich harmonics! Bigger guitar than the Les Paul but 1Lb lighter.

Very nice!

I had a Warren Haynes ES-335 at one point which sadly didn't work out for me. I just couldn't bond with it, and it was terribly disappointing at the time.

 

[LCPG282]

Very nice!

I had a Warren Haynes ES-335 at one point which sadly didn't work out for me. I just couldn't bond with it, and it was terribly disappointing at the time.

What disappointed you?

 

[joedonner2001]

What disappointed you?

That I couldn't bond with it!