Some people collect old postage stamps. Some people buy sports cars that they can't legally drive to their full ability. Some people run marathons. Some people raise honeybees. And some people spend thousands of dollars on replica vintage guitars. Everyone's got their thing. Live and let live.
Custom shop Les Pauls are just fantastic instruments. I have never played one that didnt feel or sound great. Money is subjective. People spend thousands on golf clubs, vacations, cars, you name it. If guitar is your thing why not? Instead of a week at an Island resort how about a Les Paul that will give a lifetime of enjoyment.
Bob Boitt I totally agree if guitars are your passion then why the hell not? You will get a lifetime of joy playing it and tbh if it's looked after value will always stay in the guitar.
Bob Boitt I went in and hand selected a 2014 r nine spent two thousand more than I was planning on but got it absolutely spectacular instrument unfortunately it develop will develop bump in the neck that couldn't be repaired I sent it to the Gibson custom shop and they said look man we need to send you a new one and they picked one out that was actually even nicer than the one I had I still miss the one I had and I wish I could have kept it because I have picked it out of quite a few that lovely rainbow music in Tucson Arizona but the new guitar is even better there was just an issue where I was fretting out and getting fret buzz up on the 13th and 14th on the D and the g strings and if you're spending that kind of money on a guitar I don't expect to get any fret buzz absolutely goddamn anywhere. I know the new one I don't get Pines very well thank you Bob Burns and the folks at Gibson custom shop
I totally disagree. Just because other people spend too much on cars or whatever, doesn't mean you should act stupid like them. There is no possible way for a guitar to actually be worth 7000 $, it's only a question of prestige, this is why old vintage guitars cost so much, without being any better then the same guitar built today.
"Don't hate the people who can afford it" Spot on Rob! We work hard for money, there is no way in hell I could afford a £7k guitar but I work bloody hard to try and get myself to a point when I can!
Fattuh because the people that can afford it (like the captain) work their asses off to get to where they are. They earned with the hard worked they provided to society.
The problem I have is what is now a $7000US "True Historic" used to be a plain old Standard that you'd pull off the wall at a guitar store. Gibson are basically saying "we are going to charge you 3x the price for what should be standard features".
Tim Murphy Well the True Historic guitars use parts that aren't mass produced and use outdated techniques. They have a lot more hands on parts and even use a nitroglycerin plastic for the fret markers. Which is extremely dangerous and has restrictions on creation I believe. So they take extra man hours and extra materials. Not to mention that these special parts don't get as big a discount from Gibson's suppliers and thus cost more as well. Not to mention that it's very unlikely for someone to spend 10K on a guitar so they have to be priced higher because they don't sell as much.
Its kind of like how a celluloid pickgaurd for a fender costs 200, because as a whole, celluloid is an outdated marerial, made technically obsolete by modern plastics. most companys arnt even tooled to make it, and getting the lisincing for the materials requared is a whole diffrent hoop to jump through. By the time they are set to make it, the costs are way up
Uh oh... A Gibson Custom Shop video... Cue the 'my epiphone is better than anything gibson can produce' comments... Cue the 'anyone who spends this much on a guitar is a moron (because I can't afford to, so why should anyone else be able to)' comments... Cue the 'Gibson can't make a proper guitar anymore (but I really wouldn't know because I've never played anything more than an epiphone)' comments...
hughtubecube I'll stay with my custom guitar Santana had copied at PRS that was originally made by MAX. This Les Paul sucks. I'll sell you my Max for $260,000!
I’ve had 6 LPs throughout my life and they all had problems or didn’t sound quite right but when I finally got my custom shop R9 it was the best one ever! It’s worth paying the price! And yes I get inspired every time I touch it and its by far my favorite guitar I own!
Same here my 2007 59 vos lemon burst is my favorite….out of my collection..I’m 67 took a long time to get a custom shop R9 ..and got it used ..enjoy😆👍🏻
***** Nope, I'm only giving some honest criticism. I'm not really going to want to spend 7000 on a guitar that sounds like it's being played through a beehive.
Lord Yllsacky Agreed. Captain might play the same licks, riffs and phrases; but at least you get an idea for what the amp or guitar sounds like. Unfortunately, as good as Rob is, the amount of gain he laces everything with makes everything sound the same.
I think it's good that some guitars are so expensive. You need to be seriously invested in your playing to make such an investment, and the price guilts you into playing it a lot. Win win!
17:20 This is so true! When i traded my Epiphone for a genuine Les Paul Standard, i was inspired to play again, and it still hasn;t worn off. Having said that, my new ML3-RC has done the same. The moral of the story is. We are richer for having THINGS and STUFF.
Just a comment about the price topic: I disagree with you. Big companies have all their costs reduced in comparison to an individual luthier. Gibson or Fender buy raw material and other supplies in big quantity, they have production lines that make bodies and necks even for custom shop models. They can make thousands of guitars every month, while a small luthiery can make only one ou two. All those factors will act to reduce the cost per instrument, not increase it. There's absolutely no reason for a guitar to cost the price of a car, other than the fact that you're paying for the brand on it. In other words, they charge that much because there's people willing to pay. I have nothing against people who can afford those instruments. If you can, good for you. But I do not believe that there's anything in a US$ 7.000 Les Paul that couldn't be in a US$ 2.000 model. Sorry about english mistakes.
Ricardo Sócio It may seem that way, but I used to work for one of the top 3 makers. When you have the type of overhead they have, they do have to charge a huge amount more. I'm also a private small maker. I could make this guitar cheaper than Gibson, easily. And because I'm not paying a portion of 1,000 salaries from the guitar I can also sell it much cheaper. It seems antithetical but it's absolutely true.
Matt Grimmer Hello, Matt. I am sure you know what you are talking about. However, it still escapes me. The big ones really have 1,000 salaries to pay. But on the other hand, they sell thousands of guitars every month. Let's put it this way: suppose Gibson Custom Shop was a branch of Gibson that operates on it's own. They would have a master builder and a couple of luthiers, just like you do in your small company. And yet they would still have the benefit of using all the parts that are made by Gibson in a production line. That saves a lot of time and a lot of work for the custom shop, and that actually means less salary paid per instrument. To me it still seems that a custom shop attached to a big production line is the best of both worlds. I respect your point, but I really can't agree. I still think the big ones charge for "brand value". For me, the reason why the small luthiers can build a top class instrument for less money is simply because they charge you for what it is really worth.
Matt Grimmer Rilly? So you pay less for wood than Gibson does? You pay less for your hardware? While Gibson doesn't have the luxury of being one dude in a garage they do have the benefit of VOLUME. Here's where volume gets you... real numbers from the guitar manufacturer I worked for. MSRP: $1200 Street: $900 at most retailers. Dealer cost: $650 to most retailers. Guitar Center/Musicians Friend price: $750 GC/MF cost: $350 Our cost: $280. This was for Japanese made neckthru guitars in the early 2000's. We could sell 20 to 20 different dealers at $270 a pop profit and make $5400 or we could sell 500 to GC alone and pull in $35k (per month, recurring orders for specific models). You may make more profit per instrument but when you can shit out hundreds of guitars per day you make more money overall. And no, you can't make the guitar cheaper than Gibson. You're fucking delusional if you think you can.
Wow....your getting pretty upset there. Settle down Taco. I do think this specific guitar would probably be cheaper for me to make, and I don't build them in a garage, I have a full shop. Materials may be cheaper overall for Gibson, but I could probably make this for around $1000 in straight material costs, for the nicest of the nice, which is more expensive than it would cost Gibson. However, my time is much cheaper than the people they have working in their Custom Shop. I could put this out the door for somewhere in the range of $2500 to $3000. It would probably cost Gibson somewhere near $2000 when your talking about what the salary breakdown hourly of the people working in there is, I doubt they'd make much selling a guitar built at this caliber. I mean, I know what my salary was where I worked. Relax, no need to get your panties in a twist, no ones trying to hurt you I promise.
You are also using a model of imported instruments. Used to work for a SUPER huge importer, and that model doesn't come close to working the same way with domestically produced instruments. Labor is so much more expensive you'd never believe it. Your also comparing production costs of materials there as well. Imported parts, much less expensive, pickups wound here, even by machine, much more expensive per piece.
Simply not true, i played the Gib LP 58' true hist in the store (6900€) and it makes all cheaper LPs sound and feel like trash. After a few tests i have to say, that LPs under 4k are trash
thing is with guitars: most of them usually keep their value relatively well. if you buy a midprice BMW or Audi (or any other car in fact) the value pretty much halves the second you put it on your driveway. Things like computers become completely worthless in about a year or 2...would i buy a really expensive guitar if i had the means? i probably would. but as i am a student at the moment i'm quite happy playing a (much) lower priced instrument for the time being
Depends on how the second hand market looks like and which car you buy. I make a profit if I sell my VW right now that I bought two years ago because of inflation and the dollar gaining massive value.
Yesidoplaytheguitar When I think back on all the expensive computer workstations I bought over the last 20 years- which have ALL since been scrapped except for the current one- I realize I could've amassed a staggering collection of high-end guitars, if only I'd been a guitarist by trade instead of a pixel pusher. Oh well, water under the bridge.
Yesidoplaytheguitar Tip: Buy a REALLY good guitar... SECOND HAND. I bought a Fender '85 Made in Japan strat (with the incredibly rare System 1 bridge from Fender/Schaller) for a measly 300 euros. Street prices for those guitars is at least 750 euros now, even with the current market, and my guitar was only made between '83 and '87, same period as the JV squiers and Fender Japan being let loose to do their own, crazy, magnificent thing... Thing is though, it doesn't matter; because it's SUCH a good guitar, I'll never ever part with it. (unless I could save the world by doing so.)
+Bacon Muffin Totally agreed with you. I bought recently my drwam guitar : a 9 years old PRS custom 24 top10 in minth condition for almost half if the price.. it's now my go to guitar and I absolutely love the sound of it and will keep it for many many years..
Mateusz Nakonieczny On all these comments here... Pro guitar shop has no problems in making some really great sounding videos of their gear, and indeed I have bought FX'es and Dirt boxes after seeing their demo's, and when I got it I was never disapointed, different, sure, but 99% of what I heard in the videos is what I got playing in person. Just sayin'
+xgg249 I believe you. I have a standard 2004, 2500 euro. The quality is worst than my Ibanez 160 euro. The famous A, AA, AAA top is less then ZZZ top in the reality. The inlays are catastrophics. Plastic is cheap. BTW I like it, cause it's a Gibson. How colud you dare to say, that gibson is the best guitar, for 4000 K, and after say, that you can make better, fot 8000 K? So, the 4000 is just shit?
+xgg249 Indeed, when I saw how cheap it is to buy tonewoods from a supplier, it does make you wonder. A honduras mahogany body blank would set you back 100 quid. A 3A highly figured maple top would set you back 150 quid tops. Blank for the neck probably under 100 quid. The material costs of a high quality guitar aren't that high, I am aware of labour costs and overheads, but for the quantity of guitars they produce and sell, economies of scale dictate there is no way these guitars should cost 6+ grand.
+xgg249 Indeed, when I saw how cheap it is to buy tonewoods from a supplier, it does make you wonder. A honduras mahogany body blank would set you back 100 quid. A 3A highly figured maple top would set you back 150 quid tops. Blank for the neck probably under 100 quid. The material costs of a high quality guitar aren't that high, I am aware of labour costs and overheads, but for the quantity of guitars they produce and sell, economies of scale dictate there is no way these guitars should cost 6+ grand.
8000 pounds is roughly $17000 Australian Dollars.... So no I wouldn't spend that much on a guitar. I would get multiple guitars, some nice amps and a decent home recording set up.
Yes there is a difference in international value of the £-$ but realistically a guitar that costs $500 in the US will cost £500 in the UK! The cost of an instrument is based on local currency! Not international value!
I’m fortunate enough but older so I’m able now to get my dream guitars..The custom shop les Paul’s R9 59 I have is bliss ..I have the 60’s standard from 2019 it’s a great guitar but the 59 vos..just feels special..either way these Gibsons are keepers👍🏻👍🏻
Don't we all want Rob to ditch the Victory in a video like this and play such an expensive Gibson through a Marshall? I might be wrong, perhaps it's just me. But such guitars in a "... vs ..." video should be played through a Marshall and a Fender amp.
Yeah I know. I'm with you on that to a certain level. But I also think it's nice to see some different amps now and then. A nearly perfect comparison is impossible on CZcams you'll have to go to a guitar store for that.
Nick Halewijn I would prefer it was a cheaper amp. This is deceiving to me because ALL the guitars are going to sound good played through something like a top Victory or Marshall. But how are they going to sound through a middle $300-$500 amp that I and a lot of other people can only afford?
Seriously...you guys have the best guitar related channel on CZcams. Thank you so much for providing hours of entertainment, and amazing insight on these beautiful instruments. You're product knowledge is top notch, and you guys have the choppy fingers to back it up, keep it up!!!
I purchased a superb 2014 Les Paul Historic 1959 (the much maligned Southern Rock Tribute Les Paul Historic 1959 with the upside down heart at the bridge pick-up and a charitable donation included) from the nice people at Anderton's i.e. last years model for a discounted price using their excellent 0% finance over 3 years. I opted for a Gibson Les Paul over a Collings (despite the Collings superior build quality) or PRS DGT (not really a fan of PRS tone) because of the way they sound and resonate. But I also saw the way the Gibson winds were blowing in 2015, smelt the coffee, stumbled bleary-eyed over a few other hackneyed clichés and signed the finance agreement via the inter-web. Seven days to love it or return it. A try-out in a busy store rarely seems to gives me a balanced overall impression. Added to this Anderton's are 250 miles away. However, kudos to Anderton's for easing expensive instrument purchases with their 0% finance :-) Cynical me thinks Gibson are simply moving their high-end products in line with one percent economics: $250,000 vintage Les Pauls, $1.416 million Ferrari LaFerrari, $100 million New York apartments...... The True Historic plastics and pickup covers probably are more period correct (are they using paper in oil capacitors or is it purely cosmetic?) but over a number of years the new tooling costs become unimportant and the materials analysis cost simply a typical part of annual R&D. So it's really about using these new "True Historics" as a lever to bump up their high end product pricing structure and dilute the R9, R0, R8 etc by removing their long neck tenon joints. Gibson have noticed what luthiers are charging for old wood Les Paul copies and considered that the market can sustain a significant price hike. Les Pauls in the golden era were hand produced in relatively small numbers. Even some of these rare golden era instruments sound average: ask a truthful vintage guitar dealer. How many Les Pauls are now churned out per day or per annum? The stunning tops of the first run 'True Historics' appear to have become less stunning as production has increased! However, it is typically a mistake to 'buy with your eyes' when purchasing a musical instrument!
I can honestly say that I owned and played many Les Pauls over the years. I never wanted to try or play a custom shop because I felt they were overpriced as well. But the second I tried the one I ended up getting - I couldn't believe the difference in feel and tone. It's expensive, but the difference was HUGE. Doesn't stop you from buying other guitars as well
I never like the tones that Rob gets with a Les Paul. I'm not in to slamming Rob on his own channel, usually he gets great tone but in the last two Les Paul vids he's done the tone hasn't quite been there.
What Lee explained wasn't how prices are set. It explained how costs are distributed. Prices are set on a market, i.e. what are people prepared to pay for this kit? The question is then basically "can we afford to produce, market and distribute it with a reasonable margin?".
Hell no would i buy a £7000 guitar from a big company. I'd much rather go to a small luthier and have them hand make me a guitar completely how i would want it with far more involvement and personal connection with it and then probably have enough left over for a nice hand-wired Amp and Cab and some damn nice pedals.
Josh lloyd Some of the guitars being built by smaller luthiers are almost works of art. I'm in few guitar groups on facebook and I am in awe on a daily basis. The downside is you might have to wait a year or even two for your guitar to be completed.
The opening jam: Free love on the freelove freeway, The love is free and the freeway's long I got some hot love on the hotlove highway, Ain't going home 'cause my baby's gone.
So my question regarding the "reenactment" '59 LP is; Is it painted in the same process as the originals and lacquered the same way so they will age and fade the same way the originals did? Will they morph into the Lemon Bursts and Tobacco Bursts, etc. like they used to?
Bob B Also wealthy retirees/pensioners, bored heirs/heiresses, aristocrats, sultans, mafia dons, drug lords, lottery winners, the massively insecure, and people who think a stupidly expensive LP will make them sound like (insert famous guitarist here).
***** Look at how many Gibson and Fender clones there are. There are very few guitars that don't look like a guitar made in those styles. Either a person is buying the copy because they don't want to buy the money or there is something the clone has that the Gibson or Fender guitars don't have. Probably the most common non Gibson or Fender knock off is the Ibanez Iceman guitars and the only people that sell those clones are the Chinese and private luthiers.
Rob and Lee make a good point here. For years I have trawled the local clubs (we're talking mainly acoustic instruments here) watching people play cheap instruments that generally sound (and look) cheap. I never quite believe it when they look at someone else's Martin enviously as though they can't afford one, or do not consider sacrificing or saving up for one. Ok, some people cannot, especially when they're young (although I somehow managed to find a s/hand walnut Gibson SG going cheap for £100. - 2 weeks pay- it was 1975!). But my point is many people simply choose to spend their money on other things, cars, holidays, phones, media, beer.....whatever. So it's often a choice.Ok, musicians can still achieve great things with cheap instruments, and some cheap instruments are unbelievably cool bargains (the PRS SE Santana springs to mind) but the pleasure, pride and confidence from owning a top end or reputable instrument is inspiring and can sometimes take your playing to new heights. My feeling is always 'go for the best' as often the really dedicated among us try to do, without being too irresponsible! The good news is they often keep near their value. Final story. I was once lucky enough to own a shiny s/h National style resonator. A visitor I had noticed it propped on a stand in the corner of the room and asked how much it cost? When I told her, her jaw dropped. Apparently I could have gone on holiday for two weeks for that. I didn't have the heart to say this instrument had given me YEARS of pleasure.
I always think of guitar as a bit like cars. You can spend £250 on a car that'll run fairly well but you can also buy a car that will cost a six figure sum. Its up to the person themselves to justify whether its worth the money. Also original vintage cars tend to be good investments, much like guitars. I think it's fair enough to say that you wouldn't spend that money on a guitar but I don't think it's right when people hate on others for doing it. At the end of the day, guitars are awesome and all that matters is that you have a good time playing it - no matter what the cost is! :)
Exactly the point. When Lee says that an independent luthier will charge less because he has no marketing costs etc. that only means that you are paying for the brand name.
Captain Lee! Recently there was an article on Paul Kossoff's 59' Lemonburst in detail. That had a neck break back in the day. When they opened it up recently, they found where the long neck tenon ends, it had separated from the body. They believe it was to do with him throwing the guitar in the air at the end of a gig. Anyway, good review boys! I wouldn't personally blast 8 grand on a True Historic Les Paul. There is some excellent second hand bargains to be had now! I've got an R7 that does it for me at the moment! I'd like and R8 but can't justify the mega prices!
I work at high end guitar store in nashville and the true vintage Les Pauls and the new collectors choice pauls are some of the best les pauls that have ever hit the market. It's a shame they are as high as they are but they are doing a killer job. That said, I still love my 2014 R9 :D
I would like to see and hear (sorry if I missed it) the 2 guitars with identical settings and string sets played acoustically (not plugged in). I wonder if the true historic is actually louder acoustically or all this "hide glue", better construction, long tenon bla bla bla is just satisfactory to the "collector" who lives in us......and bad for our pockets.
Exactly as me : this is half an hour lost, comments about money and tax are NOT interesting. We would like to hear the vs. as announced, not some swapping with different amps! I love your videos usually, but here, please do the right thing and start again.
+Buddy Martin You have absolutely no idea why I'm moving there, of course you wouldn't because I haven't really told anybody.... I am not just moving there on a whim, for fun or anything simple like that - I want a change, adventure, to learn the language that I will be speaking to my children and to spend some time with my new family.
I think it is more inmoral to keep a "guitarsenal" or keep a "collection" of guitars and amps, that you really don't play or simply cant play well, and that is worth way more than a Gibson true historic.
As someone who's spent a large amount of money on a guitar, you're not only inspired to play such a beautiful piece of Americana, but the price guilts you into playing it as well. It's like an expensive luxury car that begs to be driven all the time. :)
I just picked up a 2015 True Historic 1960, its the best Gibson LP I've ever had in my hands. Was only able to get it due to an insane deal through a friends shop.
I once saw a Jimmy Page signature Les Paul for sale in a guitar shop for £16000. Yes, 16 grand. It was encased in a protective glass case and everything.
Next year Gibson will put out Ultra True Historic Les Paul and the year after that Super Ultra True Historic Les Paul. I mean come on how many times can you do a reissue? They have done these reissues for how long? Several decades? Is is that Gibson has done shitty reissues previously and basically don't know what they are doing or what. "This is closest replica" yeah and they'll say the same thing next year. And for that amount of money, I smell something fishy here.
Comment from India !!! Watching Rob and Captain play and handle these expensive beauties gives me the royal experience which I could never afford! Cheers mates! :D Thumbs up for these two guitar Gurus!
Lee, you said something that really hit me right between my eyes, it really did hit me right between the eyes. You said: "I really love this thing." What with all the ribbing I've been giving you all this time, I gotta say, you hit it right on the head. That is a piece of the truth. Good on you, Lee, you've shown me that I'm not right all the time. And that you do speak truth sometimes. Now for your buddie...
How much money does is really cost to make this? It's just wood, plastic, electronics, development and labor. I think someone is ripping people of because collectors went stupid with there pricing.
dennis bots To rip off is to steal. If the buyer and seller agree on the price and what the price will buy and both get what they were expecting, then no one is ripped off. That's why sales usually end with both the buyer and seller saying "thank you."
Knowing there are not many of them, they are made by Gibson who are people who know how to make a guitar, all contribute to the price. If you gave most people who make guitars the same materials, you would not get back a Gibson level Les Paul.
Knowing there are not many of them, they are made by Gibson who are people who know how to make a guitar, all contribute to the price. If you gave most people who make guitars the same materials, you would not get back a Gibson level Les Paul.
dennis bots To answer your question, these don't cost Gibson more than $500 to make, it is truly insane mark up. Robert, go to any small shop reputable luthier and they will tell you Gibson has no idea how to make a guitar anymore, they have several flaws which were never fixed and the finish quality, especially at this price level, is atrocious
I actually have a '72 Gibson Les Paul which broke at the neck joint rather than the headstock. Quite a rare break. Guitar fell over sideways and broke there, Slammed a ton of glue in there and clamped it. Guitar still sounds great.
I want to say, the TH is something you need to feel to believe, its next level. the hand rolled binding is felt when playing, the sustain is like alive. something is different. normal R9 don't come close to TH, may look similar, even classic look similar to R9 now. but TH is next level.......
I own a Custom Shop 1959 VOS and it is a absolutely great guitar . If you are a Gibson Les Paul lover , get one . These are the ones you want . Too bad we have to pay $3k on up for these but they are great tone tools .
I was in andertons store last week, was looking to try the les Paul standard with the posh quilt top, about £2800. Was in one of the great demo rooms and the assistant went to get me a les Paul standard to try..... Accidentally gave me a les Paul traditional, which turned out to be a happy accident as they say!! It was so much nicer to play with a fatter neck, sounded amazing (better than the more expensive standard). I don't earn a great deal of money but would happily spend £7-10 grand on a guitar if it felt as amazing as the traditional and sounded as good too. Ended up choosing a traditional les Paul and a deluxe strat for near enough the same price as I was gonna pay for a standard lp. Now just to wait for Xmas before I order them!!😀😀
I bought one. I work hard, I guess. I don't earn a lot money. But finally, after owning many inferior Les Pauls that do not sound like '59s, I can now sound how I want to sound - with the assistance of a Freidman Pink Taco. Totally worth the money and more for any experienced guitarist. Mine's a Tom Murphy special - it may be that they picked 'the best ones' to be hand aged. You can spend 250k+ on an original that will never come to auction anyway. Or you can buy one of these. Cheap, tbh. More than worth the money.
Hey Ol Chappers and Lee! I own (2) les Paul standards like Chappers is holding and they both are absolutely Gr8! One has the EMG's and it has the big 50's neck and the other has the 60's slim taper neck and it is all factory stock. They are both the best in every aspect! Peace guys✌🏻️
Case in point. A mate went to buy a CS Historic Les Paul last year. None available floated his boat enough to justify being "the one" at that price point. On the way back they passed the Hermes shop. His Mrs saw a handbag she liked, and there went the Les Paul fund. Guitars are cheap. Relatively ;-)
Other thing. The right side of the stop piece is 1/16" higher than the left. That' why original Lesters have a different look in regards to the relationship of the Rhythm volume knob to the stop piece.
Great detailed review. Also and especially, I always love to see great smooth soulful playing on Les Pauls. Nothing compared to the tone and feel of a Les Paul in my opinion. Thanks guys!
To me, the big problem with these is the wood. If they sourced old growth to make their very best guitars, I'm all in. I bought a '59 burst in '79. Sold it in the mid 80's for $18,000 and a Harley Davidson & thought I was a genius. A friend and I did a test last year. We took a '57 Junior and a '57 Junior custom shop, recorded them then swapped all electronics. Every time and to everyones ears, the old wood trounced the new. Fact: trees that took 200 years to grow sound better than trees that took 75 years to play.
The most I've paid for a Les Paul is my standard that was $2699. I cannot imagine paying $6000+ but those are some beauties. Especially the cherry one that Rob started with.
Some people collect old postage stamps. Some people buy sports cars that they can't legally drive to their full ability. Some people run marathons. Some people raise honeybees. And some people spend thousands of dollars on replica vintage guitars. Everyone's got their thing. Live and let live.
Crunge92 absolutely
Custom shop Les Pauls are just fantastic instruments. I have never played one that didnt feel or sound great. Money is subjective. People spend thousands on golf clubs, vacations, cars, you name it. If guitar is your thing why not? Instead of a week at an Island resort how about a Les Paul that will give a lifetime of enjoyment.
Bob Boitt I totally agree if guitars are your passion then why the hell not? You will get a lifetime of joy playing it and tbh if it's looked after value will always stay in the guitar.
Great post, Gibson marketer.
Art Howard great post, negative howie.
Bob Boitt I went in and hand selected a 2014 r nine spent two thousand more than I was planning on but got it absolutely spectacular instrument unfortunately it develop will develop bump in the neck that couldn't be repaired I sent it to the Gibson custom shop and they said look man we need to send you a new one and they picked one out that was actually even nicer than the one I had I still miss the one I had and I wish I could have kept it because I have picked it out of quite a few that lovely rainbow music in Tucson Arizona but the new guitar is even better there was just an issue where I was fretting out and getting fret buzz up on the 13th and 14th on the D and the g strings and if you're spending that kind of money on a guitar I don't expect to get any fret buzz absolutely goddamn anywhere. I know the new one I don't get Pines very well thank you Bob Burns and the folks at Gibson custom shop
I totally disagree. Just because other people spend too much on cars or whatever, doesn't mean you should act stupid like them. There is no possible way for a guitar to actually be worth 7000 $, it's only a question of prestige, this is why old vintage guitars cost so much, without being any better then the same guitar built today.
"Don't hate the people who can afford it"
Spot on Rob! We work hard for money, there is no way in hell I could afford a £7k guitar but I work bloody hard to try and get myself to a point when I can!
👌🏻👌🏼
Steve Beaven I don't hate the people who can afford it, but I sure have pity for those who'll buy it ;)
+CyberChrist seems illogical...
Steve Beaven why not hate the people who can afford it?
Fattuh because the people that can afford it (like the captain) work their asses off to get to where they are. They earned with the hard worked they provided to society.
The problem I have is what is now a $7000US "True Historic" used to be a plain old Standard that you'd pull off the wall at a guitar store. Gibson are basically saying "we are going to charge you 3x the price for what should be standard features".
Tim Murphy Well the True Historic guitars use parts that aren't mass produced and use outdated techniques. They have a lot more hands on parts and even use a nitroglycerin plastic for the fret markers. Which is extremely dangerous and has restrictions on creation I believe. So they take extra man hours and extra materials. Not to mention that these special parts don't get as big a discount from Gibson's suppliers and thus cost more as well. Not to mention that it's very unlikely for someone to spend 10K on a guitar so they have to be priced higher because they don't sell as much.
Its kind of like how a celluloid pickgaurd for a fender costs 200, because as a whole, celluloid is an outdated marerial, made technically obsolete by modern plastics. most companys arnt even tooled to make it, and getting the lisincing for the materials requared is a whole diffrent hoop to jump through. By the time they are set to make it, the costs are way up
Andre Krumins v
@@adrianenciso9277 nitroglycerin? or nitrocellulose?
@Xavier Roberts missed the point...this is about justifying a higher price for the sake of authenticity
Have you ever noticed how Rob and Lee's personalities are reflected in the way they play guitar?
It's a lot like Lee is really good math because he has a doctorate in it, but Rob is, well...Srinivasa Ramanujan.
I think that’s the case with everyone
Do you think??
Uh oh... A Gibson Custom Shop video... Cue the 'my epiphone is better than anything gibson can produce' comments... Cue the 'anyone who spends this much on a guitar is a moron (because I can't afford to, so why should anyone else be able to)' comments... Cue the 'Gibson can't make a proper guitar anymore (but I really wouldn't know because I've never played anything more than an epiphone)' comments...
Frustrating isn't it!?
+CaptAnderton quite. Nice video. I always like the look of the Les Paul.
hughtubecube I'll stay with my custom guitar Santana had copied at PRS that was originally made by MAX. This Les Paul sucks. I'll sell you my Max for $260,000!
hughtubecube Well, remember the Anderton video where the Epiphone sustained far longer better than the Gibson ? :p
Got to love the Capitalists!
I’ve had 6 LPs throughout my life and they all had problems or didn’t sound quite right but when I finally got my custom shop R9 it was the best one ever! It’s worth paying the price! And yes I get inspired every time I touch it and its by far my favorite guitar I own!
Same here my 2007 59 vos lemon burst is my favorite….out of my collection..I’m 67 took a long time to get a custom shop R9 ..and got it used ..enjoy😆👍🏻
The top on that True Historic is just drop dead gorgeous. The whole thing is, really.
I'm pretty sure an original 1959 les paul did not have a selector switch cavity cover that says true historic on it.
they include plain black one with the guitar. It's quite cool to have that unique one also
I live in the U.S. and this video makes it worth staying up til 5 in the morning to watch. Cheers and good morning, guys!
A shame every guitar Rob plays sounds like it's being played through a Line 6 amp, the distortion is a fuzzy and nasty.
***** Nope, I'm only giving some honest criticism. I'm not really going to want to spend 7000 on a guitar that sounds like it's being played through a beehive.
Lord Yllsacky Agreed. Captain might play the same licks, riffs and phrases; but at least you get an idea for what the amp or guitar sounds like. Unfortunately, as good as Rob is, the amount of gain he laces everything with makes everything sound the same.
Lord Yllsacky so true evey time the same shit ziiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiggggggggggggggg taaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
Lord Yllsacky Are you listening through good speakers or headphones? That can make a difference.
Yes, if it doesn't sound good in my Sennheiser 598s I can't imagine it would sound better with something more expensive.
Never seen the Cap get so into it before! Love it!
I think it's good that some guitars are so expensive. You need to be seriously invested in your playing to make such an investment, and the price guilts you into playing it a lot. Win win!
17:20
This is so true! When i traded my Epiphone for a genuine Les Paul Standard, i was inspired to play again, and it still hasn;t worn off.
Having said that, my new ML3-RC has done the same.
The moral of the story is. We are richer for having THINGS and STUFF.
Gibson Les Pauls: now featuring a lineup with Vintage Plastic.
Andrew Martinez Gibson's marketing dept. would like to thank you for mentioning their hard work.
Andrew Martinez A selling point for being on the Queen Mary was it had that new plastic so the British do have the ability to make even PCV pipe posh.
Just a comment about the price topic: I disagree with you. Big companies have all their costs reduced in comparison to an individual luthier. Gibson or Fender buy raw material and other supplies in big quantity, they have production lines that make bodies and necks even for custom shop models. They can make thousands of guitars every month, while a small luthiery can make only one ou two. All those factors will act to reduce the cost per instrument, not increase it. There's absolutely no reason for a guitar to cost the price of a car, other than the fact that you're paying for the brand on it. In other words, they charge that much because there's people willing to pay. I have nothing against people who can afford those instruments. If you can, good for you. But I do not believe that there's anything in a US$ 7.000 Les Paul that couldn't be in a US$ 2.000 model. Sorry about english mistakes.
Ricardo Sócio It may seem that way, but I used to work for one of the top 3 makers. When you have the type of overhead they have, they do have to charge a huge amount more. I'm also a private small maker. I could make this guitar cheaper than Gibson, easily. And because I'm not paying a portion of 1,000 salaries from the guitar I can also sell it much cheaper. It seems antithetical but it's absolutely true.
Matt Grimmer Hello, Matt. I am sure you know what you are talking about. However, it still escapes me. The big ones really have 1,000 salaries to pay. But on the other hand, they sell thousands of guitars every month. Let's put it this way: suppose Gibson Custom Shop was a branch of Gibson that operates on it's own. They would have a master builder and a couple of luthiers, just like you do in your small company. And yet they would still have the benefit of using all the parts that are made by Gibson in a production line. That saves a lot of time and a lot of work for the custom shop, and that actually means less salary paid per instrument. To me it still seems that a custom shop attached to a big production line is the best of both worlds. I respect your point, but I really can't agree. I still think the big ones charge for "brand value". For me, the reason why the small luthiers can build a top class instrument for less money is simply because they charge you for what it is really worth.
Matt Grimmer Rilly? So you pay less for wood than Gibson does? You pay less for your hardware? While Gibson doesn't have the luxury of being one dude in a garage they do have the benefit of VOLUME.
Here's where volume gets you... real numbers from the guitar manufacturer I worked for.
MSRP: $1200
Street: $900 at most retailers.
Dealer cost: $650 to most retailers.
Guitar Center/Musicians Friend price: $750
GC/MF cost: $350
Our cost: $280.
This was for Japanese made neckthru guitars in the early 2000's.
We could sell 20 to 20 different dealers at $270 a pop profit and make $5400 or we could sell 500 to GC alone and pull in $35k (per month, recurring orders for specific models). You may make more profit per instrument but when you can shit out hundreds of guitars per day you make more money overall.
And no, you can't make the guitar cheaper than Gibson. You're fucking delusional if you think you can.
Wow....your getting pretty upset there. Settle down Taco. I do think this specific guitar would probably be cheaper for me to make, and I don't build them in a garage, I have a full shop. Materials may be cheaper overall for Gibson, but I could probably make this for around $1000 in straight material costs, for the nicest of the nice, which is more expensive than it would cost Gibson. However, my time is much cheaper than the people they have working in their Custom Shop. I could put this out the door for somewhere in the range of $2500 to $3000. It would probably cost Gibson somewhere near $2000 when your talking about what the salary breakdown hourly of the people working in there is, I doubt they'd make much selling a guitar built at this caliber. I mean, I know what my salary was where I worked. Relax, no need to get your panties in a twist, no ones trying to hurt you I promise.
You are also using a model of imported instruments. Used to work for a SUPER huge importer, and that model doesn't come close to working the same way with domestically produced instruments. Labor is so much more expensive you'd never believe it. Your also comparing production costs of materials there as well. Imported parts, much less expensive, pickups wound here, even by machine, much more expensive per piece.
Rob's outburst at 9:05 had my crying hahahah
it's all in the fingers not the guitar.. Give Picasso a no. 2 pencil and a legal pad and he'd blow your mind.
+Paolo B I never really like Picaso paintings... Don't see the hype .-.
Yeah but give Picasso the nicest paints, brushes, and canvas and he’ll fuck you up even harder.
Simply not true, i played the Gib LP 58' true hist in the store (6900€) and it makes all cheaper LPs sound and feel like trash. After a few tests i have to say, that LPs under 4k are trash
I love Rob's comments on people who make a decent living. It's refreshing to hear this day and age.
thing is with guitars: most of them usually keep their value relatively well. if you buy a midprice BMW or Audi (or any other car in fact) the value pretty much halves the second you put it on your driveway. Things like computers become completely worthless in about a year or 2...would i buy a really expensive guitar if i had the means? i probably would. but as i am a student at the moment i'm quite happy playing a (much) lower priced instrument for the time being
Depends on how the second hand market looks like and which car you buy. I make a profit if I sell my VW right now that I bought two years ago because of inflation and the dollar gaining massive value.
Yesidoplaytheguitar When I think back on all the expensive computer workstations I bought over the last 20 years- which have ALL since been scrapped except for the current one- I realize I could've amassed a staggering collection of high-end guitars, if only I'd been a guitarist by trade instead of a pixel pusher. Oh well, water under the bridge.
That's why it's good to buy used instruments, because if you ever want to sell, you'll get all or almost all of your money back.
Yesidoplaytheguitar Tip: Buy a REALLY good guitar... SECOND HAND.
I bought a Fender '85 Made in Japan strat (with the incredibly rare System 1 bridge from Fender/Schaller) for a measly 300 euros. Street prices for those guitars is at least 750 euros now, even with the current market, and my guitar was only made between '83 and '87, same period as the JV squiers and Fender Japan being let loose to do their own, crazy, magnificent thing...
Thing is though, it doesn't matter; because it's SUCH a good guitar, I'll never ever part with it. (unless I could save the world by doing so.)
+Bacon Muffin Totally agreed with you. I bought recently my drwam guitar : a 9 years old PRS custom 24 top10 in minth condition for almost half if the price.. it's now my go to guitar and I absolutely love the sound of it and will keep it for many many years..
Really digging the Captains leads of late. Reporting for duty sir!
It might be time for Rob to shave his head, never go full Devin Townsend.
17:39 - holy cow, Lee has an absolutely fantastic touch and tone 👌
Regular Custom Shop.
It sounds so wrong ;D
Mateusz Nakonieczny Also this first jam riff reminds me somehow of All new material by Periphery :)
Mateusz Nakonieczny
On all these comments here...
Pro guitar shop has no problems in making some really great sounding videos of their gear, and indeed I have bought FX'es and Dirt boxes after seeing their demo's, and when I got it I was never disapointed, different, sure, but 99% of what I heard in the videos is what I got playing in person. Just sayin'
+xgg249 I believe you. I have a standard 2004, 2500 euro. The quality is worst than my Ibanez 160 euro.
The famous A, AA, AAA top is less then ZZZ top in the reality. The inlays are catastrophics. Plastic is cheap. BTW I like it, cause it's a Gibson. How colud you dare to say, that gibson is the best guitar, for 4000 K, and after say, that you can make better, fot 8000 K? So, the 4000 is just shit?
+xgg249 Indeed, when I saw how cheap it is to buy tonewoods from a supplier, it does make you wonder. A honduras mahogany body blank would set you back 100 quid. A 3A highly figured maple top would set you back 150 quid tops. Blank for the neck probably under 100 quid. The material costs of a high quality guitar aren't that high, I am aware of labour costs and overheads, but for the quantity of guitars they produce and sell, economies of scale dictate there is no way these guitars should cost 6+ grand.
+xgg249 Indeed, when I saw how cheap it is to buy tonewoods from a supplier, it does make you wonder. A honduras mahogany body blank would set you back 100 quid. A 3A highly figured maple top would set you back 150 quid tops. Blank for the neck probably under 100 quid. The material costs of a high quality guitar aren't that high, I am aware of labour costs and overheads, but for the quantity of guitars they produce and sell, economies of scale dictate there is no way these guitars should cost 6+ grand.
Captain, I am very impressed with how far you have come in such a short period of time with your guitar playing skills! way to go!
8000 pounds is roughly $17000 Australian Dollars.... So no I wouldn't spend that much on a guitar. I would get multiple guitars, some nice amps and a decent home recording set up.
Jesse Wrangell £8000 is 12469.68 USD
justinmason100 Woops, forgot to say what I was converting to.
Maybe he was being really rough
Yes there is a difference in international value of the £-$ but realistically a guitar that costs $500 in the US will cost £500 in the UK! The cost of an instrument is based on local currency! Not international value!
Holy shit! In turkey it costs 34.500 turkish liras wtf man. A teacher in turkey earns 2.500 monthly. Our economy is fucked up.
My word Cap't,17:35,that playing is absolutely immense.I need more bluesy soul bending goodness!!
People will spend their disposable income on the things they love. If that happens to be guitar, I can definitely see justifying one of these.
I’m fortunate enough but older so I’m able now to get my dream guitars..The custom shop les Paul’s R9 59 I have is bliss ..I have the 60’s standard from 2019 it’s a great guitar but the 59 vos..just feels special..either way these Gibsons are keepers👍🏻👍🏻
Don't we all want Rob to ditch the Victory in a video like this and play such an expensive Gibson through a Marshall? I might be wrong, perhaps it's just me. But such guitars in a "... vs ..." video should be played through a Marshall and a Fender amp.
Nick Halewijn No. I prefer to be able to compare all of the guitars played through the same amps each week. It makes the comparison easier and fairer.
Yeah I know. I'm with you on that to a certain level. But I also think it's nice to see some different amps now and then. A nearly perfect comparison is impossible on CZcams you'll have to go to a guitar store for that.
Nick Halewijn I would prefer it was a cheaper amp. This is deceiving to me because ALL the guitars are going to sound good played through something like a top Victory or Marshall. But how are they going to sound through a middle $300-$500 amp that I and a lot of other people can only afford?
+Faintest Of Breath Lee almost always plays through a Fender Hot Rod Deluxe and you can get those for about $700 new and $500 second hand.
Nick Halewijn Yeah, let's do the same thing fucking everyone has done for the last fifty fucking years.
I fucking hate guitarists. I really do.
Seriously...you guys have the best guitar related channel on CZcams. Thank you so much for providing hours of entertainment, and amazing insight on these beautiful instruments. You're product knowledge is top notch, and you guys have the choppy fingers to back it up, keep it up!!!
The world doesn't really need yet another almost the same as the others Les Paul.
I purchased a superb 2014 Les Paul Historic 1959 (the much maligned Southern Rock Tribute Les Paul Historic 1959 with the upside down heart at the bridge pick-up and a charitable donation included) from the nice people at Anderton's i.e. last years model for a discounted price using their excellent 0% finance over 3 years. I opted for a Gibson Les Paul over a Collings (despite the Collings superior build quality) or PRS DGT (not really a fan of PRS tone) because of the way they sound and resonate. But I also saw the way the Gibson winds were blowing in 2015, smelt the coffee, stumbled bleary-eyed over a few other hackneyed clichés and signed the finance agreement via the inter-web. Seven days to love it or return it. A try-out in a busy store rarely seems to gives me a balanced overall impression. Added to this Anderton's are 250 miles away. However, kudos to Anderton's for easing expensive instrument purchases with their 0% finance :-)
Cynical me thinks Gibson are simply moving their high-end products in line with one percent economics: $250,000 vintage Les Pauls, $1.416 million Ferrari LaFerrari, $100 million New York apartments...... The True Historic plastics and pickup covers probably are more period correct (are they using paper in oil capacitors or is it purely cosmetic?) but over a number of years the new tooling costs become unimportant and the materials analysis cost simply a typical part of annual R&D. So it's really about using these new "True Historics" as a lever to bump up their high end product pricing structure and dilute the R9, R0, R8 etc by removing their long neck tenon joints. Gibson have noticed what luthiers are charging for old wood Les Paul copies and considered that the market can sustain a significant price hike. Les Pauls in the golden era were hand produced in relatively small numbers. Even some of these rare golden era instruments sound average: ask a truthful vintage guitar dealer. How many Les Pauls are now churned out per day or per annum?
The stunning tops of the first run 'True Historics' appear to have become less stunning as production has increased! However, it is typically a mistake to 'buy with your eyes' when purchasing a musical instrument!
That one guy? Ben Crowe, at Crimson Guitars. He's the guy I would throw a bunch of cash at for a truly bespoke custom guitar.
Alan W His guitars are about 1/3 to 1/2 the price. He must be busy with a 300 pound booking fee.
I can honestly say that I owned and played many Les Pauls over the years. I never wanted to try or play a custom shop because I felt they were overpriced as well. But the second I tried the one I ended up getting - I couldn't believe the difference in feel and tone. It's expensive, but the difference was HUGE. Doesn't stop you from buying other guitars as well
I never like the tones that Rob gets with a Les Paul. I'm not in to slamming Rob on his own channel, usually he gets great tone but in the last two Les Paul vids he's done the tone hasn't quite been there.
Jackson Price Actually the tone improves at around 10 min in
What Lee explained wasn't how prices are set. It explained how costs are distributed. Prices are set on a market, i.e. what are people prepared to pay for this kit? The question is then basically "can we afford to produce, market and distribute it with a reasonable margin?".
I'm no expert, but, those guitars sound like they are made out of wood.
What do you base that idea on?
Please never stop making videos like these.
Absolutely fascinating to watch and great playing as well.
Hell no would i buy a £7000 guitar from a big company. I'd much rather go to a small luthier and have them hand make me a guitar completely how i would want it with far more involvement and personal connection with it and then probably have enough left over for a nice hand-wired Amp and Cab and some damn nice pedals.
Josh lloyd Some of the guitars being built by smaller luthiers are almost works of art. I'm in few guitar groups on facebook and I am in awe on a daily basis. The downside is you might have to wait a year or even two for your guitar to be completed.
The opening jam:
Free love on the freelove freeway,
The love is free and the freeway's long
I got some hot love on the hotlove highway,
Ain't going home 'cause my baby's gone.
LEE TOUCH HIS NOSE EVERY TIME HE TALKS ABOUT WHETHER IT IS WORTH IT OR NOT, OBVIOUSLY HE THINKS IT DOES'T
So my question regarding the "reenactment" '59 LP is; Is it painted in the same process as the originals and lacquered the same way so they will age and fade the same way the originals did? Will they morph into the Lemon Bursts and Tobacco Bursts, etc. like they used to?
Gibson tapping into the mid-life crisis market, ££££££
Bob B Also wealthy retirees/pensioners, bored heirs/heiresses, aristocrats, sultans, mafia dons, drug lords, lottery winners, the massively insecure, and people who think a stupidly expensive LP will make them sound like (insert famous guitarist here).
+quasarpuffs slash. 😆
***** Look at how many Gibson and Fender clones there are. There are very few guitars that don't look like a guitar made in those styles. Either a person is buying the copy because they don't want to buy the money or there is something the clone has that the Gibson or Fender guitars don't have. Probably the most common non Gibson or Fender knock off is the Ibanez Iceman guitars and the only people that sell those clones are the Chinese and private luthiers.
Bob B for that much money they could easily hire a team to brainstorm a name tag which is more innovative (True historic. Really?) greedy b*sta**s
+quasarpuffs Jimmy Page
Rob and Lee make a good point here. For years I have trawled the local clubs (we're talking mainly acoustic instruments here) watching people play cheap instruments that generally sound (and look) cheap. I never quite believe it when they look at someone else's Martin enviously as though they can't afford one, or do not consider sacrificing or saving up for one. Ok, some people cannot, especially when they're young (although I somehow managed to find a s/hand walnut Gibson SG going cheap for £100. - 2 weeks pay- it was 1975!). But my point is many people simply choose to spend their money on other things, cars, holidays, phones, media, beer.....whatever. So it's often a choice.Ok, musicians can still achieve great things with cheap instruments, and some cheap instruments are unbelievably cool bargains (the PRS SE Santana springs to mind) but the pleasure, pride and confidence from owning a top end or reputable instrument is inspiring and can sometimes take your playing to new heights. My feeling is always 'go for the best' as often the really dedicated among us try to do, without being too irresponsible! The good news is they often keep near their value. Final story. I was once lucky enough to own a shiny s/h National style resonator. A visitor I had noticed it propped on a stand in the corner of the room and asked how much it cost? When I told her, her jaw dropped. Apparently I could have gone on holiday for two weeks for that. I didn't have the heart to say this instrument had given me YEARS of pleasure.
I always think of guitar as a bit like cars. You can spend £250 on a car that'll run fairly well but you can also buy a car that will cost a six figure sum. Its up to the person themselves to justify whether its worth the money. Also original vintage cars tend to be good investments, much like guitars. I think it's fair enough to say that you wouldn't spend that money on a guitar but I don't think it's right when people hate on others for doing it. At the end of the day, guitars are awesome and all that matters is that you have a good time playing it - no matter what the cost is! :)
***** I agree with this (except maybe the part about a $400 car running fairly well!)
hahaha!
Rob - dude, video after video, you got mad skillz and soul!! Like the evals and the humor too.
So in other words I'll just keep my '08 R8 that I got used for $2600 in mint condition and save $6k. Gibson is getting awfully greedy.
Not that spending that much on a copy of a guitar ever entered my mind.
Thats like the whole point they were talking about tho. Some would pay silly amounts of money, and some would already call you an idiot at 2600usd.
allolp And some would say hostility is the enemy of a creative mind
Exactly the point. When Lee says that an independent luthier will charge less because he has no marketing costs etc. that only means that you are paying for the brand name.
You guys are the guitar version of Top Gear!
Hannes Ekman Except without the backing of a Bullshit Broadcasting Company (BBC). And that's a good thing.
The Captain has improved his playing a LOT...!
I like it...!
The biggest thing they have in common is I cant afford either.
Captain Lee!
Recently there was an article on Paul Kossoff's 59' Lemonburst in detail. That had a neck break back in the day. When they opened it up recently, they found where the long neck tenon ends, it had separated from the body. They believe it was to do with him throwing the guitar in the air at the end of a gig.
Anyway, good review boys!
I wouldn't personally blast 8 grand on a True Historic Les Paul. There is some excellent second hand bargains to be had now! I've got an R7 that does it for me at the moment! I'd like and R8 but can't justify the mega prices!
30:15 Ooops not enough gain! I better turn it up a bit.
I work at high end guitar store in nashville and the true vintage Les Pauls and the new collectors choice pauls are some of the best les pauls that have ever hit the market. It's a shame they are as high as they are but they are doing a killer job. That said, I still love my 2014 R9 :D
I would like to see and hear (sorry if I missed it) the 2 guitars with identical settings and string sets played acoustically (not plugged in). I wonder if the true historic is actually louder acoustically or all this "hide glue", better construction, long tenon bla bla bla is just satisfactory to the "collector" who lives in us......and bad for our pockets.
Exactly as me : this is half an hour lost, comments about money and tax are NOT interesting. We would like to hear the vs. as announced, not some swapping with different amps! I love your videos usually, but here, please do the right thing and start again.
Glad the videos are still going to be forthcoming.Always entertaining.Rock on lee and Rob.
Guys... Is this potentially the last video with Lee?
no
Wtf?
Why?
***** Oh. Thank god
+Buddy Martin You have absolutely no idea why I'm moving there, of course you wouldn't because I haven't really told anybody.... I am not just moving there on a whim, for fun or anything simple like that - I want a change, adventure, to learn the language that I will be speaking to my children and to spend some time with my new family.
I could fall asleep to the soothing sounds of these Les Pauls...
I would get on a ten year loan for the one on the right.
LesPaul2006 the captain?
The car was the Pagani Huayra and Hammond was talking about the entire shift lever mechanism. :) Good episode, that!
I think it is more inmoral to keep a "guitarsenal" or keep a "collection" of guitars and amps, that you really don't play or simply cant play well, and that is worth way more than a Gibson true historic.
+The Cantrell Project Thumbs up merely for the term "guitarsenal". Such an apt word to describe a large collection of guitars. Thank you for this word
As someone who's spent a large amount of money on a guitar, you're not only inspired to play such a beautiful piece of Americana, but the price guilts you into playing it as well. It's like an expensive luxury car that begs to be driven all the time. :)
I can't stop crying -.- why am I soooo poor?!! WHY!!! stupid sexy LP ='( // Regards from depressed land \m/
Get a Edwards by ESP! Fraction of the cost, same style, better made!
***** Yep that's what I did, everyone thinks it's a Gibson until they actually read what's on the headstock.
Got a LTS 98 looks and plays great.
***** Mmm.. nice. I'll check it out - Thanks !
I just picked up a 2015 True Historic 1960, its the best Gibson LP I've ever had in my hands. Was only able to get it due to an insane deal through a friends shop.
Who think chappers and lee should make a full blues/rock album? Or at least a professionaly recorded track
I once saw a Jimmy Page signature Les Paul for sale in a guitar shop for £16000. Yes, 16 grand. It was encased in a protective glass case and everything.
Next year Gibson will put out Ultra True Historic Les Paul and the year after that Super Ultra True Historic Les Paul. I mean come on how many times can you do a reissue? They have done these reissues for how long? Several decades? Is is that Gibson has done shitty reissues previously and basically don't know what they are doing or what. "This is closest replica" yeah and they'll say the same thing next year. And for that amount of money, I smell something fishy here.
Zhaggysfaction That's the smell of marketing.
quasarpuffs That's the smell of tone polish which is a Gibson thing.
Comment from India !!!
Watching Rob and Captain play and handle these expensive beauties gives me the royal experience which I could never afford!
Cheers mates!
:D
Thumbs up for these two guitar Gurus!
Still prefer a Strat.
good for you
Cool story bro
Lee, you said something that really hit me right between my eyes, it really did hit me right between the eyes. You said: "I really love this thing." What with all the ribbing I've been giving you all this time, I gotta say, you hit it right on the head. That is a piece of the truth. Good on you, Lee, you've shown me that I'm not right all the time. And that you do speak truth sometimes. Now for your buddie...
It's hard to watch videos of gear that you can afford.
That end Jam was the best I've heard you two do, it was very beautiful.
Porsche did 9/11
Was literally just looking at the true historic gibson page and thought "has rob put up a new video?" And it's this, I was like WWOOOOOOOWWW
How much money does is really cost to make this?
It's just wood, plastic, electronics, development and labor.
I think someone is ripping people of because collectors went stupid with there pricing.
dennis bots To rip off is to steal. If the buyer and seller agree on the price and what the price will buy and both get what they were expecting, then no one is ripped off. That's why sales usually end with both the buyer and seller saying "thank you."
Knowing there are not many of them, they are made by Gibson who are people who know how to make a guitar, all contribute to the price. If you gave most people who make guitars the same materials, you would not get back a Gibson level Les Paul.
Knowing there are not many of them, they are made by Gibson who are people who know how to make a guitar, all contribute to the price. If you gave most people who make guitars the same materials, you would not get back a Gibson level Les Paul.
+Robert Ruiz Many people who have bought Tokai, Edwards, Navigators etc from Japan would beg to differ.
dennis bots
To answer your question, these don't cost Gibson more than $500 to make, it is truly insane mark up.
Robert, go to any small shop reputable luthier and they will tell you Gibson has no idea how to make a guitar anymore, they have several flaws which were never fixed and the finish quality, especially at this price level, is atrocious
I actually have a '72 Gibson Les Paul which broke at the neck joint rather than the headstock. Quite a rare break. Guitar fell over sideways and broke there, Slammed a ton of glue in there and clamped it. Guitar still sounds great.
I want to say, the TH is something you need to feel to believe, its next level. the hand rolled binding is felt when playing, the sustain is like alive. something is different. normal R9 don't come close to TH, may look similar, even classic look similar to R9 now. but TH is next level.......
I've been waiting for someone to go in depth about this!!
I own a Custom Shop 1959 VOS and it is a absolutely great guitar . If you are a Gibson Les Paul lover , get one . These are the ones you want . Too bad we have to pay $3k on up for these but they are great tone tools .
I was in andertons store last week, was looking to try the les Paul standard with the posh quilt top, about £2800. Was in one of the great demo rooms and the assistant went to get me a les Paul standard to try..... Accidentally gave me a les Paul traditional, which turned out to be a happy accident as they say!! It was so much nicer to play with a fatter neck, sounded amazing (better than the more expensive standard). I don't earn a great deal of money but would happily spend £7-10 grand on a guitar if it felt as amazing as the traditional and sounded as good too. Ended up choosing a traditional les Paul and a deluxe strat for near enough the same price as I was gonna pay for a standard lp. Now just to wait for Xmas before I order them!!😀😀
white dove is an awesome track! listened to it 4 times already today, thanks for the download chappers!
I bought one. I work hard, I guess. I don't earn a lot money. But finally, after owning many inferior Les Pauls that do not sound like '59s, I can now sound how I want to sound - with the assistance of a Freidman Pink Taco. Totally worth the money and more for any experienced guitarist. Mine's a Tom Murphy special - it may be that they picked 'the best ones' to be hand aged. You can spend 250k+ on an original that will never come to auction anyway. Or you can buy one of these. Cheap, tbh. More than worth the money.
Just got a custom shop 1960 reissue. It is a fantastic beast.
this is why I subscribe to rob chapman.. their les paul videos are top notch in terms of information and demos.
Hey Ol Chappers and Lee! I own (2) les Paul standards like Chappers is holding and they both are absolutely Gr8! One has the EMG's and it has the big 50's neck and the other has the 60's slim taper neck and it is all factory stock. They are both the best in every aspect! Peace guys✌🏻️
Case in point. A mate went to buy a CS Historic Les Paul last year. None available floated his boat enough to justify being "the one" at that price point. On the way back they passed the Hermes shop. His Mrs saw a handbag she liked, and there went the Les Paul fund.
Guitars are cheap. Relatively ;-)
Other thing. The right side of the stop piece is 1/16" higher than the left. That' why original Lesters have a different look in regards to the relationship of the Rhythm volume knob to the stop piece.
Great detailed review. Also and especially, I always love to see great smooth soulful playing on Les Pauls. Nothing compared to the tone and feel of a Les Paul in my opinion. Thanks guys!
Holy shit Chappers your tone on this video was amazing
2:20 the Cap is all "would you fuckin stop" LOL
To me, the big problem with these is the wood. If they sourced old growth to make their very best guitars, I'm all in. I bought a '59 burst in '79. Sold it in the mid 80's for $18,000 and a Harley Davidson & thought I was a genius. A friend and I did a test last year. We took a '57 Junior and a '57 Junior custom shop, recorded them then swapped all electronics. Every time and to everyones ears, the old wood trounced the new. Fact: trees that took 200 years to grow sound better than trees that took 75 years to play.
receiving inspiration playing your Gibson LP should be reason buying one...its a good psychological thing to have a super LP
I like these guitars, nice models. A musician I once new said "..if you got to ask the price of the guitar , you can't afford it.''
Look forward to you guys doing what ya do as long as you can.
I really enjoyed this video. Very educational to learn about some of the behind the scenes aspects of higher end guitars. AND a Top Gear reference!
That last jam solo by CaptAnderton was utterly fantastic!
18:02 How beautiful this little lick with a bend was ..Lee is not such a technical guy, but man..That was juicy!
I usually play and collect SGs and Strats, but every once in a while do want a Les Paul.
The most I've paid for a Les Paul is my standard that was $2699. I cannot imagine paying $6000+ but those are some beauties. Especially the cherry one that Rob started with.