Cool video, it's really cool that they both have different personalities. The through TH-cam as well the R9 sounded fatter and warmer, and the Classic was brighter. Both sounded great, it' nice you options depending on what sound you're looking for, or the venue you're playing.
Absolutely! Thanks for the motivation to do the video. I've thought about doing it a number of times but sometime you just need to know that someone wants it. Glad you liked it.
Groovy comparison! The “let’s have some fun” segment was a very good way of hearing both. Everyone has their own taste and that’s why we have some many options 😊 I was intrigued with the previous video installing the CBs in the Classic…I dig that type of experimenting. ✌️
Thanks man. It's been fun having both guitars with the same pickups. I wonder how many people are going to do this now that Gibson is planning to sell Custombuckers on their own.
People tend to forget that the tone and volume pots also make a difference. The condensator makes a difference. There is also a difference between vintage wiring and modern wiring. And there is also sometimes a difference between the custombuckers.
All true statements. Even with everything at 10. I’ll also add that the tolerance of the caps and the range of the pots… 500k pot doesn’t always mean 500k
Thanks for the upload: great work ! The ones in the Classic sounded clearer and more articulate. With dirt, the R9 sounded spongier, like you’d expect from a LP in a Marshall. Both are nice and complementary.
You are welcome and thank you for commenting. I’ve played them both out live and also had a buddy play the classic while I played the R9. They sounded great and still maintained their own identity.
Great video 👍the r9 sounded deeper and thicker and the classic sounded clearer but thinner sounding the only way to truly know is to swap the pickups in both guitars and see if the classic sounds fatter than the r9 and truly eliminate that the pickups could sound different
What we're really testing here is the R9 vs the Classic. I can hear the added harmonics and resonance of the R9. Either that or the Classic has old strings :) I have an R8 whiich is louder than all other Custombucker Les Pauls I've owned. I think it's just because it's more resonant and the strings vibrate better. It's louder with more sustain.
When they are side by side I notice the tonal difference. But when they are on their own I don’t notice either lacking anything in tone that the other has.
Listening to your shootout, I found it very interesting. I checked the specs on both guitars. The R9 has Custombuckers Alnico III (unspotted) and the Classic has Burstbuckers 61R and 6161T Zebra-Bobbin Humbuckers according to Gibson. They could be the same with different names. Anyway, they both sounded great but my preference goes to the R9 that I hope to buy sooner than later. Nice playing to.
No two guitars sound alike,no two pickups sound identical,sure you can get in the ballpark but they'll still have differences.. Also the bridge on the classic has zinc saddles and the stop bar is zinc but on the R9 it's brass saddles and an aluminum stop bar and that does make a significant difference especially in the midrange... Most people don't realize that simply swapping saddles and stop bar makes a dramatic difference in tone...Any burstbucker or paf type pickup is made to work with brass saddles and aluminum stop bar, it takes the piercing highs out of the guitar and makes it more balanced as well as making it sound more natural and woody...
I played the Classic as my main guitar for 8 years but have owned it for 18 years. The R9 is more comfortable and feels like home to me. I know that sounds odd but there is something about the R9. The neck shape, weight, finish, and pot interaction that seems right to me. Is it worth $4k more? That is all dependent on the situation of the player. Mine was such that I had the money available and made the choice to do it knowing I could likely get most of my money back. I was a 2-3 guitar purchase a year kind of guy. After getting the R9, I haven't purchased a guitar since, and it's been almost 2 years... and I've sold 2 because I didn't feel I needed them anymore.
One thing I'm always interesting is the scale length. I always heard that the original burst‘s scale length is slightly shorter than the modern one. I'm not sure if Gibson do a good job on R9 vs the newer les paul model.
I find customhsop Gibsons are louder acoustically than many USA les pauls .. My USA les pauls are more mid forward and compressed while my R8s are cleaner and more open .
I have just 1 CS and 4 Standard production. The CS is lighter and maybe a little louder acoustically than the others. That said, I have played some dead standard Gibsons but have never played a dead Custom Shop.
2002 and 2003 were great years for Gibson there are alot of poeple who feel that tone wise and Cusrom shop Reissue guitars from those years are the best sounding R series guitars Gibson has done despte the fact that the newer ones are far more vintage correct . The 2001 and 2002 Custom Authentic R8s were Amazing guitars .Those very early Burstbucker 2 and 3 sets thar came in the R8 custom authentics are some of the best Pickups i have ever heard .
@@alainmalo3791 ah yes. That is what was in the guitar. I changed the ceramics for the AlNiCo Custombuckers to see if the Classic would sound the same as the 59 reissue. But there are other variables that still make them two guitars sound different. The necks do feel different. I prefer the 59 but the Classic 60’s is very easy to play.
Both sound beautiful.....r9 a bit more throaty, classic, sounds older, more woody and vintage bc the wood is almost 20 yrs old, one of the best paf makers in the world is a friend of mine he told pickups need about a month to break in, so the r9 is gonna get better and better! good luck with your new lp
I could not agree more. The Classic has a great open and woody tone for sure. The R9 will get there in time. The more I play it the better it will get.
Absolutely, also, i always thought the early 2000;s Gibsons all sound great...Then, i come to find out that the wood they used then was supposed to be great, and it shows....But that R9nyou got ther, is special, i think in a couple of months shes gonna start to bloom even more....Iys still technically drying....Takes a minute, but once she dries out its gonna be 5 times the guitAr it is now, and its amazing as we spoke, good buy for sure, dont sell that classic either but let me know if you do...lol
@@tweedcouch I just watched your video again, bc im obsessed with anything burst/tone related, and ive been thinking about eventually trying to get a real 57 goldtop in the future 58 to 60 are out of the question,,,and trying to see if a good custom as good as yours is a good alternative.? And upon further review you got a good looking and souding one...This video mightve saved me 90k plus.....lol but im an idiot so im not gonna be able to help myself if i can do it..im so sick, that id rather live in a smaller house and drive a hooptie, to obtain a vintage one, but that one is TOP NOTCH! good luck!
@@johnmirabile3535 I am so glad that I have possibly saved you from driving a Hooptie... or possibly living in one if you were to get a real 59. Keep in mind, if you were to not spend $90k on ONE real vintage LP then you could afford the entire collection of R4, R6, R7, R8, R9, R0 with about $40-$50k to spare!
id have to find a gem for a great price@@tweedcouch i cant get a 59, i was looking around for a great 57'......and yea, not the brightest idea i ever had lol....id have to find a gem for a great price....then again i cant really gig with it, and i think yours is equal, worst case close second, what year is yours again? i like the aesthetics on it and tone is right on..
Just shows how tone isn’t always in the high dollar instrument. I do prefer the R9 but it’s mostly because of the weight and feel of the neck. The Classic is about a pound heavier and has the thinner 60’s neck.
@@tweedcouch I upgraded a standard Les Paul,, new nut (bone nut), high quality pots, caps, switch, bridge and tail piece, wow, I could hear quite an improvement in tone and sustain. Just more of everything.
@@realtruenorth it makes you wonder why someone would make a guitar without some of these little these things. Couldn’t be that much more expensive to use a different nut material or higher fidelity pots and caps. I get it with the bridge and tail piece but the others are literally pennies for them to source better. To compare to another manufacturer… the PRS McCarty 594 is nice. The SE is nice too except the switch. It’s the worst feeling switch i have ever encountered. They have lost a sale because I hate the switch. Sure I could switch it out (no pun intended) but I own many guitars and don’t need this one... especially at full price.
@@tweedcouch well unless you get lucky, a nut fitted to your exact string gauge will be better. Also, PRS SE is a nice guitar, but won't stay in tune and the electronics are cheap. That have problems early on. Custom 24 PRS USA model is one of the best stable playing guitars I've ever played. Stays in tune like a Floyd rose without all that bulk. Amazing instruments,, but cost you a whole paycheck at least.
No porpose this shootout! About the diference between 2 guitars..Better between 2 originals guitars w/ their pickups...No way , the TH-cam is full of nonsense shootouts and equipament analysis...Focus was out here! thanks for the initiative!
I did a video where I compared the Classic’s original Ceramic pickups and the Custombuckers. Then I had someone ask about the difference between the R9 and Classic with the same pickups. That’s what this video is. A comparison of the same pickups in 2 different LP’s. Pretty straight forward. Thanks for the comment.
You covered all of your bases. Very impressive demo!
Thanks. I appreciate it.
Cool video, it's really cool that they both have different personalities. The through TH-cam as well the R9 sounded fatter and warmer, and the Classic was brighter. Both sounded great, it' nice you options depending on what sound you're looking for, or the venue you're playing.
Absolutely! Thanks for the motivation to do the video. I've thought about doing it a number of times but sometime you just need to know that someone wants it. Glad you liked it.
Thanks for the comparison. Both sound very similar, but I do like the midrange and "throatiness" of the R9 a lot.
I need to try it in a band mix side by side. That would make all the difference.
Groovy comparison! The “let’s have some fun” segment was a very good way of hearing both. Everyone has their own taste and that’s why we have some many options 😊
I was intrigued with the previous video installing the CBs in the Classic…I dig that type of experimenting. ✌️
Thanks man. It's been fun having both guitars with the same pickups. I wonder how many people are going to do this now that Gibson is planning to sell Custombuckers on their own.
Great demo! I prefer the R9.
Thank you very much. I think I lean to the R9 too
There is also going to be tonal variance from 1 set of Custombuckers to another
Absolutely. I think this video shows that.
People tend to forget that the tone and volume pots also make a difference. The condensator makes a difference. There is also a difference between vintage wiring and modern wiring. And there is also sometimes a difference between the custombuckers.
All true statements. Even with everything at 10. I’ll also add that the tolerance of the caps and the range of the pots… 500k pot doesn’t always mean 500k
Thanks for the upload: great work ! The ones in the Classic sounded clearer and more articulate. With dirt, the R9 sounded spongier, like you’d expect from a LP in a Marshall. Both are nice and complementary.
You are welcome and thank you for commenting. I’ve played them both out live and also had a buddy play the classic while I played the R9. They sounded great and still maintained their own identity.
Great video 👍the r9 sounded deeper and thicker and the classic sounded clearer but thinner sounding the only way to truly know is to swap the pickups in both guitars and see if the classic sounds fatter than the r9 and truly eliminate that the pickups could sound different
Totally agree. This will limit the variables.
What we're really testing here is the R9 vs the Classic. I can hear the added harmonics and resonance of the R9. Either that or the Classic has old strings :)
I have an R8 whiich is louder than all other Custombucker Les Pauls I've owned. I think it's just because it's more resonant and the strings vibrate better. It's louder with more sustain.
You definitely have a point.
The R9 has more body in the tone.
I hear the same. Thanks for commenting.
I prefer the Classic, closer to my taste. But both sound great. 🙂
When they are side by side I notice the tonal difference. But when they are on their own I don’t notice either lacking anything in tone that the other has.
Listening to your shootout, I found it very interesting. I checked the specs on both guitars. The R9 has Custombuckers Alnico III (unspotted) and the Classic has Burstbuckers 61R and 6161T Zebra-Bobbin Humbuckers according to Gibson. They could be the same with different names. Anyway, they both sounded great but my preference goes to the R9 that I hope to buy sooner than later. Nice playing to.
The R9 is very full sounding and feeling in comparison. I prefer the R9 most of the time because of the weight and the bigger neck.
Love that R9!
Such an amazing animal.
No two guitars sound alike,no two pickups sound identical,sure you can get in the ballpark but they'll still have differences.. Also the bridge on the classic has zinc saddles and the stop bar is zinc but on the R9 it's brass saddles and an aluminum stop bar and that does make a significant difference especially in the midrange...
Most people don't realize that simply swapping saddles and stop bar makes a dramatic difference in tone...Any burstbucker or paf type pickup is made to work with brass saddles and aluminum stop bar, it takes the piercing highs out of the guitar and makes it more balanced as well as making it sound more natural and woody...
Agreed. Lots of factors go into tone.
So what about the feel? Feel R9 more comfy, better or something? Sound difference is not huge. Thanks for the video btw.
I played the Classic as my main guitar for 8 years but have owned it for 18 years. The R9 is more comfortable and feels like home to me. I know that sounds odd but there is something about the R9. The neck shape, weight, finish, and pot interaction that seems right to me. Is it worth $4k more? That is all dependent on the situation of the player. Mine was such that I had the money available and made the choice to do it knowing I could likely get most of my money back. I was a 2-3 guitar purchase a year kind of guy. After getting the R9, I haven't purchased a guitar since, and it's been almost 2 years... and I've sold 2 because I didn't feel I needed them anymore.
@@tweedcouch Great answer, thank you..
@@eeeejcicjn you are very welcome. Thank you for watching.
One thing I'm always interesting is the scale length. I always heard that the original burst‘s scale length is slightly shorter than the modern one. I'm not sure if Gibson do a good job on R9 vs the newer les paul model.
I had forgotten all about the scale length question!
The classic sounds a bit snappier and brighter. The R9 a bit rounder and fatter. Great demo!
I tend to gravitate to snappy. How about you?
I find customhsop Gibsons are louder acoustically than many USA les pauls .. My USA les pauls are more mid forward and compressed while my R8s are cleaner and more open .
I have just 1 CS and 4 Standard production. The CS is lighter and maybe a little louder acoustically than the others. That said, I have played some dead standard Gibsons but have never played a dead Custom Shop.
2002 and 2003 were great years for Gibson there are alot of poeple who feel that tone wise and Cusrom shop Reissue guitars from those years are the best sounding R series guitars Gibson has done despte the fact that the newer ones are far more vintage correct . The 2001 and 2002 Custom Authentic R8s were Amazing guitars .Those very early Burstbucker 2 and 3 sets thar came in the R8 custom authentics are some of the best Pickups i have ever heard .
I have BB2 & 3 in my 2020 Explorer. It sounds phenomenal. I wonder how similar they sound to the old R8 BB’s.
The classic is more midragne heavy and has more nasal Honk
I hear that too
La classic les Micros son en céramique je crois ?
I believe this is French. I don’t know French but I’d love to know what you are saying if you can try and translate.
Classic 60 Nek 496TR 500T bridge Céramique @@tweedcouch
@@alainmalo3791 ah yes. That is what was in the guitar. I changed the ceramics for the AlNiCo Custombuckers to see if the Classic would sound the same as the 59 reissue. But there are other variables that still make them two guitars sound different. The necks do feel different. I prefer the 59 but the Classic 60’s is very easy to play.
Il faut tout changer même les potard est les capas pour qu'elle ressemble au 59@@tweedcouch
@@alainmalo3791 very true.
Both sound beautiful.....r9 a bit more throaty, classic, sounds older, more woody and vintage bc the wood is almost 20 yrs old, one of the best paf makers in the world is a friend of mine he told pickups need about a month to break in, so the r9 is gonna get better and better! good luck with your new lp
I could not agree more. The Classic has a great open and woody tone for sure. The R9 will get there in time. The more I play it the better it will get.
Absolutely, also, i always thought the early 2000;s Gibsons all sound great...Then, i come to find out that the wood they used then was supposed to be great, and it shows....But that R9nyou got ther, is special, i think in a couple of months shes gonna start to bloom even more....Iys still technically drying....Takes a minute, but once she dries out its gonna be 5 times the guitAr it is now, and its amazing as we spoke, good buy for sure, dont sell that classic either but let me know if you do...lol
@@tweedcouch I just watched your video again, bc im obsessed with anything burst/tone related, and ive been thinking about eventually trying to get a real 57 goldtop in the future 58 to 60 are out of the question,,,and trying to see if a good custom as good as yours is a good alternative.? And upon further review you got a good looking and souding one...This video mightve saved me 90k plus.....lol but im an idiot so im not gonna be able to help myself if i can do it..im so sick, that id rather live in a smaller house and drive a hooptie, to obtain a vintage one, but that one is TOP NOTCH! good luck!
@@johnmirabile3535 I am so glad that I have possibly saved you from driving a Hooptie... or possibly living in one if you were to get a real 59. Keep in mind, if you were to not spend $90k on ONE real vintage LP then you could afford the entire collection of R4, R6, R7, R8, R9, R0 with about $40-$50k to spare!
id have to find a gem for a great price@@tweedcouch i cant get a 59, i was looking around for a great 57'......and yea, not the brightest idea i ever had lol....id have to find a gem for a great price....then again i cant really gig with it, and i think yours is equal, worst case close second, what year is yours again? i like the aesthetics on it and tone is right on..
It is funny! I have R9 with burstbuckers 1 and 2, but i thought classic sound much better!
Just shows how tone isn’t always in the high dollar instrument. I do prefer the R9 but it’s mostly because of the weight and feel of the neck. The Classic is about a pound heavier and has the thinner 60’s neck.
R9 has more meat to the tone,, clearly.
I agree. Could be the difference in pots or the windings.
@@tweedcouch I upgraded a standard Les Paul,, new nut (bone nut), high quality pots, caps, switch, bridge and tail piece, wow, I could hear quite an improvement in tone and sustain. Just more of everything.
@@realtruenorth it makes you wonder why someone would make a guitar without some of these little these things. Couldn’t be that much more expensive to use a different nut material or higher fidelity pots and caps. I get it with the bridge and tail piece but the others are literally pennies for them to source better. To compare to another manufacturer… the PRS McCarty 594 is nice. The SE is nice too except the switch. It’s the worst feeling switch i have ever encountered. They have lost a sale because I hate the switch. Sure I could switch it out (no pun intended) but I own many guitars and don’t need this one... especially at full price.
@@tweedcouch well unless you get lucky, a nut fitted to your exact string gauge will be better. Also, PRS SE is a nice guitar, but won't stay in tune and the electronics are cheap. That have problems early on. Custom 24 PRS USA model is one of the best stable playing guitars I've ever played. Stays in tune like a Floyd rose without all that bulk. Amazing instruments,, but cost you a whole paycheck at least.
The guitars are different
In more ways than some would like to admit.
looking for egg hair...No porpose at all!
Looking for egg hair? No porpose? What are you saying?
@@tweedcouch hairy porpoise eggs
@@Ninjametal oh… that clears it up. Yes I agree. This video does lack hairy porpoise eggs. I’ll work on it.
No porpose this shootout! About the diference between 2 guitars..Better between 2 originals guitars w/ their pickups...No way , the TH-cam is full of nonsense shootouts and equipament analysis...Focus was out here!
thanks for the initiative!
I did a video where I compared the Classic’s original Ceramic pickups and the Custombuckers. Then I had someone ask about the difference between the R9 and Classic with the same pickups. That’s what this video is. A comparison of the same pickups in 2 different LP’s. Pretty straight forward. Thanks for the comment.