2019 Les Paul Traditional vs Les Paul Custom Shop 59 Standard - A Gibson Tone Shootout
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 27 ส.ค. 2024
- Two tone-beasts are going to be put to the test! Do you think that the difference in price is noticeable in the tone of the guitars? How about the playability? Chris McKee has some thoughts on the aforementioned, we would love to hear yours. Listen carefully as he puts both guitars to work. Play A Note, Change Your Life!
#guitarcomparison #gibson #lespaul #customshop
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I really dig the sound of the Custom Shop one you played. $6K is a large pill to swallow though.
I wonder if the Traditional would sound the same as the Custom Shop if it were fitted with the same pickups ?
If you've got 5 grand, buy the R9. If you can only stretch to 2 grand, get a top end Tokai.
@@TheHumbuckerboy They'd sound practically identical. They already have essentially the same woods and construction. With the same pups, same setup, same strings, same player, same amp the difference would be so minute that there's no practical reason to care.
@@EnterJustice Yes That is what I suspected
@@EnterJustice Pretty much. Been collecting Standards for almost 27 years now and just started collecting a few reissues and I'm not sure I could justify the price difference.
Fantastic description of the R9 tone. I just traded three nice guitars for one, one of which was a nice 2004 LP.
IMO the difference is worth every penny. I'd spend as much again in a heartbeat.
I bought the 2019 Traditional and it’s an awesome guitar . Got lucky and walked into Guitar Center when a sale had just started . Got mine for $1800 in Tobacco Sunburst .
Same i bought mine after going to have a 'look' going from my Epi to a Gibson LP traditional was night and day. The custom shop one sounds amazing no doubt, but i cannot justify that price.
Damn this R9 is one beautiful guitar, sound and finish-wise.
Buy the traditional and swap the electronics to 50s spec. Then have 3 grand to buy a great amp
AB Baby yup
See my comment above. Buy a Seiko watch that tells time equally well as a Rolex--but it will never be a work of art as a Rolex.
Exactly what I did & I now play it more than my CS model.
I thought the traditional has everything 50’s specs wiring.
@@EM-km8em mine wasn't wired 50s spec
Les paul custom shop is amazing
The Custom Shop 59’ Re-issue looks so much better.
it better
I just bought a Custom Shop 59 and I can tell you that it is head and shoulders better than my Standards !!! I can tell you that there is a big difference.
Anyone that plays a Custom Shop R9 and plays a "Traditional or Standard" right behind it and says their isn't a "Huge" difference better get their "ears" checked is all I'm saying! :-)
I have had early 2000’s standards and classics and still have a gold top traditional. They all do / did sound great, but, my 2008 r9 has a feeling that I have not found anywhere else, Gibson has had good and bad years for USA models and the good ones are great but I can’t get over the difference in feel when I pick up my custom shop. It’s a fine instrument without a doubt. But, the random twist is that I also have a 20 year old studio and that out of all the others it gets closest to the R9......it’s an animal but as smooth as the inside of a conker shell.
My 1980 Greco super real EGF 1200 is better than all custom shops i have ever played.
@@macbaker8477 It all depends really
Dat famous gibson quality varies so much it's ridiculous. I could swear my 08 traditional came from the custom shop if I were none the wiser, especially with rewired electronics and those sweet fralin pafs
@@macbaker8477 And comparing to the newer factory models at music stores, the difference is obvious. One might even think that a les paul sounds as glossy as it looks :D
I have an ‘02 Standard and a ‘58 Historic and they sound eerily similar to both of these respectively...the Standard is more focused and excels as a great hard rock guitar. The ‘58 (which is exactly the same as the ‘59 here but has a thicker neck) is woodier and more open sounding compared to the Standard, almost an acoustic element as you described here...not unlike a Tele on steroids if you will. The ‘58 Historic nails the sounds that I’ve experienced with vintage Les Pauls, it’s the sound of so many classic rock records...Kossoff, Page, Walsh, Bloomfield etc. Nothing wrong at all with the Traditional or Standards, but the R8’s and R9’s are the guitars to have if you absolutely want to nail “those” sounds. Quality wise, the craftsmanship on the historics is consistently stellar...sometimes you do get what you pay for.
You sir or "SPOT ON" with your comments in every detail! The R8's and R9's absolutely nail the tones of Kossoff and the other classic rock guitar guru's that you mentioned! I have a 2009 Gibson R9 in a killer "ICE TEA" burst that will be in my possession in a week or so! It'a a Lefty! I didn't realize or know that the 2009 Historic Reissue's were a 50th Anniversary edition! They made several changes and upgrades on the 2009 Historic Reissues! :-)
Mac Baker
I just got the traditional cherry sunburst minutes ago. It's amazing.... brand new... you won't believe how much I paid... i can't even upload a receipt on here. With tax and everything I got it at cost basically. Way way less than 2k think les paul studio price. I am over the moon on it 😁❤ simply amazing
That's awesome man!
Hi BaileyPawsPlays me too about 3 months ago. It’s beautiful and amazing playing guitar. Haven’t been able to put it down at all. Then came the TRAD Pro V a few days ago. Another amazing playing guitar. Thinner neck all the HP Electronics ( choice is there if I feel the need) satin finish also way under that mark you mentioned. Now it’s all about playing playing and enjoying the Gibson history and tradition.
I think gibson must use custom shop ，you can listen the true gibson sound
I bought a 2019 LP Traditional in Heritage Cherry Burst 2 weeks ago and I love it. It's my first electric guitar,. You can change the tone by using the tone knobs on the guitar and amp. Just saying, It has a lovely warm mellow tone I love and plays nice, which is why I bought it. Great video, interesting to watch, but the salesman is always going to recommend the higher priced model.
Mark Geraghty I bought same but in Tobacco Sunburst, love mine too
Nice review, could really hear the wider and more powerful spread on the custom guitar but sadly i feel that the traditional got an un-fair shot considering it wasn't tuned properly.
I think this video has finally convinced me to get the Traditional
firdaus125 get it bro I hope do you get it
herreratomemh I got it ... it’s coming tomorrow ... my most expensive guitar by a long shot
I have a fender elite Stratocaster sky burst metallic... and I coming for this traditional in December GOD FIRST... hope you enjoy it this beauty..
firdaus125 enjoying it man?
Ryan Boshell haven’t been playing it much. To be honest the factory setup wasn’t really great so I’m just waiting for a day where I’m free to send it to get professionally set up. But the tone is great.
Wow reading the comments here you would think that the LP Traditional was a $200 Knock off. Of course the CS is going to sound better head to head. If you can afford one, buy one if that's what you want. But let me be clear though. The Les Paul traditional is going to give you the LP tone that LPs are known for. Anything can sound muddy if you do not work the tone or volume knob correctly. Also there are equalization, gain and presence knobs on amps. You can use those to get a fantastic tone. If I were to spend above $4k I would buy a PRS.
Well said (:
I sort of agree but would go even further. I convinced that both guitars would sound exactly the same if you were to put the same pickups in them. And then again, it not necessarily true that the Custom Shop-buckers sound better to everyone's ears. I personally like the 490/490T combo used in 90's Les Pauls, SGs and current (non-Custom) Customs better than all the Burstbuckers. So, when the guy in the vid says the Custom Shop sounds "more amazing" it's either a sales pitch or his personal preference. The stuff about the CS have an "airy openness to it, and sounds almost like an acoustic". That's just lower output pups. Same with the Custom Shop neck carve. Yeah, it's probably nice. But the neck on the standard production model might just as well feel better in your hands.
It would be interesting to see a traditional with CustomBuckers against a Reissue.
Exactly bro, that Traditional is awesome !!!
My thoughts exactly. I wish Gibson sold those separately.
daniel laurence Get Burstbuckers and swap magnet for alnico 3.
No such video on youtube... makes you wonder... i bet money that the fancy custombucker is just a burstbucker with Alnico 3 instead of the 5.
That being said I replaced the pickups in my Epi LP GT with the pups from my '16 Trad and it did not make it sound like my Trad at all. But those two are very different as the Epi has no real maple cap.
Yeah. But you wouldn't hear any difference. Gibson refuse top sell them separately, otherwise people would figure out that it's not necessary to buy an actual R9 to get R9 sound. All that stuff about the re-issues. You know the hide-glue, super traditional laquer, long tenon, special wood and what have you. It might be vintage correct, but it doesn't have any effect on the sound or playability.
As Luis Coll have just said. I’ve always wanted to see that comparison with all the electronics swapped. I’m pretty sure we all be very surprised with the results.
Luis Vidal That‘d be just like taking a BMWs motor from an M8 and fitting it in a M2, you could do it, but it makes no sense, you will not have an M8 with that conversion. You‘ll get something in between.
@@adriamillasluqueI disagree, if the only real difference is the pickups then……100% onboard with the pickups swap!
Playing live Id bet money you couldn't tell.... Actuality that treble that can be a little harsh is ur only weapon against crash cymbals hi hats and vocals
Well, listening trough youtube so compressed....but....: I'm listening through Beyerdynamic studio headphones and was reading the comments while listening to the playing, I didn't even realize the video was switching between guitars. Didn't hear it. Weird. But as soon as you look at the video you CAN hear the difference. They are so close that it is probably not worth it for sound only. But having said that, I own a LP studio (futura actually) and have played several custom shops and they are special, absolute works of art.
Wait, so you can hear the difference when you're watching but not when you're just listening? What does that tell you?
Imagine the R9 through a bassman and a vintage tube screamer
Just got my first real electric guitar! I can only afford the trad pro v! I am so excited and happy! Xmas on steroids this year!
Great review, enjoyed it. Try not using a boost pedal for crunch or distorted sounds,you take the pickup out of the equation. Really wanted to hear the new unpotted custombuckers cranked.
I never understand why people use a distortion box to demo a guitar. Do us all a favor and get a Marshall.
Well I mean it would be more perplexing if he were running that box through a Marshall.
Who wants to play a les paul clean? Get a 335 instead man😎
I love the in ur face traditional les Paul better.. simple to use good enough for anyone of any skill
YES YES YES !!!
..yep..
StratNut2008 I bought the 2019 Traditional in Tobacco Sunburst, beautiful guitar in looks, sound and playability
Wrong amp choice..jmo though.
Hail the Line 6
The C.S. is more tridimensional when hearing with headphones than the Trad....Have a 2016 Trad and love it!
2016 traditionals are the bomb diggity!
I love my 2016 traditional too.
Marty McFly 2016 - Trad Pro IV here from GC. I had the 57 classics changed out for Lindy Fralin Pure PAF 7.5 neck & 8.0 bridge. The clarity of the Fralins made the 57s sound like mud. Also had 50’s wiring, pots for that woman tone and Russian paper & oil caps. The upgrade was well worth it.
I own both a Traditional and a Custom shop and both are great. You hit the nail on the head though the CS just has "more" of everything tone wise. In your hands you can feel the quality and resonance. The CS is an Heirloom guitar. Its one of those guitars you never want to leave your hands....lol
But its not worth 3000 more bro !!
@@geoffmassebandgmb2487 Hey man we all appreciate a great guitar that doesn't cost an arm and a leg but your comment is your personal opinion and I am not undermining your comment by any means! But if you feel it's not worth the extra $3000 that's all good but remember don't use that as an excuse to try and make people that do spend the extra
money for the Custom Shop Reissue that they wasted their money! I call BULLSHIT on
you if that is your intentions! That same ole song and dance can be applied to anyone
that buys the more expensive model of cars,appliances, electronics,homes and basically
everything and it all gets right down to what you can actually afford at any given time! To
each his own when it comes to purchasing nice high end guitars and amps! I've owned
cheap guitars and amps and very high end expensive guitars and amps! To be fair most
all of the boutique guitars and amps have all sounded better than the cheaper guitars and amps that I've bought over the past 35 years! I've had a few cheap guitars that did indeed sound as good as other similar guitars that were twice as expensive but they
have been "Few and far in between" to be honest!
Very informative demo. As I experienced the difference on a Strat between a custom shop and an american vintage 62 reissue, I fully understand your comments here for the Les Paul. The selected timber, the thin nitro finish make a lot of difference in tone. And of course the custom bucker alnico 3 add even more tone quality over the burstbucker alnico 5. What we can not feel through a video is the fantastic feeling in hand and on stomach of the custom shop. That said 6k vs 3k is another big difference, BUT one could sell 3 or 4 good guitars to finance 1 custom shop, it is definitely worth the change. OR try an Eastman SB59/v. OR a Tokai LS360 ( would you be lucky to find one)
Ok so as soon as I saw this vid, I had to say something. First off, nothing against this guy, but he is not a good enough guitar player to be saying what he is saying in comparing these 2 guitars. The 59 is nice, yes, but it is NOT worth 3000 more than the tradition. A lot of Gibson owners will say this, that a lot of the Gibson's are way over priced, and I very much agree. I noticed that his playing in this video isn't really giving anybody a true sample of what this guitar can do, and needs to tune them before making a video demo/review. Anybody would be MORE than happy to own a Traditional Les Paul, even the big recording acts use them and LOVE them. The Traditional is based off of the 1958 Les Paul, and If that isn't hitting the mark, nothing is. The 59 that the plays is a Custom Shop guitar, and is well over priced just because its a Custom Shop guitar. The name should not fool you. So, being that, I have a ton more to say about this vid, one thing I will add is when he starts talking about the highs on the Traditional and how they are not as good as the Custom Shop, all you have to do is bend over and reach towards that thing called an amp, and turn the highs up a bit, its called using your amp. He doesn't mention that all Pickups sound different, its not that one is better than the other, its that they are different. Oh man, I could go on and on. Bottom line, I own Gibson's, and have been playing them for over 40 years, and if you pick one up and love it, that means its the best guitar in the world. Period !!! Sorry for ranting everyone.
I couldn't agree more with what you just said man. Especially when you said ''If you pick one up and love it, that means its the best guitar in the world'' I just felt that, because I somehow fall in love with my guitars haha, may sound weird but that's how it is.
I had a traditional with 57 classics and could never get the classic Les Paul sound we are all accustomed to hear. I ve tried various high end amps but ended up trading it up for an R8 and couldn't be happier. The feel and and sound is day and night. I couldn't believe there would be such a difference on almost identical guitars but it seems the bb1 and bb2 on the R8 are a couple of levels above the 57's. Finish wise I have to admit the traditional looked better as it had a n amazing maple top whereas the R8 is a plan top. I have since played a few more custom shops les Paul's and they all had that magic the traditional didn't have. I ve been playing over 30 years and after my experience I don't think I would be happy to go back to a tradional. The traditional is a great guitar but in my opinion it's inferior to a custom shop in terms of sound. Obviously this is subjective and the best thing to compare is to try them both and try out a few of them.
@@aaronb9219 What is r8? I am learning about all this stuff. Not a beginner, just never knew all of it. Always more to learn.
@@michaelcraig9449 An R8 is what is commonly referred to as a 1958 Les Paul reissue. An R9 is a 1959 reissue.
Geoff Masse Band GMB - I agree, I have a 2016 traditional and love it especially after upgrading it. I would like to compare it to a reissue now after changing out the pickups and electronics, I bet it comes close or even better soundwise. See my comment on the post right above this one under Marty McFly.
Two glaring mistakes. The "Slim Taper" neck came out in 1960, not 59. Also, VOS stands for "Vintage Original Spec" not vintage old stock. Let me know if you need me to come sell your guitars for you.
There have been a few time VOS has meant differing things with Gibson. On this guitar the VOS indicates a slight wear on the finish and patina on the hardware, much like Fender's relic process but not as severe. Also the 59 does have a thinner neck than a 58 but not as thin as the 60. It also has the jumbo frets unlike the 58. Thanks for the feedback.
And in reality, there were always exceptions to the rule even with the real guitars in terms of neck shape and diameter across the premium years of the Sunburst Les Paul.. I remember seeing an interview with Joe Bonamassa (hanging out at Norm's Rare Guitars) where he stated that he had played 1958 was Paul's with necks that were not as fat as a baseball bat contrary to popular belief. In the same interview, he also stated that he had played 335s that sounded better than some Les Paul's.
In my case, I'm looking to get a traditional and swap in a Jackson Electronic Luthier 50's wiring harness with their premium 550k Centralab pots and PIO capacitors, Switch craft switch and some Pearly Gates pickups. I just can't justify the cost of buying a historic or a custom shop model.... even as beautiful as they are!
I've actually already done this project in an old Les Paul Gothic and put in Seymour Duncan Sentient/Pegasus pickups. The wiring harness renders a far wider spectrum of volume and tone due to the sweep with very little treble/clarity loss when rolling back the tone dials. I highly recommend it for any Les Paul guitar.
In fact, many of the actual 59 bursts have a slimmer neck than what is sold as a 59 neck today.
Mike Denkinger buy used. That’s what I did. I got my R8 used at 2,900 which is very close to the price of a new trad. Even used it’s a MUCH better guitar.
I feel like I’m “playing” my 50’s Std.
My 2007 R8 feels like it’s playing itself - worth every penny.
What I did with my trad 2017 that had BB 1 & 2 was to change them to BB 2 & 3, and to get that openned sound changed the mags from alnico 2 to alnico 3. Neck with 8.2k and 8.5k on the bridge, guess it's the same sound as a C.S.
I bet it would be really close if you put custom pickups and electronics in the Traditional.
..best comment..
100%
I bought my 2016 Traditional in Iced Tea Finish new for 1600€. Best guitar I have ;)
I bought a 2016 trad new, the price of the trads just kept climbing after that, I paid £1600 with a small haggle, your looking at £2200 now. Granted they have few upgrades now abr bridge and aluminum tailpiece. They do discount them heavily every year without fail tho.
This video was very helpful, thx man
Glad to hear!
Hey man.. I very much appreciated ur opinion on these guitars. Keep it real man👍
Question: what’s the difference between the 2019 "1959 Traditional” Les Paul, and the 2019 "50’s Standard”, besides the Bumblebees vs the Orange Drop capacitors? Do they have different burstbuckers?
I have the traditional tobacco finish one on the way. Only unique comment I can add is that just the fact its being compared to this custom makes me pretty excited about it.
The Custom Guitars obviously look much nicer, no doubting that. But value wise even the traditionals and standards are way overpriced...and they have to be because of the brand, marketing etc. This is obvious with a premium brand. If they weren’t they wouldn’t be so desirable nor would they sell as well.
That said, if money was no issue I’d just buy the customs for the aesthetics alone.
The “vintage correct” electronics pitch is all bullshit though. Capacitors are dirt cheap - when not sold with mojo dust - and make little difference; pots make no difference so long as they are quality built to last and not break as they don’t have a sound, they simply resist sound and shunt varying amounts to ground. They are also dirt cheap.
Pickups can be swapped and I almost always do so so that’s not a factor for me.
I know guitar and amp electronics and components very well and none are expensive; I have a bag full of 50’s capacitors, among others, and I don’t value them over any other as they’re all pretty similar. They aren’t fake bumblebees either. :D
So, are these customs worth it? No! Are they desirable? Yes! Thus we rip ourselves off to acquire what we want. Haha ;) Each to his own.
Agree...no reason a guitar should cost as much as a motorcycle. Guitar is simple wood construction and electronics compared to what goes into a complex machine like a motorcycle. Not saying the custom shop doesn't sound better... but as you said just update the small stuff for a small price and the cheaper one will sound just as good. Maybe not identical because wood type, extra is different... but just as good...
@@thadlogan51
I don’t believe they do sound better. Better is subjective anyways. However, they just look like the originals looked and for some of us that is a very desirable thing. It’s all about the looks, and only looks; as the custom shop electronics and woods are not the same…regardless of what Gibson claims.
.
Gibson custom shop, the historics, should be the USA line (and the USA standard line be done away with completely) and be priced a bit less, or at least no more, than the current USA line considering the advances in manufacturing procedures, techniques, and speed since the 1950s.
Compare the price of a 1954 LP P90 gold top in 1954 (from old Gibson catalogs) and then place that price into an inflation calculator and what do we get? About the same price, sometimes cheaper, than a standard USA LP standard (original series).
Gibson is selling USA standards at 1954 prices and skimping on the historical authenticity so they can sell those minute details for extreme up charges in the custom shop. They are then selling historics for absurd amounts of money and calling them custom when all they really are are standards like the original standard in 1954 was a standard…not a custom shop model.
Gibson is fkd up in more ways than one.
@@Wolf_K one of my best friends had both a 59 and 60 reissue. I play them all of the time... have spent hours playing them next to my Gibson studio. Both custom shops do sound epic and warmer than my studio. I know they use better wood for the custom shops that is lighter than the wood used for the standards... which is why they don't need to weight relieve them. So the woods alone will impact the tone. Doesn't mean the tone will always be better, just slightly different. The standard and studio wiring and pickups can be swapped to make them sound better... but because of the wood I don't think they will ever sound exactly the same as the custom shop... but may potentially still sound just as good... but different.
@@thadlogan51 the studio is chambered so it’s an unfair comparison.
@@Wolf_K almost all Les Paul models are chambered now except the custom shop and traditional... so not much else to compare it against. It's hard to say how much chambering will change the tone... other than making it resonate less and be lighter...
I want a historic Les Paul without an obnoxious figured top. Most of the original 58-60's didn't have highly figured tops. My search continues...
I’m sure they charge a little bit of a premium for the custom shop because they’re handmade and it’s also the only 59 clones/replica that you can get with the Gibson name on it. Is it worth it? Hard to say, real bursts are so rare they sell for $250,000 and up. I want to get an R9 someday because to me it’s just the ultimate guitar sound. I’m a huge Zeppelin fan.
Great comments! I am a Les Paul fan and it would sure be great to have R9, I would truly look at it everyday and think to myself that I own this guitar. Hopefully one day soon.
Nice review, thanks!
Thanks for watching!
Excellent review. And yours are indeed very accurate descriptions of the sounds. Calling the sound of the CS LP open is a perfect description of how a good instrument is supposed to sound. Indeed a good guitar’s back pickup has decent bottom and the front pickup has a clear and “open” pretty sounding top end. Just a little POd at how the “new” Gibson is hyping their basic models. Just reeks of more corporate BS. Compare this with Fender’s approach where they almost sound apologetic at times. Thanks for sharing.
I like the Custom Shop Old finish look..they both sound fine.
I think you hit the nail on the head in "is it better?" being a different question than "is it worth it?"
what in the heck are you doing playing these great guitars thru that amp? com'on man
When I have the money I'll get that cs les paul. They look and sound great. The traditional is a great one too! Much better than the standard imo!
My son bought one so I could play it he has one I would not trade it for any guitar out there it's just that good so glad I have one to play, thanks to my son. What a guitar it is, thanks for the show you did It right, on take care, 59 reissue all the way,
You should do this video again but with the current line up. Gibson 60S vs Gibson murphy lab vs Gibson 60s reissue. Hope you can make this a reality.
First of you need a Marshall with a les Paul and all the rest is bologna they are both just as good both awesome guitars it’s a collector thing😜
Mesa Filmors for me....
True...change the caps and to paf classic and classic plus are the only Gibson pick ups that I love...did these to my 1997 custom black beauty...
Are all 2019 LP Traditonals made with a slim taper neck?
I noticed on some descriptions it says Rounded neck, rather than slim taper.
Very, very noticeable difference. Is the R9 twice as good? No. Would I spend the extra coin? Yes
"The treble has bass, and the bass has treble"
- Every guitar salesman in North America after watching John Mayer's Silver Sky Instagram Vid
Guitars sound great though. Love the channel!
Do you have a video that runs through the LP Classic??
I have a 18 Gibson les Paul traditional And my friend has a Gibson les Paul custom I like both honestly
Just bought a Custom Shop, but a 1958, not a 1959, so the neck is a bit different is all. You really can tell the difference the money makes. Luckily, I got mine used for about a thousand more than a Gibson USA Standard, which should go for around $2499 plus tax (and are great). The custom shops feel good, and the sound is unreal.
I believe that part of the reason for the tone difference is actually just the pickups the cs has custom shop pickups.
They both sound great, I own a 2018 Gibson LP Traditional and can't complain, it also looks like both guitars have worn out/dirty strings...I could be wrong, but for 3K more for the Custom Shop, it's just not worth it, but if you can AFFORD it, yes I'd definitely buy one...owning a Gibson LP is a stretch period nowadays in my opinion...
0:50...Since when did 59 LP's have a slim tapered neck? Of course you'd pick the Custom Shop since you're selling it. Default.
Custom Shop Les Paul's are definitely a big step up I currently own 4 Les Paul's last one being a 2016 R9 they're all great guitars I'm selling three of them guess which one I'm going to keep and not for bragging rights it is just that good! Nuff said.
I have a 2014 traditional. I rolled the edges, polished the frets/ fretboard, rewired to 59 specks, ( cts pots,paper and oil caps)gave her a bigsby. That model had Gibsons 1959 bbs in it. They are much weaker than bb 1 $ 2 ,I know caz I have them in my sg. Also I reliced it myself and I believe I saved myself about 2500. I'd love to put my lp up against a r9. Of the same age. .
the main difference in sound is not the caps but the potts!! change your potts to audio taper and there you go .. the potts Gibson uses for non custom shop are either on or off no in between you cant get any dynamic range with that or ride the volume tone controls ..
I own a late 59 60th anniversary, it is definitely far superior in looks and sound to a standard/traditional USA model.
I know this is old but.. If its your number one sure, go custom shop, especially noticeable with a 335.. Its a HUGE difference with a 335. Thats my number one, so I went VOS but I like SG and LP and Juniors too, but they aren’t my number one, they are secondary guitars for me, I enjoy them, they are good but not my number one, so standard with some good pickups and pots do me just fine.
I bought a 2014 lp taditioal with 59 bbs and took the junk pots and caps out,bought some close ratio pots and paper and oil caps, wired in 59 specks. Rolled the eddes of the fretboard, gave her a bigsby,roller bridge and bone nut and i will put that guitar against any lp. I have 9 electrice guitars incuding a 335 and an custom sg with bb 1 and 2. And my lp is getting vos..ed daily. Ive had other lps and though this one started out a turd,in fact i called Gibson to make sure it wasnt a chipson. It has become my go to.
Ps it would have been cooler if you did true tone back to back comparisons
@AB Baby .033 are going to be dark,pretty dark. Ive got.o15 in my neck and .022 in my bridge on my lp. Ans i think about going to .010 in my neck. Nothin wrong with orange drops i like them and have the in a few guitarr,pedles and amps. If you can get to e bay you can find papper and oil cap from Russia that are very good new old stock for 10 U.S $ Amason will have them too. Im not smart enought to add a link here or i would. Bit lots of places have them
Mojotone Vitamin T 022uf Oil Filled Tone Cap, New
How is it that on the custom they can mount the tailpiece all the way down to the body and the bridge low enough so that the strings don’t buzz off the back of the bridge and yet the action isn’t too low?
Great video. That said, what do you think about Eastmans take on the 59 LP?
I hate to say it, but to my ears which are getting older, I think the traditional sounds a bit better in the upper mids than the custom shop. The custom shop my have more grunt. hell wait a few years for the guitar to break in and that traditional might just be very kick ass.
Does the c.shop have 50s wiring an that causing sound to bloom?
usually yes plus better woods lighter more balanced more resonance
Great review, I have a 2016 traditional, which cost me £1300 new , and it's a great guitar. However , I have been gassing for a custom shop number, tried a couple and been close to pulling trigger ,but, and it's a big but , they've been great but, the traditional is so close, it's hard to justify the outlay . Help !!!
So for only an extra $3k you can move up one whole level of amazingness? How do you quantity that exactly? Gibson makes a nice guitar but for that price you could get a decent used car. They hand finish them but they are using the same CNC pattern as Epiphone does. It’s not like there’s artisans carving the necks with a pocket knife. Gibson’s are nice but the prices are outrageous!
I agree...its the law of "diminishing returns" - A $4000 guitar is not twice as "good" as a $2000 guitar and even a $6000 guitar is not twice as good as a $2000 guitar. You are paying a lot more for relatively small performance gains...still, if you have the means I do recommend picking one up! Personally, I kind of like the new "Classic" LP best - has the cool phase switching electronics switch, weight relief, a few other modern refinements, and is reasonably priced at around $2300.
And.... sorry to say, is that not an Unlawful Act???? 😢😢😢
Well the custom shop reissues are basically for collectors and pro-musicians that make their living playing while the trad is for bedroom players and the occasional gigging musicians.
That Custom shop is NOT better than the Trad. I have played tons of these. Its more because its a Custom Shop guitar, thats it.
Not worth 6000 for god sakes. I would rather buy 2 Traditionals for that amount of money.
The qualities you described the R9 had are what I associate with lighter, more resonant guitars. I suspect that if you find a Traditional that weighed close to the R9 and they do exist, you'd find the guitars sounded a lot more alike.
I think that is likely a big part of it. The pickups on the R9 are also a lower output which also adds to those attributions. All in all - it is the whole guitar getting in on the act. - Chris McKee
@@AlamoMusic Yes, there's other bits too like the bridge, tailpiece and long tenon.
Whoever sprayed that Traditional needs a few lessons in paint application. Seriously.
Does this $6,000 dollar guitar stay in tune and does the high g string go out with any bending ?
I guess as much as the low G string
Really? Live or in studio these are differences you can resolve with an eq & compressor. For a collector it’s worth it. For a player learn engineering and you can have any sound you want.
I agree whole heartedly. If you have multiple instruments then the LP is actually filling a kind of narrow range which should be darker, rockier, heavier but with great mids and plugged into a Marshall or Mesa Boogie. In this context a thick block of mahogany with that scale length is 95% of the tone. Yes full disclosure I own an 18 Traditional and I am also the sound engineer for my band. So I get my Les Paul to do what a Les Paul is traditionally known to do. If I were to spend above $4k on an instrument I would probably go PRS.
My 2016 traditional sounds amazing and it has classic 57s but let’s remember when watching a video on a guitar from a store that sells instruments the objective is to SELL INSTRUMENTS so they selling to you. They will make one instrument less appealing to the eyes(i.e. take off pick guard, contrast the colors so one is less attractive etc. etc. change settings on amp to articulate one sound better than the other) and less appealing sonically and sound wise. So to be unbiased you have to go try it for yourself. I can see someone paying more than 6,000 for a REALLY AMAZING guitar but if it’s just slightly better idk if that can justify it. I would buy and R8 or R9 if it was really good but nothing heavily aged and nothing more than 7000 but thus far my 57 custom my traditional and my standard are doing pretty well for me
are the necks very different in terms of size ?
I have both and there is no comparison there both nice guitars it what you want to hear from your guitar have a nice day God Bless
The custom shop say this BS every year. The 60th anniversary model is supposed to be the most accurate or is it.
So the traditional has a slim taper neck. What type of neck does the '59 reissue have?
John S the 59 had a ‘59 c shape. The necks of the era differenced by year. Typically the 58 necks were a little chunkier, the 59 slimmed that a bit and the 60 was the thinnest of the three and closest to what the traditional now has. The reissues mirror these yearly changes. - Chris
59s did not have slim taper necks and neither do either of the guitars in this video. 59s had a medium rounded C .
What color is that on the custom shop? Vintage cherry burst??
ray martinez bourbon burst
Damn the Custom Shop sounds gorgeous.
so it is aged , are there any custom shop 59 style gibsons that are not aged in any way ? i cant find an answer to this on any guitarshop site , anybody ?
Of course. Any reissue with gloss finish is not aged. The models with vos finishes are lightly aged and of course the AGED reissues are heavily aged.
I upgraded my headphones and watched the review again. The customshop destroyed the traditional xD
u discovered america columbus:)
How cool would it be to have BIlly Gibbons or someone review this stuff?
RevWillieG the coolest.
I'd love to play an R9. It does sound better. But I buy guitars to actually entertain people with and I'm not taking a $7000 guitar into a bar no matter how good it is. My '13 Traditional is 95% of the way there tonally and I can use the thing for what it's designed to do without worrying about it every second. But I would love to play an R9, just for the experience.
So relevant to review such guitars on that amp...
If you want to hear the difference between a good and great guitars, you need to use a low end basic amp. Otherwise a good amp will color it and the difference will be even harder to listen.
I know some may say we don't use such a low end amp if we can afford a Gibson.
But that's the point. IMHO the difference is minimal and doesn't justify the additional cost. It's even harder to record the differences when it's mic-ed.
@@davidletterboyz I advise you to compare two guitars using a cheap amp and an expensive amp and see for yourself that you're talking nonsense.
Great vid
Did you literally start by saying “these are both made by Gibson”? o.O
I'm not the internet. You're the internet.
Burstbuckers just all sound muddy IMO.
Why does gibson think the two face tops are okay for 2500$ versus perfect top for 6499. Or you the guys that buy the best tops asap just to charge 8k for a guitar that was 6499. Paying for a name sucks, but im in that battle. Saving and selling to own a 2019-2020 r9 as i type this.
You know * not you
I think as guitarists we tend to fetishize a guitar when we’re blinded by its mystique. I was in GC Manhattan a few weeks and a rep tried to sell me a custom shop when he saw me trying out a classic (which I have not yet purchased) and I tried both out on a highly expensive Marshall (can’t remember the model) and neither sounded better, though each had its a distinct sound.
Like a fine wine, any will get you drunk, but that special one you wont forget. I had a lot of LP standards and also a Traditional and out of them all my Custom Shop is still number one. Yes they ALL can rock and the audience wont tell the difference. You as a Musician definitely will be able to tell.
Great presentation... i agree the 59 sounds better even on that crappy Fender amp... time to continue buying lotto tickets...
It be nice to get a 1959 les paul reissue but for their price tho my wallet just says Epiphone.
V.O.S. = Vintage Original Spec
I was kinda surprised hearing him say "Vintage Old Stock".....
ive owned 2 custom shop r9s and i sold them both they are overhyped and the dye bleed into the binding i sold both and bought 2 les paul customs and a 2017 traditional and i could be happier
You fail to mention differences in wiring between the two.
The custom shop sounds better clean, but I couldn’t tell the difference with distortion. 🙄🥞
Caps that cost 4000 dollars? That is a bit much. I can but them for a few dollars. Buy the Traditional and change the 5 dollar caps.