Les Paul 1958 R8

Hattigol

What's the approximate current market value for a used one of these in decent condition?

andrewaward

I'd say it depends on the top, flamey top ones are more expensive...………..seen plain tops for around £2250 to £2500

Hattigol

Been offered one at £1,700. Seems a decent deal...

robmac5150

take it is my advice

bodhi

Seems a bit low.  Just make sure everything's fine with it.

lento

What year ? They definitely 'improved' a few things (imho) after 2013 ......

Hattigol

lento said:

What year ? They definitely 'improved' a few things (imho) after 2013 ......

2007.

andy_k

2007 was a good year, very plain tops though, I let one go a few years ago for that price. great neck shape.

Hattigol

It is very plain this one. What's the neck like that year?

Panama_Jack666

1700 quid is a bargain

xRandomreg

I had a couple of models around that time and the ones I had had very fat necks really round feeling too - I loved the look and sound but never got on with the necks and ended up preferring the R9 - Now the necks are the same which has meant the R8 no longer has the big fat neck.

You may well like that tyoe of neck in which case the cheaper earlier models may well suit you - if you prefer the R9 profile then it would appear that a newer model - 2014 onwards would suit you - Also there appear to have been other upgrades/changes since that are affecting pricing the earlier models seem to trade about £500+ lower than the later ones

As always play it and see what youy think - £1700 for a 2007 certainly seems a fair price

Hope that helps

Andrew

dcg

There is a big difference in specifications after 2013; the 2013 and 2014 specs are good, 2015 was a major dip, and then matters improved for 2016 and 2017.  The quality of the best R8 tops in those good years is also excellent, and often not plain at all; neither are they too furniture-grade/PRS quilt-y/flame-y either.  I'm not too geeky about these things, but when you're talking about Gibsons, small differences/improvements year on year cumulatively amount to a great deal....

andy_k

you have to try it, my fav neck is a 2004 R7, the 07 R8 was close, the fattest necks they offered at the time, and I currently own an 07 R9, which I would describe as more tapered, but my current absolute choice is a very fat strat / tele which has no taper and is a large D, the fat Gibsons are very comfortable, really, if everything else is as it should be that seems to be a fair price-if you dont bond with it, you would get your money back. what colour is it?

Hattigol

Thanks buddy. Very helpful. It's a sunburst.

fretfinder

dcg said:

There is a big difference in specifications after 2013; the 2013 and 2014 specs are good, 2015 was a major dip, and then matters improved for 2016 and 2017. 

Out of interest why was 2015 a major dip for R8s/R9s?

andy_k

if i recall correctly, in 07 there was a clear separation of specs, and prices, R7 was goldtop fat neck, around £1600, R8 was plaintop, cherry or tobacco burst, similar neck, £2200, and R9 was top of the line, selected woods and flame top, more tapered neck, definitely slightly lighter in weight, and about £3500, all the hardware was the same, all the pickups were Burstbuckers.
In the following years Gibson just messed with options and hardware to get 'closer' to a true vintage reissue, Hide glues, truss rod condoms, plastic colours, and started to introduce artificial ageing and collectors choice models.
neck profiles were all over the place, and there was the rosewood fiasco which had laminated fret boards, i think in 2012.
Before 2007, some details such as the inlays with rounded corners, and positions of knobs and tailpiece were not historically correct. Even now, the tailpiece on a historic is in the wrong place, maybe they are saving that detail for another year--if they get another year.
If i was looking, I would seriously consider that R8, for the price, and then the journey will begin. Really no comparison between the Historics and standards, which is where my own journey began.

doctorpaul

To the OP ... did you go for this?
I suspected that we were looking at the same guitar ... same price, specs, year, colour etc, but I’m picking that one up in the morning.  Should be a nice companion to my R9.

Hattigol

I didn't. It was on Ebay at £1,750 but he said he'd take £1,700 on it. Wasn't sure the neck profile was what I wanted. Saw it went at £1,750. Hope it's a cracker - let me know.

Brize

fretfinder said:

dcg said:

There is a big difference in specifications after 2013; the 2013 and 2014 specs are good, 2015 was a major dip, and then matters improved for 2016 and 2017. 

Out of interest why was 2015 a major dip for R8s/R9s?

The 'standard historics' got a short neck tenon and 'CS' serial numbers during this year. You can argue whether a short tenon makes a blind bit of difference to tone, but it's not historically correct.

fretfinder

Brize said:

fretfinder said:

dcg said:

There is a big difference in specifications after 2013; the 2013 and 2014 specs are good, 2015 was a major dip, and then matters improved for 2016 and 2017. 

Out of interest why was 2015 a major dip for R8s/R9s?

The 'standard historics' got a short neck tenon and 'CS' serial numbers during this year. You can argue whether a short tenon makes a blind bit of difference to tone, but it's not historically correct.

Ah right, the short tenon debacle! Many thanks.  

doctorpaul

Well what do you know ... not only is it a plain top tobacco burst cutie, but it is also an excellent player.  The neck is like a tree trunk ... notably bigger than my R9 ... just what I was after.