R8 Peach Deal

danishbacon

Wasn’t there a lot of professing that these would be widely available for £1500?

HandwrittenHero

Can’t remember the exact time Henry J went. I can remember though the 2017s were a spec
change with the folding in of TH features. 2017 and 2018 are the same specs and it’s 2019 with the 60th anniversary R9s that are definitely new era (cosmetic changes eg moving of silkscreen script, actually matter change of unpotted pickups)

Anyway, not quite comparing apples to apples but I have a 2018 R9. I tried a couple of 2018s when shopping for it and didn’t get any stinkers, just went with the one that felt right.

All anecdotal obviously. My suspicion is it’s a very small number of people who’d commit to trying multiple different custom shop guitars beyond what the store(s) close enough to them have in stock.

Just as added for more recent Gibson, supply lines with Covid is definitely a thing. I’ve wound up dealing with Gibson directly re my 64RI SG with the missing screws, but also as part of looking at my options there’s no 64RI SGs in any U.K. stores as of a couple of weeks ago and all stores look to have lowish stock on Gibson stuff generally not just Peach.

tomajoha

@Jonathanthomas83 if your happy with that that’s all that matters. I didn’t say your guitar was shit, you did.

I said that in my experience if the ones I have owned and seen, that generally the build was poor compared to the other years Ive played and owned. I hope you got a good one as they do exist. If your any doubt remove the neck pup and look in the cavity to see the tidiness of the tenon work ( I have see multiple 2017 where the gap can be seen even without remove the pup!) all the other things I’ve mentioned will be quite apparent to your eye/fingers IF your guitar has them. If none of those things bother you then you pays your money and takes your choice.

As for unsubstantiated claims into Gibson’s great cash grab and the lay-off/low morale at the CS at the time - google to your hearts content there’s many worthy threads from respected dealers and Gibson fanboys documenting what was happening at the time. Peace 

crunchman

tomajoha said:

@Jonathanthomas83 if your happy with that that’s all that matters. I didn’t say your guitar was shit, you did.

I said that in my experience if the ones I have owned and seen, that generally the build was poor compared to the other years Ive played and owned. I hope you got a good one as they do exist. If your any doubt remove the neck pup and look in the cavity to see the tidiness of the tenon work ( I have see multiple 2017 where the gap can be seen even without remove the pup!) all the other things I’ve mentioned will be quite apparent to your eye/fingers IF your guitar has them. If none of those things bother you then you pays your money and takes your choice.

As for unsubstantiated claims into Gibson’s great cash grab and the lay-off/low morale at the CS at the time - google to your hearts content there’s many worthy threads from respected dealers and Gibson fanboys documenting what was happening at the time. Peace 

The neck angle is good on my 2017.  It was wrong on the 2010 R8 I had previously.  The bridge was a couple of mm out of position on the 2010 as well, although that might have been a function of the neck angle.  Because the bridge was so high, it might have affected the intonation.

The 2017 is a different sound to that 2010.  It's got more top end bite, and not quite as fat, but the 2010 was a one trick pony.  The 2017 is more versatile.

The other one I had before the 2010 was very light weight, but just sounded thin.  I swapped pickups and everything but it didn't matter what I did, it just sounded thin without the guts to the sound that you normally get from a Les Paul.  I sold it on consignment in Chandlers.  It was back in there not long afterwards.

Musicman20

Fifty9 said:

We’re they ‘seconds’? Some seem to have been but I can’t find anything wrong with mine.

Not sure why I still have this quote in my reply, but it still kinda applies.

I was not impressed with the quality and sent mine back. It certainly did not wow me when I opened the case and I found a few QC issues that don't exist on my £700 Baja Telecaster, never mind a high end Les Paul.

Shame, because I really wanted one!

Hattigol

I have to say that I feel blessed to have such limited, techy, nerdy knowledge about the minutiae of guitars and set-ups.

It really makes things so much easier being able to pick up a guitar and go either 'hell yeah' or 'naaah'...

My 2017 R8 was just wonderful. 

Boromedic

I'm picky, my R8 was and still is perfect, no issues whatsoever and the best bit is it sounds amazing. The even better bit is I did some work to my Standard and now it's just as good even without the historic features. A great Les Paul is a great Les Paul regardless of era, the best bit of the R8 is it's lighter but TBF I don't really mind the weight of the Standard.

I'm just a Gibson ho.....

terada

crunchman said:

tomajoha said:

I’ve seen more poor R8/R9s from the ‘2017 Blowout’ than good ones. Mostly due to poor QC: gappy tenons( like the worst of norlin era bad),
badly scraped binding with very pronounced lips,
sharp frets,

ALOT of file marks on the fretboard(like they’d used a rasp file for the final finishing)

heavy grain sinkage into seemingly very porous/pitted mahogany

As @hyperben points out: the ones I’ve played, although often quite ringy, the also sounded quite thin, and pups swaps didn’t resolve this issue. 

I think all things considered this puts them in the ‘avoid year’ category for me which is a shame as they were relatively cheap( for a Gibson CS), had excellent specs and looked the real deal.

Ive gone back to a secondhand 2013 R8 which is impeccably built (for a gibson) and sings. 

So for all those reading this zombie thread who missed out - you really didn’t IMO.

Now please can we close the thread? PRETTY PLEASE?

ps: I have nothing against norlin era Gibson’s - is take one over a 2017 one any day.

I'd have to differ.  I've owned 3 Custom Shop reissue Les Pauls.  Overall, the 2017 is the best of the three.

Also, this thread is not allowed to die.

Having played most of them , I would also disagree, I think maybe you've been turned off them due to starting the monster thread .

(also agree this monster thread should never die)

Whitecat

Happy to report the one I got is still outstanding. I have no desire to change pickups so haven't looked under the neck to see if the tenon join is wonky or not, but everything else about the guitar is ace. The fact that it was from Peach probably contributes to the win % since they rejected bad ones and did full setups on the ones they did take. But very happy, unlikely to ever sell it, it's a proper Les Paul you can grow old with and hard to see what could really be improved.

Hattigol

terada said:

crunchman said:

tomajoha said:

I’ve seen more poor R8/R9s from the ‘2017 Blowout’ than good ones. Mostly due to poor QC: gappy tenons( like the worst of norlin era bad),
badly scraped binding with very pronounced lips,
sharp frets,

ALOT of file marks on the fretboard(like they’d used a rasp file for the final finishing)

heavy grain sinkage into seemingly very porous/pitted mahogany

As @hyperben points out: the ones I’ve played, although often quite ringy, the also sounded quite thin, and pups swaps didn’t resolve this issue. 

I think all things considered this puts them in the ‘avoid year’ category for me which is a shame as they were relatively cheap( for a Gibson CS), had excellent specs and looked the real deal.

Ive gone back to a secondhand 2013 R8 which is impeccably built (for a gibson) and sings. 

So for all those reading this zombie thread who missed out - you really didn’t IMO.

Now please can we close the thread? PRETTY PLEASE?

ps: I have nothing against norlin era Gibson’s - is take one over a 2017 one any day.

I'd have to differ.  I've owned 3 Custom Shop reissue Les Pauls.  Overall, the 2017 is the best of the three.

Also, this thread is not allowed to die.

Having played most of them , I would also disagree, I think maybe you've been turned off them due to starting the monster thread .

(also agree this monster thread should never die)

@terada I am down on one knee. Please may I have your blessing to marry that guitar?

tomajoha

terada said:

crunchman said:

tomajoha said:

I’ve seen more poor R8/R9s from the ‘2017 Blowout’ than good ones. Mostly due to poor QC: gappy tenons( like the worst of norlin era bad),
badly scraped binding with very pronounced lips,
sharp frets,

ALOT of file marks on the fretboard(like they’d used a rasp file for the final finishing)

heavy grain sinkage into seemingly very porous/pitted mahogany

As @hyperben points out: the ones I’ve played, although often quite ringy, the also sounded quite thin, and pups swaps didn’t resolve this issue. 

I think all things considered this puts them in the ‘avoid year’ category for me which is a shame as they were relatively cheap( for a Gibson CS), had excellent specs and looked the real deal.

Ive gone back to a secondhand 2013 R8 which is impeccably built (for a gibson) and sings. 

So for all those reading this zombie thread who missed out - you really didn’t IMO.

Now please can we close the thread? PRETTY PLEASE?

ps: I have nothing against norlin era Gibson’s - is take one over a 2017 one any day.

I'd have to differ.  I've owned 3 Custom Shop reissue Les Pauls.  Overall, the 2017 is the best of the three.

Also, this thread is not allowed to die.

Having played most of them , I would also disagree, I think maybe you've been turned off them due to starting the monster thread .

(also agree this monster thread should never die)

Probably very true Tereda - it is the thread that won’t die!

I agree they all have a great spec and there are some stunning looking instruments.

but even the R9 in your pic has the less-than spot-on neck join/tenon visible:

IMO that’s not great even for Gibson Let alone an R8/9 (and I’m a signed up Gibson fanboy)

Jalapeno

Just a thought - why not change the thread name to just Les Pauls, or LP R7/8/9 ?

crunchman

Jalapeno said:

Just a thought - why not change the thread name to just Les Pauls, or LP R7/8/9 ?

That wouldn't help @tomajoha much.  As he started it, he gets a notification every time someone posts on it.  I don't think you can turn those notifications off.

If he changed the title, he would still be the thread starter, and would still get the notifications.

tomajoha

Thank you for your suggestions but I think @crunchman is spot on 

Iamnobody

An R7 would have dragged me into this deal. Glad you’re all enjoying your R8s still!

BloodEagle

I got one of the 2017 R8s from Coda if I remember correctly - it was genuinelly dreadful - sounded thin and weedy, the build quality was really not up too much at all, and I hated the neck - thankfully I was able to move it on for exactly the same price I paid within a few weeks

hyperben

2017 was the most accurate year in terms of specs to date but that doesn’t necessarily make them play or sound the best as all guitars are different. All the 2017s I played played just great! It was the tone I never got on with. But this is just my opinion based only on the ones I played. All guitars are different and we all like different things so ‘your mileage may vary’ as they say. The 2019 model I stuck with sounds quite different from the 2017s I played (also sounds a lot louder unplugged) and suits me better. 

HandwrittenHero

hyperben said:

2017 was the most accurate year in terms of specs to date but that doesn’t necessarily make them play or sound the best as all guitars are different. All the 2017s I played played just great! It was the tone I never got on with. But this is just my opinion based only on the ones I played. All guitars are different and we all like different things so ‘your mileage may vary’ as they say. The 2019 model I stuck with sounds quite different from the 2017s I played (also sounds a lot louder unplugged) and suits me better. 

The 2019 being unpotted might contribute on the different tone. Or just general variation. Think the 2019 is a touch more accurate to spec than the 2017 iirc, but obviously the 2022 will have another small tweak I'm sure. Ever closer. As you said, doesn't really mean best playability or sound, just preference.

terada

tomajoha said:

terada said:

crunchman said:

tomajoha said:

I’ve seen more poor R8/R9s from the ‘2017 Blowout’ than good ones. Mostly due to poor QC: gappy tenons( like the worst of norlin era bad),
badly scraped binding with very pronounced lips,
sharp frets,

ALOT of file marks on the fretboard(like they’d used a rasp file for the final finishing)

heavy grain sinkage into seemingly very porous/pitted mahogany

As @hyperben points out: the ones I’ve played, although often quite ringy, the also sounded quite thin, and pups swaps didn’t resolve this issue. 

I think all things considered this puts them in the ‘avoid year’ category for me which is a shame as they were relatively cheap( for a Gibson CS), had excellent specs and looked the real deal.

Ive gone back to a secondhand 2013 R8 which is impeccably built (for a gibson) and sings. 

So for all those reading this zombie thread who missed out - you really didn’t IMO.

Now please can we close the thread? PRETTY PLEASE?

ps: I have nothing against norlin era Gibson’s - is take one over a 2017 one any day.

I'd have to differ.  I've owned 3 Custom Shop reissue Les Pauls.  Overall, the 2017 is the best of the three.

Also, this thread is not allowed to die.

Having played most of them , I would also disagree, I think maybe you've been turned off them due to starting the monster thread .

(also agree this monster thread should never die)

Probably very true Tereda - it is the thread that won’t die!

I agree they all have a great spec and there are some stunning looking instruments.

but even the R9 in your pic has the less-than spot-on neck join/tenon visible:

IMO that’s not great even for Gibson Let alone an R8/9 (and I’m a signed up Gibson fanboy)

I can imagine it has essentially ruined the notification system for you! Perhaps even I'd go off them if that were the case  .

In all seriousness I think @hyperben is right here, it's all down to what you bond with. Personally I played most of the stock in the south of the country. There were some absolutely sensational guitars, a couple that weren't as good as I would have hoped, with the vast majority being superb custom shop instruments. 

One thing I noticed was that they consistently had accurate neck angles, which is a big issue for many Gibsons.

After all that I ended up with an R9 and R8, both Lemon (I would have preferred different finishes but in the end I stuck with the ones that played and sounded the best).

The neck tenon thing is a bit of an odd one. I was concerned about it at first, but once I knew it was only cosmetic I gave up thinking about it. At the end of the day I've gigged that R9 and it sounds ridiculous and is probably the easiest playing les paul I've ever picked up. I'd have hated to miss out on all the fun I've had with it just because of that mark.

But to clarify for those that aren't aware. These are tiny chips in the corner of the tenon from when the neck is set to the body. Some have them, some don't. The one on my R9 is the largest of any I came across. They are not exclusive to 2017 models, however are more visible on 2017 models due to the 'true historic' gap between the pickup ring and the fretboard.

That itself has been cited in other threads as an issue, which is not the case. The 'gap' is there on purpose and is visible on some original bursts too. I have seen no-gap les pauls with the tenon chips also. IIRC there was also some correlation between the serials and the gaps. Personally I don't care for the gap either way, and have R8's with and without it. 

At the end of the day, I can't deny it would be easier if those chips weren't there, but they aren't unique to 2017. 

HandwrittenHero

tomajoha said:

terada said:

crunchman said:

tomajoha said:

I’ve seen more poor R8/R9s from the ‘2017 Blowout’ than good ones. Mostly due to poor QC: gappy tenons( like the worst of norlin era bad),
badly scraped binding with very pronounced lips,
sharp frets,

ALOT of file marks on the fretboard(like they’d used a rasp file for the final finishing)

heavy grain sinkage into seemingly very porous/pitted mahogany

As @hyperben points out: the ones I’ve played, although often quite ringy, the also sounded quite thin, and pups swaps didn’t resolve this issue. 

I think all things considered this puts them in the ‘avoid year’ category for me which is a shame as they were relatively cheap( for a Gibson CS), had excellent specs and looked the real deal.

Ive gone back to a secondhand 2013 R8 which is impeccably built (for a gibson) and sings. 

So for all those reading this zombie thread who missed out - you really didn’t IMO.

Now please can we close the thread? PRETTY PLEASE?

ps: I have nothing against norlin era Gibson’s - is take one over a 2017 one any day.

I'd have to differ.  I've owned 3 Custom Shop reissue Les Pauls.  Overall, the 2017 is the best of the three.

Also, this thread is not allowed to die.

Having played most of them , I would also disagree, I think maybe you've been turned off them due to starting the monster thread .

(also agree this monster thread should never die)

Probably very true Tereda - it is the thread that won’t die!

I agree they all have a great spec and there are some stunning looking instruments.

but even the R9 in your pic has the less-than spot-on neck join/tenon visible:

IMO that’s not great even for Gibson Let alone an R8/9 (and I’m a signed up Gibson fanboy)

To my understanding all original 58s had this gap, some 59s did. Could be right or wrong, but believe Pearly Gates does. You would obviously like to see it a bit tidier for the tenon though granted.