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Every year has something different to it, worth doing a search for that year when you see a model you like. Decide whether you want as accurate as possible or not too fussed. People seem less likely to mod the more recent ones with custombuckers etc, but equally an old one represents good value if you expect you’ll swap electronics, pups etc.
Do definitely go and play before you buy. They’re still guitars, still built and there’s not magic as such - it’s still possible to get a guitar that just doesn’t have “it” so you’d want to be sure.
But, as there is so much spec variation from year to year, it’s possible to find any or all of the above on an R8 too - there are some with figured tops, some with R9 neck carves (the 2017 models that this forum went apesh*t for were an example of that) - and R8s can still be “light” being that wood is an organic thing and Gibson’s pile will vary as time goes on. Basically, there are plenty of examples of R8s out there that are virtually identical to any given R9 save for the serial number and the COA...
The R9 markup is simply a nicer top.
Rob
But yeah, for Les Pauls I think it’s worth it for better attention to detail, one piece body etc. And for me personally the Les Paul is the most aspirational guitar to own.
The 2017 R8s are touted to have R9 necks but I’m not sure that applies to the few I tried in guitarguitar during the blow out, they were rather huge.
I had a (?2008) studio from eBay a few years back with a lovely “59 rounded” profile. Should’ve kept it actually. Was full but definitely slimmer than any 58/9 historic I’ve tried.
Having said that, you can find good ones and not so good ones from any year, and you might be able to get an older one for a little less.
Do play before buying. Some are better than others.
If you really want a nice figured top, then save up for an R9. I had an R8 for a while, and there was always that nagging thought at the back of my mind that it would be nice to have an R9 one day.
- 2012 models tend to go for less due to the fretboards not being one piece. Whether it makes a difference or not tonally is anyone's guess, but be aware that it matters to some, hence the price difference.
- A great les Paul can be light or heavy, but should balance well on the knee. Many tend to be body heavy and want to fall down to the right of your knee when seated. General thinking is that they should weigh between around 8.5 and 9.5 lbs. Non Chambered lighter ones are often deemed as especially desirable and therefore may sell quicker, this is something that a lot of people have opinions on, but again matters to some.
- Of the ones that have been through my hands, the R9 profile is quite different to a 50s USA profile, but a fair bit slimmer than a typical R8. As mentioned above, they are enough variances through the years to mean you could get an R9 profile on an R8 if you wished.
- If you did like a slimmer profile, check out an R0. These have the same specs (and same price range) as an R9, but with a thinner 60s profile. I haven't played loads of these, but of the ones I've played they've been closer to a USA 50s thickness than a USA 60s.
- On that note, there are more out there than just R8s and 9s. There are historic models covering the developments in les paul design through the 50s. These tend to sell for less than the R8s 9s and 0s.
- There are also variables on the main models themselves, including chambered lightweight models that carry a 'C' prefix on the serial number.
- Lastly, Gibson get a lot of flack for little QC issues, alongside bigger problems. While in my experience bigger problems have been few and far between, the little issues are often found on loads of instruments, including custom shop stuff. If you're not bothered by these things, a good historic can be a thing of absolute beauty. If you can't abide that sort of thing, they could eat away at you. Again, lots of opinion on this topic.
- Overall though, having owned too many les pauls, the best thing to do is to go out and see if one resonates with you. When it does, it can be a very lovely thing indeed.
Good luck
I had a 2016 R9 and 2017 R8 - the R8 neck felt slightly thicker and more of a U shape imo.
Guessing there is variance/ tolerance but just my thoughts. Oh and the R9 just felt and played better.
Figure it must just be sample variation from the hand-sanding at the end that’s causing the discrepancy. My R8 has virtually the same neck feel as my CC10 Tom Scholz model (a ‘68 RI) which (as described) has a ‘Tom Scholz’ carve but digging into guitar lore, Tom thinks that his Mighty Mouse guitar has a “leftover” 59 neck - or at least a shape which is dead similar to most 59s. Thicker/fatter than most 68s, anyway.
I have another 2017 R8 inbound this week so will be interesting to compare that as well... it’s a bit of an oddball one...
Between £2500 and £3500 there is no shortage of replicas to try - Be it private or in dealers - IMO don't get hung up at this stage try to evaluate the merits of a 2011 against a 2016 etc - Just try a few - Take your time but be prepared to strike and buy if something just grabs you