Custom Shop Gibsons getting rarer

timmypix

RaymondLin said:

I picked up a Custom Shop made Class 5 Les Paul and I’m happy with that.

Pics or it didn't happen.

RaymondLin

timmypix said:

RaymondLin said:

I picked up a Custom Shop made Class 5 Les Paul and I’m happy with that.

Pics or it didn't happen.

It is 20 years old, so before they were everywhere.

Moltisanti

the new prices don't necessarily mean the used prices will go up at the same rate. You still see a lot of CS Fenders for sale for months because they are too expensive. If you wanted to sell your R8 and actually have someone buy it i bet they would be not that much higher than the last 3-4 years

artiebear

As far as I can see Gibson "Custom Shop" guitars are way too ubiquitous. There was a time when Custom Shop meant just that and the output reflected the work of a small group of individuals producing reissues and one offs. Take a look at production numbers over the 10 years or so, we are talking basic range R8/R9 etc. mass production with "Custom Shop" being more of a marketing tag than a reality. As for every guitar coming out of the Memphis plant being marketed as "Custom Shop" just goes to reinforce the strategy. I'm not saying that they aren't good guitars, but gone are the days when a Murphy reissue arrived in a large store and everyone wanted a look at it, to the days when there are 50 plus boxes being unpacked containing reissues. I say this as someone who used to visit the Nashville plant Custom Shop on a regular basis. 

Whitecat

artiebear said:

As far as I can see Gibson "Custom Shop" guitars are way too ubiquitous. There was a time when Custom Shop meant just that and the output reflected the work of a small group of individuals producing reissues and one offs. Take a look at production numbers over the 10 years or so, we are talking basic range R8/R9 etc. mass production with "Custom Shop" being more of a marketing tag than a reality. As for every guitar coming out of the Memphis plant being marketed as "Custom Shop" just goes to reinforce the strategy. I'm not saying that they aren't good guitars, but gone are the days when a Murphy reissue arrived in a large store and everyone wanted a look at it, to the days when there are 50 plus boxes being unpacked containing reissues. I say this as someone who used to visit the Nashville plant Custom Shop on a regular basis. 

Not just Gibson though... Fender, PRS, anyone who gets big enough to be accountable to a board of directors and a CFO has to go down this road no matter how humble and custom their roots are...

robmac5150

I guess I am just alluding to the fact that it seems less of like minded enthusiasts trading/buying/selling guitars and more commercial interests now. I can name a TM Gold Top R7 and a Tobacco flame R8 sold recently that were advertised on here for great prices and i didn't pull the trigger as I have no gigs these days. My bad !!

chris45

20 years ago custom shop was indeed a rarity.  Now it's another product line - how many of us who own Gibson / Fender CS guitars now ONLY look at CS guitars?

Keefy

chris45 said:

20 years ago custom shop was indeed a rarity.  Now it's another product line - how many of us who own Gibson / Fender CS guitars now ONLY look at CS guitars?

Not quite, but not far off. Then again, my spending expectations have risen considerably over the 40 years that I have been playing, even allowing for inflation.

gibsongretschfan

The only reason I bought an R8 is because it was the closest Gibson I could find to the spec I wanted.

clarkefan

tony99 said:

Adey said:

tony99 said:k

put me down for a white lezza (les paul I mean), yellowed quite a bit with age, ebony board and tarnished gold hardware and that's me happy

Mmmmmmmm.........

https://www.ishibashi.co.jp/u_box/e/select.php?cd=20-316740913

Fuuck that rocks.

tony99

it certainly does

robmac5150

chris45 said:

20 years ago custom shop was indeed a rarity.  Now it's another product line - how many of us who own Gibson / Fender CS guitars now ONLY look at CS guitars?

me, but I have had a couple of classics and a standard along the way so finding what I like and am prepared to pay for has been an enjoyable journey

tony99

robmac5150 said:

chris45 said:

20 years ago custom shop was indeed a rarity.  Now it's another product line - how many of us who own Gibson / Fender CS guitars now ONLY look at CS guitars?

me, but I have had a couple of classics and a standard along the way so finding what I like and am prepared to pay for has been an enjoyable journey

any reason why you only look at CS Rob? I've never had one (would love one though) and I'm intrigued

johnl

tony99 said:

robmac5150 said:

chris45 said:

20 years ago custom shop was indeed a rarity.  Now it's another product line - how many of us who own Gibson / Fender CS guitars now ONLY look at CS guitars?

me, but I have had a couple of classics and a standard along the way so finding what I like and am prepared to pay for has been an enjoyable journey

any reason why you only look at CS Rob? I've never had one (would love one though) and I'm intrigued

I'm the same now, perhaps it's just my perception but my CS Les Paul is so far above all the USA Standards I've tried (not that they were in any way bad guitars) that it seems pointless buying one of those now. 

tony99

johnl said:

tony99 said:

robmac5150 said:

chris45 said:

20 years ago custom shop was indeed a rarity.  Now it's another product line - how many of us who own Gibson / Fender CS guitars now ONLY look at CS guitars?

me, but I have had a couple of classics and a standard along the way so finding what I like and am prepared to pay for has been an enjoyable journey

any reason why you only look at CS Rob? I've never had one (would love one though) and I'm intrigued

I'm the same now, perhaps it's just my perception but my CS Les Paul is so far above all the USA Standards I've tried (not that they were in any way bad guitars) that it seems pointless buying one of those now. 

in build quality or sound or what? I tried a 2009 in a shop the other week, a les paul CS, and it was really nice but not like super special, granted I only had a half hour like and wasn't that clued up on the amp I was using

robmac5150

tony99 said:

robmac5150 said:

chris45 said:

20 years ago custom shop was indeed a rarity.  Now it's another product line - how many of us who own Gibson / Fender CS guitars now ONLY look at CS guitars?

me, but I have had a couple of classics and a standard along the way so finding what I like and am prepared to pay for has been an enjoyable journey

any reason why you only look at CS Rob? I've never had one (would love one though) and I'm intrigued

I'd just say everything is more refined and done to a better standard as you would expect. Is it twice as good for twice the price? Probably not but the 58 (for me) has a fantastic neck now I'm used to them. The R9 was an amazing gloss top but I was a bit wary gigging it as it was so good. I used a 50's neck Standard for years and it was a great guitar but once I'd made the jump I'd be reluctant to go back. I had a R8 then R9 and went back to a R8 as it suited me better. A slight flame on a Faded Tobacco burst R8 is the long term target (again!!).

tony99

robmac5150 said:

tony99 said:

robmac5150 said:

chris45 said:

20 years ago custom shop was indeed a rarity.  Now it's another product line - how many of us who own Gibson / Fender CS guitars now ONLY look at CS guitars?

me, but I have had a couple of classics and a standard along the way so finding what I like and am prepared to pay for has been an enjoyable journey

any reason why you only look at CS Rob? I've never had one (would love one though) and I'm intrigued

I'd just say everything is more refined and done to a better standard as you would expect. Is it twice as good for twice the price? Probably not but the 58 (for me) has a fantastic neck now I'm used to them. The R9 was an amazing gloss top but I was a bit wary gigging it as it was so good. I used a 50's neck Standard for years and it was a great guitar but once I'd made the jump I'd be reluctant to go back. I had a R8 then R9 and went back to a R8 as it suited me better. A slight flame on a Faded Tobacco burst R8 is the long term target (again!!).

I can see myself getting one eventually, but for now my standard does what it's supposed to do and it looks great, plus I like it because of the neck and I'm not sure how many (if any) of the customs wold have the 60s slim.
As I said earlier in the thread tough, a lovely aged white, or even a black beauty, maybe the 3 pick up version (someone's just posted an absolute cracker in classifieds) and I'd probably be a convert too!

robmac5150

R0 is worth a try when you are ready, if u like a thinner neck

FreddieVanHalen

RaymondLin said:

timmypix said:

RaymondLin said:

I picked up a Custom Shop made Class 5 Les Paul and I’m happy with that.

Pics or it didn't happen.

It is 20 years old, so before they were everywhere.

Good taste! I’ve had one of those new since 2000 and it’s the one that I’d save from a burning building. Criminally under appreciated guitars, everyone just seems to want an R instead

RandallFlagg

I like my aged Custom Shop SG: