• Guys, we've spent considerable money converting the Les Paul Forum to this new XenForo platform, and we have ongoing monthly operating expenses. THE "DONATIONS" TAB IS NOW WORKING, AND WE WOULD APPRECIATE ANY DONATIONS YOU CAN MAKE TO KEEP THE LES PAUL FORUM GOING! Thank you!

Year-by-Year History of the Historic Les Paul Collection

jcourtjr

Member
Joined
Mar 27, 2004
Messages
304
So to help the good start for the 2009 specs can we add?

2011 Steel Studs

2012 2-piece fingerboards, different inlays?
 

Minibucker

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 12, 2003
Messages
6,372
No burst was ever built the way a modern Historic is ....

..... a GOOD replica is built the way 'at least one' burst was.

That's all ..... not saying one is better than the other, but the point is clear.

Once again, ... I love Historics, ... but they are what they are.

As in reissues but not replicas?
 

Soulweb

Active member
Joined
May 4, 2005
Messages
1,827
Have only owned 1994-2000 Historics, 12-18 years later, it is still all about the wood!

Some of you guys must really suss one out, and compare one day.

Of course, Historic Makeovers is legendary in making people believe their newest guitar can be just like the days of old. Even if it was made yesterday. And their customer base and it's feedback suggests that they're on to something. And it's not old wood.

So, though the wood may be involved, I wouldn't say it's the defining difference by any extreme. "Old wood" is another wonderful piece of mythology that gets bantered about quite often. Some makers literally build guitars with wood that is verified as being 200+ years old...the only difference I find with these is the price. Yeah. yeah....it's not the same because the rest of the instrument isn't vintage - but then that takes integrity away from the "old wood" argument. Either way, it's suspect.

I will say that an old guitar that has survived all these years has a lot of "mojo." By that I mean, it's cool to hold something that has presumably been making music for the past half century. I'm one of those curmudgeons that doesn't think vintage guitars are the only guitars that can sound/feel "vintage."

Back to the thread - what a truly great idea. Would be nice a new thread started where it goes from the Historic's inception to current 2013. 2013 Historics seem to have some a abundance in noteworthy changes of previous years.
 

ferrisl

New member
Joined
Jun 26, 2011
Messages
6
I added a "Links" section to post #2. To kick things off I scanned a copy of my 1993 Historic catalog into JPG format and uploaded the files to Photobucket. If you have additional links with pertinate Historic spec information, reply to the thread and I'll add them to the list in post #2

1993 Historic Collection Catalog


hello ,
very good thread (I am particularly interested, because I possess a 1993 LPC 57 RI n° 3 1348 :) )
is it possible to have a copy of the page 11 of your 1993 historic collection catalog because this page is not uploaded actually ?

thank's a lot
 

DANELECTRO

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 24, 2003
Messages
6,318

Flavum

Active member
Joined
Feb 3, 2002
Messages
1,875
Ok here are a few changes I can think of but I need some help in pinpointing the date they occurred:
- Top carve changed (?)

Didn't this occur in 2002 when Gibson changed the smooth curve to a more flattened area between the pickups? I seem to recall this being a much-discussed and welcome change.

Edit: I haven't read through the whole thread, so I'm sorry if this was addressed. I just noticed that the OP hadn't been updated with this info.
 

bluesroom

Active member
Joined
Jul 17, 2001
Messages
443
Is there any area of the build that went backwards over time? Is there any details that were addressed in one year and ignored in others?
 

Black58

New member
Joined
Oct 28, 2005
Messages
10,139
Is there any area of the build that went backwards over time? Is there any details that were addressed in one year and ignored in others?

Yes.












... :rofl

For starters, in '09, someone decided to put thumbwheels on with the wrong outside diameter, wrong knurl AND made outta the wrong fucking material! :wah ... on top of the usual, never-been-corrected, wrong thickness. :rolleyes:

My only reasoning for this is either, aliens, or people who drive Subarus. :wah
 

TT100

New member
Joined
Jul 22, 2002
Messages
4,724
I might have missed it, but when was the R4 goldtop introduced?

Mine is an '01 with a very low serial number. 4 100X

TT
 

gmann

Well-known member
Joined
May 26, 2003
Messages
6,147
I might have missed it, but when was the R4 goldtop introduced?

Mine is an '01 with a very low serial number. 4 100X

TT

I have a '96 so it goes back that far at least.
 

rbobber

New member
Joined
May 9, 2015
Messages
4
Does anyone have one of the four R7 Goldtop darkback models listed as 2003 BRW prototypes? Serial numbers 7 3001, 7 3005, 7 3006 ,7 3007 ? It would be interesting to see inside shots to see what differed these from the final production run as well if any differences between the four. I have one of the four that is why I am curious.
 

DavidAatCME

New member
Joined
Mar 20, 2016
Messages
2
2016- Rick Nielsen 1959 Burst re-issued. There were 50 aged and signed, 100 aged and 50 VOS! Thought I'd mention this to help with chronology!
 

Junae9

Member
Joined
May 7, 2015
Messages
58
Good Morning . I wonder when the Chambered model was introduced in the historic line (R7, R8, R9, R0)....
Anybody know?
 
Top