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Hey it's Mat from Gibson Product Development - AMA

matkoehler

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I'm not sure about that DR? I've been wrong before and no doubt will be wrong again, but to my knowledge, they're solid mahogany.


cheers.gif
If it is a 50s Reissue Les Paul Custom, it has a solid one piece mahogany body. If it is a 68 or later Reissue or a modern era Les Paul Custom, it has a maple cap.
 

matkoehler

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Hi Mat! Any other overall changes this year besides new bridges and the SG's horns?
Not really, lots of New Product Introductions though. Artist limited runs and some new core models. We have a lot of redeveloped parts on the backburner still getting quoted and whatnot...this is why you see such gradual change for reissues over the years...just hard to get everything to align to a model year. That said, we are in a pretty excellent place right now in terms of accuracy to originals.
 

matkoehler

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Hi Matt,
I've been trying to order a custom '54 Goldtop with a specific weight (over 9.5lbs), specific grain orientation (all quarter sawn - Neck, body, maple top), and specific maple type (Eastern hard rock), using all hide glue joinery. Can you make this happen? Please let me know, thanks..

Steve
I would not be the one to ask. Your dealer can inquire. :) But I can tell you the weight, hard rock maple, and all hide glue joinery will be easy. Not sure about the grain orientation but it's an interesting request.
 

matkoehler

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Hi Mat! Happy New Year!

I did a lot of thinking over the holidays. And I've decided that I no longer want a M2M LP Axcess Custom from the CS.

Instead, I want to go for a regular LP Custom with that "plum crazy" finish that we discussed.

Is it possible for a dealer to change your M2M once they've spec'd it out for the CS rep?

Would a M2M LP Custom in "plum crazy" still be doable by the CS?
It is not possible to change once it has been ordered, if that's your question. Could be possible to have it canceled.
 

matkoehler

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This may have been asked but…. The neck step on the Les Paul’s. Why can’t they get that right?? The distance from the bottom of heal to the back
It's different one guitar to the next because of how they are neckfit. But I can see how close we are to the average thanks to the scan library.
 

matkoehler

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Hey Mat,

Typing of weight relieved, some of us Custom lovers have a couple of questions with regard to weight relief as it relates to Customs.

There is a guitar shop that recently posted a weight relieved '57. Also, although in the 50+ years I've been following him I had never heard of this before, supposedly, Peter Frampton's '54 is weight relieved as well? Our understanding of "Black Beauties" from the '50s is that they were one piece mahogany, as is our understanding of Customs produced in the Custom Shop. Is that the case and if so, how was the routing done in the '50s to accomplish the relief, i.e. were the bodies sliced and secondly, do you happen to know if Frampton's truly is weight relieved?

@zhivago
@dnabbet2
@sweiger
@58 special


Thanks and
cheers.gif

Matt
Frampton's Custom Shop Phenix Les Paul is weight relieved mahogany top on mahogany back -- that was his request. His original was a solid slab of mahogany. Hope that clears it up!
 

jimijam33

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I would not be the one to ask. Your dealer can inquire. :) But I can tell you the weight, hard rock maple, and all hide glue joinery will be easy. Not sure about the grain orientation but it's an interesting request.
I tried a request through Sam Ash and was turned down on all but the hide glue and rock top request. Strange that Gibson isn't really into pleasing their customers (not asking for much - a heavier guitar and grain alignment should be easy). Thanks for the reply anyway Matt.
 

Kutt

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I've mentioned this several other times in this thread, but it's because of additional complexity, plain and simple. Painting gloss white nitrocellulose lacquer guitars requires an extreme level of care through the finish department to avoid particles in the air as well as additional coats. The difference is commensurate with the M2M upcharge for this finish as well.
Thanks. I believe that it takes an extra level of care. You're already being compensated to take that extra level of care before you tack on another $800. You're monetizing something that has always been part of the job from the start. I respectfully call B.S. and if you've had to answer to this previously, maybe other players are too.
 
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Midnight Blues

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Frampton's Custom Shop Phenix Les Paul is weight relieved mahogany top on mahogany back -- that was his request. His original was a solid slab of mahogany. Hope that clears it up!

Customs are made with a mahogany top. They are not made of 1 piece of solid mahogany, like a junior or special.
I'm not sure about that DR? I've been wrong before and no doubt will be wrong again, but to my knowledge, they're solid mahogany.


cheers.gif



If it is a 50s Reissue Les Paul Custom, it has a solid one piece mahogany body. If it is a 68 or later Reissue or a modern era Les Paul Custom, it has a maple cap.


Thanks very much Mat!

So I guess the same could've held true for the '57 that is/was up for sale? Was there weight relieving going on in the '50s? And lastly, am I correct in typing that the original remake of Frampton's "Phenix", the one where only 35 were made, wasn't weight relieved?


Thanks again and
cheers.gif

Matt

@zhivago
@dnabbet2
@sweiger
@58 special
 
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LeonC

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Howdy again Mat and thanks again for taking the time to address our questions.

Regarding the relatively recent reissues of the '70s era Les Paul Deluxe, can you provide the rationale, as you understand it, for using Nashville style locking bridges? I really like all the other design choices that were made on these reissues, but I've personally not had good experiences with locking bridges (in terms of their impact on the guitar's tone).
 

Dozer95662

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Thanks. I believe that it takes an extra level of care. You're already being compensated to take that extra level of care before you tack on another $800. You're monetizing something that has always been part of the job from the start. I respectfully call B.S. and if you've had to answer to this previously, maybe other players are too.
lots of cars have upcharges for certain paint - including types of white. I don't get why this sticks in your craw so much?
 

Kutt

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lots of cars have upcharges for certain paint - including types of white. I don't get why this sticks in your craw so much?
Lots of cars have rebates and free oils changes for 2 years after purchase also. Do I get, say, $300 back if I buy a new LPC, or free setups for 2 years after purchase? At some point comparisons ring hollow. Car comparisons are one of them.
 
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Dozer95662

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Lots of cars have rebates and free oils changes for 2 years after purchase also. Do I get, say, $300 back if I buy a new LPC, or free setups for 2 years after purchase? At some point comparisons ring hollow. Car comparisons are one of them.
never mind. ok
 
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El Gringo

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I tried a request through Sam Ash and was turned down on all but the hide glue and rock top request. Strange that Gibson isn't really into pleasing their customers (not asking for much - a heavier guitar and grain alignment should be easy). Thanks for the reply anyway Matt.
Check with the Music Zoo
 

Red Baron

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Both Alnico V, both same base spec. Custom Shop uses different covers. That's about it. It's the original P90 recipe so not much variation. We are working on aftermarket variants to launch this current year (like underwound, overwound, etc).
Thanks Mat, do you know if the upcoming new variants will be unpotted? I assumed that because Custombuckers are now unpotted that the CS P90's would also be unpotted like they were in the 50's.
 

Jericho-79

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It is not possible to change once it has been ordered, if that's your question. Could be possible to have it canceled.

Hi Mat!

The good news is that The Music Zoo hasn't told their CS rep to start building, and I haven't placed a down payment yet.

But my question is this:

Could the CS still do a Plum Crazy finish even if the base model for my M2M order is now just a LP Custom?

I'm under the impression that I should still be good.
 

matkoehler

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Thanks. I believe that it takes an extra level of care. You're already being compensated to take that extra level of care before you tack on another $800. You're monetizing something that has always been part of the job from the start. I respectfully call B.S. and if you've had to answer to this previously, maybe other players are too.
It's kind of black and white to me, no pun intended. We could raise both prices and blend the margins, but that would completely throw off the M2M pricing structure...butterfly effect. Have to consider the black Les Paul Custom as the base model and any variations priced to complexity. This is just how I think about it as portfolio manager...our dealers have great margins to play with, so I would recommend going there with the pricing arguments! Ha. Kidding...somewhat.
 

matkoehler

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Thanks Mat, do you know if the upcoming new variants will be unpotted? I assumed that because Custombuckers are now unpotted that the CS P90's would also be unpotted like they were in the 50's.
Excellent call-out and we have considered it, but in a nutshell they become a lot harder to tame than unpotted humbuckers. We are happy with the sound of them as are our dealers, but I like the idea of at least having the option on the aftermarket roster. Thank you.
 

matkoehler

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Hi Mat!

The good news is that The Music Zoo hasn't told their CS rep to start building, and I haven't placed a down payment yet.

But my question is this:

Could the CS still do a Plum Crazy finish even if the base model for my M2M order is now just a LP Custom?

I'm under the impression that I should still be good.
Yes Plum Crazy is an official M2M color option now -- thanks in part to you :).
 
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