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Custom Buckers in R9

TheYinzer

New member
Joined
Apr 21, 2022
Messages
10
Reading posts like these has me a bit worried. After trying some R9's earlier this year it is my intent buy one buy next April. I loved the playability of the neck compared to my standard 50's as well as the possibility to get one a bit lighter in weight. I would also want one that is clearer and more articulate than my standard.
After spending such a great deal of money on one I would not want to start swapping out the wiring or pickups. I did put the RS Guitarworks wiring in my standard 50's and am fairly pleased with the results. I was contemplating changing out the burstbuckers but I'm satisfied with how they sound so don't want to mess with a good thing.. I would hope that an expensive custom shop les paul would not need after market parts to make it all it can be.
What I'm looking for over my standard is more clarity and bite. I'm concerned most with clean tones but I like it to sound good with some gain. I play a more blues style and modern country and classic rock. I love the tones that Snowy white gets. Sorry for hijacking the thread. Just wanted to comment on the posts that recommend changing out wiring and pickups on a very expensive custom shop.
I'm with you. To each their own, though. I liken it to cars. I will tweak a Mustang to do what I want it to do. A 400k Ferrari F8? NOPE!
 

1allspub

Active member
Joined
Feb 25, 2018
Messages
192
Reading posts like these has me a bit worried. After trying some R9's earlier this year it is my intent buy one buy next April. I loved the playability of the neck compared to my standard 50's as well as the possibility to get one a bit lighter in weight. I would also want one that is clearer and more articulate than my standard.
After spending such a great deal of money on one I would not want to start swapping out the wiring or pickups. I did put the RS Guitarworks wiring in my standard 50's and am fairly pleased with the results. I was contemplating changing out the burstbuckers but I'm satisfied with how they sound so don't want to mess with a good thing.. I would hope that an expensive custom shop les paul would not need after market parts to make it all it can be.
What I'm looking for over my standard is more clarity and bite. I'm concerned most with clean tones but I like it to sound good with some gain. I play a more blues style and modern country and classic rock. I love the tones that Snowy white gets. Sorry for hijacking the thread. Just wanted to comment on the posts that recommend changing out wiring and pickups on a very expensive custom shop.
Gibson builds guitars to a standard spec. To think that every guitar is at its best possible iteration at that predetermined standard spec isn’t realistic. That’s why when someone finds “that one” that is just “special” it’s such a big deal... because they’ve found one that matches super well to the standard spec. Others need tweaks to bring out their full potential, but finding that full potential can reward the player/owner with a truly magnificent guitar. So I really advise not to enter into the Reissue buying experience with any preconceived notion that any guitar is necessarily at its peak as it was built by Gibson. That’s just demonstrably and experientially not true in many (most?) cases. And is a recipe for disappointment.

Custom Shop guitars are no more immune to the variations of production that any other guitar. They start off life with better materials and (perhaps) better specs and (usually) better attention to detail... but that is absolutely no guarantee that they will be optimized out of the box and at their best possible iteration. Many, if not most, can and will benefit highly from customization to what you’re wanting to hear from it.
 

1allspub

Active member
Joined
Feb 25, 2018
Messages
192
I'm with you. To each their own, though. I liken it to cars. I will tweak a Mustang to do what I want it to do. A 400k Ferrari F8? NOPE!
A Reissue is not a $400k Ferrari. A real 59 Burst is the proper analogy to a $400k Ferrari. And to monkey with one of those would indeed be ill-advised. But if we are gonna use muscle/sports car analogies, a Reissue akin to a high end production performance car (Hellcat Challenger, ZL1 Camaro, GT500 Mustang)... and people tweak those all the time to maximize their performance beyond what they left the factory with.
 

golfnut

Active member
Joined
Apr 18, 2016
Messages
196
Gibson builds guitars to a standard spec. To think that every guitar is at its best possible iteration at that predetermined standard spec isn’t realistic. That’s why when someone finds “that one” that is just “special” it’s such a big deal... because they’ve found one that matches super well to the standard spec. Others need tweaks to bring out their full potential, but finding that full potential can reward the player/owner with a truly magnificent guitar. So I really advise not to enter into the Reissue buying experience with any preconceived notion that any guitar is necessarily at its peak as it was built by Gibson. That’s just demonstrably and experientially not true in many (most?) cases. And is a recipe for disappointment.

Custom Shop guitars are no more immune to the variations of production that any other guitar. They start off life with better materials and (perhaps) better specs and (usually) better attention to detail... but that is absolutely no guarantee that they will be optimized out of the box and at their best possible iteration. Many, if not most, can and will benefit highly from customization to what you’re wanting to hear from it.

I've been playing for 45+ years. I went through a period 20-25 years ago where I was heavily modding guitars with after market pickups and other hardware. When it came to pickups I've had far more disappointment, thinking I'd get something better. I finally quit changing pickups and searched out guitars that sound the way I want as is. I have far less disappointment. It took me a while to get that different doesn't mean better. All the years of aftermarket pickups did help me learn what I like and don't like though. Its just nowadays I'm enjoying all my guitars with little to no mods and concentrating on playing them and being less obsessive and how great I can make them sound with aftermarket pickups.
 

programmer

Member
Joined
Jul 2, 2021
Messages
36
I've been playing for 45+ years. I went through a period 20-25 years ago where I was heavily modding guitars with after market pickups and other hardware. When it came to pickups I've had far more disappointment, thinking I'd get something better. I finally quit changing pickups and searched out guitars that sound the way I want as is. I have far less disappointment. It took me a while to get that different doesn't mean better. All the years of aftermarket pickups did help me learn what I like and don't like though. Its just nowadays I'm enjoying all my guitars with little to no mods and concentrating on playing them and being less obsessive and how great I can make them sound with aftermarket pickups.
I've been playing just as long and I also went through a period where I monkeyed around with lots of mods that perhaps didn't all turn out so well, but you learn things in the process. It's possible to be methodical about preferences. Sometimes just a few tweaks to take it from good to great.
 

Pat Boyack

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 19, 2011
Messages
4,510
I've been playing just as long and I also went through a period where I monkeyed around with lots of mods that perhaps didn't all turn out so well, but you learn things in the process. It's possible to be methodical about preferences. Sometimes just a few tweaks to take it from good to great.
I think we all did that back in the 80s and 90s because stock pickups in Fender and Gibson guitars sucked.
 

somebodyelseuk

Well-known member
Joined
Jun 10, 2020
Messages
454
There's a quote from someone at Gibson (on some forum) that there are two sets of CBs. One with ~ 7.6 and 7.9 DC resistance and another with both around 8.1. That matches my experience exactly as I have one of each, in a 2021 ML '59 RI, and a 2018 '57 Goldtop RI. I prefer the weaker set and I'm in fact about to replace the other as I find it slightly too dark/full.
My 60th Anni R9 and R7 made 18 months apart have pickups that measure 7.98/8.02 and 7.95/7.95 respectively (br/n).
 

somebodyelseuk

Well-known member
Joined
Jun 10, 2020
Messages
454
A Reissue is not a $400k Ferrari. A real 59 Burst is the proper analogy to a $400k Ferrari. And to monkey with one of those would indeed be ill-advised. But if we are gonna use muscle/sports car analogies, a Reissue akin to a high end production performance car (Hellcat Challenger, ZL1 Camaro, GT500 Mustang)... and people tweak those all the time to maximize their performance beyond what they left the factory with.
Okidoki...
The Reissue is more the '400k F8'. A real '59 Burst is more akin to a 250GTO.

In any case, car analogies don't work. In the UK, at least, you wouldn't be allowed on the road if the GTO had original tyres on it.
 

El Gringo

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Joined
Apr 8, 2015
Messages
5,657
I think it all boils down to what works for each individual , as there is no one size fits all . Tone is very subjective and thus very personal . Growing up in the mid 70's is exactly what we did with our 70 era Gibson and Fender guitars . Dimarzio , Duncan , Gibson , Fender, Pickups all came and went in and out of my guitars . My biggest tone discovery was ThroBak humbuckers (SLE-101 Plus ) it's what works for me in my Les Paul's . Along with my Marshall 2555X's , and the pedals I use (Cry Baby , Phase 90, Boss Tuner, Flanger, Chorus, Delay ) Tone for me is the sum of all parts working together .
 

renderit

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 19, 2009
Messages
10,951
Ah, the 70's.

When we use DiMarzio Super Distortion and Ceramic magnets to make up for the fact we didn't have 2 stacks of Marshalls.

I hope God forgives me before I get to the gate.
 

El Gringo

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 8, 2015
Messages
5,657
Ah, the 70's.

When we use DiMarzio Super Distortion and Ceramic magnets to make up for the fact we didn't have 2 stacks of Marshalls.

I hope God forgives me before I get to the gate.
I love your posts as they always make me smile . The 70's , what a good time we had . We didn't know what we were doing and we improvised and made it up as we went along for the ride . The best part was the Fun ! Marshall stacks back then when we were kids - no way as we all have Fender amps . Which I think was a byproduct of public schools . Plus we had the Cops coming over often when we were playing .
 

Scottg32

New member
Joined
May 10, 2022
Messages
11
I suspect yes.

I suspect magnets are different batch to batch.

Maybe even wire from batch to batch but I would guess that is a lot closer these days.

If you were my neighbor you could try several other sets I have out of curiosity.

But as a simple step try swapping out the pots for VIP pots and some good Luxe or other pio capacitors first.
You think swapping the pots and caps really makes a difference?
 

Scottg32

New member
Joined
May 10, 2022
Messages
11
All pickups vary to some degree. And IMO/IME, CBs tend to vary more than most (have owned 5 different sets). I’m not really a fan of A3 magnets (prefer A4 & A5), so after the honeymoon period is over the CBs ALWAYS get yanked. A3s are definitely weaker and darker... and seem to lack the “attack” I like in the best A4/A5-equipped boutiques I’ve tried.
Got any that you’re selling?
 
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