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Y2K R9

slammintone

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Joined
Jul 19, 2001
Messages
2,003
NGD find I picked up yesterday. R9 Historic circa 2000. Typical chunkier neck from that ere (my favorite) nice 8.27lbs weight and practically unplayed. Original pickups nowhere to be found but it has a nice sounding Seymour Duncan Joe Bonamassa set installed.



 

slammintone

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Joined
Jul 19, 2001
Messages
2,003
Thanks you guys! I don't know why the pics show more cherry on the top than there is in person. It's actually a bit lighter and more of a faded teaburst color. I think my camera's filters or whatever are ad libbing the red on the top but, you get the idea. I checked this morning and it looks like someone changed all the pots out to CTS 500K Audio's and theres a couple of Jensen caps in there too. I got the box the Bonamassa Sig pickups came in, serial no. #0964. Neck is 7.58K and Bridge is 8.23K so there's a bit of a volume mismatch but I've just about got the sound balanced. Great Pickups JoeB!! Smooth, crunchy and sweet singing character. They're different sounding than what I've had before with other PAF type pickups and they're addictive and fun to play. Lotsa picking position variation and colors. Very happy with this one.
 

Stoj

Active member
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Oct 6, 2006
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3,514
Wow :wow that sure is a beauty - Nice Score, Congrats :salude
 

duaneflowers

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Aug 13, 2013
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2,522
Sweet!!! There's something magical about the Y2Ks... I have an R7 and an R9 and they are magnificent playahs!!!
 

Big Al

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Joined
Apr 24, 2002
Messages
14,537
My all time favorite Historic LP I own is a Y2K R9 I bought new in 2000. I understand the attraction, beautiful example there. My favourite neck profile similar to my 2014.
 
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duaneflowers

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Aug 13, 2013
Messages
2,522
Here's my Y2K R9 (& Friends):

Y2K Wildwood Spec Killer Quilt w/Stephens Design VL3s
Y2K Yamano Spec Murphy Aged GT w/K&T NOS Weeps
'89 1962 Bluesbreaker w/NOS Mullard ECC83/NOS Tung Sol 5881/Mullard Reissue 12AX7s/NOS Mullard GZ34

R2Ks.jpg
 

slammintone

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Joined
Jul 19, 2001
Messages
2,003
My all time favorite Historic LP I own is a Y2K R9 I bought new in 20000. I understan the attraction, beautiful example there.

Yep, I get the attraction too now. Took me all of a minute or two to realize I had to have this one. I just made my best offer and hoped for the best. Really, I know there's now like two pages and 15yrs worth of vintage correct spec upgrades that have happened since 2000 on Historic Les Pauls but as a whole, this R9 is a monster example of everything Gibson's Historic Division did and does right. The woodworking and finishing are first rate, as good as I've seen on Historics. The weight, balance, tones, feel. All the good, major stuff is well present and accounted for here. This one is easily in the top three or four Historic's I've owned out of many.
 

slammintone

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 19, 2001
Messages
2,003
Here's my Y2K R9 (& Friends):

Y2K Wildwood Spec Killer Quilt w/Stephens Design VL3s
Y2K Yamano Spec Murphy Aged GT w/K&T NOS Weeps
'89 1962 Bluesbreaker w/NOS Mullard ECC83/NOS Tung Sol 5881/Mullard Reissue 12AX7s/NOS Mullard GZ34

R2Ks.jpg

KILLER and sweet amp too. Love the early Bluesbreaker RIs, perfect volume and best bet for early Mayall tones.
 

Cogswell

The Duke of Dumbassery
Joined
Mar 19, 2002
Messages
15,717
IMO the '99-early '00 Historics have their own thing going on. Great neck profles, fantastic shading, & unique red in the burst. They stand out from that period (late '90s through '02).
 

Red Baron

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Joined
Jul 14, 2004
Messages
6,774
Absolutely killer looking R9, congrats! :dude:

I've owned a couple of Y2K R9's myself, both were really nice guitars, the finish in particular was much thinner and nicer than on today's LP's.
 

slammintone

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 19, 2001
Messages
2,003
Update: Well, the shop owner that sold me this fine specimen is also a very good friend of mine and I knew he was sorta hankerin' hanging onto this R9 for himself but I made him as good an offer as I could come up with, which he agreed was very fair. But he did ask me to consider him first if I ever wanted to get rid of it. I talked to him yesterday and while he had no misgivings about selling to me I could tell he was missing it badly already. I told him if he wanted it back then I would be happy to reverse the deal because the last thing I want is to have a good friend upset with himself for selling something important to him like that. So, she's back where she belongs now and the seller and I are both happier for it with no misgivings at all. Another great Historic will turn up for me that's for certain so I'm not worried about it. But MAN! What a top and what a neck this one had. Stuff dreams are made of.:headbange
 
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