[champ72]

Hi Folks

Please excuse the newbie questions - but can someone explain to me what is an R9 exactly, or an r8 etc?

I had assumed an R9 was some kind of 59 Reissue, and R8 a 58 Reissue and so on is this correct?

Now on the Gibson website I see no mention of anything to do with R8 or R9 etc. (unless I'm missing something)..
On the custom website of course there are the VOS Les Pauls - I understand what those are, plenty of info on the gibson custom website. Are these the same thing? Ie is a VOS '58 Les Paul an R8?
When I see LP's advertised on ebay if a guitar is advertised as a 58 Reissue, does this mean it's an R8, or is it a VOS 58 standard, or both???????!!! Again, apart from the VOS guitars I see no mention of any other reissues on the Gibson website..

Please enlighten me!

Rgds

Andy

[Gibson-Talk]

A '59 Reissue is a R9 and as you'd expect a '58 Reissue is an R8. By the way, there is a R7 as well. VOS is a finish and construction option and it stands for Vintage Original Spec.

VOS is primarily a finishing process that gives the guitar a slightly "aged" appearance. It looks and feels more "broken in." The other big difference when the VOS guitars were launched (in early '06) is they were set-up at the Custom Shop using a machine called the PLEK. This technology helped deliver a very consistent and high quality set-up that really helped make the guitar play beautifully right out of the case.

VOS models look more worn in (lacquer finish is "softer," nickel probably looks a bit oxidized, etc.).

When looking at the Gibson site the reissues are called Historics and they are in the Custom Shop. Look there at the Les Paul and you'll see a CS Historic 1959 Standard... after 2007 that would be a VOS before that it wouldn't be. So, it would be a 2007 R9 VOS

I think you have it mostly figured out. Just watch Ebay, people will be selling non-historics as R9s and an older R9 won't be VOS. Though it's still a great guitar.

Lastly, there are a lot of Chinese fakes being sold as Gibsons on Ebay. Be very careful.

[champ72]

Originally Posted by Gibson-Talk

A '59 Reissue is a R9 and as you'd expect a '58 Reissue is an R8. By the way, there is a R7 as well. VOS is a finish and construction option and it stands for Vintage Original Spec.

VOS is primarily a finishing process that gives the guitar a slightly "aged" appearance. It looks and feels more "broken in." The other big difference when the VOS guitars were launched (in early '06) is they were set-up at the Custom Shop using a machine called the PLEK. This technology helped deliver a very consistent and high quality set-up that really helped make the guitar play beautifully right out of the case.

VOS models look more worn in (lacquer finish is "softer," nickel probably looks a bit oxidized, etc.).

When looking at the Gibson site the reissues are called Historics and they are in the Custom Shop. Look there at the Les Paul and you'll see a CS Historic 1959 Standard... after 2007 that would be a VOS before that it wouldn't be. So, it would be a 2007 R9 VOS

I think you have it mostly figured out. Just watch Ebay, people will be selling non-historics as R9s and an older R9 won't be VOS. Though it's still a great guitar.

Lastly, there are a lot of Chinese fakes being sold as Gibsons on Ebay. Be very careful.

Many thanks, that has made it clearer for me...cheers

[ActionFletch]

Mark Knopfler is currently using a cyan (light blue) R9 on tour in Europe....

[johnreardon]

The R range goes from about R4 to R0. I have R6 through to R0

[indianation65]

VOS...vintage original specs, I believe...

...wisdom