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What is a "PRE-HISTORIC" LP?

S

sparkle**

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WHat year is it considered? Someone told me his LP was a Pre hisotoric....
 

birdsy

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Dec 30, 2002
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The term "prehistoric" is a nickname given to les Paul reissues made prior to 1993. TThey came before the Historic series hence the name 'pre-historic'.
They feature a short tenon and inked on serial numbers.
They are however excellent guitars with some having beautiful tops.
 

John Catto

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Gibson first started played around with the idea of producing a 58-60 style replica in around 1980. The first effort was the Heritage model and some of the limted runs made for specific music shops. These were prettier than what they had been making but in fact still had many of the characteristics of regular production at the time (laminated necks, fibre headstock veneer, newer gibson Logo, no long tenon, 81 sharper horn shape on the Heritages etc.). Over the decade Gibson carried on making more "'59" style guitars, mostly these are more or less Standards with flame tops and varying overall detail changes. Gibson started up the Historic shop in 92 and shipped by 93. The first 2 Les Pauls went to Slash and Keith Scott in late 92. The Historics involved major retooling to get the guitars closer rather than just prettying up the standard production model.

Quite a lot of rough info in this Tone Quest report with interviews with Murphy etc. on what they did to get the Historic line going.

http://www.tonequest.com/pdf_pubs/samples/TQRApr03.pdf

So in short:
A Pre-Historic is any 59 style Les Paul replica made before the Historic shop startup in 92/3
 
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SS901771

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Jan 18, 2003
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They are good guitars that can be had for a good price.I have a `90 pre-historic, it has a nice top and a darkburst finish that looks like the one Warren Haynes uses.Mine has the small headstock and holly veneer, and sounds almost as good as my R9.
 

ashley

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Jun 16, 2003
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There's also the custom art historic which started in 99 and onwards. This was the first year for the custom shop.
 

billywade

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Dec 12, 2001
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In addition to flame top pre-historic reissues there were GT pre's as well. I happen to own one. The Pre-historics (at least all the ones I've seen) also featured the abr-1.
 

Weldaar

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Feb 7, 2003
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How can I tell?

I have a 1960 gold top re-issue, how can I tell if is pre-historic or not. I'm not sure what year it was made.
 

CAPT CRUNCH

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ashley said:
There's also the custom art historic which started in 99 and onwards. This was the first year for the custom shop.

???????.......You might want to re-read John Cattos' response......;)
 
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CAPT CRUNCH

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Re: How can I tell?

Weldaar said:
I have a 1960 gold top re-issue, how can I tell if is pre-historic or not. I'm not sure what year it was made.

Whats the SN#??......is it a classic??......those are not pre-historics.
 

Weldaar

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Yes it is a classic

Oh well, she still looks, sounds and plays great. Thanx
 

CAPT CRUNCH

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Thats cool.......not that much difference anyway........enjoy your axe!!!.......:dude
 

CAPT CRUNCH

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Weldaar

My avatar is a classic and it is awsome!!...some of the earlier classics where actually more acurate repops than the pre-historics...
 

Weldaar

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No such thing as a stupid question, right?

I always see the word Avatar, what is that?
 

Weldaar

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I understand what avatar means now,

But there is no little picture under your name :)
 

CutieJones

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Getting back to the prehistoric subject, were there any prehistoric versions of LP Customs made ever. I've not seen any and was just wondering . . . .
 

Ed Driscoll

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Apr 24, 2002
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CutieJones said:
Getting back to the prehistoric subject, were there any prehistoric versions of LP Customs made ever. I've not seen any and was just wondering . . . .

Off the top of my head, I can think of two runs of "prehistoric" Customs. There may have been others.

Gibson produced a mid-'70s version of the '54 through '56 Custom with the P-90 and "staple" pickups. And in 1989, they released a 35th anniversary version of the '57-'60 three pickup "Black Beauty". According to this thread:


It has a medium width neck, one piece mahogany top (no maple anywhere), reprp 'PAFs' and 'vintaged' binding, knobs, Klusons etc.

Hope that helps.

Ed
 
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bluestein

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Jul 15, 2001
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CutieJones said:
Getting back to the prehistoric subject, were there any prehistoric versions of LP Customs made ever. I've not seen any and was just wondering . . . .

Would you consider a 20th anniv. LP from 1974 to be a "LP Custom Reissue"?

The term "reissue" didn't come about till many years later - but the concept might apply in that they attempted to recreate an earlier instrument?

If so, the 20th may be considered the first reissue?
 

Ed Driscoll

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Apr 24, 2002
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bluestein said:
If so, the 20th may be considered the first reissue?

Well, I think the first real reissues were the Goldtop and Customs re-released in 1968. They certainly weren't as accurate as today's R6s and R7s, (although the Goldtop was closer to its original older sibling than the Custom), but it wasn't a bad first effort by Gibson.

They were the ultimate prehistoric Prehistorics. ;)

Ed
 
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