True Historic '59 Bavarian Makeover

The big reveal!

<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/135815364@N06/35178159830/in/album-72157684984887216/" title="Untitled"><img src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4241/35178159830_5400c18cfa_b.jpg" width="768" height="1024" alt="Untitled"></a><script async src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/135815364@N06/35526245426/in/album-72157684984887216/" title="Untitled"><img src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4279/35526245426_138b6c585a_b.jpg" width="768" height="1024" alt="Untitled"></a><script async src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/135815364@N06/35178159960/in/album-72157684984887216/" title="Untitled"><img src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4235/35178159960_15a2b12d0c_b.jpg" width="768" height="1024" alt="Untitled"></a><script async src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/135815364@N06/35434903421/in/album-72157684984887216/" title="Untitled"><img src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4256/35434903421_dc1e9c0d9a_b.jpg" width="1024" height="768" alt="Untitled"></a><script async src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/135815364@N06/35565001275/in/album-72157684984887216/" title="Untitled"><img src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4263/35565001275_ecc4b9ea26_b.jpg" width="1024" height="768" alt="Untitled"></a><script async src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/135815364@N06/35434903561/in/album-72157684984887216/" title="Untitled"><img src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4233/35434903561_edf6957e41_b.jpg" width="1024" height="768" alt="Untitled"></a><script async src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/135815364@N06/35565000865/in/album-72157684984887216/" title="Untitled"><img src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4277/35565000865_821792014a_b.jpg" width="1024" height="768" alt="Untitled"></a><script async src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/135815364@N06/34724118484/in/album-72157684984887216/" title="Untitled"><img src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4261/34724118484_2184f30970_b.jpg" width="1024" height="768" alt="Untitled"></a><script async src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/135815364@N06/35434902811/in/album-72157684984887216/" title="Untitled"><img src="https://c1.staticflickr.com/5/4259/35434902811_f3174ea201_b.jpg" width="1024" height="768" alt="Untitled"></a><script async src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

I think it looks awesome, but obviously the most important bit is how it plays and sounds... I'm pretty sure its going to be even better in the flesh (or wood!). The colour should fade slightly over time to a nice amber and the checking will continue over the next few months. I shall report back again once I've had some time alone with her Top work all round by Florian.

Something's not right with the control knobs.....:hmm

I'd ask Florian to send you a set of boutique brand aged knobs. He didn't get yours' right.

What don't you like about them? They look fine to me... will reserve judgement til I see them in person anyway.

atcscotland said:

What don't you like about them? They look fine to me... will reserve judgement til I see them in person anyway.

Click to expand...

They look way too orange....sort of like pieces of a pumpkin. They should look like a yellow/amber color. Certainly not orange. And it appears that the white paint on the numbers is obscured.

marshall1987 said:

They look way too orange....sort of like pieces of a pumpkin. They should look like a yellow/amber color. Certainly not orange. And it appears that the white paint on the numbers is obscured.

Click to expand...

I think the angle and lighting of the knob specific photo accounts for the numbers being obscured on some of them. As for the colour, we'll see how she looks when I get her. Looks pretty 'amber' to me.

First off I have to tell the OP how outstanding your instrument looks , my compliments .Second , I have learned so much about the construction of the neck and the tenon and the fingerboard ,this is truly amazing to gain such knowledge from all the fine folks on this forum and I am really blown away at all the nuances that go in to making and creating the magic of the burst .I really did not understand all the science that went into the actual construction of these most magical guitars ,from a young age having owned and still do my first electric a 71 Ebony Gibson Les Paul Custom and then a 1994 Gibson Sunburst Les Paul Classic Premium Plus Top ,and then finally my most magical guitar ever my 2014 Gibson Custom Factoryburst R9 . I can not imagine touching a hair on my R9 and I am not in any way knocking anyone's desire to upgrade or change anything from pickups ,who would not love a set of vintage PAF's ? to having a real Brazilian board. I just do not have the nerve or the stones to touch a hair on my most precious R9 .I have done my homework and am still learning to this very day about everything that goes into building and making these fine crafted custom shop instruments and I am forever grateful to the great team of Edwin Wilson and Rick Gembar that crafted my R9 and I am most lucky and blessed that I got mine in 2014 before the purge by Henry .I guess what I am saying is that I trust Gibson Custom because I paid so much in treasure for my dream instrument and she just plays like a dream and sounds like heaven .

Congrats she is looking great! :salude
Let us know how is the sound when she gets back!

Cheers guys, will do!

Pellman73 said:

Man I don't know. I found myself, at the end of Orreman's saga and now THIS repeat, feeling like the whole thing that Florian does with the neck reset is bullshit

I mean... we went over it and over it and over it and over it and Renderit made models and I'm really not sure where we ended and the whole Ancient Chinese Secret aspects of it with Florian not explaining what he did to fix it... (to me-- I did email him and got no response) stuff... like I said-- MY OPINION AN MY OPINION ONLY

but in the end, I think its a situation where IF IT AINT BROKE DON'T FIX IT..... but then if you break it (rip the fretboard off the neck off using planers and air compressors or whatever??) are you really getting a true representation of what the joint... IS? and functionally and tonally I'm just not buying the air gap he he thing either

now maybe something needs fixing that never needed fixing in the first place? who knows.

ok so the emperor is a naked dude. I"m saying it. at least with this neck reset business.

I'd love for Florian to get on here and post more about this (as many craftsmen, luthiers, gear selling dudes will do on these fora (plural or forums fora?) to explain or answer questions.

I've not entered a fray in a while and I guess I'm not spoiling for a fight but Marshall1987 I honestly feel its less that the guitars are messed up and MORE that florian is putting on a little bit of a show to make his customers happy and upcharge? for a neck reset?

what do you think?

who else thinks this?

mr scotland does florian upcharge for a neck reset or is that part of the package?

I"m not saying the guy does good work and its a very cool and fun process I'm sure to go through but... well I think the OP here and Orreman are really nice people and this is interesting but I think taking a custom shop les paul, particularly a TH and doing this to it... well I think its.... not something I would do! I"ll just say that?

Atcscotland thank you for sharing. And I hope you are very happy with the end result

I just WANT THE TRUTH about the damn neck joints. AND I CAN HANDLE THE TRUTH!

:salude

Click to expand...

+1

( Florian's shop with some degree of sloppy neck fit from the factory) Could you tell us just what the production factory standard is for neck fit ?

AA00475Bassman said:

+1

( Florian's shop with some degree of sloppy neck fit from the factory) Could you tell us just what the production factory standard is for neck fit ?

Click to expand...

Not sure what you mean? Are you asking Florian himself? He does read the forum so he may or may not respond. As for the previous poster, his pricing is available on his website, anything else you'll have to ask him!

At the end of the day I see it like this. You can buy a decent Epiphone Les Paul for a couple of hundred quid (or bucks or Euros or whatever, they're all near enough the same these days!). You can buy a 'standard' Custom Shop LP for what, £3000? True Historic or CC anywhere between £5000-8000+? Aged by Gibson add another £1500+ to that. Is the top of the line Gibson model really worth 30/40/50 times more than the Epiphone? Is a REAL '59 really worth a hundred times that of a True Historic? Is my guitar now 'worth' the money I've invested in it? I dunno, probably not if I were to sell it.

I've not read or heard of anyone who dealt with Florian or HM and regretted it (I'm not saying there isn't anyone, before anyone jumps on that), the reviews from those who've had it done say it all for me. I thoroughly enjoyed the process and I'm pretty confident I'm going to love the guitar.

Like I said at the top of the thread, I'm only here to show off my snazzy 'new' guitar. I'm not bothered if folks agree with the principle or not. Everyone's entitled to their own opinion on the process and depending what side of the fence you fall on no amount of persuasion from the other side is likely to win you over. Having said that I never really 'got' aged guitars until I actually played one myself. Florian's given me a head start here and now I have a guitar that I intend on keeping for life and ageing properly myself!

JPP-1 said:

I would tend to agree with you. I'm not saying Gibson's quality control is perfect but the problem with forums is that people can say anything. The THs are supposed to be Gibson's flagship Les Paul guitar, if they are allegedly that poorly made what's that say about their guitars down the food chain.

The only way to tell if their are "voids" or orther alleged issues is by examing an intact example via an x-ray or similar. And if this neck was originally joined the way the orginal Bursts were joined, who says it's even an issue. Once you take apart the guitar all bets are off afaic.

Click to expand...

+1

hey man congrats-- those tuners look badass too!

I like that you top wrapped it. Grovers and a topwrap-- you've got to have at least somewhere in your heart some love for Brother Duane yes?

I hope its the guitar of your dreams and it gives you great happiness!

until then....

Pellman73 said:

hey man congrats-- those tuners look badass too!

I like that you top wrapped it. Grovers and a topwrap-- you've got to have at least somewhere in your heart some love for Brother Duane yes?

I hope its the guitar of your dreams and it gives you great happiness!

until then....

Click to expand...

Haha absolutely, cheers!
Wasn't sure what to make of the tulip style Grovers as you don't usually see them on Standards, but they were a bargain so worth a shot...

Beautiful guitar, ATC! Post some photos after the color fades out. I hope you are happy and enjoy it for many years :jim

Great thread. Love learning about the whole building process.

Am obsessed with Les Paul's :dude:

Saving very hard for a '59 reissue

Froggie said:

Great thread. Love learning about the whole building process.

Am obsessed with Les Paul's :dude:

Saving very hard for a '59 reissue

Click to expand...

Awesome, it'll be worth it when you get it!

Looks awesome ATC, congrats :salude

Looking great my Scottish brother eace2

How is the breaking in progress coming along sound and feel ?

Very Nice !!!!
:salude

Mark1shoe said:

Looking great my Scottish brother eace2

How is the breaking in progress coming along sound and feel ?

Click to expand...

Thanks! It’s good, sounds and plays really well after a little bit of tinkering. I’ve been messing around with parts since I got it trying to get it just right... almost there. The colour was a bit strong for me too so I’ve faded that a little. Will post pics soon eace2