2018 50th Anniversary 1968 Les Paul Customs and Goldtops

martie6621 said:

I have seen some old LPs (Snowy White's or Peter Greens as examples) that have this much aging. And lest we forget - everyone's all time Les Paul relic job, the Gary Rossington LP which has a ton of relicing and a chewed up back of the neck wear.
Just sayin......

Click to expand...

I mean, most LP collectors agree that the Gary Rossington Les Paul is still one of the most prized of the modern day reissues and it is beat to hell cosmetically with gashes on the top and back of neck. I know it was styled after the real one used by GR but this one is also a copy of a real one, albeit a copy of a reissue itself. Thing is after 50 years on from 1968 (yikes!) it the 68 was only 10 years younger than the golden age ones from 58/59. I like this 50th goldtop and it's golden fuzz interior. Who's with me??

I really wish they hadn't done that to the finish of the goldtop. I too had a '68 (that someone had routed for buckers and put Pat#s in) and would love to have a clean one. They should offer it in gloss as well...

marshall1987 said:

Have to agree with the other posters regarding the ghastly overkill aging job on the reissue 1968 Les Paul gold top. WTF was Gibson thinking? This could have been a nice '68 reissue, but Gibson ruined it with that sad aging job. Initially I was intrigued, but after seeing a few sample photos, I have changed my mind. The vintage style yellow lined case would have been pretty nice, but.......:dang

Click to expand...

I get what you are saying about the guitar being over-aged for some's taste, but is it possible to call it overkill if it is based on a real example? Maybe they will do a non-aged one if people show enough interest? I love the case too.

Maybe this is the 1st in what Gibson will release to help old guys reconnect to guitars they used to own. My story - I was a teenager in 1968 when these first reissues were released. I had worked hard in crap jobs to save my money and in the summer of '68 I bought my first Gibson. It was a cherry red SG Standard with the "faultless" case. Paid $305 in cash at Walker Music in Baltimore, the only Gibson dealer near me at that time. I loved it. Then, 4 months later, the reissue Goldtop was released in Summer NAMM 1968. I was floored. So cool! I couldn't wait to see it in person. What could I sell to get the money? Oh wait, I owned nothing

I told Mr Walker to call me when he got one in. On a cold day in November 1968 the store called - so now..what to do? i had no money but I had that SG. This was in the days when mom and pop stores would sell on store credit - even to wide eyed, no job, 19 year olds like me. Those were the times. No GC, no SW, no big box stores. So with SG in hand (well cared for and polished each night) I took the bus down to Walker's and there it was - a real Les Paul, a Goldtop, just like the one he had on the posters in the store! Almost like the ones I had seen my heroes play - (well almost)

He opened the case and it still had the white wrapping paper that Gibson used to pack new guitars in. What a guitar! What a smell, that fresh nitro aroma. It may as well have been gold plated, it was so beautiful. So I made a deal. I think (not real sure) that the retail price was less than $400! I traded the SG and got a weekly payment book to make up the difference of the trade in. I paid it off on time payments and off I went with my first Les Paul guitar in hand. I was the envy of my small guitar world. I slept with the Goldtop at my bedside. Bliss!

Boy, how much do I miss those days! To be 19 again. I know now that the early reissues were not perfect. I know now it was not true to the originals with the reflector knobs and neck shape. Who cares? It was everything in the world to me. The only thing that mattered to this 19 year old.

So now, 50 years later, I'm the old guy - heavier, less hair, whatever,....but still playing. So when I see the new 68 Goldtops I wonder (as I always have) whatever became of that "Goldie" that I bought 50 years ago? I foolishly traded it away after a few years - I could/should write a book about the ones that got away from me. Can't change that. So now when I see these aged ones, I think maybe I can go back. Maybe my old one looks like this one now? i hope somewhere, someone is playing and enjoying it. Maybe I can reconnect with 19 year old "Martie". Maybe. I think I am going to try.

i'll stick with my 31st anniversary 68 RI LPC :salude

Martie6621

Thanks so much for that post. It really hit close to home, I too remember those days. All this talk about glue types and the proper corners on inlays kind of seems so far removed from what we were concerned about when we were 19. Think about it, folks, how much of what we post here really has anything to do with playing the damn things and making music!

moonweasel said:

I get what you are saying about the guitar being over-aged for some's taste, but is it possible to call it overkill if it is based on a real example? Maybe they will do a non-aged one if people show enough interest? I love the case too.

Click to expand...

So, was it based on a real example?



.........

Yes, the '68 Goldtop 50th reissue is based upon one an employee (or former employee?) at Gibson owns. I believe an earlier posting talks about this.

I took delivery of one of the Gold Tops this evening. I'll post pictures once the weekend hits.

First impressions :

It does have quite a bit of aging, but that's okay with me as I like it. It fooled my wife (who has spent a lot of time with me at Rumble Seat (when they were in Carmel) and the Bizarre Guitar Vault in Reno).

The neck profile is quite nice and pretty effortless to play. Not as beefy as my 17 R8.

Tough to comment on tone as I was only able to plug in for a half hour this evening. I plugged straight into my Mesa JP2C and liked the tones. I'll play it more this weekend through some of my other amps, but so far so good.

I am not sure I am sold on the nylon saddles. I may order a replacement bridge and throw the original in the case.

Overall, I am very pleased.

Has anyone seen one of the ebony ones in person?

dleake said:

Speaking of the finishes, I don't know why Gibson insists on putting that hazy goop on VOS Custom tops. 99% of vintage Les Paul Customs I've seen have had really hard looking glossy tops. Lots of dirt and checking but glossy not dull. :hmm

Click to expand...

Yes, I just received my 68' custom in the mail, and I must say I didn't know it was going to be so hazy and sticky. I'm pretty turned off by this, I've heard you could just buff it out, but I'd really rather have it glossy. Might send it back. Let me know what you guys think of VOS ebony. The neck felt sticky out the box, just like a smudge I can't take off, and it's driving me mad.

Hi
Sorry to hear that. The VOS finish should wear off of the neck pretty quickly with use? Where did you order it from? I ordered one in February and am still waiting for it. How does yours feel and sound?

Having owned at least 2 Historic Les Pauls in the VOS finish, I really don't know why Gibson even offers this finish. It's not attractive and doesn't really do a good aged impression. It looks so artificial. Gibson should either offer these guitars in gloss or aged.

Jim Scully;[URL="tel:2808101" said:

2808101[/URL]]Hi
Sorry to hear that. The VOS finish should wear off of the neck pretty quickly with use? Where did you order it from? I ordered one in February and am still waiting for it. How does yours feel and sound?

Click to expand...

It sounds amazing. Just the fresh nitrocellulose made the neck feel slow and grippy. Although I only played it for 2 hours, the neck is starting to polish a bit. I was playing an esp eclipse so it felt really different. Bridge pickup cover is really tall, like really tall. Anyone know where I could order a shorter one? I called Gibson and they said you can polish out the nitro pretty easily with guitar cloth and polish and that it’s so sticky due to the nitro drying. I ordered it from musicians friend and received it 8/6

Does anyone have any tips to take this aged dull ebony VOS out and shine this anniversary models to the sheen she deserves? I love the way she Sounds. But I know it’s super official but I can’t get
past paying 5k for a finish I’m not pumped on. Am I the only one? Any suggestions?

Ohdavey86 said:

It sounds amazing. Just the fresh nitrocellulose made the neck feel slow and grippy. Although I only played it for 2 hours, the neck is starting to polish a bit. I was playing an esp eclipse so it felt really different. Bridge pickup cover is really tall, like really tall. Anyone know where I could order a shorter one? I called Gibson and they said you can polish out the nitro pretty easily with guitar cloth and polish and that it’s so sticky due to the nitro drying. I ordered it from musicians friend and received it 8/6

Click to expand...

The bridge pickup....
Is it that the pickup ring is short? It was noted earlier in the thread that Gibson erred by shipping some guitars with short rings and they were providing replacements.

Ohdavey86 said:

Yes, I just received my 68' custom in the mail, and I must say I didn't know it was going to be so hazy and sticky. I'm pretty turned off by this, I've heard you could just buff it out, but I'd really rather have it glossy. Might send it back. Let me know what you guys think of VOS ebony. The neck felt sticky out the box, just like a smudge I can't take off, and it's driving me mad.

Click to expand...

This is even on a bit more expensive 2018 57 Custom reissues. Feels awkward and looks bad too. I really hat it too...

You can polish it with soft rag, but it takes a bit of time and patience.

toxpert said:

The bridge pickup....
Is it that the pickup ring is short? It was noted earlier in the thread that Gibson erred by shipping some guitars with short rings and they were providing replacements.

Click to expand...

Hi. The bridge pickup ring is very tall Somone talked about it above. But yeah the bridge ring has like a little more than a nickels gap to the strings(not from the pickup). Still pretty high after lowering the pickups. Does anyone know what I can get Gibson rings that are shorter? Mahalo.

mine has bridge posts leaning backwards. i wonder whether it's just mine or others too? maybe it's a "normal" feature of the 68?

I am far from an expert but those leaning bridge posts do not look like they were installed correctly . How does the guitar play ?