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What exactly is my Gibson R9

sherpa_man

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Aug 30, 2015
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What exactly is my Gibson Les Paul

I have just bought a used Gibson , i am uk based

https://flickr.com/photos/53365193@N...57711147810651

I believe its a 1993 r9 Murphy painted. He has signed the pickup cavity.

The bridge pickup is stamped reissue

The only thing i cant seem to trace is the s/n


its 3 1032

it has Gibson Custom shop stamped the neck/headstock also.


It is also stamped in the pickup cavity Yamano.

Thanks for any information in advance!
 

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AA00475Bassman

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Im not a expert do you have a COA with murphy's signature , Ive been shopping Murphy guitars I would need more than Tom ,M in the cavity call Gibson if you still can !!
 

latestarter

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I'm thinking the serial starts with a 9, not a 3... from that point the rest of it will make more sense. Its a much later guitar.
 

Tim Plains

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I think it's a Classic or pre-historic. A 1993 R9 should have 9 at the start of the serial number and long neck tenon.
 

GreenBurst

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The pickup rings appear not as tall, and the curvature seems more, than on a typical early 90s historic R9. The s/n font and position are also not typical early 90s historic. But, the inlays appear to be historic, and the finish seems faded like with vintage analine dye.

My guess is that this is a very late pre historic built when the historic series was just starting production. Hence the mix of specs. It also could have a top only refin from a later date.

YMMV


Nice LP though.
 

johnreardon

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Mar 15, 2006
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Have you tried contacting Gibson to ask them? They have always answered my questions
 

sherpa_man

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After doing some digging and a lot of help from some experts, the guitar has been confirmed as a reissue, early 93 guitars had the same s/n type as the classic, but with the inlay type and reissue stamp, along with the old cover letter from Gibson, this is a 59 reissue before the r9 s/n started to happen.

Seems to be a rare guitar.
 

J.D.

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All the early reissues I've seen are stamped "REISSUE" in one pickup cavity.
 

J.D.

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That would be the best identifier that it is a reissue and not a Classic. All the early Classics I've seen are marked "CLASSIC" in the pickup cavity.
 

Tim

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I had one of those in the 90's, a total faded amber top. From what I could tell, a reissue was basically a classic that went through the custom shop. They were picked for the top and I'm pretty sure Murphy painted them. He did paint mine although his name wasn't in the cavity. I don't believe they had the flame enhancer like the Historic's would get. The classics had ceramic magnets in the overwound pickups but the magnets were replaced with alnico in the reissues. They just looked and played a step above the regular production. The Historic's were a complete redesign and are closer to vintage specs with the neck joint. Wish I would have hung on to it...
 

El Gringo

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I had one of those in the 90's, a total faded amber top. From what I could tell, a reissue was basically a classic that went through the custom shop. They were picked for the top and I'm pretty sure Murphy painted them. He did paint mine although his name wasn't in the cavity. I don't believe they had the flame enhancer like the Historic's would get. The classics had ceramic magnets in the overwound pickups but the magnets were replaced with alnico in the reissues. They just looked and played a step above the regular production. The Historic's were a complete redesign and are closer to vintage specs with the neck joint. Wish I would have hung on to it...
Also the serial # on the Classics used a different and larger font for the serial #, and the Classics had the pencil thin & small Slim Taper necks . The Classics were nice alternative to the more expensive Historic reissue Custom Shop models . I know as I got my Les Paul Classic Premium Plus Top in August 1994 , after ordering it on Halloween 1993 . I still have my Classic and was playing it a few months ago and will be sending her out for ThroBak MXV-SLE-101 Plus pickups and a new harness with 500k pots and some Bumble Bee paper in oil caps , which the harness is also from Throbak .
 
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Big Al

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After doing some digging and a lot of help from some experts, the guitar has been confirmed as a reissue, early 93 guitars had the same s/n type as the classic, but with the inlay type and reissue stamp, along with the old cover letter from Gibson, this is a 59 reissue before the r9 s/n started to happen.

Seems to be a rare guitar.

I don't think so. Those acrylic inlays were not used on any 59 reissues until 2003 or so. Pre 2000 they were only used on Classics. It is most likely a FSR Classic made for Yamano and the Japanese market. Not a Historic, not a R9. Nice looking guitar and I'd call it a Dealer spec'd FSR limited issue. You might want to check with the more knowledgable Japanese gurus. Yamano would be a good start. They spec some interesting guitars little known about here.
 

Tim

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A few more things I remember about my pre-historic... It had aged inlays like the Classics but they were tastefully done, a light amber and not the snot green like regular production. It also came without the pick guard installed, it was in the case though and had the '1960' embossed like regular production Classic pick guards. Also, I don't know if it was a fluke, but the neck had more depth, making it more comfortable than the regular production Classic's at the time. I never weighted it, but I remember it being on the lighter side for a Les Paul.
 

J.D.

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The reissue neck was different than the Classic 1960 slim taper (it was thicker more like the modern '59 Historic) and did not have the "1960" embossed pickguard.

Classic Plus and Premium Plus guitars often did not have factory installed puckguards.

Of course on those early 1990-1993 Classics with Les Paul MODEL headstock silkscreen, a lot of guys installed reissue PAFs and blank pickguards...
 
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