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R7 Maple Top On Wildwood Spec Only?

M

MacFangus

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Oct 10, 2016
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I thought that the 1957 LP Standard's came with either a maple or mahogany top... I was wrong. LPF member "esq jr" lead me to taking a closer look at my R7 models. My M2M R7 has a "creamier" sound when compared to my Wildwood R7, and I never quite understood why? btw... I'm talking about unplugged tone, not amplified.

Questions:
- By looking that the pics below, would you agree that the Wildwood R7 does in-fact have a maple top?
- Are Wildwood Spec '57 Historic models the only '57 RI that comes with a maple top?

2016 M2M R7...

IMG_3053.jpg

2018 Wildwood Spec R7...

IMG_3052.jpg

Both sound fabulous! I tend to lean to the maple top for melody, mahogany for harmony. Sometimes the reverse, but never the same one for both.
 
somebodyelseuk

somebodyelseuk

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  • MacFangus said:
    I thought that the 1957 LP Standard's came with either a maple or mahogany top... I was wrong. LPF member "esq jr" lead me to taking a closer look at my R7 models. My M2M R7 has a "creamier" sound when compared to my Wildwood R7, and I never quite understood why? btw... I'm talking about unplugged tone, not amplified.
    Click to expand...
MacFangus said:
Questions:
- By looking that the pics below, would you agree that the Wildwood R7 does in-fact have a maple top?
- Are Wildwood Spec '57 Historic models the only '57 RI that comes with a maple top?

2016 M2M R7...

View attachment 11876

2018 Wildwood Spec R7...

View attachment 11877

Both sound fabulous! I tend to lean to the maple top for melody, mahogany for harmony. Sometimes the reverse, but never the same one for both.
Click to expand...
Unless Gibson are fibbing, all R7 Stds come with maple caps.
As I understand it, M2M guitars can be specced however you want, within reason,, so it's possible it has mahogany top.
 
M

MacFangus

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somebodyelseuk said:

  • Unless Gibson are fibbing, all R7 Stds come with maple caps.
    As I understand it, M2M guitars can be specced however you want, within reason,, so it's possible it has mahogany top.
Click to expand...

  • Okay, so... this is contrary to what I was told by someone else. I was told that all '57 RI models have a mahogany top, not maple. ???
 
somebodyelseuk

somebodyelseuk

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To clarify, Goldtop Reissues (52-57) have maple tops, Black Beauty Reissues (54-57) don't.
 
M

MacFangus

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somebodyelseuk said:
To clarify, Goldtop Reissues (52-57) have maple tops, Black Beauty Reissues (54-57) don't.
Click to expand...
:salude Thing is... I've heard that there are '57 RI Custom's that come with a maple top. Are you referring to originals only, or Historic models as well?
 
E

esq jr

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MacFangus said:
:salude Thing is... I've heard that there are '57 RI Custom's that come with a maple top. Are you referring to originals only, or Historic models as well?
Click to expand...
, the 57 customs were what I was referring to as being all mahogany. The R7 standard would have a maple cap. Sorry if I was unclear, I thought we were talking about customs. A m2m could be either. Some of the 50's standards also had all mahogany bodies like your m2m, pretty cool, would love to have one
 
M

MacFangus

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esq jr said:
, the 57 customs were what I was referring to as being all mahogany. The R7 standard would have a maple cap. Sorry if I was unclear, I thought we were talking about customs. A m2m could be either. Some of the 50's standards also had all mahogany bodies like your m2m, pretty cool, would love to have one
Click to expand...
Thanks! Looking at the pics above...would you agree that the M2M Candy Apple R7 has a mahogany top?
 
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E

esq jr

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MacFangus said:
Thanks! Looking at the pics above...would you agree that the M2M Candy Apple R7 has a mahogany top?
Click to expand...

It certainly looks like it to me and being a M2M it would not suprise me at all. fwiw there have been runs of mahogany R7 standards although pretty rare, pretty sure they had a separate top - a vintage al mahogany 1957 goldtop would have been a one piece body.

Would love to have one. How does it sound? Cool guitar.:dude:
 
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MacFangus

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esq jr said:
It certainly looks like it to me and being a M2M it would not suprise me at all. fwiw there have been runs of mahogany R7 standards although pretty rare, pretty sure they had a separate top - a vintage al mahogany 1957 goldtop would have been a one piece body.

Would love to have one. How does it sound? Cool guitar.:dude:
Click to expand...
The sound of the M2M R7 is stellar! It was advertised as a "maple top" R7. I already owned a '18 R7, but I couldn't pass-up the chance of owning a candy apple top R7. When I first played it, was amazed (and confused) by the difference in sound compared to the w/maple top R7. I had them sitting side-by-side, and noticed a difference in regards to the color (via cutaway) of the top. It was then that I realized that the M2M might be a mahogany top R7, not maple. Had I known of its mahogany top spec., I doubt I would have purchased it. Glad it did! I think I prefer a mahogany top over a maple top, as I reach for the M2M most of the time.

FYI: I was informed by Gibson, that they do not keep detailed records on M2M instruments. Make sure you keep your order specs filed.
 
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MacFangus

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Triplet said:
There are R7 Customs that have a mahogany top
Click to expand...
Thanks! My hang-up with the LP Custom has always been its overly bright nature. RS Guitarworks use to sell a "Treble Tamer" potentiometer set, made specifically for the LP Custom. Now that I know what a mahogany top/body LP sounds like, I'll be getting another Custom. It just sucks that it took so many years to discover what I could have known then. There were no mahogany top Norlin's that I recall, so how would I know?
:##
 
Tarcisioo

Tarcisioo

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Mahogany top Les Paul Standards are very rare, original or reissues. If the seller advertised as a maple top, I wouldn't believe different.

I'm not a guy who believes that wood makes that much of a difference in tone anyways, I think pickups and pots (bridge and nut too) make the most of it, probably 97,8% :##

But it's great to have guitars with different voices. Nice guitars!
 
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MacFangus

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Tarcisioo said:
Mahogany top Les Paul Standards are very rare, original or reissues. If the seller advertised as a maple top, I wouldn't believe different.

I'm not a guy who believes that wood makes that much of a difference in tone anyways, I think pickups and pots (bridge and nut too) make the most of it, probably 97,8% :##

But it's great to have guitars with different voices. Nice guitars!
Click to expand...
I think the reseller assumed it was a maple top? If I recall correctly, the original owner traded it in on some super-expensive PRS build. Traitor! :laugh2:

Anyway... I've never heard two LP builds that differ so much, and I have played many LP's since 1978. I've never seen a maple top that dark on any LP. It doesn't look like maple, and certainly doesn't sound like it.

In my experience (especially with mahogany) wood is key. Pickups merely amplify what they hear from the wood... Maple, not as much. Maple tends to reflect, mahogany tends to absorb.
 
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