Neck profile on current R9 Custom Shop 1959 Reissue (vs past or other models)

hlamp · Oct 26, 2020

I was able to try eight different Custom Shop '59 Reissues in my area, all made in 2019 or 2020. The neck profile on all of these were pretty consistent, except one was noticeably bigger (I think it had more meat on the shoulder). Except for that outlier, I really liked the particular neck profile on these 2019 and 2020 model R9s.

1. If I am looking for an R9 with this particular neck profile, how far back in R9 model years can I go before the neck profile differs from the current models?

In the Year by Year History thread, someone compiled the info into a downloadable file, and I see it says of 2018: "Updated neck profiles: slimmer, with less shoulder".

2. Is there another Les Paul model that has the same neck profile as the current 2019 and 2020 model R9s?

Comparing the R9 to some "Originals" line of Les Pauls I played, the Les Paul Standard 50s feels like a larger neck, and the Les Paul Standard 60s feels like a smaller neck. It's like Goldilocks: I liked the R9 neck in particular. Neck feel is about a bunch of factors, like the depth, the shoulders, how it tapers along the neck. It is hard to capture that researching specs. I understand the value of an R9, but at this point, I'd like a guitar I can toss around or try different pickups in without worrying about originality and value, so it is less appealing that an R9 costs 2.5x what a Les Paul Standard 50s or 60s costs.

3. On Gibson's website, the current Gibson Custom Shop 1959 ES-335 is listed as having an "Authentic '59 Medium C-Shape" neck profile, which is the same neck profile Gibson's website lists for the Custom Shop R9. Are these supposed to be the same neck profiles?

I did have a chance to play a 2020 model Custom Shop 1959 ES-335 earlier this year, and my recollection was it had a much larger neck than the current model R9s I tried out, and it felt more like the neck on the Les Paul Standard 50s in the "Originals" line. (I also recall the Custom Shop ES-335 was a larger neck than the ES-335 Sixties model in the "Originals" line).

4. I own an R7 and an R8, both from 2003. They both have fat, chunky necks. Does anyone know when and how they changed the neck profiles on the R7 and R8 over the years since then?

I rarely play my R7 and R8 because the necks feel very different that the other guitars I have, and I tend to pull out what I'm most familiar or used to and leave the others in the closet. I haven't looked into Les Pauls since I got those two 15 years ago! The current R9s I saw were really interesting because I could see myself going between those and my other guitars a lot more.

El Gringo · Oct 27, 2020

Greetings , i would not hesitate a second to replace pickups on the R series Les Paul's , and harnesses as well ( which i have replaced all of the Gibson Custombuckers with ThroBak MXV-SLE-101 Plus pickups with A5 magnets ) . They are not vintage 50's Les Paul's so no worries there . I think the neck profiles started to get smaller on the R9 in late 2017 to more accurately reflect the Carmelita profile of a real vintage 1959 . I am not crazy about it but it's workable . Neck profile is a personal preference and if you are able to play and sample some of these instruments you are able to get a better feel and form your own preference . I personally like the R8 profile , but like the more fancier R9 tops .

SoK66 · Oct 28, 2020

I did a thread a few weeks ago re: my new 2019 '58 VOS's profile being seemingly thinner than the one on my '06 '59 VOS. After measuring each with a digital caliper it turned out they were virtually the identical thicknesses at the 1st & 12th frets, but the '06 had more shoulder to the profile making it feel chunkier.
You're going through the right process, keep playing them until one says "Hey sailor, want a date?"

Edit to add that my '09 '59 ES335 has a "chunky" neck like my '06 '59 Les Paul VOS. I haven't measured it but I'd wager the two are virtually identical. An old bandmate from the '60s had a real '59 with a beast ofa neck. We used to refer to the guitar as "The Log", but in loving terms. One of the best 335s I've ever played.

Thunder Dump · Oct 28, 2020

hlamp said:
I was able to try eight different Custom Shop '59 Reissues in my area, all made in 2019 or 2020. The neck profile on all of these were pretty consistent, except one was noticeably bigger (I think it had more meat on the shoulder). Except for that outlier, I really liked the particular neck profile on these 2019 and 2020 model R9s.

1. If I am looking for an R9 with this particular neck profile, how far back in R9 model years can I go before the neck profile differs from the current models?

In the Year by Year History thread, someone compiled the info into a downloadable file, and I see it says of 2018: "Updated neck profiles: slimmer, with less shoulder".

2. Is there another Les Paul model that has the same neck profile as the current 2019 and 2020 model R9s?

Comparing the R9 to some "Originals" line of Les Pauls I played, the Les Paul Standard 50s feels like a larger neck, and the Les Paul Standard 60s feels like a smaller neck. It's like Goldilocks: I liked the R9 neck in particular. Neck feel is about a bunch of factors, like the depth, the shoulders, how it tapers along the neck. It is hard to capture that researching specs. I understand the value of an R9, but at this point, I'd like a guitar I can toss around or try different pickups in without worrying about originality and value, so it is less appealing that an R9 costs 2.5x what a Les Paul Standard 50s or 60s costs.

3. On Gibson's website, the current Gibson Custom Shop 1959 ES-335 is listed as having an "Authentic '59 Medium C-Shape" neck profile, which is the same neck profile Gibson's website lists for the Custom Shop R9. Are these supposed to be the same neck profiles?

I did have a chance to play a 2020 model Custom Shop 1959 ES-335 earlier this year, and my recollection was it had a much larger neck than the current model R9s I tried out, and it felt more like the neck on the Les Paul Standard 50s in the "Originals" line. (I also recall the Custom Shop ES-335 was a larger neck than the ES-335 Sixties model in the "Originals" line).

4. I own an R7 and an R8, both from 2003. They both have fat, chunky necks. Does anyone know when and how they changed the neck profiles on the R7 and R8 over the years since then?

I rarely play my R7 and R8 because the necks feel very different that the other guitars I have, and I tend to pull out what I'm most familiar or used to and leave the others in the closet. I haven't looked into Les Pauls since I got those two 15 years ago! The current R9s I saw were really interesting because I could see myself going between those and my other guitars a lot more.

The R9 neck profile became noticeably slimmer (or at least smaller shoulders) starting in '18 and the '19 and '20 models are the same as that. I know this because I only really like slim necks and have previously passed on R9s because the necks were too big for my taste. However, I have a '19 R9 and the neck is perfect for me. And it wasn't just a one-off--I've played several other '18s and '19s and most are quite agreeable to me which means smaller than pre-'18.

hlamp · Nov 9, 2020

hlamp said:
I was able to try eight different Custom Shop '59 Reissues in my area, all made in 2019 or 2020. The neck profile on all of these were pretty consistent, except one was noticeably bigger (I think it had more meat on the shoulder). Except for that outlier, I really liked the particular neck profile on these 2019 and 2020 model R9s.

As an update to my original post, I have now been able to try 13 different Custom Shop '59 Reissues, all made in 2019 or 2020. The neck profile on all of these were pretty consistent, except three were noticeably bigger. The larger ones were similar to the neck on the Originals Collection 50s Les Paul Standard model. I believe the ones with the larger necks were all labeled "BOTB" models at Guitar Center. The BOTB models are meant to copy certain Les Pauls featured in the Beauty of the Burst Book. They are the same price as a regular Custom Shop '59 Reissue, but with some different specs (like no VOS finish and the different neck, labeled as "Vintage C" on Guitar Center's website).

The BOTB '59 models could be a good option for someone who wants a '59 Reissue with a larger neck or brighter colors, and they have the fancier tops found on the '59 Reissues. I don't know if the pickups or other specs on the BOTB models differ from a regular '59 Reissue.

To help anyone else interested in necks who doesn't have access to all of these models, some notes about how they compare to the Originals Collection '50s and '60s Les Paul Standards you can more easily find at a Gibson dealer:

The '59 Reissue neck (which Gibson's website calls "Authentic '59 Medium C-Shape") is somewhere in between the larger Originals Collection '50s Les Paul neck and smaller Originals Collection '60s Les Paul neck.

The '60 Reissues have three different neck shapes. The '60 Reissue V1 is the same specs as the '59 Reissue, and the ones I tried did have the same neck as the '59 Reissue. The '60 Reissue V2 (which Gibson's website calls "Authentic '60 Slim C-Shape") has a thinner neck than V1, and the ones I tried have a neck very similar to the Originals Collection '60s Les Paul neck. The '60 Reissue V3 (which Gibson's website calls "Authentic '60 Skinny C-Shape") has a thinner neck than V2, and the one I tried had a thinner neck than the Originals Collection '60s Les Paul neck.

I also tried a 2020 '56 Reissue Les Paul Goldtop (with P90s). Gibson's website calls that neck "Chunky C-Shape." It feels beefier than the Originals Collection '50s Les Paul neck. (Gibson's website also lists the '57 and '58 Reissues as having the "Chunky C-Shape.")

I also tried a 2020 '68 Reissue Les Paul Standard Goldtop (with P90s and the crown inlay in the face of the headstock). Gibson's website calls that neck "Authentic '68 Medium C-Shape." It is very similar to the Originals Collection '60s Les Paul neck.

C-4 · Nov 12, 2020

From my reading and looking to buy yet another R9, which I did by buying a 60th Anny R9, these more recent ones (2018-2020) were reported to have a "Carmelita" neck carve, which mine does as well.

This was, and possibly still is a popular neck carve to many players. I find it to be perfect for my tastes.

renderit · Nov 13, 2020

Back on the 2013-15 models the necks were awesome!
The 59's perfect, 58's larger, 57 bigger still, 56 huge and 54's were logs!
60's were the thinner top to bottom type.
If you found a 55 they were more of a curved soft V that was almost not.
I love all the ones I have and can pick them out by feel.
My old hands love to change them around.
(reduces the good old arth a bit)

Scottg32 · Aug 10, 2022

SoK66 said:
I did a thread a few weeks ago re: my new 2019 '58 VOS's profile being seemingly thinner than the one on my '06 '59 VOS. After measuring each with a digital caliper it turned out they were virtually the identical thicknesses at the 1st & 12th frets, but the '06 had more shoulder to the profile making it feel chunkier.
You're going through the right process, keep playing them until one says "Hey sailor, want a date?"

Edit to add that my '09 '59 ES335 has a "chunky" neck like my '06 '59 Les Paul VOS. I haven't measured it but I'd wager the two are virtually identical. An old bandmate from the '60s had a real '59 with a beast ofa neck. We used to refer to the guitar as "The Log", but in loving terms. One of the best 335s I've ever played.

Hey man I just

SoK66 said:
I did a thread a few weeks ago re: my new 2019 '58 VOS's profile being seemingly thinner than the one on my '06 '59 VOS. After measuring each with a digital caliper it turned out they were virtually the identical thicknesses at the 1st & 12th frets, but the '06 had more shoulder to the profile making it feel chunkier.
You're going through the right process, keep playing them until one says "Hey sailor, want a date?"

Edit to add that my '09 '59 ES335 has a "chunky" neck like my '06 '59 Les Paul VOS. I haven't measured it but I'd wager the two are virtually identical. An old bandmate from the '60s had a real '59 with a beast ofa neck. We used to refer to the guitar as "The Log", but in loving terms. One of the best 335s I've ever played.

hey man I just bought a ‘05 R9 and you’re right it’s got a super chunky neck and big shoulders. Normally I like a chunky neck but even for me it’s a little uncomfortable. I’m getting it refinished and they suggested taking the shoulders in a bit to make it more comfortable. Do you think that will effect the tone at all?

SoK66 · Aug 13, 2022

Scottg32 said:
Hey man I just

hey man I just bought a ‘05 R9 and you’re right it’s got a super chunky neck and big shoulders. Normally I like a chunky neck but even for me it’s a little uncomfortable. I’m getting it refinished and they suggested taking the shoulders in a bit to make it more comfortable. Do you think that will effect the tone at all?

Most likely it would not be very noticable. The refinishing would affect the tone more depending upon the type & thickness of the materals used.

Scottg32 · Aug 13, 2022

SoK66 said:
Most likely it would not be very noticable. The refinishing would affect the tone more depending upon the type & thickness of the materals used.

Thanks buddy, I just bought the guitar last week and now I’m used to the neck and actually prefer it. So I’m gonna keep it the way it is. Crazy tho that the R9 has a bigger neck then the 2022 R8 I played in the shop.

SoK66 · Aug 13, 2022

I think the old '58 spec has been dropped, my '19 R8 has larger frets and the aforementioned neck progile. So, I'm not sure what distinguishes and R8 from an R9 now.

1allspub · Aug 13, 2022

Modern R8s typically come with tall narrow frets (see screenshot of the R8 specs from the Gibson website) though it seems some do get special ordered with the R9-style frets on occasion.

The difference in the two types of frets is pretty visually obvious when looking them. And the vastmajority of R8s I’ve seen (both in person and online) post-2018 have had the tall/narrows.

DANELECTRO · Aug 19, 2022

I'm perfectly fine with the tall-narrow frets. I was a bit concerned about whether they would be an issue when I bought my 2020 R8 online, but as soon as I played the guitar I knew immediately that I liked them. Actually, I might favor them. It seems like there's a little less drag when bending strings, and there's plenty of height so that you can get some meat on the string. They're nothing like the skinny-low 1950's frets which I don't like at all.

Neck profile on current R9 Custom Shop 1959 Reissue (vs past or other models)

hlamp

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El Gringo

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SoK66

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Thunder Dump

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hlamp

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C-4

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renderit

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Scottg32

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SoK66

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Scottg32

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SoK66

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1allspub

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