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1971 54/58 reissue

Dicko845

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Jan 9, 2018
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Er well it is old wood now,mine 46 years old.modern reissues are great guitars.my main guitar is a collectors choice 15.and I've compared it side by side to a genuine 58.it was better than the original in my opinion.the build of the 71/58 is closer to a 50s guitar than a 68 it does have a long neck tenon,correct heal joint and thin binding in the cutaway.however,I accept that not all of them will be great,just as not all 68s are great.but mine is way above any other early 70s LP I've tried,and I'm not keen on pancake bodies.
I disagree with most of the, ahem, .. hyperbole and flippity flappery associated with these. NOT old wood or made from a secret stash of 50' wood.
NOT made from leftover bodies, necks or any parts/hardware.
NOT an accurate replica or build, but very good for early 70's.
NOT a better sounding or playing Les Paul than other 71-73 LPs, pickups and bridge aside.

They were cool back then. We bought them, dug 'em and moved on. Clean, 100% original examples are very collectible and sought after. But, modified or non original examples, or beat up so called "player grade" that have, IMO over inflated prices and esteem? NOT hardly.

WHY? What do you gain? Outside of Mike Campbell, I can't think of anyone who regularly uses one. Outside clean collectibles, why bother when the Historics are better, more accurate reissues, more reasonable weight on average and less than half the price? Even at the same price, why? It makes little sense. And no way are they better than CMI 68's.
 

Tom Wittrock

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Aug 2, 2001
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Only difference is missing middle sandwich plate (the one just under maple top is still present) and one piece necks instead of three. None of this has significant tone influence.

You forgot narrow headstock and narrow binding in the cutaway.
And of course, different pickups [until the late 1970s].
 

Wilko

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Mar 11, 2002
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These have way more in common with 70s guitars in feel and build. Prog got to the point. That sandwich body, small headstock and stop tail are the only real differences. Yes, they also had a few with Tune-O-matic. that just made those more like regular 70s guitars.

They are heavy, lame top carve, chrome hardware, phenolic faceplate with block logo, etc.
 

Big Al

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Apr 24, 2002
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14,537
These are built different from other 70s Les Pauls.
And some did come with t-o-m's.

Tom, the build is the same with model specs that reflect the reissue aim. Smaller headstock one piece neck an body but none of the era specific build or manufacture methods are different and no additional 50's build specs like hot hide glue or routing/carving employed.:jim
 

AA00475Bassman

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Apr 26, 2016
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I owned one , played that guitar for 18 years or so . Paid 850.00 bought the guitar from Petes Guitar . Real lame top carve , I really did like the sound and the way it played . My 2014 R4 is a better value at todays prices, the guitar was a good one although IMO over priced if you compare this model to a historic .
 

Dicko845

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Jan 9, 2018
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I owned one , played that guitar for 18 years or so . Paid 850.00 bought the guitar from Petes Guitar . Real lame top carve , I really did like the sound and the way it played . My 2014 R4 is a better value at todays prices, the guitar was a good one although IMO over priced if you compare this model to a historic .
If you compare any vintage Gibson to a modern reissue on price. Most are not good value.
my collectors choice 15 is every bit as good if not better than the original guitar but 200k cheaper.
l supose it's just down to rarity. And foolish nostalgia.
 

AA00475Bassman

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If you compare any vintage Gibson to a modern reissue on price. Most are not good value.
my collectors choice 15 is every bit as good if not better than the original guitar but 200k cheaper.
l supose it's just down to rarity. And foolish nostalgia.

IMO any guitar built after 65 is not vintage , i will restate, if my 54/58 was the same price as a R4 historic I would still choose my R4 .
 

Ponchos Lefty

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Mar 12, 2018
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Would having a tunomatic identify the year of production for this run of guitars? From what I’ve read those were rare for these. I just got mine this year at a pawnshop for $1,200. It has been routed and has a T top neck and an old 59 Duncan bridge. The pots were changed out for some reason and date 77 so I have nothing to go on. Doesn’t really matter it sounds great.
 

Big Al

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Apr 24, 2002
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Would having a tunomatic identify the year of production for this run of guitars? From what I’ve read those were rare for these. I just got mine this year at a pawnshop for $1,200. It has been routed and has a T top neck and an old 59 Duncan bridge. The pots were changed out for some reason and date 77 so I have nothing to go on. Doesn’t really matter it sounds great.

Are you sure it is the71/72 58 Reissue and not a routed Deluxe? If it is the "58" Reissue it's a 71 or 72. Close enough given its condition. The serial number might point to the year, it wouldn't be a 77.
 

Big Al

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Er well it is old wood now,mine 46 years old.modern reissues are great guitars.my main guitar is a collectors choice 15.and I've compared it side by side to a genuine 58.it was better than the original in my opinion.the build of the 71/58 is closer to a 50s guitar than a 68 it does have a long neck tenon,correct heal joint and thin binding in the cutaway.however,I accept that not all of them will be great,just as not all 68s are great.but mine is way above any other early 70s LP I've tried,and I'm not keen on pancake bodies.

No it's not "Old Wood" as the term bandied about guitars means. It is a 46 year old used guitar. Old Wood refers to the age of the tree, not how old the guitar is. I strongly disagree with your statement regarding this "58 Reissue" vs the 68. Your facts are wrong. The 68 is much closer to the 50's than the 71/72 Reissue.

The 68 was built by CMI the same as in the 50's by many of the same folks, on the same machines with the original templates. Yes the neck pitch changed from 4 to 5 degrees as is the 58RI but unlike the 58RI, the 68 retained the 17 degree headstock pitch, vintage 50's tenon, correct top carve and color and neck profile. The p90's are closer to late 50's than the 58RI.

Yes the heel is squarish and it has the wide cutaway binding and I'm not sure if it has the thin maple crossband between maple top and mahogany body like the 58RI but any fair assessment of these two shows the 68 is so very much like a 56/57 p90 Goldtop. The 71/72 58RI is not near the same build.
 

Ponchos Lefty

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Mar 12, 2018
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Are you sure it is the71/72 58 Reissue and not a routed Deluxe? If it is the "58" Reissue it's a 71 or 72. Close enough given its condition. The serial number might point to the year, it wouldn't be a 77.
Yes it is definatly one of the 58 reissue guitars. When I was trying to identify it I contacted Stephen from the Late Sixties Les Paul Site and he confirmed it. It has the thin maple right beneath the cap and no other pancake to it. Thin binding where it is also visible. Small headstock and so on. I havnt figured out how to post pics on this page. It does sound great and it weighs 9.6lbs.
 

Big Al

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Yes it is definatly one of the 58 reissue guitars. When I was trying to identify it I contacted Stephen from the Late Sixties Les Paul Site and he confirmed it. It has the thin maple right beneath the cap and no other pancake to it. Thin binding where it is also visible. Small headstock and so on. I havnt figured out how to post pics on this page. It does sound great and it weighs 9.6lbs.

The thin cutaway binding/small headstock pretty much proves it.
 

textor101

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Sep 10, 2015
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John Fogerty owns several of these guitars. I bought mine new in 1972. It sounds and plays great. It weighs in at 9.5 pounds. I've owned a '69 Les Paul Deluxe (with mini humbuckers), a '72 Deluxe with factory installed full-size humbuckers. To me, the 54/58 Standard is a better guitar than those. Plug it into my '60 Bassman, and you hear a tone that is really amazing! Okay, I also currently own a '55 with tune-o-matic bridge. Does it sound better? Perhaps a little better. And that one does have "old wood." But, not sure it sounds that much better than my 54/58.
 

Big Al

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John Fogerty owns several of these guitars. I bought mine new in 1972. It sounds and plays great. It weighs in at 9.5 pounds. I've owned a '69 Les Paul Deluxe (with mini humbuckers), a '72 Deluxe with factory installed full-size humbuckers. To me, the 54/58 Standard is a better guitar than those. Plug it into my '60 Bassman, and you hear a tone that is really amazing! Okay, I also currently own a '55 with tune-o-matic bridge. Does it sound better? Perhaps a little better. And that one does have "old wood." But, not sure it sounds that much better than my 54/58.

I never saw John with one. I've seen him use Historics but not the early 70's. Glad you like yours.
 

textor101

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I never saw John with one. I've seen him use Historics but not the early 70's. Glad you like yours.

Thanks Big Al. According to my guitar tech, Fogerty owns around 20 of these guitars. I have some photos of him playing one, but I don't know how to post here. In any event, I love playing all of my Les Paul guitars! In addition to the '72 and '55, I own the Custom Shop Jeff Beck Oxblood, and Custom Shop 50th Anniversary "59" Les Paul.
 

guitplayer

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John plays a 71/72 sometimes.John Fogerty's main road guitar is a 1970 Gibson Les Paul goldtop with a wraparound bridge and its original P-90 pickups that really punch through the mix.
 

Wilko

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big_JohnFogerty1.jpg


This link for huge version clearly showing this to be a block logo early 70s Goldtop:

http://images.equipboard.com/uploads/source/image/9546/JohnFogerty1.jpg?v=1424540111
 
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