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Gibson Les Paul Custom with One Piece Top

  • Thread starter Thread starter anonymous
  • Start date Start date
A

anonymous

Guest
Found that one-piece maple tops were available as special order Les Paul Custom purchases to the top 5-ish Gibson dealers from 2003 to 2007. I've tracked down a total of eleven R9's and two R8's with a 1-piece top. The three serial numbers I haven't been able to track down appear to all have been sold in Japan (one was Murphy aged). Does anyone know of any others or the serial numbers of those missing below?


Year . . Serial # . . Burst . . . . Comments

2003 . . 931160 . . . Brock
2003 . . 931161 . . . Brock
---
2004 . . .84*** . . . Brock
2004 . . .94395 . . . Brock
---
2005 . . .959** . . . Brock
---
2006 . . 861375 . . . Brock
2006 . . .96*** . . . Sunrise Tea . Murphy aged
...
2007 . . 971428 . . . Brock
2007 . . 971429 . . . Brock
2007 . . 971430 . . . Brock . . . . Has Historic Makeovers Deluxe RDS package with Tom Holmes pickups
2007 . . 972007 . . . Brock
2007 . . 972008 . . . Brock
2007 . . 972016 . . . Brock


Below is the Yamano ordered 84*** (search "One-piece mapletops" to find it on this forum)
orig.jpg


 
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A

anonymous

Guest
I've seen pictures of 84*** (in post above) and 959** (picture below), but I've taken all the others off the list until I can verify the serial number as a true one-piece top with Gibson.

I suspect they are more out there, like the absolutely gorgeous dark burst 94674 above, but I'm not having much luck tracking any more down. So far, just eleven R9's and two R8's. S/N 959** was seen at a Japanese dealer who didn't recognize it as a one piece top until it was pointed out, so anyone know of any others?


Year . . Serial # . . Burst . . . . Comments

2003 . . 931160 . . . Brock
2003 . . 931161 . . . Brock
---
2004 . . .84*** . . . Brock
2004 . . .94395 . . . Brock
2004 . . .94674 . . . Dark
---
2005 . . .959** . . . Brock
---
2006 . . 861375 . . . Brock
...
2007 . . 971428 . . . Brock
2007 . . 971429 . . . Brock
2007 . . 971430 . . . Brock . . . . Has Historic Makeovers Deluxe RDS package with Tom Holmes pickups
2007 . . 972007 . . . Brock
2007 . . 972008 . . . Brock
2007 . . 972016 . . . Brock


9 59** at Japanese dealer (search "One-piece mapletops" to find it on this forum)
2010May28012.jpg
 
A

anonymous

Guest
Year . . Serial # . . Burst . . . Comments

2003 . . 931160 . . . Brock
2003 . . 931161 . . . Brock
---
2004. . . 84*** . . . Brock
2004. . . 94395 . . . Brock
2004. . . 94674 . . . Dark
---
2005. . . 959** . . . Brock
---
2006 . . 861375 . . . Brock
...
2007 . . 971428 . . . Brock
2007 . . 971429 . . . Brock
2007 . . 971430 . . . Brock . . . Has Historic Makeovers Deluxe RDS package with Tom Holmes pickups
2007 . . 972007 . . . Brock
2007 . . 972008 . . . Brock
2007 . . 972016 . . . Brock
 
Last edited:
M

MightyMouse

Member
Joined
Oct 4, 2006
Messages
282
anonymous said:
Found that one-piece maple tops were available as special order Les Paul Custom purchases to the top 5-ish Gibson dealers from 2003 to 2007. I've tracked down a total of eleven R9's and two R8's with a 1-piece top. The three serial numbers I haven't been able to track down appear to all have been sold in Japan (one was Murphy aged). Does anyone know of any others or the serial numbers of those missing below?


Year . . Serial # . . Burst . . . . Comments

2003 . . 931160 . . . Brock
2003 . . 931161 . . . Brock
---
2004 . . .84*** . . . Brock
2004 . . .94395 . . . Brock
---
2005 . . .959** . . . Brock
---
2006 . . 861375 . . . Brock
2006 . . .96*** . . . Sunrise Tea . Murphy aged
...
2007 . . 971428 . . . Brock
2007 . . 971429 . . . Brock
2007 . . 971430 . . . Brock . . . . Has Historic Makeovers Deluxe RDS package with Tom Holmes pickups
2007 . . 972007 . . . Brock
2007 . . 972008 . . . Brock
2007 . . 972016 . . . Brock


Below is the Yamano ordered 84*** (search "One-piece mapletops" to find it on this forum)
orig.jpg


Click to expand...

I know of one (an R8) and its right here in the LPF members classifieds section :)
 
A

anonymous

Guest
MightyMouse said:
I know of one (an R8) and its right here in the LPF members classifieds section :)
Click to expand...

Must have sold FAST!

Looked like S/N 86673 in a Washed Cherry, but not 100% certain. I only saw it for a second before it was gone.

Thanks!
 
B

Bill Kemp

Guest
Hello

i just purchased a lovely 2004 Gibson R9 with the one piece top

it is being shipped to me now

the serial number is

9 4213

can anyone advise me if this is a Brazilian Rosewood fingerboard or a Madagascar Rosewood fingerboard
 

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A

anonymous

Guest
Bill Kemp said:
Hello

i just purchased a lovely 2004 Gibson R9 with the one piece top

it is being shipped to me now

the serial number is

9 4213

can anyone advise me if this is a Brazilian Rosewood fingerboard or a Madagascar Rosewood fingerboard
Click to expand...

Congratulations!

Call Gibson and they can look up the serial number and let you know the fingerboard type.


Year . . Serial # . . Burst . . . . Comments

2003 . . 931160 . . . Brock
2003 . . 931161 . . . Brock
---
2004 . . .84*** . . . Brock
2004 . . .94213 . . . Brock
2004 . . .94395 . . . Brock
---
2005 . . .959** . . . Brock
---
2006 . . 861375 . . . Brock
2006 . . .96*** . . . Sunrise Tea . Murphy aged
...
2007 . . 971428 . . . Brock
2007 . . 971429 . . . Brock
2007 . . 971430 . . . Brock . . . . Has Historic Makeovers Deluxe RDS package with Tom Holmes pickups
2007 . . 972007 . . . Brock
2007 . . 972008 . . . Brock
2007 . . 972016 . . . Brock
 
B

Bill Kemp

Guest
A high end music store in Taiwan called Guitar Shop sold me my one piece top 2004 Les Paul. They also sold another one piece top about a year ago. It was a 2003 made guitar. It was shipped to Japan.

The serial number of that guitar was 931163 I was advised by the store.

There are some great photos of it on the reverb site for guitar Shop. Look in the feedback section of the store and you will find feedback left for that guitar. You can click on the link and see great pictures of it. It is really nice

i will post a few thumbnails of that guitar but the site has much better quality shots.

This should add to your list

Bill Kemp
 

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A

anonymous

Guest
Bill Kemp said:
A high end music store in Taiwan called Guitar Shop sold me my one piece top 2004 Les Paul. They also sold another one piece top about a year ago. It was a 2003 made guitar. It was shipped to Japan.

The serial number of that guitar was 931163 I was advised by the store.

There are some great photos of it on the reverb site for guitar Shop. Look in the feedback section of the store and you will find feedback left for that guitar. You can click on the link and see great pictures of it. It is really nice

i will post a few thumbnails of that guitar but the site has much better quality shots.

This should add to your list

Bill Kemp
Click to expand...

Thanks for letting us know about this great looking R9!

https://www.guitarshoptaiwan.com/products/2004-gibson-custom-shop-1959-reissue-r9-one-piece-top-hrm
 
A

anonymous

Guest
Not much, but a couple updates since last.

Year . . . Serial # . . . Burst . . . . Comments
2003 . . . 931160 . . . Brock
2003 . . . 931161 . . . Brock . . . . Historic Makeovers with Tom Holmes pickups
2003 . . . 931394 . . . Brock
---
2004 . . . .84*** . . . Brock
2004 . . . .94395 . . . Brock
2004 . . . .94213 . . . Brock
2004 . . . .94214 . . . Brock
2004 . . . .94674 . . . Darkburst
---
2005 . . . .959** . . . Brock
---
2006 . . . 861375 . . . Brock
2006 . . . .96*** . . . Sunrise Tea . Murphy aged
---
2007 . . . 971428 . . . Brock
2007 . . . 971429 . . . Brock
2007 . . . 971430 . . . Brock . . . . Historic Makeovers Deluxe RDS package with Tom Holmes pickups
2007 . . . 972007 . . . Brock
2007 . . . 972008 . . . Brock
2007 . . . 972016 . . . Brock

I know they're not common, but the most I've been able to pin down in one year is six in 2007.

Has anyone information on the missing serial numbers for the R8 from 2004 (owned/once owned by Les Paul Forum member Gibsonian), the R9 from 2005 (once owned by Les Paul Forum member Lenny) or the R9 Murphy-aged from 2007? Any others not on this list?

Over ten percent of them (2) were worked on by Historic Makeovers and have Tom Holmes pickups (I get that). Do any others have changes of note?
 
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A

anonymous

Guest
Year . . . Serial # . . . .Burst . . . . Comments
2003 . . . 931160 . . . Brock
2003 . . . 931161 . . . Brock . . . . Dave Johnson updates (+refinish?) with Tom Holmes pickups
2003 . . . 931162 . . . Brock
2003 . . . 931163 . . . Brock
2003 . . . 931394 . . . Ice Tea
---
2004 . . . .84*** . . . . Brock (in Japan?)
2004 . . . .94395 . . . Brock
2004 . . . .94213 . . . Ice Tea
2004 . . . .94214 . . . Ice Tea
2004 . . . .94215 . . . Ice Tea
2004 . . . .94674 . . . Custom Shop order with '58 neck (Darkburst? - Gibson didn't note in records)
---
2005 . . . .959** . . . . Brock (in Japan?)
---
2006 . . . .96*** . . . . Sunrise Tea . Murphy aged (in Japan?)
---
2007 . . . 971428 . . . Brock
2007 . . . 971429 . . . Brock
2007 . . . 971430 . . . Brock . . . . Historic Makeovers Deluxe RDS package with Tom Holmes pickups
2007 . . . 972007 . . . Brock
2007 . . . 972008 . . . Brock
2007 . . . 972016 . . . Brock

Spoke to Gibson and was able to update this list. Gibson was very helpful!

I took a couple guitars off the list as Gibson did not record them as having a 1-piece top (they might) and added one (S/N 931162). S/N 931161 left the factory in BB and it appears Dave Johnson may have refinished it in Ice Tea. Gibson didn't note the finish on S/N 94674, but that it did have a '58 neck.
 
J T

J T

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 20, 2005
Messages
10,629
anonymous said:
...
... Gibson didn't note the finish on S/N 94674, but that it did have a '58 neck.
Click to expand...

Gibson Customer Service needs to update their records.

Heritage Darkburst

(plus a couple of tricks up it's sleeve)

:cool:


2LtDfGz.jpg
 
A

anonymous

Guest
Thanks! That's great documentation. I didn't know one could order a 1-piece top from the Custom Shop directly.

I'm partial to mine, but S/N 94674 is spectacular (1-piece top or not).

S/N 94674
https://imgur.com/HWC4Nlc
 
A

anonymous

Guest
Any Name You Wish said:
Seems like quite the opportunity for Gibson to do a run of 1-piece top R9/R0/R8 today.
Click to expand...
I agree. They used to offer for sale these one-piece maple tops as special order Les Paul Custom purchases to the top 5-ish Gibson dealers, but I guess that perk isn't offered anymore.

The last, well only, one-piece top offering I've heard of since was for a run of 50 chambered '68 customs (2008 Les Paul Summer Jam). The sold new for ~3600, but I saw one on Reverb recently for 15k (yikes!). According to Gibson at the time they weren't going to do it again, but I don't know precisely what they meant. As an fyi, one is below (compare/contrast to the R9 above).

68lp.jpg
 
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