Hey it's Mat from Gibson Product Development - AMA

[lare65]

I like them very much, although I hear a lot of people do not because they are not true PAF replicas. But I think they are great pickups ESPECIALLY in ES models. Thanks for the question!

Thanks Mat. Do you know anything about the magnets? Alnico V?

 

[wmachine]

This is exactly why we have the new product architecture that we do -- Original Collection (Gibson USA Les Paul Standard), Modern Collection (Gibson USA Les Paul Modern/Classic/Tribute), and Historic Reissue Collection (anything with a year). There are Modern Collection offerings from Custom Shop as well and you can use Made 2 Measure to upgrade any Custom Shop platform however you like. Thanks for the message!

I notice about the Historic Reissues you say "anything with a year" and that makes sense and is consistent with what was made in Memphis in recent years. I have a 2016 ES-335 Premier Figured Faded Light Burst. Absolutely love it! It was made to reissue specs, yet it did not have a "year". So I think it flew under the radar among the other reissues with year assignments. The only clue of being different is the "Premier" in the model name.
Are you aware of any other reissue caliber models that did not have a year assigned to them?

 

[matkoehler]

Thanks Mat. Do you know anything about the magnets? Alnico V?

Here’s a link to an old interview with Tim where he goes into more detail about them!

 

[matkoehler]

I notice about the Historic Reissues you say "anything with a year" and that makes sense and is consistent with what was made in Memphis in recent years. I have a 2016 ES-335 Premier Figured Faded Light Burst. Absolutely love it! It was made to reissue specs, yet it did not have a "year". So I think it flew under the radar among the other reissues with year assignments. The only clue of being different is the "Premier" in the model name.
Are you aware of any other reissue caliber models that did not have a year assigned to them?

Beauty! But I do have to disagree about it being made to reissue specs — all premium specs, certainly…many of which are shared with reissues. But to me reissue specs = year-specific colorways, pickguard shapes, knobs, choice of woods (plain cathedral maple being our historic spec), etc. The Premier series was a great example of premium player-favorite attributes *without* being confined by the reissue aspects. So my definition is just different than yours, not to say either one is right! Thanks for the question.

 

[wmachine]

Beauty! But I do have to disagree about it being made to reissue specs — all premium specs, certainly…many of which are shared with reissues. But to me reissue specs = year-specific colorways, pickguard shapes, knobs, choice of woods (plain cathedral maple being our historic spec), etc. The Premier series was a great example of premium player-favorite attributes *without* being confined by the reissue aspects. So my definition is just different than yours, not to say either one is right! Thanks for the question.

Thanks for the perspective. Granted, I was just considering the only the body/neck construction and the pups/electronics being the same. Thinking in terms of what sound would result. A little more to it that that, I see now.

 

[jb_abides]

So my definition is just different than yours, not to say either one is right! Thanks for the question.

Further, the product architecture refers to 'new Gibson' i.e. prior to ownership change, where things were not structured as such.

I wonder how to reconcile nomenclature going forward for variations, a la dealer-runs based upon Historics Reissues specification e.g. Wildwood-Spec. Are they a sub-species of Historic Reissues, or considered Dealer-Run custom shops apart from the Historic Reissue appellation?

It's all very nit-picky relative to having a great guitar to enjoy... yet I am sure some will want clarity.

🍑

 

[Phoenician]

Hey Mat! Thanks again for the AMA.

Next question…let’s say I pony up the dough for the M2M program to order the Les Paul of my dream… How much say to I have in picking the wood grain on the top?

I ask as I don’t like too much chevron. I like a fairly horizontal grain.

 

[Dr. Green]

Mat -

any idea about the price trajectory the Historics are going to take ?

in other words would you anticipate over the next decade or so they would experience sensational yearly increases in the retail price or do you think that they have reached a stabilization point ?

 

[Awall]

how is the tone on the Chuck Berry .... how does it sound ???

I've now had a bit of time with it. It feels like a well cared for old guitar with an amazing fretboard. Getting used to the trem system and only like the vario in positions one and two. It has amazing clarity and more snap to the notes than any I've played. Night and day difference to my 335. Playing it is only half the fun, every time I pick it up I notice some kind of detail that I hadn't seen before. Will not see much use as I bought this as a collectors piece more than a regular rotation player. It's just a killer guitar.

 

[racerock105]

I got dinner with Edwin recently and asked him, of all the projects he'd worked on at Gibson, which was the one he was most proud of...he said that one.

Hey Matt Can you get ahold of Edwin Wilson for me very important about Hendrix Flying V, they copied a V few years back used as a base V for the Love Drops Flying Vs . I want to blow his mind. Then share w the world ;")

I got dinner with Edwin recently and asked him, of all the projects he'd worked on at Gibson, which was the one he was most proud of...he said that one.

Can you get ahold o Edwin Wilson gor me I have some important questions concerning his time w Gibson

 

[Daking1959]

Greetings Mat,
I have a BlackBeauty that i bought new in 1993. Ive tried looking up the serial number, but get nothing.
any ideas? in yellow ink 2 7176 many thanks

 

[TM1]

Hi Mat; I was wondering if the inlay material on the new Gibson True Historics/Murphy Lab's are the same as the material that Kim @ Historic Makeovers uses? I know the Gibson ones are Nitrate as are the HM's ones. I know Kim was the one that got Mazzucchelli (the original Italian manufacturer of the cellulose nitrate material Gibson used in the 50’s) to start re-manufacturing this material.
Thanks!!

 

[JoeC]

Mat, based on your comments I am looking to change out the pots on my 2018 for the 60th anniversary specs. What is the PPAT # on those? Am I correct in that the capacitors were also improved? Looks like Gibson not selling parts right now? Were these released for sale to other vendors? Thank you

 

[djcmusician]

Mat, or anyone:
Anyone recall a one off SG from the late 90s (possibly early 2000s) with a flat top and back double bound body and a hot rod flame paint job in the top? Coolest SG I ever saw.

Pretty sure it was on Gibson’s website back then.

 

[talpa]

Hi Mat, is the CS Richie Faulkner Flying V just a prototype or will it see a release ?

 

[Coachmoe]

Hi all. Charlie and I thought it might be fun for me to address Gibson (or Epiphone) questions in this thread...whether about current products or mysteries from Gibson's history. I think it's important to hear it straight from the horse's mouth...don't seem to have much luck getting accurately paraphrased or quoted in magazine articles.

If you don't know me, I was a longtime forum geek and I decided to put my passions to use by joining Gibson in April 2016. I started in product management for Custom Shop and Memphis and now I'm doing product development company-wide. I am also a huge Gibson/Epiphone history fan and having access to our archives is an incredible perk of the job. So fan to fan, let's have some fun!

Mat,
Greetings! Firebird question follow up. When do expect the USA production non reverse Firebirds to be out for sale?

Thanks!

 

[matkoehler]

Further, the product architecture refers to 'new Gibson' i.e. prior to ownership change, where things were not structured as such.

I wonder how to reconcile nomenclature going forward for variations, a la dealer-runs based upon Historics Reissues specification e.g. Wildwood-Spec. Are they a sub-species of Historic Reissues, or considered Dealer-Run custom shops apart from the Historic Reissue appellation?

It's all very nit-picky relative to having a great guitar to enjoy... yet I am sure some will want clarity.

🍑

An exclusive needs to be based on an existing platform, so in the case of Wildwood, they are Historic Reissues. The typical spec differences for them include hand-picked materials, custom neck profiles, finishes and pickups. Best, Mat

 

[matkoehler]

Hey Mat! Thanks again for the AMA.

Next question…let’s say I pony up the dough for the M2M program to order the Les Paul of my dream… How much say to I have in picking the wood grain on the top?

I ask as I don’t like too much chevron. I like a fairly horizontal grain.

Quite a bit of say! Typically a dealer will be able to request three top options for you from Custom Shop based on your request...send in a photo sample to your dealer of what you're looking for (within reason...if you use a photo Vic Dapra took of any of the bursts in his collection, you will be told to select a more reasonable example! Ha.)

 

[matkoehler]

Greetings Mat,
I have a BlackBeauty that i bought new in 1993. Ive tried looking up the serial number, but get nothing.
any ideas? in yellow ink 2 7176 many thanks

It is a 1992 '57 Les Paul Custom now known as a "Pre-Historic" model due to the fact that it pre-dates the formal Historic Reissue collection which debuted in 1994. I'm not sure what top would it would have used (I don't think they were using solid mahogany bodies yet but could be a mahogany top), but basically a Les Paul Custom with an ABR-1, bell-shaped knobs, and '57 Classic pickups. I believe it would have had Gibson-branded tuners in that era but could be wrong.

Hope that helps!

 

[matkoehler]

Hi Mat; I was wondering if the inlay material on the new Gibson True Historics/Murphy Lab's are the same as the material that Kim @ Historic Makeovers uses? I know the Gibson ones are Nitrate as are the HM's ones. I know Kim was the one that got Mazzucchelli (the original Italian manufacturer of the cellulose nitrate material Gibson used in the 50’s) to start re-manufacturing this material.
Thanks!!

I don't know what Kim is using, but I can confirm we are sourcing a proprietary material from Mazzuchelli using their original recipe for Gibson. It is not available to anyone outside of Gibson; that's my understanding.