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Why is a post 2013 Historic better than earlier years?

Joined
Aug 10, 2001
Messages
334
Not trying to kick the Hornet nest but a few guitar experts have told me that
the best years for recent Gibson Les Paul Historic production would be post 2013.
Any thoughts as to why this might be true?
Thanks
RAR
 

RocknRollShakeUp

Active member
Joined
Jul 7, 2006
Messages
766
Not trying to kick the Hornet nest but a few guitar experts have told me that
the best years for recent Gibson Les Paul Historic production would be post 2013.
Any thoughts as to why this might be true?
Thanks
RAR
I’m outside my lane here, but just to get the ball rolling, I think the 2013’s were the first ones to lose the truss rod condom and get hide glue for the fretboard.
 

Musicman

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 27, 2002
Messages
1,909
They made some changes that got them closer to how they use to make them. Whether that's better or not is up to the person buying them but they are getting closer.
 

Dilver

Active member
Joined
Feb 17, 2016
Messages
114
Different specs and materials… everything from the truss rod, neck tenon, glue, binding scrape, body carve, dye, plastics, Custombuckers, etc. seems like most of the big changes happened 2013 onwards. BUT… most of the Historics prior to that had better looking rosewood fretboards. Gibson rosewood is looking mighty weird these days and has been for the past few years. Practically everyone who gets a new Les Paul says “the fretboard looked really dry, but after I oiled it…”. You never heard that years ago. Ever. It’s not that the rosewood they’re using now is dry, it’s just weird looking rosewood.
 

somebodyelseuk

Well-known member
Joined
Jun 10, 2020
Messages
454
Three things.
The internet's full of "experts".
Next year's model is always better than last year's, according to Gibson Marketing.
The 'best one' is the one you own.
 

rockabilly69

Well-known member
Joined
Jul 29, 2001
Messages
2,872
Three things.
The internet's full of "experts".
Next year's model is always better than last year's, according to Gibson Marketing.
The 'best one' is the one you own.
I disagree, I think there was some positive changes post 2013, resulting in a higher percentage of good Historics.

I had been looking for a good Historic for quite a while, and when 2013 hit, I found a ton of good ones. I think the big change for me was the custom-buckers as I like low output pickups. They just seemed to work for me. Another thing, while they were changing out the specs like the no truss rod condom, hide glue in the joints, etc, I think Gibson started to change the shape of the neck shoulders a bit, making the necks a little easier to navigate. I wound up with two post 2013 Historic keepers, a 2014 R7 and a 2019 R4, and neither of these guitars have ugly fingerboards, both of them have some good looking dark pieces of rosewood!


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jb_abides

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 6, 2005
Messages
5,274
Different specs and materials… everything from the truss rod, neck tenon, glue, binding scrape, body carve, dye, plastics, Custombuckers, etc. seems like most of the big changes happened 2013 onwards. BUT… most of the Historics prior to that had better looking rosewood fretboards. Gibson rosewood is looking mighty weird these days and has been for the past few years. Practically everyone who gets a new Les Paul says “the fretboard looked really dry, but after I oiled it…”. You never heard that years ago. Ever. It’s not that the rosewood they’re using now is dry, it’s just weird looking rosewood.

Agreee; this covers a lot. Closer to original specs, better materials for manufactured parts, but wood supply is dwindling as sourcing is forced to adapt to less old growth even in the face of better drying and moisture control, thermal treatments, etc.

In the end it's still down to the individual guitar, but the odds do seem to be better. Are they...? Dunno, don't have the data, but seems like this forum's anecdotal contributions lean that way.

As member @phil47uk's signature opined:
"Long tenons, Short tenons. When the drummer comes in, what the fuck does it matter?"
 
Last edited:

Progrocker111

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 10, 2003
Messages
4,013
My small problem with last approx. 10 years of production is that the mahogany from Fiji is very light and and not dense enough. The tone is very often lacking in bass fundament and lacks some heaviness too, mids and highs are very clear though. Resonance is also nice.
 

DonnRowe

Member
Joined
Nov 5, 2019
Messages
59
depends on the particular guitar. I have a '04, '08, '10, and '11 . They all sound and play great! As far as '13 and beyond I bet they are great too! Each guitar has its own voice so it is hard to make blanket statements about certain vintages within reason. Add to that the applications and it gets even more diverse...IMHO
 

murkat

Member
Joined
Dec 5, 2003
Messages
492
Did that apply to all Historics? Nashville 2007 Historic 59 ES-335 necks?
Les Paul body billet blanks mostly. A huge lot came in for inspection at the CS. From what I inspected, plenty looked like a felt like Honduran Mahogany. A lot of Gold tops got those Body billets.
 

60thR0

Member
Joined
Nov 1, 2021
Messages
64
Les Paul body billet blanks mostly. A huge lot came in for inspection at the CS. From what I inspected, plenty looked like a felt like Honduran Mahogany. A lot of Gold tops got those Body billets.
Prior to the switch to Fijian sourced, where was the mahogany coming from if not Honduran?
 

gmann

Well-known member
Joined
May 26, 2003
Messages
6,147
I disagree, I think there was some positive changes post 2013, resulting in a higher percentage of good Historics.

I had been looking for a good Historic for quite a while, and when 2013 hit, I found a ton of good ones. I think the big change for me was the custom-buckers as I like low output pickups. They just seemed to work for me. Another thing, while they were changing out the specs like the no truss rod condom, hide glue in the joints, etc, I think Gibson started to change the shape of the neck shoulders a bit, making the necks a little easier to navigate. I wound up with two post 2013 Historic keepers, a 2014 R7 and a 2019 R4, and neither of these guitars have ugly fingerboards, both of them have some good looking dark pieces of rosewood!


KwgZNql.jpg


SkdvUAu.jpg
Mighty fine!
 
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