Description: Up for sale, a 1983 Gibson Pre-Historic Les Paul Standard 1959 reissue in excellent condition and in perfect working order. A 100% original example of the guitar that would later be dubbed the "R9," this Les Paul is a very rare and early vintage reissue produced before Gibson's Custom Shop Historic division was established. Features of this 1959 reissue Les Paul Standard include nickel-plated hardware (including an ABR-1 bridge), deep carve on the maple top, and a slender strip of binding in the treble side cutaway. The flame figuring on the two-piece maple top extends evenly across the carve, with a particularly saturated and bold gloss Cherry Sunburst lacquer finish. At the heart of this Pre-Historic R9 Les Paul are a pair of original Gibson "Tim Shaw" PAF humbuckers, and these celebrated pickups were Gibson's first stab at reverse engineering the vital, complex tonal properties of the PAF. Designed with unoriented, rough cast Alnico V magnets, plastic spacers, and poly-coated wire to achieve the tonal clarity and harmonic richness of the original PAF design, these Tim Shaws both have their ink stamps on the baseplates, with untouched solder on the nickel covers. The guitar positively sings with Gibson's near endless sustain, and while the bridge pickup has a tone both big and clear with a touch of growl, the neck pickup can deliver a throaty wail with plenty of low end oomph. This Les Paul weighs 9lbs 11oz, professionally setup here at Mike & Mike’s Guitar Bar with 10-46 strings, low action, and accurate intonation. Neck Specs: -Wood: Mahogany, one-piece -Shape: Chunky '50s-style C, more heft in upper registers, measuring .860” 1st fret, 1.055” 12th fret -Fretboard: Rosewood (jet black cut), pearloid flared trapezoid inlays -Frets: Medium jumbo, leveled and crowned, no wear -Scale Length: 24 3/4” -Nut: 1 11/16” -Tuners: Kluson-style, keystone buttons -Serialization: 9-prefix ink stamp, “Nihon Gibson” sticker indicates original export status (Japan) Body Specs: -Wood: Maple, Mahogany -Pickups: Tim Shaw PAF x2, 1983 date stamps on baseplates -Harness: Untouched solder, CTS pots date to the 12th week of ‘83 -Hardware: ABR-1 bridge, stopbar -Plastics: Amber bonnet knobs, cream pickup rings, switch surround, pickguard, and jack plate (one chipped corner), amber switch tip The two-piece maple top has a "deep dish" carve with a subtle return at the binding edge, and the bold Cherry Sunburst nitro lacquer gloss is indicative of the era (and the preceding Heritage 80 model). Broad flame figuring extends with great dimension across the top, with prominent "shattered glass" finish checking, framed by deeply ambered binding. There is some strap wear into the lacquer adjacent to the rear strap button, various dings across the back and some additional minor marks and scuffs behind the bridge on top and on the edges of the burst. There are also a couple subtle "tan line" letters from previously removed stickers on the pickguard. The gloss on the neck profile has a very smooth, inviting feel, with just a few small shallow marks on the profile length. The original brown tolex Lifton-style hardshell case is included, with a gold Gibson silkscreen on the lid and functional latches. The plastic handle is not present.
Price: 6999.99 USD
Location: Seattle, Washington
End Time: 2024-10-03T03:40:47.000Z
Shipping Cost: 250 USD
Product Images
Item Specifics
All returns accepted: ReturnsNotAccepted
Brand: Gibson
Model: Pre-Historic 1959 Les Paul Standard R9
Type: Electric Guitar
Body Color: Cherry Sunburst
Country/Region of Manufacture: United States
Handedness: Right-Handed
Model Year: 1983