Gibson '56 Les Paul Goldtop Reissue

I got my guitar brand new for my 14th birthday in 1990. It is a 1989 goldtop with p-100's. This is the best guitar ever made in my opinion, it is quiet with the p-100's but has similar output to the p-90's. I use a mesa v-twin pedal on the clean setting with the volume all the way up through an ampeg B-15n amp and a marshall 4x12 cabinet. It is like nothing other. If you buy one of these don't sell it, they are rare.

Lifetime warranty when I bought it.

Stop whining because you sold your original '56 find one of these.

Pretty accurate knockoff of a 56. Lightweight tailpiece, PERIOD CORRECT knobs and tuners. Proper dish on the top,long tenon joint,repro bumblebees, the whole nine yards. BIG neck...larger and rounder than the burst reissues. Smallish frets for an LP; again,period correct.

This thing sounds GREAT! I play through a variety of vintage and boutique amps, including a Toneman KT66 bluesbreaker, BFSR, various Bassmans (call Todd Sharp...none better), an Omega Dumble clone, Highly modded PTP Bedrock,Valcos,Gibson skylark,Vibroverb 2x10,VoxAC30,and an absolutely stellar Gibson GA15RV that has been modded and optimized by Super Dave Bitticks. You get the idea...no junk. These amps show the true flavor of your guitar...no huge compression,midrange humps,buzzy overdrive etc...you hear what goes in.
Clean sounds are big,round and MUSICAL. The neck position is mellow enough for jazz tones,with no hint of mud or lack of clarity. Great string definition,and a smooth slightly hollow sound that can only be described as...well,pretty. The bridge pickup sparkles, with a bit of TELE like spank that cuts through the mix. Blend the pickups, and there's a big*ss bunch of cool tones in between to be explored with subtle turns on your volume and tone knobs. The taper on the pots is such that there is very little perceptible volume drop through the middle of it's sweep, more a thickening of each note,rounding it out.
Push the volume up to the max, and your clean amp just became a raging beast. As good as the clean sounds are (and they are good),this axe really comes into it's own when you pour on the coals. Not your death metal scooped mayhem, but a bluesy organic fat round tone that sustains for days. Wonderful mix of humbucking dynamics and power to push the front end of your amp, with the openness of a good single coil. I don't know if the custom shop is using a different P90 than regular production line guitars, but these are the best I have heard on a Gibson, on par with my old Junior. I haven't been impressed with their other P90 equipped offerings,but who knows...could just be the whole package that makes them sound so RIGHT. The bridge pickup snarls,growls,and barks like a rabid dog if you dig in, and the neck position sings.Switch to the middle,blend the two,play with the tone controls..this is no one-trick pony,it's all there. Woman tone,Ronnie Wood attitude, country twang and blues wail.
I hate to gush like a lovesick little girl meeting Elvis, but I've been playing for more decades than most reading this have been on this earth,and although I have many superior guitars,including other LPs,Fenders,McInturffs,G&Ls etc,all nice in their own way,it is truly rare to find any guitar that just plain sounds this good.

Now for the down side. The nut is so poorly cut that it will have to be replaced. A little graphite has made it playable, but am I alone in thinking that a CUSTOM SHOP guitar that sells for well over 3 grand shouldn't require immediate attention just to make it stay in tune? While many have complained about the tuners, I'd be willing to bet that a large portion of their problem lies with the nut. C'mon Gibson,we deserve better than this. I can't expect a production line guitar to come set up as perfectly as a McInturff etc...but raising the bar pertains to high jumps,not limbo.
The fretwork is acceptable,though it would benefit from a session with a skilled luthier. A little dressing and polishing goes a long way.As far as pickup adjustment,it sounds so good out of the box I'm afraid to touch them.It does intonate acceptably well,and there are no dead spots on the neck.I can't find any flaws in construction or finish,which is to be expected in a custom shop guitar.Overall well executed with the exception of the nut. I'll probably keep the stock tuners as I am afraid of adversely effecting the tone.

It's an LP.Solid as a rock as long as you don't drop it too hard. Do yourself a favor and invest in some kind of strap lock,at least for the upper bout. The neck you save may be your own. Gibson is using higher quality pots,caps and wiring in their historics,and it shows.I expect to have the usual selector switch problems,but again...it's an LP.

This would be my main guitar if it wasn't so nice I'm afraid to take it out much.I have always gravitated towards Fender-like products,as I like the open tone of single coils as opposed to the compressed sound of so many humbucker equipped guitars. It takes a superior humbucker to deliver the airiness I crave, such as a Lollar Imperial or even a Seth Lover.I feel that this guitar bridges that gap between the two extremes,while also providing the wonderful playability of an LP. Larger frets would be nice,but again these are period correct,and it is a reissue. I've played tons of LPs over the years,and even though my Standard is a good one,it doesn't compare to this one in the sound department,and that's the bottom line,isn't it?
I bought this one used...wasn't looking for another guitar,but just had to have this one. Personally,I think they are overpriced if bought new,and would not have paid that price...you could have just about any hand made solid body guitar for that kind of dough. Having said that,this particular example rings like a bell,and any boutique builder would be hard pressed to beat it. Just wish Gibson would take their set-ups a bit more seriously.Taking an expensive NEW guitar in for basic tuning problems is entirely too common an occurrence these days. Still,this one's a keeper.

* Finish GOLD!
* Bridge style (Tune-O-Matic)
* Tuners CHEAP PLASTIC ONES!
* Neck/Scale (NICE!)
* Any included accessories? (NON-ORIGINAL HSCase, BUT GIBSON ONE, IT'S BROWN! SOME TAGS AND CLOTH AND PICKS!)
* What year was it made? Where was is made? (2006, USA)
* Make and model of pickups?P90'S!
DON'T LIKE THE CHEAP TUNERS OR CHEAP NON-SPEED KNOBS!

IT ROCKS!
P-90'S RULE!

FOR A 2006, IT'S SET-UP GREAT!
EVERYTHING'S FINE!

THIS IS A WELL-BUILT GUITAR! OUTTA THE CUSTOM SHOP! PROBABLY NEED TO INSTALL STRAPLOCKS!

Bought used! No warranty!

Overall, it's a totally cool guitar!
I'd wish it would come with metal tuning keys and speed knobs. Is that too much to ask for from Gibson?!?!?

Cheap repro Kluson tuners, similar to the original. I guess they had to do that to make it "historic". Grovers would have been preferable. So far, I've had no tuning problems. Pretty mop inlays, like older Gibsons. RWRP pickups might have been nice, but perhaps that would have affected the tone adversely. I can live with a little hum. Case candy included a guitar cord, picks, a Gibson guitar manual, tag and a Custom Shop case.

I have a 2005 '56 Goldtop Historic Reissue. It's a very versatile guitar. Tones range from country twang to warm jazz to woman tone. The brightness comes from the maple cap. The soapbar P90s are both edgier and fuller sounding than humbuckers. No flabby bottom end is found here. They also are richer in harmonics than HBs. They sparkle. This guitar doesn't get that lowdown dirty buzzsaw sound that my '59 Junior does, but that's a one trick pony. If I had to play one guitar, this would be the one. You can cover all the bases with it.

I bought this baby used, but the action is fantastic. Nice, straight neck. It has jumbo frets, a rosewood fretboard, and a Louisville Slugger neck. It has a tight woodgrain, comparable to my '59 Junior. Inside it has new manufacture bumble bee caps. They don't look like the original Spragues but seem to work OK.

I've gigged a little with it and done some recording as well. The goldtop finish appears to be sturdy. I'll probably replace the strap buttons with Strap Locks. I would bring a backup guitar as it is easy to break a string.

This is my favorite guitar. My Firebird V has similar versatility, but this one is easier to play. I would have liked to get the Historic Certificate with it, but the seller didn't include it. Sounds great with all my amps - ToneMaster, Magnatone 260A, Reeves CP 103, Hiwatt DR 504, Mesa S.O.B., and I expect with my BF TR.

I've bought a 1989 Les Paul 56' goldtop Reissue a month ago.

P100 pickups
Tune O matic bridge, ABR-1
Usual LP features (2Vol, 2Tone, 3-way switch)

It belongs to an era when the "Historic Collection" didn't already exist, so "reissue" guitars good reproductions of the original but not as accurate in terms of small details.
These models are now refered to as "Prehistoric".

Like, there no long tenon, the pickups on mine are P100 and not P90 (strange!) and the guitar is VERY heavy while Historics are usually lighter than a "basic" Les Paul Standard.

However the is very chunky indeed. It's marvellous. Feels almost like a J45 acoustic. A cute little carved trunk.

The finish is outstanding. I've always been in love with LP goldtops and I knew that one day I would get my own. I've sold an impressive number of guitars in order to be able to buy this one and believe me, It was worth the pain. This is simply put the best guitar I've ever played and owned. It sounds so much better than everything else I've owned before (including: Lp standard, Lp Junior, Telecaster 52, Tele US std, Fender 66' Mustang, Rickenbacker 330 etc..)

I have the Gibson case with it.

It sounds KILLER.

Very subtle, extremely sensitive and dynamic. And let me say to everybody that those P100s sound GOOD! :)

I love the P90, but the P100 is totally different (NOT less good). First, it's quiet. Then, it really sings and has its own true voice that makes it sounds like a vintage Humbucker (or mini-humbucker) because of its somewhat low-output. It's very articulate, reacts superbly to the nuances of your attack and has a Great Tone.

In terms of woodwork, the sustain is the best I'v ever seen on a Les Paul (and I've really tried tons of them over 13 years of guitar playing).

Why I really love this guitar is because I can get the "Woman Tone" a la Jeff Beck or Slash without any problem. The Neck Pickup is the best on the guitar.

The bridge one sounds exquisite too, but can be a bit thin for some heavy stuff sometimes.

I use the guitar in a Marshall Bluesbreaker combo and the sounds it get from the combination are deep rooted in Classic rock.

I bought the guitar used, but it mostly slept for 15 years in its case. The set up was excellent. Low action but not too low either. Perfect neck relief.

It's alreafy 17 years old, it looks stunning, mint, and it's gonna last a long time. No worries. :)

It wouldn't come to my mind to contact them.

I've been playing for 13 years. I've owned plenty of good guitars, and this one takes the cake. Big time. There's a real difference in sound quailty than the regular models. You get the feeling that your having what you're entitled to get for your money!

If it was stolen, I would get something close, as it would be hard to find exactely the same. I would buy another Prehistoric/Historic Les Paul. That's the only thing I'm sure.

Like most americans lving in France, I hate myself. I decided to treat myslef by buying my dream guitar, a Les Paul reissue. It coust ,me 2000 dollers and amazingly enough 3 of the frets were missing! I orderd it off the internet and when it arrived it only had 24 ffrests. Unbellivabel! I phoned Gibson and they just kept telling me I was wrong etc etc and I m throughly sicken by the whole invention.

It sounds exaclty like a guitar, should. It has a good tone. It has a good action. It has 3 frets missing. Apart from that it was a good guitar but I've sold it now so it doenesdt matter. I trying to warm people to try before they buy-don't buy off the internet ! You could get a dud.

WEll everything on the guitar looks amazing it really does and until I noticed the 3 missing frets I was in love with it. Pickups and thick and beefy with classic rock and roll souinds. Neck is perfect, no problems at all except there were 3 frets missing from the fingerboard.

I've gigged with it and to be honest I've put on a few bad perfomances. When I playing I look down to where those 3 frets should be and I feel like smashing the whole thing up. I get distracted by it and it annoys me. It does play well and I can rely on it, its a pretty solid guita overall though. I trust it.

Not helpfull at all. I spent ages talking to many different people and they would just transfer me to someone else, who I would have to keep explaing my problems to them. In the end they did not help me and I am very annoyed.

Overall I would have loved this guitar apart from the mssing frets. It has realy put a stain on my liffe of playing. I wish I'd bought one that I' actually held. Sigh- oh well better to have loved and lost I suppose.

It was made in 2000 in the good old USA. Two volume controls, two tone controls and a 3 way selector switch. It has two Gibson P-90 single coil pickups. Nice gold top finish, full body binding. Vintage Gibson Tuners (not so impressed with them). Neck is thin, very fast, medium frets. It came with a cord and a very nice hard shell case. I traded a Gibson Authentic 68 model Les Paul for it. I like this one much better. I certainly can't max this guitar out for features because Les Pauls don?t have many features and the tuners kinda suck, but I can give it an 6 with good conscience. I say this because, man, your talking close to two thousand dollars worth of guitar here and it has shitty tuners. My Epiphone Les Paul Special II stays in tune better than this.

Like most Americans living in the Philippines, I'm a retired military person, married to a Filipina, so I am quite a bit older than most of the people who review on Harmony Central. I was a teenager during the late 60's and early 70's and still like the music from that era. I write some of my own stuff, which would probably be considered somewhere between blues, rockabilly, electric folk and classic rock, but I love old Cream, Blind Faith, Zeppelin, Sabbath, Stones, Beatles, you know the music of my era. I do like some of the 90's grunge rock, such as Pearl Jam, Nirvana, Creed and some punk stuff like Greenday. Now sound is where this fucker does indeed shine, if you can keep the son of a bitch in tune. This is a kick ass guitar sound wise, the P-90?s sound incredible. This a heavy metal guitar, a rock guitar, a blues guitar, a jazz guitar, an electric folk guitar, reggae guitar, or a country guitar, you name it, it does it and does it superblyThe bridge pickup is bright with a beefy twang to it, the neck pickup is excellent for "dirty" blues, and I never use the in between. I gig with this guitar sometimes. The only amps I've use it on at home are my Marshall MG10CD, VOX Pathfinder 15R and VOX AD15VT (these are the amps most Americans here have, because these brands are all that are available here for the most part. You can get Peaveys but they are made in China and suck). This guitar sounds best on the VOX AD15VT at home. It sounds great on all three amps. It is a versatile guitar by all means, much more versatile than the humbucker versions of the Les Paul in my opinion. The P-90?s have a tone you just can?t get from other single coils or humbuckers. It?s a sound all of its own. It isn't noisy just the normal single coil humm and I'm playing this through powerful amps at gigs. One place where I gig occasionally has a Carlsbro GLX100, which is a solid state amp and the other place has a Fender Super Reverb. This guitar does very well on the Carlsbro, and ok on the Fender, although I personally think only Fender guitars sound really good on Fender amps. This is an excellent guitar sound wise and I have no trouble maxing it out in this department.

FLAWLESS

I do gig with this guitar. Yes to all questions, except no one would gig without a backup.

Never dealt with Gibson.

I started playing guitar when the Beatles came out in 1964, and I think I was 11. I am 52 now, so I guess I've been playing for 41 years. I have this guitar, the amps I mentioned above, a Fender made in Mexico Standard Fat Stratocaster, which I put a Duncan Invader humbucker at the bridge, and Vintage Noiseless Pickups at the middle and neck positions Pickups on, a Fender 52 Telecaster Reissue, stock, an Epiphone Les Paul Special II, a Squier Standard Stratocaster with Texas Special Pickups, a Squier Standard Telecaster, which I bought because I wanted a Vintage Blonde Telecaster with a Rosewood Fretboard, which I have put Vintage Noiseless Pickups on, an Ibanez GSA20, GSA60 and RG350, Rockstar Strat, Tele and Les Paul Copies and a Fernando Strat Copy. Like the last reviewer, I also have a Washburn X-21, which is inexpensive but a fuckin good guitar. I've got two Epiphone Acoustic Guitars, one Ibanez Acoustic Electric Guitar, a Washburn Acoustic and a bunch more. I'm addicted to collecting them, and sometimes it's a waste because most of them don't get played. I really love this, only thing I would change is the tuners, but I deal with it because I want to leave the guitar as I bought it. Overall it's an 8.

HELLO... My 56 Goldtop Reissue was born in 2003... USA made... 22 narrow vintage style frets... Mahogony back with a maple top covered in a glossy,striking antique gold finish !!!! Two Gibbson P-90 pickups with the standard Les Paul three way toggle switch.... Volume and tone controlls for each pickup...The 56 is the first Les Paul with Gibson's TUNE O MATIC bridge and stop tailpiece... standard Gibson tuners with the period correct short shaft....BIG THICK GIBSON NECK and a light weight body, around 8 lbs!!! All the plastic parts and the binding is "AGED"...I bought mine used but it came with all the original case candy, the original Historic case,(NICE)... and a certificate of manufacture...

THis is the catagory where this guitar shines !!!! It sounds GREAT !!! the neck pickup sounds full and sweet,round,and distorts well !!! The bridge pickup is snotty and bold... a bit thin but in a good way.... the both pickup on position is by far the most versitile... big bold round rhythm tones to bright almost Tele bite !!!! for stock pickups these really hit the mark !!!! My only complaint is that the pickups might go to distortion too soon...P-90"s are as noisy as any other single coils...the middle position does not seem to be reverse wound for quieter performance... thats life, you wont care !!!!

This guitar was bought used so I cant talk about the factory set up... What I can say is that when I got it it was set up VERY WELL and was as flawless a new guitar as I have ever seen !!!! GIBSON DID AN OUTSTANDING JOB ON THIS GUITAR !!!!

This is a LES PAUL !!! We know it will last decades with proper care and decades without any care !!!! Top notch hardware and a first class nitro finish means this baby will still be ready to rock when all your get up and go has got up and went !!!

Have not talked to Gibson on this one but with other Gibson guitars I have had good luck with all problems...

I have been playing off and on for four decades...I have pared down my equipment to a very compact gig friendly ammount of quality gear...A few pedals and a Samson era Matchless Chieftian combo...(buy one of these if you can) !!! If this guitar was stolen I would be heartbroken the whole time I was looking for its replacment !!!! Just a great sounding guitar with fat Les Paul to Tele twang and bite to LES PAUL JR Leslie West sounds !!! VERY VERSATILE !!! Check one of these out... everybody that tries mine wants one !!!!

2000 '56 Les Paul Goldtop RI...very light, big neck.

I use this with a '59 Pro or a '56 Twin, sometimes a '68 Pro Reverb. No problem with noise---but then again I'm not playing Toto covers. The stock Gibson P90 pu's are suprisingly good, even when compared to some '50s P90 guitars I have. I can use the neck pu and get a quasi-archtop sound and flip to the bridge pu and get Albert Collins on steroids. Great classic middle position Gibson sound.

Pretty good set up, needed to have a little shim under the nuton the bass side. Some loose control nuts, but probably the result of sitting at the Guitar Center for a few years. Otherwise, very good finish quality, parts, etc. Better construction than a '68 RI Ionce had.

Built like a tank---use it without backup, except when someone needs a Fender generic backup part.

Who cares? Bought used, no warranty. I can get a luthier to do better work than Gibson if I need a repair.

Playing for almost 40 years (started very young)...I have a bunch of old archtops and some Fenders. They don't get played much anymore. I would buy another if this got lost, but not for 3 grand. I played a goldtop years ago and had to sell it---considered the Dillybar and the Tokai and the other Oriental knockoffs, but opted for the real deal. Sorry, but they just aren't quite the same. Been looking for something like this for about 5 years---just lucked out.

Aside from the bridge pickup, this guitar is beautiful, and fully lives up to my dreams. This is my first real Les Paul from Gibson, and the improved sustain is the most noticeable thing. Also, I notice a lot of detail to aesthetics like the binding. My guitar hero, Tom Scholz of Boston fame is what led me to this purchase, as well as the choice of pickup replacement. I figured if the DiMarzio/P90 combination is good enough for him, it's good enough for me.

I bought this guitar brand new, knowing that it would require work...and it did. I bought it while having mixed feelings about the P-90 pickup. Namely, I wanted the P-90 in the neck position for its distinct clean sound, and was willing to give the bridge P-90 a chance for distorted sounds...I ran out of patience quickly and did the inevitable. The bridge P-90 was not loud, but it was noisy. I couldn't stand within 10 feet of my Marshall without hearing a very unmusical howl...a problem I don't have with my $200 Hondo guitar! So alas, I did what I planned all along...I had the music shop put in a DiMarzio Super Humbucker into the bridge position. This gives me the best of both worlds I think. My rating for sound though, is based on the stock pickups.

It's a flawless Goldtop...enough said.

I have seen pictures of hacked up Goldtops before, with the paint all but gone. I don't know if this is a problem with the durability, or with the carelessness of the owners. I know I plan to be the only human hands to ever touch this guitar. I doubt if I will take this out of the house for anything other than really serious gigs.

It's brand new...haven't had a problem yet. But Gibson did send me some very nice posters.

Unlike a lot of other reviewers here, I don't play 10 different styles of music...I only play hard rock and rock ballads. I have been playing for over 20 years. My only other reference were a $200 Les Paul copy, and a $300 Strat copy. Once I replaced the bridge pickup with a DiMarzio Super, this guitar has the best overall balance of great looks, super playability, and great sound. I will never buy another guitar!

This goldtop is absolutely beautiful with a light finish on the back of the neck and body. Features inlcude two P-90 pickups with standard LP volume, tone, and stoptail bridge. I walked into Guitar Center looking for an amp and actually came across this axe which someone traded for a custom telecaster. I have been searching for one of these for over 18 months, and i have to say, this one will stay with me forever.

There is no matching this sound. I play it through an original 1965 blackfaced Fender Twin and recently through a Marchall Triple Super Lead 100 watt combo amp. I have been playing a PRS McCarty for several years, and I have to say, this one might replace it as my first choice axe. It has a creamy bridge tone, the middle position is very much like my former ONS custom telecaster with more character, and a classic neck tone with a bite when you need it. I actually traded in a 1959 historic plaintop LP for this one as I was able to reproduce the '59 sound with my McCarty very well which played better. The P-90 pickups do feed back some which is fantastic in certain situations, but mine are not as noisy as other reviews I've come across. I play two-thirds rythem and one-third lead with a rock/blues and modern rock rock band. With my two amplifiers, I can obtain most any sound. This is definately a 10!!!!!

I've been in search of a goldtop for a while now. I have not modified the original factory setup, unless the prior owner did which I don't know. This guitar is virtually flawless in appearance. The action is set more on the high side, but I enjoy the room to dig into a lead and sustain it for hours. The neck is a typical LP wide/fat, which I demand in a guitar.

This axe is built like a brick-****house. I agree with another review that the strap buttons are lame, so I've put on strap locks which work fantastic. The finish, with proper care, should last a lifetime. I always carry a spare guitar for playing, but I can't imagine actually requiring a backup.

I never had to contact Gibson for anything and I've owned several Les Pauls over the years.

I've been playing guitar for 20+ years. This goldtop is in good company with my honeyburst PRS McCarty and 1988 Custom Shop Fender Strat which is black with a b/w/b 3-ply pickguard with a maple neck. I installed huge frets on this one which were well worth the $300. The goldtop is very versitile with a variety of tones obtainable. Like I said, I've been in search for one of these guitars for a long time and I can't imagine not having one in my mix.