Gibson '57 Les Paul Historic Reissue

2002, Custom Shop Historic. I bought it used in excellent shape. I got it for the Burstbucker pickups, the baseball bat neck and cause I have wanted a Black Beauty for 35 years. The long neck tenon is nice, but wasn't a deal breaker. I was looking at 58 reissues, too, but this sounded better in the store than the 58s I played. I got it - and it's got a carved mahogany top, as the Customs do, even though I had initially wanted a carved maple top. I like the smaller frets on the 57's and 58's.

I love it. I am a long-time Tele guy, but really use almost any guitar to make the sounds I need to make. A professional guitar is always nice.

Looked great. The pickguard has an odd rattle and the little curve at the top of it is incredibly jagged and sloppily cut, but I'll excuse them for it. The actual guitar is in great shape and I'm sure I can find a new pickguard if I want.

I love this guitar. I always bring a backup. I'll probably put straplocks on it one day.

Gibson customer service is very good. They respond quickly to email.

Been playing a long time. Always wanted one of these. It lives up to its billing. Expensive, but what are you going to do? You get what you pay for.

2007 LPR7 V.O.S.
Burstbucker 1 & 2

The sound of this guitar is simply amazing. Very sensitive, great dynamics. Superb CLEAN Tones, Killer CRUNCH & DISTORTION. The guitar is very loud and clear sounding unplugged and covers a wide range of frequencies. Singlenote-Playing is a pleasure - this guitar really sings!

-Music Style-
70s & 90s Rock, Alternative/Indepedent/Progressive Rock, Blues, ...

-Amps-
The R7 sounds good on various amps. Works well with vintage amps like a Hiwatt DR103 or a Fender Combo. Sounds even better with Plexi Marshalls. (Pure Zep Tone!!). I tried a - not so good - 2205 JCM800 and was surprised what the R7 did to the amp. Most of my guitars sounded muddy through this amp, even my Stratocaster. The R7 added a very nice sparkle to the overall sound and made the 2205 sound about 30% better and brighter.

-Effects-
Tape Echo & Delay.
What can I say?! Total space rock.

-Sounds/Varieties-
Both pickups are great, the best Gibson Pickups I??ve ever used and the electronics offer
a lot of varieties because you can really work with the pots. Volume and Tone Control usable from 10 to 1.

-Likes-
Early 50s neck, sounds so damn good.

Perfect setup, the V.O.S. are plek??d. Low Action.
Pickups: needed no adjustment

-Finish-
Absolutely perfect. EXTREMELY THIN nitro finish.
Soft aged Hardware: nice!

The R7 surely will withstand live playing.
As mentioned above the finish is very thin -
so I think it will wear off easy with lots of playing.
But that??s okay for me.
Strap Buttons are to small, I changed them.

Never dealt with Gibson.

Playing for 15 years.
Compared it with: R7, R8, R9
This guitar had the best overall unplugged sound.

Well, here's the twist - my Custom Art Historic '57 goldtop has a factory fitted Bigsby! Spotted in on the wall and thought WOW! - a real unique, vintage looking machine - very Keef! Never seen another like it which is v.coool. Gibson confirmed they didn't make any as standard, but there are no other stop tailpeice holes and all experts who have seen it have no doubt that's how it was made. If you have one, let me know!

The bigsby makes this very heavy instument at 4.7 Kg (c.f 2.6Kg for my 52 tele!)

Other than that it's what you'd expect.

It's by far the best Paul I've played - there's no comparrison with my old Standard - loads more snarl and depth. I'd give it a 10, but that's reserved for Clapton's and Kossof's tone! Even unplugged this guitar has a great acoustic tone - very pleasing and weighty. The bridge p/u is bassy though and tends to overpower my JTM45 - rolling the bass down to about 2 keeps the signal more open, but this is more to do with the amp.

I think the Bigsby probably only adds to the impressive sustain.

Can't fault it - this guitar plays in-tune right up the neck and never seems to go yout (I don't wobble the Bigsby too hard though - that would kill it). The aged binding around the frets on the neck shows the great craftsmenship. Can't feel the inlays at all - it's just all so well done.

The nicole hardware is developing a nice patina and the nito finish is softening - no complaints. You do get that gritty/stickiness on the neck, but you get used to that.

Becuase of the Bigsby, if I break a string live, I need to change axe, but that's only happened a small handful of times.

I honestly expect this guitar will still be riffing out sunshine of your love in 250 years time!

Well, they answered my email but I reckon they're wrong about the Bigsby - THEY put it on for sure!

The full RRP on these guitars is ludicrous, but you can always find them heavily discounted (maybe 66% of RRP) - it's an investment so if you've got the money it's gotta be done. I found the '57 gave a much more interesting and truely exciting tone over my rather generic Standard, but you need to judge with your ears and audition side by side with other LPs - they all differ.

Mine was made in 1999 (purchased new 6/2000), so it has '57 Classic pickups instead of Burstbuckers, and does not have the CTS pots or Bumblebee caps.

It's all been said before. Long neck tenon, small headstock, etc. Bottom line: if you want an LP-style guitar that has most of the features of the old ones, it gets about a 7 because it does not have CTS pots and Bumblebees. If those things aren't important to you, they don't really make it any better than an LP standard. That is why I'm not rating it in this category.

This guitar produces the classic Les Paul sound. Nothing more, nothing less. The neck pickup is probably the least useful for my style of playing, however I do use it for some leads that require creamy sustain more than dynamic response. The inbetween setting is my favorite for clean tones, producing a slightly compressed, "chewy" sound. The rear pickup has the boxy roar Les Pauls are known for.

I'd been a Fender guy for years before I bought this guitar. When I decided I wanted a Les Paul, this was the only one I tried (out of several) that perfectly reproduced the sound I had in my head as "that Les Paul tone."

I briefly (for about half a second) considered swapping out the electronics to match the current R7s, with the CTS pots, Bumblebee caps and Burstbucker pickups, but decided against it because I can't imagine this guitar sounding any better than it already does. Different, maybe. Possibly even more historically accurate. But not better.

I play melodic rock music, with a bit of an experimental edge.

I run this guitar through a Mesa Maverick 2x12, and the two sound as if they were intended to work together. In clean settings, I can get a glorious AC-30 chime. In distorted settings, it has a great medium-gain classic rock sound. Additionally, I don't have to compromise between a great distorted rhythm sound and a great lead tone, as it does both beautifully with the same amp settings. Merely selecting a different pickup gives all the range I need.

Rich and full? IMO, this setup is the very definition of rich and full.

I bought this guitar from a store that supposedly set it up before I bought it, so I can't comment on the factory setup. However, when I bought it, the nut was cut way too low and had to be replaced. I had it swapped for a bone nut, as opposed to the plastic nut it came with.

After replacing the nut and getting a proper setup, it is too good to be true. There is absolutely no relief in the neck, and the action is consistent all the way up and down the fretboard. The feel is exactly the way I want it, with just enough resistance to know you're actually playing a guitar (using Regular Slinky strings), but not so stiff as to be tiresome.

The neck shape feels as if it were made for my hands alone. I can play this guitar longer than anything else without my hands feeling fatigued. Before I had this LP, I never knew I could play a guitar for more than an hour or so without sore hands.

I used this guitar as my main axe for recording, playing live and at practice for three years, only using something else when I broke a string. And I only broke a string twice. It will stay in tune for about a week under such use, despite what others have said about the tuners.

The finish is a vintage-style nitrocelluloce laquer, and will be subject to the disadvantages of such a finish. This is something I'm willing to accept to get the vintage feel and tone I was looking for, so it doesn't bother me. But don't expect it to hold up like a modern finish.

Likewise, the hardware is nickle plated, and subject to tarnish very easily. Flitz polish will take care of that, so it's really just a matter of maintenance. Since I prefer the depth of a nickle finish to a chrome one, this is again a compromise that doesn't bother me.

The original strap buttons were tiny. But again, this is easily fixed, and I wouldn't use any guitar without straplocks, so this is moot.

Can I depend on it? I did depend on it, and it never let me down. As soon as I get another band together, I look forward to depending on it again. However, I'd never gig without a backup guitar, as string breakage can always happen.

I'm giving this guitar a 10 in this category because the cosmetic concerns are merely a byproduct of building the guitar as close as possible to vintage specs, and because for the things that really count it is utterly dependable.

Never tried, never will.

I take all my guitars to the same guy for work, and trust him far more than some "factory-approved" repair shop. If something should ever fail, I'm taking it to him and paying out of my own pocket.

I've been playing for almost 21 years now. I also own a Fender Jaguar, a Fender Telecaster, the aforementioned Mesa Maverick and a Mesa Nomad 55 2x12.

Just last month I purchased a Historic '62 SG/LP reissue, which will now be my backup/companion for my Goldtop.

Overall, this is, and always will be, my main guitar. There is no higher praise I can give than that. I love everything about it. I would complain about the price, but I've never played a guitar that I liked better, and in light of how faithfully it's served me, I think it was worth the money.

Pre VOS. June '05 manufacture.

Compared to the three other Les Pauls I've owned this guitar is impressive. I've always had the 490r/498t pickups and also have a Deluxe with the minis. I am impressed with the Burstbuckers both clean and overdriven. The sound is very defined and articulate.

The finish it beautiful and flawless. I always wanted a Goldtop and the gold is spectacular unlike the knockoffs which look yellow or orange. Now my big grip. BAD NUT!!! The damn thing won't stay in tune and the nut needs to be recut. My guess is the bad reviewer below had the same thing as me and the other players who needed the nuts recut. Why does Gibson allow this? Laziness? Apathy? Well since this is such a small, cheap part that would be perfect if someone actually cared to do it right I am dropping my rating to a 1. There is no excuse for a $5000 MSRP guitar to leave the factory with a poorly cut $2.00 nut!

It will be in my will and left to my sons.

Actually every time I call Gibson I get an immediate answer. The shop I bought the guitar from will fix the nut problem for free so I have no gripe here.

If the nut were cut right it's be a 10. Custom Shop for the price of a Standard. The best Les Paul bang for the buck available.

'05 Gibson Historic 1957 reissue gold top Les Paul - non-VOS.

The following features differentiate it from a standard Gibson USA Les Paul.

Nitrocellulose finish.
ABR1 bridge.
Lightweight aluminum tailpiece.
Vintage Kluson tuners.
Medium profile neck.
Dark back.
Bumblebee caps. CTS pots.
Burstbucker 1&2 pickups.
Long neck tenon.
Holly headstock veneer.
Silkscreened "Les Paul" logo
Certificate of Authenticity.
Various reproduction tags.
Custom Shop hardshell case.

Like heaven. Especially through my Valvetech Hayseed 30 (AC30 clone). The resonance and sustain is amazing. It's a sound I've been chasing all my life.

I made the mistake of playing a friend's R7 through my amp, and for a year after, I tried to find that elusive sound again. I put various pickups in my SG, ending up with a set of Fralins (very nice, by the way) and using my amp's EF86 front end instead of its ECC83. I got close but not quite there. Then I finally figured it out: it's the wood, stupid. The neck. The maple cap. Everything. They all combine in a perfect storm of tone. I even love the stock BurstBucker 1&2 pickups!

It needed to be intonated and have the nut cut (mine's an '05, non Plek'd model). Once I did that, It played like a dream. The rest of the guitar is immaculate.

Mine has more of a '59 neck - a little lower profile and bigger frets than other '57s I've played, which is great. I don't like baseball-bat necks. Also, mine's a darkback, which looks waaay cool. This guitar also came with bumblebee caps and CTS pots, in addition to a whole mess of case candy (cord, picks, cloth, COA, repro tags, etc.).

Built like a tank, naturally.

Haven't had to use it yet.

Best guitar I've ever played. If anyone stole this guitar, I would hunt him down and perform acts of such violence and depravity on him and his family that Keyser S?ze himself would say, "Gee, don't you think you're overdoing it a bit there, fella?"

2005 Made goldtop with Burstbucker 1 & 2 pickups. This is not the newer VOS series, this is the regular Historic Collection 57 Goldtop. Has the green gibson tuners, as well as turtoise fret markers on the neck. Is correct to a 57 in almost every aspect that I can see.

I play with 2 bands, one of the newer emo (Hawthorne Heights, My Chemical Romance) and a classic rock band. For emo I run through a AVT150 halfstack and the sound is great. It is a little brighter than a les paul standard. Also running through a deluxe reverb this sound is very dynamic for clean. This les paul I have been able to get the most variety of sounds from.

The action was slightly higher than I like, however the baseball bat neck accomdated for this. The finish is absolutly beautiful as well is the 1 piece mahogony body.

Ive gigged this guitar once so far and it held up fine. Most gibson's feel much more solid than their epiphone sisters, and I belive that this one will hold up for many many years to come. I always bring a back up, but have never had to use one with any gibson product.

I never dealt with gibson, but it has a lifetime warrenty.

I have been playing for 6 years now, as well as own 7 other fenders. I traded in a gibson les paul standard for this one, due to the large baseball bat neck. I tottaly love this guitar and I chose it soley on the sound and feel. My only dislikes are metal indicators on the volume/tone knobs. They could possibly cause a need for stiches if hit the wrong way.

PAF, CTS, Alu-stoptail, Bumblebees,... that's known. So what I would like to talk about is, why I got this Goldtop Darkback CS 57 reissue. It was simply the sound. I've been loocking for a Les Paul allready for some years. There always have been three reasons not to buy one. The price, the finish, the sound. One day I was playing in a guitar shop some Les Pauls and I was impressed by some authentic models (but the price is absolutly rediculous) when I found this Goldtop. By far the best LP for a not too exeeded price. It was love from first sight.

NOT muddy, with excellent highs. Extremly direct, excellent response. You switch the pickups and you have an good variaty of sounds (Not normal for all LPs). Diezel Einstein, TC G-Major, 2*12 and 1*15 Cabs, thats it... Its bright sound is that well, that I play also songs with it, that I used to play with my strat. And this is funny to me, because I wanted it "only" for Blues, where this Guitar is unbelievable.

What do a have to say: It's a Gibson! The finish is seen the price poor. In my case I was lucky, I would quote the finish with 5. I've seen much worse. Thre knobs had cracks, they have been replaced after 2 months of waiting, BUT they have been replaced...
The nitrofinish they used is extremly sticky on the neck, when you play longer then 5 min. On stage you have to wipe the neck after each song. I'm still thinking about removing the paint from the neck...

I hope that it will withstand live playing, but I think, some that's ambicious. The tuners seem the first thing to change...

They needed several weeks for changing the ckracked knobs, but they changed it. Even it is sad, that this seems allready satisfying, but it's what you can expect...

It was love from first sight. After 30 years of playing Blues, Rock and Jazz I found an excellent guitar to complete my setup. I play Diezel Einstein, Fender Super Reverb, a modified Laney GC30, but the combination of the Diezel with the LP ist currently my favorite. I own also some Strats (Fender, Tommys special Guitars, Warmoth) wich I love to play over the Super Reverb. From MY point of view the LP and the Super Reverb don't fit that well.
I hope that I could find another LP like that if it would be stolen...

It's a Les Paul...you know all the features by now. Darkback '57 reissue of recent vintage.

Acoustically, this thing sings. Nice tone and sustain. No buzzes, no dead spots. Outstanding.

I bought it used for $1900 in essentially new condition. I doubt the previous owner had it set up, since it looks unplayed, tags still on it. The goldtop is flawless, binding perfect, neck is straight as an arrow. I like the slightly smaller frets on this baby compared to the current production LP. The difference in playability between the production LP and this is night and day. Fret finish is far superior, the neck is straighter, without a single buzz, and the quality of the rosewood used for the fingerboard is much better, with finer grain, and a firmer feel. String bends are easier, in part thanks to the superior quality of workmanship in the inlays. The are perfectly flush with the rosewood, something that cannot be said for the production axe.


If you check the Musician's Friend catalog, you'll see that this baby costs only $300 more than the production axe. Folks, you are spending over two grand on a guitar, which we all know is silly, so spend the 300 extra measly bucks and get the custom shop model. THERE IS NO COMPARISON. I gave up a breathtaking flame top in sunburst for this axe, and I'm glad I did. What a fine instrument.

Examples of this model have been gigged since 1952. Unless you have a catastrophic neck or headstock break, this sucker will outlast you.

Never dealt with Gibson, I have a local luthier who does good work.

I love this thing. If it were stolen or lost, I'd freak out, claim the insurance, and buy another, without question. In a perfect world, it would have a stunning flamed maple top, but I wouldn't trade this axe for love nor money.

I've already said this, but spring for the few extra bucks and buy the custom shop axes. My brother has a '57 three pickup Black Beauty, and it is also a beauty.

'05 Gibson Custom Art and Historic 1957 Goldtop Reissue. Everyone knows the features of this guitar, it is the standard of Rock n Roll !!

Giving a 9 to features to give give this a level playing feild..I mean does any guitar really have above average features? Two pickups, toggle switch..pretty basic.

Wow, this is were tone in not subjective. Think early Clapton, Page, Allman brothers,..think of most of your favorite guitarsit from the late 60's and 70's...THIS Guitar can give you those sounds!

I know alot of gus are really into replacing pickups, but I find the stock Burstbuker 1 & 2 to sound perfect in this guitar. Mine weighs in at 8lb and 14 oz...From perfectly clean, to full out Jimmy page with a roll of the volume knob.

I play this guitar through a Vintage blackface Fender Bassman, loaded with Phillips 6L6WGC or JJ 6V6s depending on mood, or Marshall JTM-45 RI, modded by David Bray, with a Post phase inverter master volume, and other mods (this amp rocks!!!...seek out David when buying a Marshall!)

I'm 42 years old as of the date I'm writing this..and this is "THE SOUND" I've been looking for since my teenage years

Well, I can't credit Gibson for the set up, as the Tech recut the nut, adjust intonation, checked fret level before I picked it up. It was perect from day one in my hands. HUGE fat juicy neck...if you like skinny necks...this guitar is NOT for you

Finish, hardware, pickups...everyting else was perfect. This is my fourth Les Paul since 1978...best one ever!

I own several guitars and this is the nicest of them all, including a 1996 Fender SRV strat, and a Fender Custom shop '51 Nocaster. I just sold a '01 Gibson Les Paul standard ( great guitar for the money), but the Historics just blow the production guitars away!

I had to deal with Gibson once in '01 with my Standard. They answered every email quiclky, and sent me to a authorized repair center where my problem ws corrected that day (a slight finish flaw, some "orange peel")

This guitar is perfect...no need for service, If i did , I would imagine as good as my previous expereince.

I've been plauing for over 29 years now. If this guitar was stolen, I would kill the guy. I don't know if I could find a replacement! I was never a Goldtop guy..alway bought Burst. My last guitat had a AAA flame top in light burst...BUT if you want to get into a Historic Les paul for about $2000.00 LESS tha buying a '59 Reissue, then this is the perfect guitar for you. There is a NEW '06 historic that private reserve guitars is offering..a flamed top '57 for around $2700. a great way to get a flamed historic without the $4500-4700 price! I'm going to wait to some of the member on the Les Paul forum buy a few before I run out, but I think the '06 will be my next purchase!

Buy a Historic, you will never regret it!