Gibson 1954 Les Paul Oxblood Historic Reissue

This is a 1999 version. I bought it on eBay believing the blurb about Burstbuckers, CTS pots and bumblebee caps. This site and every other site I've seen that mentions this guitar says that this guitar comes standard with those parts, however, when I opened it up it did not have CTS pots...or BB caps...nor does it have BBuckers. BBuckers weren't used on LPs until about 2001, I think. I should have checked more carefully when I bought it. Everything else is probably the same as the other reviewers describe.

Beware if you are buying an earlier Oxblood. It will be different than the newer ones.

I had a 20 year love affair with Les Pauls of various vintages. My all time favorite was a '68 with P90s that unfortunately disappeared from my studio about 10 years ago. Because of the '68, I switched to LPjrs...and have pretty much stuck to single coils ever since. The reason I bought this guitar was sentimental--largely due to the fact that the first album I ever bought was Jeff Beck's Blow by Blow. Although I'm not so much into humbuckers anymore, I love fat necks and LPjr style bridges.

When this guitar finally arrived, I was mentally prepared to fall in love with it and use it as one of my main workhorses. When I plugged it in--what a letdown. This is undoubtedly one of the most average sounding guitars I have played in a long time. I played it through a Mojave Scorpion, Coyote, 4x12 G12H, and 2x12 Blue Alnico cabinet, 61 Fender deluxe, 59 tweed pro...and other amps, and I could not find a single setting that made me sit up and think that this was a guitar I wanted to continue playing. Boring, boring, boring!

Admittedly, some of those amps are best suited to single coils. But I have several Brubakers with buckers that sound outstanding through them. I also admit that I am spoiled as far as nice guitars go. My main guitars are Suhrs and this does not come close.

Seriously, if someone is thinking about dropping this kind of coin for a Les Paul, I strongly recommend that they try out Suhrs and Brubakers. This guitar made me realize why I switched.

Quite well made for a Gibson, but even Custom Shop guitars are a big step down from handmade Suhrs or Brus--which one can pick up on eBay for a similar price. The only thing that really felt good about this guitar was the the feel of the tuners...silky smooth! Sorta sad that 80 dollar tuners were the most impressive thing about a Custom Shop Historic Reissue.

It's a Les Paul. These don't take the abuse a bolt on will take, but anyone buying a LP will (or should) expect that.

I've already covered quite a bit of the gear I use. As much as I still like Jeff Beck's playing, I would never buy another one of these.

For people who have been playing Epiphones, non-Custom Shop Les Pauls and other cheaper guitars, the Oxblood may feel and sound pretty nice. But it is nowhere near the sound and quality one gets with similarly priced guitars by smaller builders.

My recommendation for people looking for a guitar that plays and sounds great is to check out similarly priced Suhrs and Brubakers. Mine Oxblood is going back up on the block. I should have waited to write this until after I sold it.

2004 R4 Oxblood, standard LP features but has the added benefit of a wrap-tail bridge and probably the biggest neck ever put on a les paul. Other reviewers have gone into much detail as to the features of this guitar...

I lusted after one of these things for quite sometime---quite sometime. I finally found one for a decent price on the used market and jumped at it. Mine is very light, about 8.5 lbs or less, so that is an added benefit. As other have mentioned, the wraptail does give the guitar a slinky type feeling, but coming from playing SGs and LP with stop tails, it still takes some getting used to to get that palm muting "chunk" that I utilize extensively in my playing (think Appetite era GNR, some rockier Gov't Mule, and some other heavier-but-not-quite-metal rhythm songs.

Notes have a sort of "bloom" when coming off of this guitar, and my band mates commented that it almost sounds "delicate." It's an extremely versatile instrument as far as LPs go.

As I mentioned, I play hard rock with a southern edge, so my rig consists mainly of vintage effects and old marshall stacks.

The stock pups were nice---they gave the guitar a bit of a woody feeling and definitely brought out the tonal characteristics of the guitar. However, I felt the bridge was lacking a little sparkle and balls, so I have since swapped it out with an SD Alnico II Pro. I left the neck pup as stock. Basically, I have the same pup configuration on the Oxblood as I have on my '57 Goldtop. However, the sound is still more open, almost vocal, on the oxblood. Not necessarily better, but a refreshing change. The Goldtop probably has a bit more focused and defined sound.

In summary, it's a full bodied, very nuanced sound that eliminates a lot of the "whoomp" of one trick pony les pauls. It has rich mids, responsive bass, and vocal highs.

BTW, the neck on this thing is massive, so that coupled with the wraptail I think are the biggest determinants of its sound.

I got it second hand, but had it set up by Jimmy Vaughn's tech here in Austin. I find the strings a bit hard to really dig into passed the 18 fret, but I don't have this problem on my Goldtop or especially on my SG.

The finish is very thin--which is good for sound, bad for people who want to "oooh" and "ahh" at it's intrinsic beauty. To me, the prettiest guitars I have ever seen are 1. Page's '58, 2. Slash's '87 Standard (broken in 3 different areas on the neck), 3. Duane's '59 (again broken multiple times) and last but not least, Beck's original Oxblood which is most certainly beat to hell...the use and wear and tear make it look and sound much better.

In all honesty, I bought this b/c of the wraptail b/c I was tired of breaking strings on saddles from a stop tail...but i'm still breaking strings...oh well. Regardless, the guitar is reliable and stable.

Gibson's are pretty delicate intrinsic to their design, so don't be trying no SRV guitar surfing moves...

I play and gig with this frequently and aside from strings, have no other qualms.

The few times I've called them, they've been pretty helpful.

If you're thinking of getting a les paul, you really can't go wrong with this guitar. It may well be the best sounding les paul out there. if you hunt around, you can get one new for around $2300 + tax.

It's a beautiful, function over form guitar that can hold it's own and probably beat any other set neck guitar you put against it.

This is a late 2004 Gibson R4 Oxblood Les Paul modeled after Jeff Beck's old refinished '54 Les Paul. I'm rating this one high in the features category because it really is everything I currently want out of a Les Paul. For starters, I really like the huge necks on these Historic Les Pauls (used to own a '57 goldtop RI) and the quality that is coming out of the custom shop (*when you find the right one*). I also wanted the wrap-around tail piece but with humbuckers instead of P-90s. This particular model shipped with Burstbuckers 2 and 3. I dig the metal Schaller tuners more than the plastic-knob Klusons that are on most of the other reissue Les Pauls. These are non-locking but they do just fine and the guitar holds its tune well as long as it was strung correctly. This guitar came with the typical black Gibson "Custom, Art and Historic" case with the plush burgundy lining.

Also, this finish is really unique. See below...

I play a mix of original alt. rock and also play in a cover band that does blues, classic rock and modern alt. rock. I have my old Rivera K-55 head that I've used since '99 but lately I have been using my Allen Old Flame head through a sealed Soldano 2x12 cabinet. These Allen amps don't have to do the blues/blackface thing, they can rock. I generally don't like to use more than one or two pedals because I'm lazy and don't like the clutter, but I've been finding I need more lately so here's the path: R4 Oxblood>Vox 847 wah>TC Jauernig Gristle King>BYOC delay>Korg DT-10 tuner>Allen Old Flame. I also have a Tophat Club Royale 2x12 combo.

This guitar does what I want a Les Paul to do--sound huge and mean, or huge and sweet. I don't use it for clean sounds very much, but if I did I would think a mellower set of pickups would be in order; something like Duncan '59s or Alnico Pro IIs. The Burstbuckers are hotter than average but I am liking them the more I play them. I initially planned to replace them as soon as I got the guitar but I'm finding that they sound good on a range of sounds, not just for high gain. Plain and simple, the Oxblood plays and sounds great. A factor could also be the wrap-around tail piece. I don't completely understand the physics of it, but I have been told that the way the string wraps around and the way the 2 screws are anchored to the body help add sustain and make bends easier. I've got the guitar strung up with D'addario .010s and it has a very slinky feel to it compared to the feel of .010s on a Tune-o-matic. All I know is this guitar sustains and rings like crazy. It is not dull and thuddy like some Les Pauls that I've played, although the neck pickup is a little darker than I like.

I bought the guitar in Feb. 2006, so the guitar was second hand. It was in new condition, but I really can't comment on the factory setup. The previous owner had the pickups set a little high and because of the hot pickups, the sound was a little harsh. I've since lowered them so that they're about the height of the pickup rings (give or take a little). Also, the G string has a slight 'ping' that I've traced to the nut. I need to file this down and if that doesn't work, I'll have a bone nut installed. That sucks, I know.

THE COLOR: I love Les Pauls, but I'm not big on the flame and burst thing that everybody goes nuts for. My favorites have always been goldtops, but this Oxblood finish is very classy and cool. It looks black in pictures and in darker settings, but in the light and in person you can plainly see that it's a chocolate brown color. I'm a dork, I named mine "Oxey Brown".

The hardware is good, everything is really. I've had other Les Pauls, including one Historic. This guitar will outlive me. I depend on this guitar to be my "go to", but I have others. I need to put straplocks on though.

Never dealt with Gibson but the guy I got this from was very cool. He has a store in NH. As for the price, it wasn't the deal of the century, but I think it was fair based on availability.

I'm 33 and have been playing guitar for about 15 years. I am a Les Paul guy and this is my 5th one and the one I plan on keeping. I had a '90 Standard that I was in love with and used almost exclusively from '94 until early '06. This Oxblood replaced that guitar. I was nervous that I wouldn't like it as much but after 4 months I've decided that this is truly the best Les Paul I've owned yet, even better than my old one and the '57 goldtop RI. The Oxbloods are not totally rare, but they are a little harder to come by, especially on the used market so I'd be heart broken if it were lost or stolen. The only thing I wish it had was Strap Locks, but that is easily and cheaply remedied. My other guitars are a Heritage H-150 and a Nash '60s S-type (Strat). My sound is mostly the Les Paul, but the Nash is an equally great guitar for when you need that kind of sound.

As listed in other reviews; 54 Reissue "unoffical Jeff Beck model", wrap
around stop tail/bridge, rosewood fretboard, aged binding, Schaler tuners, Burstbuckers 2 and 3, 2 volume/2 tone controls respectively finished in a very deep rich oxblood color.

WOW!! My Mesa Boogie Road King never sounded this good! The Oxblood has a vibe to it that i can't quite put my finger on.. it blows away my '02 Std, '95 Classic, '95 PRS CU24, '04 McCarty, '96 Parker Deluxe, '97 Parker Supreme! I walked in on a "just browsing" expedition to my local Gibson "Mega dealer" who carry alot of beautiful LPs, custom shop, R8, R9 etc. Both sales associates were drooling over the Oxblood but couldn't afford the price tag.. within 2 hours I played 3 different high end lPs including a 5K R9 aged Authentic; but the Oxblood was just outstanding in both craftmanship and tone. Direct through a Bogner 1/2 stack I got tones from earthy blues to roaring rock by pup selection and volume/tone controls.

The neck/fretboard/jumbo frets are impeccable! This is by far the best example of Gibson craftsmanship in the 25+ years I've been playing Gibsons. Expertly setup, the guitar sustains and chords right out even unplugged! The 3 way toggle switch is remarkably smooth, unlike other LPs i've played. My only negative is the volume controls don't taper a much as I would like. Other than that it's absolutely wonderful. Feels lighter than both my Std and Classic; i'm told this due to Custom shop gets top picks in tone wood selection, and it's not weight relieved.

Owned many Gibson guitars through the years, this one should hold up
quite well; i take good care of my instruments.

Never had to deal with them.

I've been playing for 25+ years, and at times was dissappointed by
Gibson quality control; hence my other high end guitars. I seem to
be using my PRSs less and less and the Oxblood may force me to retire and sell others as well. The quality is evident through every detail.
I can't be happier. If you're looking a great sounding, very versatile
LP this is it!!

Made at the Gibson Custom Shop in the US - standard Les Paul fair, with the addition of the proper neck tenon. It's a one-piece mahogany body with a two-piece maple top and a beautiful "Oxblood" finish. Viewed at a distance or in photos it appears to be black; in truth it is a dark brown/maroon - like blood viewed under a full moon. It is a beautiful finish. It's a reproduction of the guitar seen on the back of Jeff Beck's "Wired" CD, and on the cover of "Blow by Blow". Standard fair for controls - volume and tone for each passive humbucking pickup (Gibson Burstbuckers - a "2" in the neck position and a "3" in the bridge position). It has a nitrocellulose finish that is in general - beautiful. The bridge and tailpiece are combined into one "wraparound" aluminum unit. The tuners are Shallers. The neck? In a word - huge. This is essentially what would have been the Jeff Beck model, had he not been under contract to Fender. If you've ever played a Fender Jeff Beck model Strat (especially the early ones), you've an idea what the neck is like. I've huge hands, so it fits me wonderfully. It has jumbo frets, and came with the standard fair of "stuff" that accompanies any guitar from the Gibson Custom Shop

I play a wide variety of styles, from blues to jazz, to R&B, to classic rock, to modern rock to "nu-metal". It does a pretty good job over covering all of the styles. I'm running the guitar primarily through a 4x10 Budda Twinmaster, although it does see duty through a Marshall Jubilee 1/2 stack, a Fender Pro Junior with Weber speaker, and a Mesa MkIV 1x12 combo with 1x12 Theile-ported cab. My pedalboard includes a TC Electronics compressor, a Budda wah, a Ibanez TS-10 modded to TS-808 specs (thanks Analog Mike!) a stock TS-10 as a boost, a Robert Keeley modified Blues Driver, a Budda Phatman, a Fulltone Dejavibe (the old white one), a Diaz Tremedillo, and either an ancient Echoplex or Maxon AD-900 delay. All that said, this guitar is way cool when run through and overdriven tube amp alone. It's a very quite guitar. It's sound - FAT. Fatter than the 1968 Les Paul Goldtop I used to own, fatter than any of the PRS Customs I've owned. It can sound bright, but works really well with the tone knobs rolled back (Clapton "woman" tone lives here). It does the Gary Moore "Oh Pretty Woman" tone right outta the box - turn up and drive a Marshall and enjoy. It does the Billy Gibbons thang easily, "Land of the Midnight Sun" era Al DiMeola is in there as well. It also has a phat bottom end. Listen to Jeff Beck's "Blow by Blow" and "Wired" CDs - wide variety of tones. I was surprised by it's clean neck-position tone - schweet! My band covers Eva Cassidy's version of "People Get Ready" (old Curtis Mayfield tune), which requires a very clean tone - no problem. The Burstbucker pickups are hotter than I expected, but I've adapted. They scream, they cry, they wail, they're warm and very thick. My only niggle is with the way the humbuckers kick in when the volume knob is increased from 0 - they suddenly come on hard and get louder. I'd like a bit more taper. I've never rated a guitar's tone at 10, but this one is way up there.

It was set up well. The low E buzzes slightly with played hard (strung with .011s), but the action is pretty low and it plays in tune all the way up the fretboard. The .011s play as if they wre .010s (or less). Whole-step (and beyond) bends are buttery. Achieving a wide-interval vibrato is a breeze. Pickups required no change, all hardward work is supurb. There is very slight orange-peel in the finish (need to look closely under the proper lighting) right where the neck joins the body, otherwise it's perfect.

I've played Les Pauls previously in my career, switched to Strats when everybody went Les Paul, and have recently gone back to both. I've no worries about this guitar holding up - none. The finish could be an issue to some - it's real nitrocellulose. As such, it's soft and will scratch easily. I never play a gig without a backup guitar. Because of the wraparound bridge/tailpiece, I'd carry a spare - not the type of bridge that allows string-changes while standing onstage, should one break.

Never dealt with Gibson

I've been playing a little over 30 years. I'd use up all of the server space on Harmony Central if I were to list all my gear. Guitar-wise, the short list - a real 1961 Fender Strat (stock), a 1986 PRS (pre-birds and maple top), a couple FrankenStrats (primarily Fender parts), a 1958 Les Paul Jr (stock), BC Rich Mockingbird, Epiphone Casion with Bigsby... I won't even begin to list the acoustic guitars. Nasty case of Guitar Acquisition Syndrome. If it were to be stolen I'd hunt the creep down and take a personal interest in seeing him/her suffer.... seriously - I'd get another one. Historic Reissue flametops may be eye-candy, but I defy anyone to come up with one that "out-tones" an Oxblood. I love the tone of this thing - sheer tone monster, and I've played/owned LOTS of Les Pauls. The wraparound bridge/tailpiece imparts unreal sustain - great for Carlos Santana impersonation. I don't really "hate" anything about it. I LOVE this instrument. I kinda wish the finish were more durable, but with the tone it gets - fugitaboutit... The only thing I wish it had (and I may add, maybe not) is coil-taps for each pickup and phase reversal. Honestly - you won't find a better Les Paul tone outta the box. I'm not the type to gush over a guitar, but this one is worthy of praise.

All the features where mentioned before, so just can tell, that this guitar has everything it takes.

As far as I can judge on that - due to the fact that I'am not a good guitar player - this guitar sounds really incredible.
Compared to the sound of this guitar, my Les Paul Classic soungs really thin.
I got attracted to this guitar, when I read the Jeff Beck Biography "Crazy Fingers", where the History of the "Oxblood" was described.
I hoped, that I would sound as good, as it looked and now I can say - out of experience - that it sounds even better than it looks, where there's to say, that this guitar really rocks.
It was said before - but the sustain is incredible and the tone is very open, very intense - just great!
Despite the fact, that the name "1954 Historic reissue" probably indicates something different - this guitar really fits for Rock Music - it's a great instrument and I never owned something like that before!

This guitar must be encounterd in reality - the beauty of the colour is not visible on pictures - it looks very, very good - a gem!

I'am sure it will last - I will handle it with care!

No need to try - so I don't know

Seems like reviews of the 1954 Oxblood are just like London buses: you wait years for one and then three turn up at the same time?

I live in London, England and had this shipped over to me in ten months ago (March 2003). It was made in January 2003 ? serial number is 4 3016 ? and I found it by doing a Google search on the Internet. Wildwood Guitars isn?t a member of Gbase.com but, luckily, my search threw the guitar up and I took it from there.

If you?ve seen pictures of Jeff Beck?s "Blow by Blow/Wired"-era Les Paul, then you know what this looks like. Standard wiring ? two humbuckers, two vols, two tones, three-way selector switch, and that?s it. What more do you need? The pots are CTS and the capacitors are those big fat stripy ones that Gibson used way back in the 1950s. Wiring is flawless and the soldering is clean as a whistle.

The tuners are Schallers and cleanly installed, and make a change looking at the back of a headstock at tuners that should be replacements, but aren?t, so you don?t get those ugly "raggedy-Anne" unplugged screw holes and indents in the lacquer where original Klusons once resided. The Schallers do the job fine and, as I now use 11-50s on this guitar, give you something to grip when tuning up and, in my opinion, give a more reassuring feel than snot-green triangle button Klusons.

The unusual factor is the wrap-over tailpiece, and this is the first guitar I?ve ever owned with such a feature. This is a "plain" top on the bridge, and not the "lightning bolt" intonation you see on 1960s SG Juniors/Specials. It?s nickel plated and feather-light ? I believe this enhances tone.

The single-ply binding on the body and neck has been treated to give it a creamy aged look, and this sets the Oxblood finish off. Describing this colour is difficult because, to most casual glances, the guitar looks black. It?s "black" in the same way that black coffee is "black" or Guinness is "black", that is, a very dark brown.

If you get a pint of Guinness or a cup of black coffee and shine a flashlight on it, you?ll notice they?re both dark brown. Well, this guitar?s finish is like that. In daylight, it has a reddish tint (this is relative ? think a slice of raw pig?s liver and it?s more that vibe) and if you get it in sunlight it?s very dark brown. I have to say it?s an intriguing colour and one that I like more each time I get the guitar out of its case.

One nice little touch: the marker dots in the cream neck binding aren?t, as you first suspect, black. Look closer, and you see they?re like tortoise-shell: sort of brown swirl/marble effect, and each dot unique. Cool. It also has that vibe of dark guitar/cream plastic bits, a bit like the Les Paul customs played by Peter Frampton, Steve Marriot and Thin Lizzy?s Brian Robertson. It?s a classy look.

The case was the one thing that confounded expectations when I opened the shipping carton, as I expected it to be tan leatherette with pink lining. It?s actually black vinyl with deep red interior and the Gibson logo in gold. But it?s a snug fit.

My only gripe is where the exterior vinyl is stuck to curves of the case?s "waist" as either they didn?t allow enough material to get around the curve or didn?t apply enough glue, as the vinyl was lifting from the case on both sides. Easy to fix with some glue, but on a custom shop Historic instrument case, you expect a bit better.

But, everything aside, I didn?t buy the guitar for any of the above. I bought it for the neck. This is the fattest neck on any Gibson-style guitar I?ve ever played. If you think the 1957 reissues have thick necks, try one of these babies. From headstock to heel, it doesn?t taper one jot. Combined with the standard wide flare of the width of a Les Paul neck, you realise you?ve got a sizeable chunk of mahogany in your paw. Dunno if the 1954 Goldtop Historic has a neck this fat, or if it?s just the Oxblood, but I wanted humbuc

Burstbucker pickups fitted as standard; no chrome/nickel cover, just the open double black coils. I?d never played a guitar fitted with burstbuckers before I had this guitar shipped 4,000 miles across the Atlantic but, as I?ve said before, I bought this guitar for the neck and figured I could easily change the p/ups if I didn?t like them.

I tried an Oxblood in London (the only other one I?ve ever seen), so I wasn?t exactly buying "deaf and blind". The one in London was twice the price of what you can buy them for in the USA (and what I bought mine for, even after import duty and loads of taxes had been added). The one in the store in London was a 2000 model, and the pickups in it were Classic ?57s and I thought them adequate rather than spectacular.

But when I took this Oxblood out of the case and plugged it in, it sounded great ? really full, open tone.

My main amp is a Burman 501 combo (made in 1978, the greatest British amps ever built? see my review elsewhere on Harmony-Central). Burmans were hand-wired military-spec tone-to-the-bone machines with KT77 power tubes. They are unforgiving amps if you plug a shitty guitar through them. But this Oxblood sang ? it really did.

I set the amp so to use the guitar?s volume control almost like a overdrive, so up to five on the volume?s taper, I like it clean with a bark if I dig in or thrash out a chord. After that, I want that top-end bacon fat sizzle you can only get with a Les Paul?s bridge pick up through a British amp. But I don?t want the neck p/u sounding muddy and flabby (this is a compromise you often have to make). I want that violin-like legato fluidity, but I don?t want it flabby.

Well, these burstbuckers do that job wonderfully. My other Les Paul is a 1990 LP 1960 Classic plaintop with a honeyburst finish. Now, I bought this particular instrument from a mate 10 years ago for a good price (he needed the money to buy the blink-and-you-missed-it Jimmy Page Les Paul), but the stock pickups sucked. Really characterless and they had just a big, dumb, shouty-sounding tone that I disliked. I whipped those out and dropped in a set of Seymour Duncan Antiquities and the tone improved so much. So, when it comes to humbuckers, Antiquities are my tone benchmark.

But these Burstbuckers sound uncannily like the Antiquities. Not the most powerful p/ups you?ll hear, but they have a soulful woodiness and a sweetness that extenuates all that lovely stuff like pick scrapes, pick attack and how it all interacts with the volume you?re pumping out and how your amp?s set up.

So, to my ears, if you love Antiquities, you?ll love Burstbuckers. But the tone of the Oxblood with its thin lacquer finish and wrap-over tailpeice and that huge neck, make it resonate in such a pleasing way, that the Burstbuckers have the edge. So much so, a month after I got the Oxblood, I whipped the Antiquities out of the LP Classic, popped the stock p/ups back in and sold it on ebay.co.uk for more than I paid for it

The three reviews below say how versatile this Oxblood is, and I can only add my voice to theirs. Think of every Les Paul tone that you?ve ever loved, and this guitar can nail it. But it helps if you set it up right ? this is the only adjustment I?ve made and it?s to the p/ups pole pieces.

Set the two outside pole pieces flush with the top of the p/u but with the screwdriver slots at opposing 45-degree angles. Then set the remaining central four screws in a corresponding saw-tooth pattern but humping up to match a 12" radius. Just use the inside curve of the tailpiece as a guide if you don?t have a radius gauge. Then adjust the p/ups height to the strings. I assure you, your guitar will be more responsive and string-to-string balance will improve.

My standard gig rig is a guitar (I now only own two electrics ? this Oxblood and an original 1953 Telecaster that I?ve had for twenty years), some FX and my Burman. I have a Tweed Fender Pro Junior for playing in the house, because I like

Now, I?m picky with guitars and I?ve scanned this guitar in the ten months I?ve owned it and can?t find a cosmetic flaw. Nitro-cellulose takes a bit of upkeep and, because of the colour of this guitar, where your sweaty forearm rubs against the body?s upper bout, you get that milky blush. And finger marks show up, so you have to give it a wipe-down to keep it looking trim.

The finish is skilfully applied ? it?s so thin, it sunk into the grain on the guitar?s back and, if you hold the top so the light glances off you can discern the (very faint) centre join of the maple cap through the lacquer. You have to look REALLY hard, but in the right light, you can see it.

It played beautifully straight out of the shipping carton. The action was perfect, the nut slots snug and it intonated perfectly. This was my one main worry. The wrap-over was superseded by the adjustable bridge and stud tailpiece, so I assumed it was because the Gibson figured the wrap-over wasn?t very effective. But it is: I didn?t have to touch the grub screws that push it away from the studs.

And the wrap-over is, I feel, one of the secrets of this guitar?s outstanding resonance and playability. Before the Oxblood, I strung my guitars with 10-46 strings, and the Oxblood came with these gauges installed. But they felt sloppy, like a set of 009s. So I bought a set of Gibson Brite Wires 11-50 and slapped them on. Perfect. Tension equals tone, so not only did I get better tension from thicker strings, but it came with no increase in effort (and possible strain injury) to move the strings on the fretboard.

Other than doing my 12" radius adjustment on the p/u pole pieces (which I?d do to any Gibson I owned, whether loaded with humbuckers or P90s), that?s it. Tune up, plug in, get rockin?.

Ever wondered why most of the Les Pauls Gibson made between 1952-1960 are still going strong? Gibson ? and Les himself ? got it right. For strength and rigidity, it?s a basic design you can?t really improve on. If you look after them ? bar any accidents and mishaps ? they?ll go on forever. Treat it nice, and a guitar of this quality will still be playing great in 50 years time. By then, I?ll be 95, so I figure it?ll outlast me!

I've never dealt with Gibson customer support, but I haven?t heard good things about the company. I went on Gibson?s website and submitted a question about this guitar ? that was a year ago, and I?m still waiting for an answer!

But I?ve got nothing but praise from the store I bought this Oxblood from. Wildwood Guitars looks like it sells a lot of high-end Gibsons, so Gibson is more likely to listen to it than me. So I asked Steve at Wildwood Guitars all the questions ? chiefly about the neck girth ? and he answered my emails promptly, courteously and informatively.

Here in the UK, we get used to music stores staffed by idiots who know absolutely nothing about the products they sell and only work in the store because the shitty band they?re a member of doesn?t have the brains to get itself a gig, or book some studio time. Corresponding with Wildwood was a revelation, in terms of the way a US guitar store did business with its customers.

When the guitar was shipped, I didn?t notice that I hadn?t got the Certificate of Authenticity nor the "Custom care package" case candy. When I did, six months later, I emailed Wildwood and told them. A week later ? at no cost to me ? I got the certificate, the case candy and an unsolicited apology.

I bought a Voodoo Lab Microvibe from Wildwood a month ago and it got lost in FedEx?s system and Wildwood spent a lot of time tracking it down. So I got the same excellent service whether I bought a $2,200 guitar or a $160 stomp box. In the UK, you get no service whatsoever and they want the equivalent of $4,600 for an Oxblood (and $240 for a Micro Vibe). And they wonder why I buy from US stores!

I?ve been playing guitar for almost 30 years and I?ve always had a Les Paul, mainly because my hero was - and, after watching the new Led Zeppelin DVD, still is ? Jimmy Page. I?ve owned three in those 30 years. The first was a 1975 Standard (bought new) in tobacco sunburst and a three-piece top and, like most Gibsons of that era, was pretty piss-poor in every respect. Big headstock, 14 degree headstock rake, volute, the carving on the top was not accurate (compared to the profile on a 1950?s LP), three-piece neck, three piece body. I bought it new because it looked vaguely like Jimmy?s. In 1975 (I was 16!), it was the only Les Paul for sale in the English county of Yorkshire, the biggest county in the UK. Imagine there being only one Les Paul for sale in the whole of Texas, and you get the idea!

I had that guitar from new until 1987 and, because my playing had moved on and I was playing my Telecaster, I sold it. Then I bought my LP Classic off a friend in 1994, because I needed something with humbuckers on and he needed the money. A distressed seller! Rather than just play Led Zep riffs on it, I started to use the LP for everything other than C&W gigs, so it became my main instrument.

So when I realised I?d come back to the guitar I started with, I knew I had to find one that ticked as many boxes as possible. First consideration was the neck ? I wanted the biggest one I could find, and the Oxblood has it.

But on both my other LPs, I changed the Klusons for Grover Rotomatics, changed the pickups (DiMarzios in the 1975 Standard; Antiquities in the LP Classic) and took off the "bell" shaped knobs and installed fat "hatbox" knobs, because they?re easier to get your pinky around when adjusting the dials. But I didn?t have to do anything with this Oxblood, as it came with great pick-ups, Shallers and early 1950s knobs.

Also, as the Oxblood just comes in that colour, I didn?t have to agonise which finish to choose. Take any Historic ?Burst, and some have lovely fade but don?t have attractive flame, and vice versa. So the Oxblood has completely liberated me from ogling ?Bursts. Regardless of how much you spend on a ?Burst, there?ll be a better one out there for more money than you can afford. And none will have as fat a neck as this Oxblood.

Now, as a piece of eye candy, if you stick the Oxblood next to, say, a 1958 Historic reissue with a faded burst and attractive flame top, the ?Burst will get all the eyeballing. No question. But of all the ?Bursts in the Les Paul Book by Bacon & Day (Page?s, Kossoff?s, Gary Moore/Peter Green?s) the one my eye kept going back to was Jeff Beck?s. I liked the utility of the instrument. This wasn?t a guitar to eyeball lovingly; it was guitar to play music on.

If you?re looking for an Historic Les Paul then, before you waltz out and ogle ?Bursts, put your preconceptions aside and try an Oxblood. Ignore the fact that some gear geeks will accuse you of being a Jeff Beck slut, and get your hands around that neck and your ears around that tone.

If this thing were stolen, when the insurance coughed up, I?d get another one ? simply because, now, every Gibson I play, the necks feel so skinny. And there?s something about the mojo of that wrap-over tailpiece that adds to the sound. I?ve played lots of Les Paul-type guitars and this is the best one.

My 54 Oxblood left the Custom Shop in August of 2003 and was snatched up (by me)) after only two days on the showroom floor. In the last two years, Ive probably played a half dozen or more Oxbloods across the country. While all the others basically looked like the one I bought, none sounded anywhere near as good. You hear people say that you need to play a few LPs to find a special one all the time. This is 100% true. Mine also weighs <8.5lbs- it is noticeably lighter than the others I played.

I believe the two biggest contributing factors to the monster tones this guitar produces are the burstbuckers and the aluminum wraparound tailpiece. There is a discernable difference between the burstbuckers the 03 models come equipped with and the 57 Classics from previous years.

The Schaller tuners provide excellent tuning stability. Baring any drastic temperature changes, this guitar stays tuned through hours of repeated playing and deep string bends.

I mentioned trying many of these guitars before actually buying one. The reason I tried so many is because I was immediately floored by the finish the first time I saw one in person. I wanted so badly for one to work for me. Eventually, one did and does in a big way. I personally believe the Oxblood is the most beautiful finish Gibson ever created. The bursts with flametops are nice, the Oxblood is just- different. Dont go buy pics in mags, or worse- pics online. They all make the guitar look black which is misleading.

The guitar has a carved maple top and all mahogany body and neck and a rosewood fingerboard.

The neck on this guitar was another big selling point for me. Its not quite as fat as the standard 50s LPs tend to be, and its not as thin as a 60s style neck. Its somewhere in between the two and fits my (average sized) hands perfectly. Ive read where others have claimed the long neck tenon found in the historics acts to extend sustain. I really have no way of knowing whether or not this is true, but I do know that the Oxblood sustains better than any guitar Ive ever played. It is simply amazing.

My guitar came with all the standard case candy: cord, cloth, three custom shop picks, certificate of authenticity, hang tags, etc. The case is good quality, black w/gold customshop logo on outside, plush red velour (sp?) inside. The interior of the case perfectly conforms to the shape and body of the guitar.

I play predominantly blues and classic rock, and a little jazz. The tone and volume controls offer a complex range of tonal arrangements. I play through Rivera and Marshall amps. I basically use the same settings on both amps all the time. It took me a while to dial in the exact tone I wanted in the Rivera, finally found it, now i simply plug in and play. Marshall is more basic, but always remains on the same settings. Between the two amps (which offer six channels together) the pick-up selector, tone and volume controls, I have all the variations Ive need so far. Not a big fan of pedals, may use a delay once in a while, other than that, all tweaking is done via guitar controls.

I would describe the sound as rich and full. It can get dirty as anything and become crystal clean by simply flicking the pick-up selector switch. Each pick up having its own volume and tone control is one of my favorite features.

The guitar was set up decently from the factory, not great, but passable. Personally, I think anytime you spend more than $2k on a guitar, the shop should offer a free set up or at least make sure it is in top working order before it leaves the shop.

Only complaint has to do with poor tape job on the neck pick-up. Due to the fact that the pu's come without covers, the tape is important to protect the electronics. The neck pu tape job was poor but is being taken care by the retailer via gibson.

otherwise, finish, fretwork, binding, control knobs, switch, tuners, nut are all top rate.

I am quite confidant this guitar was built to last. The finish is prone to scratching more than any other Ive seen or used before, but this a player, not a museum piece. No complaints.

Ive read where some people have had problems with string breakage due to wraparound tailpiece design. Ive only had one string break so far. It was one of the factory strings and it snapped after maybe four hours of playing time. Have sinced used (10-46) Slinkys, DRs, Rotosounds and others without incident.

Would never openly choose to gig without a back up. But if I had to, this is the one I would pick.

Had to deal with them once for a tailpiece screw that fell out. Had replacement in the mail a week later.

Pick up problem mentioned before was mishandled by either the retailer or gibson, have no way of knowing which is at fault, but I will be without my new gibson for >a week due to replacement part ordering error, this is why I rated this category lower than the others.

Forget the stupid pu problem. This guitar kills. If someone tried to take it, I would have to kill them. Ive been playing on and off for ~15 years, this is the best guitar Ive ever owned.

Okay, time for a new review of this guitar, I've been reading the same one for 2 years now!
My Oxblood was made this year (2003) and has all the appointments outlined in the previous review. More detail can be found at Gibson.com and on the Les Paul forum.
Features on the Oxblood are pretty much shared by most of the Historic models save for the Schaller tuning pegs and the stop tailpiece. The combinaton of stop tailpiece and Burstbuster pick ups (models 2 and 3) make for a distinct sonic character that sets it apart from other Les Pauls, its a very lively responsive guitar.
The neck is thick but comfortable and the frets are large making string bending effortless. The playability of this guitar is outstanding.
The guitar case is nothing special, black leatherette covering with "Gibson Historic" stenciled on the outside. The interior is dark red and plush. Fit tolerence is very close and the guitar fits snug with no movement. It appears solid and well made. Included with the guitar was warrenty, Certificate of Authenticity, guitar cord, cleaning cloth and instructions for pick up adjustment. A nice "historic" touch was recreations of old timey hang tags on the guitar, neato!

Hears where the Oxblood shines. This guitar of course is not a Historic recreation of a production Les Paul, rather it is a Historic recreation of a one off model that Jeff Beck bought. Having said this however, I can see why the boys at Gibson made this a production model rather than a limited "Signature" run (yes, I know Mr Beck is under contract to Fender). This guitar sounds so...different. It has a wide sonic palette going from throaty lows to penetrating highs with a flick of the switch. The middle pick up setting allows for nice blending of tones and is my favorite. This versatility in tone is due no doubt to the humbucker stop tailpiece combination. The string vibration goes straight into the wood and through the pick ups and out the amp...simple stuff but effective!
The tone knobs are more on off switches and do not taper as well as I would like but once I find the guitars "sweet spot" I don't mess with em much. It's very easy to find your individuality on this guitar.

The guitar was well set up. The quality control however on this expensive guitar left a lot to be desired. It had nicks in the paint around one of the stud tailpiece screws and also under one of the tuning machines, small but noticeable. The finish had a lot of swirls in it also, I thought it "shop wear" but the salesman assured me it was not...I believe him! The nitro based finish is very soft and easily scuffed. I had to buy special polish for this guitar to keep it looking nice. I assure you I am not that anal about appearence but jeez after one week it liked like Jeff Beck had taken it on tour! The polish will remedy the wear, but I spend alot of time with "wipe down"
Other than this the guitar is a quality piece of gear. All parts are first rate.

See above. This guitar will survive gigs it'll just show the wear. Everything else is solid. I'd take a back up because string changing isn't so easy with that stop tailpiece and that pick up sitting so close together. It's a tight squeeze getting that high e string in.

I've never delt with Gibson customer support.

I've been playing guitars for close to 30 years and have had many "high end" guitars from Fender, PRS and Parker. I really like this Les Paul because it is visually, as well as sonically, unique. I also posess the Pete Townsend production reissue (see my HC review posted here) and I think there is something to the stop tailpiece mystique. I encourage you all to try the Oxblood if can find one and hear for yourself. Or better yet find the Jeff Beck "Blow by Blow" album and give that a listen!

Made in 1997, and I believe they are still available from the Gibson Custom Shop. It is basically a 54 les paul with the wraparound tailpiece but with 2 uncovered custom shop humbuckers (probably 57 classics, but there is a small sticker on the top of each one that says custom shop). It is painted a really strange and beautiful oxblood color--not just the top, but the back and the neck. It has a rosewood fingerboard and stock Schaller tuners. This guitar is actually a reissue of a guitar Gibson never made-- it is a copy of Jeff Beck's Blow by Blow era Les Paul. The story goes that someone had taken a 54 goldtop, routed it for PAF's, and painted it black. Then they tried painting it a cherry color and it turned oxblood. They sold the guitar to Strings and Things in Memphis where Beck bought it and made history with it. Some people call this the Jeff Beck Les Paul, but Gibson can't because he is under contract with Fender. Also, from the pictures on Blow by Blow and Wired, many think the guitar is black. Simply because Gibson recreated the guitar of one of my heros, I'm giving them high marks.

Man oh man. This guitar sounds great. Tonally, I would not change a thing. My main gigging guitar is a 54 goldtop reissue, and I was looking for a good backup. I am in love with the sound of the wraparound tailpiece, so this seemed like a cool choice. It turned out to be much more than a backup; I now gig equally as much with it as the 54 goldtop. It is loud, rich, full and clear sounding--much better than a PRS McCarty that I used to have. All pickup positions sound great. We play a large variety of music (Rock,r&b,Jazz) and I never feel the need to take it off, regardless of the next song.

Well, you always seem to have to do some work to get a Les Paul playing like it belongs to you. This one was no exception, even though it was supposed to be a NAMM show guitar. I had to adjust the pickups, action and intonation. But that is pretty normal since I play with 11's. The finish is great, a really cool color (not translucent at all) that looks black in dim light but VERY dark red in bright light. However, there were a few very small dings on the sides and back from people trying it out before I got it. Since it was far from perfect, I'll deduct a few points.

I have been gigging and practicing with it for over a year, and it has held up great. In fact, it looks better than the day I got it (Guitar Center often lets their stock get very dirty). I would and do depend on this guitar, but I always bring a backup. Never had to use the bachup, however.

The Gibson customer support is only OK. I had to call 3 times to get my warranty cards because the dealer was out of them.

I love this Les Paul. If you want the great early Beck tone, this is it. It sounds a lot different than my 58; rounder, clearer, and it is easier to bend strings on (shorter string length due to the wraparaound). It intonates well, is light and looks great, too! I have been playing for over 25 years, and would really be upset if it were lost or stolen. I would surely try to get another, but it might not have the same mojo. Even the historic stuff varies wildly in tone, weight and appearance. This guitar was a great buy for what it can do, but another one might be another story.