Gibson Historic Collection - Reissue 68

The Gibson Historic guitars are consistently some of the best guitars that Gibson tends to make. Aside from getting custom shop Gibsons, there aren't many Gibsons you'll find quite as nice as these things. The guitar features a mahogany body with a maple top, mahogany neck with an ebony fretboard, 22 frets, trapezoid inlays, pickguard, binding, hard tail bridge, two humbuckers, two volumes, two tones and a three way switch.

UTILIZATION

This guitar was absolutely perfect in nearly every way. The frets were amazingly level and had a perfect crown to them. This is vital to achieving low action without fretting out. I was able to get it down to about 1/32'' while still being able to bend a full step on every fret. The ends were done nicely, and they didn't slice up your hand at all. To top it off, the nut was cut properly too. The guitar held tune like a champ. A lot of these Historics tend to have more time put into them, so I find they're a lot more consistent than the regular Les Pauls out there. Be careful as they're kinda weighty at times, too.

SOUNDS

The guitar sounded pretty good stock. I'm not a huge fan of the Gibson pickups that come in this thing, so keep that in mind. The bridge is high output ceramic pickup, sounds thick and gives that standard Les Paul kind of vibe. The neck is a bit too bright for my liking, but it does the job. I like adding a JB/59 combo in these guitars. It's a bit cliché, but the combo really works well. With the JB in the bridge, you get that high output kind of vibe that really pushes the front end. The 59 in the neck is super fat and smooth. It allows for crazy legato while still remaining clear.

OVERALL OPINION

If you can afford it, I highly recommend getting one of these. Not only do they look good, but they sound pretty solid as well. While I'm not a big fan of the stock pickups, I'm a bit of a minority as quite a few people seem to really love them. You should be able to get away with buying used and sight unseen as they're a lot more consistent than the regular lineup that Gibson offers.

This is a reissue of the Les Paul Custom 1968.C is when Gibson revival production of Les Paul, stopped at the beginning of the decade. Unlike the first LP Custom, the body is dressed in a maple table. That of my copy is dappled (quilted). The handle is a model 60, so late. Micro are 57, the mechanical Grover. The fittings are gold. The finish is superb, faultless. Note that the weight is high, especially for a Historic.

UTILIZATION

No worries about the handle, the rest is an LP, ergonomics is not his first quality. Better to have a strong strap and play rather than sitting upright.

SOUNDS

It's typically a LP Custom. For those who have not had the chance to test and question the difference with a standard, the sound is lower medium, poured over with a greater resonance. It is a little less rock and jazz. The microphone is a serious one I like best is rich, deep and powerful.

OVERALL OPINION

I use it for two months. It is a ponderous guitar, but the sound is quickly forget that. My copy was bought by its previous owner in the U.S. and it shows. I have never met such a table in France. Still, it's not cheap, but it's good not discount ...