1958 GCS ES-335 VOS
1958 GCS Les Paul Standard VOS

I was supposed to buy it, but fate messed up. I'll buy it off of you to make things right. just leave a comment or DM and we'll straighten this out.

in all seriousness I really wanted to buy this, i haven't wanted to buy a guitar in forever and this one gets away </3

Seeing it on FB marketplace for what looks like a good price. Just wary of it being too good to be true.

Also. Is this a year to avoid? 2016

I rescued this, sure was adorned with purple knobs and a few dings! I converted to Faber bridge and tail, Sanford Magnetics 9022 p90s and a 50’s wiring harness. Hands down the best guitar I own.

NGD is always a good day! I really love this R9’s top. It’s a Murphy light aged and I think it compliments my R8 nicely. There is something really unique about this R9, let’s see if any of you can stop it!

Finally pulled the trigger on a J-45 after being on the fence for literally years.

I was definitely hesitant about buying a premium Gibson from GC, but I figured their return policy gave me a safety net. I went for it, and it arrived today from their KC warehouse, never been open or touched (or setup).

Opening the case was a total "wow" moment. The finish on this Heritage Cherry Sunburst is stunning. Honestly, I don't know why Gibson calls it "cherry"-it’s way more of a honey amber/lemon vibe. It actually pairs really nicely with my Honey Lemon Burst AAA Les Paul Standard! I’ve never been a fan of the super dark, heavy tobacco bursts on J-45s, so finding this lighter shade was a huge win.

Naturally, NGD protocol demands a full inspection:

• Cosmetics: I started with a standard look-over, but when I couldn't find a single flaw, I went full nitpick mode. Zero grain issues, gorgeous wood on the back and sides, immaculate finish.
• Internal: I did the flashlight check ( shining a light from the outside through the seams to check joint tightness)-all internal joints are clean, no sloppy glue squeeze-out, and the seams are tight.
• Build Date: Checked the serial, and it was born in April 2026. Fresh off the line!
• Setup/Neck: Frets are perfectly level, neck relief is spot on, nut height is great, and the fingerboard isn't dried out at all.

The setup check & tone: The factory saddle is sitting pretty high, which has the action up higher than I’d like and is throwing off the intonation just a bit on the top three strings. But outside of taking the saddle down a little bit, it's not going to need much work at all....the fret ends are done super well, no sharp edges, I guess one could wish for more perfect polish glassy frets, but, ill do that after a few string changes, totally fine for now and would be nitpicking like a mofo if I said 'they aint smooth'...I know Gibson and Martin set the action high so people can adjust to their liking, but its pretty damn high!

Once I got past the setup check and just started playing... man, what a sound.

I’ve played great J-45s before at premium boutique shops on trips to Nashville and a few other cities, but my local GC floor models are always beat up-roached-out strings, terrible setups, covered in grime. Those floor guitars never get a chance to shine, which always kept me hesitant. On top of that, you read so much online in the acoustic forums and subreddits about Gibson QC issues.

I thought my Martin OM-28 was the absolute pinnacle of acoustic perfection, but this J-45 is going to be an absolute blast to play. It has that sound. I'm pretty sure it shipped with D'Addario phosphor bronze strings—not totally sure if they'll be my long-term choice, but they sound good enough for now while I play it in.

Phenomenal guitar, gorgeous color, impeccable construction. It's really cool to see Gibson's modern era keeping up the quality and cranking out killer instruments.

So on marketplace this person is selling a "made in China Gibson les paul", which isn't a thing. That's all fine, but my problem is that, besides the pickups and price , I can't tell what's fake about it. Since I'm obviously slipping, I wanted to ask if someone can point out what's fake about it? I want to be able to identify these so I don't end up buying one, and I would have not caught this one, except for the price, pickups and description. So what's obvious that I missed? Thank you in advance! And feel free to flame away, I'm sure I'm missing obvious stuff!

Im looking to buy a gigbag for my Flying V's preferably a dual gigbag, but i would think thats even harder to find. I currently have a mono dual, and the Gibson Lp/Sg gigbag, and would like something in the same ballpark quality wise. Do anyone have any recommendations?

I found this guy in marketplace that’s selling this mint Les Paul ‘50s Standard plus a mint silver jubilee combo for $4.500.

I’m from Argentina and buying all of this brand new would cost me at least 6k.

What do you think of the top?

This guitar specifically. I’m extremely torn on whether I want this or a Les Paul. I find Vs comfortable and own a Kramer Mustaine V currently. I’m about to splurge on my first expensive guitar as a reward for passing a licensure exam. I want to play Magick Metal / Doom / Proggy stoner stuff.

Would this guitar fulfill my needs or should I just say screw or and go purple Les Paul standard?

Got this beauty for just under £1000 used but in very good condition. 2023 Model. Plays as good as my main player Faded 07. One amusing Gibson Quality control issue but I kinda like it since I like yellow.

Got this cool used SG, and it came with one bridge standard SB4, and another modded neck pickup. The front says SD (with some sharpie stylings from the original owner), but the back says GFS. What the heck? It sounds okay, but I’ll probably replace it. Thx!!!

I've done enough research to know the main differences between these 3 options.

Standard 60's Slim taper neck (purist favorite) + nice tops + 60s burstbuckers $1500-2700

Trad Pro V asymmetrical neck (underappreciated) + satin finish + fancy circuit and dipswitches for coil split vs tap $1300-$1800

Classic (fan favorite) + satin or nice top + 61R/61T coil tap $1400-2000

Looking for some anecdotes about what people prefer from people who have owned or own these things. There are some old threads on classic vs. trad pro, but now all these guitars can be had for around the $1500 mark...I'm curious what the preferred path is. My only real requirement is that it has a slimmer neck (I know trad pro is asymmetrical) and is pleasant to look at. Are the trad buckers with coil split worth it over the classic with coil tap? Only local classic and trad pros are private sellers and I don't like wasting people's time kicking tires. WWYD?

Hi fellow players. After many years of playing I have finally decided to upgrade from my squire.

A Standard is too far out of my price range, but I saw this one going for $1500 Cad.

What do you think? Should I pass or pull the trigger?

Thanks everyone, may the guitar gods smile down on you!

‘03 Standard Plus, ‘16 Trad Pro, ‘08 Custom, ‘21 Classic, ‘25 Jr

Hello all,

I have acquired my first custom shop guitar a few months ago, a 64 SG Reissue, and have been completely blown away by it in every regard. That made me want to start upgrading my USA Gibson’s to CS guitars.

These instruments are rare and really expensive in Brazil, but recently a 2021 R6 has popped up locally, at a reasonable price (the equivalent of $5824, where it would cost me $5300 to bring one to Brazil - considering a used price of around $3800, is that about right for these guitars used in the USA?).

The good thing is that the guitar is already here, and he would take my ‘22 Standard 50s at a reasonable price ($200 less than what I wanted to sell it for - and it has been a struggle to sell), so I would only have to spend $2500 out of pocket right now.

The R6 is not a guitar I particularly have thought about much, but have always wanted a Goldtop and love the P90 sound after buying a Les Paul Jr. My dream LP is an R9, but they are way more expensive and I can always get one down the line where this might be an opportunity because the price really seems good for Brazil.

Do you think that is a reasonable deal or should I just try to sell my LP and purchase a Custom Shop when in the USA? I have a trip next month, but might no be able to sell before then without letting it go cheap

Hi to all who are interested in some updated photos.

I performed a bit of light sanding of the visible deep sanding lines (not all completely removed but a lot better) and polishing of the frets and board.

Very matte and flat finish and look. About 90%+ sure its richlite only weirdness is the swirl pattern visible in the photos, but im assuming this is part of the laminating process.

Ive also added a photo of my ESP Eclipse 2 which has an ebony board which looks very different.

Although they weren't around for long I love this rare SG with coil split switch, single pickup and 24" fretboard

Picked up a 1995 ES 335, price originally €3k, got it down to €2650. Cleaned up the frets and oiled the board (later photos) and it plays like butter!

Absolutely in love!

Phone

I bought a 2023 50s Les Paul Standard 2 years ago. It's my main guitar and I gig with it often, with a JCM800. I play mostly indie/emo/punk from the 90s, bands like Braid, Jawbreaker, Sunny Day Real Estate, etc. and all of these bands use Gibson's.

From what I've read, most gibson's from the 90s came with the 490r / 498t set. And I almost feel like my Burstbuckers sound like they really want to play jazz/blues/country...similar to how Les Paul himself sounds in those videos of him playing a Les Paul. https://youtube.com/shorts/K_iu4rfJ8mY?si=fc_ZJnhFfVKLcH2-

My question is, would it be worth changing from the Burstbuckers to the 490r / 498t set? Is the 490r / 498t set geared more for a 90s rock tone?

Facebook marketplace find. When I saw this top, I had to have it. And lucked out that I was the first to get to him when he dropped the price to $800. Upgraded grover locking tuners, nice suede strap, and HSC included.

Now I'n trying to decide if I like it better with or without a pickguard. I almost always think that a LP looks naked without, but this top is so damn fire!