Les Paul Custom vs R8

[spirit7]

Hi all,

I am able to purchase one of the following 2 guitars:

1. 2007 Les Paul Custom;

2. 2006 R8.

They're about the same price...R8 slightly more expensive but not punitively so.

Which should I go for? Aesthetically, I love the look of the Custom but of course playability and tone come first. Opinions much appreciated.

Cheers,

-C

 

[gibson08]

I like the R8, you might be different, play them both and let the guitar pick you.

 

[Les Zombie]

both are nice and you can't go wrong with either one, the custom will have a ebony fretboard and you might like that better than the rosewood fb on the R8, the necks on the R8 are usually thicker than the custom necks and some customs don't have the long neck tenon like the R8. both should have different pickups too.

i like both so its would be a hard choice for me.

 

[thiswaythatway]

Don't get an R8 unless you like real fat necks.

 

[rupe]

Play and listen to them closely. I find Standards (R8) typically sound a bit warmer and fatter whereas a Custom will typically be a bit brighter and snappier sounding. That said, there's so much variation among all Les Paul models that using generalizations can come back to bite you in the ass...you really gotta play them and see which will work the best for your needs.

 

[Les Zombie]

Customs are usually heavier and over 10lbs and most R8 are around 9lb or less, the R8 is a solid body and the customs are usually weight relieved unless its something like a 68 reissue.

 

[jcj]

Play and listen to them closely. I find Standards (R8) typically sound a bit warmer and fatter whereas a Custom will typically be a bit brighter and snappier sounding. That said, there's so much variation among all Les Paul models that using generalizations can come back to bite you in the ass...you really gotta play them and see which will work the best for your needs.

This is the gospel truth

I'm not a real LP guy, but the one thing I've learned, is that there is no one "Les Paul" sound. I've had 7 or 8 in the same room that were the same model, and they all had very different sounds. Bizarre, really.

 

[blackba]

Play and listen to them closely. I find Standards (R8) typically sound a bit warmer and fatter whereas a Custom will typically be a bit brighter and snappier sounding. That said, there's so much variation among all Les Paul models that using generalizations can come back to bite you in the ass...you really gotta play them and see which will work the best for your needs.

This is the gospel truth

I'm not a real LP guy, but the one thing I've learned, is that there is no one "Les Paul" sound. I've had 7 or 8 in the same room that were the same model, and they all had very different sounds. Bizarre, really.

I have learned this too, though I have only compared 5. My vote is for the Les Paul custom. My '73 LP custom is just under 10lbs. My '03 Standard LE with an ebony board actually weights more. Both sound significantly different.

 

[bigdaddyd]

Customs are usually heavier and over 10lbs and most R8 are around 9lb or less, the R8 is a solid body and the customs are usually weight relieved unless its something like a 68 reissue.

Super ironic statement if there ever was one. The heavier guitar is the one that is weight relieved...ya don't say .... I heard it can sustain until next week as well. Gibson chambered and "relieved" many models including, studios, classics, standards, customs...I think most production Les Pauls have them. As long as it plays and sounds great, I personally don't care what it is. I currently own an awesome LPC that I will always have, but I would love a really nice Standard of some variation as well.

 

[Les Zombie]

gibson uses the lighter woods for the historic reissues but they are solid bodies, they try to keep them around the 8 lb range but sometimes you will see a R9 thats a little over 9lbs.

i have a les paul custom that is in the mid 10lb range and its solid but is a 68 reissue.

i also own 3 R9 and 2 of them are in the mid 8lb range and the other is at 9lbs and all of them sound great and have plenty of sustain, i used to have a 2004 R9 that weighed a little over 8lbs but it didn't have as much bite and chunky mids and just wasn't my fav guitar for rock stuff and i sold it, i will say that guitar sounded awesome for clean and lower gain stuff and was very piano like with lots of bloom in the notes and resonated a lot more than some of my other lesters.



the regular customs are weight relived but not chambered, a lot of the customs i have played was 10 to 12lbs and some even heavier, so it really depends on the person and what your looking for, i own 9 custom shop les pauls and love them all, i recommend playing some and seeing what you like best, because the custom and the R8 are gonna feel and sound different. also don't think just because the R8 is lighter that it won't have as much sustain or sound as good, every guitar is different.

 

[FixXxer]

both are nice and you can't go wrong with either one, the custom will have a ebony fretboard and you might like that better than the rosewood fb on the R8, the necks on the R8 are usually thicker than the custom necks and some customs don't have the long neck tenon like the R8. both should have different pickups too.

i like both so its would be a hard choice for me.

This is a tough one. I hink the long neck tenons on averag make a difference, and that said I've played several guitars without that are nice.

I have an '02 58 that will never leave me. Freking killer. Thy don't make them like this anymore.

My '68 custom is a keeper and has been getting played way more than my 58.

I lik the fat necks, and I almost prefer the pop of ebony over the rosewood.

If the custom has the long neck tenon, get it.

 

[Nico]

Tough... I'd get the Custom

 

[joepete77]

If its a non reissue custom then it should have the 489t 490t pickups while the r8 should have burstbuckers 1 and 2. Also, the neck is probably a little bigger on the r8. It depends what u r paying for each, I see nice non ri customs these days for 1800 to 2200 while many times people will ask more for an r8. The newer customs wont have the ebony board so get one while u can!