The 2014 Gibson Custom Shop 1959 Les Paul Reissue (R9) is highly regarded by guitar collectors and players alike, representing a golden era of the Gibson Custom Shop’s Historic Reissue line. This specific year benefited from major construction improvements introduced between 2013 and 2014 that brought the guitars closer to the exact specifications of an original 1959 "Burst" than ever before. 

Key 2014 Specifications & Upgrades

The 2014 model year is defined by specific historic accuracy updates, most notably how the guitar was glued together:  

• Hide Glue Construction: Following the 2013 update that used hot hide glue to attach the neck to the body, Gibson took it a step further in 2014 by using screen-accurate hide glue to attach the rosewood fretboard to the mahogany neck. This traditional method increases resonance and sustain. 
• Custom Bucker Pickups: It features Gibson's highly coveted Custom Bucker PAF reproduction pickups. Interestingly, the 2014 variants are potted, making them much more resistant to high-gain microphonic feedback compared to unpotted versions found in later years.  
• Aniline Dye Process: The mahogany back and neck are finished with a historically accurate aniline dye stain, which sinks deep into the wood grain.  
• Aesthetics & Hardware: It features a highly figured, book-matched flamed maple top, accurate "chunky C" 1950s neck profile, darker period-correct binding, a nylon nut, and Kluson Deluxe tuners.

Technical Specification Overview

Feature

Specification

Body Construction

Solid lightweight Mahogany body (no weight relief), Flame Maple top

Neck Profile

1950s chunky "C" shape

Fretboard

One-piece Rosewood, 12" radius, 22 medium jumbo frets

Pickups

Dual Custom Bucker Humbuckers (Potted PAF replicas)

Bridge & Tailpiece

ABR-1 adjustable bridge with a lightweight stopbar tailpiece

Finishes

Nitrocellulose Lacquer (VOS / Vintage Original Spec or Gloss) in historic fades like Lemon Burst, Honey Lemon, and Bourbon Burst

Average Weight

Generally ranges between 8.5 lbs to 9.2 lbs

Market Context & Reputation

Among enthusiasts on forums like the MyLesPaul Forum, the 2014 R9 is considered part of a "sweet spot" era. Some players prefer the 2014 neck shape and potted pickups over later iterations (like the 2019 "Carmelita" neck carve standardizations or unpotted electronics changes). 

Note that while Gibson USA production models received controversial changes in 2014 and 2015 (such as 12th fret anniversary inlays and wide neck-profile adjustments), the Custom Shop Historic line remained entirely unaffected, preserving strict vintage specifications.