Vintage Reissue Guitar Showdown: Fender vs. Gibson Custom Shop 59 Reissues

Today, we embark on an epic vintage guitar showdown between two iconic 1959 models from Fender and Gibson's Custom Shops. The 1959 Gibson Les Paul, hailed as the "Holy Grail" of vintage guitars, goes head-to-head with the equally sought-after Fender Stratocasters from the '50s and early '60s, known for their eye-watering value. Join us as we explore the unique approaches of these custom shops in crafting vintage reissue guitars and discover the distinct differences that make these instruments truly special.
00:00 Intro
3:10 Differences
18:59 Demo
22:58 Final Thoughts
SHOP GUITARS: bit.ly/3jKZjx1
CHECK OUT OUR PODCAST, the Fretboard Confessional!
Listen on Spotify: open.spotify.com/show/4UIwHpS...
Listen on Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast...
Listen on Audible: www.audible.com/pd/The-Fretbo...
Shop Guitars - www.alamomusic.com/guitars/
Guitar Buyers Guide → bit.ly/2kssXsR
Interested in a different guitar? Talk to an expert here → bit.ly/findmyguitar
__________________________________________________________________
KZbin: Pianos and Keyboards - bit.ly/YTpianos
♪ Contact us: www.alamomusic.com/contact
♩ Call toll-free: [phone]
♬ Connect:
Instagram → / alamomusicd

[@KimberlyBowling]

Yesss!! Please do a collection video!! I would love it

[@Jamalama555]

thats a great idea actually

[@ronmoore1219]

Excellent demo and commentary! I’d really like to see and hear both of your collections, or selections from them, anyway. Interesting to see how you make them “Cooper” and “Chris.” Your LP is beautiful to look at and hear, Chris. Thank you, gentlemen.

[@mark240862]

Both beautiful guitars... As an old n grey Brit I'm immediately drawn to a Hank Marvin Strat.. But.. Im never gonna kick the Les Paul out of bed...

[@JimmyHoussen]

My father had an original 1960-61 Fender Stratocster, sunburst, rosewood fretboard, with a birds'eye maple neck. He traded a Fender Esquire for it in 1961 or 1962.

[@pearlandGUITARIST]

I like that Chris is wearing a Fender shirt while touting the virtues of his Les Paul. 😄 I have a (current model) 50's Les Paul and an American Vintage 1961 Strat. Neither is custom shop, but I love them both.

[@vyvynylification]

AVII 61 strat? That's basically a custom shop that can't be customised. If it survived quality control it's a stellar strat!

[@pearlandGUITARIST]

@@vyvynylification Yeah, it's an AVII. Well, I went to the guitar store and played it and a few other models. It passed my QC and I brought it home.

[@vyvynylification]

@@pearlandGUITARIST That's great! I'm eyeing one once it gets released in a color I truly love. i'm glad you enjoy it! No need for a CS

[@pearlandGUITARIST]

@@vyvynylification What color are you hoping for? I have the 3 tone Sunburst. It's classic and I'm happy with it. Fiesta Red is cool too.

[@vyvynylification]

@@pearlandGUITARIST if it gets released in either burgundy mist OR sherwood green I'm buying one within a heartbeat. Really, I'd prefer an american original because I much prefer the 9.5 radius but the AO60s strats do not come in a color I love. Too bad, as I have the AO60s tele and white blonde AO50s tele already. That said, your color is a true classic indeed!

[@pabloruizocana3637]

I'd love to watch a comparison of the Casino USA Model and the new Outfit. Please!!!!!!

[@Jamalama555]

They both represented their side Very well.. One makes me wanna play Buddy Guy stuff and the other Peter Green. Personally im not a LP or Strat guy im using a Tele right now but if I had to choose between the two I would first look at the band or mix im in and what im playing or need It for. Having said that I would go with the strat based on preference in tone, playability and yes, the weight. A heavy fragile guitar just isnt my thing right now I move around a lot. Thanks for the Battle of the giants guys, well done.

[@aum3.146]

These guys are the best!

[@MrBrenguns]

Hey guys, love watching you here in Australia! Any chance you could do a comparison video between Gibson Flying V Antique Natural and the Epiphone Korina 1958 (2023 models)??

[@anthonymoore1705]

just like the first strat that came into the uk, that Cliff Richard bought for Hank Marvin to play,

[@TommySG1]

Beautiful guitar Chris, if I ever bought a ‘custom’ it would most probably be the 59’ although I’ll probably just stick with my Standard here. I also like the very slight aging on yours too. Just not into any of that heavy relicing personally but that’s just preference.

[@ThelittledirtyMcNasty1683]

Somebody should have taken that SG special home!

[@ab5gc]

Would love a collection video.

[@kevingill648]

IMO The Fender Strat is the ultimate all round guitar!

[@markkoher3468]

This was a great video ... great premise and a couple fantastic guitars .... I REALLY enjoyed the musings over the two custom shops and what their focus is in approaching spec' ing and building their guitars .... it looks/sounds like you were using a Blues Junior amp for the playing portion of the demo... in the future when you are showing off 'time capsule' instruments maybe consider using an amp based on an actual vintage circuit ... in other words maybe make it a 'time capsule' presentation as much as possible... Also, I would love to see this same video format when each of you showcase your own instruments ... that just sounds like GREAT fun...!! tell us why you picked what you picked for your own collection... we're bound to learn what are good things to consider or to ask when considering making a purchase ! Thank you again for some great content !!

[@ThelittledirtyMcNasty1683]

Do a collection video!

[@TREVORJB101]

I'm a Fender Strat man all day, but there's no denying Gibson puts more detail into their re-issues. Fender never seems to get it 💯, unless it's a NOS from the Custom Shop, but even then, it has a modern feature more often than not (9.5 radius, roasted neck, 22 frets, etc). In my opinion, the best re-issue Fender has done was the batch of American Vintage guitars from 2012-2017. They weren't vintage accurate before and aren't 100% accurate with the current Vintage ii Series.

[@greg6509]

That vid was about selling his used Les Paul😂

[@AmbientMelancholy]

Absolutely love y'alls videos! #GoSpursGo

[@petermarkovic8837]

The Les Paul sounds a rounder fuller tone, but I'll take the strat and run!

[@alexwoolridge94aw]

Les Paul all day every day

[@frankcarter6427]

The Les Paul sounds awful! indistinct and bassy - the strat sounds great in the neck position and not so in the bridge to my old ears

[@ridebecauseucan1944]

Don’t like the strat at all. Sad.

[@trevorD1156]

What a useless comparison, let's compare a 55 f series pickup to a 55 corvette even tho they have absolutely nothing in commom. Also it's a terrible year for strats, ridiculous chunky necks, insanely bright harsh pickups definetly the worst year of vintage strat. Gibson on the other hand employs mostly temp works so everything under 2k is pathetic quality, and theyve filed bankruptcy repeated so you never know when you buy a used one if is a decent era or awful one where the used something unbelievably stupid like richlite fretboards.

[@AlamoMusic]

But which one of these do you like better

[@trevorD1156]

@@AlamoMusic neither, I would never buy any Gibson, other people make better copies I’d rather have an fgn, esp or prs… and the stench of the gibson name is embarrassing. if I bought a custom shop strat, it’d be an empire 67. I have no interest in being true to the original, I want the custom shop strat with the thinnest neck, overwound vintage style pickups, and a nitro finish. Also if I’m not mistaken 59 les Paul’s have one of the thinner necks of vintage LP’s, while 59 strat necks are one of fenders fattest Strat neck carves.

[@trevorD1156]

@@JP-sq4pd 59 is the worst year of stratocaster, the neck carve is like a baseball bat and the pickups are Icepick shrill. That said I would never buy any Gibson. The worst part is that they are two incredibly basic guitars that cost 5x what they are worth, and that rather than improve the design and get rid of obnoxious and pointless design features like two tone knobs(that no guitarist in history has ever wanted), they just keep remaking stuff from 50+ years ago and overcharging boomers for nostalgic crap. Then they stuff my local music store with 1200-1500 performer strats and tribute Les Paul that take up all the walls and barely sell cause you can buy an esp256 that plays better for a 3rd the price and then upgrade the pickups and have an all around better guitar with a thinner neck and no pointless 2nd tone knob. Playing a Gibson or fender really just says I care more about what you think about my guitar than how it actually sounds or plays(or I have more money than sense).... Which is why I doubt I'll ever own anything from either company except mij strats.

[@marccuomo2295]

Strat