Gibson Les Paul R9, Bavarian Makeover l
Gibson Les Paul R9 "Bavarian Makeover l". 2003/2014 Brazilian Rioboard
This guitar was reworked by Florian Jäger from Oberstorf with a Bavarian Tuning 1. In addition, I had the stoptail piece moved to the historically correct position. First the whole guitar was stripped of paint, the neck shaping was adapted to the old 1959 profile, which is slightly V-shaped. Then Florian revised the ceiling. The top shape of the old Les Pauls was also adopted here. The ceiling curvature is more pronounced and between the two pickups it is only very slightly curved. The stoptailpiece has been relocated. Florian closed the hole with a cone made of mahogany and figured maple. He worked so precisely that the course of the wood and the locking are practically identical to the ceiling. When it was fitted, it was like the hole had never been there.
Then the hole on the E1 side was moved forward by approx. 1.4 mm in the direction of the Tune-O-Matic. When this work was done, the trapeze inlays, which Florian had already taken out, were replaced with the same ones made of identical material and by the same company in Italy that had supplied Gibson in the 1950's. These trapeze inlays are a joint project by Florian Jäger and Kim La Fleur.
Next was the application of the "Red Filler" on the back and neck. This is quite laborious and rigorous work. The color here is also identical to that of the past. It really needs to be rubbed into the wood. Before the Christmas holidays in 2013, Florian varnished my guitar in the burst I wanted, with a slight greenish hue, just like the old Les Pauls have. Then a longer drying phase was announced. The nitro lacquer has been applied very thinly. After that Florian started polishing the instrument and checking the weather. There are the typical paint cracks. These were not made with a knife or scalpel. Also, no cold spray was used.