1994 Gibson LP R9 Lemon Burst Aged

year of production: 1994
model: Gibson LP R9
factory finish: unknown

new finish: Lemon Burst
style of new finish: Aged
scope of work: nylon nut; all hardware change; electronic change; refinish

This time, we received a Gibson LP 1959 Historic Reissue, manufactured in 1994. It’s worth noting that the Historic Reissue series was introduced in the second half of 1993 with the official opening of the Gibson Custom Shop and remains its flagship series to this day, with the 1959 Historic Reissue (or R9) model enjoying the greatest popularity. The guitar we received had already been through numerous abuses, and the owner asked us to revive its appearance and make a few other adjustments.

We began by changing the neck profile from a typical ’90s baseball bat to one more reminiscent of a ’59 Carmelita. The guitar had a troubled past: the varnish had once been removed with a heat gun, which darkened the wood in some areas. So, we removed the existing varnish and removed these darkened patches as much as possible. The top colors were stained, and it was a very difficult task to remove, but in this case, we succeeded. We also slightly improved the top’s contour, giving it a vintage shape.

After cleaning, the wood was found to be sound, with no cracks or repairs. We applied filler, then nitro sealer, and then topcoat in Lemon Burst. The headstock face received a new black nitro finish and a Les Paul Model print screen. We also restored the 1994 serial number, as the previous owner had stamped his birth date. Finally, we stylishly aged the whole thing, adding natural weather checks, abrasions, scratches, and patina. We also replaced the nut with a historically accurate nylon nut, repaired the grounding, and, at the owner’s request, replaced the electrics.

As you can see, the guitar has undergone a significant transformation since its predecessor and will now age gracefully.