Gary’s Story
When I was playing in bands in the early 1970s, I didn’t particularly like Les Pauls. They were heavier than the SG Standard I played, and on a four-hour band job that made a huge difference.
Years later, my appreciation for the great 1959 Les Paul Standard changed considerably. This 2003 Gibson Custom Shop R9 is the Les Paul I wanted in my collection.
Its Heritage Cherry Sunburst has the classic Brockburst appearance, with a figured maple top over mahogany. It was produced during Gibson’s limited 2003 period of Brazilian rosewood fingerboards, one of the reasons these Historic Reissues have become especially collectible.
The finish is part of the fascination. The original late-’50s Sunburst look came from a layered process in which the red color could fade dramatically with light exposure, creating the honey, amber, tea and faded-red palettes collectors now associate with vintage Bursts. The 2003 guitar comes from a period when Gibson was pursuing a finish intended to evoke more of that vintage character.
Purchased new from a major New York City dealer, the guitar was made right through the help and efforts of Philip Whorton and the Gibson Custom Shop. It carries BurstBucker 1 and 2 humbuckers, CTS pots and Bumblebee capacitors.
The Brazilian rosewood fingerboard is certainly part of what makes this R9 collectible, but that isn’t the whole reason I kept it. The finish, maple and mahogany, neck and response all come together.
It has vibe.**
After all these years — and despite what I thought about Les Pauls in the 1970s — I’ve come to believe every important guitar collection should have a great Les Paul. This is mine.
