pauloqs Posted June 14, 2019 Share Posted June 14, 2019 My R0/G0 and my 2017 Standard HP in Honeyburst was sacrificed in the process. The R0 was amazing, but I felt the R9 neck profile vastly more comfortable for me. My new R9 is the most comfortable and best sounding Les Paul I’ve ever played. I’m at work and can’t wait to get home to play it. I’m also really looking forward to taking it to my next band practice so I can play it again at band volumes. I’m going to polish the hardware to bring it back to a shine next time I change the strings then let it form the aged hardware patina naturally. The VOS finish is super comfortable to play even after my hands start getting sweaty. The guitar is absolutely flawless. I’ve played it through a cracked AC15 and a Hot Rod Deluxe so far. I can post more pictures with better lighting over the weekend if you guys want. My only beef is the case. I hate it. I much prefer the less historically accurate case that came with my R0, which offered better protection and latch placement. However, I’m only one guy, and Gibson listened to what people wanted and gave them the more accurate and, in my opinion, inferior case. However the guitar itself is just the best guitar I ever played. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdgm Posted June 14, 2019 Share Posted June 14, 2019 Looks good and I've no doubt it sounds good, congrats! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Bill Posted June 14, 2019 Share Posted June 14, 2019 Oh my that is sweet. I wouldn't polish it, it looks like the actual "Holy Grail" of Lesters. Congrats!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pauloqs Posted June 14, 2019 Author Share Posted June 14, 2019 One thing I forgot to mention is regarding the nylon nut. The nylon nut on my R0, which was a 2016 model built in 2017, was very soft. I know this because I widened the slots ever so slightly on the high strings. The nylon on these new RIs feels different. I can't compare it with a real late 50s burst, because I never actually played one, but I read that the nylon used was a bit harder than the ones previously used in the RIs. Perhaps the new ones are using more period correct nylon. Personally, I don't really care about these things so log the guitar stays in tune. Both my former R0 and now my R9 stays in tune very well. Granted the I just got the R9, but I did play it for at least 6 plus hours. Three hours before pulling the trigger and three more hours after I arrived home with the new guitar. A friend that worked on the store told me they were getting one yesterday and asked if I wanted to unbox it. The guitar was shipped tuned down between a half and a whole step. I tuned the guitar once out of the box and didn't have to touch the tuners again, even after many whole and two step bends. Also this guitar is 8 lbs 11.5 oz of pure awesomeness. I took a scale with me and weighed the guitar at the store lol. I actually didn't want to like the guitar because I knew it meant sacrificing two of my guitars to get it, but as soon as I started playing, I felt like I'd been playing it for several years. I just bonded with it instantaneously. Additionally, I absolutely have a type, and that is Bourbon bursts, which the Southern Fade seems very close to. Two of the sacrifices are seen in the following picture (center, LP Standard HP Honeyburst. and far right, R0/G0 Dark Burst). The Honeyburst was a bit easier to sacrifice. I loved its light weight (7 lbs 14 oz) and the fret access, but I wasn't too crazy about the wider fretboard. The R0 was a bit harder to part with. It is extremely smooth to play and sounds fantastic. The action is super low and not fret buzz either acoustically or plugged. However, as the years go by, the slimmer necks, which were my go to when I first started playing, started giving me hand cramps whenever I bend the strings a lot. I could still take it to jam sessions and band practices without any issues, but I'd feel it whenever I was practicing a particular solo over and over. I didn't have this issue when playing my Standard 50s or my PRS McCarty, which have almost exactly the same neck profile as my Standard 50s, or my PRS DC 594, which has noticeably an even chunkier neck. I haven't measured the neck depth of my R9, but I'll do it when I change the strings. However it feels very close, if not identical to my Standard 50s, which is the Goldilocks standard for me, not to fat nor too thin. I haven't played many of the previous R9 iterations to compare, but I've heard some of the vintage guitar dealers online claim that the original 1959 burst weren't as fat as the necks on the RIs. I've also heard Gibson Custom retails online think that the neck on the Standard 50's were thinner than what they were used to with previous iterations of R9s. Maybe, Gibson went with a thinner 1959 profile (late 59s). Regardless if the changed the profile or not, the neck carve is just perfect for my taste. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rct Posted June 14, 2019 Share Posted June 14, 2019 NICE Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marky Forrest Posted June 15, 2019 Share Posted June 15, 2019 Wow, it is gorgeous. Congratulations! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pippy Posted June 15, 2019 Share Posted June 15, 2019 (edited) Lovely 60th anniversary. Many congrats. I really do like the various variations of Darkburst which have been appearing this year in particular. Personally I'd have scarificed the LHS and kept the RHS but also appreciate thet the R0/G0 neck profile wasn't your preferred profile. Hope you have tons of fun with your new darling! Pip. Edited June 15, 2019 by pippy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabs Posted June 15, 2019 Share Posted June 15, 2019 Very nice... happy playing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pauloqs Posted June 15, 2019 Author Share Posted June 15, 2019 1 hour ago, pippy said: Lovely 60th anniversary. Many congrats. I really do like the various variations of Darkburst which have been appearing this year in particular. Personally I'd have scarificed the LHS and kept the RHS but also appreciate thet the R0/G0 neck profile wasn't your preferred profile. Hope you have tons of fun with your new darling! Pip. Funny that is what I was going to do. The R0/G0 is objectively a superior guitar than the LHS Bourbon Burst. However, I couldn’t bring myself to part with LHS Bourbon burst because it had just too much sentimental value to me. It brings me back to the when I proposed to my wife, our wedding, our daughter, the first time I played on a stage, and my first band. It was also my first “top shelf” guitar. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pippy Posted June 15, 2019 Share Posted June 15, 2019 In which case I heartily applaud your appreciative values and commend you on your purchase! Play Long and Prosper! Pip. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Black Dog Posted June 16, 2019 Share Posted June 16, 2019 Very nice! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twang Gang Posted June 16, 2019 Share Posted June 16, 2019 Very nice looking R9 - hope you enjoy it and glad you found the one that fits your hand. One question - why no pickguards on all of these different re-issues? Or did you just take them off because you like the look better? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pauloqs Posted June 16, 2019 Author Share Posted June 16, 2019 (edited) On 6/16/2019 at 8:30 AM, Twang Gang said: Very nice looking R9 - hope you enjoy it and glad you found the one that fits your hand. One question - why no pickguards on all of these different re-issues? Or did you just take them off because you like the look better? I just like cleaner no pickguard look better, so yest I take them off. Since I’ve been unjustly accused of showing off, I thought I should show off so @FZ Fan doesn’t get accused of being unfair. You’re welcome 😄 Edited June 17, 2019 by pauloqs Formatting. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FemmeParallell Posted June 17, 2019 Share Posted June 17, 2019 aww man, that one so pretty! congrats😍 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IanHenry Posted June 19, 2019 Share Posted June 19, 2019 Congratulations, that really is a nice example🙂 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pauloqs Posted June 19, 2019 Author Share Posted June 19, 2019 Thank you everyone. The guitar is absolutely phenomenal. I'm starting to miss the R0 a little bit, but I much prefer the R9 and I can't bring myself to part ways with my 2017 Bourbon Burst Standard. It's probably just GAS lol. I might just have to get an R0 for my 40th birthday in 2021, which was my original plan for the R9, but I made the mistake to play the one I ended up getting. I'm curious about one thing, but I didn't want to start a new thread for such a trivial question. The medallions that covers the switch cavity on the 60th Anniversary R9s come with a small diamond. Does anyone know by any chance if it's a real diamond? Part of me thinks it's more likely to be zirconium diamond or something else that is made to look like a diamond, but the guitar is expensive enough that it could be the real thing. I haven't found anything online yet and perhaps someone has better luck with the right combination of words on Google. No it's not going to make a difference at all on how I see the guitar and I don't think real diamonds would give me a better tone 😂, but I'm just very curious to know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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