The Favorite Guitar of Brian Ray of Paul McCarney's Band

2011 Gibson Les Paul Standard R9 - Vic DaPra Caramel Burst Fade

This incredible 'R9' reissue of Vic DaPra's 1959 Les Paul Standard Caramel Burst Fade is one of just twenty-five guitars (worldwide) specially made for Guitar Gallery of Canonsburg, PA, in 2011. This superb guitar, perfect in every detail, has a near perfect 'Burst' weight of 8.80 lbs. Two-piece book-matched solid carved heavily-flamed 'Caramel Burst' maple top with single-ply cream binding on a one-piece solid mahogany body. One-piece mahogany neck with a perfect nut width of just over 1 11/16 inches, a standard Gibson scale length of 24 3/4 inches and a typical '59 thick 'baseball bat' profile (0.91 inch behind the first fret gently rising to 1.00 inch behind the 12th fret). Bound Indian rosewood fretboard with 22  medium frets, inlaid pearl trapezoid position markers and dark red side-dot markers. Headstock with inlaid pearl "Gibson" logo and "Les Paul Model" silk-screened in gold. Individual [Kluson] Gibson Deluxe 'double-line' tuners with single-ring Keystone plastic buttons. Serial number "9 11157" stamped in black on back of headstock. Single-layer cream plastic pickguard. Two Gibson 1957 'Custombucker' PAF re-issue humbuckers, each with a small black rectangular label on the underside with "Patent Applied For" printed in gold and two printed white labels: "BB1 (wound by PS) 5/30/2011" (neck) and "BB3 (wound by PS) 07/14/2011" (bridge), each with cream plastic surrounds and very strong outputs of 7.69k and 8.45k. Four controls (two volume, two tone) on lower treble bout, plus three-way selector switch on upper bass bout. Gold-plastic bell-shaped "Bell" knobs. ABR-1 Tune-O-Matic non-retainer bridge with metal saddles and separate stud tailpiece. Inside the controls cavity is "R9" stamped in black and of course the requisite two 'Bumble-Bee' capacitors. This guitar is in mint (9.50) condition. Housed in the original Gibson Custom, five-latch, shaped brown hardshell case with padded burgundy plush lining (9.50). Complete with all of the original 'case candy' including the original white folder containing the Gibson Custom Certificate of Authenticity: "1959 Les Paul Standard Reissues in / DaPra Caramel Burst Fade / 911157 (in black ink) / The instrument bearing the serial number above is 1 of a 25 / Limited-Run for Guitar Gallery, This instrument was hand-built by / Gibson Custom, where highly skilled artisans are committed to carrying / on the company's century-old tradition of creating exquisite, / investment-quaility instruments. This guitar boldly reflects the highest / standards of imaginative design and masterful craftsmanship. [Signed in ink by] Rick Gembar / General Manager, Senior Vice President / Gibson Custom Shop." Also included is the "Gibson Gold Warranty" with the Pre-Pack Checklist with details including the serial number in black ink.

The original owner told us that this guitar was #8 in the 2011 run of 25. We were unable to locate the #8 designation anywhere on the guitar so we contacted the original seller - Guitar Gallery in Canonsburg, PA, who informed us that the 25 numbers were put on the back of the headstock using a silver marker which often fades or disappears. They also told us that this run of the VicDaPra Caramel Burst were the best sounding and playing guitars of any of the '59 reissues that they had handled. That explains why Paul McCartney's guitar player Brian Ray uses one.

In 2011, Vic had the Gibson Custom Shop make him a limited run of 25 DaPra Caramel Burst Fade R9s (this is [#8] out of 25). He based the color on a real 1959 – and he has seen them all! Hardware is VOS but the guitar has a gloss finish. When Vic ordered these R9s he made sure every detail was period correct (he even switched out the tuning knob tips to match his real 1959 Les Paul). This guitar is a monster! One of the best sounding Les Paul's that we have ever handled. Vic also personally selected the maple tops and this one is an outstanding example of wide 3D flame (something you dont see every day). Beautiful and resonant one piece mahogany body under the maple top. Guitar weighs 8.80 lbs. Plays like a dream. Brian Ray (guitarist for Paul McCartney) plays one of the other 24 DaPra Caramel Burst Fades.

"A Limited Run of 25 Guitars! Killer!" Mike Slubowski - The Les Paul Forum