The Bavarian Makeover

I do what the mass-production guitar industry is not able to do - I can give your Les Paul Reissue or Standard the handmade craftsmanship that made the originals so legendary and sought-after. I utilize the same construction techniques and materials used by Gibson during its “golden age” such as hand-carving the necks and using hot hide glue for attaching period- correct fingerboards and setting the necks. I re-carve the maple tops with a scraper to give the top carve the correct vintage contours with the proper amount of “dish”.

How do I know, what’s the “right” top carve? Because I have studied many of the most beautiful originals that have graced my shop over the years. I’ve spent countless hours studying their contours and how they feel in-hand. I’ve even taken the time to carefully measure them.

I reshape the neck to create a full, yet comfortable neck out of a baseball bat. The neck carves of the ‘50s Les Pauls are different than what is available today. Not only were they originally hand-carved, but they had a subtle differences with less “shoulder”.

I use a special nitro-cellulose-lacquer, which is handmade by a small bavarian lacquer manufactory after my specifications. It smells, feels and reacts like a sixty year old finish and is NOT artificially treated.

I use the same aniline-dyes in the pore filler on the mahogany to create the classic appearance of the red color on the back, neck and sides.

I love to give these guitars the look and magic feel of the originals - and don ́t forget that both makeovers will dramatically improve the tonal qualities of your instrument.

Well, if you want to know the secret, it’s …

We should admit that guitarists make excellent subjects for behavioural studies. You buy a guitar for a lot of money that the company that produces it counts among its best works …

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Well, if you want to know the secret, it’s...

We should admit that guitarists make excellent subjects for behavioural studies. You buy a guitar for a lot of money that the company that produces it counts among its best works. Then you notice that the Les Paul is not quite the replica promised after all; small details that seem marginal to outsiders but make the weighty difference to guitarists. Because you have had this experience, you are reading this text right now. You want to turn to Florian Jäger to help your guitar reach its full potential, but this also comes at a price. The question is obvious: Is it worth it? The answer is: Yes, it is worth it, more than you could imagine beforehand!

I chose my 60th Anniversary R9 from 2019 as the best sounding guitar for me among many identical guitars. Unfortunately, it was quickly apparent that the guitar was ultimately an industrial product in terms of craftsmanship. Florian subjected my Les Paul to the complete Makeover 2. It was an extraordinary, educational, aesthetically and intellectually stimulating experience. One should be aware that Florian Jäger is a trained Masterluthier who applies the highest standards to his work and produces guitars that are internationally coveted, recognised and rare. There are probably only a handful of people who have not only seen, touched and played authentic Les Pauls, but can also build them to an exacting standard. Jäger is one of that few.

He has a unique knowledge of the process of making old Les Pauls. To this end, he has collected empirical data on Les Pauls from the 1950s and identified their authenticity factors over many years of work. His mastery of craftsmanship is fully expressed in a makeover - the guitar is transformed from an industrial product into a handmade one-off that resembles original vintage guitars in every detail. The feel and playability are enhanced to the maximum and brought into line with those of a played-in, old guitar. And here lies the secret: it's in the varnish. The formula of the legendary Jäger nitro lacquer is based on chemical tests of original Les Pauls from the 1950s. This authentic nitro lacquer feels indescribably organic and is - in contrast to modern lacquers - resonant.

A Les Paul finished by Florian Jäger is an instrument of the highest quality, exerting a lasting influence on the playing experience, the sound and the music. Look no further - do it!

The Bavarian Makeover One

  • Strip off the lacquer
  • Re-carve the maple top to vintage-correct contours
  • Reshape the neck to a genuine 50’s profile (if requested), with rolled binding
  • Fill the pores in the mahogany with the correct red pore filler
  • Re-stamp the serial number with the correct font
  • Refinish with nitrocellulose lacquer with period-correct aniline dyes (cherry sun burst with requested amount of “fade”) or the authentic bronze powder (goldtop)
  • Vintage Patina

2400,- €

personalized/customized aging with authentic weatherchecking and all the wear and tear you want to see and feel on your guitar: dents, nibs, forearm-wear, authentic buckle-rash: 400,-

hardware/plastics aging: 300,- €

Installation of authentic Mazzucchelli-Cellulose-Nitrate-Inlays. Period-correct pattern. 300,-€

The Bavarian Makeover Two

Includes all of the Bavarian Makeover I

  • Replace fretboard with CITES-certified brazilian rosewood and hot hide glue
  • Refret with correct style fret-end nibs on the binding
  • Roll the binding edges

4600,- €

personalized/customized aging with authentic weatherchecking and all the wear and tear you want to see and feel on your guitar: dents, nibs, forearm-wear, authentic buckle-rash: 400,-

hardware/plastics aging: 300,- €

examine the neck: When a guitar comes in for a makeover, I carefully examine the neck joint for structural integrity and neck angle to determine whether of not a reset is needed. 800,- €

Royalite: I do have the Royalite they used in the 50ies - correct binding: 400,- €

Gibson Logo Replacement: Replacing the factory logo with a period-correct mother of pearl logo; installed at the correct position (based on year of production): 400,- €

Tailpiece-Relocation: plugging the tailpiece hole on the treble side and relocating to period-correct position to get the slanted tailpiece; installation of period-correct long tailpiece inserts made out of the right material: 400,- €

Trussrodcondom Removal: Removal of the dampening sheath which covers the trussrod: 400,- Euro

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Florian Jaeger
Gitarrenbaumeister

Hermann-v.-Barth-Str. 2
D-87561 Oberstdorf

Fon +49 (0) 8322 800 248

info@jaegerguitars.com

 

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