This R8 has had big cosmetic makeover, done by a professional luthier. He is an experienced refinisher and also builds burst replicas. 

This could be a great deal for someone who's into the vintage details and finds stock historic reissues lacking and wants something a little more unique. 

This is a phenomenal sounding and feeling Les Paul! Very George Harrison/Eric Clapton Lucy vibes! The finish is to die for! Only selling because I snagged my dream Murphy Lab 64’ Pelham Blue SG, and I have to let something go! 

List of upgrades/modifications:

Full refinish in thin non-plasticized nitrocellulose with real cold checking (no razor blades) and tasteful light aging. 

Factory serial number re-ink stamped with vintage-accurate font. 

Les paul logo silkscreened with vintage-correct gold paint. 

This was a washed cherry type burst from the factory, now wine red.

Currently has the stock original Burstbucker 1 and Burstbucker 2 pickups.

Headstock inlay replaced with vintage-accurate MOP replacement from crazyparts.

Fretboard inlays replaced with RetroSpec cellulose nitrate replacements from Historic Makeovers.

Professionally refretted the guitar when the inlays were installed using Jescar 47x104 wire (very similar to factory wire). No fret nibs.

Vintage-accurate nylon nut.

Fretboard and body binding were replaced with vintage-accurate "royalite" to replace the weird pink looking plastic Gibson were using at the time.

All other parts are original. This was a VOS model so the parts were factory-aged. 

Has tone pros abr1 bridge. 

The factory tophat knobs show some interior cracking/splitting which is common for those parts. 

Gibson were sourcing some really nice Madagascar rosewood during this era and this fretboard looks very similar to Brazillian. He darkened the fretboard and inlays using an oxidation technique employed during the aging process (no dyes or oils used).

Has a full chunky factory depth of .90 at the 1st fret and .99 at the 11th. 

The binding edges are light-rolled for an overall very round, full and "broken in" feeling profile. 

I find this neck to be super comfortable to play.

Weight is 9 lbs, 1.3 oz on my postal scale.

COA was lost before I purchased the guitar but it will be obvious to anyone who knows what they're looking at that this is most definitely a Gibson R8. Original hardshell case and documentation (minus COA) included.

Please let me know if you have any questions!