Jared James Nichols is well-acquainted with the artwork of resurrecting crushed guitars, having beforehand undertaken the restoration of ‘Dorothy’, a 1952 Gibson Les Paul that endured the ravages of a devastating twister.

His newest endeavour sees him diving into one other difficult venture: the revival of a storm-damaged 1975 Les Paul Customized, aptly named ‘Katrina’, which boasts a historical past as tumultuous as its namesake storm.

Explaining the guitar’s origins on Instagram, Nichols says that he was contacted three years in the past by a person named Joe Thompson, who’d despatched him photos of the “weathered and battered” Les Paul Customized “with a glance and unbelievable story.”

“The unique proprietor died whereas taking part in this very guitar,” Nichols explains. “He was electrocuted by being barefoot and finishing the circuit between an ungrounded amplifier and an digital warmth grate in an outdated farmhouse. The guitar was then positioned in his sister’s storage shed for many years till 2005, when that shed was demolished by hurricane Katrina. Towards all odds, the guitar seemingly survived.”

“Quick ahead to at the moment, I’ve simply develop into the brand new custodian of this very, very particular Gibson Les Paul Customized. It sounds completely unbelievable because it appears. She is gonna want some TLC, however quickly can be proper again to her Rock & Roll glory days, and again on stage. I’ve the chills.”

In a follow-up submit, Nichols humorously describes the guitar’s dire state, writing: “This was the opposite evening, proper after pulling it out of the field! Think about the dirtiest LP on the planet, however even worse! It wouldn’t even fret above the twelfth fret. Rusty strings/frets/pots…it was tough!”

That stated, the guitarist reveals he’s been slowly cleansing up the Les Paul — “It’s nonetheless alive!”, and now the axe “performs on each fret and rings like a bell.” The purpose is to have Katrina “stage and tour prepared” by his upcoming exhibits with Queensryche, which kicks off on 9 October.

Take heed to the guitar in motion through Nichols’ Instagram submit under.