Kamis, 16 Juli 2009

Assessing Gibson Guitar Values - 3 Keys to Understanding Your Guitar's Value

by Derek Douglas
Understanding Gibson guitar values is not a black and white, finite task. There are, unfortunately, many shades of grey, and many things you need to be aware of. Here are three key points that will help you get the best understanding of what your Gibson is worth.

1. The Buyer - Who is buying the guitar will play a major role in how much you get for the guitar. Is it a collector? If so, they may actually be willing to buy the guitar at a premium (more than it's worth) because they intend to hang on to it and let it appreciate. Is the buyer a reseller? In this case, the buyer will be trying to pay you the absolute lowest amount because they immediately intend to sell the guitar for a profit. Be careful in this scenario, as the buyer may take advantage of your ignorance of guitar values. Arm yourself with as much information as you can.

2. The Condition - Obviously, the condition of anything you're selling plays a role in how much money you get. Be aware that a buyer interested in an older or vintage guitar will be particularly fussing about the condition of the guitar. Also, if the guitar has had any modifications,
expect the value to decrease significantly.

3. The Number - How many of this particular guitar were made? If it was a million, expect value to be lower because supply is so high. If it's an original Gibson Explorer and there are less than 100 in existence, expect the price tag to be in the hundreds of thousands. Your guitar probably falls in the middle somewhere, but knowing how many of your particular guitar came off the assembly line will help you determine it's value.

At the end of the day, no website or guide can tell you exactly what your guitar is worth, but by knowing these three factors you'll be better educated.

At the end of the day, how much is your guitar worth? Only as much as a buyer is willing to pay you.

Gibson Les Paul Guitars - The Scam Played Around the World

By Chris Beachum
The Les Paul Guitar was created by Gibson Guitar Corporation and legendary pop star, electronics inventor, as well as jazz guitarist Frean Donni. Once the Fender Telecaster hit the market electric guitars became the craze. To meet and attempt to beat this craze James Verdon the Gibson Guitar president brought a guitarist Les Paul into the company as a consultant.

Rumors had been circulating that Les Paul had been experimenting with various guitar designs for years. Paul did have a prototype that he called, "The Log." If you were to ask some industry experts they would say that this was the first solid-body Spanish guitar ever built.

Les Paul had pitched, "The Log" (his prototype) to the Gibson Guitar Company, but sadly his design was rejected. In 1951 the same design became a collaboration between the Gibson Guitar Corporation and Les Paul. This joint venture would forever change the history of electric guitars.

Among the guitar community Les Paul is still on of the most commonly debated topics. Enthusiast still argue over exactly what his contributions were. Some say that Paul was nothing more than a consultant and only contributed ideas for the trapeze tailpiece, and the color of the final guitar which was named, "Les Paul."

When interviewed Ted McCarty the president of the Gibson Guitar Corporation, openly stated that Les Paul only contributed his name to the project. McCarty went on to say that Paul only contributed to the tailpiece and the fitting of a maple cap over the mahogany body.

I have never understood why people have always attempted to minimize Les Paul's contributions to the historical guitar. Here's my take on it if you care to know. If Les Paul really didn't contribute a lot to the project why would Gibson put ONLY his name on the final product?

The Gibson SG

By Mark Flys
The Gibson SG, launched in 1961, was originally a refined version of the Les Paul model, and was going to take that name, although the guitar’s designer, legendary blues guitarist Les Paul- after whom the guitar is named- disliked the shape and refused to have it associated with him.

Gibson decided to continue making the old Les Paul and to rename the new guitar the SG, which stands for Solid Guitar. The Les Paul has been continually made since 1952 and is still sold. The SG was launched to compete with Fender’s Stratocaster, the guitar Gibson had tried to take on in 1958 with the initially very unsuccessful Modernistic series- the Explorer, Flying V and Moderne.

It had a completely different body style- small, light, thin and with two bevelled cutaways and pointed horns. The neck was almost completely off the body with a very high neck joint. The body was always mahogany, as was the neck. The fingerboard was ebony or rosewood. The SG was marketed as having the fastest neck in the world as it was almost separate from the body and had a very slim profile.

The pickup options were one, two or three humbuckers, or one or two P-90s. Most did not have the optional vibrato systems, although some had Gibson-designed units. A rare feature is the Gibson-designed sideways vibrato, in which the notes were distorted by the player moving the arm from side to side, instead of up and down. This was short lived.

When the SG was launched the main models available were the Standard, the Junior and the Custom. The SG Standard had the truss rod cover from a Les Paul and the “batwing” shaped scratchplate. It was revised in 1966 and was fitted with a larger scratchplate and different neck joint. The SG Junior was similar to the Les Paul Junior in concept- a cheaper version of the SG, while retaining the shape. The SG Custom was the range-topping model.

Kamis, 09 Juli 2009

7 Reasons to Buy a Gibson Guitar

By Ryan Gloman
Buying a guitar is a big decision. Maybe you have stumbled upon this article because you are preparing to embark on a lifelong journey with guitar music and you want to pick the right instrument. Maybe you are a collector seeking to build your collection. Maybe you are a parent who is contemplating buying your child his or her first instrument. No matter how you came to this article you should know that it pays to do your research and it is my hope that this article will help you get started.

Please remember that these are only my opinions. I have no affiliation with Gibson. I am just a fan of their guitars. If you take my advice, be aware that you are doing so at your own risk and do not complain to me if you don't like your new guitar. It pays to do your research, but because you are reading this article, I think you probably already know that. Without further ado... Reasons to buy a Gibson guitar.

1. The Look. Many people say that Gibson guitars are some of the most beautifully crafted guitars in the world. This is, of course, a matter or personal preference but you cannot deny the beauty of a Les Paul.

2. Les Paul. This Jazz Guitarist/Inventor pioneered the manufacturing of electric guitars. He is now recognized as a household name because of his signature guitar which bears his name.

3. Jimmy Hendrix played a Gibson guitar. That's right. The guitar hero who is basically synonymous with the Fender Stratocaster played Gibson guitars before he played a Strat. Some of the notable models that Hendrix used were the SG Custom, the Flying V, the Les Paul Special and the Les Paul Custom.

4. Humbucker pickups. Generally described as being "warm, thick, or rich,"
these pickups give a gorgeous sound. Humbucker pickups are present on most Gibson guitars. Without getting too technical they cut out destructive interference and increase constructive interference which makes for a beautiful sound-to noise-ratio. Don't get it? Just go play one. You'll understand!

5. Fat Necks. Gibsons have notoriously fat necks. Some people like them and others don't. It is really a matter of personal preference and this author likes them! That's why they are in the "reasons to buy" section.

6. Resale Value. Gibson guitars are well-made. You can count on getting your money back for one if you ever decide to part with it. In fact, depending on how you treat it, it might actually appreciate in value.

7. If that's not enough for you, here is a list of some guitar players who have chosen Gibson guitars: Slash, Duane Allman, Jeff Beck, Buckethead, B.B. King, and Pat Metheny.

History Of The Gibson SG Guitar

By Johnny Stall
The Gibson SG guitar is one of the most coveted guitars in history. Many musicians over the years have fallen in love with the SG and have remained loyal to Gibson. Here is a bit of the history of the SG for you to enjoy.

Around the year 1960, the Gibson guitar makers were suffering through a sales slump. Not that the Les Paul was not selling, as it was and very nicely. The trouble was that music was evolving and musicians were looking for a sound, or tone, different from what the Les Paul offered.

So in 1961, Gibson radically altered the body shape so it was now thinner, more lightweight and now featured a double cutaway neck area that permitted deeper access to the higher frets. The neck took on a heavier construction and the neck joint was raised approximately three frets higher. This was done in hopes of competing with Fender's Stratocaster model, which was gaining popularity then.

The new design was marketed with the "fastest neck in the world" and this was largely a fact. The neck had a thinner profile (from the side) and with the higher neck joint, the heel was no longer an obstruction, as was the case with the Les Pauls.

Another name was sought because the guitar looked nothing like a Les Paul. Since the guitar was it's inventor's namesake, Les Paul (the inventor of the electric guitar and the Les Paul design) asked that his name removed from the new design completely.

So, the good people at Gibson brainstormed and called the new model an "SG". Ironically enough, this was simply short for "solid guitar".

The Gibson factory had an abundance of plastic "Les Paul" nameplates in stock. So even though Les Paul's name was removed in 1961, Gibson continued to manufacture SG's with the nameplate between the topmost pickup and the fret board until the end of 1963. Finding one of these early SG's with a Les Paul nameplate would truly be a valuable collector's item.

Since the SG was introduced in early 1961, numerous variations have been made carrying the SG name. There was a standard model (SG Standard) as well as a junior model (SG Junior). Then the top of the line Gibson SG Custom made the scene. Curiously, the SG Customs manufactured from 1961-63 did not say 'SG' on them, yet they did have a Les Paul signature plate under the fret board, as did all Les Paul's.

From 1961 to early '63, the truss rod cover on the SG Standard was engraved with "Les Paul". The SG featured a small pick guard on models made between 1961 and 1965. Then, in 1966, another slight redesigning took place. Now the SG had a different type of neck joint and a batwing-shaped pick guard appeared on models from 1967 upwards.

The design was firm until around 1970 or so. The year 1971 saw the release of a new version of the SG with a floating pick guard reminiscent of the Les Paul. Also the control plate was mounted from the front to decrease construction cost.

A variety of quality tailpieces were offered as options as well. Notable ones were the "Maestro", the "Lyre Vibrola" and the Bigsby vibrato tremolo arm. A few new designs were brought into play with the new tailpiece design. A few of these were the SG 100 (a low end version that was more affordable) and the SG 200 (with two single coil pickups). On the higher end of the SG spectrum were the SG Pro and the SG Deluxe models.

Gibson returned to the original design of the SG in 1973. The pick guard went retro to the small original pick guard and the controls were moved to the rear again and the neck was set deeper into the body with a joining point around the twentieth fret. But by the end of that decade, all the SG models reverted mostly to the old design. Current models are now made with 1967-1969 constructions, the larger LP style pick guard that encases the pickups on the SG body. Variations are still available with the small pick guard. Re-issues of the SG are common and popular.

These guitars resemble their 1960's brothers except that a stop tailpiece is now standard. Models of the SG with a vibrato tailpiece are now a custom item or a special edition model.

The first SG that had active factory pickups was introduced in 1980. Gibson tested an SG model with the same active Moog electronics that were being used (or had been used) in a previous model called the RD Artist. This experimental SG sported a thicker body due to the extraneous added circuitry. This model was lovingly nicknamed the "Gibson SG-R1".

The SG-R1 was made of solid mahogany with a black glossy finish. It had no pick guard, the fret inlays were "dots" opposed to original trapezoid shapes and it featured transparent barrel knobs for the treble and bass controls ranging from "0" to "+5" or "-5" instead of "1" to "10". There was also an extra switch to activate a "boost" on the bridge pickup.

The SG-R1 had a fixed bridge with a tremolo/whammy bar standard. Gibson renamed the SG-R1 the "SG Artist" circa 1981 and subsequently discontinued it. Of these SG's, there were only about 200 ever made.

Today the Gibson SG guitar is still as popular as ever and is used by some of the top guitarists to ever strap on an axe. Some of Gibson's loyal users are Angus Young (AC/DC), Hank Williams Jr, Jeff Tweedy (Wilco), Marilyn Manson, Nic Cester (Jet), Pete Townshend (The Who), Shakira and Tony Iommi (Black Sabbath).

The Gibson Les Paul Guitar Story

By Gareth Owen
In 1950, there was a big boom in the world of music when the Fender Telecaster (electric guitar) was introduced in the market. Another breed of guitars led the world of music after this with Gibson Les Paul. As the name suggests Gibson is the leading musical instrument manufacturer and Les Paul was one of the most respected guitarists in history. Les Paul has been known for his innovation in musical instruments and it was for this reason that the president of Gibson Company, Ted McCarthy, got Les Paul to be a consultant for Gibson.

Les Paul made a solid body prototype, which was known as The Log. Les Paul had approached Gibson in the year 1945 with this prototype but this idea was refused, but then again in 1951 Les Paul and Gibson worked together and Les Paul’s innovative idea gave birth to a marvel that rocked the music world. The line of models for the Gibson hollow-body electric guitars provided ideas to create Gibson Les Paul, which differed from Fender in having a more curved body and a glued-in neck.

There are different controversies regarding the role of Les Paul in Gibson. One of the controversies is that the president of Gibson Corporation approached Les Paul and asked him for the right to print his name on the headstock of the guitar so that they could increase the sales of that specific model and name it Gibson Les Paul.

It was also claimed by McCarthy that they only had discussions with Les Paul regarding the tailpiece and fitting of a maple cap over the mahogany body for increased density and sustain. Les Paul also wanted the new model to have a gold finish but the Gibson gave flame and tiger maple finishes for it to compete with the Fender.

The Les Paul guitar started out with two models, the regular model, which was then nicknamed as the Goldtop and the other was the custom model in which up gradation of the hardware was offered with a black finish. There was a constant improvement seen in the pickup, body and hardware patterns that truly pulled lots of guitarists towards it.

There are different features that distinguish the Gibson Les Paul from the rest of the brands. Gibson Les Paul is known for mounting of its strings, which are always mounted on top of the guitar body and not through the guitar body as was seen in the Fender’s models. Gibson Les Paul has offered a wide range of decorative models, customized hardware, and electric pickup options. The humbucking pickup completely eliminated the 60-cycle humming that previously beset the amplified guitars.

Gibson Les Paul has gone through an evolutionary process over the years and has brought on unique models to gear up with state of the art advanced technology and style. The line of Gibson Les Paul models are Goldtop (1952-1957), Custom (1954-1960), Gibson Les Paul Junior (1954-1960), Gibson Les Paul TV (1955-1960), Gibson Les Paul Special (1955-1960), Gibson Les Paul Standard (1958-1960), Gibson Les Paul SG 1961, Gibson Les Paul Deluxe 1968, Gibson Les Paul Studio 1983, as well as the modern Gibson Les Paul guitars.

It was in the 1960 that the icons in the world of guitarists such as Mike Bloomfield, Keith Richards, Jimmy Page as well as Eric Clapton acknowledged the professional capability of Gibson Les Paul’s late 50s guitars because they had the thicker and more sustaining tone of Gibson’s humbucking pickups. This innovation just gave Gibson Les Paul the unique standing in electric guitars and then there were a lot of companies that followed the lead of Gibson in making the humbucking pickups. Following these icons, a lot of other bands and artists made Gibson Les Paul their choice and now a 1959 Les Paul can cost in a range of about $100,000 to $500,000.

Gibson Guitar Dealers - 5 Tips to Help You Make the Right Decision

By Derek Douglas
I've purchased tens of thousands of dollars worth of gear over the last 15 years, and this is my take on Gibson guitar dealers.

Purchasing a Gibson guitar can be a serious undertaking. With prices ranging from $500 to $10,000 and upwards, it pays to do your research.

The Top 5 Tips for Buying Guitars

1. Research, Research, Research. Plenty of information is available to you online, so do a little surfing first. What you think you know may be different than the truth.

2. Learn How to Spot a Fake. Counterfeit guitars from China are increasingly available online, so make sure you know how to spot fakes before purchasing from an unknown buyer.

3. New or Used? Each has its own distinct advantages, so know ahead of time what your're after. For example, certain online retailers let you buy a new guitar and spread the payment equally over 5 months. This is a huge advantage over opening a new line of credit or coming up with the money all at once. You might be able to get a great deal on a used guitar, just be careful that you're not scammed online or having suspicious characters over to your house.

4. Spend More Than You Want To. This will be painful now, but being cheap on your guitar purchase is like being cheap when buying a bed: you're gonna have it for a long time, and spend a lot of time with it. Get the best you can afford and figure out a way to pay for it.

5. Buying Online Saves You Money (and Time). If your neighbor has the perfect deal, by all means go for it. The more likely scenario is that you'll be waiting around for some flake on Craigslist to get back to you, or paying too much at your local Guitar Store. Online retailers are extremely efficient, and they pass the savings on to you. They also have return polices, satisfaction guarantees, and payment plans that don't require a special card. And yeah, you don't have to drive anywhere.

Gibson Guitars

By Peter Gitundu
The Gibson guitar, a solid body guitar which costs nearly $2,300, is manufactured by Gibson Corporation who are prominent manufacturers of acoustic and electronic guitars. Based on Gibson robotic technology, these guitar can be configured within 2 seconds and there are many Gibson guitars available today. It has a revolutionary 6-way pick up switch with three white blade single coil pick-ups and its rotary selector gives flexibility for six pickups - Bridge, Middle Bridge, Middle and Middle Neck, Neck and Bridge Neck.

The Body of a Gibson Guitar is made from swamp ash wood and the neck specifications, whose joint location is 19, are based on mahogany. It has a profile based on SG with a width of nut of 1.695 degrees. The fingerboard, which contains dot inlays, has a scale length of 24 with 22 frets. Its bridge is based on tune-matic and the knobs, which have gold inserts are based on black top hat while the machine head, (tuners), are based on green keys. Both the neck and middle pickups are built of single blade coils. The bridges pickup, which are formed by single blade coils, contain controls for volume, tone and have a rotary switch with white pick guard wires of .010 - .046mm thickness. The Gibson guitar case has a plush white interior, a black reptile-pattern exterior and its silkscreen bears a silver Gibson logo.

Use of the Gibson guitar gives you full control of the rhymes and sounds. It eliminates tuning problems because it is based on automatic A440 tuner allowing you to play across six commonly used tuning presets by push of the button. It saves guitar tone time and allows you to change strings, truss rods and make other adjustments.

The Gibson Thunderbird Guitar Story

By Gareth Owen
Gibson Thunderbird is one among the different classic models of bass guitars that were introduced by Gibson. It was launched in the year 1963. One of the biggest challenges that Gibson had was the lead of Fender that was ruling the market with both their electric and bass guitars at the time the Thunderbird was launched.

The Gibson Thunderbird was designed by an engineer who was from Germany, Ray Dietrich, who also designed another masterpiece, the Gibson Firebird, which was just the mirror image of its name. The Gibson Thunderbird is a masterpiece. It had a neck-through design where the neck just followed the entire length of the body. The rest of the body was glued to give it the right curves.

The previous models of Gibson bass guitars had a scale of 30.5 inches, which was short, whereas the Gibson Thunderbird had a scale of about 34 inches, which was similar to the scale that the Fender’s bass guitars had. Originally there were two Gibson Thunderbird models, one was Thunderbird II, which had one pickup and the other was Thunderbird IV, which had two pickups.

It was in the year 1966 that Gibson changed the design and structure of the Gibson Thunderbird. The design of the original Gibson Thunderbird had the treble horn extended and the bass horn recessed, which was also known as the reverse body. The change in the outlook was given by flipping it over so that it is more appealing for the clients and this version was known as the non-reverse body.

Another change that was brought in the design was the neck. The tough but costly neck-through construction was taken over by the more traditional Gibson set-neck construction. The non-reverse Gibson Thunderbird was in the assembly line till 1969 and then it was discontinued. Interestingly enough, the non-reverse Gibson Thunderbird is the gem of the eye among collectors and is categorized as rare.

Then a new version of Gibson Thunderbird came out in the market, which was named as Thunderbird IV. This model was introduced in the market in the year 1976 as a bicentennial edition. The Gibson Thunderbird IV had the original body and neck-through construction. This model stayed for about four years until its production stopped again in 1979.

The Gibson Corporation planned to bring the Thunderbird back and it was Gibson Thunderbird IV that was introduced again in the year 1987 and it has been in the production line till now. The current versions of the Gibson Thunderbird that are present in the market these days are the Gibson Thunderbird IV, Gibson Thunderbird Studio (4 string), Gibson Thunderbird Studio (5 string) and Epiphone Thunderbird IV. All of them are the reverse style with two pickups.

Another classic marvel introduced by Gibson was Gibson Blackbird, which was a custom built model of Gibson Thunderbird. This model was being designed on the specifications that were asked for by Nikki Sixx of Motley Crue. This model was in the production line from the year 2000 to 2003. The changes included moving the strap buttons up and an appropriate strap to give it an appropriate balance. A specifically designed pickguard and all the hardware were finished in black chrome.

The Gibson Thunderbird has been used by some of the great bassist that world has ever known including Krist Novoselic of Nirvana, Simon Gallup of The Cure, Nikki Sixx of Motley Crue, Adam Clayton of U2 and a long list to follow.

Les Paul Guitars - Gibson Guitars Loved by All - Including Slash!

By John Picker
If you're into music - and especially guitars, somewhere along the line you've been looking at Les Paul Guitars for sale. The Famous Gibson guitar manufacturers make these and they are one of most well known electric guitars.

Introduced more than 50 years ago (1952), the design remains virtually the same. At that time Les Paul was well known as both a jazz guitarist and a pop star. He worked with Gibson to create a guitar that became known for its rich tones.

The Gibson Les Paul has been used by many notable musicians such as Eric Clapton, Neil Young, Peter Frampton and Slash from Guns 'n' Roses, and is still very popular today.

If you've decided that you truly want a Les Paul guitar, then be warned, you need to search carefully. Antique shops, music stores and Internet auction sites have many of these listed but you must be able to tell between a real Les Paul and a fake. Not only that, if it is a real Les Paul, importantly, you must be able to date it correctly.

So how do you conduct a search for this guitar of your dreams. Simple, do your research. Learn as much about these guitars as you can. Research counterfeit copies. Learn both what makes them stand out from the real McCoy and what makes them pass for one, too. Learn how serial numbers were assigned and what the range of the number used should be for the year you're interested in.

The original guitar was heavy, weighing almost ten pounds and had no serial numbers marking it. Expensive back then, these guitars are even more expensive now. If you can find one that can be authenticated back to the 1950's, you will be paying in the low six figures.

Always work with a reputable dealer. If you know someone in the music world, great! Ask them for referrals and references. If you're a serious buyer, a reputable dealer will be only too happy to work with you.

If you're considering purchasing one of these online through an auction site, be very careful. Be very, very careful. You might have to take the word of a total stranger about the authenticity of the piece you're looking at. If you think it's real and worth the money, you might want to arrange a visit if possible, to actually see and touch the item before the purchase.

Once you buy the Les Paul guitar for sale of your dreams, bring it home and give it the utmost care and respect that it deserves. Insure it for its real value. Store it properly. Play it properly. But, above all, enjoy the music. Don't just lock it away, play it. That's what it was created for.

Gibson Les Paul Guitars - Americas Favorite Electric Guitar

By Joshua Dylan
Gibson Les Paul 2008 Standard: Gibson's newest version of the Les Paul Standard was released August 1st 2008, and it features built-in lock on strap buttons, a larger neck tenon, with an uneven neck contour to make for a comfy neck, frets leveled by Plek machine, and locking Grover tuners with an improved ratio of 18:1. The newest 2008 guitar Gibson has introduced their weight relief chambering, which has included routing chambers in precise areas of the mahogany slab body as specified by Gibson R&D. Before the 2008 release, Les Paul Standards were holy like it had holes routed into the body, but it was not chambered like most of the guitars now are.

Gibson 1961 Les Paul SG Guitars: Gibson experienced a huge fall in electric guitar sales mainly because of their high prices and huge competition from Fender's equivalent but much lighter double-cutaway design in 1960 on The Stratocaster Guitar. Gibson then made changes to the infamous guitar line. The 1961 guitar was thinner and much lighter than the previous guitars, with two sharply pointed cut-aways and vibrato system. Nevertheless, the revamp was done without Les Paul's knowledge...ooops. The musician saw the guitar, he gasped, and he asked Gibson to remove his name from the guitar and he said goodbye to Gibson. Even though this separation happened in 1960, Gibson had a huge stock of Les Paul logos and truss rod covers, and so they continued to use the Les Paul name until about 1963. That is when the SG guitar's name was finally altered to SG, which stands for Solid Guitar. Plus the SG line, Gibson continued to issue the less expensive Les Paul Jr's and Les Paul Specials (and the Melody Makers) with the newer body style. These were the standard Gibson electric models until the reintroduction of the Les Paul Standard Goldtop and the Les Paul Custom guitars to the market in 1968.

Gibson Les Paul Recording Guitar: This guitar is often shunned by guitar purists who consider it to be too full of gadgets and buttons. The Recording features low-impedance pickups, many switches and buttons, and a highly specialized cable for impedance-matching to the amplifier. Less noticeable changes included, but were not limited to, maple fingerboards (1976), pickup cavity shielding, and the crossover of the ABR1 Tune-o-matic bridge into the modern day Nashville Tune-o-matic bridge.

Gibson Les Paul Deluxe Guitars: The Les Paul Deluxe was in the midst of the newest 1968 Les Pauls. This guitar featured "mini-humbuckers", also known as "New York" humbuckers, and did not at first demonstrate to be very popular. The mini-humbucker pickup fit in to the precarved P-90 pickup cavity having an adaptor ring developed by Gibson, actually just a cutout P90 pickup cover, in order to use a supply of Epiphone mini-humbuckers left over from when Gibson moved Epiphone production to Japan. The Deluxe was introduced in 1968 and helped to normalize production among Gibson's USA built Les Paul guitars. The 1st materialization of the Deluxe featured a one-piece body and three-piece neck. The body was a thin layer of maple sandwiched by two layers of Honduran mahogany. Later a small volute was added. 1969 Les Paul Deluxe's mark the Gibson logo devoid of the dot over the "i" in Gibson. In 1970 the dot over the i had returned, with a new Made in USA stamp on the back of the headstock. By 1975, the neck construction was changed from mahogany to maple, until the early 1980s, when the production was returned to mahogany. Vintage, new and used Gibson Les Paul Guitars can be purchased on sale and a great bargain can be had online.

Gibson Les Paul Studio: In 1983 The Les Paul Studio guitar was introduced and is still being made today. The planned market for this guitar was the professional studio musician. Consequently, the design features of the Studio were for optimal sound output. This guitar kept only the elements that added to the tone and playability, together with the carved maple top and standard mechanical and electronic hardware. Nonetheless, the Studio design left out many stock Gibson decorations that did not affect sound quality, including the binding on the body and neck. A notable exemption to this is the Studio Custom, a guitar in the mid 1980s that incorporated body and neck binding, though with dot fingerboard inlays instead of more ornate trapezoids.

Gibson Les Paul Robot Guitar: The Gibson Les Paul Robot Guitar was released in December 2007. The guitar has a computer built into the guitar body with a master control knob next to the volume knobs, which can be pulled out, turned, or pressed to issue different commands to the guitar. One of the more memorable features is the capability to tune the guitar to standard tuning simply by pulling out on the master control knob and strumming the guitar, while the tuning pegs amazingly adjust themselves to standard tuning. Another use of the master control knob is to be able to tune the guitar to alternative tunings, such as drop D, by pressing on the control knob to fit the setting. The Les Paul Robot Guitar has a new custom silverburst blue finish. While the guitar was advertised in the American as a world's first, similar systems, some external, have been in use for decades.

Gibson Les Paul Dark Fire Guitars: Just recently on December 15, 2008 Gibson publicized a new interactive computerized guitar that produces more sounds and it is named the Dark Fire. The guitar has a computer built into the body and controlled by the Master Control Knob or also called the MCK. The MCK gives guitar players the skill to change the pickups and coils, fine-tune each tone and tunings automatically and at once, even while a song is being played. Similar to the Robot Guitar, the Dark Fire Guitar features the capability to tune the guitar, nonetheless, enhanced over the Robot Guitar, the player can tune it up to 500 times per battery charge, letting the tuning pegs adjust themselves to different tuning styles. Using the Chameleon Tone Technology Gibson says this guitar will produce every imaginable guitar sound. In addition to the enhanced and advanced tuning features, the guitar has 3 various types of pickups, which includes: Burstbucker (humbucker), a P-90 single-coil and a bridge-mounted piezo acoustic--all of which add to organic blends of original sounds.

The New Jeff Beck 1954 Gibson Les Paul Electric Guitar

By Robert W. Walker
Once in a very long while a guitar comes out that captures the heart and imagination of those that have come to relish it. That time has come again as that kind of guitar is being brought out again. The guitar I'm referring to is the Jeff Beck 1954 Les Paul Oxblood guitar and it has been considered by many to be the best Gibson Les Paul electric guitar. It's going to be released as a limited run edition and will no doubt become a very valuable collector's edition. The original guitar had such a rich distinct sound that will conjure up many good memories. A lot of people who are familiar with this guitar always tend to focus on the unique sound qualities this fine instrument has been able to produce through out the years. This is just one fine example of a Gibson Les Paul electric guitar.

This will be a limited edition run of one hundred and fifty guitars. The first fifty are going to be very carefully aged to look like the original guitar played by Jeff Beck. Another outstanding feature of the first fifty of these guitars is that they are going to be personally signed by Jeff Beck. The other one hundred of these replicas will be given a special finish. All one hundred and fifty will come with a special Gibson case and a care kit to insure continued care. The guitar also comes with a certificate of authenticity. The cost of these guitars is rumored to be around $8,000.00 to $8,500.00. I'm sure once this limited run is complete that the value will go up as a collectors item.

One thing that a lot of musicians seem to think about is how many of these guitars will actually get played as opposed to merely collected. It's hard to say as only time will be able to tell that outcome. One thing is for pretty sure... these guitars will sell like hotcakes. I'm sure that for most people, a quality Gibson Les Paul electric guitar is enough for them; however for a select few, this Jeff Beck guitar will be so so sweet.

Vintage Gibson Guitars

By Chris Campbell
When Orwell Gibson founded the Gibson guitar company way back in 1902, I'm sure even he never anticipated the success and longevity the company would see to this day. What would've been even harder to predict, was the popularity and demand for guitars built years ago. That is, vintage or antique guitars. While not everything ages well, I know I don't, there are some things that do. A few of the things to do age quite well are wines, violins, antique furniture, classic movies, and vintage guitars.

Guitars, and the sounds they create actually change over time. Different types of wood age differently, so depending on the type of wood your guitar is constructed of will affect how long it takes to age. Harder woods age differently than softer ones.

Another factor obviously that can affect the value of vintage guitars, is the rarity of the guitar in question. Meaning that, the more guitars that were built of a particular model the less rare that guitar will be and the lower its value. Another factor to consider, is the condition of the guitar. While some scratches and dents are unavoidable given the age of the guitars, major imperfections will decrease its value.

And finally, there is one other rather intangible feature to consider when looking at old guitars. That is, who owned, and more importantly who played the guitar in question. It seems a little strange, and maybe it's a musical artsy sort of thing, but if one of the guitar greats actually handled or even played the guitar in question, its value automatically goes up. Kind of like having the spirit of Jimi Hendrix, Les Paul, or Eric Clapton imbued into your guitar. Can't guarantee it will make you play any better, but it couldn't hurt.

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What is a Vintage Gibson Guitar and Why Buy a Vintage Gibson Guitar?

By Jonathan L. Gibson
Vintage Gibson guitars are generally accepted as those from the 1920's through to the 70's. Some experts disagree and use the shorter period from 1930's to the early 70's, disregarding the earlier models as they were in some ways inferior. Some 1980's models are now fetching high prices although they cannot be truly categorized as vintage guitars due to modern production methods and materials used in their construction.

Gibson guitars have long been regarded as the Rolls Royce of the guitar world. As such are sought after by music connoisseurs and investors whether they are players or not. Guitarists and musicians the world over appreciate the quality of the Gibson guitars and when they have been kept in good condition and or have some famous history these become increasingly valuable items indeed.

Perhaps the most famous of all is the Gibson Les Paul and the Les Paul series of guitars. However that is not the whole story. Some of the more collectable and valuable Vintage Gibson guitars, among the many to look out for include these listed below.

* Les Paul (standard) Model Electric Solidbody 1957-1958 Goldtop and the 1958-1960 Sunburst with Humbucking pickups.
* Flying V Electric Solidbody from 1958 to 1963
* Explorer Electric Solidbody from 1958 to 1963
* Gibson Thinline Semi-Hollow Electric Archtops, ES-335, ES-345, ES-355 from 1958-1960
* Vintage Electric Archtop Gibson ES-150 and ES-250 from 1938 to 1940
* L-00 Flattop from 1932 to 1945
* L-5, L-5P, L-5C Acoustic Archtop from1922 to 1970 Cutaway models particularly.
* The most collectible Gibson Archtops are the larger models made from the early 1930's to 1959.
* Advanced Jumbo Flattop from 1935 to 1940
* L-5CES (cutaway) Electric Archtop from 1950's

All Vintage Gibson guitars are truly handcrafted works of art made from the finest materials as well as being marvelous instruments which are played and sought after the world over. The rarer models are not always the most valuable. It is condition, history and actual demand that will govern their worth.

Guitars - Gibson epoch guitar

If you play the guitar, then most likely you've heard of Gibson epoch guitar. If not, then you've been living under a rock and having your food delivered to you through a bubble. Gibson is arguably the most popular guitar manufacturer in the world today and have been for quite some time. We're going to take just a surface look at this guitar giant. For more info, just visit their web site. Yeah, they've got one of those too now.

Gibson makes a lot of guitars, such as gibson epoch guitar, les gibson and many more. but probably none are as popular as the Gibson Les Paul. The Les Paul is probably one of the most widely used guitars in rock music. The guitar first made its presence in 1952 and is still going strong over 50 years later. The Les Paul is a solid body electric guitar that comes in many models including the Les Paul Classic, Les Paul Supreme, Les Paul Standard, Les Paul Studio Baritone, Les Paul Studio, Les Paul Goddess, Les Paul Gt, Les Paul Menace, Les Paul New Century, Les Paul Vixen, Les Paul Special (with Humbucker pickups), Les Paul Doublecuts and Les Paul Melody Maker. Each one of these guitars has its own distinct sound.

But Gibson is more than just Les Paul guitars, even though they are the most popular models and used by more musicians than any other model. Gibson epoch guitar also makes the Americana, which is a fairly new guitar series. This includes the Pioneer Cutaway and the Ranger. These are 6 string acoustic guitars that have a very beautiful tone.

Getting back to electric guitars and to another old favorite, Gibson also makes the Firebird series which includes the Firebird Studio, Firebird V and Firebird VII. This series started way back in 1963 and took electric guitars in a whole new direction with its look and sound. This guitar is still very popular today with people who are looking for something a little different from the classic Les Paul sound.

Even two years before the Firebird was the SG series by Angus Young. This was actually a modification of the Les Paul with a thinner body and pointed horns. Originally part of the Les Paul series, it eventually got its own name. The SG series includes the SG 61 reissue, which is actually an exact replica of the original guitar, the SG Goddess, SG GT, SG Menace, SG Standard, SG Supreme and SG Special.

Gibson also makes other models of electric guitars but in addition to guitars, Gibson also makes electric bases which include the Continental V Bass, Les Paul Double Cut Bass, Les Paul Standard Base and Les Paul Thunderbird Bass which includes the four and five string models.

Sadly, there are some models of guitars that Gibson decided to discontinue for 2006. These include the Blues Hawk, Chet Atkins SST and Chet Atkins CE and CEC. These will be missed as they were excellent guitars, even if they didn't sell as well as expected.

Gibson guitars have been a staple of the guitar industry for over 50 years. They are certain to remain at the top of the guitar world for at least another 50 years.

Gibson epoch guitar

They have been around for a million years it seems and they have been responsible for some of the most innovative guitar designs ever to appear its gibson epoch guitar.

The humbucking pickup is a gibson epoch guitar design. Who could imagine life in the 21st Century without humbucking pickups for guitars? You couldn't! That would be a nightmare reality! There goes "Rock" music. We'd all be playing and listening to ... I don't know!

There is a passion behind gibson epoch guitar, that is very admirable and commendable. That passion has been there for many, many decades! We the user have received and created JOY with a Gibson in our hands and our creativity in full bloom. Many generations of great song writers, and guitar players have been and gone. The Gibson name has stayed througout time. Why? Because they are great guitars!

At GASKELL Guitars we manufacturer exclusively left handed guitars. Our mainstay model is based on the 1958 Gibson Explorer. This is a wonderful guitar, ahead of it's time when it was designed, and to this day is a popular "extreme shape" guitar with many artists such as James Hetfield (Metallica), The Edge (U2), Gary Moore, and more. In the 1980s and 1990s just about every guitarist seemed to played Explorers or Explorers made by other guitar manufacturers such as The Police, Iron Maiden, Megadeth, Kiss, U2, Metallica, Rick Nielsen, ZZ Top, Lynard Skynard, Gary Moore, and more!

The modern day Explorer is not made in left hand by Gibson or their subsidiary, Epiphone.

A left handed version is made by GASKELL GUITARS.

Other guitar manufacturers who have been inspired by this masterpiece of music instrumentation are Hamer (theirs is called the Hamer "Standard" and doesn't have the pickguard), Dean Guitars (make an impressive range of colours for their version), Jackson Guitars (Jackson's is called the "Kelly" and is a little different from the Explorer but is still visibly Explorer derived.) Other companies have made clones of the Explorer such as Tokai, Stagg, Aria, and in the past Ibanez, ESP and Peavey to name a few.

None of these companies listed above as far as we know make their variant Explorers in left hand without going the "custom shop" option which usually results in a pay out of around $4000 and possibly more than a year waiting time.

The Explorer guitar is really a master piece.

Left Handed guitarists can play one now, via Gaskell Guitars, gibson epoch guitar and experience first hand the pleasure of such a fabulous instrument.

Gibson epoch guitar is a musical instrument company that has stood the test of time because of innovative and dedicated passion towards the music industry and guitar players and we here at Gaskell Guitars would like to tip our hats in honour of the legend that we have had some fortune to partially benefit from by way of the left handed Explorer style guitar we manufacture to fill that gap in the market.

EXPLORERS are great guitars. Left handed guitarists can now enjoy the greatness of them via Gaskell Guitars!