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.

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.

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.

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.