What do you guys think about Gibsons(acoustic)?

Started by es-335, June 13, 2008, 01:04:26 AM

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I've never been a big fan of Gibsons but I wouldn't mind an older one if I coiuld find one for the right price that sounded good.

My buddy owns about 27 guitars and had several higher end Gibsons included a Roy Smeck, Hummingbird and others. I don't pay enough attention to Gibsons to know one from the other. He got hassled on some warranty work from Gibson so he traded them off and now has nothing but Martins, Larrivees and now three Baden Guitars in his collection.


Quote from: Queequeg on June 17, 2008, 07:32:52 AM
My biggest problem with Gibson is their appointments. I find the mustache bridge a bit ridiculous in appearance and the graphics on their weird-shaped pickguards to be a distraction, at best.

Sounds like you don't like Gibsons.  I don't care for the mustache bridges or the engraved pickguards either...so I avoid those models.

The J-45 is one of Gibson's more popular models and doesn't have any of the appointments you don't like so maybe the OP will like his than you did yours....
Larrivee 00-70 
Gibson Advanced Jumbo  - J-185 - J200 Jr.
 National Resophonics  M1 Tricone
 Eastman MD-904 - DGM-1

Quote from: Dotneck on June 17, 2008, 09:04:03 PM
Sounds like you don't like Gibsons.  I don't care for the mustache bridges or the engraved pickguards either...so I avoid those models.

are you guys serious..!! i think SJ200 is the most amazing looking guitar!
Jeffrey


Many of the Gibsons are terrific.  I am looking though to trade my  new AJ for a Larrivee D 50 at the upcoming Philly Guitar show if I can find one...I just like mahogany..
Guild DV52
SD 40 MH

One of our local dealers had a tobacco sunburst SD-50. Now thats mahogany I wouldn't mind having...
Larrivee 00-70 
Gibson Advanced Jumbo  - J-185 - J200 Jr.
 National Resophonics  M1 Tricone
 Eastman MD-904 - DGM-1

Quote from: Dotneck on June 18, 2008, 07:16:14 PM
One of our local dealers had a tobacco sunburst SD-50. Now thats mahogany I wouldn't mind having...
Must not be in Texas :?

A Gibson Western Classic is on my dream guitar list. 
http://community.webshots.com/user/fng45

Life is too short to drink cheap beer.

I have a '99 Working Man 00 that is the easiest playing acoustic I've ever had.   It doesn't sound as rich as Martins, SCs or Larrivees I've owned, but it definitely has that woody Gibson thunk. 

DDD

Quote from: Dotneck on June 18, 2008, 07:16:14 PM
One of our local dealers had a tobacco sunburst SD-50. Now thats mahogany I wouldn't mind having...
I have one of these with a mahogany top. Much more in line with my own concept of aesthetics in acoustic guitars.

Quote from: es-335 on June 17, 2008, 11:18:51 PM
are you guys serious..!! i think SJ200 is the most amazing looking guitar!
See? Something for everyone. I knew that somebody somewhere must like 'em or they wouldn't make them. To each, his/her own.

Quote from: sutton on June 18, 2008, 01:33:23 PM
Many of the Gibsons are terrific.  I am looking though to trade my  new AJ for a Larrivee D 50 at the upcoming Philly Guitar show if I can find one...I just like mahogany..
strangest post of the day...


Quote from: dadeedo on June 19, 2008, 10:45:35 PM
I have a '99 Working Man 00 that is the easiest playing acoustic I've ever had.   It doesn't sound as rich as Martins, SCs or Larrivees I've owned, but it definitely has that woody Gibson thunk. 

DDD

                    "it definitely has that woody Gibson thunk."   I wouldn't quite put it that way, but you do make the point to those who know the Gibson tone. It is a rich woody deep vibe that grabs you like a nice fiddle and takes you for a dreamy ride before it let's you back down, gently. Unless Pete Townsend is playing it and then with a loud CRASH, a nice hand made instrument becomes toothpicks. At least he said he regretted doing it. (something like 200 times)
                     btw My LSV-11 has a tone to it that is unlike any guitar I have ever had and it has something special going on in it's own way. It ain't no J-45 but I wouldn't trade it for one either. Actually the J-45 was one of the gits I played and considered buying before I bought the LSV. I know I made the right choice for me for sure. 

Throughout their history, Gibson acoustics have been consistently inconsistent.  There have been periods when they were really good (30s - 50s), periods when they were okay (60s and 80s), and periods when they were bad (70s and mid-90s).  The best thing to do is play as many as you can and be ready to pull the trigger when you find a good one.  I have several, and my favorite is the Southern Jumbo.

      I was in a high end shop yesterday and looking at the Gibsons, Collings, Santa Cruz etc. (no Larris there) anyway I saw a Gibson that looked like a new version of the one in my signature picture. Sure enough it was. They have reissued the B-25 N 3/4. I asked if it had the ceramic saddle and it does.... weird....Gibson does some strange things to keep the "traditional" deal going. Some of the junk they came up with does not need to be reissued. ie. adjustable (tone destroying) bridges, ceramic saddles,plastic bridges.
        Oh yea the new B-25 is over $2K. Whew!  I like mine better. Danny

It's all in the sound you like. I made the mistake of looking for a Martin sound when I used to play Gibsons.
Once I got that straightened up, I fell for the Original and Advanced Jumbos. I like the overall sound of my AJ, but the neck was made for my left hand.
Very nice guitar and one of the prettiest bursts I've had the pleasure of seeing.

When I was 14 (way back in the 60's) my dad bought me a Gibson J-50.  I took a break from playing a few years later and he suggested I sell it.  I nearly did and I'm glad I didn't.  I still have it, now with the top so aged it is a beautiful pumpkin orange and it sounds like a cannon!  The moral of the story is sometimes it's o.k. to trust your gut on making decisions.
Larrivee L-09 ebony; Martin D41, D16; Gibson J-50, Taylor 555

I have been playing my J45 for about a week now....

it is fantastic... just the sound I was looking for!!

I've played D28 and D35 before I bought this one...

but both martin didnt ring my ears...

and then there was a L-09 with a custom head inlay... that had a cracked back...

man.... did it ever sound so good....

if it wasn't cracked... I think I wouldda ended up with both guitars lol
Jeffrey


As stated in another thread, I was shopping for a new acoustic...  I was looking for Taylor and was close to a 514CE, but also looked at everything else.  Picked up a Gibson AE something or another and it honestly sounded dead.  There was no resonance...  It might have need new strings....

I ended with my Larrivee....  It sings to me and I hum back!

Yummy!

06' Larrivee LV-03E
89' Fender Strat Custom Shop
85' Zion Electric
Carvin all tube vintage amps
And a lot of other junk!

I played a  Gibson Songwriter a few months ago that almost made me sell my beloved D-05, I mean had wet dreams about this guitar. But the rest of the ones that I have tried have  just left me kind of flat... I think the songwriter sounded a lot more like a larry than a gibson. The only thing that turned me off was fretboard inlay and pickguard. I would need a nudie suit to fit the guitar... flathead.
Larrivee D-60
Larrivee D-05 Gryphon Headstock
Guild F-35NT
Gibson B-25
Yamaha LL-25
Martin D-16H
Martin LX1
1902  "Up toDate Guitar" oak parlor
1944 d-28  Martin ( sold last year )

I was in our local Guitar Center picking up strings yesterday (The only reason I went to GC was I on my way home from work and it's on the same route. Otherwise I would never shop there.. another story) and went into the "highend" guitar room to play a few guitars. They only have Taylors, Martins, Breedloves, & Gibsons in this room. I liked the Martin D28 I played, Along with a OM size. I did not like the Taylor DN4 as it seemed to lack bottom end. But in the end what I really liked and kept picking up was a Gibson sj-200 (I think it was the Emmylou model). It felt great, sounded great, really comfy. That isn't the 1st time I've played it either. If there is another fullsize  guitar in my future (after I buy a uke,harmonica,make a cigarbox guitar, a Hawaiian lap steel, and a kazoo), I think I'll be getting an sj-200
:humour:

2006 Larrivee l-05
1972 Yamaha fg-160
Kaycee Loves Donuts!

I was in L&M recently and got chatting with a very nice gent in store who was looking at a nice Gibson cant remember which one but it was over a couple grand.  Hey nice guitar I said.  Then I asked him if he tried out a Larrivee and pulled a OM-03 off the wall and started to play.  This guitar has a soul I told him.  He commented on how well it sounded.  He asked me to play the Gibson so he could hear the difference from where he stood.  He looked at the price of the OM and commented on how it was less than half the price and said he would have to think about this some more.  That Gibson sure was a beauty though!
Larrivee D03R
Martin 000-16GT
Art & Lutherie Folk Cedar in Black
Gibson Les Paul Standard 1990 LTD Colour EDT Amber
Gibson Les Paul Special TV Yelolow
Gibson ES-137 Sunburst
Gibson 335 - Cherry O'Baby
Fender Deluxe Strat 2 color burst
Fender 52 Tele reissue
Gibson Les Paul JR DBL Cut Nashville

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