Jump to content
Gibson Brands Forums

85 years from now


Martin 1940D28

Recommended Posts

Try to remember if'n you can, this is only my opinion. My comparison of mandolin and guitar heroes. This past 85 odd years, Lloyd Loar 5 years with Gibson, mandolins are considered the greatest. From now. The guitar in about 85 years, Kevin Kopp with Gibson will be considered the greatest.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Definitely true of the Loar mandos as well as guitars he was associated with after he left Gibson like Vivatone.

 

And it is certainly true of Fender. A guitar built by one of those guys who started the Fender Custom Shop like J. Black or even just finished by Vince Cunetto are valued above many other CS instruments. But their hand is definitely seen in the guitars which are often signed in the pickup cavity.

 

The guys associated with Bozeman in the early days like Kopp, Walker and Triggs are noted far more for the guitars they make on their own than they what Gibson turned out the years they worked there as I believe they did not individually make guitars. But if say a Kopp-made and signed Gibson J-45 did show up it certainly would be viewed in a different light than other made even that same week. But barring that, I personally I do not see anything that would recommend a Gibson made when Kopp was there over one made 10 years later.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This comes up from time to time and I will tell you all you are missing the boat. Ren Ferguson is the guy that brought Gibson back. He is Montana's Loar. John Walker was painting houses and my friend Kevin Kopp was still in school when Ren started the Bozeman plant. Jim Triggs did work for the Custom shop in Nashville but never in Montana.

 

I think the Kopp guitars Kevin is making now are far superior to anything Gibson is making. They are not Gibson they are all Kopp. Same can be said for John Walker. Everyone will agree that Ren's instruments are some of the best on the planet. You will find Kopp and Ferguson signed guitars and Walker and Ferguson guitars but none with Kevin or John's name alone. I do have a guitar signed by Kevin and Mike Bakeburg. This was requested by me and there was a lot of politics involved. The label came out of the plant and I put it on myself. Mike worked in the Custom Shop and his guitar bodies were a work of art. I had Jason Jones voice my guitars as he was simply the best. He hand tapped the top and hand carved the braces.

 

Kevin did make a regrettable guitar. It had a redwood top with redwood sides and back. A supplier sent a bunch of redwood to Gibson hoping to get a big order. Ren knew better but Kevin thought he could make one so he gave it a shot. The guitar was a visual wonder of flamed redwood but it sounded terrible. Kevin ran it thru the band saw. I managed to get some of the pieces and glued them together as I was in love with the look. I still have it as well as some of the left over wood.

 

By the way this is Kevin's 10 year anniversary. His 10 year Brazilians are exactly what you would want a guitar to sound like. The best on the planet. Well I do have a nice '43/'45. ha.....

 

My vote? Ren Ferguson...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have heard/read there used to be a saying that great woodworkers were not born but created in the Gibson Kalamazoo factory. The Banner guitars alone seem to turn the whole Master Builder thing on its ear. As far as I know none of the guys we are talking about walked into Gibson as a Master Luthier. But they as sure as heck walked out knowing what they were doing. And there is no way of denying that Ren had a big hand in that.

 

I have no dog in this hunt. I do not have a clue who at Gibson made my guitars. But every time I pick one of those guitars up I silently thank them. And there is nothing on the face of this earth that would entice me to trade them for any guitar built by Ren, Walker or Kopp. But if I had the cash and was going out to buy a brand spanking new guitar, based on what have played made by those three, which granted is a limited number, I would go with a Walker. If I was in an archtop or mandolin frame of mind, hands down I would go with Jim Triggs.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I guess i didn't make myself very clear on this. I was suggesting for the amount of time these folks built "GIBSONS" at Gibson for the short number of years, would make a difference. We all know how long Ferguson was with Gibson 'til they let him go.

Hogeye, you can let me know in about 80? odd years, guess you'll still be here!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This comes up from time to time and I will tell you all you are missing the boat. Ren Ferguson is the guy that brought Gibson back. He is Montana's Loar. (multi-snips)

 

You will find Kopp and Ferguson signed guitars and Walker and Ferguson guitars but none with Kevin or John's name alone.

 

My vote? Ren Ferguson...

 

 

+1 on the Ren assessment.

 

I've had a Walker and a Kopp- both great guitars.

 

I had a 1994 Custom Starburst that was signed with one name in pencil on the underside of the top : John Walker.

 

Probably shouldn't have sold it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My vote for the best builder ever to walk through the doors at Gibson goes to Wilbur Fuller. Fuller built arched top and back guitars during of all times the 1970s into the 1980s. While the flattops were going into the toilet, these were ear-tuned with hand carved braces, tops and backs. Fuller actually tuned each brace in the guitar to a separate pitch and then the top to C and the back to D. He even hand made the tailpieces. To me this is the pinnacle of the guitar builder's craft. I believe Fuller built less than 100 of these guitars during his time with Gibson. Imagine though what would have happened though had they allowed Fuller to his skills on flattops. A 1970s J-45 might have become the most coveted guitar ever built by the company.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...