bobouz
-
Posts
3,933 -
Joined
-
Last visited
-
Days Won
4
Everything posted by bobouz
-
Well, not always - consider the pharmaceutical industry. And socialism can deliver some real pluses - consider S.S. and Medicare. But in the world of guitars, I agree, the forces of capitalism will prevail. One of the key factors being, instruments are not a necessity of life. If people can't afford Gibsons, they won't buy them. If too few people can afford your product to make production sustainable, you've got to alter the game-plan at some point.
-
An excellent resource returns - Thank You!
-
According to a 2008 MF catalog I happened to save, at that time there was a "Modern Classic" version of the J-200 with a cutaway. Electronics were side-mounted. Interestingly in that same year, Gibson was selling their Modern Classic CJ-165 cutaway version with a soundhole mounted Fishman Aura system. My maple CJ-165ce is from 2007, with the same soundhole Fishman, which I much prefer to the side-mount style. Too bad they didn't extend the soundhole mount version to the J-200 cutaway model.
-
Hey, that's my guitar you've got there on the left! It's amazing how differently the Beale Street Blue finish photographs in various lighting situations - from quite dark, to a translucent lighter blue with significant amounts of visible grain. Your new 330 w/humbuckers sounds like an interesting variation on the theme. Enjoy!
-
Red - Wanted to add: This new format w/character limitation is strange to me, and I hope you're getting this. Please let me know if these are coming through. Will add that the guitar in question was a 2011 GC limited run. Mine is red, with an ebony fingerboard & tulip locking Grovers. The neck is a fast '60s profile. Gloss top, b&s are a very smooth satin finish. Nicely e...
-
Hi Red - I'll try to be concise about this! First of all, I'm a one trick fingerpicking pony, and the electric tone I'm after would be closest to Merle Travis' heyday & electric solo album, "The Merle Travis Guitar." To that end, the ES-335 w/P90s delivers it extremely well. It's a slightly drier & more percussive tone compared to a 330. Neither are m...
-
Actually Boyd, there was a 2015 J-50. I believe it was limited to a run of 75. Last year, I bought one that was a NOS instrument (and absolutely love it!). Then in 2016, Gibson released a VOS version of the J-50, which AFAIK was still around in 2017.
-
Great to hear!
-
A lot of folks poo-poo the adjustable bridge, often based on a perceived ideal of how a flat-top bridge should be made. The adjustable bridge creates a different transfer of string vibrations to the body, more along the lines of a mini archtop bridge with metal posts. In reality, some people love the slightly metallic overtones often produced by this bridge arrangement (count me as one). It's all a matter of whether or not the sound produced by a particular guitar appeals to you. I have two instruments with an adjustable saddle/bridge, and find them very satisfying.
-
NGD: Gibson 2019 J-45 Walnut Custom Guitar Honey Burst
bobouz replied to thejtl's topic in Gibson Acoustic
A lovely combination of aesthetic cues. Congrats & enjoy! -
Ricky Skaggs Playing Bill Monroe's F5
bobouz replied to Dave F's topic in Gibson Original Instruments
Of course, Lloyd Loar didn't actually build the mandolin as the announcer stated, but it's a real treat to see Monroe's instrument in the hands of Ricky Skaggs. When I pick up my '22 A-style Gibson, I think of Loar roaming the halls in Kalamazoo. What an incredibly rich history Gibson has. I was heavily into bluegrass music in the '70s, and had the pleasure of seeing Bill Monroe play in a very small venue. Loved his work going back to the late '40s with Flatt & Scruggs (and whomever the accordian player was!). Thanks so much for sharing! -
It was also an era of craftsmen who in many cases became lifetime employees with a company. The ability and desire to produce a quality product came via the hands of the individuals who had developed their skills over many years. Today, we expect a finely crafted instrument to come via highly specialized machines, and a worker that may only be in place for a couple of years before moving on to the next job.
-
The last new Martin I purchased back in 2009 had a number of sharp fret ends down near the nut. This should have been easy for someone along the production line to spot. I noticed it immediately, but wanted that particular guitar & took care of it myself. Maybe a worker just happens to be having an off day, and things get missed. We're talking about factories with a number of employees & turnover - not a one or two man shop with people on the floor named D'Angelico & D'Aquisto.
-
Wow, those are very cool! How about a J-185 version?
-
There were three models in the series with Cedar tops: > LC-1 Cascade w/quilted maple > LC-2 Sonoma w/figured walnut > LC-3 Caldera w/flamed koa All were 00-size, with a cutaway body & Bluestick electronics.
-
Yes, you mentioned that your ES-335 was made in 2010. In the years both immediately before & after 2010, all the typical 335 models I saw in stores had standard serial numbers & no custom shop logo on the headstock. In fact, I have limited edition 2011 ES-335 w/P90s, and although it came with a COA & custom-logo case, there's no CS logo on the guitar, and the serial number is the standard-sequence type. Indeed, this struck me as a bit of a head-scratcher at the time. But if I were to make a guess, I'd say the decision to designate certain guitars as Custom Shop models was most significantly rooted in an assortment of marketing factors.
-
Yes, the serial numbers are: > CS9022X for the '09 ES-339 > CS05136X for the '10 ES-330L I was told that the first number designates the model year. Beyond that, I don't have a clue!
-
The above info is incorrect. Both my 2009 ES-339, and my 2010 ES-330L have a Custom Shop (CS) serial number that differs from Gibson's standard serial number sequence. Both were made in Memphis. For each guitar, the CS serial number appears on the headstock & label, and they both have the CS logo on the back of the headstock, as well as the custom-logo case & COA. The 339 carried a CS serial number for a number of years after it's initial release in 2007, while the ES-330L had a CS serial number throughout the length of it's production run.
-
In 2012, I sent a Les Paul double-cut back to Gibson under warranty, but had to pay for shipping. They covered the return shipping on what turned out to be a replacement.
-
If I recall correctly, the 339 was first released in 2007, and sold for $1799. I have a 2009 with all the Custom Shop bling. The price had just jumped up to $1999, but I found one at the old price, and got another 15% off, so the final cost was $1529 out the door!
-
Epiphone EJ-200 made in USA identification help needed
bobouz replied to audionaut's topic in Epiphone Acoustics
Yes, the pinless bridge on a jumbo body is a significant clue, as it does not conform to any era of Epi construction that I've seen to date. Never say never, but it's almost a certainty that this guitar was not made in the USA. If it were, it would have been made by Gibson (since they own Epiphone) - and likewise, it does not conform to the common norms of Gibson USA construction. The EJ-200 first appeared in the early 90s, when Epiphone acoustic construction was based in Korea. -
Epiphone EJ-200 made in USA identification help needed
bobouz replied to audionaut's topic in Epiphone Acoustics
First of all, welcome to the forum! As for the instrument in question, it is highly unlikely that this guitar was built in the USA. I would initially have said that it was probably made in Korea in the '90s, and that is still a possibility. But the pinless bridge is something I have not seen on an actual Epiphone with a mustache bridge. Therefore, I'm wondering if this is a Chinese knock-off. In either case, the label is most likely intended to deceive the buyer. -
It's the same guitar throughout this thread (except for pre-Slash-top-hat pic from 1973!). As the OP just posted, he sold it on ebay to Aoresteen, who ended up doing the restoration.
-
Thanks for the surprising update. What a wild full-circle story!
