What do you make of this?

[pohatu771]

A local store posted this on Craigslist a few weeks ago, and I haven't been able to push it out of my mind. I've been considering buying a Melody Maker, but if this guitar turns out to be nice, I may buy it.

 

It's advertised as a Gibson Spirit, but it doesn't look like a Spirit to me, from what I've read about them. It looks more like a Les Paul Special, to me.

 

If I buy it (if they even have it in stock anymore), I'd re-arrange the knobs to be a bit more "traditional" and move the switch to the hole at the bottom. Of course, I'd have to put a proper pickguard on it, also.

 

http://rochester.craigslist.org/msg/947652794.html

[MReynolds]

The Spirit and the LP Junior looked similar. The Spirit had either humbuckers (1 or 2) or Single coil / Single coil -humbucker mix.

 

Why do you want to buy a guitar listed in Rochester that's located in Greece?? The Spirit didn't have P-90's so it's either a butchered Spirit or a hacked up Junior...either way it looks like trouble.

[pohatu771]

Greece is a suburb of Rochester. We get that a lot. The other side of the city has an Egypt. Toss in Rome, and we've got three major ancient civilisations.

 

I know it's not going to be anything valuble, but I figure for the price, it can't hurt to check it out. It's a twenty minute drive, anyway, so it's not even a big deal to drive there. I have to go to Greece to stop at another guitar shop for repairs, and I've been meaning to check this one out.

[MReynolds]

Well if you play it and like it...and feel it's worth the $300, then buy it. I doubt it has any collectable value, but I've been wrong before.

[ChanMan]

Perhaps a better deal?

 

 

I have played these. Excellent guitars for the money.

[pohatu771]

Collector's value isn't particularly important to me. I buy the guitars to play them, and I don't intend to sell them off. The only one I have that will have any value in the future is the Martin, and even that won't be too much.

 

I e-mailed them last night:

 

I read this a few weeks ago, and haven't been able to forget about it (despite the lack of funds so many of us suffer from). Do you still have it in stock? Also, is the serial number still readable? The routing makes me think it's not a Spirit, but the arrangement of the controls doesn't say "Les Paul Special.", A call to Gibson would be able to verify what model it started out as.

 

If you do have it, I'd be interested in checking it out next weekend.

 

-Eric

 

I got this back this morning:

 

It is a Gibson Spirit but has been highly modified with the addition of the P-90's and controls and the Refin. Yes the serial number is still visible. The pickups are Seymour Duncan and it still sounds and plays better than original.

 

Thanks

 

I'll check it out if I get a chance... maybe someone is still looking for a birthday present for me.

[jrnic]

For that kind of money, I'd check it out. Even if it is modded, you could make something of it and not have to worry about "hacking up" a vintage guitar. Go for it!

[Dynadude]

I had a later model Spirit several years ago. It had the hockey stick headstock and a single pickup though.

 

Great guitar. I should have kept it.