skeeterbuck Posted January 15, 2014 Share Posted January 15, 2014 Is Gibson the only company to cover all the major string instruments and do it well? Flattop guitars, Archtop guitars, Banjos, Mandolins & Ukes. Well maybe their ukes weren't too popular, but the rest subjectively are some of the best ever made. Not to mention their electric guitars and to a lesser extent amps. Maybe instead of saying "Only a Gibson is Good Enough" the banner should have said "Gibson Does It All Right!" (just kidding) Can anyone name another company that does or did it all well? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
high_plains Posted January 15, 2014 Share Posted January 15, 2014 Is Gibson the only company to cover all the major string instruments and do it well? Flattop guitars, Archtop guitars, Banjos, Mandolins & Ukes. Well maybe their ukes weren't too popular, but the rest subjectively are some of the best ever made. Not to mention their electric guitars and to a lesser extent amps. Maybe instead of saying "Only a Gibson is Good Enough" the banner should have said "Gibson Does It All Right!" (just kidding) Can anyone name another company that does or did it all well? "Major string instruments" to me includes double bass, cello, viola, and violin. Does Gibson make those instruments? Did they ever? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skeeterbuck Posted January 15, 2014 Author Share Posted January 15, 2014 "Major string instruments" to me includes double bass, cello, viola, and violin. Does Gibson make those instruments? Did they ever? They made violins, cellos, violas, double bass & bows plus mando violas, mandocellos and mando bass'. That said, I was referring more to fretted string instruments. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zombywoof Posted January 15, 2014 Share Posted January 15, 2014 The main difference is their archtops, banjos, and mandolins are no longer considered the best there ever was or ever will be. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skeeterbuck Posted January 15, 2014 Author Share Posted January 15, 2014 The main difference is their archtops, banjos, and mandolins are no longer considered the best there ever was or ever will be. How can we even gauge what will be the best that "ever will be" unless we can see the future. What are considered the best from each "ever was" category? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tpbiii Posted January 15, 2014 Share Posted January 15, 2014 The main difference is their archtops, banjos, and mandolins are no longer considered the best there ever was or ever will be. I guess if you hang out in the bluegrass world, it is their banjos [OPF flatheads] (c1930-1940) and mandolins [F5 Loars] (1022-1924) which are often considered to be the best ever. Even though I spent a lot of time and treasure tying to show it is not totally deserved, M**** probably wins the historic prize (1934-1941) for steel string guitars. Just sayin'. Let's pick, -Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zombywoof Posted January 15, 2014 Share Posted January 15, 2014 The best is easy - instruments from Gibson's Master Model Series: F-5 Mandolin; H-5 Mandola; K-5 Mando-Cello; L-5 Guitar; TB-5 tenor banjo (not sure about the Masterone banjos). The archtops were actually eclipsed pretty early on by those built by Stromberg and D'Angelico. But at one time or another, these instruments all fell out of favor so Gibson either pulled them out of production or put them on the back burner. I would think the last really good chance Gibson had at returning at least archtops and mandolins to their former glory was when Jim Triggs was with them. But yeah, I can't predict the future but I would not bet money that Gibson is all of a sudden going to show a renewed inerest in these instruments and start making say archtops that equal those of Triggs, Monteleone, Anderson, Trenier, and others. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zombywoof Posted January 15, 2014 Share Posted January 15, 2014 I guess if you hang out in the bluegrass world, it is their banjos [OPF flatheads] (c1930-1940) and mandolins [F5 Loars] (1022-1924) which are often considered to be the best ever. Even though I spent a lot of time and treasure tying to show it is not totally deserved, M**** probably wins the historic prize (1934-1941) for steel string guitars. Just sayin'. Let's pick, -Tom As long as I can remember the King of the Hill when it comes to steel string flattop guitars is the pre-War Martin D-28 Herringbone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vacamartin Posted January 16, 2014 Share Posted January 16, 2014 I guess if you hang out in the bluegrass world, it is their banjos [OPF flatheads] (c1930-1940) and mandolins [F5 Loars] (1022-1924) which are often considered to be the best ever. Even though I spent a lot of time and treasure tying to show it is not totally deserved, M**** probably wins the historic prize (1934-1941) for steel string guitars. Just sayin'. Let's pick, -Tom That company has made some real treasures.................... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fortyearspickn Posted January 16, 2014 Share Posted January 16, 2014 "Major string instruments" to me includes double bass, cello, viola, and violin. Does Gibson make those instruments? Did they ever? Hp, you are forgetting the harp. Zomby, I think the OP's point was that Martin and Taylor are not as diverse in the stringed musical instrument business. He said Gibson does it all right, and also used the term well. You then sort of changed the discussion direction to argue that some Gibson instruments (banjo, etc) are not "the best". However, I guess I have to agree with Skeeterbuck, Since Gibson has success in selling multiple types of stringed instruments. I can't comment on whether Gibson banjos, mandolins, etc. are The Best, because I've not played and compared enough personally to have a basis for that opinion. Comparing gibson banjos and. A doling to their competition over the years would certainly make an interesting thread. Especially to view the companies focus on acoustics while they were doing banjos, etc. Also interesting in the context of a post a week ago suggesting Bozeman expand into ukes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skeeterbuck Posted January 16, 2014 Author Share Posted January 16, 2014 I wasn't trying to say that Gibson has made the BEST in ALL the major fretted instrument categories. I was saying that Gibson is the only company I can think of to make excellent toneful versions of ALL the major fretted instrument categories. No other company "covered the bases" so to speak like Gibson did and did then all well. Martin has the edge in steel string flattops, but their archtops & mandolins are nearly as highly prized and I not sure they ever made banjos. Stromberg & D'Angelico made great archtops for sure, but did they make any flattops, mandolins and/or banjos? Didn't mean to be too confusing. I hoping this makes sense. I understand my writing, but sometimes I have trouble conveying to others so they can understand it. Chuck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zombywoof Posted January 16, 2014 Share Posted January 16, 2014 I was saying that Gibson is the only company I can think of to make excellent toneful versions of ALL the major fretted instrument categories. No other company "covered the bases" so to speak like Gibson did and did then all well. You are forgetting about the Oscar Schmidt Company. In the 1920s and 1930s there was nothing they did not build and sell. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobouz Posted January 16, 2014 Share Posted January 16, 2014 For many years, Epiphone & Gibson chased each others tails, and they generally covered the same fretted instrument bases. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tpbiii Posted January 16, 2014 Share Posted January 16, 2014 I think this is still true -- Gibson has not made banjos since the great Nashville flood. That is certainly one of the great musical instrument traditions of the 20th century and if they built them right, there would still be a fine market. Of course Greg Rich, who let the great Gibson banjo revival of the 1980s and 1990s, is now making banjos in China -- too bad. Let's pick, -Tom Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zombywoof Posted January 16, 2014 Share Posted January 16, 2014 I think that pretty much at least through the 1920s you had to make instruments such as ukelins, zithers and what have you to stay in business. So they all did. The difference between Gibson and a number of of the others would probably be quality. While the jobbers like Schmidt and Kay offered some really high quality instruments their bread and butter was still the cheaper stuff that everybody could afford. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murph Posted January 17, 2014 Share Posted January 17, 2014 With acoustic music making a comeback, I'm somewhat surprised Gibson doesn't tool up a bit. The old instruments are all over bluegrass/newgrass stages. Did I mention how good Sara Watkins is? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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