deanc Posted January 13, 2020 Share Posted January 13, 2020 hey guys i'm interested in finding a good dove. ran across a 1969 one owner was able to play it. had martin steel strings on it and just didn't sound that good to me. also looking at a 2007 model but not able to play that one. price points the 2007 is a little less than the 69. thoughts on the one to purchase thank you Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jinder Posted January 13, 2020 Share Posted January 13, 2020 I'd play them both and go from there. If the '69 doesn't speak to you with steel strings, maybe bring along a pack of bronze or PB. '69 wasn't a primo year for Gibson and the '07 may well be the better guitar. I have a '95 Dove and love it. Big, thick, chocolatey sounding thing with a fabulous top end. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jvi Posted January 13, 2020 Share Posted January 13, 2020 older are very cool but strings wont be a major difference in the long run, sounds expensive if its more than a 2007 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul14 Posted January 13, 2020 Share Posted January 13, 2020 I have a 2007 Dove. Bought off of reverb, sight unseen. Couldn’t be happier. Awesome guitar. It & my 2000 J-200 are by far my favorite guitars. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deanc Posted January 13, 2020 Author Share Posted January 13, 2020 thanks guys for the insight Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zombywoof Posted January 13, 2020 Share Posted January 13, 2020 (edited) On a positive note, Gibson went back to the 1 11/16" nut width in 1969. Gibson, however, also beefed up the bracing that year which was a decision based not on sound but on avoiding warranty issues which are a major drag on any builder's bottom line. 1969 is also the year that ECL purchased a major stake in CMI so marks the end of an era. Edited January 13, 2020 by zombywoof Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slimt Posted January 13, 2020 Share Posted January 13, 2020 2007 before a 69. I would check the 69 For the ole double x brace. Top. For some reason I found the 67,8,9 and on into Norlin to be heavy. And no tone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BluesKing777 Posted January 14, 2020 Share Posted January 14, 2020 I have never seen or played a 1969 Dove, but recently bought a 2005 Cherry Dove at a pawn shop - came with the full Baggs Anthem pickup! It has a modern 1.725 Gibson neck...more real estate than the vintage 60s models... BluesKing777. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fortyearspickn Posted January 14, 2020 Share Posted January 14, 2020 Purdy. ( Keep her out of the sun. UV plays havoc with red ! ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
E-minor7 Posted January 14, 2020 Share Posted January 14, 2020 (edited) Your choice is primarily a matter of heavy versus light bracing. Other factors may weigh in, but the main difference would be structure of the inner box. Some say A, others B. Though a percentage of the thick oldies are very good and full of character, I'm almost sure you'll get more Dove-lOVE out of the 07. This is my wonderfully broken in 96'er. A guitar that does what none of the others can do, yet isn't suited for everything. A keeper do doubt. It's actually very cherry. Edited January 14, 2020 by E-minor7 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deanc Posted January 14, 2020 Author Share Posted January 14, 2020 two beautiful instruments guys Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j45nick Posted January 14, 2020 Share Posted January 14, 2020 The '69 will almost certainly have heavier bracing than the 2007, which is likely to stifle response. The main thing the older guitar has going for it is 50 years of aging on the woods. If you can, play them both, with the same strings on them. If the strings aren't the same, A/B comparisons don't have much merit if you're trying to decide between the two based on tone. There are people here who have Doves who can suggest which strings you should use. If you have to buy blind, I would go with the 2007. That's a high-water period for Gibson Acoustic, with Ren very much in charge. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jinder Posted January 18, 2020 Share Posted January 18, 2020 My '95. Just a great, great guitar. Somewhere along the road it had a '70s style bridge fitted which might upset some but I love it. So much character...I really feel that out of all my guitars, this might well be the one that was waiting for me all along 😌 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deanc Posted January 20, 2020 Author Share Posted January 20, 2020 another question folks on the 69 dove or the 2007. the owner of what i think is a 69 says its a 68 but it has a glue down pick guar and is heavier than my 68 j 50. the serial number is in the 68 span but the weight and pick guard are really throwing me off. did the 68 models have a glue down pick guard thanks Dean Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt. Pepper Posted January 20, 2020 Share Posted January 20, 2020 (edited) On 1/18/2020 at 6:08 PM, Jinder said: My '95. Just a great, great guitar. Somewhere along the road it had a '70s style bridge fitted which might upset some but I love it. So much character...I really feel that out of all my guitars, this might well be the one that was waiting for me all along 😌 That is what I think of when I think Dove. That is the only thing I am missing that I want. A Maple guitar. Had a Guild JF-30 and it did not gel with me. How much bigger is Dove compared to Martins Dreads. I just got a D-41 and had to sell the Guild, D-28 and D-18 to finance it. I would love a Dove, but cant afford another guitar that cost 4 house payments. Edited January 20, 2020 by Sgt. Pepper 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobouz Posted January 20, 2020 Share Posted January 20, 2020 6 hours ago, deanc said: another question folks on the 69 dove or the 2007. the owner of what i think is a 69 says its a 68 but it has a glue down pick guar and is heavier than my 68 j 50. the serial number is in the 68 span but the weight and pick guard are really throwing me off. did the 68 models have a glue down pick guard In my mind’s eye, every ‘68 Gibson acoustic in the catalog had a pickguard with screws - but there certainly could’ve been some overlap in construction details during the calendar year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobouz Posted January 20, 2020 Share Posted January 20, 2020 On 1/18/2020 at 3:08 PM, Jinder said: My '95. Just a great, great guitar. Somewhere along the road it had a '70s style bridge fitted which might upset some but I love it. So much character...I really feel that out of all my guitars, this might well be the one that was waiting for me all along 😌 I love that bridge on a Dove! Back in the day, I had an early ‘70s double-X braced Dove with that bridge & it had a wonderful sound. I let it go in a fit of moving to smaller-bodied instruments, but remember it fondly. Also had the same bridge on a early ‘70s Heritage Custom with curlicue inlays. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deanc Posted January 20, 2020 Author Share Posted January 20, 2020 thank you bobouz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
62burst Posted January 21, 2020 Share Posted January 21, 2020 (edited) With well over 200 views, this is another thread that would've made for a good poll question. OP deanc- already with an oldie, the '68 J-50, . . . is there a particular reason you are focused on wanting the '68 over the 2007 Dove? If you've been watching the forum for Dove content, maybe you'd seen the video that Juan Carlos put up. . . really captures a sweet ngd; There are many reasons people seek out old guitars. . . sometimes it's not just about the sound- personally, even though a vintage guitar might be more valuable, I find it to be less stress because the wood and the finish are already fairly stabilized, and with the wear it's collected, it's days of it's first dings, dents, and scratches are several decades passed. Some romanticize the idea of an old guitar, some buy old merely for some status-seeking reasons, and some because of the generalization that vintage is thought to sound better. Good luck with your decision, my vote would be for the 2007- you won't have to wonder if it's a '68, or a '69. Edited January 21, 2020 by 62burst Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deanc Posted January 21, 2020 Author Share Posted January 21, 2020 thank you for the reply ... makes sense what you said. No real reason i would like an older guitar other than those items you mentioned. i will most likely go with the 2007 considering my on gut and the great comments i have received from my post. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt. Pepper Posted January 21, 2020 Share Posted January 21, 2020 Got a wild hair last night and started looking at Dove's on Reverb and the Bay. I think the cheapest one I saw in the US was $2500 in good condition. How many damn Doves are in Japan and are any of them real or are they all fakes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fortyearspickn Posted January 21, 2020 Share Posted January 21, 2020 57 minutes ago, Sgt. Pepper said: Got a wild hair last night and started looking at Dove's on Reverb and the Bay. I think the cheapest one I saw in the US was $2500 in good condition. How many damn Doves are in Japan and are any of them real or are they all fakes. They call them Pigeons over there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sgt. Pepper Posted January 21, 2020 Share Posted January 21, 2020 50 minutes ago, fortyearspickn said: They call them Pigeons over there. Oh, so fake. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
E-minor7 Posted January 21, 2020 Share Posted January 21, 2020 22 hours ago, Sgt. Pepper said: How much bigger is Dove compared to Martins Dreads. The G-squares have broader hips and shoulders, but are shorter than the M-dreads. Between 1 and 1-1/2 centimers - nothing to consider, really - unless of course if being erconomically challenged. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . And yez, the many Gs in Japan are real. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deanc Posted January 24, 2020 Author Share Posted January 24, 2020 ok guys. i got the 2007 dove off of reverb and received today the guitar looks good , action is nice. the previous owner put DR vertias on it. the strings sound pretty good . Thought i would give it a few days and let the dove settle in to the new home before i make a decision on the strings. Would like to get an idea of what strings the other dove owners use ? thanks Dean 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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