Books on Gibson History

[alanstrummer]

Hey folks,

I'm interested in reading about history of Gibson guitars. I see there are a number of books available, some general in nature, some model-specific like Les Paul, etc. I'd be interested in any info and opinions on books you feel were stand outs.  Thanks,

Al

[kidblast]

These two I have in my wee little library.

Edited February 3, 2022 by kidblast

[Whitefang]

I'd like to thank Alan for the query( I'd be interested in 'em too) and WELCOME him to the boards.

Come back often, friend.

Whitefang

[jdgm]

'American Guitars' by Tom Wheeler is old but may have been updated - a very good reference with a big section on Gibson.

'The Les Paul Legacy' -  by Robb Lawrence - 2 volumes - absolutely necessary for a library on Gibson.  Very detailed life of Les and the LP guitar; many interviews, superb pics.

'Wes Montgomery' by Adrian Ingram deals with Wes' life and music and there is a section on his guitars. 

Ingram also wrote 'Gibson ES 175 History and Players' but I haven't got that.

'The History Of The Guitar in Jazz' by Norman Mongan (Oak pub. if you can find it) - deals with almost everyone up to the early 80s when it was written.  Excellent overview.

And then there is this which is in a league of its own, written by a member of the acoustic section of this forum -

http://kalamazoogals.com/

Best wishes!

 

Edited February 3, 2022 by jdgm

[tx-ogre]

I have “50 Years of the Gibson Les Paul“ and “Flying V, Explorer, Firebird” both by Tony Bacon.  I also have “The Gibson 335: It’s History and It’s Players” by Adrian Ingram.  All were worthwhile reads.

[merciful-evans]

22 hours ago, kidblast said:

These two I have in my wee little library.

The Walter Carter one interested me. Seems to be out of print as used ones are going for the usual inflated prices.

[kidblast]

4 hours ago, merciful-evans said:

The Walter Carter one interested me. Seems to be out of print as used ones are going for the usual inflated prices.

There is a story behind this book ME

I ordered a Chet Atknis Semi Hollow back in like 2001,     it was a very long wait,  (6/7 months)

One of Customer Service reps I came in contact with was excellent in communication w/me throughout. 

His first name was Justin as I recall, and he wouldn't just email, he would call me.  Finally the day came when called to say It's on it's way to you!

I sent a follow up email to CS thanking Justin specifically for working with me once it was all said and done. 

It must have gone up thru the ranks.  A few weeks later, I got this book in the mail with the note attached below.

here is the guitar..

Edited February 4, 2022 by kidblast

[merciful-evans]

2 hours ago, kidblast said:

There is a story behind this book ME

I ordered a Chet Atknis Semi Hollow back in like 2001,     it was a very long wait,  (6/7 months)

One of Customer Service reps I came in contact with was excellent in communication w/me throughout. 

His first name was Justin as I recall, and he wouldn't just email, he would call me.  Finally the day came when called to say It's on it's way to you!

I sent a follow up email to CS thanking Justin specifically for working with me once it was all said and done. 

It must have gone up thru the ranks.  A few weeks later, I got this book in the mail with the note attached below.

here is the guitar..

Thanks for sharing that KB. Good to know Henry had a caring soft side. But..... Terrific Chet Atkins Country Gent!!!

[kidblast]

3 minutes ago, merciful-evans said:

Thanks for sharing that KB. Good to know Henry had a caring soft side. But..... Terrific Chet Atkins Country Gent!!!

I sold it a few years ago and it was one of the first times I ever made money selling a guitar.  They are rare as hen's teeth right now.  Nice guitar but no regrets on selling.

neck was a bit too fat for me and it weighed a frikken ton.

But anyway the book is a pretty comprehensive read.  if you can ever find it for low bucks, grab it.

[alanstrummer]

Thanks for the warm welcome to the forum Whitefang, and everyone for all the suggestions. I appreciate you all taking a moment to respond. I'm going to pick up several of the books mentioned.

 

[Mr. Natural]

In addition to the Bacon and Day LP book (I can't find my copy!) and Wheeler's American Guitars mentioned above, A. R. Duchossoir's Gibson Electrics, Jay Scott & Vic Da Pra's 'Burst: 1958-'60 Sunburst Les Paul, and Flying "V" - The Illustrated History of this Modernistic Guitar by Larry Meiners are also good.

[Mariron]

On 2/4/2022 at 4:34 PM, kidblast said:

There is a story behind this book ME

I ordered a Chet Atknis Semi Hollow back in like 2001,     it was a very long wait,  (6/7 months)

One of Customer Service reps I came in contact with was excellent in communication w/me throughout. 

His first name was Justin as I recall, and he wouldn't just email, he would call me.  Finally the day came when called to say It's on it's way to you!

I sent a follow up email to CS thanking Justin specifically for working with me once it was all said and done. 

It must have gone up thru the ranks.  A few weeks later, I got this book in the mail with the note attached below.

here is the guitar..

I like to read history books, research and articles related to the history of music, the history of the creation of a guitar. In addition, I am interested in the history of civil wars that took place in different countries in the 20th century. At https://samploon.com/free-essays/civil-war/ I find a lot of useful and constructive information about the civil wars and their impact on European history.

Thanks for sharing this.

Edited March 2, 2022 by Mariron

[fortyearspickn]

KB -   great story.  Goes to show some of the quality at Gibson wasn't just in their finished products.