Quarter-sawn Posted May 30, 2022 Share Posted May 30, 2022 This 12-fret acoustic is apparently a Gibson. It's being played in the photos by Mike Heron of the Incredible String Band in around 1964/65. It has an unusual triangular or "D"-shaped sound hole and what appears to be heart-shaped fingerboard inlays. Does anybody recognise it?. No better photos of the headstock unfortunately. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zombywoof Posted May 30, 2022 Share Posted May 30, 2022 (edited) Lawdy, I was a big ISB fan. Bought all their LPs and recall them playing the Fillmore East. Prior to 1966 when Gibson came out with the F25, Kalamazoo had not built a small body 12 fretter since 1932. And if it is a Gibson, somewhere along the way it has obviously been highly customized. In some of the photos, the body shape does bring a smaller, rounded lower bout pre-1929 L1 to mind. Heron, as pretty much every UK folkie in the 1960s, was known to play guitars built by John Bailey so he certainly could have had the luthier re-work an old Gibson for him. But I do not have near a good enough eye to tell much of anything without more detailed pics. So hopefully somebody else will chime in on this one. Edited May 30, 2022 by zombywoof Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigKahune Posted May 30, 2022 Share Posted May 30, 2022 Sound hole wise, kinda looks like a Gretsch Rancher, but that was a bigger guitar - large lower bout. I agree with Zomby - if that’s a Gibson, it was probably modified. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slimt Posted May 30, 2022 Share Posted May 30, 2022 Heart inlays. Heart shaped sound hole. Possible retop. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
E-minor7 Posted May 31, 2022 Share Posted May 31, 2022 10 hours ago, zombywoof said: Heron, as pretty much every UK folkie in the 1960s, was known to play guitars built by John Bailey so he certainly could have had the luthier re-work an old Gibson for him. But I do not have near a good enough eye to tell much of anything without more detailed pics. So hopefully somebody else will chime in on this one. Here's a John Bailey made for Al Stewart as early as 1967. Such a hip label ~ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
E-minor7 Posted May 31, 2022 Share Posted May 31, 2022 Not an ucool looker ~ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zombywoof Posted May 31, 2022 Share Posted May 31, 2022 Heron apparently was playing a John Bailey guitar at Woodstock. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murph Posted May 31, 2022 Share Posted May 31, 2022 I remember ISB. Cool Flashback.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrairieSchooner Posted June 1, 2022 Share Posted June 1, 2022 Loved ISB; gonna have to go down to the archives and dig out their LP's for a listen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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