mr newhaven Posted May 28, 2009 Posted May 28, 2009 hey onewilyfool...somewhere floating around in cyberspace is a video of elvis costello playing and talking about the century of progress... apparently it was made for the worlds fair or something... that white fingerboard is apparently some plastic material? his original got destroyed in a flood in europe somewhere... i wish i had a link for you...you might have to do some digging or maybe someone here knows it good luck!
Jayla Posted May 28, 2009 Posted May 28, 2009 Well, here's some background info: Article from the Gibson Acoustic Blog Pix and sound file on the Gibson website "Official" video interview with E.C. about the guitar As for my personal opinion, I've played one. Nice sound, odd looking (which is good, IMO), but it didn't float my boat.
onewilyfool Posted May 28, 2009 Author Posted May 28, 2009 Thanks for those links....anyone OWN one in the forum?????
Gibson101 Posted May 28, 2009 Posted May 28, 2009 Well' date=' here's some background info: Article from the Gibson Acoustic Blog Pix and sound file on the Gibson website "Official" video interview with E.C. about the guitar As for my personal opinion, I've played one. Nice sound, odd looking (which is good, IMO), but it didn't float my boat. Man the Gibson website is pathetic!!! :- I like detail, tell me what the fretboard is made of, binding, everything!!!
jannusguy Posted May 28, 2009 Posted May 28, 2009 i spotted a beautiful version of the most recent re-issue of this guitar while watching my favorite TV show last week. "rescue me". one of the fireman was playing it. they somehow managed to work in a reference to a "cleveland steamer" into that scene as well. what a great show. sorry, i know this was no help.
TheLiveSoundGuy Posted May 28, 2009 Posted May 28, 2009 Man the Gibson website is pathetic!!! :) I like detail' date=' tell me what the fretboard is made of, binding, everything!!![/quote'] I concur. The older site was way better than the new one.
Gilliangirl Posted May 28, 2009 Posted May 28, 2009 Gee, I got to play one last year at Long & McQuade. Roxanne was with me so it must have been around May 2008. I don't remember the fretboard being white plastic tho'? I thought it was MOP, but don't quote me because I just can't remember (the short-term memory starts going at my age, ya know). I remember the price was fairly steep for a small guitar. I can't even remember how it sounded, I'm ashamed to admit. But, that might mean that it didn't rock my world enough to remember either. Elvis has been hosting a show on Friday nights lately..... not sure if y'all have seen it? It's called Spectacle, or Spectator, or something like that (there's the memory thing again). He's had some interesting guests on. He's playing that EC Gibson on the show!
mr newhaven Posted May 28, 2009 Posted May 28, 2009 i think price wise it was somewhere along the 4-6 thousand dollar range and i heard about the fingerboard being a kind of plastic too! anyways i think its a unique little guy and if its on your must have list...get it!
jt Posted May 28, 2009 Posted May 28, 2009 The fretboard is made of authentic mother-of-toilet-seat (pearloid). Here is my 1935 L-Century about which I wrote for Frets Magazine: The article gives (I hope) a fairy accurate summary of the specs of the original. I've played but one of the EC reissues, the prototype when I interviewed Costello a year ago. It was a very nice guitar.
nid2007 Posted May 28, 2009 Posted May 28, 2009 i spotted a beautiful version of the most recent re-issue of this guitar while watching my favorite TV show last week. "rescue me". one of the fireman was playing it. they somehow managed to work in a reference to a "cleveland steamer" into that scene as well. what a great show. sorry' date=' i know this was no help.[/quote'] I saw that last night! (on DVR). My current favorite show as well. I guess the writers had Mike spend some of his inheritance on a nice Gibby. Great writing, but I still could not help fixating on the fact that he was playing a fairly rare guitar.
maninblack Posted May 29, 2009 Posted May 29, 2009 I've had mine for about a month. It came with a standard case - not the customized EC case. My dealer is supposed to be addressing this with his rep at Gibson, but he claims Gibson isn't returning his calls. It took them about 8 months to get the guitar completed after I ordered it. Another dealer told me they could have gotten it in a month. I'm starting to wonder if my favored dealer and Gibson have a strained relationship. Maybe it's stupid, but I really want the proper case as advertised. I'll never sell this guitar, but when my estate seeks to liquidate my worldly possessions it would be nice to have the complete package. Ok...wrong case and long delay aside...I LOVE THIS GUITAR. The pronounced V neck profile feels nice and chunky. Just perfect. I'm also surprised how much I like the feel of the MOP fingerboard. The neck alone sets this far apart from all my other instruments. The build is very, very light and so is the guitar. The tone is elegant, refined and very musical. It has a deceptively soft, gentle sound, while the volume is actually quite loud. You might say it is mighty like a rose. With a heavy pick I can make it bark a bit like my Nick Lucas, but I wouldn't consider this as woody, smokey or robust as the Nick. The EC COP is a heavy spring rain. The Nick is a crisp fall day. I would recommend it. By the way, mine cost closer to 3K than 4K. Worth every penny.
Hoss Posted May 29, 2009 Posted May 29, 2009 Do I have the 'Elvis'? No--but I have my version of the same guitar. Gibson made to spec a L00 with Maple back/sides, red spruce top/scalloped braces, and the short scale big neck that's on the L00 Legend. Waverly Ivoroid button tuners. After @ 2 years, It is still in the 'opening up' stages- but it's becoming my daily 'go to' guitar. The overtones on this thing are fabulous. And I prefer it to a pretty good Vintage L00 that I also own. I took it to the weekly Old Time jam this past week, and people kept commenting on how 'old' this guitar sounds. In my musical 'circle' of Old Time players, guitarists for the most part play vintage LG2s from the 40's or L00s from the 30's. (There is the odd Bannerhead J45 thrown in as well.) More than one person was unaware that Gibson even made acoustic guitars anymore, or that you could order one to spec as I did. People were all over this guitar. I also like the strings I'm using a lot-- John Pearse Nickels, Mediums. If you have an Elvis, I'd suggest you give nickels a whirl and see what you think. (thanks Modac-Dennis- for that tip!) A few pics, if they'll post. I'm bringing both of the L00s to Homecoming!! 2 1/2 Weeks to go!
guitom Posted May 29, 2009 Posted May 29, 2009 Maybe it's stupid' date=' but I really want the proper case as advertised. [/quote'] It's not stupid at all because the case is really cool. I don't have one, but a friend has one that I've played many times. I love it! The neck is perfect.
vourot Posted May 29, 2009 Posted May 29, 2009 E.C. shops at the supermarket I work at in West Vancouver.I told him where the washroom was but that was about it. Nobody really bothers him at all. Maybe I'll get the nerve to ask him something next time he comes in.
Dave in SLC Posted May 29, 2009 Posted May 29, 2009 I'm bringing both of the L00s to Homecoming!! 2 1/2 Weeks to go! Woo-hoo! Looking forward to seeing your custom again, Hoss! The FVG J-35 will be there, too. <smile> Dave in SLC
onewilyfool Posted May 29, 2009 Author Posted May 29, 2009 JT.....cool article.....and nice original....
jt Posted May 29, 2009 Posted May 29, 2009 JT.....cool article.....and nice original.... Thanks for the kind words! I think that the Frets article brought me one of my first freelance writing paychecks. Sadly, the magazine folded. But, my L-Century is still going strong.
Jayla Posted May 29, 2009 Posted May 29, 2009 Do I have the 'Elvis'? No--but I have my version of the same guitar. Gibson made to spec a L00 with Maple back/sides' date=' red spruce top/scalloped braces, and the short scale big neck that's on the L00 Legend. Waverly Ivoroid button tuners...[/quote'] Hoss, you mean you custom ordered your guitar from Gibson? I didn't even know that was possible. Is it commonly done as far as you know? And if you don't mind my asking, was it expensive to do so?
Hoss Posted May 29, 2009 Posted May 29, 2009 Jayla- I think I recall hearing that @ 50% of Gibson's acoustics are custom designed. So yes, you can have them make up whatever combination you'd like. You aren't able to order directly from Gibson. Contact a dealer and go through your 'wish list'. The dealer will run things past Gibson and the dealer will quote you a price. Obviously, your price will depend on what you and your dealer agree to. At the time I ordered my custom, Gibson didn't actually have an L00 on the books. (the L00 Legend was just in the planning stages.) I spoke with Ren Fergusen about what I was looking for and he assured me that Gibson could do it. He allowed that there was some nice Maple sides/back squirreled away in the custom shop and that the vintage style neck was no problem. After visiting with him and seeing the kind of guitars that gibson was producing, there was no way I wasn't ordering the custom!
Jayla Posted May 29, 2009 Posted May 29, 2009 Jayla-I think I recall hearing that @ 50% of Gibson's acoustics are custom designed. So yes' date=' you can have them make up whatever combination you'd like.[/quote'] Well that is quite interesting! Gonna keep it in mind. Thanks, Hoss.
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