80's Gibson acoustics

[davenumber2]

Why don't I see or hear about them very much? I always see people talking about the 70's on back and about the last 20 years in Bozeman but nobody ever says anything about 80's Gibbys.

[ksdaddy]

I haven't seen production numbers for the 80s. I suspect it was low. I don't think they had the sales in the early 80s to justify big production runs. Then when they closed K'zoo the burden of production went to Nashville. About that same time they revamped the line, trying to shift back to the "good old days", which I'm sure slowed things down. Then around '87 and '88 I'm guessing there was almost nothing going on, what with the transition shifting to Bozeman.

 

I'd really like to see production numbers for the 80s for the various models. I bet it would be entertaining.

 

I've personally only owned two Gibson acoustics from the 80s, a prototype 1983 J-25 that I wish I had kept "just because", and my current main squeeze, a June 23, 1989 J200 that is glaring at me from the wall as I type.......plaaaaayyy meeeeee.

[J185-4Me]

Why don't I see or hear about them very much? I always see people talking about the 70's on back and about the last 20 years in Bozeman but nobody ever says anything about 80's Gibbys.

 

Here's why:

 

 

 

 

 

As Scott notes, people weren't buying acoustics, so acoustic production really fell.

 

Bless his heart, Eric did "unplugged" come the early 1990s, and butterflies and zebras broke out, and things got better.

 

Most Gibson acoustics in the 1980s were made in Kalamazoo (earlier) and Nashville (mid to late 80s); then Bozeman kicked in in 1989.

 

Hope that helps,

Fred

[Greg Ferguson]

I have an '87 Dove that I bought new in, you guessed it, 1987. I love the guitar. Great tone, easy playability, and a finish I really love.

[Watchdogg]

Wow ,very nice looking dove Greg. Never owned a 80's Gibson acoustic, but had a 86 SG that I wish I still owned

[Greg Ferguson]

Thanks, Todd. Hard to believe sometimes that I've had it for over 22 years now.

[DanvillRob]

I have an '87 Dove that I bought new in' date=' you guessed it, 1987. I love the guitar. Great tone, easy playability, and a finish I really love.

 

[img']http://i232.photobucket.com/albums/ee189/GreggCarter/Dove.jpg[/img]

 

 

 

I really like the looks of your Dove.... it's pretty close to my '79, but not as dark.....can you show the back? Mine is virtually black on the sides and back....can't even see the center binding on the back, (it's there, but you have to look hard for it).

[QuestionMark]

Why don't I see or hear about them very much? I always see people talking about the 70's on back and about the last 20 years in Bozeman but nobody ever says anything about 80's Gibbys.

 

Really good observation! There's a few factors as to why. One, guitar sales were wayyyyyy down in the 80s as electronic Casio and the like synthensizor keyboards swept the market with huge sales, putting production numbers of many guitars wayyyyy down. Coupled with the influx of inexpensive imported guitars that became available that were miles above the caliber of former inexpensive guitars like Kays and Harmonys. This was a period where many guitar manufacturers folded and there was even speculation that guitars had lost their once domineering foothold as an instrument to learn and play. (If you notice, most 80s music is highly synthesized.) However, this 80s environment also likely financially enabled the current owners of Gibson and Epiphone to buy the company and rebuild Gibson back (or beyond?) its former glory as well as totally reposition the Epiphone brand as the exlusive official/authorized maker of inexpensive imported Gibson copies (as well as to begin seriously rebuilding Epiphone's historic legacy of archtop models.)

 

Generally, the fledgling (is that a word?) of the former Gibson Norlin era generally referred to as the 70s also includes the early 80s when Gibson/Norlin was trying some serious last effort attempts to rejuvenate itself and/or sell the tanking company. The new era of Gibsons in the late early or mid-80s when the current owners took over the company was still besieged by the popularity of synthesizor keyboards and decreased guitar sales...so there were that many made (compared to other times) and as the new owners retooled to pull the company out of the dreggs. So production numbers and sales were kinda low from this period, too. Generally, the late 80s history of Gibson is included in the 90s history.

 

Because...by the 90s, the massive keyboard synthesizor phenomena subsided and guitar sales started picking up again...complimented by the new Gibson owners having put things in place as the 90s' guitar market rebounded and continues to still grow.

 

Hope that helps.

 

QM aka Jazzman Jeff

[Greg Ferguson]

Thanks, Rob.

 

Sure, I snapped a couple of pictures. One side on and one from the back.

 

[QuestionMark]

Following up on my narrative about the 80s, there's one factor I realized I didn't include. Gibson's voluted neck. While I'm not exactly sure when Gibson realized their 70s guitars were negatively received as identified by the volute on their necks...I assume they stopped the voluted neck sometime in the early 80s. So, there is somewhat of an invisible dividing line with 80s Gibson. If an 80s Gibson has a volute neck, it is perceived as part of the 70s era even if it was in the early 80s, much the same as voluted neck from 1969 is still viewed as a 70s Norlin era Gibson. If there is no neck volute on an early 80s, but is readily identified as still from the Norlin era , it is still viewed as the very final phase of the era of the 70s' Norlin era Gibson, but in more of a transitional mode just before Gibson was sold...but still part of the Norlin era (synonomous with the 70s era.) A non-voluted neck produced during the current Gibson owners watch in the 80s is viewed as the transition era that led to the 90s restoration of the Gibson brand and thus a 90s era instrument. Of course all of this is nonsense on one level, because it really comes down to how good each individual guitar is, not in terms of overlay labels of era names which generalize and stereotype. Hope this additional food for thought helps.

 

QM aka Jazzman Jeff

[ksdaddy]

That whole volute thing is so silly. I'd never turn my nose up at a Gibson because of a tiny little piece of wood. You'd be surprised how some will recoil at that though.

[mooseguy]

I own and principally play an 89 blond J200. When acquired, it sounded plain terrible having a huge plastic saddle -the adjustable saddle had already been taken out. I got rid of this for an insert for a standard width saddle made by a good luthier. I also had that stupid interior bolt taken out which were supposedly to be used to tighten down the top to get a thumping sound (so I was told). I think Gibson must have retired that brilliant idea originator who probably went on to received a corner office and a gold john key from Esteban (my guitar hero) Diverting back to the point-after numerous other improvements like full & partial fret replacements over the years and various other tweakings-this guitar will stand up to any other Gibson I have personally heard. My Martin D28, which I got rid of, never had a bass that came close to what this guitar produces. The treble, though not as high, is still plenty brilliant. The only real complaint-this guitar weighs a ton and has produced fallen arches when played standing up therefore, its now mainly played in a sitting or prone position depending on the beverage of choice.

 

Moose

[QuestionMark]

That whole volute thing is so silly. I'd never turn my nose up at a Gibson because of a tiny little piece of wood. You'd be surprised how some will recoil at that though.

 

I have to agree. I've never been been down on the volute Gibson used during that period. Many fine fretted instruments, including other manufacturers' guitars as well other instruments (including Gibson's long favorited bluegrass banjos) routinely have volutes. But, there's no denying that some Gibsonites were really non-plussed about the volute that appeared in the 70s.

 

QM

[zombywoof]

In 1983 Norlin was taken over by Piezo which almost immediately put Gibson on the chopping block. It is my understanding that all divisions except one line of guitars were shut down which is why you do not see alot of mid-80s Gibsons.

[zombywoof]

I have to agree. I've never been been down on the volute Gibson used during that period. Many fine fretted instruments' date=' including other manufacturers' guitars as well other instruments (including Gibson's long favorited bluegrass banjos) routinely have volutes. But, there's no denying that some Gibsonites were really non-plussed about the volute that appeared in the 70s. QM[/quote']

 

The volute does seem to be an issue particularly when it comes to Les Pauls - an early '69 without the volute will sell for thousands more than one made toward the end of the year with the volute.

 

With acoustics the volute was less an issue than the outrageously brutish double top bracing that appeared in 1971. The bracing started getting alot heavier in 1969 but this double X stuff was a joke. It absolutely killed off any top flutter.

[ksdaddy]

My '71 LP has all the "bad" stuff. Volute, wide headstock, sandwich body, weighs as much as a Buick. All the bad stuff, all the Norlin transgressions... and yet all the other LPs are gone. Pre Norlin, Post Norlin, doesn't matter. I've kept LPs on average a month or two, then they got swapped off. Not this one. 12 years, and it ain't going anywhere. Strange how that worked out.

[QuestionMark]

...With acoustics the volute was less an issue than the outrageously brutish double top bracing that appeared in 1971. The bracing started getting alot heavier in 1969 but this double X stuff was a joke. It absolutely killed off any top flutter.

 

I don't know...in my opinion the double X bracing has at times gotten an unnecessary bad rap as has the volute. My 1972 Southern Jumbo is often (twice last night for that matter at a jam by some sophisticated bluegrass players) for being a really great guitar with an incredible booming tone. Plus, in my own opinion, my 72 SJ has the fullest sounding tone of all the guitars in my collection. Yet, it has double X bracing. I know that over the years, my SJ's tone has considerably changed over the years until it reached the big booming, yet mellow sound its now had for a number of years...but even before then it always sounded really good. So go figure...

 

Unless...as I'm quite a hard player on all of my guitars that my hard playing and all the instrumental fingerpicking I do (which does cause all of my instruments to vibrate like crazy as I'm playing) was able to loosen up the double bracing's affect on the guitar's top. I know on my new "1964" J-45 Reissue. I've only had it a couple of months and its already significantly loosened up whereas another musician friend's J-45, who purchased a different J-45 a couple months before I bought mine, is still in its start up brand new not yet broken in phase.

 

QM aka Jazzman Jeff

[dem00n]

Here's why:

 

 

 

 

 

As Scott notes' date=' people weren't buying acoustics, so acoustic production really fell.

 

Bless his heart, Eric did "unplugged" come the early 1990s, and butterflies and zebras broke out, and things got better.

 

Most Gibson acoustics in the 1980s were made in Kalamazoo (earlier) and Nashville (mid to late 80s); then Bozeman kicked in in 1989.

 

Hope that helps,

Fred

[/quote']

That last guy in the photo wasnt even alive in the 80's i think.

[serch777]

That last guy in the photo wasnt even alive in the 80's i think.

 

Yep, that's Alexi Laiho from finnish power/trash metal band Children of Bodom. The band's first album came around in 1997.

[dem00n]

Yep' date=' that's Alexi Laiho from finnish power/trash metal band Children of Bodom. The band's first album came around in 1997.[/quote']

Woah.

Power/thrash?

Where do u get ur info from? :-