..

[freak show]

 

 

 

 

[Guest]

Carverman is going to spoil his trousers when he sees that.......

 

I have read his posts referring to such beautiful objects.....Howard Roberts....If I am not mistaken one of his favourite Epiphone models...in fantastic condition......

 

CALLING CARVERMAN come take a peek.....

 

First time I have seen one, beautiful......

 

Just took a second look.......stunning......absolutely stunning, thanks for posting Scratch...

 

[carverman]

Check this out.

 

http://cgi.ebay.de/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=160421235600&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT

 

I've never seen one like that...

 

 

 

ARF!! ARF!! Yip! Yip!...GASSSSSSSSSSSSS! I want it! I want it!

That would be a rare "violin" sunburst Howard Roberts Standard from the era that

I first discovered that Gibson was making them. Very few were made in in '66.

These were a carved spruce top with maple sides/back and because of

the oval sound hole, were unique in their acoustic and "more flat top" sound.

 

Here's what the regular dark around the edges sunburst looked like.

http://vintage-guitars.blogspot.com/2005/12/gibson-howard-roberts.html

 

EDIT: The website is incorrect in stating that the HR Custom was available

starting in 1974. My Epiphone catalogue shows the HR Custom (in wine, I think)

starting as early as 1965. My boss's was a '66 so they were available but hard

to get back then.

 

What isn't shown is the black custom finish that my guitar boss had.

Howard Roberts had a black finish Gibson ES-150 and he wanted Epiphone

to make his signature model (CUSTOM) in a black finish.

http://www.utstat.utoronto.ca/mikevans/hroberts.html

 

These are extremely rare as Gibson only made a handful and I mean basically

you could count them on the fingers of one hand. To get one, you had to

put your order in well ahead of time and wait and wait..and wait..

http://www.utstat.utoronto.ca/mikevans/hroberts.html

 

My Epiphone dealer and boss got one for himself and I was very envious..

but I couldn't afford it and it took over a year back then to even get one!

 

Greco made a Howard Roberts Custom in black with the famous L5 tp

these were also considered lawsuit guitars and are probably worth a lot

today..

 

here's a demo of one..

[twofeets]

When GC in Winter Park, FL opened a few years back they must have bought out someone's collection because they had both a genuine Epi HR and a MIJ knockoff, I don't think it was Greco though; I think it was Ventura or Ibanez. Both were super cool instruments.

[EPIDEN]

Wow, that is a dreamy looking Epi! I'd love to play and hear the tonal qualities of that matured wood! I bet whomever ends up with that piece will be a happy camper...

[carverman]

When GC in Winter Park' date=' FL opened a few years back they must have bought out someone's collection because they had both a genuine Epi HR and a MIJ knockoff, I don't think it was Greco though; I think it was Ventura or Ibanez. Both were super cool instruments.[/quote']

 

Apparently Ibanez also had a knockoff..another lawsuit guitar no doubt.

These HR models are very unique because they seem to combine the qualities of

several different Gibson guitars into one...ES-175 florentine cutaway, oval sound

hole reminescent of the European Macafaree (Django Rhinehart) sound hole rather

than f-holes, carved spruce top. I don't know how much influence HR had on

the design, but certainly it was a unique and radical departure from the traditional

Gibson/Epiphone jazz guitars of that period.

 

EDIT: Whew! I had to lean back and have a virtual drink and a smoke after that

intense one

...reminds me of old times as a young grasshopper with "my master" playing a duet

with him following some difficult jazz piece from a Howard Roberts music book with HR

licks and chords and desparately trying to keep up with him on a duet..sigh!

 

Here is one in a very rare Red finish:

http://www.archtop.com/ac_75hrc.html

 

and here is the Epiphone HRCE in wine from the catalogue

http://www.vintageguitars.org.uk/epiphone66p3.php