Vintage guitars

[billyboy]

the article says "only 1 MK-99 was produced". I have seen pictures of a number of MK-99 so I have a problem with that assertion. Unless someone is making copies....

[billyboy]

Yeah will get back to you on that only one MK-99 was made by Kasha himself.

I will find out if I got the series right from my source.

[billyboy]

About 15 years ago, I answered an ad in the VG, from a guy that was selling a Mark prototype. I believe he said that it was made out of a Gibson L-5, he claimed to have the origional prints and instructions that were intended to go from Kalamazoo to Nashville. He claimed to have bought it from a friend that worked at the Kalamazoo plant along with several high end Les Pauls called "The Les Paul". Richard Schneider was also the luthier that built this high end Les Paul, in the same time frame as the Mark Series. He was just putting feelers out to see what he might get for his prototype and I wish I would have made an offer for it. I'll attach a web link to one of these Les Pauls owned by Dennis Chandler, a former Gibson Sales Rep. http://dennischandler.com/les-paul-1/

 

Also, here is an artical that was recently printed in the VG..

 

http://www.vguitar.com/features/brands/details.asp?AID=2525

[billyboy]

Wow, that was a great article in VG. It explains the whole MK series story. It also confirms that only one "custom" MK-99 was produced and sold.So maybe from what Zurdo said that he had seen a number of MK-99's there must be copies out there.

[zurdo]

ok guys, Dr. Michael Kasha did not build guitars at the time of the MK-Series; Richard Schneider did, he was the one who actually built the prototypes after all the R & D was done by Kasha and another Gibson exec. involved with the MK Series, called Bruce Bolen if I recall his name correctly. Bolen was also responsible for other Gibson guitar models like the L6 or whatever the model name was, and I think also for the Howard Roberts model.

 

That only one MK-99 was ever made, I have doubts about that, but I don't really know either, all I know is that MK-99s have shown up on eBay, and some collectors have them too, like the website in Japan.

 

it is true that the MK-99 was built-to-order. But a number of them were made as "samples" or "demonstrators" or "prototypes". I recall the number was 12 actual prototypes of the MK-99 were built by Schneider, maybe those are the ones that I've seen.

[Grog]

I checked the Gibson Shipping Total book, it also only shows one shipped. Any articals or information being published on the Marks, keeps peoples interest and may help increase their value.

[billyboy]

I checked the Gibson Shipping Total book, it also only shows one shipped. Any articals or information being published on the Marks, keeps peoples interest and may help increase their value.

[billyboy]

Wow I feel like I've opened up Pandora's box. Yeah I too believe the more articles written on the Mark series the better. Unfortunately there seems to be a lot of misinformation about them and that it what is getting the most press especially when it's negative. That's what first interested me in joining this site because what I was hearing and reading was completely different from my experiences with the MK=72 over a span of 30 plus years. You know what would be really nice one day (however highly unlikely) is to be able to get together with the remaining MK series guitars and be able to play and compare them to one another and have others join in who are interested so that they can see,hear and play them as well to find out what they're missing out on and maybe create a whole new appreciation and better representation for these guitars in the future. Just a thought. Would like to put that on my bucket list of things to do. I would also have to believe that Schnieder actually built the guitars but somehow some of the articles seem to imply that Kasha also had a " hands on" part in it as well besides the R&D side. Is there any way of contacting Dr.Michael Kasha.

[Grog]

This is kind of interesting............

 

http://www.jthbass.com/tribute.html

[zurdo]

This is kind of interesting............

http://www.jthbass.com/tribute.html

 

Grog, very interesante...the guitars being built look a lot like MK guitars down to the bridge shape, but don't have as beautiful a headstock design as the MK. The sound hole in the Treble Bout is reminiscent of Richard Schneider's own designs before he died.

 

Billy you might find Dr. Kasha at the University of Central Florida, UCF.

I once thought to try and find him since I live in Orlando, but you know sometimes people don't appreciate it, so I let it go.

 

For me the bottom line is that I know what I have, a pristine, top-of-the-line MK-81 built and decorated by none other than a master luthier, Ricardo Schneider (yes he was called "Ricardo"), and I know who I got it from, none other than a Norlin/Gibson's rep at the time. And if nobody else cares about the MK guitars, I'm happy for it, because it gives me an advantage.

 

Mine has fabulous and translucent Abalone inlays, Red binding everywhere including the fretboard, (Schneider's "signature" binding), and perfect book-matched Brazilian Rosewood back and sides, Spruce top, curly Maple neck, and polished Ebony fretboard, bridge, bridge pegs with mother-of- pearl dots, and a removable rear Strap Peg matching the Bridge pegs.

 

so enjoy and protect your precious MK guitar because chances are you will not find another like it.

[zurdo]

here's a link to Richard Schneider's own page maintained by his friends and survivors:

 

http://www.cybozone.com/fg/schneider.html

 

make sure you click on CONTINUE near the bottom of each page, there are many pages which were written by Schneider himself.

 

specifically, click on the "Professional Experience" link to read the 1973-1983 comment about "consultant for Gibson".

[billyboy]

Grog, very interesante...the guitars being built look a lot like MK guitars down to the bridge shape, but don't have as beautiful a headstock design as the MK. The sound hole in the Treble Bout is reminiscent of Richard Schneider's own designs before he died.

 

Billy you might find Dr. Kasha at the University of Central Florida, UCF.

I once thought to try and find him since I live in Orlando, but you know sometimes people don't appreciate it, so I let it go.

 

For me the bottom line is that I know what I have, a pristine, top-of-the-line MK-81 built and decorated by none other than a master luthier, Ricardo Schneider (yes he was called "Ricardo"), and I know who I got it from, none other than a Norlin/Gibson's rep at the time. And if nobody else cares about the MK guitars, I'm happy for it, because it gives me an advantage.

 

Mine has fabulous and translucent Abalone inlays, Red binding everywhere including the fretboard, (Schneider's "signature" binding), and perfect book-matched Brazilian Rosewood back and sides, Spruce top, curly Maple neck, and polished Ebony fretboard, bridge, bridge pegs with mother-of- pearl dots, and a removable rear Strap Peg matching the Bridge pegs.

 

so enjoy and protect your precious MK guitar because chances are you will not find another like it.

[billyboy]

I noticed my MK- 72 has some similarities to your MK-81 in that it has the matched Brazilian Rosewood back and sides,spruce top, bridge pegs with mother-of-pearl dots and removable rear strap peg with the pearl dot missing, but the neck consists of three pieces of wood glued and dyed dark to match the body so I don't know what type of wood. And what do you mean by the Red Binding? The fret board is also a dark wood with white (pearl dot inlays?)Do you also have the case that came with the guitar as they are very impressive as well. I believe the case was not an extra expense at the time it just came with the guitar. I priced out a case for my S-400 and they wanted $1000.00 for a new one. Ouch! Will try to recover the old case some day I guess. My dog seemed to like to knaw on the edges of the case when I had it stored under my bed where he sleeps most of the time.Opps.

[zurdo]

I noticed my MK- 72 has some similarities to your MK-81 in that it has the matched Brazilian Rosewood back and sides,spruce top, bridge pegs with mother-of-pearl dots and removable rear strap peg with the pearl dot missing, but the neck consists of three pieces of wood glued and dyed dark to match the body so I don't know what type of wood. And what do you mean by the Red Binding? The fret board is also a dark wood with white (pearl dot inlays?)Do you also have the case that came with the guitar as they are very impressive as well. I believe the case was not an extra expense at the time it just came with the guitar.

 

Billy, I have a Gibson Catalog & Price List that describes the MK-72 as having a "Ebony & Rosewood fingerboard, select grain spruce top, rosewood rims and back, with nickel-plated parts".

 

the MK-81 is described as having a "Ebony fingerboard, select finely grained spruce top, Rosewood rims and back, and gold-plated parts".

 

Binding: Schneider used red (Burgundy) binding in his custom guitars prior to, and after working with Gibson, and he used it in the MK-81 and MK-99 models; The top and back are bound in red "edging" or binding; the Back has red binding inlay where the two halves meet, the headstock is bound or "edged" with red binding, the ebony fingerboard has two very fine lines of red binding inlaid on the surface edges of the fingerboard running the entire length of the fingerboard, the sound hole Ring has circles of red binding inlaid in it, and the areas where the neck meets the body, and where the rear strap peg is located, are also delineated with red binding.

 

if you send me your e-mail in a private message, I can send you pictures that show these details. I ran out of image space here and don't have an image host yet.

 

Case: yes I have the original case and Key, plush lined in red, nothing else fits the MK guitars, they are deeper than all other acoustics!

 

also have the original Pickguard in its factory envelope with mounting instructions, it was never mounted on the guitar's top and I decided to keep it like that.

 

also have the three additional slide-in Saddles that came with it, as the catalog says: "we made the Bridge adaptable to the seasons by adding a saddle that can be slipped out and switched". The 4th saddle is the one mounted on the guitar and I've never had to change it. Two are in Ebony and bone, two are in a greyish-white material called "Melamine", different heights each and unused.

 

also my guitar has the original Frets, that's one of the reasons why I describe it as "pristine", it is just like I got it in 1980, the finish still shines like glass.

[Artari]

Hi, thanks for the discussion that's very interesting. I do agree MK guitars are more than interesting and beutifully sounding though most of the collectors market seems not largely interested in them and articles on them are not so many. My question is, how can you conclude that MK 81 were made by Richard Schneider himself? The fact that it has a red binding does not imply they were build by the Master Luthier himself. Many thanks.

[zurdo]

Hi, thanks for the discussion that's very interesting. I do agree MK guitars are more than interesting and beutifully sounding though most of the collectors market seems not largely interested in them and articles on them are not so many. My question is, how can you conclude that MK 81 were made by Richard Schneider himself? The fact that it has a red binding does not imply they were build by the Master Luthier himself. Many thanks.

 

it's not a "conclusion", it's a documented fact. I got my MK-81 from the Norlin (Gibson) Sales Rep at the time and he told me how he got it, from who, when, and why. Moreover, the red-bound guitars were indeed built by Schneider from 1975 through 1977. You might do a little better research.

 

also, who cares about the "collector market"? those are profiteers looking to make a buck, they usually can't even play a C chord. how would they know what guitar sounds great? All they know is which guitars are bringing the biggest profit.

[Artari]

Thanks, I appreciate, very useful! Indeed my Mk 81 is made in 1977 according to the decal serial number. I'm trying to gather as much information as possible on Mk guitars. Internet is a great source. Few last comments / questions if I may.

 

1) Is it also documented somewhere if Rosewood used for mk 72, mk 81 and mk 99 was Brazilian or other (e.g. Indian)? If I remember well during the late '70 Brazillian Rosewood was hard to obtain due to a ban that prohibited its export, unless you had a stock made years before.

 

2) I read on the book "Gibson Fabulous Flat Top Guitars" that MK guitars production began in Tennessee and than was shifted back to Kalamazoo. Is it possible to understand through the serial number or the year of production where they were made?

 

3) Is it possible from the serial number to understand in which month the guitar was built? If I remember well it is not possible to locate month of production in a 1977 Gibson guitar.

 

 

Many thanks in advance, hope this is of interest for the Forum discussion.

A.

[zurdo]

Thanks, I appreciate, very useful! Indeed my Mk 81 is made in 1977 according to the decal serial number. I'm trying to gather as much information as possible on Mk guitars. Internet is a great source. Few last comments / questions if I may.

1) Is it also documented somewhere if Rosewood used for mk 72, mk 81 and mk 99 was Brazilian or other (e.g. Indian)? If I remember well during the late '70 Brazillian Rosewood was hard to obtain due to a ban that prohibited its export, unless you had a stock made years before.

2) I read on the book "Gibson Fabulous Flat Top Guitars" that MK guitars production began in Tennessee and than was shifted back to Kalamazoo. Is it possible to understand through the serial number or the year of production where they were made?

3) Is it possible from the serial number to understand in which month the guitar was built? If I remember well it is not possible to locate month of production in a 1977 Gibson guitar.

Many thanks in advance, hope this is of interest for the Forum discussion.

A.

 

hi,

I don't know the answers to your Brazilian Rosewood, or month of manufacture questions. Schneider continued to use Brazilian Rosewood in his own guitars for years after Norlin/Gibson, so there must have been a good supply to choose from.

 

what I do know is what was told to me by the Norlin sales rep. about the MK guitars and their serial numbers without me even asking: He told me to disregard the Serial Number. The guitars were built a year earlier than the decal points to. A decal was applied haphazardly to get them out the door, Norlin wanted to sell them, the production MK were being returned faster than they were going out, so if some book says yours is 1977 because of the serial number, chances are it was built in 1976. I believe the information from the sales rep because he was there during the MK period, and he knew Schneider personally, not to mention he had a trunk-full of Gibson catalogs and brochures about the MK guitars from which I was given a few.

 

what it appears to me is that the MK serial numbers reflect a Model Year, not a manufacture year, similar to the car business, where the cars are built in advance, to be sold as next year's model.

But I would not sweat it, it doesn't matter if it's a 1975 or a 1977, or if it was made in March or September. The important point is that it is a MK Acoustic, one of the few that have survived. Give it 20 years and you will see a surge of interest for these guitars, they are unlike any other acoustic sound-wise. Nothing sounds like their silky rich sound.

 

personally, I think Norlin went too far with 5 different MK models, the MK-35, MK-53, MK-72, MK-81, and MK-99. Just two MK models would have been enough, for example MK-72 "Base Model" and MK-81 "Luxury Model", and maybe a custom-shop top-of-the-line MK-99. I think the fact there were 5 models to choose from, confused buyers not to mention music stores who had to invest in a large inventory of different models. Just think of all the research and millions spent for a mind-boggling set of specifications for different MK guitar models...

[Artari]

Thanks! That's even more interesting and intriguing... I do believe too in the future those guitars will receive more interest, not only because their story is unique and information are scarce, their shape and features are unique as well but for their smooth, rich and - you are totally right - "silky" longer lasting sound, all over the frets. It took a while to find a pristine example survived and I won't part from it. In my opinion they are the Nick Lucas of the '70, or something like that... Take care and thanks again!