Custom Shop Guidelines?

[modoc_333]

Gibson Montana made 21 L-7C archtops in 2006. They made 17 in 2007 and 13 in 2008. They were listed at $6,903.00 in the 2009 pricelist.

 

 

you're right! i meant L-7! not L-5! my bad! glad you mentioned this.

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My question - how to you order a "custom" Gibson acoustic? Can you call Gibson or do you have to work through one of their 5-Star retailers? Is there a list of options that you can get to see what you can do, or is it just send them what you want and they'll provide a quote back?

 

 

call a 5 star dealer. Hopefully you can get someone who has done many custom builds of the years. that way, he will be more familiar with the process and ask you ALL of the right questions. you need someone that knows what to ask, and has a good relationship. any gibson dealer can get you one built, but you will be much happier if you go with experience.

 

Montana doesn't sell direct though, so you have to go through a dealer.

[Hogeye]

you're right! i meant L-7! not L-5! my bad! glad you mentioned this.

Gibson/Montana has made a few L-5's. Ren hand made them and they were spectacular. Ranger Doug played one on a recent visit and claimed they were the best he ever played. I have been an "archie" for many years and still drool over the two L-7's Music Villa has. I play them every chance I get. They were both hand carved with a dragon motif by the most famous wood carver of them all, Nora Hall. It's a pity that GIbson has no idea of how to market guitars as getting her to carve these and others was a huge triumph for them. Ren was the only one there to recognize her talent and fame. These are the only guitars she ever carved and they are actually priceless at this point.

 

The G.M. at the time was also a big "archie" fan and he wanted to build them in Montana. There was a huge company fight as the arch tops were being made in Nashville. The Nashville plant said fine if you want to poach our guitars then take this. They sent all of the Chet Adkins guitar parts to Montana and told them to poach this. That's the real story of how the "Chet" production got to Montana. As Paul Harvey use to say," that's the rest of the story".

[modoc_333]

i checked out those dragon guitars as well as the "dud" ones that still live at the plant. honestly? not impressed. they are great lookers, but they aren't the best sounding. the variable thickness of the tops due to the carving really isn't the best way to build a guitar for acoustics. this has always been the problem with them. GREAT looking pieces, and VERY cool... but not as players.