If all Gibson acoustics suddenly vapourised ....what would you play ?

October 22, 2012

My Martins but I'd still be sad. :(

jannusguy2 · October 22, 2012

Rob, I saw one of these (same period) last week at Ross Teigen's that had a subtle, original SUNBURST finish on the top, sides, back, and neck. Although it was fairly muted due to the all-mahogany construction and fairly large amount of wear on the guitar, it was unusual, to say the least. It was so subtle that it didn't even register with me at first.

Hey Nick, here are some cool examples of what you're referring to. Are you having Ross do some more work for you?

Red 333 · October 23, 2012

Epiphone Elitist J-200, Epiphone Masterbilt 12-fret AJ 500 RC, or Elitist McCartney Texan.

Red 333

flatbaroque · October 23, 2012

EA since you are buying I'll take any small body mahogany Martins, a Guild Jumbo and one of these 12 Fret Santa Cruz short scale dreads...and that guy's talent too [biggrin]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z1aqym5bYo8&feature=related

MissouriPicker · October 23, 2012

If Gibsons disappeared, I'd likely grab something from Martin. Likely a guitar from the 28/35 lines. Likewise, I might take a good look at the BlueRidge line. For imports, a lot of them are very impressive............... Fortunately, this is one of those "what if" topics. I really like my Gibsons.

J-1854Me · October 23, 2012

The definitive answer would of course be "air guitar".

But I'd play my Larrivee OM-05, which is far more satisfying. [biggrin]

Fred

merseybeat1963 · October 23, 2012

It this was addressing electrics..Id be in trouble.

But in Acoustics it definately would not be a Martin.

j45nick · October 23, 2012

Hey Nick, here are some cool examples of what you're referring to. Are you having Ross do some more work for you?

The second from the left is the look I'm talking about.

Ross is just doing some minor stuff (I hope) on a couple of my guitars, including my SJ and my L-7. He also set up my L-OO a little better for fingerstyle. Took him all of about 5-10 minutes: filed a couple of the nut slots, tweaked the truss rod a couple of times, filed a bit more, and done.

He asks you to play the guitar in your style, and bases the set-up on that. Freaks me out a little, as I turned into fumble-fingers when he asked me to play, especially as my finger-picking is in its infancy.

Turns out he was a serious archtop guitarist for about 15 years, and loves the L-7.

He also has a soft spot for small-bodies, and had his own interpretation of an L-00 that he built a few years ago. Sort of looks like an L-OO that dropped acid. Has the burst of a vintage L-OO, but a body style straight out of Alice in Wonderland.

Speaking of Alice in Wonderland, he also had another guitar of his in the shop for a bit of a tweak. It's a solid-body electric in the form of a flamingo, with the headstock shaped like the head and beak of the bird, the neck as the neck, and a roundish body complete with tail. All in bright pink, of course. Exposed zebra-top humbuckers. Unsurprisingly, it belongs to a guy who plays in an island-style band.

You never know what you will find in his shop. This time it was a flamingo at one extreme, and a pre-war D-45 at the other. And each gets his complete attention when he is working on it. The guy is a true craftsman.

Markini · October 23, 2012

I would be looking at Yamahas or short scaled Hog Martins.

I noticed no Taylors have been posted as a choice.

ParlourMan · October 23, 2012

I noticed no Taylors have been posted as a choice.

I'd noticed that too, seems the typical Gibson fan isn't a Taylor man.....

jannusguy2 · October 23, 2012

I'd noticed that too, seems the typical Gibson fan isn't a Taylor man.....

I know I'm not. I'm doing a show with Rickie Lee Jones in a couple of weeks. It's a fly date so I have to supply all the gear. They ask for a Taylor something or other on the back line list and I want to sub one of my Gibsons in there rather than rent a Taylor. Ugh...

merseybeat1963 · October 24, 2012

I know I'm not. I'm doing a show with Rickie Lee Jones in a couple of weeks. It's a fly date so I have to supply all the gear. They ask for a Taylor something or other on the back line list and I want to sub one of my Gibsons in there rather than rent a Taylor. Ugh...

Just for fun Photocopy Taylor emblems & tape em on all your Gibsons..

jannusguy2 · October 24, 2012

Just for fun Photocopy Taylor emblems & tape em on all your Gibsons..

That'd be like drawing a mustache on the Mona Lisa!

bonne · October 26, 2012

EDIT: Deleted

BluesKing777 · October 26, 2012

Well, we would be in trouble without my Gibsons, but I guess I would look at a vintage Martin or perhaps a few Martins to make up for the loss of each Gibson....

I have a Godin 5th Ave which is a great little archtop, but still not a Gibson. A lot of people seem happy with Loar archtop copies....

BluesKing777.

October 27, 2012

No more Gibsons? I'd just go for an

Epiphone Texan

Kalamazoo KG-14

Carson Robison

Kel Kroyden

Smurfbird · October 27, 2012

Well, I'll bite and be the Taylor man here, since I do have a Taylor 210e that's quite fun. I have no illusions as to its comparison to my Hummingbird, but there's something quick and easy about it.

But wait! Having just seen my Hummingbird and all Gibsons everywhere vapourize, I am now desperately needing to fill a part of that dark, heavy cannon-soul the Bird carried for me.

So, I will beg for my old Guild D-25M. It was a cannon. And I loved her and lost.

frenchie1281734003 · October 27, 2012

A '60s Epiphone - made by Gibson.

+1, as I just couldn`t get by without this:-

[biggrin]

Steve.

jdiggitydog · October 27, 2012

A Morgan OM with mahogany top (Morgan guitars are handmade in Vancouver Canada and are not to be confused with Morgan Monroe guitars--totally different thing of a different class entirely).

Other than that, I always find Martin 000-18s really resonant and adaptable instruments for the money.

sternfan · October 27, 2012

I'd sorely miss my Jackson Browne. It's irreplaceable to me.

That said, I love small body Martins so I'd spend more time with my 000's.

I'd also play my SC OM/PW more, too.

robatsu · October 28, 2012

Easy question. I'd go boutique guitar and have Todd Stock, aka "The Most Amazing Luthier Ever", make me one of his Greenridge Guitars, probably a (late) J-35 interpretation in Carpathian Spruce and figured Anegre back and sides.

Any more questions?

Rambler · October 28, 2012

If they didnt exist, they'd have to be invented, as the number of high end tributes (Kopp Walk, Fairbanks, Greven) and import clones attests. Paul Geremia is out there with a Fairbanks these days.

re those short-scale Martins, as a former owner of a good-quality 00018: lovely guitars but nothing like Gibson's mind-range honk.

BluesKing777 · October 29, 2012

If the other guitars don't work out, one of the catchily titled guitars called the 'Line 6 US version James Tyler Variax 59UP' will be on the list - they promise us to be able to do a passable version of various LPs, Strats, Archies and live sounding acoustics all of them in diff tunings!.

BUT

the big seller to me is the ability to play a modelling version of:

(a Banjo

(b Sitar!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Gather round Groupies!

If you don't believe me watch the video at around 3 mins in:

I know I shouldn't have told you people and then I could have tricked you with my Sitar skills.

If the link doesn't work (I have no luck with linx), the guitars are all on the Line 6 site...