The Gibson Flying V: 20 Essential Facts
Written by vintage on July 16, 2011 – 10:20 am -by Michael Leonard Designed 54 years ago, but still looking like the future, the Flying V is a Gibson icon. Back in 1957, Gibson’s then-President and chief designer, Ted McCarty, undoubtedly had an eye on the ‘50s tailfins of cars by Cadillac and Chrysler when he designed the V, part of Gibson’s 1958-launched Modernistic line alongside the Explorer and super-rare Moderne. The Flying V has a rich history in music of all genres. You’ll be needing this Flying V 101 to impress your buddies. 1. Ted McCarty’s earliest 1957 prototypes were made of mahogany, and had the ‘V’ sides but a rounded Les Paul-like rear bout. These were simply too heavy, so the cut-out bottom was added to the design and the wood changed to Korina (aka Limba).... more
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The bluesy sound of Muddy Waters
Written by vintage on April 4, 2011 – 10:08 pm -By The cliché runs that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, but trying to “flatter” the greatest of the great is no easy task. Especially when Muddy Waters, arguably the finest of the first generation of electric bluesmen, is the subject. Muddy’s early hits for Chess Records like “I Can’t Be Satisfied,” “Rollin’ and Tumblin’,” “Louisiana Blues,” “Walkin’ Blues,” “Long Distance Call,” and “Honey Bee,” defined the recorded sound of early electric blues: dirty, gritty, stinging, growling, sweet and supremely emotive. It’s nearly impossible to get to that sound without vintage gear and a touch developed playing an acoustic guitar loud ‘n’ strong enough to cut the din of a Saturday night fish... more
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Gibson Byrdland is the 2010 Inductee to the Vintage Guitar Hall of Fame
Written by vintage on February 12, 2011 – 4:15 pm -It's a distinct few who have been immortalized in Vintage Guitar magazine's Hall of Fame. And the elite who are members owe the honor to you, faithful reader, because it is you who each year selects the people and instruments to enter the esteemed VG Hall of Fame. Gibson Byrdland The Gibson Byrdland, introduced in 1955, has one of the more unusual stories of any artist signature model. For starters, it was named after two artists, neither of whom would have been the first thought that came to mind upon hearing the model name. The model name carried a stronger reference to the phonetically identical Birdland jazz club, even though both of the Byrdland's signature guitarists were known as country guitarists (for an extra twist of irony, both... more
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The State of the Vintage Guitar Market
Written by vintage on July 28, 2010 – 3:08 am -On Location at the 2008 Arlington Guitar Show and Auction. While on the floor in Arlington, we decided to get the dope straight from the dealers. In this segment, we tackled vintage guitar market questions and concerns with several dealers and buyers. What I take from these interviews is that there is still a promising financial future in investing in vintage guitars. As has always been the case, some guitars will appreciate in value more than others. Now might be a good time to buy while prices are down if you are willing to hold onto the guitar for a while. Read More →
Tags: investing in vintage guitars, Vintage Guitars
Posted in ES, Fender, Gibson, Guitar News, Les Paul, SG, Stratocster, Telecaster, Vintage Acoustic Guitars, Vintage Bass Guitars, Vintage Electric Guitars, Vintage Guitars | No Comments »
CNN discusses investing in vintage guitars
Written by vintage on July 6, 2010 – 3:53 am -Is investing in a vintage guitar a "sound investment?" Doug makes a brief appearance in this clip about investing in a different type of alternate investment. From a segment that appeared on CNN's "Your $$$$$" with Ali Velshi and Christine Romans. Rudy Pensa’s interesting comments on investing in vintage guitars. Read More →
Tags: fender vintage guitars, financial investments, investing in vintage guitars, Vintage Acoustic Guitars, vintage gibson guitars, Vintage Guitars
Posted in Fender, Gibson, Guitar News, Vintage Acoustic Guitars, Vintage Bass Guitars, Vintage Electric Guitars, Vintage Guitars | No Comments »
Tips on Collecting Hall of Fame Vintage Guitars
Written by vintage on June 12, 2010 – 4:58 pm -Ever thought that a guitar might be a more reliable investment than the stock market? Vintage guitars are becoming a hot item in the collectibles market, and there are few icons more recognizable to Americans than a rock star and his guitar. While a few months' savings might have bought a guitar in the 1960s, some of those instruments are selling for big bucks today. Recently, George Harrison's guitar sold for a little under six hundred thousand dollars, for instance. Eric Clapton's favorite Stratocaster from the 1970s, Blackie, sold for nearly a million. While celebrity collectibles have been a good investment for years, guitars themselves have largely been overlooked. However, the guitar was perfected between the 1930s and the 1960s, depending... more
Tags: fender jazzmaster, fender stratocaster, fender vintage guitars, gibson acoustic guitars, gibson es-335, investing in vintage guitars, les paul, martin acoustic guitars, vintage fender stratocaster, vintage gretsch guitars
Posted in ES, Fender Bass, Gibson, Gretsch, Les Paul, Martin, Rickenbacker, Stratocster, Telecaster, Vintage Acoustic Guitars, Vintage Bass Guitars, Vintage Electric Guitars, Vintage Guitars | No Comments »
Vintage Rock ‘n’ Roll guitars offer 500% appreciation
Written by vintage on March 23, 2010 – 4:55 am -These items cherished by rock gods of past decades are big business If I asked you to guess an investment that can give you 500% appreciation of six months, what would it be? I'll bet that guitars wouldn't be your first response. In the forty years since Jimi Hendrix played his white Fender Stratocaster before a 500,000 people at Woodstock, guitars are now firmly established as collectible items. Such legendary events have led thousands of enthusiasts to seek out vintage Fender Stratocasters from the 1970s. A late '60s Strat', then worth a couple of hundred dollars, can today sell for as much as $30,000. Other items, like a '60s Gibson Les Paul Jr., can appreciate by an incredible 500% after six months of ownership. And the best news is,... more
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Posted in ES, Fender, Gibson, Gretsch, Les Paul, SG, Stratocster, Vintage Electric Guitars, Vintage Guitars | No Comments »
GIBSON CUSTOM LES PAUL AXCESS STANDARD REVIEW
Written by vintage on January 8, 2010 – 5:58 am -This is one of those guitars that gets under your skin very quickly and is prone to making you forget your previous favorites! Gibson Custom did an extremely good job with Les Paul Axcess Standard. A phrase “words are not enough to describe it” suits this instrument well. Les Paul Axcess Standard features: Les paul style body with Weight relieved mahogany back with belly scarf Carved mapleneck top with 1-piece set mahogany neck and Rounded with contoured heel cut neck profile Rosewood fretboard 22 no. of frets Pearloid trapezoid neck inlays hardware Klusonelectronics tuners pickups: Burstbucker 1 neck with Burstbucker 2 bridge Guitar features are a very important aspect to evaluate when buying a new instrument, and that is just what Gibson... more
Tags: electric guitar, gibson les paul, les paul, vintage gibson guitars, Vintage Guitars
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Gibson Custom Shop Announces the Jimmy Page “Number Two” Les Paul
Written by vintage on December 29, 2009 – 12:03 am -Every musician knows that late ’50s Sunburst Les Paul Standards are hard enough to come by as it is. Obtaining a pristine and exemplary ’59 ’Burst and modifying it for heightened performance and vastly expanded tonal options? Unheard of… unless, of course, you’re Jimmy Page. That’s exactly what the legendary Led Zeppelin guitarist, perhaps the world’s most iconic Les Paul player, did with his own ’59 Les Paul Standard, and now—thanks to the extreme efforts of Gibson’s Custom Shop and the intimate cooperation of Jimmy Page himself—the artist’s hallowed “Number Two” Les Paul is available to mere mortals, in the form of the Custom Shop Jimmy Page “Number Two” Les Paul. Produced in strictly limited numbers, with two... more
Tags: electric guitar, gibson les paul, vintage gibson guitars, vintage guitar, Vintage Guitars
Posted in Gibson, Les Paul, Vintage Electric Guitars | 1 Comment »
Gold, silver and vintage guitars are best sellers at Treasurer Hunters Roadshow
Written by vintage on October 27, 2009 – 4:22 pm -By Eric Robinette, Staff Writer, Middletown Journal For some people, selling goods at the Treasure Hunters Roadshow in Middletown has been music to their ears — particularly if the good was a guitar. The Roadshow, which evaluates valuables and antiques, has been at the Manchester Inn since Tuesday; today, Oct. 24, is its last day. Many items, even if they’re antiques, haven’t been fetching high prices in the weak economy, said Greg Taylor, a manager at the Middletown show. However, gold, silver and guitars are the exceptions. “Gold and silver prices are so high, and with vintage guitars, the wood they used can’t be reproduced today,” Taylor said. For example, earlier this week in Middletown, someone brought in a Gibson ES 330 from... more
Tags: electric guitar, fender stratocaster, fender vintage guitars, financial investments, gibson es-335, investing in vintage guitars, investments, vintage gibson guitars, vintage guitar, Vintage Guitars
Posted in ES, Fender, Fender Bass, Gibson, Gibson, Gretsch, Guild, Guitar News, Ibanez, Les Paul, Martin, SG, Vintage Acoustic Guitars, Vintage Bass Guitars, Vintage Electric Guitars, Vintage Guitars | No Comments »
