GIBSON GUITARS

The Gibson Guitar Corporation, of Nashville, Tennessee, USA, is a manufacturer of acoustic and electric guitars. The company's most popular guitar, the Les Paul Standard, is a solid-body electric guitar. Gibson also owns and makes guitars under such brands as Epiphone, Kramer, Valley Arts, Tobias, Steinberger, and Kalamazoo. In addition to guitars, the company makes pianos through its Baldwin unit, Slingerland drums, as well as many accessory items. Company namesake Orville Gibson made mandolins in Kalamazoo, Michigan, in the late 1890s. Gibson used the same type of carved, arched tops in archtop acoustic guitars, and by the 1930s was also making flattop acoustic guitars and electric guitars.
During the 1920s the Gibson company was responsible for many innovations in guitar design, and became the leading manufacturer of arch-top guitars, particularly the Gibson L5 model. In 1936 they introduced their first "Electric Spanish" model, the ES-150, generally recognized as the first commercially successful electric guitar.
1996 Gibson Les Paul Studio Limited Edition Gem Series TopazAs a result of the strong sales of the Fender Telecaster in 1950 Gibson decided to make a solid-body guitar. This was despite the fact that Gibson, like most other guitar manufacturers, were contemptuous of the concept of a solid-body guitar. Although guitarist Les Paul was one of the pioneers of solid-body electric guitar technology, the guitar that became known as the Les Paul was developed with very little input from its namesake. After the guitar was designed, Les Paul was asked to sign a contract to endorse the guitar to be named after him. At that point he asked that the tail piece would be changed, and that was his only contribution. (Ironically, this tailpiece was changed in 1954.)[3] The Les Paul was released in 1952. The late 1950s saw a number of innovative new designs including the eccentrically-shaped Gibson Explorer and Flying V and the semi-acoustic ES-335, and the introduction of the "humbucker" pickup. The Les Paul was offered in several models, including the Custom, the Standard, the Special and the Junior. In 1961, the body design of the Les Paul was changed, due to the demand for a double-cutaway body design.[4] Les Paul did not care for the new body style and let his endorsement lapse, and the new body design then became known as the Gibson SG.
Between 1974 and 1984 production of Gibson guitars was shifted from Kalamazoo to Nashville, Tennessee. In early 1986 the Gibson Guitar Corp. was bought by Henry E. Juszkiewicz, David H. Berryman and Gary A. Zebrowski. The survival and success of Gibson today is largely attributed to this change in ownership. Currently, Juszkiewicz stands as CEO and Berryman as president of the company. More recently new production plants have been opened in Southern and rural areas, such as Memphis, Tennessee as well as Bozeman, Montana. The Memphis facility is used for semi-hollow and custom shop instruments, while the Bozeman facility is dedicated to acoustic instruments.


Gibson Les Paul Classic Review:

Features : 9 Typical les paul set up. Mine was made in 2005. The most beautiful vintage sunburst I have seen. Truly a stunning guitar. It just looks like a guitar that is going to give me years and years of pro quality playing. Awesome.
Sound : 10 I play a wide variety of styles, from country, classical to nu-metal and all in between. This guitar can do it all. Before I purchased this guitar, I read the reviews here and there were enough good reviews for me to risk it. I'm SOOO glad I bought this guitar. I don't know what kind of guitar or amp those other guys have, but I'm playing my classic thru a Vox valvetronix, and I am TOTALLY satisfied with the sound. I've read alot about how hot they are...well, I don't know what these guys are looking for, but I find that it only makes the guitar even MORE versatile. I am able to make this guitar sound crystal clean to brutal distortion and all in between. How could you not want that as a guitarist?
Action, Fit, & Finish : 10 I asked that the guys at the guitar centre to set this guitar up for me a week before I actually purchased it, as I live in another town. I had played it previously, and knew that if they tweaked it, it would be awesome, and they did not dissapoint.As far as the guitar it'self goes,it is a work of art. It must have been a good day at the factory, because this guitar was put together with pride. Flawless.
Reliability/Durability : 10 I did change the strap buttons to strap locks, of course. It weighs a ton, and seems like it will take a beating and still rock.
Overall Rating : 10 I have been playing for 28 years. I have owned all of the name brand guitars including 2 les pauls ( custom,special).This guitar is very special to me. I have been searching for THAT guitar, and I think I've finally found it. It is a re-issue guitar, and it's look and feel does take you back to a time when guitars were built with pride. This is a high quality guitar. I don't believe it gets any better, so if you can, get one.Get one while you can, and cherish it.

Gibson SG Special Review:

Features : 7 Nitrocellulose Ebony finish, Schaller-made Tune-O-Matic/stop tailpiece/tulip tuners, thin 22-fret maple neck, made in Nashville 1984, volume and tone controls, one 1959 Les Paul Reissue ("Tim Shaw" humbucker, alder body.
Sound : 8 I play stripped-down original rock, plugging straight into a 1978 Marshall. This guitar sounds brighter than my mahogany-bodied SG, and has less personality, but it does sound fuller than the 1984 Spirit and 1986 Melody Maker I had.
Action, Fit, & Finish : 8 The action is good now. The paint job goes onto the fretboard edges a little, and the fretboard was cut a little sloppy where it meets the body, but the flaws don't affect the playability.
Reliability/Durability : 9 The tuners still work fine, and I got through a four-hour practice without having to retune. The bridge and tailpiece are solid. The finish doesn't show any checking, just some small dings. The strap buttons work fine. This guitar is my backup in case I break a string or my main ax is in the shop.
Overall Rating : 8 I've played seriously since 1986, and all I need are my two SGs and a Marshall. I wish Gibson had made more of these one-pickup SGs in the early eighties (especially with mahogany bodies). If one of them disappeared, who knows when I'd find a replacement. Maybe I'd just have Gordon-Smith make one.