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1964 Gibson Melody Maker - a classic vintage guitar
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 A closer look at a Gibson Melody maker from 1964. The Melody Maker is one of Gibson's best ever selling guitars - despite it's comparatively low price it didn't skimp on Gibson tradition: well-built instruments, constructed from the finest materials. The body and set neck are both of South American mahogany whilst the fingerboard is South American rosewood. With a sunburst nitrocellulose finish the Melody Maker certainly looked the part. In fact the Melody Maker had more in common with many higher end Gibson instruments than guitars of a similar price bracket made by other manufacturers. The circuitry was simple; just a volume and tone control for one single coil pickup. See also Gibson Melody Maker shipping figures
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1966 Kalamazoo KG2a electric guitar
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 Details and information on the Kalamazoo KG2a electric guitar. The beat boom of the mid 1960s heralded a huge demand for electric guitars; youngsters up and down America were looking for affordable, well-built solid-bodies, with modern looks and a great sound. Gibson, better known for it's high-end jazz guitars, responded by producing the KG guitar and KB bass lines, under the Kalamazoo brand. They were initially modelled on the Fender Mustang, though soon took the shape of the Gibson SG, which was rapidly rising in popularity. The resulting instruments used modern composite wood technology, Fender style construction and actual Gibson hardware. They looked good, played well, and sold in large quantities. See also Kalamazoo KG shipping figures, a 1966 Kalamazoo KG1 (single pickup) and listen to the Kalamazoo KG soundclips.
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Gibson / Monzino (Italy) guitar catalogue, 1971
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 Gibson / Monzino guitar catalogue, 1971. America saw numerous promotional publications from Gibson in the first years of the 1970s, but new models were coming and going at such a rate, that some never made it into print. Just one US catalogue was printed in 1971: the Low Impedance for High Performance mini-catalogue, which contained just the Gibson Les Paul Recording guitar, and the Gibson Les Paul Triumph bass. However other countries were producing their own literature, capturing a snapshot of the Gibson range not seen in print in the US. This brochure was printed by the new Italian distributors, Monzino, and shows several instruments yet to be seen in US catalogues (the SG range in particular) and one that would never make it: the Gibson SB400 bass.
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Gibson Victory MV series
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 The Gibson Victory MV (multi-voice) guitars were launched towards the end of 1981, with a production period lasting just over two years. There were two models, the Gibson Victory MV2 and the Gibson Victory MVX. Both were very fine passive guitars with maple bodies and set maple necks. They had coil-tapped pickups for either humbucking or single coil sounds, but neither managed to give Gibson the Victory they required in terms of sales.
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1969 Gibson SG Special
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 The Gibson SG came in several varieties; and the Special is a typical 60s Gibson in many ways. Naturally, it has a mahogany body with a set mahogany neck, in true Gibson style. The pickups are typical Gibson single coil P90s, and the control layout, too, is classic Gibson. Have a closer look, or check out the SG Special soundclips of this guitar, through various vintage amps.
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1979 Gibson ES-175D
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 A closer look at a 1979 Gibson ES-175D. By the late 1970s, the ES-175D had followed the path of most Gibson guitars and changed it's mahogany neck, in favour of a maple neck with volute. It didn't last long, and the neck was again mahogany by 1983. Details of the changes in the ES-175D over time are detailed in the ES-175 timeline.
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Gibson Marauder
Solid body Gibson electric guitar
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Gibson Index |
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Specifications & shipping figures | Schematic & part list | Publicity | Forum posts |
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  Taken from the Gibson 79 promo magazine:
 The Gibson Marauder guitar was introduced in 1974. The instrument has a body shape rather like a Les Paul, but has a bolt-on neck. The body and neck are made from poplar and hard maple and the instrument is finished in clear satin laquer. There are three distinct tone settings on the Marauder's selector switch. The front pickup is similar to the Super Humbucker with small additional magnets reinforcing and directing the field, while the bridge pickup has a single, iron-cored coil, with a magnet below and iron strips from the lower magnet pole. The fast, easy-action neck is made from Canadian maple. The fingerboard is made from rosewood with dot inlays and the distinctive peghead is of "V-series" design.
The Gibson Marauder was launched in 1974 (actually marauder shipping records state just 1 instrument was shipped in 1974) and remained in production until 1979; being replaced by the Gibson Sonex series around 1980. The Marauder was Gibsons mid-seventies budget model; still a Gibson and not cheap, but certainly the lowest price electric. The 1970s were a difficult time for American guitar companies; competition from Japanese manufacturers meant ways had to be found to cut costs of at least the entry level models which bore the brunt of competition.
The Marauder was launched at the same time as the Grabber bass and shared some of its cost cutting features. Both had controls and pickups assembled onto the pickguard; an easier production method than mounting electrics into the guitars themselves. Also both had bolt-on maple necks and alder bodies. These woods, aswell as being cheaper than Gibsons staple mahogany, are more traditionally associated with Gibsons main American rival, Fender. A further nod to Fender comes in the choice of pickup; one humbucker at the neck, and a single coul pickup at the bridge. Along with the body shape, and asymetrical pickguard, the guitar does ressemble a Fender Telecaster custom, whilst its sister model the S-1 was built to capture the essence of a Fender Stratocaster
Gibson Marauder chronology
- 1974 Marauder launched, however only 1 instrument shipped in the first year [1]
- 1975 First appearance in a price list. The Gibson Marauder protional record is released; a 45 rpm 7 " vinyl demonstrating the guitar with, and without accompaniment. Finishes: Natural Satin ($349), Wine Red ($399). By the second price list of the year, the Marauder was being called the M-1, and the Marauder Custom was announced (Sunburst only) at $449 [3]
1975 Gibson catalogue
- 1976 Marauder Custom price raised to $499 (M-1 prices unchanged [4])
The second price list of '76 raised the price of the Natural Satin finish M-1 to $359, and offered a Natural Maple Gloss instrument for $399. By late 1976 the three-way pickup switch had been replaced by a pot, allowing more subtle blends of bridge and neck pickup.
- 1977M-1 Natural Satin $399, Wine Red / Maple Gloss $449. Marauder Custom $539 [5]
- 1978 Again more price rises announced in January. M-1 Natural Satin $419, Wine Red / Maple Gloss $469. Marauder Custom $559 [6]. The May price list of the same year drops completely the Marauder Custom. New finishes for 1978 include Ebony, Walnut and Tobacco Sunburst, Natural Mahogany (on mahogany bodied instruments) [7] and White [8]. This was obviously a good move as this is the peak year for Marauder sales [1]
1978 Gibson catalogue
- 1979 Price slashed to $399, Walnut being the only available colour [9]
- 1980 Model officially discontinued, though some instruments were made as late as early 1981, including a few finished in Candy Apple Red.
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| Guitar strings suitable for this guitar |
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1975 Gibson Marauder. Notice the 3-way switch, and witch hat knobs
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1978 Gibson Marauder. Notice the 3-way switch is replaced by a chickenhead switch, and it now has speed knobs
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1979 Gibson Marauder. Notice the maple fingerboard.
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Back to the GIBSON INDEX | comment
Gibson Marauders for saleIf you are looking for specific vintage guitars for sale, you may have to keep an eye on numerous vintage guitar stores, classifieds websites and ebay listings. Below are just the auctions - Vintage guitar stores tend to advertise theirs in their ebay online vintage guitar stores - have a look because there are some different listings.
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There are 1 comments on this article so far. Add your comment
| Nigel Beek Comment left 21st November 2011 11:11:01
My first guitar was a Gibson Marauder, followed by the Gibson S1. Both pretty unloved at the time (late eighties), and WAY cheaper than they are now. Great workhorse guitars, and not super fragile like most Gibsons. |
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