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Latest vintage guitar updates
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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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Older updates here
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Gibson SG Standard
Solid body electric guitar
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Gibson SG Introduction | Vintage SG adverts | SG forum posts | SG timeline 1960s |
1970s
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models Gibson SG Standard | Gibson SG Special | Gibson SG Junior | Gibson SG Custom | Gibson SG Deluxe
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A closer look: 1963 SG Standard |
1969 SG Special
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| Model | Gibson SG Standard |
| Available | 1961-date |
| Pickups | Two Gibson humbuckers. |
| Scale | 24 3/4" |
| Body | Mahogany |
| Neck | Initially one-piece mahogany, laminated mahogany by 1970. Rosewood fingerboard, with block inlays. |
| Frets | 22 |
| Hardware | 2 volume, 2 tone, nickel, then chrome hardware throughout |
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 From the 1962 Gibson electric guitar and bass catalogue
 An established favourite with completely new modern styling... with thinner, lighter weight contoured body, and deep double cutaway
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 From the 1963 Gibson electric guitar and bass catalogue
Ultra thin, contoured, double cutaway body, nickel-plated machine parts and individual machine heads with deluxe buttons
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 From the 1966 Gibson full line catalogue
Slim, fast, low-action neck joins body at 22nd fret. One-piece mahogany neck, adjustable truss rod
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 The 1970 electric solid bodies catalogue
Neck is designed for quickness... go from deep, rumbling bass sounds to piercing, biting tones instantly
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 The 1973 Gibson solid body leaflet
Gibson's famous SG Standard is back, better than ever with revolutionary new Super Humbucking pickups. The rhythm pickup delivers an extra clean sound while the lead has just enough "dirt" added to make it interesting
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 From the 1975 Gibson solid body catalogue
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 From the 1978 Gibson catalogue
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 From the 1980 Gibson catalogue
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 From the 1983 Gibson catalogue
The SG Standard is like no other guitar Gibson makes, an instrument that grew up in the 60s when rock was reaching it's zenith, versatile and powerful enough to project the rebellious tone which became the fabric of that classic era
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The SG Standard was the best known of Gibson's SG range, being used by many famous 1960s artists: George Harrison of the Beatles (his 1960s SG Standard sold in Dec 2004 for almost £300,000), and Eric Clapton of Cream to name but two early users, although just about every professional guitarist has used one since.
This model was a step above the SG Special being fitted with two nickel or chrome covered Gibson humbuckers rather than single coil P90s, but a step below the SG Custom, which had three humbuckers with gold covers.
Like all SGs, it sported a mahogany neck, set ito a mahogany body. This was, and still is, typical Gibson construction, and along with the Gibson humbuckers, played a major part in giving the SG it's characteristic sound.
It's no wonder that this instrument has been a key part of Gibsons solid-body range for almost 50 years.
Back to the GIBSON INDEX | comment If 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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