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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 Trini Lopez Deluxe
Electric acoustic guitar
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PART 1 Trini Lopez Deluxe description |
PART 2 1965 promotional sheet |
PART 3 catalogue appearances
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Gibson Trini Lopez Deluxe - Gibson, the workingman's guitar
Gibson advert featuring Gibson artist Trini Lopez, playing his signature model, the Trini Lopez Deluxe.
Trini Lopez at work for Gibson and Reprise records | 
Gibson Trini Lopez Deluxe - Trini Lopez
Now, skilled Gibson craftsmen and Gibson's electronic engineers have combined to create a Trini Lopez model guitar that is just as exciting as the young artist who inspired it. In the Thin Body Standard or the Full Body Deluxe, the Trini Lopez Model Gibson is a beautifully crafted, superbly sensitive instrument. |
Promo sheet for the Gibson Trini Lopez Deluxe from around 1964/1965 - when the model was introduced.
The Trini Lopez Deluxe and Trini Lopez Standard were shipped from 1964 until 1971, with the Standard outselling the Deluxe by a ratio of roughly 6:1.
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The following description is taken from the 1970 Gibson catalogue
TRINI LOPEZ DELUXE - Artist Model
Styled for today's guitarist, the Trini Lopez Deluxe features a deep modern double cutaway and exceptional electronic response. Exquisitely fashioned in curly maple with cream binding and shell pickguard.
FEATURES: Curly maple top, back, rims with cream binding and bound "diamond" sound holes. Slim, fast, low action mahogany neck joins body at the 17th fret with diamond shaped pearl inlays and adjustable truss rod. 20 fret ebony fingerboard. Two balanced tone humbucking pickups with standby switch. Rosewood bridge base and chrome- plated Tone-O-Matic bridge. Chrome-plated machine heads. Special chrome pickguard. 17" wide, 21" long, 3" deep; 24 ¾" scale, 20 frets.
TL-D Trini Lopez Deluxe - Cherry Sunburst Finish
605 - Faultless plush-lined case
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Shipping Figures
| Model \ Year | 1964 | 1965 | 1966 | 1967 | 1968 | 1969 | 1970 | 1971 | total |
| Trini Lopez Deluxe |
| Trini Lopez Standard |
*in 1971, shipping figures do not distinguish between the Deluxe and Standard, merely stating that 33 Trini Lopez guitars were shipped
The guitars that Trini Lopez was pictured with differ slightly from the versions pictured in the Gibson cataloges. The first guitar (below left) has an upturned headstock - different from all other pictured Trini Lopez Deluxes. Perhaps this is one of the 2 Deluxes manufactured in 1964. The guitar on the right has the same headstock as the catalogue images, however it is fitted with a very different scratchplate
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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