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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 guitar catalogues
Gibson publicity material 1950s-1980s
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Gibson Catalogues
Gibson issued regular promotional material for it's products: catalogues every two years or so, dealer handouts, advertisements in guitar magazines, and Gibson's own magazines Gibson Gazette and Gibson Backstage Pass. Most of Gibson's guitars, basses and amplifiers are included amongst the pages of these catalogues, and many variations within a model can be tracked from catalogue to catalogue, both in the pictures, but also in the included specifications.
Gibson produced it's literature for the US guitar-buying market, but in the rest of the world, it was the responsibility of the overseas distributor, Selmer in the UK, Monzino in Italy etc. Gibson guitars often appeared in leaflets and brochures printed by these companies.
 | 1958 Gibson electric guitar and amplifier catalogue |
 | 1960 Gibson full line catalogue |
 | 1962 Gibson full line catalogue |
 | 1964 Gibson guitar and bass catalogue |
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1966 Gibson guitar and bass catalogue |
 | 1968 Gibson pamphlet |
 | 1968 Gibson Les Paul brochure |
 | 1970 Gibson Les Paul catalogue |
 | 1970 Gibson thinline catalogue |
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 | 1970 Gibson bass catalogue |
 | 1970 Gibson electric acoustics catalogue |
 | 1970 Gibson electric solid bodies catalogue |
 | 1971 Gibson low impedence brochure (with flexi disc) |
 | 1971 Italian Gibson/Monzino brochure
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 | 1972 Gibson electric solid bodies catalogue |
 | 1972 Gibson bass catalogue |
 | 1973 Gibson solid bodies catalogue |
 | 1975 Gibson bass guitar catalogue |
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 | 1975 Gibson electric acoustics catalogue |
 | 1975 Gibson Les Paul guitar catalogue |
 | 1975 Gibson solid body catalogue |
 | 1975 Gibson thinline catalogue |
 | 1978 Gibson RD guitar and bass catalogue |
 | 1978 Gibson Quality /Prestige /Innovation catalogue |
 | 1980 Gibson catalogue. Gibson Guitars |
 | 1983 Gibson catalogue. American-made. World-played |
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Owners Manuals
1981 Victory bass pre-owners manual
1981 Victory bass owners manual
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Vintage Gibson catalogues 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
| Reginald Gainey Comment left 10th May 2012 13:01:30
Hello, I have used your site for years now. I wrote you a long time ago and told you about my LP-12 amp. You got me started on a long path of Gibson Recording and Triumph guitars. I visit Gibson Restoration for them to do all my work. They are great people. I also have a nice collection of Epiphone Guitars. They are not as low-end as people think. Yes, they do have some junk but Mr. Les Paul always wanted something for kids to use to get started with. You know that. I visited Mr. Les Paul on his birthday at the Iridium in NY on his birthday 2 years before he passed. He did not sign autographs that night but let me in the back in the green room with him after the show. He signed my Recording. I held his hand for 15 minutes and we talked about "life". I mentioned a couple technical questions to him, but I didnt want to talk about things he's always talked to fans about. So he told me about life and happiness. He did say he was still friends with Eddie Van Halen and that the LP-12 amp "was just too damn loud". I also have pics where Phil at Gibson Restoration made him his last Goldtop Low Impedance guitar from scratch. Phil took pics along the way and since he was the only one in the shop who worked on a Recording (mine) and he's the best, he got the job of making the guitar. I have about 100 pics. It was the last guitar made for Les before he passed. My original Gibson Low Impedance catalog got stolen at a gig. So I am trying to find another one. Please let me know if you find one? Also, I have 5 Epiphones and looking for Epiphone catalogs. If you know a site like yours, please let me know? Anything I can do for you just ask. Thanks, Reggie, Macon, GA |
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