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GIBSON | VINTAGE ADVERTISEMENTS

Gibson advertisement (1969)

Daddy of 'em All

Gibson Les Paul Custom, Gibson Les Paul Standard

1969 advert for the two re-released Les Paul models, the Custom and the Standard

Les Paul may not have invented amplified music, but he perfected it almost single-handed. He started a revolution in fretted instruments and pickup design which is still going on. And the guitars he designed with Gibson have yet to be surpassed. The demand for them just won't quit. And the pressure to make more has never let up. Okay, you win. We are pleased to announce that more of the original Les Paul Gibsons are available. Line forms at your Gibson dealer's.

Gibson advertisement (1969) Daddy of

Other related vintage advertisements

Gibson Les Paul Standard - They
Gibson Les Paul Standard - They're Tops... Les Paul, Mary Ford and their Gibsons
Very early advert for the Les Paul Guitar. This was only a year after the models introduction, and at this point, the instrument was simply called the Les Paul model
Gibson Les Paul Standard - Gibson Les Paul Model
Gibson Les Paul Standard - Gibson Les Paul Model
It's a sensation! This very early advertisement for the Les Paul Model (latterly known as the Les Paul Standard) features Les Paul himself playing the gold-topped P90 equipped guitar
Gibson Les Paul Standard - Les Paul Says: It
Gibson Les Paul Standard - Les Paul Says: It's Gibson
A most important part of our recording equipment This interesting mid-fifties advert shows Les Paul at work recording guitar with his wife Mary Ford looking on. The advert shows the original gold-t...
Gibson Les Paul Standard - The Most Les
Gibson Les Paul Standard - The Most Les
"Les Paul's silver anniversary is your golden opportunity". Advert for the 25th anniversary Les Paul guitar
Gibson Les Paul Standard - Vintage Voltage. 30th Anniversary Les Paul Standard
Gibson Les Paul Standard - Vintage Voltage. 30th Anniversary Les Paul Standard
An advertisement for a short-lived limited edition model to celebrate 30 years of Les Paul's work with Gibson guitars

The shape of '52 that shattered all the molds; the classic gold top, The...
Gibson Les Paul Standard - American-made. World-played.
Gibson Les Paul Standard - American-made. World-played.
This advertisement was widely used circa 1982-1984. It features the American map guitar that appears on the cover of the 1983 Gibson catalogue, alongside the ES-335 dot, and Les Paul Standard.

2025 Vintage Guitar price guide 2025 Vintage Guitar price guide

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Vintage guitar parts for sale

Gibson Les Paul, Gibson Les Paul

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1974 Gibson Les Paul Deluxe Gold Top

1974 Gibson Les Paul Deluxe Gold Top

Seattle, Washington, 981**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

$6479

Up for sale is a super cool and coveted 1974 Gibson Les Paul Deluxe in its original and aged Gold Top finish. Serial falls in the 71-74 range and all 4 pots date to 1974. This mid-70s Deluxe features a pancake mahogany body, 3-piece mahogany neck, rosewood fingerboard, and 2 mini humbuckers. The neck on this one is pretty slender. The original patent sticker mini humbuckers sound great and are the perfect mix between a humbucker and P90 tone. Overall in very good shape for its age. No cracks, ... more
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Gibson Custom 1958 Les Paul Standard Murphy Lab Ultra Light Aged

Gibson Custom 1958 Les Paul Standard Murphy Lab Ultra Light Aged

Zionsville, Indiana, 460**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

$3999

Mint condition very rarely played... more
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Gibson S-1 Les Paul Guitar Ship World Wide

Gibson S-1 Les Paul Guitar Ship World Wide

Port Clinton, Ohio, 434**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

$2000

Hi, I am selling a Gibson S-1 Les Paul Electric Guitar. This sounds great with no issue. This comes with no case. Please understand * Buyer must contact us within 24 hours and pay for shipping, handling, and insurance. I ship worldwide, but please understand the shipping cost is for the USA . There will be additional costs for international shipping. Please ask all questions if you have any concerns prior to bidding. Please understand if it's not in the listing, it's not included. Thanks, and ... more
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Vintage 1955 Gibson GA-5 Les Paul Junior Tube Amplifier

Vintage 1955 Gibson GA-5 Les Paul Junior Tube Amplifier

Lubbock, Texas, 794**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

$1550

Vintage 1955 Gibson GA-5 Les Paul Junior Tube Amplifier==Very cool little amp, all needed maintenance done including 3-prong plug==Exterior Wear as shown, very clean chassis, vintage glass, speaker dates 1955==If you are considering a purchase, please take a minute and read our feedback !!!
We strive to achieve 5 star service !! PLEASE contact us if there are ANY problems (SEE RED BELOW)!! THANKS !!
Payment within 3 days please==We pack extremely well and ship quickly as ... more
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Gibson USA Cordura Electric Guitar Gig Bag Case for Les Paul SG Epiphone VTG Pad

Gibson USA Cordura Electric Guitar Gig Bag Case for Les Paul SG Epiphone VTG Pad

Batavia, New York, 140**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

$100


ebay Powerful Seller
" I am dedicated to top drawer service" My Feedback: (4078) 100 % Positive Feedback
COOLDADDY-0 Presents Awesome 1st Quality 100% Authentic Buy with Confidence!! My reputation and feedback speaks for itself !!Vintage Gibson USA Cordura Electric Guitar Gig Bag Case Black Padded Taco TKL Soft Green Plush Interior for Les Paul, SG, Epiphone and others, Genuine Authentic VintageGenuine Authentic Soft Gibson USA Padded Gig Bag Les Paul SG Electric Guitar Case Black ... more
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1978 Gibson Ebony Les Paul Custom Electric Guitar in Chainsaw Case, Black Beauty

1978 Gibson Ebony Les Paul Custom Electric Guitar in Chainsaw Case, Black Beauty

Harrisonville, Missouri, 647**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

$3795

1978 Gibson Ebony Les Paul Custom Electric Guitar in Chainsaw Case, Black Beauty
I just got this in from one of my regular customers and it is a very cool guitar, however it has several small issues that we will try to explain, and which will make this guitar less expensive than one that is 100% correct. The serial number is 71438353 and the guitar weighs in at 10 pounds, 12 ounces. We have inspected it closely and blacklighted it as well and it is fully intact and has not been broken. I ... more
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Vintage 1955 Gibson GA-5 Les Paul Junior Guitar Amp Tube Amplifier

Vintage 1955 Gibson GA-5 Les Paul Junior Guitar Amp Tube Amplifier

Leesport, Pennsylvania, 195**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

$850

Very cool vintage 1955 Gibson GA-5 Les Paul Junior guitar amp
Amp shows some staining to the tolex, the handle is missing and there is a small rip on the speaker covering
Amp works and sounds great. Very quiet up to 3 o'clock on the knob, it gets a little noisy when dimed but not too bad
It has the early Les Paul Junior script on the plate
There is a very valid reason for people calling these the Champ killer
Amp still has the original 2 prong power cable.... more
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Vintage! 1976 Gibson Les Paul Custom Electric Guitar Black Ebony + OHSC

Vintage! 1976 Gibson Les Paul Custom Electric Guitar Black Ebony + OHSC

Thousand Oaks, California, 913**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

$4495



Vintage! 1976 Gibson Les Paul Custom Electric Guitar Black Ebony + OHSC

Google us! Lovies Guitar Shop
Lovies Guitars is excited to offer up this 1976 Gibson Les Paul Custom Electric Guitar with a Black Ebony Finish! With its distinctive style and long list of appointments, the Les Paul Custom has long been a favorite of players and collectors. Featuring the trademark split diamond headstock inlay, one-piece mahogany neck with the long neck tenon, lavishly bound body, ebony ... more
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1976 Gibson THE LES PAUL Lucky #7 Natural ONE OF THE BEST EVER Brazilian

1976 Gibson THE LES PAUL Lucky #7 Natural ONE OF THE BEST EVER Brazilian

Lee's Summit, Missouri, 640**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

$39999

1976 Gibson THE LES PAUL Lucky #7 Natural ONE OF THE BEST EVER Brazilian Parts!
Here is one of the best "THE Les Paul" models you'll ever find! It's very early with all the first era specs. The guitar comes with full provenance from the long-time previous owner (since 1983). Not only is the guitar early, it's also in incredible condition with CRAZY figured maple wood all over and complete with the original artist case, paperwork, and a ton of extras over the years that are included ... more
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1976 Gibson Les Paul Recording w Original Case CLEAN Original Vintage Guitar

1976 Gibson Les Paul Recording w Original Case CLEAN Original Vintage Guitar

Lee's Summit, Missouri, 640**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

$3450

1976 Gibson Les Paul Recording w Original Case CLEAN Original Vintage Guitar 1970's!
Here is a really nice 1976 Gibson Les Paul Recording with maple neck. Some light figuring on the neck. This is a particularly clean example. Just a few small marks but pretty much collector-grade. The guitar comes with the original hard case. Plays easy and sounds great (with all the sounds)!
Weight: 10 5 lbs.
Fast WORLDWIDE Shipping Available! Please contact us for ... more
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1975 Gibson Les Paul Custom

1975 Gibson Les Paul Custom

Mesa, Arizona, 852**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

$3500

Beautiful guitar with older refinish turned into black beauty. Cool checking on it. Original tuners, newer Seymour Duncan??s, newer bridge. Fret nibs still present. Original pots included and could be put back in. Plays and sounds amazing. Serial number lost in refinish. Original hardshell case included.
... more
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1952 Vintage Spec Gibson P90 Clone Pickups of 52 Les Paul Goldtop. Tone Specific

1952 Vintage Spec Gibson P90 Clone Pickups of 52 Les Paul Goldtop. Tone Specific

Ramona, California, 920**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

$142

Keep an eye on our other auctions for VintSpec pickups. We also have P90s, PAFs, Strats & Teles all being sold to the highest bidder as part of our pre-sale event so check out our other items.
Our hopes are that this set will go to a real musician or aspiring player as opposed to a profiteer looking to flip these for profit over on Reverb. This is a pre-release sale to raise awareness. When these are offered on our in the future site they'll sell for $1200 (same as Virgil Arlo Black ... more
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1974 Vintage Gibson L6-S Midnight Special Les Paul / SG NECK Pickup Ring 1970s USA

1974 Vintage Gibson L6-S Midnight Special Les Paul / SG NECK Pickup Ring 1970s USA

Jacksonville, Florida, 322**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

$77

Up for sale is an original neck pickup ring from a 1974 Gibson L6-S Midnight Special, designed for flat-top mounting and standard-sized humbuckers. This is a vintage Gibson USA part, perfect for restoring your L6-S, S-1, or Marauder ?? or for use in custom builds and vintage-correct Gibson projects
This pickup ring is in very good condition, with no cracks or warps. Mounting holes are unmodified, and it retains its original flat contour ?? correct for flat-top Gibson models of the mid-1970s ... more
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1960s-1970s Vintage Gibson Reflector Volume Knob EB-0 / SG / Les Paul Custom

1960s-1970s Vintage Gibson Reflector Volume Knob EB-0 / SG / Les Paul Custom

Holbrook, New York, 117**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

$235

Gibson 1960s Reflector knobs '3 in total. 2 tone and one volume. The 2 tone knobs are in really good shape. The volume knob, has a cut fro 5 to 6, butits intact. So here's 3 rare knobs. Take a very good look and no returns description is accurate.
... more
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1979-1980 Vintage Gibson Les Paul Standard Wine Red Maple Top  ~ Kahler Nut ~  1980s

1979-1980 Vintage Gibson Les Paul Standard Wine Red Maple Top ~ Kahler Nut ~ 1980s

Jacksonville, Florida, 322**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

$3497

For Sale: 1979??1980 Gibson Les Paul Standard ?? Wine Red ?? Maple Top ?? Original Case ?? USA Vintage
Big tone. Fast neck. Classic Norlin-era Les Paul in all its glory
Up for sale is a 1979??1980 Gibson Les Paul Standard in Wine Red, featuring a beautiful maple top and original Gibson hardshell case. This guitar has the legendary Norlin-era tone and sustain, powered by its 1980-stamped original humbuckers and 1979??1980 CTS pots ?? delivering tight low-end, complex mids, and that ... more
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1980 Vintage GIBSON Les Paul Custom Sunburst Electric Guitar, Original Condition

1980 Vintage GIBSON Les Paul Custom Sunburst Electric Guitar, Original Condition

Cumberland, Rhode Island, 028**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

$1025




1980 Vintage GIBSON Les Paul Custom Sunburst Electric Guitar, Original Condition

???? We realize buying a musical instrument like this vintage Gibson Les Paul Guitar without holding it in your hands is very difficult. We are not musical instrument dealers, nor do any of us play. That??s why we give a 100% unconditional money back guarantee that the high bidder will be totally satisfied with the quality, condition, age, authenticity as well as the sound and our ... more
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1955 Gibson Les Paul Standard, Goldtop Tune-o-matic

1955 Gibson Les Paul Standard, Goldtop Tune-o-matic

Loveland, Ohio, 451**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

$92195

1955 Gibson Les Paul Standard, Goldtop, Stop tail &Tune-o-matic, Two Powerful P-90's, Great feeling neck, Gorgeous BrazilianRosewood fingerboard, Exceptionally Lively instrument, Phenomenal sounding, Stunningcondition, Truly a fabulous and sought after instrument, Nice Original Brownhard case
... more
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SERIOUS MOJO!! Vintage 1956 Gibson Les Paul Junior KILLER

SERIOUS MOJO!! Vintage 1956 Gibson Les Paul Junior KILLER

North Hollywood, California, 916**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

$10000

PLEASE VIEW THE PICS FOR EXACT DETAILS / DESCRIPTION PRIOR TO YOUR PURCHASE
If you have any additional concerns, questions or need photos- you can also reach me at eight one eight seven three one two six five one. You can also inspect the instrument IN PERSON prior to purchase (SERIOUS BUYER ONLY). Thank you for looking!
TRADES: will consider trading for an early to mid 70??s Gibson Les Paul Standard ONLY plus cash difference. Please do NOT offer any other items - I will not be interested ... more
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1957 Gibson Les Paul Junior

1957 Gibson Les Paul Junior

Loveland, Ohio, 451**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

$14995

1957 Gibson Les Paul Junior, Sunburst finish, Tortoiseguard, Amazing full feeling ??57 Neck profile, 1 & 11 / 16 inches wide at thenut, Great sounding original P-90 pickup, Weight: 7 lbs 15 oz, A pleasure toplay on, Stunning clean instrument, Excellent condition with an original hard case
... more
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Gibson Les Paul Tailpiece Black Guitar Parts R9 SG Custom ES Explorer API RD C

Gibson Les Paul Tailpiece Black Guitar Parts R9 SG Custom ES Explorer API RD C

Caldwell, New Jersey, 070**, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

$100


Gibson Gear Galore / Platinum Collectibles Worldwide
Celebrating close to two decades in the eBay Community!

You are invited to bid on the Genuine Gibson Stop Bar Tailpiece pictured above
One lightly used Tailpiece with studs. No anchors. Color is Cosmo Black . Specific to Gibson Electric Guitars including Les Paul Reissue R0 , R9 , R8 , R7 , Standard , Custom , Studio & Tribute, as well as SG , Firebird , RD , Explorer , CS , Flying V , ES , LPJ ... more
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Find more Gibson Les Paul, Gibson Les Paul at vintageguitarsforsale.co

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1973 Hagstrom Swede Bass

1973 Hagstrom Swede Bass The Hagstrom Swede bass, or model HB 903, was only built in small numbers: just 1479 basses shipped between 1971 and 1976. Unlike the current range of Hagstrom guitars, the 1950s-1980s Hagstroms were built in Sweden. This example comes from 1973 and is pretty typical: translucent cherry finish, mahogany body, mahogany neck with an ebony fretboard. It's a really nice bass, beautifully appointed with a very wide tonal range, and a great playing feel. It is relatively heavy though for a mahogany instrument, mostly due to its thick solid body. Very cool bass, and certainly one of the very best basses produced by Hagstrom.

1973 Shaftesbury 3400

1973 Shaftesbury 3400 This example of the Shaftesbury 3400 was produced by Japanese manufacturer Matsumoku who made some great quality guitars in the 1970s and 1980s. This is a slightly later example, and has some features not seen on earlier 3400s. Although nice guitars, these are not in the same league as the Gibson Les Paul it was emulating (no set neck, no carved maple top); but they are far better than many of the entry-level Les Paul copies available in the mid-1970s - for example the Shaftesbury 3400 has gold plated hardware, a solid body bound front and back, Maxon brand humbuckers and nice inlaid neck and headstock.

1971 Epiphone 1802T

1971 Epiphone 1802T The Epiphone 1802T was the early name given to the Epiphone ET-270 and derived from an existing Aria guitar, also the 1802T. This was the first of the 1970s Epiphone solid bodies made in Japan by Matsumoku.The model evolved somewhat over its short production run: the very earliest examples were very similar to the Aria, sharing the same body shape, hardware, and clear-coated neck with Fender-style headstock with decal logo. By the time it was designated the Epiphone ET-270 it had been upgraded with the classic Epiphone-style headstock, with nice inlaid logo, and Epiphone 'E' motifs on the truss rod cover and scratchplate. This example from 1971 is somewhere in between with the Epiphone-style headstock, but with silk-screened logo, and no 'E's.

1971 Shaftesbury 3400

1971 Shaftesbury 3400Shaftesbury was a brand distributed by Rose-Morris in the UK - generally imported guitars from Italy or Japan. This guitar, model 3400 was produced by Matsumoku in Japan, and was one of the earliest Les Paul copy guitars, debuting in the UK in 1969, although the same guitar was also sold as the Univox U1982 'Rhythm and Blues' by Merson in the USA as early as 1968. It was also available in different territories under different marques, most obviously the Aria 5522 (Japan), Jedson Jet 4444 (UK, Dallas Arbiter), with no doubt many more examples worldwide.

1981 Gibson Victory MVX

1981 Gibson Victory MV-XThe Gibson Victory MV-X, or Victory 'Multi-Voice' 10, was so-named because of the 10 distinct switch settings: although on first glance this guitar is very much a 'super-strat', with its three-pickup 5-way switch wiring configuration, the original advertising, sounds like... all of 'em underlines that this isn't just a Stratocaster copy, having the sounds of both Gibson humbuckers and Fender single coils available with a flick of a switch. The model was short-lived, with the first instruments shipping from Kalamazoo in Summer of 1981, and the last (excluding any stragglers) leaving Nashville by early 1982. This one was stamped on August 3rd 1981 in Kalamazoo.

1970 Rosetti Epiphone guitar catalogue

1970 Rosetti Epiphone guitar catalogScan of 1970 Epiphone guitar catalogue produced by Rosetti for the UK market. Undated but most likely from mid-late 1970, this was the first UK catalogue to show the new range of Japanese (Matsumoku) Epiphone guitars. Interestingly, these pages show the Epiphone solid bodies with a single-sided Fender-style headstock layout - a feature quickly replaced with a typical two-sided Epiphone headstock almost immediately. Epiphone electric guitars: 9520, 9525; bass guitars: 9521, 9526; acoustic guitars: 6730, 6830, 6834

A World of Guitars by Rosetti - 1971

1971 A World of Guitars by Rosetti catalogueScan of 1971 Rosetti catalogue (UK) featuring guitars from from numerous manufacturers worldwide: guitars by Epiphone, Hagstrom, Levin, Hoyer, Egmond, Eros, Moridaira, Kiso-Suzuki, Schaller, and Tatra.

1971 Selmer guitar catalogue

1971 Selmer guitar catalogueScan of 1971 Selmer guitar catalogue showing the range of electric and acoustic guitars distributed by the company: guitars by Gibson, Yamaha, Selmer, Hofner and Suzuki. 1960s Selmer had always placed Hofner at the front end of their catalogues, no doubt these were the better sellers - but into the 1970s Hofner were slipping somewhat and only appear at the tail end of this publication, pride of place going to Gibson, and to a lesser extent Yamaha. In fact this is the last Selmer catalogue to include the many Hofner hollow bodies (Committee, President, Senator etc) that had defined the companies output for so many years - to be replaced in the 1972 catalogue by generic solid body 'copies' of Gibson and Fender models. A number of new Gibson models are included for the first time: the SG-100 and SG-200 six string guitars and the SB-300 and SB-400 basses.

1968 Selmer guitar catalogue

1968 Selmer guitar catalogueScan of 1968/1969 Selmer guitar catalogue (printed July 1968), showing the entire range of electric and acoustic guitars distributed by the company: guitars by Hofner, Gibson, Selmer and Giannini. Selmer were the exclusive United Kingdom distributors of Hofner and Gibson at the time, and this catalogue contains a total of 18 electric guitars, 7 bass guitars, 37 acoustics, and 2 Hawaiian guitars - all produced outside the UK and imported by Selmer, with UK prices included in guineas. This catalogue saw the (re-)introduction of the late sixties Gibson Les Paul Custom and Les Paul Standard (see page 69) and the short-lived Hofner Club 70. Other electric models include: HOFNER ELECTRICS: Committee, Verithin 66, Ambassador, President, Senator, Galaxie, HOFNER BASSES: Violin bass, Verithin bass, Senator bass, Professional bass GIBSON ELECTRICS: Barney Kessel, ES-330TD, ES-335TD, ES-345TD, ES-175D, ES-125CD, SG Standard, SG Junior, SG Special GIBSON BASSES: EB-0, EB-2, EB-3 - plus a LOT of acoustics branded Gibson, Hofner, Selmer and Giannini

1961 Hofner Colorama I

1961 Hofner Colorama IHofner Colorama was the name UK distributor Selmer gave to a series of solid and semi-solid guitars built by Hofner for distribution in the UK. The construction and specifications of the guitars varied over the period of production, but by 1961 it was a totally solid, double cutaway instrument, with a set neck, translucent cherry finish, six-in-a-row headstock, and Hofner Diamond logo pickups. Available as a single or dual pickup guitar, this sngle pickup version would have been sold in mainland Europe as the Hofner 161.

1971 Commodore N25 (Matsumoku)

1971 Commodore N25 (Matsumoku)Commodore was a brand applied to a series of guitars produced in Japan at the well-respected Matsumoku plant from the late 1960s to the mid 1970s - and sold primarily (perhaps exclusively?) in the United Kingdom. The models bearing the Commodore name were all guitars available from different distributors with different branding. Although there may have been some minor changes in appointments (specifically headstock branding) most had the same basic bodies, hardware and construction. Equivalent models to the Commodore N25 (and this is by no means an exhaustive list) include the Aria 5102T, Conrad 5102T(?), Electra 2221, Lyle 5102T, Ventura V-1001, Univox Coily - and most famously the Epiphone 5102T / Epiphone EA-250.

1960 Hofner Colorama II

1960 Hofner Colorama IIThe Hofner Colorama was the name given by Selmer to a series of solid (and semi-solid) body Hofner guitars distributed in the United Kingdom between 1958 and 1965. The Colorama name actually applied to some quite different guitars over the period, but in 1960 it was a very light, semi-solid, set necked guitar with one (Colorama I) or two (Colorama II, as seen here) Toaster pickups. Although an entry-level guitar, it was very well-built, and a fine playing guitar; certainly a step up (at least in terms of craftsmanship) from many of the Colorama guitars that would follow, and a good deal of the guitars available in Britain circa 1960.

1971 Epiphone 1820 bass (ET-280)

1971 Epiphone 1820 (ET-280) bassBy the end of the 1960s, a decision had been made to move Epiphone guitar production from the USA (at the Kalamazoo plant where Gibson guitars were made), to Matsumoto in Japan, creating a line of guitars and basses significantly less expensive than the USA-built models (actually less than half the price). The Matsumoku factory had been producing guitars for export for some time, but the 1820 bass (alongside a number of guitar models and the 5120 electric acoustic bass) were the first Epiphone models to be made there. These new Epiphones were based on existing Matsumoku guitars, sharing body shapes, and hardware, but the Epiphone line was somewhat upgraded, with inlaid logos and a 2x2 peghead configuration. Over the course of the 70s, the Japanese output improved dramatically, and in many ways these early 70s models are a low point for the brand. Having said this, there are a lot worse guitars out there, and as well as being historically important, the 1820 bass can certainly provide the goods when required.

1981 Gibson Marauder

1981 Gibson MarauderProduction of Bill Lawrence's Gibson Marauder began in 1974, with production peaking in 1978. But by 1980 the model was officially discontinued, though very small numbers slipped out as late as spring 1981. Over 7000 examples shipped between 1974 and 1979, and although no totals are available for 1980 and 1981, it is unlikely production reached three figures in either of these years. These final Marauders were all assembled at the Gibson Nashville plant, and had some nice features not available through the later years of production, such as a rosewood fretboard, and in this case, an opaque 'Devil Red' finish. It's a great looking and fine playing guitar!

1971 'Pick Epiphone' Catalog

1971 Pick Epiphone catalogWhen Epiphone production moved from Kalamazoo to the Matsumoku plant in Japan, a whole new range of electric, flattop and classic acoustic guitars was launched. Between late 1970 and 1972 the new models were launched and refined. This 'folder' catalog contains various inserts released over these years detailing four electric six-strings (ET-270, ET-275, ET-278, and thinline EA-250), three bass guitars (ET-280, ET-285, and thinline EA-260), three folk/steel acoustics, four jumbo flattop acoustics, two 12-string jumbos, four classic acoustics, and a banjo.

1981 'Gibson Specials' Pre-Owners Manual

1981 Gibson Specials Pre-Owners Manual'Gibson Specials' was part of the June 1981 pre-owners manual series, but unlike the other folders contained a mish-mash of different guitars: limited editions, test marketing and close outs. "You will find the unusual, the brand-new, and the bargain within this folder". End of line 70s guitars like the Marauder, S-1, and L-6S Custom mixed in with brand new models the The V, The Explorer and the Flying V Bass.
It was the largest folder in the series, with 24 inserts, (19 guitars and 5 basses): Guitars: 335-S Standard, Melody Maker Double, Marauder, L-6S Custom, S-1, RD Artist, Firebird, Firebird II, Flying V, Flying V-II, The V, Explorer, Explorer II, The Explorer, The "SG" Standard, Les Paul Artist, Les Paul Artisan, ES-335 Heritage, ES-175/CC Basses: Grabber, G-3, L-9S, RD Artist Bass, Flying V Bass

1970s Shaftesbury 3263 bass

1970s Shaftesbury 3263 bass Rose-Morris were selling Shaftesbury-branded Rickenbacker copy instruments from the late 1960s right through the 1970s. The 3263 bass was one of the first models, (alongside the 3261 six string and 3262 twelve string) available from late 1968 until about 1974. The earliest incarnation was a set neck bass, produced very briefly in Japan. But production quickly moved to Italy. This bolt-on neck example was built by Eko, in Recanati, using the same hardware and pickups as fitted to Eko, and Vox basses built around the same time. It's certainly a fine looking bass, and not a bad player either.

1961 Hohner Zambesi

1961 Hohner Zambesi This very early, and pretty rare British-built guitar is branded Hohner London. Hohner were, of course, a German company, better known for their harmonicas and accordions, but they were keenly expanding into guitars at the birth of the 1960s. This model, along with the Hohner Amazon and (particularly) the Hohner Holborn, bear some similarity with Vox guitars of the same period; furniture manufacturer Stuart Darkins constructed bodies and necks for both brands, with Fenton Weill assembling them using their hardware and pickups. These guitars do have some hardware peculiarities, and they are not the most adjustable of instruments, but they actually play very nicely, being solidly built out of some very nice woods. Check out the video on this page.

1963 Vox Super Ace

1963 Vox Super Ace The Vox Super Ace was a mid-priced British solid body electric guitar, produced by JMI at their factory in Dartford, Kent. It was broadly modelled on the Fender Stratocaster, and a sibling model to the dual-pickup Vox Ace. Both the Ace, and Super Ace (along with several other models), were redesigned in 1963 with a new body shape, headstock style, and pickup layout - only increasing the resemblance to the aforementioned Fender. The Super Ace had a 1963 price tag of £47 5S. It's a pretty nice playing guitar with some lovely sounds - check out the videos on this page, and in the Vintage Guitar and Bass supporting members area

1966 Vox New Escort

1966 Vox New Escort The Vox New Escort was Vox's version of the Fender Telecaster, at a time when American guitars were out of reach for most British musicians. It was made by JMI in England, for the British market, and unlike the majority of other models, didn't have an Italian-made equivalent. But the New Escort wasn't a slavish Fender copy, adding Vox's stylish teardrop headstock to the tele-style body, with a stop tailpiece and two Vox V2 single coil pickups. And it's a pretty substantial, and nice playing guitar, with a very comfortable neck. Check out the images, specifications, and watch a video of it in action. There is also extra content in the vintageguitarandbass supporting members area.

1969 Fender catalog, Fender Lovin' Care

1969 Fender catalog, Fender Lovin Care Catalog scan. The 1969 Fender Lovin' Care catalog consisted of 48 pages of electric guitars, basses, amplifiers, steel guitars, acoustic guitars, banjos and keyboards. Like the previous catalog, this featured the company's guitars in a variety of interesting settings around California, from the Whiskey-A-Go-Go, to the Hollywood Bowl. Several instruments were making their first appearance amongst it's pages: the Telecaster bass, Montego and LTD jazz guitars, and the Redondo acoustic. It was the final catalog appearance, however, of the Electric XII, Bass V, Duo-Sonic, Coronado I and Coronado Bass I.

1973 Eko Ranger Folk

1973 Eko Ranger Folk The Eko Ranger series of guitars was incredibly popular in the second half of the 1960s and through the 1970s, selling in very large numbers. The Ranger Folk was 1 1/4" smaller, and 1" shallower than the Ranger VI and XII - and with a narrower waist. Not a bad guitar; a little quiet, but pretty playable. These were great value in 1973, and because they sold so many, they are easy to find and excellent value today.

1966 Vox Symphonic bass guitar

1966 Vox Symphonic bass guitar The Symphonic bass was built in the UK, by Vox parent company JMI. It was the Vox equivalent to the Fender Precision bass, and was one of the most expensive Vox guitars produced. It was actually a great playing bass, rather similar to the Precision in feel and sound, but was probably just too expensive compared to an actual Fender and consequently sold poorly. When Vox hit financial problems in 1968, unsold guitars and basses were passed on to Dallas Arbiter, who briefly sold the excess Symphonic bass stock as model 4537. This bass, although with a neck date of February 1966, was most likely one of the unsold Vox guitars sold on by Dallas Arbiter. Check out the bass, and the two video demos through 1960s Ampeg and WEM amplifiers.

1968 Shaftesbury 'Electric Guitars' catalog

1968 Shaftesbury catalogThe 1968 Shaftesbury 'Electric Guitars' catalog was just four pages long, and contained four guitar models: the six string Barney Kessel-style 3264; and three Rickenbacker-styled semi-acoustic models: the six-string 3261, the twelve string 3262 and the 3263 bass. Shaftesbury was the house-brand of major UK distributor Rose-Morris, and seems to have been launched as a response to the company's loss of it's distribution deal with Rickenbacker. The guitars were mid-priced, and built in (initially) Japan, and later Italy, by Eko

1970 Rose-Morris 'Exciting Electrics Wonderful Westerns Celebrated Classics' catalog

1970 Rose_Morris catalog1970 Rose-Morris catalog, dated April 1970. It featured 6 electric guitars, 32 acoustic guitars, 3 basses and 1 steel guitar. It contains the following instruments, over 20 pages: Electric guitars: Shaftesbury 3261, 3262, 3264, 3265, 3400; Top Twenty 1970; Bass: Shaftesbury 3263, 3266; Top Twenty 1971; Acoustic guitars: Eko Rio Bravo, Rio Bravo 12, Ranchero, Ranchero 12, Colorado, Ranger, Ranger Folk, Ranger 12; Aria 1674, 1675, 1676, 1679, 1680, 1695, 'John Pearse' Jumbo, 'John Pearse' Folk; Rose-Morris 15-11, Kansas, Georgian, Florida; Suzuki 1663, 1664, 1665, 3054, 3055, 3060; Tatay 1713, 1714, 1715; Peerless 3052; Steel guitar: Aria 3425

1971 Rose-Morris 'Exciting Electrics Wonderful Westerns' catalog

1971 Rose_Morris catalogThe sixteen-page 1971 Rose-Morris catalog featured electric guitars by Rose-Morris' own brand, Shaftesbury, and budget brand Top Twenty; aswell as acoustics by Eko, Aria, and for the first time Ovation. The catalog contains the following instruments: Electric guitars: Shaftesbury 3261, 3264, 3265, 3400, 3402; Top Twenty 1970; Bass: Shaftesbury 3263, 3266; Top Twenty 1971; Acoustic guitars: Ovation: Balladeer, 12 String, Glen Campbell, Glen Campbell 12 string; Eko Rio Bravo, Rio Bravo 12, Ranger, Ranger Folk, Ranger 12, Colorado, Ranchero, Ranchero 12, Studio 'L'; Rose-Morris Florida; Aria 'John Pearse' Jumbo, 'John Pearse' Folk

1972 Fender Precision bass

1972 Fender PrecisionA detailed look at an early 1970s Fender Precision bass guitar in custom black finish, with rosewood fretboard. 1972 list price, $307.50. The Fender Precision had been shipping since at least very early 1952 - with just one re-design circa 1957. This example, then, shows a model already two decades old, but barely changed since the '57 revamp. Fender got it right first time around, and although there are numerous minor cosmetic differences, the essence of this bass is effectively the same as it was in '52: a simple, single pickup instrument with a GREAT sound. Check out the demo video through an old Ampeg B15. It's no wonder this is the bass that everybody wants!

1967 Vox Stroller

1967 Vox StrollerThe Vox Stroller was the brand's entry level electric solid body guitar, fitted with just one pickup and a fixed tailpiece. Although aimed at student guitarists, it wasn't a terrible instrument, but did lack somewhat in adjustability, having no accessible truss rod and only a floating rosewood bridge. But this example is actually quite an improvement on earlier versions, with a standard 1/4" jack and a solid mahogany body. 1967 price £18 2s. JMI ceased UK guitar production in late '67, and combined with decreasing demand for the Stroller, this surely must be one of the last examples shipped.

1963 Vox Clubman Bass (left handed)

1963 Vox Clubman Bass left handedA nice example of the Vox Clubman II bass, built by JMI in Dartford, Kent in 1963. This is a lightweight bass, short (30") scale and very easy to play. It is an early example, and as such has a thin black scratchplate and side mounted, coaxial output jack. JMI offered left handed examples of their solid body Vox guitars and basses at 10% premium. Production numbers are unclear, but left-handed examples rarely come up for sale

1977 Gibson ES Artist 'prototype'

1977 Gibson ES Artist prototypeNot to be confused with the Gibson ES Artist launched by Gibson in 1979; this ES Artist was an early model designed by the Gibson research and development team in Kalamazoo in 1977, the instruments themselves constructed by Gibson artist Chuck Burge. It was planned for launch as a high end semi acoustic with 335-style construction (central maple block) and innovative circuitry - but was pulled at the last minute, being deemed too expensive. Apparently, several examples were produced with varying specifications, though exactly how many actually left the Kalamazoo plant is unclear. Certainly two guitars were sold to LaVonne Music by Gibson in around 1980. Read more about the development of this guitar, with details from Chuck Burge and the story of it's sale to LaVonne music