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Gibson Guitar Catalogues
Take a trip to the past. Treat yourself to some quality time looking at decades of how Gibson was.
These days aren't coming back.
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03-12-2018 08:40 PM
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to quote old nyc tv/radio host joe franklin...that's a trip down memory lane!!
love that in the 1960 catalog, the acoustic guitars are the archtops!!..the flat tops are flat tops!!
1960 top o line super 400-675$
cheers
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$775 for Super 400 natural, $665 for L5CES, prices before 'The Beatles' became a household word. Geez, I could have purchased one if only I'd saved my paper route money and not had a double bubble gum and Jolly Rancher fix!
1960 Gibson guitar and bass catalogue - page 14
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Interesting to note that the Super 400 CES went up almost 50% from '60 to '66, $675 to $1000.
Also the Johnny Smith cost the same as a Super 400 in '66.
In '39 when natural finish was formally announced I believe there was a $10 upcharge. 25 yrs later and natural was only a $15-25 upcharge depending on model.
thanks for posting Martygrass
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I love it 2b!
MG, thanks buddy. That was a real treat.
JD
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In 1978 the Johnny Smith was advertised as having the “individual fingered instant adjustment jazz tailpiece”.
i didn’t they put those on a JS until 89?Last edited by Max405; 03-14-2018 at 11:35 AM.
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not bridge..tailpiece!!!
Originally Posted by Max405
super cool....also 2 floating pups!
part of johnnys endorsement deal with gibson was that they'd help him out with his colorado music shop inventory..
he was genius in many ways....haha
cheers
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I have all of them from when they first were published.
Danny W.
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My '79 catalog shows fingers for the JS.
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Earlier catalogs can be found here:
Catalogs | Acoustic Music
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Very cool
My first job was working at a music store from 80 to 84
We were a Gibson dealer ...
Good memories
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"Only A Gibson Is Good Enough", 1937 catalog.
Bwahahahaha!
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I love looking at the brochures for the Les Paul Recording/Professional/Personal - Gibson really seemed to think that Low Impedance would be the future...
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.... and in Epiphones catalog at the same time: "When good enough isn't good enough." Originally Posted by Jazzstdnt
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I have the 1966 catalog, has more dog-ears on it than a Playboy. I also have a price list from that time period.
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The 1966 catalog was a parade of dreams. It was the best of them all. Originally Posted by ESCC
I also had the price list. That's how I knew the 330 wasn't as good as the 335 and that the Johnny Smith was the best of them all. The retail prices told the whole story.
I was looking at that beautiful Johnny Smith every night but playing a stupid 1964 Firebird V I got cheap from the kid across the street. I'd love to have that bird back.
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Originally Posted by ESCC
It was my favorite too, until the original Historic Catalog came out. Originally Posted by Marty Grass
Danny W.
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Growing up as an adolescent in the 60’s, many of my buddies were sneaking girlie magazines into school.
I had Gibson guitar catalogues folded neatly in my school notebook.
Thanks for the memories, MG.
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Looks like the trapeze TP on my ES-345TD debuted in '66. I'll have to check the serial# when spring actually arrives here, which from the looks outside, may be awhile. All I know for sure is I'm not gonna part with it while I live and breathe. After that, I hope it gets the loving home it deserves.
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Hello Citizen: Originally Posted by citizenk74
I have a 1965 ES345-TDC SV I bought new in January, 1966, at a now closed Sam Ash Store in, in Hempstead, Long Island. The serial number indicates an October, 1965, build date. It has a trapeze tailpiece.
In reading through the catalogues, I noticed that Gibson in 1960 clearly mentioned the "semi-solid" nature of the 335, 345 and 355. This was a novel feature at the time. They were (are) manufactured with a solid block of wood slighter wider then the neck running between the top and bottom of the guitar and continued all the way to the end pin. This contributed to the sustain (and weight) of the instrument as the guitar was really a "semi solid" body as advertised. I did not see this mentioned in the 1964 and 1966 catalogues. Admittedly, I may have missed this reference in reading through the later year catalogue listings.
Aside from the P-90s, this "semi-solid" feature was one of the distinguishing characteristics between the ES-330 and the similar 335, 345 and 355. The 330 was completely hollow--as was its lower price clone the Epiphone 230 (the first real "good guitar" I owned).
As a footnote, despite owning the "345" for over 50 years, it was just a year or two ago I removed the pickups to see if I won the "PAF" lottery, so to speak. I lost. Both gold plated pick-ups have "Pat No." stickers on them. Thanks for posting the catalogues, Marty.
Tony D.Last edited by pilotony; 03-13-2018 at 11:00 PM.
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Interesting how they used older pictures for some, like in ‘70 they had the Florentine cutaway L5 in the photo. I was looking there to see what the original bridge was since mine was presumed original and was a wooden bridge, without the inlays in the base, but they listed it as tunomatic and I don’t know whether to believe them since the photo is not from the right year.
Also they listed the Barney Kessel as a carved top - is that a misprint? Maybe I just thought wrong the whole time but I didn’t think it was carved.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pr
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I had occasion to check my pups when the stereo jack gave up the ghost and had to be replaced. They, too, are "Patent Stickers" and, from what I have read, are indistinguishable from PAFs. All I can tell you is that they sound great through anything I've run them through. And about the jack - I entrusted the job to a store with whom I had a long history - we had done a lot of business over the years. When the job was done, the owner of the store refused payment. "There's not enough money in the world" were his exact words. I gather there's enough internal complexity to make the job akin to building a ship in a bottle, or something like that. Originally Posted by pilotony
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Hello Citizen:
I heard that Gibson had extra gold plated PAF pickups and used them for a long while (with Patent No. stickers applied) after they received the patent number. I've been fortunate in that the original electronics have held up--including the Varitone. Happy you got the guitar back properly repaired.
I said this before on the forum. The 345 is the best sounding guitar I've ever owned and I measure the sound of all my other guitars against it. Glad you feel the same way. Keep enjoying it.
Tony D.
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My 345 was my Number One for years and was only retired from the dives and dens we were working after one night I failed to triple-check the seating of the strap lock and it pitched headlong toward the floor. i caught it just as the headstock kissed the deck, taking a 1/8" chip off the open book's front edge. Since I had newly received my first PRS Custom 24, I put the Red Guitar out to stud, so to speak. I still kept playing it, of course, in the relative safety of studio and study, spending a wad on stereo cables and dual amp set-ups for the sheer sonic joy they gave me. The C24 is a tonal chameleon in its own right, and is a worthy successor to Big Red. Originally Posted by pilotony
Its good to know other players appreciate what a great design the 345 is. Play on, my friend!
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Neatomic, Originally Posted by neatomic
not bridge..tailpiece!!!
super cool....also 2 floating pups!
part of johnnys endorsement deal with gibson was that they'd help him out with his colorado music shop inventory..
he was genius in many ways....haha
cheers
Daaaa.. Tailpiece, you are right. I thought I fixed that... Thanks bud
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