My first official act as caretaker of this....

[lukmanohnz]

...vintage Gibson ES-125:

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It's not a mandolin, but perhaps of interest to some members.

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My sister-in-law bought this guitar many years ago, but now has arthritis and never plays it anymore. She entrusted me to take care of it for now. She is raising a son who just turned one year old and she plans to hand it down to him when he's old enough to play and appreciate this beauty. In the meantime, I have cleaned and polished it, put on a new set of strings, and am giving it regular exercise. It gets along really well with my Gibson GA30RVS amplifier! When my sister-in-law handed it over to me, the guitar was being stored in a "basket case" of a case - an old, mildewy cardboard case that was being held together (barely) with packaging tape. Today I bought a brand new Gibson hardshell case that fits the guitar like a glove. It also goes really well with the GA30RVS amp:

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This case has an interior sheath that is attached to the plush lining near the hinges and covers the guitar. I've never seen this type of detail on a case, and it's really nice.

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Here's what the old case looked like:

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Quite an improvement, wouldn't you agree? Are you taking care of any interesting old instruments for friends or relatives?

[ColdBeerGoCubs]

Thats a nice step up right there. Good score.

Maybe I need to go to bed, but I see a face staring back at me in the headstock area of the old case.

[Mike Snyder]

I would NOT sleep in the same room with that case!

You got cool gear, man.

[Ivan Kelsall]

Wow !!! - I think that old case looks the real deal. You can imagine the comments when you walk into a session with that thing. "Jeez,this guy must have been pickin' for years,he's got to be terrific". That's when i'd just walk out & leave 'em wondering. I think that the Guitar is very nice as well - very 'retro',
Ivan

[eadg145]

Those ES-125s are really good-sounding guitars, IMO. I predict that if you play it enough, you will have a very hard time giving it to your nephew!

[MandoSquirrel]

Nice guit, but I'm interested in the Gibby GA30RVS! I have an Epiphone Galaxy EA33RVT, which is the same as the Scout GA17RVT . Great amps!

[Barry Wilson]

Oh man those are sure pretty. I've never owned an arch top

[lukmanohnz]

Those ES-125s are really good-sounding guitars, IMO. I predict that if you play it enough, you will have a very hard time giving it to your nephew!

Already played it enough to reach that condition... about two strums after plugging it into my GA30RVS.

[lukmanohnz]

Nice guit, but I'm interested in the Gibby GA30RVS! I have an Epiphone Galaxy EA33RVT, which is the same as the Scout GA17RVT . Great amps!

I've been curious about those Epiphone amps. My GA30RVS was made in the UK in the Trace Elliot factory right after the Gibson acquisition. It was the first Gibson-branded amp they made. As I understand it they moved all the production to the States after a few years, and the UK-made amps have a certain mystique about them. This isn't reflected in the used market, however. I see these popping up on eBay for $800 or so, sometimes even less. That's far less than what I paid new for mine, and it's a steal as far as I'm concerned. The GA30RVS is one of the most punchy, chimey, articulate clean-channel amps I've ever played. My only complaint was the lack of overdrive at less than ear-bleed volumes, but I solved that with a Fulltone OCD overdrive pedal.

[lukmanohnz]

Oh man those are sure pretty. I've never owned an arch top

The only arch top I actually own is my Capek F-style mandolin!

[lukmanohnz]

Found out from my sis-in-law that she bought it in '85 at a garage sale for $100. I paid more than that for the new case!!

[Jake Wildwood]

I love the 125s. The thinline ones are the best, too. So comfy.

[MandoSquirrel]

Now I see; the Gibby amp is fairly recent,then. My Epi Galaxie is from the mid sixties, when they were still made in Kalamazoo. I got it last Fall, off ebay. Great for harp; I was hoping to use it with mando, but finances haven't allowed ffor an e-mando, yet. Reverb & tremolo into a 10 inch speaker at 12-14 tube watts or so.

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