This leads me to epiphone. I take it the higher end epiphone aren’t being made? (Mm50e and mm40L?
Or have they just taken them offline?
This leads me to epiphone. I take it the higher end epiphone aren’t being made? (Mm50e and mm40L?
Or have they just taken them offline?
Who knows? I could look it up on Guitar Center's website, but I'm not going to take the time.
I shouldn't have to hunt for a company's products.
There are other alternatives that are easier to find.
Thanks for the response, rcc56. The first thing I did check was the Gibson website. Then a few stores that I know used to sell Gibson and they listed none. Did some searching and did find conflicting information. I have not been after on this forum for many years and came back to ask this question. Based on some of the responses, including those from the admin, I think I will take another five year absence.
It should be noted that since the Gibson F5 was introduced in 1922 it has always been a "custom" ordered model. A dealer would have to order one based on someone putting a deposit down at the dealer. In the 50's and 60's even the F12 was custom ordered. In 1966 in my seeking out a new F5 I went to our local dealer and was told there was a 2 year "delivery" date, so I decided to not put the deposit down (I think it was 25%) and look for a used one. Later I would find out that Gibson only produced 26 in 1964, 15 in 1965 and only 11 in 1966. No wonder they had a long wait list. They were the only people making an F5 style mandolin. I look at buying a new mandolin like buying a new car. You need to drive it around the block a few times before buying it. And like cars today, you have several dozens of makers to choose from.
Purr more, hiss less. Barn Cat Mandolins Photo Album
<violates forum posting guidelines. Welcome to take your time elsewhere.>
Last edited by Mandolin Cafe; Mar-01-2020 at 5:56pm.
Bernie
____
Due to current budgetary restrictions the light at the end of the tunnel has been turned off -- sorry about the inconvenience.
Try before you buy...that was their credo and encouraged. The well-known ad for the 20's catalog had a slip one could fill out, send in and receive an F-5 to try. What a deal.
While F-5's may have been special order instruments in the old days, at least they were in the catalogs.
"It's comparable to playing a cheese slicer."
--M. Stillion
"Bargain instruments are no bargains if you can't play them"
--J. Garber
Ever tried, ever failed? No matter. Try again, fail again. Fail better.--Samuel Beckett
______________________
'05 Cuisinart Toaster
'93 Chuck Taylor lowtops
'12 Stetson Open Road
'06 Bialetti expresso maker
'14 Irish Linen Ramon Puig
I’ll agree as to consistency, but the only guitar I’d want to own would be the J45 vintage. All the others were good but not great, with one nice exception being one Sheryl Crow. But on two or three visits to a dealer that was supposed to be special, I forget the marketing term they are using, they never once had a J 45 or a J45 vintage. They had a wall of artist models and special editions. Ever see the Donovan J 45, or a rosewood J45? When I asked why no plain J 45s, I was told the store owner said they had to sell what they had in stock before they could order any more Gibson’s. What they had was guitars that were forced down their throats by Gibson, including a $10,000 Bob Dylan J200. Did they have a regular one? No.
What you won’t find these days is a 50% dog rate. So I really do think the mandolin shop is so insignificant that the corporate guys leave them alone. This is a good thing.IMHO
Silverangel A
Arches F style kit
1913 Gibson A-1
I had a Southern Jumbo that I loved the way it looked. That's all I'm going to say about that.
"It's comparable to playing a cheese slicer."
--M. Stillion
"Bargain instruments are no bargains if you can't play them"
--J. Garber
Seem to be alive and well.....
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2NY6mgm21Bo
If you can read this, thank a teacher. If you can read this in English, thank a vet.
I haven't been shopping at brick-and-mortar for a new Gibson in a long time but that sounds like a bummer. The Guitar Center by my old office (Raleigh) used to keep a 45 in stock most of the time, but that was years ago. You can regularly see used AJs and 45s here on the classifieds and at umgf, and a quick check of reverb shows about a dozen used AJs coming in at about 2k or less. And there are many more 45s on there, even a few True Vintage models. But then you have to buy (or at least hold) without playing and have it sent to you. I'm not crazy about that but have done it. I have a great 1946 J-45 and the new Gibsons I've had, while different of course, compare pretty favorably.
Cheers,
Z
Member since 2003!
I want to clarify my previous post. Gibson guitars give most folks what they want. A warmer lush tone, just like the post 2012 D 18. But what I want is an earlier dry thumpy clear vintage tone, and the J45 vintage does just that very well. But that might not be the tone you are after. I’d say from the business of running a company, Gibson is more likely to be right than I. So is Martin.
A friend has two 39 D 18 authentics, both really wonderful guitars, but I’d probably take a ‘57 or ‘65 if I found the right one.
Silverangel A
Arches F style kit
1913 Gibson A-1
I'm waiting for them to register "Authentic". They've changed the way we interpret the word forever.
I was a torrification skeptic until playing the J 45 vintage. But still, it wasn’t a banner but closer than I’d have expected.
I ended up with a ‘65 Epiphone Texan. IMHO, something good happens to wood thirty to forty years on.
Silverangel A
Arches F style kit
1913 Gibson A-1
If what you want a Gibson for is that old vintage sound, why not just get a nice old one? All the Boomers are dying like flies, or selling off their collections, so it's not like they can't be had. Who cares if new Gibsons that you like are not available? It's not like the world is running out of good old guitars.
Plenty of good mandolins out there in the wild, by a bunch of talented makers, as well. Even some nice used Gibsons.
. . . and do not plan on dropping any time soon. Some of us can even still play pretty good, and if we decide to let a good old instrument go, we might add a 20% surcharge when we smell contempt, depending on our mood. Or maybe even 30%, if you want the instrument bad enough.
And some of us can even tell you why the modern "vintages" and "authentics" will never sound like the old ones. And no, it ain't magic wood, and it ain't magic glue. It's not decades of vibration, either.
Huh??
If you're nice we might drop you a hint.
Here's one: It's not rocket science either.
Here's another: An ancient three word saying that sounds like an oxymoron but is not.
Last edited by rcc56; Mar-15-2020 at 1:00am.
Ain’t nothin’ like geezer rage is there? I for one plan to go out drinking the last of the twenty year old scotch, not floating belly up in someone’s soup.
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Ain’t nothin’ like geezer rage is there? I for one plan to go out drinking the last of the twenty year old scotch, not floating belly up in someone’s soup.
Silverangel A
Arches F style kit
1913 Gibson A-1
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