1962 Gibson Catalog

[Ole Joe Clark]

I hope this works. I've owned this catalog since 1962, which kinda dates me. I wanted to share it. It was a struggle to get it scanned and in a format that I can share. I hope you enjoy.

Joe

http://s928.beta.photobucket.com/use...itar%20Catalog

[Tom Wright]

Wow, that was fun to look through.

Thanks.

[John McCoy]

That's cool.

We shall assume it was your baby gift from an uncle or somebody.

[Steve Ostrander]

Can I still order from it? I'll take the Les Paul Custom. Note that it is the SG shaped body instead of the Les Paul shape. They only made them taht way for 2 years. A buddy of mine has a Standard of that vintage in the closet.

[Jim Garber]

Thanks for posting that. The cover says 1962 but your album says 1964? Discrepancy?

[allenhopkins]

OK, check out the mandolins listed on page 44: F-5 and F-12 cataloged as "Artist" models, A-5 listed as "Florentine" model.

Now, the A-5 is a two-point, oval-hole instrument, not an F-model, but Gibson terms it "Florentine." Another bit of evidence that the "F" in "F-5" did not mean "Florentine."

I rests me case.

[Bill Clements]

Think Gibson will still honor those prices?
Thanks for taking the time to post this!

[f5loar]

the date on this catalog is May, 1961. Although the catalog does not say it the F5 and F12 were still on the custom order only list.

[P.D. Kirby]

Can I still order from it? I'll take the Les Paul Custom. Note that it is the SG shaped body instead of the Les Paul shape. They only made them taht way for 2 years. A buddy of mine has a Standard of that vintage in the closet.

That's the Guitar design that almost ended Les Paul's relationship with Gibson.

Cool catalog, thanks for sharing.

[Ole Joe Clark]

My mistake on the Photobucket album title, should be "1962". F5loar the date on the front cover says 1962, it might have been first published in May 1961. I didn't enjoy scanning and tweaking it afterwards, but I enjoy sharing old documents. I laughed about the accordion amplifiers. I used to own a Super 400 guitar, I cry when I see what they are worth now. I'm glad all of you enjoyed looking at it.

[Ole Joe Clark]

1962 Catalog goof up. Well I corrected the title in Photobucket and now the link doesn't work. Try this one.

http://s928.beta.photobucket.com/use...itar%20Catalog

[Jim Garber]

I love page 32 with the grinning visage of Dave Apollon and one of his many F5s and the young, rail-thin Porter Wagoner with a rather plain (for him) J-200.

[f5loar]

On page 47 in fine print at the bottom is the date May, 1961. Likely the date it was made up to go out to printers. In those days print time could be 6 mos. so they went with 1962 as the new catalog for that year. Apollon has his mid 50's F5. Note the next to the last fret removed so he can hit that high "G" note down there and his alum. bridge top.

[stevedenver]

OK, check out the mandolins listed on page 44: F-5 and F-12 cataloged as "Artist" models, A-5 listed as "Florentine" model.

Now, the A-5 is a two-point, oval-hole instrument, not an F-model, but Gibson terms it "Florentine." Another bit of evidence that the "F" in "F-5" did not mean "Florentine."

I rests me case.

i am under the impression that florentine, in gibson language, which one must take with a grain of salt as nothing is ever perfectly consistent, referes to a pointed cutaway style-this term florentine, has been used to describe mandos as well as hollow body guitars with a sharp cutaway 'horn' as oppsed to the rounded 'Venetian' style.

My how the face of music, marketing and industry styles have changed.
Really reminds me too, that in 1961, other than Fender, there was little competition.

[Jim Garber]

Apollon has his mid 50's F5. Note the next to the last fret removed so he can hit that high "G" note down there and his alum. bridge top.

You have good eyes (or an original copy of this same catalog). Also note that Apollon's name is spelled wrong.

[allenhopkins]

i am under the impression that florentine, in gibson language, which one must take with a grain of salt as nothing is ever perfectly consistent, referes to a pointed cutaway style-this term florentine, has been used to describe mandos as well as hollow body guitars with a sharp cutaway 'horn' as oppsed to the rounded 'Venetian' style...

We had this discussion before, as to whether a two-point mandolin (like the A-5) represented some kind of "cutaway" of a theoretical larger body, or whether the two points were largely ornamental protrusions from the basic A-model body (my position). Difference of viewpoints.

"Florentine" to Gibson originally represented decor, Italian scenes (of Venice, not Florence) painted on fretboards of banjos (and at least one tenor guitar), flashy painted crests on the banjo resonators, etc. In the 1950's, Gibson's two-point, solid-body EM-150 electric mandolin was called "Florentine." Gibson also made a sharp-cutaway Les Paul that they called "Florentine," which is in line with your theory regarding cutaway shapes.

Now, however, "Florentine" in general (and, IMHO, inaccurate) usage, is applied to F-model mandolins, under the impression that the "F" in "F-5" meant "Florentine." Even the Cafe glossary repeats this usage, which I think is based on a false linkage of Gibson alphabetic model designations with actual words. Works for Gibson banjos -- "TB" meant "tenor banjo," "MB" meant "mandolin banjo," etc. -- but not for their mandolin family, where mandolas were called "H," mandocellos "K," etc. And the early carved-top Gibson guitars were called "L," which stood for nothing I've been able to find.

Arguing against common usage is basically swimming upstream, of course, but I still disagree with the "F = Florentine" idea. Now my legs grow tired, so I clamber down off my soapbox.

[MikeEdgerton]

i am under the impression that florentine, in gibson language, which one must take with a grain of salt as nothing is ever perfectly consistent, referes to a pointed cutaway style-this term florentine, has been used to describe mandos as well as hollow body guitars with a sharp cutaway 'horn' as oppsed to the rounded 'Venetian' style.

My how the face of music, marketing and industry styles have changed.
Really reminds me too, that in 1961, other than Fender, there was little competition.

There was actually some great competition in 1961. It was the middle of the folk music scene, the early stages of the rock scene. You had Guild, you had Gretsch. The inexpensive builders like Kay and Harmony were popping stuff out as fast as they could make them and the Japanese electric guitars were starting to find the market in what would have been called regional retailers.

[AlanN]

Also note...name is spelled wrong.

Not the first time...

[stevedenver]

We had this discussion before, as to whether a two-point mandolin (like the A-5) represented some kind of "cutaway" of a theoretical larger body, or whether the two points were largely ornamental protrusions from the basic A-model body (my position). Difference of viewpoints.

"Florentine" to Gibson originally represented decor, Italian scenes (of Venice, not Florence) painted on fretboards of banjos (and at least one tenor guitar), flashy painted crests on the banjo resonators, etc. In the 1950's, Gibson's two-point, solid-body EM-150 electric mandolin was called "Florentine." Gibson also made a sharp-cutaway Les Paul that they called "Florentine," which is in line with your theory regarding cutaway shapes.

Now, however, "Florentine" in general (and, IMHO, inaccurate) usage, is applied to F-model mandolins, under the impression that the "F" in "F-5" meant "Florentine." Even the Cafe glossary repeats this usage, which I think is based on a false linkage of Gibson alphabetic model designations with actual words. Works for Gibson banjos -- "TB" meant "tenor banjo," "MB" meant "mandolin banjo," etc. -- but not for their mandolin family, where mandolas were called "H," mandocellos "K," etc. And the early carved-top Gibson guitars were called "L," which stood for nothing I've been able to find.

Arguing against common usage is basically swimming upstream, of course, but I still disagree with the "F = Florentine" idea. Now my legs grow tired, so I clamber down off my soapbox.

no soapbox,
i too know of the great old 20s decorated banjo with rhinestones-ie the florentine abnjos with the scenes of...florence or were they venice?

perhaps gibson "F" simply means ...fancy...pretty broad eh?
i just took you at your word that "F" doesnt mean Florentine, and so I.... guessed, using the horn aspect...alas.


as for the other makers, i know well as i was playing guitar in 1963, and while guild and gretsch were also great, pickins was slim imho-i can recall, simply, when name, binding, and the amount of headstock inlay were fairly accurate indicators of the quality guitar one was buying. I should have said quality competititon.

[Bernie Daniel]

What a great document! Thanks.

I'm sure I remember seeing a hard copy of a Gibson catalog that looked very much like that back in about 1973 or so but I think on that one the cover was not salmon colored but a shade of teal? It was probably a different year?

How about that "Double Mandolin" on page 17?

Also on page 34 the "Hummingbird" is shown as "new acoustical model" -- I know that I had a 1961 Hummingbird so I wonder if that is an error or "new" is not to be taken literally. Also, I used to think that the Dove introduced before the Hummingbird -- I guess not because it is not mentioned.

Finally some of those amps were expensive for 1960's budgets!

[f5loar]

The Hummingbird first came out in late 1960 followed by the Dove in late 1962, hence the reason the bird was still "new" in '62 and the Dove not mentioned.

[Ryk Loske]

FINALLY!!

I can help Allen out with something .. and not have him 'splain sumthin' to me. The L in carved top acoustic guitars stands for LOVELY.

Ryk

[EggerRidgeBoy]

no soapbox,
i too know of the great old 20s decorated banjo with rhinestones-ie the florentine abnjos with the scenes of...florence or were they venice?

They were (hand-painted) scenes of Venice:

http://earnestbanjo.com/8936-2venicea.JPG
http://earnestbanjo.com/8682-1fingerboard.jpg

I've never read or heard any explanation for the rather strange disconnect between the images and the name.

[Ole Joe Clark]

Glad you like the catalog. Feel free to download a copy if you want. I'm not sure if you can download from Photobucker though. The noted prices were for the guitar that my Mother bought me. I have many regrets for selling it. All I have is memories, good ones.

Joe

[TEE]

OK, check out the mandolins listed on page 44: F-5 and F-12 cataloged as "Artist" models, A-5 listed as "Florentine" model.

Now, the A-5 is a two-point, oval-hole instrument, not an F-model, but Gibson terms it "Florentine." Another bit of evidence that the "F" in "F-5" did not mean "Florentine."

I rests me case.

The very first 1902 Gibson Catalog list the F-5 as "Artist" model. Thats not new.

The ES-125-TC, ES140T, ES175, The double 12 string, and double mandolin as well as the A-5 Florentine and Florentine Electric were all described in the catalog as having Florentine cutaways. It mattered not whether they were electric, oval holed, two point, guitars, mandolins or combinations of each. They have a Florentine cutaway and you can read it in the descriptions. That use of the word 'Florentine' is pretty straightforward. Now whether they invented the word in marketing and applied it to the F-style mandolin which also have that Florentine cutaway and point in retrospect or if it was an old term brought forward is the question. Speaking in absolutes really gets nowhere.

I just sold a Es-330-TD. I probably should have kept it but I wanted a Martin Guitar. OH well. Thanks, Ole Joe Clark.