Vintage Gibson Guitars

Welcome to Vintage Gibson guitars where you'll find reviews ,insites and a little history on gibson vintage guitars .... Enjoy

If you have any vintage gibson guitars that are posted on this site, you are always welcome to post a review,comment or detailed features ,im sure other guitar players who visit us would love to know ...

Important Note : Due to the overwhelming amount of comments on this blog i cannot answer all the questions although id love to . You can still post questions hopefully somebody will help.

Gibson Les Paul Custom

Gibson Les Paul Custom ( 1954 - present )
Nicknamed : Black Beauty

During the early 50s gibson went through some crucial changes on the les paul goldtop model with their hardware and electronics ,

their guitars had an intonation problem until the tune o matic bridges was invented by ted mcarty in 1954 .

The tune o matic bridge allowed individual string tonation and adjustments which was incorporated on a new model called the gibson les paul custom nicknamed the black beauty because of its elegantly black finish ....

In 1954 the gibson les paul custom guitar was introduced with a single cutaways ,22 fret bound ebony fingerboard , raised black bound pickguard , multi bound mahogany body with a carved top ,

gold hardware ,tune o matic bridges with stop tailpiece and optional bigsby vibratoes ( see top pic to the left ) , 2 single coil pickups ( alnico v & p-90 ) , block inlays on fingerboard and were made in black finishes .

In 1957 gibson replaced the 2 single coil pickups with 3 humbucking pickups ( see top pic to the right courtesy of vintageoneguitars.com )

these gibson guitars were considered very prestigious but did not sell well until the demand got stronger during the sixties forcing the gibson company to make reissues ( with minor changes ) in 1968 .

jimi hendrix playing on a gubson les paul custom guitar

In 1961 gibson changed the body to an sg type body with 2 pointed cutaways , gibson decided to discontinue the name " les paul custom " in 1963 on these guitars and continue production under the name " gibson sg custom " until 1980 .

During the 60s the original single cutaway model was in high demand , therefore in 1968 the gibson company introduced the gibson les paul custom reissue with a single cutaway , one piece body/neck , maple top, 2 humbucking pickups , black finish , no neck volute and were made only in 1968 .

In 1969 Gibson decided to continue their line of les paul custom reissue models with a 3 piece mahogany/maple body , very similar specs like the 68 reissue except were made in various finishes and are still going strong today, 2 or 3 pickups were optional troughout the 70s , and 80s .

randy rhoads playing on a gibson les paul custom

Throughout the years these gibson guitars were endorsed and played by numorous rockstars and famous guitar players such as eric clapton , jimmy page , ace frehley , zakk wylde , pete townshend , marc anthony , santana , randy rhoads and jimi hendrix ...just to name a few .

Gibson also issued some anniversary & historic models of their les paul custom guitars during the 70s, 80s, and 90s which were in addition very succesful .

The prices below are according to 4 different price guides , in my opinion from 1954 to 1959 les paul custom guitars can be sold for more due to demand vs supply. Also , the les paul custom guitars with no factory bigsby tend to sell for more .

Vintage Price Value For 2009 :
1954 - 1957 > $50 000 to $55 500 ( single coil , bigsby optional )
1957 - 1960 > $85 500 to $110 000 ( humbuckers , bigsby optional )
1961 - 1963 > $25 500 to $36 000 ( sg body)
1968 - 1969 > $8 000 to $9 000 ( reissue 1 piece body )
1968 - 1969 > $6 000 to $7 000 ( reissue 3 piece body )
1970 - 1999 > $1 600 to $2 500 ( prices vary according to features/specs )

1954-1957 > Avg Upward Trend Of 38% a Year since 2000
1957-1960 > 41% 1961-1963 > 28% 1968-1969 ( reissues ) > 23%

Note : Les paul custom guitars with PAF's can be sold for a considerable amount , I've seen a 1957 custom sell for more than what they are worth in the price guide ... keep in mind that the early models are rare and collectors are willing to pay big time for these guitars .

The gibson les paul custom guitars from 1954 to 1960 along with the flying V , gibson explorers , les paul standards and the late 50's goldtop models ( humbuckers ) are some of the most sought after vintage gibson guitars by collectors and players today.

You can find used or vintage Gibson Les Paul Custom Guitars For Sale on ebay , however I recommend you read the descriptions carefully before you bid or buy .

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Gibson Les Paul Junior

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Gibson Les Paul Junior ( 1954-1963 )

In 1954 while gibson was on the verge of perfecting their les paul gold tops with tune o matic bridges they decided to produce an econo line of affordable guitars called the gibson les paul juniors.

The gibson les paul junior guitar along with the GA-5 les paul junior amps ( see 2nd pic ) during the 50s were extremely popular and were very often bought together as combos by guitar players because they were not expensive and considered professional instruments despite their low prices.

This was a strategic and and important cornerstone for gibson which was then under a company called CMI .

Not only were they opening the market for their more expensive electric guitars,

but they also set the stage for future student models and less expensive succesful guitars such as the

les paul junior , les paul tv , and les paul special models .

In 1954 gibson introduced the gibson les paul junior (jr) , it was a single cut mahogany solidbody and neck , It had one p-90 single coil pickup with black covers , a wrapover stop tail piece , 22 fret rosewood fingerboard with dot inlays , 24.75" scale , nickel hardware , tuners with plastic buttons , les paul junior on gold on the peghead, and were made in yellow to brown sunburst finishes .

In mid 1958 gibson changed the body of the les paul junior to a double rounded cutaway slab body ( see pic ), different pickguard shapes and were made in cherry finishes , this guitar is better known as the gibson les paul jr double cutaway ( or double cut ) .

In 1961 the gibson les paul junior featured an sg style body with 2 pointed horns , they had thinner mahogany bodies , were made in cherry red finishes and were discontinued under the name les paul junior in 1963 .

From 1963 to1971 gibson continued production with basicly the same guitars but were renamed the sg junior ( had no les paul logos on peghead ).

In 1986 to 1996 gibson reintroduced various gibson les paul juniors' with double and single cutaways in cherry,tobacco sunburst , and tv yellow colors (were discontinued in 1996) .

During the 90s gibson also introduced several historic reissues and more junior model variations such as the '57 les paul jr. historic collection ( tv yellow finishes ) and the '60 les paul jr. historic collection ( cherry ) .

I also want to mention that in 1956 to 1961 gibson made few short scale les paul Junior models with 3/4 sized bodies and shorter necks on special orders . ( very rare today )

Vintage Price Value For 2009 :
1954 - 1955 > $8 500 to $14 500 ( les paul junior )
1956 - 1958 > $7 000 to $11 000
1958 - 1961 > $5 500 to $7 500 ( double-cut )
1961 - 1963 > $3 400 to $4 800 ( sg-body )

1956 - 1961 > $3 400 to $4 000 ( les paul junior 3/4 )

1954 - 1963 > Avg Upward Trend Of 22% a Year since 2000
1986 - 1996 > 2% 1956 - 1961 ( 3/4 ) > 23%

Note : the prices above are rounded off according to 4 different vintage price guides , be expecting a big spike in price on these guitars by next year as the demand gets higher and supply gets lower especially from 1954 to 1961 , already seen some 50's gibson les paul juniors for sale at $10 000 and sold .

If you want to buy vintage les paul junior guitars , you can find les paul junior guitars for sale on ebay from now and then , if your lucky you can even get them at a real bargain price .

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Gibson es 135

Gibson Es 130 ( 1954 - 1956 )

In 1954 Gibson introduced The gibson es 130 archtop guitar , it was non cutaway , had one pickup , bound body , sunburst finish and was renamed the gibson es 135 in 1956 .

Gibson Es 135 ( 1956 to 1958 )

The Gibson es 135 was introduced officially in 1956 and was discontinued in 1958 , the guitar was very similar to the es 130 .

Specs : archtop , non cutaway , one P-90 pickup , laminated beveled-edge pickguard , bound body and fingerboard , sunburst finish , and the name (es-135) was reused on a thin body in the 1990s .

Gibson es 135 thinline ( 1991 to 2002 )

Starting from 1991 gibson reintroduced the gibson es 135 with some changes , they were archtop thinline ( thin body see pic ) guitars ,

laminated maple bodies ,unbound rosewood fingerboards , they had two p-100 pickups, gold or chrome hardware ,

had a pointed cutaway, and came in various colors . They also made a limited edition in tha late 90s .

Vintage Guitar Price Value :
1954 to 1956 > $1250 to $1500 ( ES-130 )
1956 to 1958 > $1250 to $1500 ( ES-135 )
1991 to 2002 > $850 to $1150 ( ES-135 Thinline )

1954 -1956 > Avg Upward Trend Of 9% a Year since 2000
1956 - 1958 > 10% 1991 - 2002 > 3%

Note : Gibson es-135 thinlines with stoptail are worth a little more than es-135 guitars with trapeze .

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Gibson Firebird Guitar

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Gibson Firebird I ( 1963 - 1969 )

The Gibson firebird electric guitar is a combination between fender style guitars and the gibson explorers . In early 60s gibson firebirds were built to compete with fender electric guitars which at that time were main stream guitars .

In 1963 gibson introduced the gibson firebird I , It had a reverse body shape , one humbucking pick up , no vibrato ,dot inlaid unbound fingerboard and a bar bridge-tailpiece , the firebird I at that time was the least expensive and was considered the economy model .

In mid 1965 gibson redesigned the gibson firebird I electric guitar with a non reversed body shape ( see pic) , 2/ p90 pickups and were discontinued in 1969 .

Vintage Price Value For 2007 :
1963 - 1965 > $6500 to $7500 ( reverse body )
1965 - 1969 > $2500 To $4500 ( non reverse body )

Note : Prices can vary depending on guitar finishes (color). Custom colors can be sold for double the value .

Avg Upward Trend Of 16% a Year since 2000
Non Reverse > 11%

Gibson Firebird III ( 1963 - 1969 )

johnny winter playing on a gibson firebird

During the same time gibson also introduced the the firebird III , the guitar featured 2 humbucking pickups , reverse body shape ,three way toggle switch , a bound fingerboard , a bar bridge with compensating ridges and a short gibson vibrola .

In mid 1965 to 1969 the firebird III was redesigned with a non reversed body , and 3 black p 90 pickups

Vintage Price Value For 2007 :
1963 - 1965 > $13 000 to $16 000
( reverse bodies )
1965 - 1969 > $3500 to $5500
( non reversed bodies )

Note : Prices can vary depending on guitar finishes (color). Custom colors can be sold for double the value .

Avg Upward Trend Of 12% a Year since 2000

Gibson Firebird V ( 1963 - 1969 )

The firebird V had crown inlays , 2 humbucking pickups , a tune o matic bridge , gibson deluxe vibrola , and a metal tail piece cover engraved with gibson . These guitars were available in many unique colors such as cardinal red , pelham blue , frost blue , polar white , sunburst ... etc ( mid 1965 to 1969 were redesigned with non reversed bodies and nickel plated hardware )

Guitar Price Value For 2007 :
1963 - 1965 > $16 000 to $21 000 ( reversed bodies )
1965 - 1969 > $3500 to $4500 ( non reversed bodies )

Avg Upward Trend Of 9% a Year since 2000

Gibson Firebird VII ( 1963 - 1969 )

The gibson firebird VII guitar was the only firebird in that era to feature 3 humbucking pickups and gold plated parts , the guitar also had a block inlaid ebony fingerbooard . ( mid 1965 to 1969 were redesigned with non reversed bodies )

Vintage Price Value For 2007 :
1963 to 1965 > $15 000 to $18 000
1966 to 1969 > $4500 to $7000

Avg Upward Trend Of 11% a Year since 2000

The guitars above were the original firebird models from gibson , and later on they reintroduced more firebird guitars such as the :

Gibson Firebird V Medallion ( 1972 - 1973 )

The firebird V medallion was a reissue of the original firebird V , It had a reverse body shape , 2 humbuckers , logo embossed on pickup covers and a 2 piece neck . Limited edition ( 366 made ) and had a medallion mounted on the body .

Price Value For 2007 :
1972 - 1973 > $4000 to $5000

Avg Upward Trend Of 8% a Year since 2000

Gibson Firebird 76 ( 1976 - 1978 )

The firebird 76 had a reverse body shape, gold hardware , 2 pickups , an unbound rosewood fingerboard , 4 knobs , and straight through banjo tuners with metal buttons . These guitar were made in various colors .

Vintage Price Value For 2007 :
1976 - 1977 > $3500 to $4000 ( white finishes)
1977 - 1978 > $2500 to $3000

(1976 white finish) Avg Upward Trend Of 19% a Year since 2000
1976 - 1978 Avg Upward Trend of 5% a year since 2000

Gibson Firebird V Celebrity Series ( 1991 -1993 )

The firebird V Series had reverse body shapes , gold hardware , white pick guards and 2 humbuckers . ( colors were available only in black )

Vintage Price Value :
1991 - 1993 > $1200 to $1500

Avg Upward Trend Of 5% a Year since 2000

During the past years gibson firebird electric guitars were played by many artists like Johnny Winter , Eric clapton , Paul Mcartney , and many more . The original firebird guitars ( 63-69 ) are very much in demand and sought after by collectors .

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Gibson Super 400

Gibson Super 400 ( 1934 - 1955 )
Acoustic Archtop Guitar

One of the finest and most prestigious guitar gibson ever made was introduced in 1923 and was called the gibson L-5 ,

it was the earliest archtop guitar with f-holes and therefore considered the backbone of not only for their own line of archtop guitars but pretty much all archtop guitars you see on the market today .

It is fair to say that the l-5 is probably the worlds' most important guitar historically . It was a favorite amongst many professional musicians then , and a favorite ever since .

In 1934 gibson famoused the music world over with another extraordinary guitar which was thelargest and most expensive archtop guitar ever produced by any manufacturer or company.

This guitar was called the gibson super 400,its grand auditorium body shape shares the same characteristics like the Orville Gibson Style-O model of 1902 .

In 1934 the gibson super 400 had an 18" wide body , an adjustable bridge with triangular designs , it was assembled with figured maple wood back and sides , fitted with a Y shaped tailpiece , had triple bound f-holes , brown pearloid pickguards , ebony fingerboard with pointed ends ,

had double split-block fingerboard inlays , diamond peghead inlays , open back grover tuners , gold plated hardware, most of them had the model name engraved on the heel cap , and were made in brown sunburst finishes .

Important : The very first super 400 batches had " Super L-5 " engraved on the truss rod cover and " Deluxe L-5 model " written on the label . These guitars are extremely rare and are known today as the "super 400 intro models" or " Super L-5 Deluxe " .

In 1939 the gibson super 400 P ( premier ) originated , it had a single rounded cutaway , kluson tuners with amber tulip-shaped buttons , were made in sunburst finishes , natural finishes were also available and named ( Super 400 PN ) .

In 1940 gibson introduced the super 400 N which was a natural finish version of the original super 400 .

In 1941 production halted and was resumed after world war 2 in 1948 , the original super 400 and 400N stayed the same , but the 400p was renamed the gibson super 400 C ( C for cutaway ) .

In 1951 gibson introduced an electric version of the 400c and named it the super 400 CES , it was equipped with 2 p-90 pickups and were the first gibson electric guitars to feature the classic 2 pickup circuitry ( 2 volumes , 2 tones , and a 3 way switch for pickup combination ) , this was another turning point for gibson as electric guitar amplification evolved after world war 2 .

In 1952 a natural finish version of the 400 CES was available and named the 400 CESN ( N for natural )

In 1955 all super 400 non cutaway guitars were discontinued ( super 400 and 400N ) , the super 400 c and the super 400 CESN was discontinued in 1982 and the super 400 CES was discontinued in 1987 .

Some reissues and different versions were made later on through out the 90s as historic collection guitars or custom shop super 400 guitars .

Vintage Price Value For 2009 :
1934 - 1934 > $35 000 to $40 000 ( Super 400 Intro Model )
1934 - 1941 > $14 000 to $18 000 ( Super 400 )
1947 - 1955 > $9 000 to $13 000

1940 - 1941 > $14 000 to $15 000 ( 400N )
1948 - 1955 > $10 500 to $14 000

1939 - 1941 > $30 000 to $35 000 ( 400P )
1939 - 1941 > $45 000 to $47 000 ( 400PN - Natural )

1948 - 1957 > $12 000 to $15 000 ( 400C )
1958 - 1965 > $9 000 to $13 000
1966 - 1969 > $9 500 to $10 000
1970 - 1982 > $6 000 to $9 000

1951 - 1953 > $16 000 to $19 000 ( 400 CES - P 90 pickups )
1954 - 1956 > $16 000 to $20 000 ( alnico )
1957 - 1962 > $25 000 to $30 000 ( PAFs )
1963 - 1964 > $16 000 to $18 000 ( Pat# )
1965 - 1987 > $7 000 to $10 000

1952 - 1956 > $25 000 to $28 000 ( 400 CESN )
1957 - 1962 > $28 000 to $35 000 ( PAFs )
1963 - 1964 > $17 000 to $21 000 ( Pat# )
1965 - 1969 > $11 000 to $15 000
1970 - 1982 > $8 000 to $11 000

Avg Upward Trend Of 14% A Year Since 2000 ( for all )

Prices are according to 4 different vintage guitar price guides and rounded off to the nearest dollar . ( picture courtesy of gruhn.com )

Buying Advice For Used & Vintage Gibson super 400 Guitars

If your lucky and you want to buy the super 400 , you can find gibson super 400 for sale on ebay from now and then , make sure you read the descriptions carefully before you bid .

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Gibson SG Les Paul Standard

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Gibson Sg Les Paul Standard (1961-1963)

george harrison playing the gibson sg standard

In 1960 to 1963 gibson changed the body of the gibson les paul standard to an SG type body with 2 symetrical pointed horns (cutaways) , they had thinner necks and were called the gibson SG les paul standard models .

Some prototypes were made in late 1960 with "les paul model" on the peghead, but they were officially produced and sold in 1961 at a list price of $310 with crown peghead inlays,

the guitar had 2 humbuckers (PAF) , had a les paul logo on the truss rod cover , side -pull vibrato , mahogany body , cherry red finish , pickguards was small and black ( covering about 1/5 of the body ) , and had trapezoid inlay blocks on the fingerboard. In 1962 some models had inlaid ebony blocks on the tailpiece .

In Late 1963 they had gibson maestro vibrolas ( lyre-style covers) , gibson took out the les paul logo on the truss rod , made the necks a little larger ( better built ) and renamed the guitar the :

Gibson SG Standard ( 1963-present )

Basically the gibson sg standard guitars stayed the same except for some minor feature changes. In 1966 gibson started manufacturing the sg standard with larger pickguards surrounding the pickups .

In 1973 they had black plastic covers covering the humbucking pickups , in 1975 gibson added a tun o matic bridge , during the late 70s bigsby vibratos and stop tailpieces along with more color variations were added such as walnut , tobacco and white .

During the eighties metal covered humbuckers were installed and they went from small pickguards to large to small again in the early 90s , more colors were added and basically until today the bulk of the guitar stayed the same .

The gibson sg was fairly popular but really hit it mainstream when rockstars and guitar players such as george harrison from the beatles ,and eric clapton from cream started exploring its capabilities .

Angus Young from ac/dc took the sg standard to a new level when he plugged this guitar in his old marshall amp and created one of the most influential guitar sound in the rock n roll and hard rock business , the sound was simple ,BIG , bluesy , Phat , raw and powerful .

In 1986 gibson also made an SG reissue model , these gibson guitars had 60s style pickguards (small), trapezoid inlays , crown pegheads , cherry finishes , nickel plated hardware , and plastic tuner buttons , they were renamed Sg '62 reissue in 1988 , discontinued in 1991 and were reintroduced as the gibson Sg '61 Reissue in 1993 to present.

In 1988 they also introduced the gibson sg '62 reissue showcase edition with emg pickups . ( only 200 were made )

Vintage Price Value For 2009 :
1961 - 1963 > $19 000 to $25 000 ( SG les paul standard )
1963 - 1965 > $18 000 to $25 000 ( SG Standard )
1966 - 1967 > $7 000 to $8 000
1968 - 1969 > $6 500 to $8 000
1970 - 1975 > $2 500 to $4 000
1976 - 2000> $1 200 to $1 600

1986 - 1991 > $9 00 to $1 300 ( sg reissue /'62 sg reissue )
1988 - 1989 > $1 200 to $1 500 ( Sg '62 reissue edition /200 made )
1993 - 2000> $9 00 to $1 500 ( SG '61 Reissue )

1961-1963 > Avg Upward Trend of 36% a year since 2000
1963-1965> 33% 1966-1967> 22% 1968-1970>16% 1971-1975>11%

This is just a brief review of the gibson sg standard guitars but there are also many factors that can determine the value of the guitar such as colors , factory bigsbies , pickups ( PAF or not ) ...etc.

Always verify first with someone who knows his vintage guitars for consulting before buying or selling ....

Buying Advice For Used & Vintage Gibson sg les paul standard Guitars

If you want to buy used or vintage sg standard guitars , you can find gibson sg standard guitars for sale on ebay , however they don't have them all the time ...

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Gibson J-50

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Gibson J-50 ( 1945 - prsent )

The gibson j-50 acoustic guitar along with its brother ( j-45 ) are probably the most succesful acoustic guitars that gibson ever produced , guitar players love them because they have a natural sweet and loud tone at a reasonable cost .

The body countours , sound and the dynamics of the j-45 and the gibson j-50 permit them to be fairly versatile " its an all around players guitar " you can play country western music , blues , folk , blue grass ......etc.

The gibson J-50 is the same guitar as the gibson J-45 accept for a natural top finish. The j-45 was introduced in 1942 in sunburst finish , in 1945 gibson made the same version of the j-45 but in nautural finish and called them the gibson j-50 .

In 1945 the gibson j-50 had a natural top finish , double bound top , round shoulders dreadnought shape ,mahogany back and sides ,tear drop pickguard , dot fingerboard inlays and gold logos .

In 1955 the j-50 guitars had larger pointed pickguards ( see pic ) , some had triple bound tops , and an additional 20th fret was added .

In 1968 some had white pickguards with gibson logos and in 1969 they had square shoulders .

Discontinued in 1985 , reintroduced in 1990 till 1995 , reintroduced again in 1999 .

Vintage Price Value For 2009 :
1945 - 1949 > $4900 to $6900 ( round shoulders )
1950 - 1957 > $4100 to $5300
1958 - 1962 > $3500 to $4200
1963 - 1969 > $2500 to $3400
1969 - 1970 > $2000 to $2400 ( Square Shoulders )
1971 - 1974 > $1200 to $1800
1975 - 1999 > $1000 to $1300

1945-1949 > Avg Upward Trend of 17% a year since 2000
1950-1957> 11% 1958-1962> 7% 1963-1969> 7% 1969-1999 > 7%

Buying Advice For Used & Vintage Gibson J-50 Guitars

You can find used or vintage gibson J-50 guitars for sale on ebay , however they don't have them all the time ....

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GIbson Les Paul Deluxe

Gibson Les Paul Deluxe ( 1969-1985 )

The gibson les paul deluxe electric guitar was originally released in 1969 , it was a renamed guitar and originated from the gibson les paul standard ( goldtop model ) . The main feature of the gibson les paul deluxe was its mini humbuckers .

The humbuckers produced a nice tite crunch and the result pleased many guitar players including pete townshend who used them in several concerts . The guitar appeared on the gibson price list in 1969 for $425 and was fairly succesful .

In 1969 the gibson lp deluxe featured 2 mini humbuckers ,maple top , mahogany body , a goldttop finish , pantograpgh logo and a 3 piece neck . During the mid seventies regular sized humbuckers were optional and few were also produced with p-90 pickups.

From 1970 to 1985 features basically stayed the same accept for minor detail changes and were produced in various beautiful colors such as cherry red sunburst , red wine , goldtop , blue sparkle in 1974,76 and 77 , red sparkle in 1975 . ( custom sparkle colors are worth more and are highly in demand by collectors ) . Discontinued in 1985

In 1978 gibson also introduced the gibson les paul pro-deluxe which featured 2 p-90 pickups , chrome hardware and were made in various colors .

In 1991 and on gibson made several other models of the deluxe such as the les paul deluxe hall of fame , and the deluxe 30th anniversary....

Vintage Guitar Price Value For 2009 :
1969 > $4700 to $5500 ( Goldtop )
1970 > $4000 to $5000 ( Goldtop )
1971 - 1975 > $3500 to $4300 ( Goldtop )
1971 - 1975 > $2500 to $3000 ( various colors )
1976 - 1985 > $2000 to $2700 ( various colors )

1978 - 1982 > $1500 to $2100 ( pro-deluxe with 2 p-90 pickups )

1969 - Avg Upward Trend Of 15% a Year since 2000
1970 - 1985 Avg Upward Trend Of 11% a Year since 2000

( in 1975 and 1977 red and blue sparkle finishes are estimated at $3900 to $4500 , they made them only in those years and are very rare , hard to find . )

Buying Advice For Used & Vintage Gibson les paul deluxe Guitars

If you want to buy a deluxe , on several occasions you can find used or vintage gibson les paul deluxe for sale on ebay ... However, before you bid or buy I suggest you read the descriptions carefully...

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Gibson Es 300

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Gibson Es-300 ( 1940-1953 )

The gibson es-300 guitar was introduced in mid 1940 as a new upgrade for their electric guitars . The guitar shared much of its features of its predecessor ( es-250 ) and also had similar style hardware & features of the gibson l-5 & the gibson l-12 .

What made the gibson es-300 different from other pre war guitars was the electronics and look of its new style pickups . Gibson made 3 versions of basically the same model with 3 different pickup variations ,

The first version of the gibson es-300 in 1940 had a long slanted pickup extending accross the top ( see 1rst pic ) , the guitar featured a 17" wide body ( maple back ) , plate tailpiece l-5 style , double parallelogram inlays on fingerboard ( l-12 style ) , crown peghead inlays, pearl logos, and were made only in natural finishes .

In 1941 gibson introduced the es-300 with basically the same specs except for a small slanted pickup near the bridge ( see 2nd pic ) , and sunburst finishes were now optional .

From 1942 to 1945 the es-300 production came to a hault due to the war , however theres some literature i've read that states that gibson sold few es-300s through WWII .

In late 1945 Gibson introduced the es300 with a straight p-90 pickup ( see 3rd pic ) at the neck position , with beveled edged pickguards . In late 1948 to 53 they added a second pickup .

The gibson es-300 guitar was considered their top guitar models for their prewar electric line of guitars , they were favored by many jazz guitar players such as mickey baker , was also used in the infamous solo of "rock around the clock" by danney cedrone .

( the version with the long pickup is not a favorite amongst guitar players , and are somewhat sought after by collectors for its historical signicance )

Vintage Price Value For 2009 :
1940 - 1942 > $4600 to $5000 ( long pickup )
1940 - 1942 > $4100 to $4400 ( small pickup )
1945 - 1949 > $2900 to $3400 ( p90 )
1949 - 1953 > $3000 to $3700 ( 2 pickups )

Avg Upward Trend Of 12% A Year Since 2000

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Gibson Corvus Guitar

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Gibson Corvus I ( 1982-1984 )

In 1982 Gibson came out with an electric gibson odd shaped guitar , it had a solidbody with an offset v-type cut , bolt on maple neck with a rosewood fingerboard , volume and tone controls , ,one humbucker pickup and called it the Gibson CORVUS I guitar .

The standard finish was silver gloss , other finishes include yellow , orange and were available at a different costs ( not much differnce in price ) . These Gibson guitars were discontinued in 1984

Gibson Corvus II ( 1982-1984 )

During the same time (1982 to 1984 ) gibson also introduced the Gibson corvus II guitar , the guitar was the same as the Corvus I but with 2 humbuckers and two volume controls , one was a master volume control .

Gibson Corvus III (1982-1984 )

The Gibson Corvus III electric guitar was the same as the Corvus I, but with three single coil pickups , a five way switch , one master volume and one tone control . ( see pic ) Courtesy of ebay . Discontinued in 84.

These gibson electric guitars were also made in silver , yellow , orange and several other colors .

Vintage Guitars Price Value For 2009 :

1982 - 1984 > $475 TO $525 ( Corvus I )
1982 - 1984 > $475 to $575 ( Corvus II )
1982 - 1984 : $550 to $650 ( Corvus III )

Avg Upward Trend of 7% a year since 2000

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Gibson Johnny Smith

Gibson Johnny Smith Guitar ( 1961-1989 )

During the 50s Johnny Smith used d'angelico guitars then became a guild endorser , however he did not like the guitar, in 1960 johnny smith turned his loyalty to gibson and offered an

ultimatum so to speak , he told gibson that he would be delighted to sign a contract to use his name but if the guitar does not meet his standards the deal is off .

In late 1960 two sample guitars were built according to johnny smiths' specs , he wanted a fully acoustic archtop with a suspended floating pickup . Gibson decided to use the mini humbucker (PU-120) .

The johnny smith guitar was the first gibson guitar to be fitted with this pick up , it was mounted at the very end of the neck .

In early 1961 one of the 2 sample guitars were sent to johnny smith , he made few minor changes and immediatly approved them . In 1961 the Gibson johnny smith guitar was introduced at $795 ( Gibson's most expensive guitar at the time ) along side with the popular barney kessel guitar .

The guitar was an archtop guitar , had a single rounded cutaway ,one floating mini humbucking pickup, gold hardware , multiple binding front and back , L-5 style tailpiece with model name , split-block fingerboard inlays and were made in natural or sunburst finishes .

In 1963 to 1989 they also introduced the gibson johnny smith double ( basically the same guitar but with 2 humbucking pickups , all johnny smith guitars were discontinued in 1989 . ( Known also as the Gibson JS model )

Vintage Price Value For 2009 :
1961 - 1962 > $9000 to $9400 ( Johnny Smith )
1963 - 1969 > $6500 to $8900
1970 - 1989 > $5800 to $6800
1961 - 1969 > $6700 to $10300 ( Johnny Smith Double )
1970 - 1989 > $6000 to $7000

Avg Upward Trend Of 9% a Year since 2000 ( for both )

Buying Advice For Used & Vintage Gibson Johnny Smith Guitars

If you want to buy a Gibson Johnny Smith guitar, you can find used & vintage Gibson Johnny Smith guitars for sale on Ebay.

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