Gibson Guitars: Years that had mediocre wood

Gibson's been up and down recently. Through the grapevine, Ive heard that Gibson's supply of good tone wood seems to be all over the place, with modern stock being of marginal quality for regular production stock.

Im thinking of picking up a Gibson Explorer in Cherry finish. Of the modern Gibson's (90's+) are there years that guitar enthusiasts all agree to avoid due to poorer than acceptable wood?

Hmmm....who plays...

@Outlaw99 @STAMPEDE3 @Revvv

Stampede woudl be your best bet imo....

I lent my 77 Ripper bass to a friend over 10 years ago. I think I paid 300 for it. I just looked it up online. Time to get it back.

Buddy of mine has 2 McPhersons. Best guitars i have ever played. One of them is black Graphite. I have also played a Randy Hughs or "hughes" and they are nice, his shop is local to me...but like the mcpheresons, they can be 6, 7 and 8 grand and up. Way to expensive for me. Everyone seems to like Taylors and Guilds....but when it comes to acoustics i love me an old Gibson. The older, the better. I like when they smell like old rustic wood. I had a B25 shortneck that my dad got at a garage sale for $20 in 1970 and it was stolen from me few years back. Im in the market for a new one. Cant go wrong with a gibson.

Anyone play with a Capo? Recently got a Thalia capo. Never really thought much about capos, but these are top notch. Ever wonder why your guitar can sound out of tune with a capo? Doesnt happen with a Thalia. Highly recommend.


I dont ever have anything in my mind that i am looking for in a Gibson as far as wood goes. I have to feel it, connect to it. Glad youre going with a gibson. Seeing one, playing one just makes me feel of simpler times. Back country roads. I guess because thats what i learned on was that B25. 1977 was when i first picked it up.

OP, go to a good guitar store, not really a big box store, take a day and find a little local owned joint, they always seem to have the best selections. Take time with each one.

The right Gibson, will pick you.

Sent from my LG V30 ThinQ using the svtperformance.com mobile app

You will find some good, and some bad Gibsons. I have a Gibson ES335 that my daughter keeps in her room and plays. I have a twin of that guitar made by Epiphone. I prefer the Epiphone over the Gibson.

Every guitar is different. Wood has properties that affect everything in regard to resonance.

Acoustic guitars are where things get tricky. With an electric one can modify the electronics easily to attain the tone desired. With an acoustic, you are limited. I'm a Breedlove, Martin, and Taylor fan. I have also played a few others that sounded great. I have a Yamaha acoustic that is 25 years old.

I wouldn't hesitate to purchase a new Gibson today. They have been in business a long time, and they know what they are doing. Just remember that every type of music has a tone characteristic. A Les Paul is just as versatile as a Fender Strat.

As has been said, play the guitar and find out what feels and sounds good to you.

Don't overlook G&L, Gretch, and other gems.

@Outlaw99 give Shubb capos a try. They can be set to put a very light tension on the strings. They also last forever.

Sent from my [mind] using the svtperformance.com mobile app

Revvv said:

You will find some good, and some bad Gibsons. I have a Gibson ES335 that my daughter keeps in her room and plays. I have a twin of that guitar made by Epiphone. I prefer the Epiphone over the Gibson.

Every guitar is different. Wood has properties that affect everything in regard to resonance.

Acoustic guitars are where things get tricky. With an electric one can modify the electronics easily to attain the tone desired. With an acoustic, you are limited. I'm a Breedlove, Martin, and Taylor fan. I have also played a few others that sounded great. I have a Yamaha acoustic that is 25 years old.

I wouldn't hesitate to purchase a new Gibson today. They have been in business a long time, and they know what they are doing. Just remember that every type of music has a tone characteristic. A Les Paul is just as versatile as a Fender Strat.

As has been said, play the guitar and find out what feels and sounds good to you.

Don't overlook G&L, Gretch, and other gems.

@Outlaw99 give Shubb capos a try. They can be set to put a very light tension on the strings. They also last forever.

Sent from my [mind] using the svtperformance.com mobile app

Click to expand...

Thalias come with inserts for specific guitars. In other words, when i use it on my strat, i cant simply put it on another guitar. They are micro measured for neck dimensions for absolute 100% perfect fit. When you buy a thalia, it comes with about 20 different inserts and a guide to what insert fits what make guitar. I used to hate playing with a capo because of the tuning. Never thought there was advanced tech for a capo. When you play with different singers a lot, like I do at church, we are always changing keys and this little guy is amazing.

Capos

Sent from my LG V30 ThinQ using the svtperformance.com mobile app

I have a mid 80's Gibson Explorer in all black.
Ordered it that way.

Revvv said:

give Shubb capos a try. They can be set to put a very light tension on the strings. They also last forever.

Click to expand...

I gave my kids all my handful of guitars over the past few years and the capos with them. When I bought that Taylor 816 this year I bought a Shubb capo and I love that thing. Best capo I ever had.

Outlaw99 said:

Thalias come with inserts for specific guitars. In other words, when i use it on my strat, i cant simply put it on another guitar. They are micro measured for neck dimensions for absolute 100% perfect fit. When you buy a thalia, it comes with about 20 different inserts and a guide to what insert fits what make guitar. I used to hate playing with a capo because of the tuning. Never thought there was advanced tech for a capo. When you play with different singers a lot, like I do at church, we are always changing keys and this little guy is amazing.

Capos

Sent from my LG V30 ThinQ using the svtperformance.com mobile app

Click to expand...

I've seen them. I keep a versatile capo that is easy to change because I will move from playing an acoustic, to a Strat, and then possibly another guitar in short periods of time. For me it is about convenience. You do have a nice capo, no doubt about that.

Sent from my [mind] using the svtperformance.com mobile app

Zemedici said:

Hmmm....who plays...

@Outlaw99 @STAMPEDE3 @Revvv

Stampede woudl be your best bet imo....

Click to expand...

Don't forget @Snake Pliskin

mediocre wood...they gotta pill for that

Don't forget the tree huggers in the DOJ were all over their ass a few years ago for the kind of wood they were procuring.

OETKB said:

Don't forget the tree huggers in the DOJ were all over their ass a few years ago for the kind of wood they were procuring.

Click to expand...

Gibson got their butt handed to them for wood they had in stock. OK, so some tonewoods are rare. I get it, but the wood was already in the warehouse. Absolutely ridiculous.

Sent from my [mind] using the svtperformance.com mobile app

tones_RS3 said:

I have a mid 80's Gibson Explorer in all black.
Ordered it that way.

Click to expand...

At one point in time I had a black 1984 Gibson Explorer. Just like James Hetfield's original white Gibson Explorer. Its the model that ESP copied and got sued for by Gibson. 3 controls at the bottom corner, selector below the tail bar....

I probably had the same guitar as you dude! Unless yours is a 76 reissue?

@Revvv Do you know of any companies that produce wood pickguards? specifically mahogany? I think the plastic white pickguard looks like ass. I would love to get the guitar rebuilt by a luthier with a solid mahogany or swamp ash top. Im no friend of the selector on the lower horn, hate it actually and would pay money for a new top to get rid of it there. I switched pick up position countless times accidentally because its in a ridiculous location.

lexustech48 said:

Do you know of any companies that produce wood pickguards? specifically mahogany? I think the plastic white pickguard looks like ass. I would love to get the guitar rebuilt by a luthier with a solid mahogany or swamp ash top. Im no friend of the selector on the lower horn, hate it actually and would pay money for a new top to get rid of it there. I switched pick up position countless times accidentally because its in a ridiculous location.

Click to expand...

The pickguard on my Taylor is Rosewood, but I don't think they sell them. I googled wood pickguard and see some on eBay.

Maybe stewmac sells them?

OETKB said:

The pickguard on my Taylor is Rosewood, but I don't think they sell them. I googled wood pickguard and see some on eBay.

Maybe stewmac sells them?

Click to expand...

My Gibson fretboard is rosewood. I've had it for 20 years or more.

Sent from my [mind] using the svtperformance.com mobile app

Revvv said:

My Gibson fretboard is rosewood. I've had it for 20 years or more.

Click to expand...

I had just never seen a wood pickguard prior to this one.

I personally think the "Gibson's quality has gone downhill" is crap and overstated by many musicians. (Nobody's like me) .
They still produce some great guitars. I think their quality is just fine.

I do however think that they are overpriced and sell mostly off their name.

Then again, High end models from other companies are just as high. lol
I have a different color of this,
https://www.sweetwater.com/store/de...sa-signature-phil-collen-pc1-satin-trans-blue

Somebody said wood pickguard.