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Gibson Herb Ellis Plus ES-165 Sunburst, 2004

On August 31, 2019 /

Signature models are sometimes unusual, as is the case with the Gibson Herb Ellis Plus – the two pickup version of the Herb Ellis ES-165, built from 1991 to 2013. The late Herb Ellis was one of the more prominent American Jazz guitarists, and his 1943 spot in Glen Gray’s Casa Loma Orchestra (that name is meaningful to those in Toronto, but it seems the band is not related to the Gothic Casa Loma mansion) brought him to the attention of the jazz world.

Used

This instrument has sold

Gibson Les Paul Deluxe Goldtop, 1969

On August 15, 2019 /

The Gibson Les Paul Deluxe was built from late 1968 to 1985, and used an original style body layout and finish. The pickup cavities reflect the use of P90 pickups, though what was installed was a ‘New York’ mini humbucker mounted in a modified P90 cover, all in a gold top finish. Gibson launched the Les Paul in 1952, using a now-classic pairing of a Maple top on a Mahogany body, with a Mahogany neck and bound Rosewood fingerboard. By late 1952, the design was modified to increase the neck angle allowing better action and breakover at the bridge saddles and in 1954, the new Tune-O-Matic and Stop Tailpiece were added.

Vintage

This instrument has sold

Gretsch 6122 Chet Atkins Country Gentleman, 1967

On August 14, 2019 /

Here we have an almost all original Gretsch 6122 Chet Atkins Country Gentleman. Its serial number is 37714, and that’s a date coded serial – the first two or three digits are Month and Year, though there’s no digit for ‘decade’. This serial could indicate a 1959 model, but at that point, the 6122 was a single-cutaway model. The number appears again for March, 1967, which corresponds with the construction, components and features of this example. This guitar is ‘almost’ all original – when shipped from Gretsch, it would have had a Rocking Bar Bridge.

Vintage

This instrument has sold

Gibson Les Paul 59 Reissue Custom Shop Sunburst, 2001

On August 13, 2019 /

This Gibson Les Paul 59 Reissue is in all original, overall good condition. Finish and fret wear are light, and a headstock crack has been nicely repaired – only regluing was necessary, and it is quite stable. The Maple top has an interesting figure, combining Flame and Quilt effects. This kind of figuring is really set off by a sunburst finish, and the washed-out cherry sunburst here complements it very well.

Used

This instrument has sold

Gibson ES 150 Archtop Electric Sunburst, 1939

On August 13, 2019 /

The Gibson ES 150 was one of the earliest production electric guitars, and perhaps the first successful Electric Spanish – as distinct from Electric Hawaiian – guitars. Built from 1936 to 1956, the Gibson ES 150 is full bodied non-cutaway archtop guitar with a solid Spruce top and Mahogany for the back, sides, neck, body blocks and back bracing; the bridge and bound fingerboard are Rosewood, and for the period, it’s expected that the ‘Brazilian’ is silent. Brazilian Rosewood has become exotic and restricted, but at the time it was very common.

Vintage

This instrument has sold

Yamaha SA 1200S Super Axe Sunburst, 1980

On August 8, 2019 /

Here we have an original condition Yamaha SA 1200S, built during 1980 at Yamaha’s shops in Hamamatsu, Shizuoka Prefecture. The Super Axe line had been built for fourteen years, and over time came to have a body shape more like a Gibson ES 3xx model. The headstocks were unique to Yamaha, and there was no risk of infringing on Gibson’s models. These were high quality instruments, with varying levels of decoration. After 1984, SA production was moved to Taiwan.

Vintage

This instrument has sold

Archtop

Gibson Herb Ellis Plus ES-165 Sunburst, 2004

Gibson Les Paul Deluxe Goldtop, 1969

Gretsch 6122 Chet Atkins Country Gentleman, 1967

Gibson Les Paul 59 Reissue Custom Shop Sunburst, 2001

Gibson ES 150 Archtop Electric Sunburst, 1939

Yamaha SA 1200S Super Axe Sunburst, 1980

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