Almost all 16-inch Gibson L-5s have a narrow, pointed neck heel as do the earliest 17-inch Advanced models. By late 1935/early 1936 this was replaced by a wide heel with rounded shoulders,…
By Paul Alcantara Some of the Gibson 17-inch archtops and Super 400s shipped between 1935 and 1940 have a fractional number handwritten on their interior label (usually on the lower left-hand corner). Examples…
The Patent diagram for Gibson’s first truss rod often leaves today’s luthiers scratching their heads, as it seems to have been installed incorrectly! Roger Siminoff – historian and author of The life and…
A question often asked by vintage archtop guitar enthusiasts is: “When did Gibson abandon its tastefully understated dot fingerboard inlays in favour of a series of large pearl blocks?” Below, we attempt…
The ukulele was first named as such on the island of Hawaii in the late 19th century, but it had developed from small Portuguese instruments including the Machete de Rajão, the Machete…
By Paul Alcantara If Gibson – and later Epiphone – provided the archtop guitars favoured by most pre-war American jazz musicians, then the Selmer company, initially under the guidance of Italian luthier…
With many thanks to Felix Wiedler for his help with this feature. Introduced in 1931, the De Luxe was the flagship model of Epiphone’s new ‘Masterbilt’ line. With its 16 3/8-inch wide…
Gibson’s catalogue O (issued in either late 1924 or early 1925) stated: “Sounding boards are carved from Adirondack, West Virginia, Norway or Pacific Coast spruce of the very highest grade and quality…
The patent for Gibson’s adjustable rod was filed on April 5 1921 and issued on February 27 1923. Invented by Plant Manager Thaddeus McHugh, the device was installed in all Gibson guitars – with…
The Mandolin Orchestra The early years of the 20th century saw a dramatic rise in the popularity of the mandolin orchestra, which Gibson was quick to exploit. The superiority of the company’s product,…