Do i not understand that these days only the most expensive Gretsches are made in the US of A? These are pricey guitars. Where are the White Falcons and Penguins made?
I'm not 100% Sure but I know they had a factory in Japan (maybe still do) and lots of people thought they were buying a USA guitar, having said that the Japanese QC was as good as the USA and they did most of the same models.
While we are on the subject, tell me: can you still buy Yamaha SGs of the sort that Stuart Adamson and Carlos Santana used to play? I had an idea that you couldn't, for some reason.
I remember them, I think they stopped making them for quite some time, but something is telling me they now make them again. Not a Yamaha expert to be honest, although I've owned a couple over the years, I had a RG612A & an RG321P Both super strats. Those Yam SG's were beasts sounded awesome so heavey though, I know a guy with 3 of them still, the ultimate sustain machine
I doubt you can fault the tone of a Gibson SG, but I have just never liked the look of them. Fender make beautiful guitars without bindings, but Gibson, for some reason, don't. Mind you, their guitars with bindings are mainly very pretty indeed.
The Yamaha SG's had a thicker body than a Gibson Les Paul so weighed in a little more. I guess some of the 70's Les Paul's weighed more again.
To be honest I was never a huge SG fan, the 1965 came along and blew me away so I bought it, but it was so nice I was afriad to use it, the old ones with mahogany necks were super delicate, so many lost the headstock through breaks behind the nut. In the end I sold it. But I had plenty of others mainly Fender strat style etc... Almost shamed to say I've owned over 70 guitars since I was a kid, currenty just have 2 acoustics and 4 electrics. I had access to 1962 Sonic Blue strat when I was a teenager and the memories of it stuck with me, so going back about 6 years ago I got a limited edition master built custom shop Fender made to my specs and imported it myself, an expensive venture! But it's the best guitar I have ever owned I'm still in love with it today!
Pix! I find it odd that people sell their guitars. I wouldn't want to sell any of mine, even if it was to buy a different one. I am very attached to them. A guitar is fab thing. Guitar collections should always only go one way --> they should increase constantly. Even if you don't play them, they make great decoration.
Oh yeah the 70's Les Pauls were beasts very heavy, too heavy for me. To be honest the 70's wasn't a good time for Gibson QC either. Later days not so much now they had some terrible issues with finishing of guitars, basically because of emission laws, they had to start using water based finishes and they tended to be very iffy, but today they have it nailed on the whole.
I found over the years that I had to sell some guitars to afford the next one, but there are a few I wish I had kept - Money being no object I'd have a silly amount still On the other hand I;ve had mosre than 10 strats at the same time and I always favor one and the rest gather dust, in the end you start to wonder whats the point in having so many. Now I have that mega expensive one, a 60 Jap strat, a hand built 57 Strat, a 60's type strat that my dad made along with a Les Paul Jr that he made me. Another thing I find is keeping them all with decent strings becomes a pain, even though I can get strings for little money.
When I bought mine, I looked at a few LPs up close. I was doing woodwork (cabinet-making) lessons at the time and was (and still am) very interested in wood. The finishes on the cheaper Gibsons were absolutely woeful - stuff my woodwork meister would never have let me take out of his workshop. This was especially true of the Juniors. I bought a silverburst Custom because I figured I'd only ever buy one LP, so didn't want to have any regrets (a bit like buying a Panigale). More recently though, I have seem umpteen LPs that look absolutely fantastic, and I can see that you don't need a Custom. But I know more now than I did 4 years ago. I'm pretty keen on the one I have, though.
I have some pics of my guitars but they are on a hard drive in the study, I'll dig it out tomorrow and ost a few pics.
I have looked into making a Tele (or something else). Making the neck looks tricky, but doable. Painting the thing looks like the hardest bit (I'd want a sunburst of some description) as I have never sprayed anything. But the rest of the affair doesn't look as if it would be any more complicated than my veneered chest of drawers. Mind you, that was complicated: it took me a year. It looks great fun though, and I have already listed all the parts suppliers I would need and the bits I'd want.
I've been into wood as a material for years, my grandfather was a Joiner and my dad is a luthier and I worked as a buyer in a carpentry firm for 3 years, plus I used to build and fly RC planes so had lots of experience with wood and finishing materials, glues etc... Gibson have the QC pretty well sorted now, but going back 4 years ago my dad got asked to set-up an Acefrehley Les Paul and sperately a Les Paul JR, baring in mind the Les Paul was around 3K the finish was shocking, the binding had shrunk away all over the guitar and the laquer had lifted on the special headstock inlays. The les Paul Jr had terrible quality Rosewood in the finger board and the truss rod was useless desite bing days old. But then all manufacturers have Firday afternoon guitars.
The tuners on my Strat (also an American Deluxe model) are infinitely better than those on the LP, though the LP cost at least twice as much. Gibsons are a bit overpriced, really. But then they won't wear out and have to be replaced. Though nor will a Fender. Good VFM, guitars!
