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 Standard

Gibson Les Paul Standard Guitars ( 1958 - Present)

1959 gibson les paul standard

In 1952 gibson introduced the first gibson les paul model which were and are better known as gibson les paul goldtop guitars due to the gold top finish .

In mid 1958 gibson replaced the goldtop finish with a sunburst finish with the grain of the maple top visible until 1960 and renamed it the gibson les paul standard sunburst . ( 59 models had a thick style neck , the 60 models had a thinner neck )

From mid 1958 to 1960 under 2000 gibson les paul standard sunburst guitars were made , all in "flame" or "tiger stripped" maple tops with cherry red back finishes . Some tops were highly flamed while others were low flamed.

Although the gibson les paul standard sunburst was an attractive and probably the best built overall sounding guitar of its time. In the late 50s , archtop guitars were " the in thing " for jazz guitar players and fender stratocasters dominated the rockn' roll market because of its thin brighter sound .

jimmy page playing the gibson les paul standard

In the late 60s when rock music became more bluesy and raunchier , gibson les paul standard guitars became extremely popular because of its heavy sustain and mellow tone . From then on it became not only an historic gibson guitar but part of americas music culture as well .

Famous guitar players of today and yesterday such as jimmy page , eric clapton , mick taylor , slash and so many 100s of other popular rock guitarists have played and cherished the warm tone of this guitar .

The gibson les paul standard guitars (sunburst ,flame top finish) were in production from mid 1958 to 1960 .

In 1961 to 1963 gibson changed the body of the gibson les paul standard to an sg type body with 2 symetrical pointed cutaways and was renamed the gibson sg les paul standard ( made in cherry red finishes ).

slash playing on his gibson les paul standard

In 1968 gibson reintroduced the gibson les paul standard but with a goldtop finish and called it the gibson goldtop les paul standard, also considered by many as the first goldtop reissue of the original 56 goldtop models .

In 1969 these guitars were renamed the
gibson les paul deluxe .

In 1971 to 1975 the gibson les paul standard guitars were made only on special orders , some guitars were made with p-90 pickups and some had humbuckers , these guitars were made in goldtop or sunburst finishes .

In 1976 to present the les paul standard kept its name and were made in various colors such as red wine , cherry sunburst , tobacco sunburst, black ......

In 1983 to present gibson also introduced the the gibson les paul flametop reissue , renamed the 59' les paul flame top in 1991 (see pic), these guitars have a flame maple top finish,

they have the original 1959 thick style neck specs , 2 humbuckers , and are part of gibsons' historic collection .

In 1991 to 1999 they also introduced the 60' les paul flame top , same specs but with a thinner neck much like the original 1960 gibson lespaul standard .

Vintage Guitar Price Value For 2007 :
1958 - 1960 > $240 000 to $420 000 ( les paul standard flame top )
1961 - 1963 > Renamed : gibson sg les paul standard
1968 - 1969 > $7000 to $11000 ( first goldtop les paul standard reissue )
1971 - 1975 > $4200 to $5000 ( special orders sunburst or goldtop )
1976 - 1989 > $2200 to $3000 ( les paul standard various colors )
1990 - 1999 > $1700 to $2200

1958 - 1960 > Avg Upward Trend Of 32% a Year since 2000
1968-1969> 15% -1971-1975> 15% -1976-2000> 7%

You can find used or vintage gibson les paul standard guitars for sale on ebay , however I strongly recommend you read the descriptions carefully before you buy .

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380 Comments

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-45

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Gibson J-45 Guitar (1942-1984)

When guitar players think of gibson electric guitars automatically gibson les paul guitars come to mind , because it became a gibson trademark , just like fender strats and telecasters . When people think of gibson acoustic guitars its the gibson j-45 that seems to stand out .

When The gibson j-35 jumbo discontinued in late 1942 , it was replaced by the gibson j45 . There was not much difference between the 2 guitars accept for the pickguard , fancier gibson logos in gold and minor changes to the pegheads .

Both guitars sound awesome ( warm & phat tone ) however , the gibson j-45 became a huge success because they were not expensive and they sounded really good ,that explains why they are still in production 'til this day.

In 1942 the gibson j-45 were dreadnought flat top guitars , made with mahogany wood (back and sides) , they had a teardrop firestripe pickguard unlike the j-35 which had a pickguard that followed the body contours, rectangular bridge , w/b/w top and back binding, 19 fret fingerboard , fancy gibson gold logo with a banner " only a gibson is good enough " ( see 3rd pic ) ( some had no truss rods )

In 1943 they replaced the pickguard with a tortoise shell celluloid teardrop pickguard , several j-45 guitars were made also in maple wood back and sides , and some had no truss rods ,

in 1945 truss rods were implemented in all j-45 guitars .

In late 1946 the "only a gibson is good enough" banner is gone , belly bridge was added . In 1947 they made a blonde version ( natural ) and called it the gibson J-50 ( same guitar but with a different finish)

1949-50 an upper belly bridge added with a triple bound top , in 1955 a larger pickguard was added with an extra fret making it a 20 fret fingerboard .

From 1956 to 1968 the j-45 went through some minor changes such as various similar sunburst colors , slightly larger frets in 1959 and on , gibson logos were added to the pickguards in 1966 and rosewood brigdes were used on and off ,

in 1968 some j-45 guitars had white pickguards (screwed-down) .

In 1969 the gibson j-45 guitar were made with square shoulders and black teardrop pickguards with no logo . Very minor changes were made until they were discontinued in 1982 .

In 1983 the gibson j-45 celebrity acoustic guitar was introduced for gibson's 90th anniversary ( only 90 were made )

In 1984 gibson reintroduced the original model of the j45 with round shoulders , tortoise shell teardrop pickguard , triple bound top , single bound back , unbound fingerboard ( rosewood ) with dot inlays , and were made in sunburst , natural and ebony finish .

Throughout the 90s gibson continued production on gibson j-45 guitars with different related names such as the j-45 western , j-45 yamano , j-45 custom , j-45 rosewood and the Gibson J-45 buddy holly limited edition .

Vintage Price Value For 2008 :
1942 - 1949 > $4500 to $7500
1950 - 1960 > $3700 to $4700
1961 - 1969 > $2400 to $3500
1969 - 1974 > $1500 to $2000 ( square shoulders )
1975 - 1999 > $1500 to $2000 ( round shoulders )

1942-1949 > Avg Upward Trend of 13% a Year since 2000
1950-1960> 9% 1961-1969> 8% 1969-1975> 8% 1976-1990> 5%

Note : The gibson j45 is not a highly collectable guitar because they made them in mass quantities and they are fairly easy to find accept for the 1940s and 50s era , however it doesn't diminish the quality and craftsmanship of the guitar as a matter of fact its actually a good thing for us guitar players who want a great acoustic guitar at a reasonable price.

Buying Advice For Used & Vintage Gibson j45 Guitars :

1. You can find used or vintage Gibson j-45 guitars for sale on Ebay, they have good deals on several occasions, and if your lucky you can get them at a steal.

Buying Advice For New J-45 Guitars ( Compare Prices ) :

1. J-45 guitars for sale at musicians friend
2. Gibson j45 guitars for sale at guitar center
3. J-45 acoustic guitars at zzounds
4. Gibson j-45 guitars at Music 123

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Gibson Es 100 120 125 Guitars

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Gibson Es 100 ( 1939 -41 )

The Gibson es-100 was introduced in 1938 and ended production in 1941 ,the guitar was fitted with one pickup without pointed ends or any binding ,

it had a rosewood fingerboard with dot inlays , sunburst finish , bound body (archtop) , and was sold in 1939 for $49 without case and amplifier . In 1941 The Gibson Es 100 Guitar was renamed Gibson es 125

Gibson Es 125 ( 1941 - 1949 )

The Gibson es 125 was introduced in 1941 and then discontinued in 1943 ( very few made ) , in 1946 they decided to reintroduce it till 1970 .

It was an archtop guitar ,laminated body , non cutaway , one pickup ,maple top ,mahogany sides/neck, raised black pickguard , pearl logo inlay on peghead ,rosewood fingerboards , nickel hardware , and were made in sunburst finish .

Through 1946 to 1970 many variations of gibson es 125 guitars were made such as the :

Gibson Es 125T ( 1956 - 1969 )

The Gibson es 125t was introduced in 1956 and discontinued in 1969 , the guitar was an archtop thinline version of the gibson es 125 , it had one p90 pickup , non cutaway , bound body and sunburst finish .

Gibson Es 125 td ( 1957 - 1963 )

The Gibson Es 125td was quite the same guitar as the es 125t but with 2 single p90 pickups , they were introduced in 1957 and ended production in 1963

The video shows an anonymous guitar player ( not me ) playing on a 1957 gibson es 125 td through a tube amp . Gibson es 125 td soundclip >>>

Gibson Es 125 TC ( 1960 - 1970 )

The Gibson es 125 tc guitar was introduced in 1960 , it was an archtop thinline guitar but it had a single pointed cutaway instead of round , the guitar had a bound body , one p90 pickup , and sunburst finish . Ended production in 1970

Gibson Es 125 Tdc (1960 - 1970 )

The Gibson es 125 tdc guitar was the same guitar like the gibson es 125 tc but with 2 p90 pickups . D for dual pickups , T for thinline , C for cutaway ( 1960 to 71 )

The Es 125 tdc Gained extreme popularity ever since George Thorogood used it on his bad to the bone tour , many people still today recognize it as the George Thorogood guitar .

Gibson Es 120T ( 1962 to 1970 )

Gibson also introduced some other basic lower end student models like the Gibson es 120t , available in 1962 discontinued 1970 . The es 120t had one f hole , bound body ,one pickup , dot fingerboard inlays ,had knobs on the pickguard, and sunburst finish .

Even though some gibson es 125 models were considered gibson lower end guitars at the time , they are still collectible and worth quite a few dollars due to their history .

Gibson Es 125c ( 1966 - 1970 )

Was introduced in 1966 and stopped production in 1970 , the guitar was an archtop guitar , single pointed cutaway , one pickup and sunburst finish .

Gibson Es 125 CD ( 1966 - 1970 )

Same guitar like the gibson es 125 c but with 2 pickups . C for cutaway and D for dual pickups ( 1966 - 1970 )

Vintage Price Values For 2007 :
1939 - 1941 > $1100 to $1300 ( es-100 )
1941 - 1949 > $1100 to $1400 ( es-125 )
1956 - 1969 > $1400 to $1900 ( es-125t )
1957 - 1963 > $1800 to $2100 ( es-125td )
1960 - 1970 > $1500 to $2000 ( es-125tc )
1960 - 1970 > $1700 to $2500 ( es-125tdc )
1962 - 1970 > $800 to $1100 ( es -120t )
1966 - 1970 > $1100 to $1400 ( es-125c )
1966 - 1970 > $1500 to $1800 ( es-125cd )

Avg Upward Trend Of 15% A Year Since 2000 ( for all except for )
es-100 > 5% es-125c > 7%

Prices are according to 4 guitar price guides and rounded off to the nearest dollar

If you want to buy these gibson guitars you can find some gibson es guitars for sale on ebay, if your lucky you'll get one under $1000

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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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57 Comments

Gibson BB King

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Gibson BB King Custom ( 1980 -1988 )

BB King has marveled many guitar players throughout the years with his short hard bending blues licks and scorching blues chops that can be imitated but not duplicated .

Gibson owes a great deal of their success on their es models to the blues man , since the late 50s and 60s, bb king has played on numerous es gibson guitars ( es-5, es-335, ...etc )

thus giving them a great deal of exposure until both gibson and bb king decided to produce an official line of gibson electric guitars bearing the bb king name .

In 1980 Gibson Introduced the gibson bb king custom , it had the lucille logo on the peghead , 2 pick ups , gold plated parts , vari tone switch and were made in ebony or cherry finishes .

Gibson stopped production in 1988 . From then on the guitar was renamed bb king lucille.

Gibson BB King Lucille ( 1988 - present )

In 1988 to present gibson continues production on the bb king lucille which was called bb king custom from 1980 to 88 . Still has the same features , lucille on peghead , vari tone ,multibound , 2 pickups and gold plated parts .

At the beginning these guitars were also made in ebony and cherry color and then started adding more colors such as black.

Gibson BB King Standard ( 1980-1985 )

In 1980 Gibson also introduced the bb king standard , which had the same features like the gibson lucille but with stereo electronics and chrome plated parts instead of gold hardware.

In 1985 The gibson bb king standard production ended . They came in 2 colors - " cherry or ebony ".

Vintage Price Value For 2008 :
1980 - 1988 > $1700 to $2000 ( custom )
1980 - 1985 > $1600 to $1900 ( standard )
1988 - 1999 > $1800 to $1900 ( lucille )

Avg Upward Trend Of 6% a Year since 2000

Note : Gibson also introduced the BB King ES-335 "Lucille" guitar in 2006 , only a limited edition of 80 guitars were made and are valued today ( 2007 ) at $4900 to $5800.

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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 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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152 Comments

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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83 Comments

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 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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