Vintage Lowdown: A User's Guide to 30's Gibson Jumbos

Vintage Lowdown: A User's Guide to 30's Gibson Jumbos

Nick Dias and Norm Harris from Norman's Rare Guitars talk about some of the amazing early Gibson Jumbos from the 30's and 40's, like the Roy Smeck models and the 'banner headstock' Gibson's. They also show an early Gibson made Recording King. These early Gibson acoustics have a unique quality about them that many players today still prefer.

Vintage Lowdown

Duration: 05:34

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In this series top players and guitar industry professionals give their opinions on a range of different vintage guitars. Blues Saraceno's discography is massive and he has played with many major artists including a brief stint in the band Poison. Here he plays a very rare, very beautiful 1958 Gibson J-185, regarded as one of the best Gibson acoustics ever made.

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Episode 7: A quick guide to Pre-war Gibson J-35s with Todd and Norm from Norman's Rare Guitars.

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Guitar of the Day 1983 Gibson Custom Shop Korina Explorer

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Stay safe, be kind and hope you’re all well! Enjoy this new episode of #GuitarOfTheDay: Lemmo playing an Original 1983 Gibson Custom Shop Korina Explorer available here at #NormansRareGuitars! For any questions you may have or price inquiries about this #Gibson #Explorer #ElectricGuitar please give us a call at 818-344-8300.

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Update: Jan 14th, 2021: Martin Introduces First Acoustic Guitar That Is Both FSC-Certified And Plastic-Free

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On March 15, 2019, artist Robert Goetzl watched the news in awe as a million students, across 125 countries, took part in the School Strike for Climate, an international movement of students who skip Friday classes in protest to demand action from political leaders against climate change. The movement started in 2018, when Greta Thunberg, a then 16-year-old activist from Sweden, staged a lone protest outside the Swedish Parliament holding a sign that read "School strike for climate," inspiring students across the globe to stand together to fight for the future of the planet. The movement fanned a flame in Goetzl that had been slowly burning for many years and now he wanted to use his talent to become part of the solution, so he immediately dropped what he was doing and painted a watercolor of the earth. His hope was that it would one day adorn the top of a Martin guitar that could be used to bring awareness to the urgent need for climate action. Upon completing the painting, Goetzl wasted no time, driving to Nazareth to share his idea with Martin Chairman and CEO, Chris Martin. Like Goetzl, the sixth-generation leader of Martin has a deep passion for fighting climate change and preserving the earth for future generations. This shared passion, reignited by the energy and perseverance of this new generation of activists, put into motion the plans to develop what is now being introduced as the Martin 00L Earth guitar—the first acoustic guitar that is 100% FSC® certified AND 100% plastic-free. said Goetzl., "When I first heard this eloquent young woman, Greta Thunberg, speak so passionately about climate change, I was immediately inspired and thought, why not design a guitar with a visual element as a tool to promote the message 'Save the Earth'. Perhaps this is a way to help raise awareness of resource sustainability and our society's failure to take action against the global crisis that this troubled planet is facing." With Chris Martin's blessing, Goetzl set about doing what he does best—turning his initial ideas into refined art—and he later presented several variations to the Martin team. The final design featured the earth and stars with a beautiful light burst peaking over the horizon. While Goetzl was finalizing the artwork, Martin Lead Instrument Designer Tim Teel and former Martin Green Team Leader Chris Thomas began working on building out the model that would ultimately become the master canvas for Goetzl's artwork. Teel and Thomas decided to use the framework from the Martin 17 Series and then went on to collaborate with many colleagues throughout the company to select and source only materials that are 100% FSC certified and free of all man-made plastics. Even the gig bag was specially sourced and made with hemp, a fast-growing and highly sustainable material, another first for the company. said Teel., "I respect working for a company that takes environmental issues seriously. This project illustrates the importance of our planet and is depicted in this amazing graphic by Robert Goetzl. By using responsibly harvested materials, we will ensure the next generation of musicians and luthiers will have great tonewoods to choose from when designing, building, and playing stringed instruments of the future." Martin chose to go plastic-free with this model because single-use plastic is destroying entire ecosystems and greatly contributes to global warming. The world urgently needs to reduce single-use plastic, and Martin hopes this guitar will be another vehicle for spreading the message. said Chris Martin., "There's so much that we can do as individuals to fight climate change in our daily lives. Yet we are continually looking for ways that our company can inspire musicians and their fans to take action. Not just on Earth Day, but every day. Music has always been a powerful tool for bringing people together for change." In honor of the 00L Earth guitar, Martin will make a charitable donation to the Rainforest Alliance. The guitar is priced at $2,249. click the INFO BUTTON for more.......

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"Do you need to add another guitar to your collection? How many guitars does one person need? Chris and Cooper have some differing opinions on these questions, as well as some thoughts on the difference between types of collecting. We'd love to hear from you in the comments below! Do you have a massive collection or do you prefer to just hold on to one or two guitars? What are your desert island picks? Let us know!"

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Exclusive Interview with Chicken Pickin Master, John Lere

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John W. Lere Jr. was born with a guitar in his hands. Not really, but it's a romantic thought and seems very fitting if you're familiar with him. Whether banging on different toys with a pencil or plucking around on various beginner guitars as a child, John Lere has been making music his entire life. He began traditional study on the guitar at the age of 9, taking weekly lessons from Art Gomez at Vesley Music in Las Vegas, NV, learning the fundamentals and written language of music. John started giving his own lessons to neighborhood kids or friends at school and loved everything about the guitar. As a freshman in High School he joined the Stage Band and was introduced to jazz music. The piece of music given to him to play for his audition was 'Birdland' by Weather Report. All of the sudden an obsession with this different type of music took over and John went on to play in many different High School Jazz Ensembles around Las Vegas, constantly learning and improving. He was accepted to the Las Vegas Academy of International Studies and Performing Arts after his sophomore year and the study of jazz music went into overdrive! This new learning environment was a dream come true to any kid that wanted to play, practice and study music all day and that is exactly what John did. LVA Jazz band director Alan Lawson, introduced John to legendary & local guitar instructor Hap Smith(RIP Hap. You will be forever missed) and was taught a deeper lesson in discipline and music theory. John continued regular study With Hap Smith during his junior and senior years, and began teaching part time(mostly to kids and beginners) at local music shop Pat's Desert Music. With College just around the corner, John set his sights on a school on the other side of the country. Being Alumni of Berkeley School of Music in Boston, Hap helped John prepare an audition piece and gave a very gracious letter of recommendation. After much consideration however, the decision was made to stay in Las Vegas For College and he accepted a scholarship from The University Of Nevada Las Vegas. Over the next few years John studied with jazz great Joe Lano, focusing on chord inversions, chord solos, different picking techniques and smoking cigarettes. John Played in many different bands, many different styles and genres, toured around the country many times, teaching along the way where ever possible. He was lead guitar for the late, great Elvis Presley Tribute Artist, Trent Carlini, headlining showrooms up and down the Las Vegas Strip. He has worked for Carnival Cruise Lines and traveled to Mexico and Canada, but never really feeling satisfied with what he was doing. That would soon change! Even though John had listened to and been a big fan of country music throughout his whole life, when he heard the music of The Hellecasters he became totally intrigued by the many different sounds, that in the right hands, the Telecaster could produce, and so began the journey towards Tele-mastery. All of the sudden that fire and enjoyment of playing the guitar was back! A desire to teach was also resurrected and a feeling of responsibility to give back to anybody aspiring to learn the guitar. John Lere has dedicated his life to music and of all the many different instruments in the world, the one that chose him was the Guitar. He has acquired an extremely large amount of knowledge and skill and he continues to strive for new things on the guitar as well as in Life. Fortunately, it is all available for purchase for a great low price! LOL

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Update: Jan 12, 2021: Taylor Guitars Transitions Ownership To Its Employees

Update: Jan 12, 2021: Taylor Guitars Transitions Ownership To Its Employees

EL CAJON, Calif. that Taylor Guitars, a leading global builder of premium acoustic guitars, has just announced its transition to 100% employee ownership through an Employee Stock Ownership Plan. said Bob Taylor, co-founder and President of Taylor Guitars."We have delighted in giving people the joy of music and hope to do so for generations to come. Becoming 100% ESOP allows us to ensure our independence for the long-term future and continue to realize our vision for the company as an innovative guitar manufacturer." Kurt Listug, co-founder and Chief Executive Officer, added, "While Bob and I are not retiring, we have been preparing for our eventual exit. Master guitar designer Andy Powers is not only the wellspring of our guitar designs for the future, but he also joined our leadership team several years ago, and strengthening our leadership team has been essential to our succession planning." Listug views the transition in ownership as the next step to ensure a sustainable future for the company, while also providing a valuable financial benefit to people who have contributed to its success. "We believe we've created a special company, where passionate people can engage in problem-solving innovation, collaboration and respect," he said. "Securing our independence through an ESOP allows us to strengthen this culture." Taylor's new ownership structure supports continuity. Taylor Guitars will serve its customers, suppliers, and broader community with the same passion and innovation it has before. Bob Taylor, Kurt Listug, Andy Powers and other members of Taylor's leadership team remain committed to the company. There will be no changes to management structure, operations policies, or practices. Taylor Guitars was founded in 1974 by Bob Taylor and Kurt Listug and has grown into the leading global builder of premium acoustic guitars. Taylor now employs over 1,200 people and currently produces hundreds of guitars per day in its state-of-the-art factory complexes in both El Cajon and in Tecate, Baja California, Mexico. The company maintains an active dealer network, with Taylor guitars sold through hundreds of retail locations in North America and with international distribution to 60 countries, including a distribution warehouse and factory service center in the Netherlands.  The ESOP is a type of tax-qualified defined contribution plan through which employees receive a retirement benefit linked to Taylor Guitars' future equity value. Employees at Taylor's production facility in Tecate, Baja California, Mexico, will participate in its US-based ESOP plan, and European Union employees will be participants in a similar incentive plan available under EU regulations. For more, click the INFO button......

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Update: Jan 11th, 2021: GIBSON announces the addition of MESA BOOGIE to Gibson Brands

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News out of NASHVILLE, TN. that Gibson, has just announced the addition of Mesa/Boogie--one of the most respected and prestigious brands in sound and guitar amplification--to their family of brands. Mesa/Boogie--the original “Boutique” amplifier company--was founded 51 years ago by Randy Smith, who is responsible for creating the ground-breaking circuits that drive some of the most influential sounds of our time. Randy will join Gibson as Master Designer and Pioneer of Mesa/Boogie and beyond. In his new role, Randy will continue his passion for tube technology and his vision for building hand-crafted, high performance amplifiers, that continue to redefine how we experience sound across Mesa/Boogie and Gibson. Beginning in a converted dog kennel under the redwoods of Northern California, Randy Smith was wrenching amplifiers for all the great San Francisco area bands over 50 years ago when vintage gear was new. Being close to so many great guitar players, from Bloomfield to Santana and The Rolling Stones, Smith learned the virtues and shortcomings of the era’s gear and began a process of innovation that continues today. Mesa/Boogie, the company Smith founded, was the first boutique amplifier builder and revolutionized amplifier performance in ways that impacted rock music worldwide. Simultaneously respecting and improving the vintage classics he grew up with, Smith, through Mesa/Boogie pioneered the invention of High Gain. says James ‘JC’ Curleigh, President & CEO of Gibson Brands. “At Gibson we are all about leveraging our iconic past and leaning into the innovative future, a quest that started over 100 years ago with our founder Orville Gibson. Today this quest continues with the addition of Mesa Boogie into the Gibson Brands family, along with the visionary leadership of Randy Smith and his Team who, for the past 50 years, have created an iconic and innovative brand that has stood the test of time. This is a perfect partnership based on our collective professional experiences and passion for sound.” Randy Smith founder of Mesa/Boogie added, “I’m 75 years-old and still at work every day,” “This is my art and many of our crew have worked by my side for 30 to 40 years. As we witnessed JC and Cesar transform Gibson, we saw kindred spirits sharing common values and a fierce dedication to quality. Today, Gibson’s guitars are the best-ever and when they asked if we’d like to become Gibson’s Custom Shop for Amplifiers, we envisioned a perfect collaboration that would expand our outreach while preserving our legacy beyond my time. Gibson realizes the unique value of what we’ve all built together and this next chapter in the Mesa/Boogie story is a continuation of that dream. I am so fortunate for this partnership with the new Gibson after 50 years of doing what I love. It’s been the ride of my life . . . and it ain’t over yet!” says Adam Jones, guitarist for the multi-platinum and multiple GRAMMY-Award winning band Tool. “This is very exciting, I can’t think of a better company to carry the Mesa Boogie torch, and I can’t wait to see what we can do together. I have been using Mesa Boogie amplifiers and cabinets for a long time. I use them at home, in the studio when I record and on stage when I play live; they go across all of my needs.”  For more information: click the info button now.

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