How to identify and authenticate any Gibson Byrdland, from the first Kalamazoo prototypes in 1955 through the current Custom Shop era. Covers every major construction change: cutaway shape, pickups, solid vs. pressed back, neck lamination, nut width, labels, serial numbers, hardware, and more.
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A collector's guide to the 1951, 1952, and 1953 Fender Precision Bass: the original slab-body P-Bass. Joe Dampt covers every authentication detail: butterscotch nitro finish, tan lines under the hardware, nail holes, the early single-coil pickup with white string wrapping, pressed fiber saddles, Clarostat pots, paper-in-oil capacitor, large flat metal tuner buttons, mismatched neck and body dates, and more. Free appraisals nationwide.
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Think of it as a “Telecaster on steroids.” The Fender Hardtail Stratocaster is one of the most underrated tools in vintage Fender. From the resonant pre-CBS models of the 1950s to the punchy, lightweight players of the 1970s, the hardtail offers a percussive “snap” and rock-solid tuning stability that traditional tremolo models don’t. Find out why these rare “string-through” Strats, which made up only about 5% of early production, were the choice of players like Nile Rodgers and Robert Cray.
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A history of the Gibson L-5 CES, the electric archtop that set the standard. This guide covers its evolution from the 1920s acoustic work of Lloyd Loar to the “Staple” and PAF humbucker eras. Learn how to identify rare finishes, date your instrument using serial numbers and orange labels, and tell Venetian and Florentine cutaways apart. If you are looking for a professional appraisal or the full story of this guitar, here is what you need to know about the king of Gibson archtops.
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A close look at the details that set the 1959 apart. From the rare 1958 ‘thin top’ construction and ‘mummified’ Kluson tuners to the ‘white bobbin’ PAF pickups hidden beneath original nickel covers, we go through an exceptionally preserved 1959 Gibson ES-335 ‘Dot Neck.’ If you are a collector looking to authenticate one or a seller trying to understand what your guitar is worth, this guide walks through the small things that tell you what you have. It also explains why the 1959 ES-335 is so highly regarded for its tone and build.
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Is a brass nut a sustain upgrade or a vintage value killer? We go through the history of this 70s and 80s trend, from the physics of “metal-on-metal” tone to factory-original Gretsch models, and explain why your choice of nut material could cost you thousands in resale value.
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The 1962 Gibson ES-335 is a “transitional” model that sits between the 1950s dot-neck era and the block-inlay look. This guide covers the “Mickey Mouse” ear body shape, the shift from PAF to Patent Number pickups, and the details that determine 1962 vintage value. If you are looking for an appraisal or want to know what makes this “Golden Era” semi-hollow sound the way it does, here is why the 1962 ES-335 stays a collector favorite.
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A look at the official Kalamazoo records on how rare your instrument really is. This guide lists Gibson shipping totals from 1948 to 1979, the data you need for an accurate vintage guitar appraisal. If you are researching a 1959 Sunburst or a Norlin-era Custom, these figures give you the production numbers to back up a value before you sell your vintage guitar.
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In the ‘Golden Era’ of Gibson production, few instruments carry as much mojo, or as much confusion for collectors, as the 1955 to 1958 single-cutaway Les Paul Special. Finished in TV Yellow, these ‘slab-body’ mahogany guitars sit between the working-man’s Junior and the high-end Standard. But with seventy years of history comes seventy years of modifications. From ‘Bumblebee’ capacitors and original P-90 soapbars to the patina of aged brass tuner posts, we go through the details that tell you what you’ve got. Maybe you’re a longtime collector, or maybe you’re looking to sell a family heirloom. Either way, this guide, backed by personally authenticating over 40 of these models, covers what makes a ‘dead-original’ Special worth holding onto.
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