Check this crazy Melody Maker out on our site here! aflashfloodofgear.com/collections/all/products/gibson-melody-maker-mod-1964-stained-mahogany-refinish-w-bag
The funky MM reminded me of a smaller, and completely different version of a Musicraft Messenger. Just by looks really. If I liked the way it played, I'd want it just for the aesthetics.
It looks like someone was kind of trying to go for a "Rick Turner Model 1 C-LB Lindsey Buckingham" guitar body, but modded out from there. Not for me, but there's a buyer out there somewhere. Good luck!
Something about your videos that I really like is that you don't shred. Instead you play something that is cool and interesting that I would actually like to play. Rock on.
I can sympathize with someone wanting an upgrade from the original single coil pickup - a P90 or PAF would be a big sonic improvement. But good heavens did someone do a number on that poor instrument. Wow. Interesting video.
@@Jeremya74 Hi Jeremy, if your asking me I was commenting on the reaction to unique vintage gear not neccassarily that guitar or case. Both I thought were unique and when I see something like that or a good deal like Marshall lowering Handwired amp prices I "JUST HAVE TO HAVE IT." The Kahler is very interesting on the bridge problem JR. I have thought about putting a Floyd Rose Rail Tail on one, but it would take a luthier to get it perfect. I put one on my Fender Custom Shop which a vintage Fender Bridge it fit perfect no holes or mods required and can be reversed without ever knowing it. I have never seen one like it. If I had another Custom Shop I would put the Rail Tail on it, as well. Its my best playing Strat that never goes out of tune. Its sort of like the Vega Trim. Anyways all that unique kind of gear I have a problem wanting it really bad as its a lot of one offs and I just have to try it. I think the guitar is listed for around $1400 give or take. Thats a fair price I think. Its Vintage with issues and some plusses. The Dimarzio Pickups are wicked cool, as well. Take care and Rock N Roll to ya.
Oh, that's nothing - ever heard of Wild Jimmy Spruill? He was guitarist on loads of stuff, most notably the wonderfully scratchy solo on Kansas City by Wilbert Harrison. The Gibson Les Paul Personal is a rare guitar - only 370 were made between 1969 to 1973. Google 'Wild Jimmy Spruill guitar' and have a look at what he did with his!
What's the deal with the CME shirt? More power to you for trying to save that poor guitar, but an eviscerated mid-60s Melody Maker? I am NOT the "one buyer" you are looking for. I wouldn't pay $50 for it. That said, best of luck finding someone to play and love it.
This might sound crazy but that body can actually be saved. All a guy needs to do is cut a straight surface where each "horn" used to be, cut a mortice then sister on two pieces of identical wood (hopefully aged) with a tenon and glue. With good finish skills a guy could either stain it or repaint if burst (which would hide any joint seams). Add vintage pickup/s and harness and return this great instrument back to its original glory.
I have sat down and played this sin, and it plays so well. Too bad it’s been defanged but someone is ganna rock that look. It’s so ridiculous it’s kinda sick god bless
The vintage Kahler, thats what I thought that was. I had a Kahler factory Kramer that had to take the lock nut off to get to the truss hole, as well. Thats no big deal. Crazy that you like that kind of unique stuff, which is why I love your channel.
Looks like someone was going for an Ovation Viper kind of vibe… A bit of an ugly duckling but ya know back around ‘84 that would have been a pretty bitchin’ axe… Just sayin’.
I have 3-1961 Melody Makers and all of them are fabulous and in great shape! But yours is a giant piece of crap-ola! These use to be $100.-250. Guitars, but now it’s out of this world.. good luck with this!
People get their panties in a bunch over guitars modded like this, but at the end of the day when it was born it was a "student model" guitar - not a collectors piece. Look at the legendary Bursts - NOBODY WANTED THEM at the time, to the degree Gibson stopped making Les Pauls. What these guitars were to their original owners is a country mile away from how a cork sniffing blues lawyer sees them today.
Reminds me of a double cut melody maker I found at a local music store. Someone had put dual humbuckers and a tune o matic with a stop bar instead of the wrap under all in one. I much preferred that set up so it didn't bother me that it had been changed. I bought another guitar that day and just didn't have money for both. I begged my dad to loan me the money but he started in on "That's not a work of art. It is a picture frame that used to contain a work of art and that has been removed. It is worthless now. Besides you will find another one before too long." Did I mention this Gibson was $350? (early to mid 1990 money) That was the first and only sub $500 Gibson I ever found. Oh well. I didn't really care it was worth less because it was not original. I cared that it was a Gibson with 2 humbuckers so I could get Les Paul sounds out of it. I would have never sold it but if I wanted to I am sure I could have gotten my money back.
Excellent video. Q: Does one buy a guitar for how it sounds or how it looks...or the name on the headstock ? It will look the same on your next hit CD ! I would love a real Tele or an SG with a vibrato, but my Westones probably sound better and I can still afford to eat. Deke Leonard cut the holes in his Bullseye vintage Tele (qv) and it sounded great and looked cool (it was stolen). That Melody Maker will find a home, it's famous now 😉!
Hey guys this was a really awesome video! I and I'm sure many others appreciate that you guys decided not to attempt any shenanigans "restoring" a piece like this! A lot of vintage guitar enthusiasts will have this common sentiment that they love guitars with a story or history, but whenever they find one that was unique or didn't have the right history, then they go on about how it was ruined and many attempt to destroy such examples by "restoring" it to more generic, period-correct specs. I personally find this practice to be VERY distasteful, as it is quite frankly extremely disrespectful to the guitar itself and it's history, and in general to the notion itself of cool vintage guitars with a story. Such a shame that the same folks who claim to love vintage history would destroy it without a second thought, because undesirable examples are better whitewashed from history it seems... Anyhow, keep Rocking guys! \m/ I subscribed because of this video, awesome demo btw...
Alex. I’m thinking the dude that owned this many years ago was a Grand Funk Railroad fan. Mark Farner played a 67 Musiccraft Messenger that looks a lot like your extremely modded Melody Maker! Just a thought.
😊 man you're pretty smooth with that guitar nice job cleaning and polishing it up it looks a lot better after you got it all shined up. I would definitely let you work on my babies your very gentle and know how to take care of them. No scratches no din. Keep up the good work really enjoy your videos
I knew precisely those were dimarzio super distortions the very moment I saw them.. Where do you live ?… we sound like super similar players and i’m actually a drummer first and foremost so let’s start a band like yesterday
With refinish, body pieces hacked off, electronics modded, routing, and bridge, etc,. I would pay about $700. I would put a black pickup cover on the single col and black knobs.
This is a piece of wood with strings and stuff. That's what all solid body guitars are. At least the people who did this were not some brand worshipping idiots with a vintage fetish.
It tripped my trigger with what I though was a 60s vibe style guitar shape and a 70s vibe bridge and Dimarzios. Not often do you see a blend of those two decades with equipment and gear.
I knew precisely those were dimarzio super distortions the very moment I saw them.. Where do you live … we sound super similar guitar players and i’m actually a drummer first and foremost so let’s start a band like yesterday
It reminds me of someone who was a teenager in the 60s where that design is 60s for sure with it trimmed up symetrical. I think there is a guitar shaped like that that was popular in the 60s. Maybe a VOX? Then the Pickups and Bridge is very early 70s. It is RAD for sure.
I am sort of the same way except I like a Floyd Rose but I never use the bar. I block it down and its the best tuning bridge around. I stay in tune with it blocked, and with it blocked changing strings is a super breeze.
It's cool as the funky piece it is. If it were mine and I decided to go all out I'd do this: Recreate the horns, fill the trem route and all extra routes other than to make it HH with those dimarzios. I'd put a tune o matic bridge on it and refinish it. I'd come up with a custom pickguard for it. Oh and plug all the extra holes in the headstock and put vintage style tuners on it.
I’m onboard with all those mods except the previous owner’s decision to saw off the horns of the double cut. What in the world would posses someone to mutilate a vintage guitar like that? Such a shame.
You made check Reverb for value of my Melody Maker Flying V Anniversary ( only Gibson I own but I have a couple unique Epiphones). I'd never sell it but DANG! those Melody Makes have gone up in value.
I'd put that in the cool/vibey category. Way unique and the finish looks well done, even if that, and the reshaping, brings it down to player grade. Nothing wrong with a well-excecuted one of a kind!
The Gibson Tweety Bird! going by the body shape it's almost identical to Tweety birds head!! I love all your videos but this was almost too painful to look at😄🙈
I am glad thar you went over the guitar and showed the mods made on it. I am sure the player made it fit his needs and likings. I liked it, I think its cool!
You did all that fret polishing etc but never serviced the kahler trem by pulling the roller pins and lubing the rollers and replacing the springs. This why people always bitch about Kahlers no maintenance. 1500 lol 😅
Not everything makes the final cut in the video. This really wasn't supposed to be a setup video and more just focusing on the weirdness. We back Kahlers though and maybe we'll make some more in-depth cleaning and setup videos in the future? 🤔
