A closer look at a 1979 Gibson ES-175D. By the late 1970s, the ES-175D had followed the path of most Gibson guitars and changed it’s mahogany neck, in favour of a maple neck with volute. It didn’t last long, and the neck was again mahogany by 1983. Details of the changes in the ES-175D over time are detailed in the ES-175 timeline.

Details of this sixties hollowbody, with two new photosets: a 1962 ES-125TC and a 1966 ES-125TC. The ES-125TC was a thinline version of the ES-125, only available from 1960 until 1970, changing very little in that time. Gibson shipped over 5000 of them in that time (and another 5000 two-pickup versions, the ES-125TDC).

Details, images and sound clips of the Hagstrom III solid body electric. Also known as the H3, and in the United States, the F300. There are obvious similarities to a Fender Stratocaster, but this guitar does have it’s own character: in feel, playability and tone. Hagstrom made some very nice guitars!

Details and images of the VOX Ultrasonic XII V275. The Ultrasonic XII was a late sixties Vox twelve string based on the six string Ultrasonic V268. Both had the same built-in electronic effects: distortion, wah-wah, repeater and treble/bass boost (listen to Ultrasonic sound clips). Differences between the two models are very subtle; really just a different headstock shape to accomodate the extra strings. This is one of the late sixties Vox guitars made at the E.M.E factory in Recanati, in Italy, primarily for export to the American market.

Vox guitar and bass pickups of the 1960s were all of relatively simple single-coil design. The first produced were British-made, and these appeared on all the early British models: The Clubman bass, the Bassmaster, and the Phantom bass. Later models were made in Italy, along with the guitars themselves, and these were largely for the American market, under the distribution of the Thomas Organ company.

This interesting guitar tuition book featuring the Shadows, is peppered with Vox guitar and amp images. The Shadows themselves used Fender guitars and Vox Amps, but the then-new Vox Phantom guitars and Phantom bass feature prominently. There are also advertisements for a selection of British-built Vox guitars, the Consort, Dominator, Super Ace and Clubman bass. This book is undated, though most likely from 1963.

A closer look at a 1976 Gibson L-6S Custom. Maple guitars were all the rage in the mid to late 1970s, and Gibson introduced several models in this vein. The Gibson L-6S range comprised three guitars, with the Custom being the top of the range. It was all Gibson: single cutaway (like a wide Les Paul), set neck, two humbuckers and a varitone switch with several distinct tones. Gibson shipped over 12000 L-6S Custom guitars between 1973 and 1979 and around a third of them were in the ebony finish shown here.

By 1970, Vox UK was owned by the Corinthian Bank, and the number of guitar models offered had been slashed drastically. gone were all the Italian Vox’s; being replaced by a small number of Japanese ‘lawsuit’ models. This catalogue is aimed at the UK market, with prices in Sterling, and contains just three guitars: the Gibson Les Paul styled VG2, and the Gretsch Country Gentleman styled VG6 and VG4 bass. The catalogue concentrates on amplifiers: AC30, Defiant, Supreme and Foundation bass, and organs: Corinthian, Continental and Riviera.

Two new photosets of 1970s Gretsch guitars. A 1971 Chet Atkins Country Gentleman and a 1976 Chet Atkins Country Gentleman. Both guitars have that 17″ maple hollowbody, maple neck and ebony fretboard. Gretsch altered models continuously, and despite having been produced just five years apart, these guitars have numerous differences in hardware. The essential Country Gent features are there in both guitars.

That Great Gretsch Sound. The 1979 Gretsch catalogue has the new Gretsch Committee on it’s front cover, and features a selection of hollow, semi-hollow and solid-body guitars and basses. This was printed shortly after Chet Atkins ended his involvement with Gretsch, and although he is not mentioned explicitly, many of the models featured have some form of Chet Atkins connection, be it a name or signature-embossed scratchplate.