How To Buy A Guitar By Gibson

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PURE

HOW TO BUY AN ELECTRIC GUITAR.
Common sense rules to an informed purchase.

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PURE

© 2001 Gibson Guitar Corp.

We congratulate you for being a conscientious consumer. By requesting the Electric Guitar Buyer’s Guide, you’ve shown that you carefully research important purchase decisions. The 15 easy rules you’ll find in the following pages were formulated from interviewswith professional players and Gibson luthiers who are recognized authorities on guitarmaking. We covered the subjects of playability and dependability with players, and materials and manufacturing with the luthiers. Apply the following rules to each guitar or bass you consider, and you’re sure to find lasting satisfaction in the instrument you finally select.

The Basics
Rule 1. Rule 2. Rule 3.Rule 4. Pay for Quality Verify Warranty and Service Research the Manufacturer Consider Appreciation 8 8 9 9

Materials are Important
Rule 5. Demand Good Tone Wood Rule 6. Insist on Quiet Electronics 10 12

Manufacturing is an Art
Rule 7. Balance Craftsmanship with Production Rule 8. Evaluate the Neck Joint Rule 9. Check Appointments for Functionality 12 13 14

Rule 10. Pay Attention toDetails Rule 11. Look for Innovation

14 15

Hands on Examination
Rule 12. Rule 13. Rule 14. Rule 15. Check the Neck Test for Sustain Listen for Electronic Noise Inspect the Finish 15 16 17 17

Owner Adjustments
The Truss Rod The Bridge 18 19 19

The Last Note

Strap Button

Binding

Stopbar ABR Tailpiece Bridge

Body

Three-way Toggle Strap Switch Button

Neck

FingerboardFret Nut

Headstock

The Components of the Solid Body Electric Guitar
Featuring a 1959 Les Paul Reissue Volume / Pickguard Pickups Tone Controls Single Cutaway 12th Fret Marker / Inlay Truss Machine Rod Heads Cover Tuning Keys

Strap Button

Trapeze Binding Tailpiece

Tune-o-matic F-holes Bridge

Three-way Toggle Body Switch

Strap Button

Fingerboard

Neck

Fret

TrussRod Nut Cover

Headstock

The Components of the Hollow Body Electric Guitar
Featuring a Gibson ES-135 Volume / Tone Controls Pickguard Pickups Single Cutaway 12th Fret Marker / Inlay Machine Tuning Heads Keys

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Rule 1: Pay for Quality
I’ve known guitarists who went through five or six guitars within a couple of years. They weren’t satisfied and kept trading up, and by the time theyfinished, they’d spent enough to own the best. The one point of advice echoed by every professional player we interviewed was to buy the very best quality you can afford the first time. Playability and dependability are measures of quality, and there are no shortcuts. In the highly competitive guitar market, the only way to make a guitar less expensive is to use cheaper materials, cheaper parts andcheaper labor. The result is a cheap guitar in every sense of the word. No matter where you’re playing – onstage, in a studio or at home – you can’t afford to have an instrument let you down because you compromised on quality. You’ll never regret paying the price for quality.

Rule 2: Verify Warranty and Service
A good guitar is like a good friend. It should last a lifetime. Ask to see thewarranty card or owner’s manual. Expect to find a lifetime warranty. That tells you that the manufacturer has complete confidence in its instruments. A lifetime warranty on a new guitar is not extraordinary or unusual. Many of the first electric guitars made by Gibson in the 1930s are still going strong and have

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long outlived their original owners. A manufacturer who only guarantees workmanshipand materials for five or ten years probably expects problems to occur after the warranty period. Ask about the manufacturer’s reputation for service and parts availability. If you should have a problem with your instrument, you will want it fixed quickly and correctly.

Rule 3: Research the Manufacturer
We’re building a lot more guitars, so we have a lot more experience. We know what might...