Brand new here ('59 - '61 Melody Maker)

aikencolon · February 6th, 2010, 04:37 PM

Hey all, new member here. Actually new to Gibson as well. Have 3 guitars here at the house: Ibanez Talman (which I play... badly), and Ibanez RG Series (which belongs to my 13 yr old daughter), and a Chinese made acoutsic for my other 3 kids (8, 9, & 10) to beat on. Reason I joined the forum here is that my tax return is coming in and I have roughly $1,500 to "invest" (I said invest to convince the wifey) and I've decided on a 59 - 61 Les Paul Melody Maker. I know very little about these vintage guitars, but I know it's something that I plan on keeping forever. Possibly passing it on to one of my kids when I'm gone.

Anyhow, I found this forum and thought I'd pick your minds about these beautiful guitars. In my research I have learned a few things. I know that I love the single cutaway style, which is what helped me decide on a '59 - '61. Don't really care for the SG "horns". I also like the sunburst finish. One question I have is regarding the "D" model, denoting double pickups. From an investment and a music quality standpoint, do I want to track down a "D" Model? Also, I know I want one that has little or NO modifications, problem is I don't know which modifications are serious and which ones aren't. So any opinions there would be extremely helpful.

I look forward to learning all about my future guitar.... um, I mean "investment".

Chris

noname · February 6th, 2010, 04:52 PM

Hey Chris:

Welcome! I don't know the answers to your questions, but I bet someone here does. good luck and post some pictures when you get it.

Matt

S. Rock · February 7th, 2010, 12:01 AM

welcome to gibson-talk, Chris. make yourself at home. why not a vintage Les Paul to "invest" in ? find one of the early 70's Les Paul Deluxes with mini humbucker pickups. of course, that may be more than $1500. I'm not sure of the investment value of a Melody Maker. no mods/all original would be the best for "future" value, too. just some thoughts.

missmySG · February 7th, 2010, 01:33 AM

aiken,

Have you played a '59-'61 Melody Maker?? You might not like it at all.

I just joined this forum myself too. I picked up an Epiphone SG on Friday. For cost/playability/sound, it was a good deal. The Gibson SG they also had didn't do it for me. I'm sure the Gibson would have been a better investment.

There are probably better investments than a vintage guitar I would think...but if you like the guitar, play it and enjoy it.

aikencolon · February 7th, 2010, 10:45 AM

why not a vintage Les Paul to "invest" in ? find one of the early 70's Les Paul Deluxes with mini humbucker pickups.

S.Rock,

I have an uncle that has been playing & collecting since well..... I'm 30, so that would put him in his mid to late 50's.... anyhow he's been collecting for a long time. He's owned many valuable guitars. He told me he once had a rare Gibson double neck that he eventually got rid of because he was so nervous every time he pulled it out, he couldn't play it.

So, I told him that my guitar playing/learning was becoming a bit lazy (work, 4 kids, wifey maintenance) and that I'd like to invest in something that would inspire me to make more time to play and would also have the possibility of increasing in value from an investment standpoint. His advice was an early 60's MM. I really can't go over $1,500 as the wifey has the rest of our tax return money spent on upgrading our wedding rings.

Have you played a '59-'61 Melody Maker?? You might not like it at all.

missmySG,

I have not played one, so you could be right. I did plan on playing one before I bought it though. To be honest I'm still learning so the only thing I would consider is something that sounded good to my very untrained ear. Plus I plan on adding more guitars in time, so I can purchase this one knowing that it wont be my last.

What I really want to know is what to look out for. Like modifications for example. I'm sure that some modifications are considered 'slight', while others more extreme. Which modifications do more to damage to the guitar's actual value? Which mods are more common? How much wear of the finish should a $1,500 MM have? Over time, wood bends and warps. Is it possible that I could end up with a guitar that has a bent neck? Things like that. I've never built a guitar or taken one apart. I couldn't name half the parts if they were all laying out in front of me. Hell, I can't even name all the parts on a whole guitar right in front of me.

This should give you an idea of where I'm coming from and where I'm at in reference to being a guitar collector.... the beginning.

Glad I found this board.

missmySG · February 7th, 2010, 01:17 PM

Chris,

Hopefully you can find somebody honest and who knows about vintage gear. there are books and some magazines where you could probably learn about them too. I'd think amount of wear impacts the value. if you found one somebody never played and was in a case for it's life and was mint it would command a higher price. I would think almost any modification would decrease the value. Replacing worn out parts probably wouldn't be too bad.

Common modifications would be changing the pick up or tuners. If somebody did that but still had the original parts I don't think that hurts the value too much. I remember a guy in high school, found Jesus and carved a sloppy crude cross in the top of a Les Paul gold top....now that's a value killer.

Unless the guitar was in the trunk of somebody's car in extreme temperatures, I don't think you'd have a major neck issue. You might find worn frets.

Find the guitar that sounds/feels good to you. My advice to budding guitar players is be careful about getting rid of guitars/amps. I wish I'd kept a couple of my early guitars and my first amp. You can get caught up in the endless quest for "tone" and go through LOTS of guitars/amps.

ANY new guitar/amp/pedal can be inspiring for a time, I've been playing my new to me SG a LOT this weekend.

I hope you find your dream guitar and play and enjoy the heck out of it.

keep us posted on what you get. photos too please.

Michael

missmySG · February 7th, 2010, 02:26 PM

Chris,

have you researched the '61 Melody Maker at all on-line?

I did see something at :

vintage-guitars.blogspot.com/2006/008/gibson-melody-maker.html

this posting didn't think these guitars were all that much in demand...

happy guitar hunting

S. Rock · February 7th, 2010, 02:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aikencolon

why not a vintage Les Paul to "invest" in ? find one of the early 70's Les Paul Deluxes with mini humbucker pickups.

S.Rock,

I have an uncle that has been playing & collecting since well..... I'm 30, so that would put him in his mid to late 50's.... anyhow he's been collecting for a long time. He's owned many valuable guitars. He told me he once had a rare Gibson double neck that he eventually got rid of because he was so nervous every time he pulled it out, he couldn't play it.

So, I told him that my guitar playing/learning was becoming a bit lazy (work, 4 kids, wifey maintenance) and that I'd like to invest in something that would inspire me to make more time to play and would also have the possibility of increasing in value from an investment standpoint. His advice was an early 60's MM. I really can't go over $1,500 ---

hi Chris,
your uncle must be about the same age that I am. I started playing in 1966. I learned to play on a 1959 Gretsch Anniversary Model that I still have. it's probably worth at least $2000. my 1973 Les Paul Deluxe that I paid $350 for in 1985, is worth about $2500 now. I got these guitars to play, not for an investment. there is no knowing if a guitar will increase in value or not. as "missmySG" said, only a pristine condition guitar will bring "top" dollar. and yes, typical modifications are changing the pickups, changing tuners, removing/replacing pickguards/scratchguards, or refinishing the guitar body. yes, investing is a risk or gamble. find a guitar that you like the sound of and you like the way that it plays. maybe one day it will be rare enough and be worth more than you originally paid for it.

missmySG · February 8th, 2010, 09:53 PM

there's a '61 SG on eBay for $19,995....that makes a '61 Melody Maker a real bargain..

there are a couple '61 Melody Makers there (if you haven't looked on eBay yet) they give you some good descriptions on their condition, might give you an idea what you're likely find with this guitar as you look for one.

$19,995, why that's over 73X what I paid for my Epiphone SG...I'm thrilled with my new (to me) guitar. It shows you you don't have to spend BIG bucks on a guitar.

Good luck on your Melody Maker search. If you find one or get something else, please post a picture of it here.

aikencolon · February 11th, 2010, 01:09 PM

Ok, pulled the trigger on a '73 Les Paul DeLuxe. I know, I know not quite a '59 - '61 MM, but this DeLuxe was the very first one I looked at and it's beautiful (and in my price range).

Won't have it for a week or so, but as soon as it comes in I'll post some pics. It comes with a 3 day return policy, so I'll have plenty of time to know if I like it.

Chris