Keysdweller
Active Member
My inflation calculator shows $250 in 1972 would be $1875 in 2024. $250 was a lot of money in 1972. Gasoline was only 25-35 cents a gallon where I lived.
Production wood change?
- Thread starter fierogt28
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shreddy bender
Well-Known Member
MR D
Well-Known Member
OH MAN, REAL CRACKHEADS ARE THE FRIKKIN WORST ! DOPE FIENDS ARE TOO BUSY NODDIN OFF, BUT CRACKHEADS STAY AWAKE FOR DAYS, THE SCHEMING SHITBAGS, OMG !!! !
davesultra
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I bought a new Gibson SG Junior from Elderly Instruments in 92’ for $311.xx
Even came with a gigbag! Wish I still had it.
Even came with a gigbag! Wish I still had it.
MR D
Well-Known Member
OOH ! THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY.......I KNO THAT TUNE !I bought a new Gibson SG Junior from Elderly Instruments in 92’ for $311.xx
Even came with a gigbag! Wish I still had it.
Brians356
Member
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- Nov 3, 2012
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Here's the original owner's store receipt for his new '75 SG (my guitar for twenty plus years.) It lists the price "No/Case" as $475.00. However, he was trading in an SG Special he had bought there but didn't like its P-90s, so it's not unlikely they used the MSRP to calculate the net price shown.
But also, in '73 the first "Oil Shock" triggered the worst inflationary period of the post-WWII era, and prices were skyrocketing in '73 - '75, so it's possible a new SG cost $475 by May 1975.
-
MR D
Well-Known Member
WOW !!!!
Cinco De Mayo, 1975......almost 50 yrs ago.......Zeppelin was touring the USA, you got a new SG Special, NICE !
Still have that BAD-A$$$ ?
Col Mustard
Well-Known Member
One thing no one has mentioned yet is what has happened to tropical "tone wood" in all
the years since "vintage" guitars were made. Y'all have heard of "the destruction of the
tropical rain forests?" That wasn't a joke or a political soccer ball, it was a process that took
maybe forty years or maybe sixty years. It's been going on for a long time.
Gibson has to roll with the punches, and get what ever wood they can. So have other makers.
Chain saws buzzing in Brazil and many African nations, as well as Madagascar and the East
Indies... The wood varieties that guitarists think are the best have been getting more and more scarce
since the 1970s at least. It's been an ongoing onslaught by developers and ranchers with bulldozers
and government permits. The result has been scarcity of "tone wood" at different times and for
different reasons: some political and some environmental. There's no simple answer such as:
"Gibson sucks! They are cheaping out on the wood and charging too much for poor quality."
...this is a stock complaint that has been heard since I was a teen in the sixties. It probably was
heard in the fifties too, concerning the new fangled "Les Paul" guitars that sell now for big money.
So it's nonsense now as it was nonsense then.
Gibson was caught by federal agents in 2011 with a warehouse full of Rosewood, Ebony
and Mahogany that was purchased on the "Black Market" from illicit dealers in Madagascar
and some other third world nations. US Government agents entered Gibson's property
with a warrant and confiscated a large amount of "tone wood" that Gibson had intended to use
in guitar production. Gibson had to eat crow and fight a court battle for several years before
they took their lumps, paid their fines and got their wood back.
Madagascar had suffered a Military Coup D'Etat not long before, and morale was low among
government functionaries (such as customs officials). No one was paying the Forest Rangers, so
they went home and tried to find other work. Some of them turned to selling the same forests they had
been hired to protect. There were no shortages of buyers. All the wood sold by these kind of guys
was illegal, it had no proper paperwork and it was pirate loot.
...Sooooo when I looked at a 2012 M/F catalog, it showed Gibson SG specials made of mahogany
but with maple necks (which made me curious) and fretboards made of "baked maple." I'd never
heard of this, but I decided I would support Gibson's efforts to find substitutes for dwindling supplies
of tropical tone wood from rain forests in third world countries with dicey political climates.
What a good idea, I thought. So I bought one. It's a great guitar. I still have it.
An SG with a maple neck is a great idea, the maple is strong and stiff and plays very well
IMHO. Of course it does... Some of the best guitars in the world are made by Fender using
maple necks. I didn't know what "baked maple" was (for a fretboard material), but sometimes if you take your lady to a good restaurant, you just trust the Chef. I regard Gibson as a high quality guitar
maker, so I took a leap of faith and ordered one of their SG specials with the baked maple fret
board. I paid about $600 US in 2013. The baked maple fretboard is hard and smooth and gives
great service... I' ve been using mine since 2013 with no problems. This guitar is not for sale.
One of the reasons for the ups and downs in the "tone wood" market is the Chinese Middle class.
They have economic clout now and they all want nice homes with cabinets made of mahogany and
trim made of ebony, and it's a HUGE market, sucking up much more of our favorite wood products
than do all the guitar makers of the world. Guitarists who may be ignorant of all this are quick
to blame Gibson for cutting corners when maybe the company is simply trying to keep their work force
employed. Anyway, Gibson guitars rock. And the tone wood circus continues. I bought the above
SG special in 2013 thinking that a maple neck and a baked maple fretboard were likely made of
North American hardwoods. I still think that's a good idea.
I bought a Gibson J-45 AG in like 2018 for the same reasons. The J-45 has its own cult following
among guitarists, it's one of those 'workhorse" guitar models that many pros have become famous
while playing. Me, I always wanted one but felt like the price was too high, so I never dreamed I'd
actually own one. But in 2018 Gibson offered the J-45 AG which has a maple neck, a walnut back and
sides, a spruce top, a walnut fretboard, a walnut bridge... I could NOT resist. I had to have one.
How about this? A Gibson guitar made wholly of North American hardwoods.... Purists might rail and
whine, but I bought one, to support the idea and also to own a Walnut Gibson J-45.
It seems like my whole life has been devoted to the confounding of purists of all stripes
(and bullies too). So I support Gibson's efforts to remain viable in the 21st Century, and
feel that all the complaints lodged by purists concerning "tonewood" are very simply
answered by working with the EQ controls on one's guitar, and one's pedal board, and
on one's amp.
the years since "vintage" guitars were made. Y'all have heard of "the destruction of the
tropical rain forests?" That wasn't a joke or a political soccer ball, it was a process that took
maybe forty years or maybe sixty years. It's been going on for a long time.
Gibson has to roll with the punches, and get what ever wood they can. So have other makers.
Chain saws buzzing in Brazil and many African nations, as well as Madagascar and the East
Indies... The wood varieties that guitarists think are the best have been getting more and more scarce
since the 1970s at least. It's been an ongoing onslaught by developers and ranchers with bulldozers
and government permits. The result has been scarcity of "tone wood" at different times and for
different reasons: some political and some environmental. There's no simple answer such as:
"Gibson sucks! They are cheaping out on the wood and charging too much for poor quality."
...this is a stock complaint that has been heard since I was a teen in the sixties. It probably was
heard in the fifties too, concerning the new fangled "Les Paul" guitars that sell now for big money.
So it's nonsense now as it was nonsense then.
Gibson was caught by federal agents in 2011 with a warehouse full of Rosewood, Ebony
and Mahogany that was purchased on the "Black Market" from illicit dealers in Madagascar
and some other third world nations. US Government agents entered Gibson's property
with a warrant and confiscated a large amount of "tone wood" that Gibson had intended to use
in guitar production. Gibson had to eat crow and fight a court battle for several years before
they took their lumps, paid their fines and got their wood back.
Madagascar had suffered a Military Coup D'Etat not long before, and morale was low among
government functionaries (such as customs officials). No one was paying the Forest Rangers, so
they went home and tried to find other work. Some of them turned to selling the same forests they had
been hired to protect. There were no shortages of buyers. All the wood sold by these kind of guys
was illegal, it had no proper paperwork and it was pirate loot.
...Sooooo when I looked at a 2012 M/F catalog, it showed Gibson SG specials made of mahogany
but with maple necks (which made me curious) and fretboards made of "baked maple." I'd never
heard of this, but I decided I would support Gibson's efforts to find substitutes for dwindling supplies
of tropical tone wood from rain forests in third world countries with dicey political climates.
What a good idea, I thought. So I bought one. It's a great guitar. I still have it.
An SG with a maple neck is a great idea, the maple is strong and stiff and plays very well
IMHO. Of course it does... Some of the best guitars in the world are made by Fender using
maple necks. I didn't know what "baked maple" was (for a fretboard material), but sometimes if you take your lady to a good restaurant, you just trust the Chef. I regard Gibson as a high quality guitar
maker, so I took a leap of faith and ordered one of their SG specials with the baked maple fret
board. I paid about $600 US in 2013. The baked maple fretboard is hard and smooth and gives
great service... I' ve been using mine since 2013 with no problems. This guitar is not for sale.
One of the reasons for the ups and downs in the "tone wood" market is the Chinese Middle class.
They have economic clout now and they all want nice homes with cabinets made of mahogany and
trim made of ebony, and it's a HUGE market, sucking up much more of our favorite wood products
than do all the guitar makers of the world. Guitarists who may be ignorant of all this are quick
to blame Gibson for cutting corners when maybe the company is simply trying to keep their work force
employed. Anyway, Gibson guitars rock. And the tone wood circus continues. I bought the above
SG special in 2013 thinking that a maple neck and a baked maple fretboard were likely made of
North American hardwoods. I still think that's a good idea.
I bought a Gibson J-45 AG in like 2018 for the same reasons. The J-45 has its own cult following
among guitarists, it's one of those 'workhorse" guitar models that many pros have become famous
while playing. Me, I always wanted one but felt like the price was too high, so I never dreamed I'd
actually own one. But in 2018 Gibson offered the J-45 AG which has a maple neck, a walnut back and
sides, a spruce top, a walnut fretboard, a walnut bridge... I could NOT resist. I had to have one.
How about this? A Gibson guitar made wholly of North American hardwoods.... Purists might rail and
whine, but I bought one, to support the idea and also to own a Walnut Gibson J-45.
It seems like my whole life has been devoted to the confounding of purists of all stripes
(and bullies too). So I support Gibson's efforts to remain viable in the 21st Century, and
feel that all the complaints lodged by purists concerning "tonewood" are very simply
answered by working with the EQ controls on one's guitar, and one's pedal board, and
on one's amp.
Brians356
Member
- Joined
- Nov 3, 2012
- Messages
- 56
- Reaction score
- 53
Yep, here it is.
Case that fits a 1970s SG Standard
Hi all, new member here and fairly new owner of a ‘74 SG standard. I got an SKB 61 case for it, and quickly realized that my guitar didn’t fit. Not sure if the body shape on mine is a bit different from the modern ones or what, but the horns didn’t line up with the case, and it caused the neck...
www.everythingsg.com
Col Mustard
Well-Known Member
maybe the above post is in the wrong thread...
there is a thread on here about a case for a '70s SG
but this thread is about "tone" wood, and Gibson's
efforts to keep their warehouse full of it.
Anyway I bought an SKB-61 case for my 21st Century SG
and it fits perfectly. Highly recommended.
The SKB-61 is an excellent case... it's very hard and smooth plastic. It seems impervious to
anything except hammer blows and/or bullet hits. This case fits a properly sized SG so snugly
that the instrument can't move around inside. It also fits the Epiphone SG and Epiphone Wilshire
as well as the ESP Viper. I'm very happy with my SKB-61 case, and I bought an SKB case for my
Telecaster too. (the Fender model).
In the early '70s the bean counters at Norlin Gibson
decided for random reasons to change the design of the SG.
Bad idea... some of those guitars have been rehabilitated in
the good graces of the guitar playing world, but the changes
were never accepted, including the changes in body size
and headstock. That makes them odd to find cases for.
Great music has been played on these instruments,
and great music can still be played on them, even if they
are NOT like any of our "normal" SGs...
But finding a case... now that's something you can't do online.
You have to do it in person, with the guitar in your hand... and
you have to do it at a place that actually sells instruments from
this time period. Good luck.
there is a thread on here about a case for a '70s SG
but this thread is about "tone" wood, and Gibson's
efforts to keep their warehouse full of it.
Anyway I bought an SKB-61 case for my 21st Century SG
and it fits perfectly. Highly recommended.
The SKB-61 is an excellent case... it's very hard and smooth plastic. It seems impervious to
anything except hammer blows and/or bullet hits. This case fits a properly sized SG so snugly
that the instrument can't move around inside. It also fits the Epiphone SG and Epiphone Wilshire
as well as the ESP Viper. I'm very happy with my SKB-61 case, and I bought an SKB case for my
Telecaster too. (the Fender model).
In the early '70s the bean counters at Norlin Gibson
decided for random reasons to change the design of the SG.
Bad idea... some of those guitars have been rehabilitated in
the good graces of the guitar playing world, but the changes
were never accepted, including the changes in body size
and headstock. That makes them odd to find cases for.
Great music has been played on these instruments,
and great music can still be played on them, even if they
are NOT like any of our "normal" SGs...
But finding a case... now that's something you can't do online.
You have to do it in person, with the guitar in your hand... and
you have to do it at a place that actually sells instruments from
this time period. Good luck.
