Gibson B25

I bought my B-25 brand new in 1967 from Sam Ash in White Plains, NY. I remember plunking down 150 hard earned dollars to buy it. I have never made any modifications to it and other than strings the only thing I have replaced is the case. The finish has held up beautifully all these years. Contrary to reports from some of the other reviewers my B-25 came new with a rosewood bridge (not plastic) and the pickguard has always remained solidly attached to the body. The tuners are also original and seem cheap in comparison to the rest of the guitar. I have always used .013 gauge strings and tuning is always a bit of a struggle when replacing strings with these tuners.

Tone on the B-25 is the traditional unmistakable Gibson tone. The B-25 doesn't come close to matching the volume of sound one gets from a Gibson Hummingbird but the body of the B-25 is a real mini compared to the Hummingbird too. For a player of small stature, this guitar size is ideal. The B-25 guitar came out at the height of the folk era and the sound is just right for that kind of music (think Peter, Paul and Mary, Kingston Trio, early Dylan). The sound is very balanced with bass and treble complimenting rather than overpowering the other. I don't even try to play jazz or blues on this guitar, I have other guitars far better suited for that style than this one.

When I picked it up at the store it was set up properly with the action set high enough to avoid string buzz. I have never needed to bring it in for any repairs or rework in the 42 years I have owned it. If I were to change anything I would replace the tuners but at this point I prefer to keep everything on the guitar original.

Come on, 42 years and still playing with all the original parts? I think its reliable and durable....duh. This guitar isn't my primary guitar but it has been played regularly through all these years.

Gibson was great about 10 years ago confirm the date of this guitar based on its serial number and filling in some details for me about its construction materials (mahogany back and sides and spruce top).

As the years go by, there will be fewer and fewer of these B-25's on the market. Its small size and easy playability should be especially attractive to the smaller stature guitar player who struggles getting her /his arms around a dreadnought sized guitar. And as I have found, its durability is remarkable. I don't hesitate to take it anywhere. Indoors, outdoors, campfires, etc etc it is a survivor.

The serial number on mine makes it a 1965. It' a cool little guitar, smaller than a standard sized acoustic. Mahogany back and sides with spruce top that feels fairly thick. No pickups. The guitar is over 40 years old, but it is really in mint condition. I don't believe it was played that much. The original owner must have played slide because the action was awfully high. What's amazing is that I did not intitially recognize that the bridge was made of plastic! Genius eh? The guitar needed to be set up so I took it to my friend the amazing Sal Giardina, a luthier in New Orleans, and he actually told me the bridge was plastic. Sal set the guitar up for me and he made a new bridge of rosewood identical in appearance to the plastic one, which I still have. The neck is rounded and not overly big.

The sound is good. Not as loud or deep as a larger J45, but with and integrity of its own. Makes a good little blues guitar. I play with a flatpick or finger pick...it accomodates both well. I recently played a B25 in Guitar Center and thought it was a little better than mine, but I wouldn't part with it.

My friend set the guitar with fairly low action, but there isn't a lot of buzz or anything. I play acoustics with nothing heavier than 11s. The neck is D-shaped, and is easy, although a higher quality guitar is easier to play. The top is thick for it's size, but the wood is nice, and the mahogany back is made of very pretty wood.

The guitar is sound and has no strap buttons. I won't be putting any on either. It would stand up to gigging because I play rough and bang on her pretty hard if you know what I mean.

It's long past the time to ask Gibson for anything. Generally, once I buy a guitar I get a craftsman to work on it. That's why I play a guitar several times before buying, looking maily at sound, playability, and whether it will hold a tune.

Again, I would not part with this guitar because Gibson acoustics are by far my favourite and this one is becoming an antique, isn't it? I guard my guitars well, but I wouldn't commit suicide if I lost it. Now, my JP Les Paul....

Natural Finish
Thin Neck
Have original case (which is falling apart) just ordered a made to fit case.

Guitar sounds really nice. I have been using the Light gauge Silk and Steel Strings for years. Just put a pair of Elixir Nanos (light gauge) on it and wow...it really sounds great. My buddy had one of those Eric Clapton signature Martins (almost the same size guitar) and he was even impressed with the Gibson.

Action is good on this one. I had it adjusted by a while ago. The pick guard was separating so I had it glued down at the local music store. What a mistake. Although they claimed they used a "water based glue" it oozed from under the pick guard onto the finish. I finally took it to a vintage guitar shop where the guy actually showed me what to do and let me work on the finish (nothing to harsh)and it came out really nice. Most importantly the glue was removed.

As far as live playing, I've tried putting a Fishman insert into the guitar but it just didn't do the trick. I've thought about putting one of the nicer Fishman pickups in but I'm really hesitant as they do need to be "installed".

The hardware and finish speak for itself....42 years old!

Only 1 strap button on it. I refuse to drill into it to put on a second.

If I could get it to sound good plugged in, yes, I'd use it at a gig w/out a backup.

I tried to contact Gibson in regard to a case and they were very kind and referred me to a case maker.

I've been playing this guitar on and off since I was 16. It was my mom's partners who purchased it in 1964 for approx. $100. She then got a Martin in '71 and eventually gave the Gibson to my mom. When she passed away two years ago (2005) the guitar went to me.

Me, I "Play at" guitar. I'm really a harmonica player. But I have done gigs here and there with an acoustic guitar. Only tired to use this guitar once with a Fishman sound hole pickup at a gig. It didn't really come through but it could have been due to the crappy "Fender Passport" PA I was trying to run it through.

I love it because I have been playing it since I was 16. And believe me, I dragged this thing around with me when I was in my teens and it survived that ordeal. No wonder my mom would keep telling me to bring it home.

If it was stolen I'd have to find another but it wouldn't have the same sentimental value as this one.

It'd be nice to put a top of the line Fishman pickup in but I'm hesitant to do so as it has to be "installed".

Note of interest is that I recently took this guitar to my work to play a song for one of our employees who was leaving. I played it without sound reinforcement with my harp and it totally filled the room I was playing in. Which is a pretty large room. I was impressed and so were the other musicians at the job.

196x Gibson B25, sunburst, with no serial number, wooden height-adjustable bridge, Kluson Deluxe tuners, same general features as described by others happy users.

The one attribute this highly likable instrument doesn't have is strong sound volume, but it has an incredibly sweet, well-balanced sound. I play blues, jazz, r'n'b and this is probably the bluesiest of my collection of 7 or 8 instruments (counting both acoustics and electrics). The fact is that for some 30 years, I knew that if I had to play on this one outdoors with other players, it'd be hard for me to be heard distinctly. But indoors and in non-noisy contexts, it's always been a blessing, to my ears as to others present.

In 2006, I felt like getting a higher range instrument and ended up getting a 1999 Taylor 514CE which has really fulfilled my expectations. The cedar top gives it a warm and powerful sound that suits it for blues, which is not quite the case of many Taylor models. At the same time, I discovered Elixir strings, recommended by Taylor. I didn't know strings could make such a difference compared to competing strings!!

At first, I was a bit sad for my B25. I had suffered a flat-wound craze for a few years and had put d'Addario Chrome 11s on several of my guitars, including the B25 (that was rather stupid in retrospect), so it really paled compared to the Elixir-equipped 514. I thought I would stop playing altogether on this so trustful blues workhorse.

And then I tried putting Elixirs (Polyweb, deeper sound, better for jazz-blues) on the B25... ALLELUIAH! It gave it an INCREDIBLE NEW LIFE. It now projects a higher sound volume, still has its incredibly sweet bluesy sound but now magnified, revealed!

I love this axe and I continue playing it as much as I play the superior Taylor.

This is also the easiest to play guitar I own. Compared to a Taylor or a Jacobacci (my main electric -- I'm French), the neck is a bit thick, but the neck/fingerboard dimensions are more accommodating, the fingerboard is in a very good quality rosewood, denser than a lot, almost verging on ebony. It has low action and plays like breeze.

I've had my second B25 for 25 years now, it's battered and full of dents but still has everything that counts!

On my first trip to the US, in 1974, before getting on to hitch-hike my way and my friend Louis' to the West Coast and back, I stopped by "We Buy Guitars Inc", NY, and there was that other B25, my first one, darker, that was signed by Gibson and still within my budget ($275). I had to quite strum on it to get properly heard along my friend's bigger-sounding Yamaha, but I instantly took to it for the quality of its sound.

It was stolen in London in 1979 and I was devastated! I had to have another one. In 1982, on my second trip to the US, I went back to the exact same place and found almost the same guitar (a slightly lighter-colored B25) for almost the same price ($280)!

Boy, was I happy. And am I happy to have had it all this time. Should it be stolen or lost again, and even though I have a Taylor now, I think I would definitely buy another one to replace it.

More particularly for blues guitarist, I wholeheartedly recommend this model as it can still be found for a reasonable price, definitely under $1000, and offers a lot, especially equipped with Elixir Polyweb strings.

1964 Gibson B-24, made in the USA. Small bodied acoustic with a solid spruce top and solid mohagany sides and back. Neck looks mohagany. PLASTIC BRIDGE, which is how they were orignally made apparently. Small (old stly) headstock. Kluson deluxe tuners. It has that stereotypical Gibson neck. A big old fat "D" shape. Smelled like old people. Ha Ha.

Here's where I was just floored. I found this thing in a newspaper ad the day before I was to but a brand new Martin acoustic that I had played and was completely satisfied with. I stop by this guy's house and this guitar is in an old case with strings that were so old that they couldv'e had moss growing off of them. Picked it up and "Blamo!" Wheeled and dealed, took 'er home. Was shocked to see how full it sounded. Tons of volume. Maintains very nice clarity in the treble and also has a nice full bottom end. The body, being a 42 year old solid body guitar, resonates like an absolute dream. I play a lot of blues style music and this things fits that perfectly. Enough bass to have a walking riff on the bottom 2 strings and enough punch in the treble to really set it off with some licks. And again, chords are just awesome with this baby. This guitar will definitely fool you. When I saw it, I thought that it looked a little too "petite" for my liking. But I'll tell ya what...a 12-bar blues, and "Hey Joe" later, I knew that I had stumbled onto something. Then I threw on a set of Elixir nanowebs. SH!T, you want to talk about a good sounding guitar!! I am just glad that my wife checked the classified ads before I spent a LOT more money on a guitar that didn't sound anywhere near as good. Nothing against Martin but a brand new "unseasoned" guitar that has it's best days ahead of it v.s. a 1964 Gibson that is like a wine that is just waiting to be savored! Ha, ha, how dumb does that sound?! No kidding though, this thing definitely has enough clarity for country, enough bass for blues and even sounds good playing 90's grunge movement style (Alice in Chains, Nirvana, Pearl Jam). I could not possibly be any happier with the sound of this guitar. AND TO THINK THAT AFTER READING WHAT THOSE BEFORE ME WROTE ABOUT THIS GUITAR I ALMOST DIDN'T EVEN BOTHER LOOKING AT IT. JUST GOES TO SHOW YOU. THE ONLY REVIEW THAT YOU SHOULD TRUST IS THE ONE THAT YOUR GUT GIVES YOU WHILE YOU'RE PLAYING WHATEVER INSTRUMENT YOU'RE CONSIDERING. It's nice to be able to see what little detailed opinions different people have on a specific product but that in no way should stop you from giving a GOOD, HONEST listen without having a preconceived notion of what its gonna sound like because all the reviews said "blah,blah,blah. To be honest with you, I was looking to buy a Gibson Deluxe Songwriter, or a new J-45. All that I heard about those guitars was that they can do everything but drive you to the gig. When I played them...ugh! Supreme disappointment. All fluff and talk. If I wouldv'e closed my eyes and someone handed me either of those guitars I wouldv'e told them that I was playing some cheap, laminated Fender acoustic that probably costed around $300. Read the reveiws on those two guitars. That's not what they say. I think a lot of times people will buy something and then talk themselves into liking it. So with all that being said. Just use these reviews as a reference ONLY. If not you might miss out on something really nice.

Action on this guitar is set pretty low. Or at least as low as I want an acoustic set up. A friend of mine has a '57 Gibson J50 and that is the only guitar that I have ever played that has better action and feel on the fretboard. Finish is in actually pretty good shape. The laquer is all checked from 40 years of temperature change but thats about it. The neck is still strait as an arrow and there isn't even a hint of twist in the fretboard. All of the seams are very secure and there is no separation. PLASTIC BRIDGE!! What was Gibson thinking. That bridge seems to be the dark cloud over this guitar. I can see where a plastic bridge would be a huge problem. Thank goodness that the bridge on mine is in check. No bowing, cracking, or warping. All thie things that you would expect from a plastic bridge. And if it hasn't happened between 1964 and 2006, I don't think that it will be happening any time soon. Back to the fretboard. It has that really great, rolled edge, rounded from being played so much feel that really does make this thing hard to put down. Take away that plastic bridge and this things wins with spades, BUT you cannot overlook something as potentially devastating as a plastic bridge. Other than that a 10, but a bridge is MAJOR.

this old bastard has been around for 42 years. I'd say it's pretty durable. Hardware, pickguard, strap buttons all look original and are in great working order. I wouldn't gig with this thing I don't think. All it takes is some knucklehead stealing it and it's gone forever. And this isn't the kind of guitar that you just find everyday. Obviously from reading other reviews I got really lucky finding one that wasn't a P.O.S. So to me that makes it even that much more rare. By far my best sounding acoustic, and also my favorite. But if I could be sure that "The Bomber" wouldn't grow feet and walk away, you can bet your ass I 'd gig with it.

I don't think that Gibson even had a customer support center in '64. And if I called them about this guitar I'd probably get laughed at. You guessed it...it didn't come with a warranty .

I have a Gibson '61 re-issue SG, Fender Strat, Dean Dobro, Fender HotRod Deville 4x10, pawn shop special acoustic, Boss ME50, Zoom GFX5, of which I rarely play anything but the Gibsons (the one you're reading about and the SG). I wish that I had noticed the plastic bridge when I bought it. I am kind of glad that I didn't because that might have made me think twice and.......If it were lost or stolen I would really like to get another one but that is probably easier said than done with a guitar like this that actually sounds good and is in good shape. I really wish that it had a wooden bridge, which I did price at a very reputable luthier and the price tag is $600. I wish it didn't smell like old people, it's a little weird when you are playing it. Like I said before, on the outside chance that you actually have one of these in front of you or have the chance to play one, you really should give it a shot. I am so glad that I did. I was about to spend a helluva lot more money on a guitar that is nice but doesn't quite have the gusto that "The Bomber" has. As far as those other reviews go, so much can happen to a guitar over a 40 year span to affect tone and playablity that I am sure that the other owners aren't being dishonest. I would say that it's more a matter of personal taste as far as tone goes and 40 years of variables to make two identical guitars and making them sound competely different. Because of this they should (at least I feel), be individually rated based on singular guitars rather than classify all of the guitars of that model based on a few "bad apples" or maybe in my case "good apples?" Hopefully this will assist somebody someday in getting a really good guitar. This B-25 is definitely a diamond in the rough.

From the Serial number, I'd guess this one was made in 1963. It has all the same features as any other B-25. Brownburst color, solid spruce(?) top, etc.

The sound is ok. There's really not much more to say about that. As far as I can tell this guitar wasn't built for huge tone, but really more for "campfire" singing and plunking around on.

The action is set pretty standard for a guitar of this style. The truss rod was a little loose and caused the strings to feel slightly higher than they should be but a quick 1/8th turn of the rod and its playing quite nicely now.
Like I said, this guitar was made in the early '60's, so it's had its fair share of dents and dings, but otherwise it's really in pretty darn good shape considering that the last owner reported to have bought it at a yard sale and then didn't know what he had.
I'm not too pleased with the positioning of the bridge since I can't get it to tune quite right, but there's really nothing much I can (or am willing, rather) to to about that.
The original tuners are still pretty good, but I always get that annoying "PING" when tuning the G string. I seem to only hear that when I'm tuning up a fairly inexpensive or low quality guitar, but considering that this beast has been around for a considerable amount of time, I think it's probably just a sign of its age.

I guess it would hold up on the road, but I'm not going to do it.

N/A

I've played for somewhere in the neighborhood of 20 years. I sure as heck wouldn't pay more than a hundred dollars to replace this guitar, but that's only because I really have no interest in collecting.
All in all this is a nice guitar to keep sitting in the corner in case you get the sudden urge to plunk out a chord or two. Plus it's just kind of neat to say "Hey, look at this cool Gibson B-25".
For what I paid for it, I think its a nice guitar.

'64 B-25N spruce top, mohagany back and sides, adjustable bridge, kluson in line tuners, Brazilian board, nice shape and feel to the board and neck, original crummy case.

full tones, easy to play, Sounds better than I though it would.

fit an dfinish are very good. Those old Gibsons just have the best playability

solid and time tested, it does what it does nicely

Gibson has it's pros and cons, and from 1964, I'm not the original owner so I doubt I'll get any warranty wrok done.

40 years out playing.
I am impressed by the compact size and full tones of the B25. I sold a Tatlor 914 and was looking for something nice but a little less money, Well this is it. Better than I thought

I had the bridge changed and the huge pickguard removed, and that brightened up the sound.
Mine is a sunburst. I like the short scale and the small body. It's from 1965 or 1966.

Compared to my D Martin, it's a lot warmer. Not as loud, not as much bass, but it's great for Django type stuff as well as fingerstyle. It's also good for country but I wouldn't play it with a bluegrass band. It records very well because it's not boomy at all. Well balanced. Higher notes really project well.
I've played guitars that cost twice as much that don't sound as good. I use Elixirs on it, and end up playing a lot of chord solos.
The x-braced top gives it a fine sound.

It's scratched and nicked. Beat up. But the feel to it is great.

It's solid. 40 years old, and still original tuners and nut and (I think) frets.

Considering the price for this, I'm very happy with it. I end up playing it a lot. The small scale and the really warm tone is what I like most about it.

Small bodied solid top acoustic, thin neck. Has adjustable saddle and big thick scratch plate. Tuners usually have plastic keys. Mine is natural and dates to 1967.
Rating this 10 because it has adjustable saddle, and what else could you want from an acoustic??????

Great blues sound, and seriously warm. This is probably because it is very well played in. Sound real tight and 'lo-fi'. After playing this guitar and then playing a full size jumbo, you really see that they just cannot be compared.
I'm giving an 8 rating because its not a full on strummers guitar.

Excellent action and superb feel, what more could you want?
Aged as expected. Looks classic

The tuning heads have been changed due to plastic ones generally being poor and unstable. 100% dependable and will last another hundred years at least. No breaks or splits.

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I got this one at a good price with added top of the range electrics, expect to pay a bit more in england for an original good condition one. Still, on mine some one had taken the paint off the headstock... which i like.
This guitar is just what i wanted, a mellow blues sound perfect for playing at a nice low volume. And so comfortable. It's not everyones thing, but if you like it, you'll want one. A great alternative to the jumbo style and sound.
WELL WORTH A PLAY!!!!!!!!!!