Gibson Marauder

Mid 70's USA made, but could have been made in any country where quality is considered lousy. It was made in the time when American and Gibson quality was at an all time low.

(Bad)microphonic, weak Humbucker in fron, Bad thin sounding tele single at the bridge

Crap, (Bad)microphonic, weak Humbucker in fron, Bad thin sounding tele single at the bridge.

Played through a recently new tube Marshall, so it is not the amp that is the problem.

Lousy playing neck and poor quality fret work

I don't know, I sold it as fast as I got it.

If the Gibson name was removed, this guitar would be seen as a piece of Taiwan, Korean etc. crap, not as a vintage Gibson as certain magazines like Guitar World claim.

I bought it cheap for $200 and sold it for the same. Pity, I did not hang on to it, where I could have sold it for $800 to certain people who think a just being 30 year old Gibson, results in a great playing and sounding Guitar

This Guitar is good for being in music videos where one does not need to play the thing.

It was poor quality crap like this that from Gibson and Fender that resulting in brands like Ibanez, Yamaha etc gaining a foothold with professional players who looked for quality, not just the name on the neck

USA made, set neck, with a crappy humbucker in the neck and a crappy single coil strat type pickup in the bridge.

Absolute crap. If you took the Gibson name off, you would swear it was a Vibra or some other crappy make

Back neck feel, bad body feel as stated before if you took the Gibson name off, you would swear it was a Vibra or some other crappy make

I bought this for $250 in 1978 and sold if for the same in one year.

I can't believe the prices this is going for.

This is what allowed Ibanez, Yamaha etc to gain a foot hold in the market.

To read Guitar World saying it is a 25 year old classic is judging name and years but not quality

Hi, i have one off the first series of marauder. But aparently someone took the neck off and screw it on another body. It doesn't fit well actually. Besides that i had to completely remove the finish because someone thought you should also finish the rosewood fingerboard (really stupid eh?) Anyway i took it down to a great guitarbuilder and he completely redid the neck. It cost a small fortune but eversince it's perfect. It's fast, small and nice.
The pickups are really special. It has a single coil at the bridge that is not as noisy as a strat and i can scream like a pig with it. (try a bottleneck close to the bridge and any glass should break.) The humbucker is great for those deeper sounds and a combination of the two produces a very rich sound only a Marauder could bring forth.

I play blues, rock, heavy and mostly experimental (chaos really..) I can do all with this one. It's a bit heavy to play on stage so i mainly use it for home recordings.

I bought it second or third hand and it was absolutely not set properly. I took everything apart had to clean it and even had to replace some of the wiring. Took it back together again. You've read about the finish. So it became a real custom.

It's a very solid guitar. I can even bend the neck without getting out of tune. It also reacts well on tempature changes.

What? Gibson don't want to remember this guitar. After a really long search on their website you can find a very small mention about Keith Richards trying one at the factory.

I played this guitar for 15 years now with several others like an SG, Fender strat and a firebird. I keep coming back to the marauder because it's reliable, has great sounds and plays very easy. The only thing i don't like is the position of the switch. More than once i accidently pushed it while playing. I whish i had the model with the turnknob so that you can put more balance between the pickups.
If it was stolen i would personally hang the person who did it. Don't mess around with my marauder.

I have a 1976 Marauder Custom. It has a heavy alder body, painted in tobacco brown sunburst, a bound rosewood board, bolt on neck with block inlays, and as far as I can tell, all original spec parts. The tuners are "Gibson Deluxe" tulip style tuners, and the pick-ups are a Lawrence single coil and humbucker. The frets are very wide. A 3 way toggle switch is fitted. A Gibson hard case was included.

The guitar is thick, heavy and quite angular, unlike a Strat. Even the flat edges of the body have a sunburst shading applied, as if Gibson wanted to prove it is made of solid wood! The giant pickguard gives a very retro appearance.

My music style is blues and rock. This guitar is particularly suited to blues sounds. The bridge single coil gives a better sound than the position 1 on my Strat. It is less brash and twangy, but still bright and cutting. The combined sound is perfect for blues rhythm and lead, with a clear, middle rich sound. The humbucker is loud, and sustains well. The difference in volume between all 3 positions can be useful sometimes. There is very little hum from the bridge pick up. This guitar is not ideal for hard rock - it gives me a slightly mellow vibe when I play it. But it's unbeatable for blues.

I bought this Marauder second hand, from a shop advertising on eBay. The action was incredibly low, which made me confident that the neck and intonation were correctly set up. After finding that the sounds best suited blues music, I raised the action a lot so that I could bend a string or two. I also had to lower the pick ups a little. A little bit must have at some time in history chipped off the nut, so I might replace that. The pick up selector sometimes misses a contact, so I'll clean or replace it. The volume & tone controls are like new. The tuners are OK. The paint finish shows some wear, as you'd expect on a 29 year old. The muddy brown sunburst shows some wood grain, but in the end it isn't very exciting. I wish that the shiny bits could have been either chrome or nickel plated rather than both. The tuners and neck plate have an attractively faded patina, but the bridge and stop piece look brand new.

This guitar is as hard as nails. A clear advantage of a simple design. The tuning holds up to several hours of playing at different temperatures. If the finish wears down, it'll only add to it's semi-vintage character, because the sound won't be affected. I could use it at a gig without a back up, but that is always risky however good the guitar. The pick up selector switch and chipped nut will need attention soon.

N/A. Second hand instrument.

I liked this guitar as soon as I found it on eBay because I used to have a regular Marauder from 1981 to 83. I traded it in for my 1982 "Smith" Strat. Seeing a Custom for sale 22 years later, in excellent condition made me very nostalgic. I've been playing guitar since the age of eight or ten. I'm a little disappointed that it is best suited to blues rather than rock (or both), but then it isn't trying to be a Les Paul. I'll continue to use my (more versatile) Strat for rock then.

Dunno when it was made - serial number is 99103300 - think it's around 1975. Saw it in a shop window in 2000 and decided it would be mine (something I've never done for any other instrument). Was in a terrible condition when I got it - the previous owner had changed the bridge for a Les Paul bridge (big mistake), but luckily had left the original so I quickly put it back. It has this weird Dean Markley accoustic pickup inside the board which when you switch it on just adds the noise from the friction of your hand on the neck - but does nothing else. I love it even though it's completely pointless as you can hardly tell the difference! The other pickups seem to be original (and so might this one but I have no idea to be totally honest - never seen it on another Marauder). Otherwise, It's Alder, and the f***er sitting next to me has been playing it for a couple of hours and won't stop.

I give it 9 because it plays on a slightly lower volume than say a Les Paul, and that there are the occasional parasites, but I love the sound. I mainly use the neck hum pickup but also use the back one when playing lead. The Humbucker has one of the most beautiful sounds I've ever listened to. Also the body of the guitar rings so beautifully...

The neck is twisted, the guitar is dirty but funnily enough tightening a few screws here and there does the job. Very pleasant play despite many faults.

Solid as a rock - I guess - It feels like it would have lasted A few gigs from The Who had he traded it for his SG... It's been in the luggage compartement on the plane, played many gigs (about 15 or so)... But then again as any Woman - you always think it's frail...

Never had to deal with Gibbo... Would like to contact them to know more about my guitar but have never come round to it.

Been playing since I was 12 (I'm now 23). I play it on a Montarbo 40W Amp (very good Italian brand from the 1980's) with a Jackhammer Marshall distortion and a Morley Wah... Would Kill anyone who came anywhere close to it, so hands off pals... I love everything about this guitar and will cherish it till death do us part... Great price for an amazing guitar full of character...

1980; 22-fret, smooth p/u dial, vol tone, not sure of body wood, neck is maple with a maple fingerboard, heastock same as a Flying V, currently primer grey finish- eventualy will be a dark blue, added a Gibson SuperTune locking whammy (six months after I bought the guitar in 1980) it!), currenly has stock neck pickup and a 1983 Seymour Duncan DoubleStack in the lead position, picked up a 1976 Marauder hard case on ebay lasy year (beat up and beautiful)

Great for rock, not so fore metal; has the most beautiful clean tone around; using it with a 50w Crate Vintage tube and it sounds great; lead tone is a bit light, bridge p/u with good tube distortion sounds like a Les Paul; I do have some problems with clicks, pops and electrical noise, but that will be fixed. I am in the process of rehabbing the whole thing

factory setup was great (I am the original owner), but I have played the hell out of it, so it is in need of some work. I keep it well intonated, ut time has taken its toll.

This guitar is built like a tank. With the Gibson locking system, I can pick the guitar up by the bar and it won't go out of tune.

n/a

playing 25 years... this was my first good guitar. I have others now that most would consider "better" but this is a Gibson and has great construction, it sounds great and plays well- I still use it for most of my rhythm tracks. I like that it has a skinnier neck than most Gibsons and I love how low I can keep the action w/o buzz.

Mine is a 1978, made in USA. Serial # would indicate Kalamazoo origin, but I can't imagine they wouldn't have made this at Nashville. Who knows?

Appears to be 100% original. Dark wood (alder?) body, unbound maple fretboard. Has black pickup covers on both the neck humbucker and bridge sigle coil (both dated September 1978), and against the black pickguard looks way cool. Dial pickup sleector positioned between master volume and tone knobs. Plus it's super light - even lighter than my ash Tele.

Les Paul-style body with beveled edges. No binding. Stop tailpiece w/typical Marauder/S-1 type bridge. Big fat jumbo frets and Gibson tuners. Flying V - style headstock w/Gibson sticker-style logo.

Has everything you need - no frills.

Kinda of reminds you of a beefed-up telecaster or something. I don't know. Has this blending switch that allows gradual combining/exclusion of the Lawrence-designed humbucker and single coil pickups. Pickups are a little noisy, but not a problem.

Very versatile guitar - good for lots of things, though if I were playing only one particular style, I would play something better suited to that particular style.

Great action, great setup. Played great right out of the case. I bought it used (obviously), and had to do very little to make it ideal. Even the pots are clean.

Nice workmanship - nothing jumps out as needing anything. Nothing fancy to worry about.

Play her 'till you smash her into the stacks! Everything on this guitar seems like it will last forever. Everything solid.

Never gig without a backup.

Gibson's had some trouble - seem to be getting better.

Been playing ~25 years. Have lots of other guitars. I prefer electric solid bodies (mostly Gibsons and Fenders). Use old Fender and Marshall amps and an assortment of pedals and rack units.

I'd replace it if lost if I found one that looked this cool. I can't say I'd jones for the sound necessarily.

1976 Gibson Marauder - i think mine is one of a kind?!!?! 22 frets original pick ups. Les Paul style 3 way switch....oh did i mention mine is a LEFTY?!?! Well i didn;t start out that way. I bought it 2nd hand in Calgary Canada. It was professionally cut and insides moved over to accomidate left hand playing. The les paul style bulb has been cut so the body is symetrical on both sides. I love it. If anyone wants to see i pic email me.

Had the bridge replaced, sounds SWEET...very full and bassy.

10

Smooth action, easy to play, with the custom cut body very easy to play on the 12-22 frets. This geetar seems light...probably cuz much of the wood has been removed from the body.

Pretty tough this thing, only thing is the tuning pegs might need replacment some time.

Been playing for 20 15 years, its hard to find a decent priced lefty that plays nice, specially old leftys. I love this geetar, and i like the custon chop of it:)

1980 USA Made Gibson Marauder. 22 frets. Solid Body, looks like 1 piece Mahogany. One Volume control, 1 tone control, and a rotary blender switch. 1 Neck Humbucker and 1 bridge single coil. Both are covered. Pickups are stock Gibsons, but i heard they were designed by Bill Lawrence. Mahogany Body, Maple Bolt on neck with rosewood fingerboard. Used to have a transparent finish, but the idiot who had it before me painted it a disgusting orange color. Les Paul style Body. Tune o matic style bridge and stop tailpiece. Non Locking Gibson tuners.

Variety of styles. Mostly Rock, Blues and indie stuff. Suits it well. I run it with a Garnet Revolution III as my main amp. The single coil is a little noisy but the humbucker is very quiet. Pretty full sound, not very bright. The Pickups are sort of weak, but that makes the guitar really good for laid back stuff. It can get a decent variety of sounds, specially with the rotary switch. I like this guitar's sounds alot. I might consider changing the pickups if I wanted hotter ones to puch my amp, but I have guitars that do that already.

No idea about factory set up. It was built before I was born. I had to work on it a bit when I got it though. It's very beat up, it's seen it's share of work, that's for sure. Action was ok, finish was redone by an ameteur....crap. and i needed to adjust the guitar in all sorts of ways.

almost 25 years old, and still kicking. Has withstood live playing with no problems. Hardware is still solid and the guitar is built like a rock. never gig without a backup.

The guys at gibson are absolutely useless.

Playing for several years now and I own a few other guitars and amps. Sounds good with all of them. If Lost I would try to find another one, but I wouldn't be upset if I couldn't. I really like the sound of the guitar, but sometimes I do consider changing the pickups for something with a little more life to them. I think that for the price, you could do a whole lot worse than a Gibson Marauder. Despite recieving a little bit of a popularity boost recently, these things still go for damn cheap. get em' while you can.

1976 USA, 22 frets, vol,tone, 3-way switch, full humbucker in the neck, single coil size in the bridge, alder body, maple neck with rosewood board. This one is in the process of being finished purple sunburst. The previous owner sprayed it with black Krylon. Original gibson tuners, schaller wide tune-o-matic bridge.

I like this through my customized fender head. It's a quad in a bassman box rewired like a 65 twin with A- AB- B tube biasing. Also good through my stock JCM800 50 watt combo. I play several styles. Great for everything from cool jazz to dirty filthy punk from hell. It tends to squeel on the back pickup rather than give smooth feedback. Overall my second best sounding, next to my wonderful oddball tele.

I sanded it and set it up and played it for two years. There is a problem with the neck pockets on these guitars. I had it shimmed at a local shop for $35. It tunes perfect now. This guitar usually feels just wonderful but being a fender player the angle feels weird to me at times. The frets are original and in good shape. I had them crowned and it's just nice. Action is low. Notes ring true.

If I ever need to beat up 4 english drunks again this is the guitar to do it with. I'm replacing the strap buttons with strap locks. I haven's gigged with it yet but it's sure to be a mainstay along with my tele, strat, and G&L legacy special. I like it better than the strat and G&L and I'm sure it can take more abuse.

I got in touch with Gibson once about this guitar. I won't bother again. They were arrogant jerks.

It's a love thing. I hate seeing the prices go up on them. I'd like to find the more rare custom model with block inlays. I wish gibson would drop their epiphone line and serve up more real guitars like this one.