Gibson Melody Maker

From what I can tell this is a 1967 model Melody Maker. It has the original pick-up which Gibson re-wound for me that sounds terrific. It also has a humbucker that some idiot added, but I had it un-wired. There are volume and a tone control knobs. There is also a whammy bar on it, that I have taken off. It has been painted off-white, so the serial number is covered up as well as the original cherry finish that is showing through on one spot where there is a ding. I bought this guitar for $20 at a garage sale. I took it to my luthier who set it up for me and got me in touch with Gibson. I knew I had something from the moment I saw it setting up against a tree! The set-up guy at Gibson offered me $250 for it before he even touched it! Since then I have been offered upwards of $300 for it, but I'm not selling.

I play mostly rhythm and this is perfect. I use a jangly, clean sound, but she can roar when she wants to.

The action on this guitar is amazing, very low and fast. There are some dings on her, heck she's almost 40 years old! But she's a beauty!

This guitar is played live some, but mostly for studio work. I depend on her so much!

Gibson is top notch , like I said they re-wound the original pickup for next to nothing.

I have been playing for 11 years. This is the only electric guitar I own. Live, I play her through a Fender princeton 1X12. In the studio I use my Johnson J-Station. I also have a Takamine acoustic/electric and an Ovation 12 string acoustic/electric. I am always on the look out for good deals on GOOD used equipment and would JUMP at the chance for another Melody Maker.

63-ish double cut
single bridge pick-up
2 knobs , tone and volume
cherry red but heavy grain is showing through due to age

I play a blues/rock style and its perfect. I compare the sound to an earlt tele but with a little more balls. But it can sound frail if not played loud enough. The knobs are highly sensitive also.

This is by far the best playing guitar i have ever played. Period. the stock tuners had to be replaced but other than that its a-ok

I cant count how many times i have dropped this thing and it still wails. i was playing a show and the strap came loose and it fell face-first on the ground. i picked it back up and to my suprise it was still IN TUNE!

Ilove the sound and action of this guitar and truly couldnt see myself without this guitar. If i could find another i would most deff. buy it. i have been playing for a solid 16 years and i must say this is truly a great guitar.

2003 USA made. Single coil P-90 bridge humbucker. Black satin Mahogany finish. Grover tuners, Gibson wire strings, TOM bridge, thin neck and included a gig bag.

First "true" P-90 pup and it ROCKS! Using lowly Crate CR1 amp that with Boss DS1 pedal and the sound is incredible. Major hum when left unattended and in high volume. Distortion and overdrive is definitely acceptable in this price range. Likes? Everything Dislikes? Another single coil pickup by the neck (I guess this would make it a LP Classic).

I had the action lowered a tad bit. Pickups were as is. No major flaws (this is a black satin finish). Neck could be smoother for faster action.

Very durable and sturdy...It's a GIBSON!! Haven't played it live so I haven't used a strap on it yet. I'm lazy and play the beauty sitting down.

Not have to dealt with them.

Had it for about a month and love it. Don't think I'll trade it in like my previuos 7 guitars and 1 bass (Fender Am Std, Squier, Godin LG, LGX, Radiator, Ibanez RG series, and Fender Bass). This one is a keeper for practicing and playing the blues and gool 'ol RNR!!

This is the lowest level Gibson that was available in 1960: a single pickup, single cutaway Melody Maker solidbody in the typical yellow/brown sunburst of the LP jr. - and this cool alligator cardboard case!! Fat mahagony neck and thin solidbody (like a Firebird). I picked this one up real cheap with a non-original pickup and a replacement bridge, which was perfect since I had a set of old P-90 pickups and got a real well-made one-piece bridge made by Nik Huber. The wood that they used in those days and that is unavailable today really has this rich, musical tone.

A perfect match of Gibson balls with just a touch of Tele spank! Finally a Gibson solidbody that's a good rythm instrument - and of course she wails!

This one was in rather good condition for a 40+ year-old-lady - simple and solid. It didn't take a lot of effort to bring it back to top performance. It had a set of nickel Grover tuners put on that made this little guitar almost top-heavey. I love the looks of old Grovers but a new set of reissue Kluson's made much more sense on this guitar.

Rock solid. The single cutaway design of this model (the first year of production) makes it a little more dependable than an SG. The MM's body is as thick (1 1/4") as the SG's behind the bridge but doesn't get thinner towards the neck. The double cutaway models of the MM made after 1960 that I tried did not sound as good as this one.

This might sound exxaggerated, but I really feel that this student model from 1960 is the perfect solid body of the 'brown' variant': light-weight, small, faster attack than a Les Paul, more stable (and better sounding on the front pickup) than an SG. A very good usable all-around instrument.

I'm going to review 2 at once, a 1967 D (dual pick-up) which i used to own, and a 1963 (single pick-up) which i got 2 weeks ago.

67- two pick up sg style with mastero whammy bar. 2 volume and 2 tone knobs. three way pickup toggle switch.

63- one pick up earlier shape. used to have the mastero that had been removed. holes remain. one volume and one tone knob.

i play mostly blues-rock type stuff. both guitars suit that style well. the 63, perhaps more so.

67-when i had this, i had a randall solid state amp, so maybe i didn't get "the sound." still sounded very good

63-i run this through a peavey classic 30 tube amp w/o effects. this thing sounds GREAT!!!!

67- i have never been able to play faster and cleaner on any other neck, ever. cardinal red finish.

63- nice feeling neck. once i get reaquainted with a fatter gibson neck, i bet this will rival the 67's neck. tobaccoburst finish (top) deep mahogany (back)

67- i dropped it once, and the neck broke off at the body joint. had it repaired, and it was fine.

63- i didn't drop this one, but somebody did. headstock has been broken off and repaired.

i could depend on either, as long as i didn't drop it

i have been playing guitar for about 25 years or so. i loved the 67, and could kick myself in the ass for selling it. it is overall the guitar i had the most fun playing. when i found the 63, i HAD to get it. true, it's a different body style, but, it's still a melody maker. i haven't had it long enough to rate it on my all time list, but i do think it will climb the rungs of my personal mt olympus of guitars. i'd compare the 67 to an sg, and the 63 to a lp jr (very similar neck feel).

these are the forgotten gibsons. get one now, while they are inexpensive. the prices will only go up!!!

I have no idea what year it was made, but the serial # is 017339
My Dad gave it to me not long ago. As for features, the only thing on it that has been changed is the pick-up: He decided to put a Seymore Duncan in it ..........For Juice!
It's the good 'ole sunburst. I like it!

Screw a fender! Screw a Les Paul! Screw a PRS! This thing is a Blues Machine that also has the capability to be as gentle as a lamb

As much as I would have loved playing this guitar when it was still a 10 ........... I'm not that old but it still plays like a dream. The only reason it gets a 9 is that after this mmany years it finally needs a fretjob.

It's older than the hills & still the best I've played. And I've played alot! Need I say more?

Nobody touches this one but me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I've been playing stringed instruments for over 20 years now, and this is one of the only 2 guitars that have stayed right there with me. So I give it a 10 hands down!

I have determined that this is a '65 Melody Maker 3/4. The serial number is not in the Gibson book, but I found a picture of a '65 with a god-awful ugly tremelo plate with three screws that was only made in '65. My guitar was "hot rodded" before I got it, but still has the 3 holes in the body. That was the only year that featured the tremelo.

This is my favorite Rock/Blues guitar. The neck is perfect, it is the fastest "lead" neck I own. Since it was modified, I put in a Seymour Duncan Jeff Beck pickup and it SMOKES! I play through a Fender Hot Rod Deville or a Blues Junior and only use an Ibanez Tube Screamer for a lead boost. Simple and AWSOME!

This Guitar was Jacked up when I bought it for $40 at a swap meet 20 years ago, but the neck feels the best of any guitar I've owned. I put about $150 into fixing it up and it plays great! I got a Hipshot "Baby Grand" bridge to replace the sloppy Badass bridge I bought it with. Much better!

Only grip is the open chord tuning is just a touch off.... I'm working on it. (the neck is so narrow, A chord variations are hard, it could be just clumsy me...ha ha)

Awsome!

This beautifical Melody Maker was made in the USA in the late 1960's. The body is all mahogany while the fretboad - 22 frets - is made of rosewood. Very well made guitar with two pickups and a three-way switch. It used to have a vibrola on it (I'm guessing) but that's long gone and replaced by what my friends call the 'wish a bridge,' which actually works fine.

This is a very versatile guitar - I use it for rock and roll, but you could definitely play blues on it if you needed to and a bunch of other styles in between. Despite being something of a budget guitar for the time, this give a player a good number of options. It can be bright (Gibson bright, not Fender bright) but it also does darker tones very, very well. More variety you can't find in such a simple package. I'm now considering having the pickups rewound just to see what I'm missing, but so far I have no complaints.

This is an old guitar with a lot of wear, but it's still kicking and I don't see it quiting any time soon. The neck on this guitar is very, very comfortable. It feels, in a lot of ways, like an acoustic. It's also crazy cool looking - an SG with a little humility. Over time the only thing to breakdown is the paint job, which I'm told is common for these models (mine's Pelham blue). But, this guitar looks well played and feels well played.

I use this guitar to play live and it has almost never gone out of tune. I play hard and this seems to take the beating and then some. I doubt if it's as inert as a Telecaster, but for a budget student instrument, I'm really impressed how well this was made. I can depend on it without question and I'd use it without a back-up if I had to.

I actually contacted Gibson about re-winding the pickups on this guitar and they got back to me with some info in 24 hours. Not bad. I think Gibson is a top company to deal with.

Forget it. I don't think you can buy a cooler looking guitar for the money these days, especially if you're interested in getting something vintage. These have been going up in price in recent years - I've been amazed that some from the early 1960's are pushing up over a $1000. But, maybe I shouldn't be amazed. These are good quality guitars that sound great and are a blast to play.

I purchased a 1959 gibson melody maker,I paid $300 dollars,mahogany body with a cherry finish,single pick up,volume control knob & tone knob

I play "amplified Blues" thats how I once heard Jimi Hendrix"s style described as.I have a tube style Mesa Boogie amp (unsure of model& age) Gotta love pawn shops(paid 50 bucks)The pick up was replaced with a Fender"lace sensor" pick-up." i had a guitar like this when i was 10 years old." You never forget your first! Ha ha. I can't explain the sound. It's unique.

The bridge has been replaced with an ajustable type. That's the only complaint iv'e ever heard, about this guitar. It has a light cherry finish, I belive it is not original. the frets are unworn and action is fast.

Durability is about 9, it made it 44 years and it still looks great! i hope i look that good at 44! I would use it on a gig with out a back up, definetly.

N/A i have not seeked customer support.

I have been playing for 21 years, i have been looking for a guitar like this for 20 years! it is unbelivable i now have it today!

1964 doublecut melody maker. solid mahogahny. single volume and tone controls.heavily modified with grover tuners, routed for 2 70's? humbuckers. basically les paul electronics. schaller intonable bridge with fine tuners. jumbo frets recently dressed (very slick) original sunburst finish. the mods were done so wonderfully everyone except collectors think it came this way.big and i mean BALLBAT neck.

i play blues and classic rock along with some retro space country not unlike Junior Brown. very quiet pickups without noticible noise. this is my main guitar and i absolutely LOVE it. the best value in vintage gibson players guitars bar none.sreaming 70's classic rock tones from the bridge( think Joe Perry) to a very subdued jazzy sound from the neck bucker with a great clean country blues sound from both.i am currently using a mesa boogie nomad 45 1x12 with a 1x12 extension cabinet.

can't say about the factory set up but she is a total monster now. beautiful wood and tone,tone and more tone.after a set up by one of if not the best tech in nashville(see the review of my 59') this is vintage gibson at it's best and you can even take it out of the house.built like a tank yet lightweight. very cool.no cracks or breaks and it was a backup guitar on tour for the band Hobbit for 10 years!

i would and do play the heck out of this one!

never contacted gibson.

i have been playing 34 years and have played a lot of guitars. after taking a chance i bought this online from a retired bass player. liked it so much i bought another one he had . slowly but surely most of my other guitars have left for new homes but both the MM's seem to be here to stay! i tried to be critcal but really find it hard to pick out any flaws.