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Author Topic:  Gibson Console Grande
Joel Paterson


From:
Chicago, Illinois, USA
Post  Posted 29 Dec 2007 12:48 pm    
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Gibson Console Grande
I believe it's around a 1950. It's got the "Don Helms" oval pickups with the non adjustable pole pieces. The pickups are very bright and clear. The Guitar is in Excellent shape- very clean for it's age. I don't think you can find a cleaner one. A few tiny bar dings between necks. The wood has a lot of flame and hardly any finish checking.

I added telescoping legs and threaded sockets from Don Burrows at BSG steel guitar. They are very nice and stable for a three legged guitar. Comes with original legs and sockets. It can easily be put back to original- but I don't think the original legs are very useful to anyone. They don't telescope and they are wobbly. I don't understand why Gibson ever put legs like this on such a fine guitar. They switched to four legs a couple of years later- but I much prefer these early pickups to the later P-90s.

The case is very clean, almost too nice to take out to gigs.
The only negative is the original knobs were damaged by UPS, so I have Tele knobs on it, which I think look ok and work good. They came with Gibson Barrel knobs with numbers. The plain clear Barrel knobs from the 40's would look right on this guitar and might be easier to find.
Comes with the original bridge covers which I took off for palm blocking purposes.
I think that's all, check out the pics.
1,500 and I'll ship it in the states.




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Jim Saunders


From:
Houston, Texas, U.S.A.
Post  Posted 30 Dec 2007 10:12 am     Your Gibson CG
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Joel, that is a pretty guitar. My parents bought me one like that when I was 14 and learning a few licks. I was so awed by it's beauty, I was afraid to take it out of the case. Mine had the four legs and it was made in '53. I think Gibson started with the 3 leg model just copying Fender. Even with 4 legs, playing in the standing position was fairly unstable. The later cases stored the legs in the lid of the case and the guitar sat in the case face down. You could install the legs like we do now. Mine also had the rectangular pickups, I beleive P-90s. Nice tone.

Yours should find a nice home with someone.
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Andy Schick


From:
Kingston, Ontario, Canada
Post  Posted 30 Dec 2007 3:18 pm     Console
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VERY VERY nice.

I have one as well.
Looks like this one but has been played much more.
It has the same Pick ups as yours Joel.
How can I confirm the year as I think it is a 1948
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Joel Paterson


From:
Chicago, Illinois, USA
Post  Posted 31 Dec 2007 12:44 am    
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Andy,
I believe production on the Console Grande stopped during WWII. Gruhn's guide to vintage guitars says that it was re-introduced in 1948. I think the oval pickups lasted until around 1950/51 (anyone know the year?) and then were replaced by rectangular P-90s. The four legged version started around 1953. In 1956 the Model changed considerably in design and sound.
Again, I prefer these pickups over the P-90s. They sound so much like the Hank Williams records it's spooky. They are very hot and twangy. I had a Fender Deluxe 8 with the Stringmaster pickups and the Console Grande was much brighter and beefier at the same time.
I prefer the wider string spacing on Gibsons than the Fenders.
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Joel Paterson


From:
Chicago, Illinois, USA
Post  Posted 2 Jan 2008 1:50 pm    
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Bump 'er up.
Price reduced to 1,400. I think I had it priced a little high without the original knobs. But it does come with a $200 leg upgrade. I do think these are a little undervalued right now compared to Fenders, but that's my opinion. When I was looking for this guitar I had a hard time finding a clean one with oval pickups.
Comes with yodelin' cat.
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Mark Roeder


From:
Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA
Post  Posted 4 Jan 2008 7:10 am    
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Hi Joel
I'm very interested in the guitar. I'm up here in Madison so we can work something out to avoid shipping. By the way, I think my wife was one of your teachers at Shabazz, Kristy Larson? Perhaps we should talk on the phone 608 255 4427
Mark
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Joel Paterson


From:
Chicago, Illinois, USA
Post  Posted 5 Jan 2008 12:06 pm    
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guitar sold.
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Casey Lowmiller

 

From:
Kansas
Post  Posted 5 Jan 2008 1:32 pm    
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Tell us more about the yodeling cat!!!

Casey
_________________
Known Coast to Coast as
"The Man with The Plan"
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Joel Paterson


From:
Chicago, Illinois, USA
Post  Posted 5 Jan 2008 3:16 pm    
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She just quit. She told me she was disgusted with the music business.
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