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Topic: Opinions about Gibson Skylark ??? |
Francisco Castillo
From:
Easter Island, Chile
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Posted 7 Apr 2018 10:21 pm |
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Hi, wht is the general opinion about the Gibson Skylark?
And the Gibson Royaltone.
Are those two (suggestions welcomed) good options?
thanks a lot |
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Doug Beaumier
From:
Northampton, MA
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Posted 8 Apr 2018 7:30 am
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I think the Skylark was considered to be Gibson's entry-level lap steel when it was made. Hence the large numbers on the frets. Guitar players nowadays like the Skylark because the body is Korina, the same wood used to build the original Gibson Flying V and the Explorer. And the big logo on the headstock is the same as the Flying V. Those two features fascinate guitar collectors/buyers and are often mentioned by sellers.
I once did a side-by-side comparison of a Skylark and Century 6 (Gibson). The Century 6 had much more sustain and a far better tone IMO. With the Skylark, the notes died quicker and the tone was nothing special, in my opinion. As far as the Royaltone, I've never played one, but they seem to be kind of rare and the prices are high. It's been mentioned that the body looks a little bit like a Les Paul.
_________________
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C. E. Jackson
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Posted 8 Apr 2018 10:24 am
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My Gibson Royaltone. Only 607 of this model were made. I enjoy playing mine and like the tone.
Since so few were made, the prices are a little higher than some other vintage steels.
1950 GIBSON ROYALTONE (v.1) P-90 Pickup with Adjustable Pole-Pieces
Gibson's First Use of the Famous P-90 Pickup with Adjustable Pole Pieces. Later Used on
Ultratone, Century, BR-6, BR-9, Console Grande, and Consolette Steels.
The Royaltone was introduced in July, 1950, and shipped later in 1950. Royaltones with natural tops were
made from 1950 until 1952. The natural top was a maple veneer glued to the hardwood body, which was
painted chocolate brown.
C. E. Jackson
_________________
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My YouTube Steel Guitar Playlists
My YouTube Steel Guitar Songs
A6 tuning for steels |
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Francisco Castillo
From:
Easter Island, Chile
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Posted 8 Apr 2018 5:38 pm thanks
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thanks for your answers Doug and C.E.
any other opinions are welcomed.
muchas gracias amigos |
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Bill Creller
From:
Saginaw, Michigan, USA (deceased)
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Posted 8 Apr 2018 6:16 pm
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| That one is a nice looking instrument! |
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Jack Hanson
From:
San Luis Valley, USA
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Posted 9 Apr 2018 10:25 am
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I am a big fan of postwar Gibson lap steels. The Skylark is by far my least favorite among the ones I have owned and played.
In comparison to any of the the BR-series instruments, the Century series, the Ultratones and Royaltones, the Skylark seems unresponsive and dead-sounding, with very little sustain.
There are two substantial structural differences between the Skylark and the others:
1) The Melody Maker pickup does not compare favorably to either the wide-oval or P-90 pickups.
2) The Skylark's strings mount to a control plate, not a bridge that's securely mounted to and in full contact with the body of the instrument.
The Skylark is basically Gibson's answer to the Fender Champ. It seems overvalued in comparison to many other Gibsons, most likely for the reasons explained by Doug above. |
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Francisco Castillo
From:
Easter Island, Chile
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Posted 10 Apr 2018 7:51 am thanks a lot
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I'd like to thanks you guys for your opinions.
I won't be looking for a Skylark again, but maybe another Gibson model....
Royaltone?
thanks a lot |
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Steve Wilson
From:
Morgan Hill, California, USA
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Posted 10 Apr 2018 1:21 pm
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| I agree with Jack Hanson. If it weren't forbidden to alter a vintage instrument, I bet they would sound a lot better if a wooden block was mounted under the panel where the bridge sits and the strings mounted through the back of the body. A different pickup would also help. |
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Mark Helm
From:
Tennessee, USA
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Posted 12 Apr 2018 1:55 pm Skylarks
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The Skylarks have gone nuts price-wise and don't sound that great, IMHO. I agree with Doug--the Ultratones (and especially the Century) sound far better, but you're looking at $1,200-$2,000.
You're much better off finding a nice Fender Champ for under a grand.
_________________
Remington Steelmaster S8 w/ custom Steeltronics pickup. Vox MV-50 amplifier + an 1940's Oahu cab w/ 8" American Vintage speaker. J. Mascis Fender Squire Jazzmaster, Hofner Club bass, Ibanez AVN4-VMS Artwood Vintage Series Concert Size Acoustic Guitar. 1920s/30s Supertone Hawaiian-themed parlor guitar. Silvertone parlor guitar. |
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Jack Hanson
From:
San Luis Valley, USA
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Posted 12 Apr 2018 2:39 pm Re: Skylarks
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| Mark Helm wrote: |
| Ultratones (and especially the Century) sound far better, but you're looking at $1,200-$2,000. |
Not necessarily. Depends on what you want. You can spend a lot for a museum piece. For a perfectly functional "player's" grade instrument, you can get by much cheaper. I have purchased a handful of Ultratones and Centuries in the recent past and all have been well south of $1200. The most expensive, a black Century-10, was slightly over $600. The least expensive, shown in the pic below, was a black Century-6, about $285. The scarce blue Century Deluxe along side it was less than $400.
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Frank James Pracher
From:
Michigan, USA
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Posted 12 Apr 2018 4:05 pm
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I have a Royaltone.. Great steel and stunning to look at... classic P90 sound...I think some people get annoyed with the pickup cover and remove it.. I play far enough away from the bridge that it's not an issue for me.
_________________
"Don't be mad honey, but I bought another one" |
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Doug Beaumier
From:
Northampton, MA
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Jack Hanson
From:
San Luis Valley, USA
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Posted 13 Apr 2018 4:15 am
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| Frank James Pracher wrote: |
| I think some people get annoyed with the pickup cover and remove it. |
That's what I do -- there's a box of 'em in my closet. Coming from a pedal steel background, where I was taught to place the heel of my right hand directly on the strings near the bridge fingers to facilitate palm blocking, the stock Plexiglas finger-rests Gibson installed on some of their lap steels is cumbersome for me. If I was gonna hang 'em on the wall or put 'em in a glass case, I'd reinstall the finger-rests. But since I like to play 'em, they reside in the closet. |
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Doug Beaumier
From:
Northampton, MA
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