inch scale. Curiously,
it was outfitted with
small, decidedly un-
Gibson-like single-coil
pickups, primarily to
save in manufacturing
costs.
The Gibson Melody
Maker has a strong
legacy in the vintage
guitar world, and has
thus been reissued
in many different
versions (2011 even
saw the release of
Flying V and Explorer
variants). Actual vintage
models can still be had
relatively inexpensively
as well, though,
with many examples
available in the sub-
1500 dollar range.
Single-cut models from
the first two years of
production can get kind
of pricey, however, with
a nice dual-pickup ‘59
sunburst going for 3000
dollars or more. That’s a
good chunk of change,
but still many, many
times cheaper than a
‘59 Les Paul, making it
a great place to start
for the working rocker
“Gibson’s Melody
Maker line has be-
come legendary
in its own right,
and was the first
proper guitar for
many young future
heroes, including
Billy Gibbons and
Joan Jett among
others.”
- Buffer friendly response
- Standard 9V DC operation
- Temperature stability
- Top mounted Jacks
- Expanded controls