The Gibson Monster

by John Calkin

Originally published in American Lutherie #110, 2012



To say I’m no fan of Gibson guitars is to drastically understate the case. They are seldom satisfying instruments, but my dislike is also based on the difficulties they often present to repairmen. Removing their necks is often a struggle, and by now it’s generally known that Gibson occasionally installed the neck before the top, covering the dovetail and creating a trap for unsuspecting neck resetters. The 90th anniversary model in this story upped the ante in difficulty several degrees. Please consider this a warning if you do repairs.

The guitar came in as a neck reset. The action wasn’t much too high, but the guitar was too big for the woman who bought it off eBay, and the combination of factors made it difficult for her to play. I quoted her $375 for the job.