New Guitars for the Holiday Season and 2015

Gibson Collector's Choice 30 Gaby (guitar-appraisal-burst aka Gaby)

The Gibson Custom Shop has just released the Collector’s Choice #30 1959 Les Paul “Gaby”. This beautiful instrument features specially selected matching figured maple, a digitally scanned neck shape and dish carve, accurate PAF reproduction pickups and gentle hand aging to recreate an example of what a well preserved Les Paul “burst” would look like.

For this model Gibson borrowed a genuine 1959 Les Paul from “burst” aficionado Vic DaPra, who found it in 2008. Vic sold the guitar to a Texas collector that is willing to lend part of his prized collection to a select network of active players. Gibson examined every detail of what is probably one of the best preserved examples of a Les Paul “Burst” guitar. Through careful scanning and determining minute details of this instrument, Gibson has produced this amazing recreation.

It features hand selected highly figured maple top and a lightweight one piece mahogany body, which has been aged to match the original. The fretboard/neck was scanned from the original and features a one-piece rosewood fretboard with cellulose inlays.

The finish is cherryburst on top or what Gibson is calling Apraisal-burst. Anline dye was used on the back and sides. The pickups specification were recreated to match the original instrument and include vintage aged pickup rings. The electronics feature Custom-buckers with Alnico III magnets.

The tone potentiometers utilize Bumble Bee capacitors and the pots are all topped with gold top-hat knobs. The controls feature a 3-way switch. The hardware consists of reissue Kluson tuners that have been aged, a correct Tune-o-matic bridge and aluminum tailpiece.

The pickguard is similar to the original and it too has been aged.

The guitar comes with a hard-shell case and Certificate of Authenticity. Only 300 limited edition guitars will be produced. It’s suggested retail price is $9,799 U.S. dollars.

Fender has not promoted any new instruments as of yet for 2015, but you may want to rush out and purchase one of these Fender guitar holiday ornaments for your tree.

The guitar ornaments are around $25 U.S.

A set of four picks are also around $25.

For those of you unfamiliar with Michael Johnathon, he is the host and creator of a weekly radio program called Woodsongs Old Time Radio Hour. It is heard worldwide on almost 500 stations in 175 countries.

In many US markets the live television version can be seen and is watched in nearly 51 million homes.

This show is produced out of the Lyric Theater in Lexington Kentucky.

Woodsongs features famous and relatively unknown acts on its hour-long broadcast. Everything is done live and there is no editing the music. What you hear and see is what you get. And all the performers are wonderful.


Michael is a true folkie and proudly announces it at end of every performance. He has written a musical based on Henry David Thoreau’s last two days at Walden Pond.

For years Michael has played a wonderful Martin 000-28s guitar.

Coming in 2015 Martin Guitar is honoring him with the Woodsongs 0000-28s guitar.

This is a 12 fret slot head instrument and as Michael calls it, “…a finger picker's canon. It will be marketed as the "WoodSongs QUAD 28s.

The instrument features a huge, golden bass response ... brilliant silver trebles, crystal clear intonation. Herringbone trim, Waverly tuners, Sitka Spruce top and East Indian Rosewood sides and bottom, WoodSongs logo inlayed on the 9th fret.

Currently the only model close to it is Martin's M-36 which has a manufacturer's suggested price of $3500. The Woodsong's Quad is a professional model artist's instrument and will probably command a higher price. Unlike the M-36, this guitar will feature a slotted head stock. Usually 12 fret models with slot heads have a slightly wider neck.

Here is a little history about the Martin 0000 designation.

Martin F-9

Around 1964 folk guitarist David Bromberg owned a 1930’s Martin F-9 archtop. The top was smashed, so he took it to a local music store and asked if a flat top could be put on it. Now those old Martin archtop guitars were unique, since the back was flat and the neck was angled up since the body was arched. Perhaps due to these factors they never really caught the reputation that Gibson and Epiphone had with musicians of that era. The F-9’s shape was slightly wider than a flat top 000 Martin.

Martin M-36

Shortly after the Bromberg modification other players were buying up old Martin Archtop guitars and having them converted to flat tops. Martin took note of this and in the 1970 gave them the designation of the model M guitar shape.

In 2006 Martin honored Bromberg with a model named for him and gave it the designation of M-42. It is built in the Martin 0000 shape.

Martin 0000-18 George Gruhn

For Gruhn Guitars 35th anniversary, Martin honored George Gruhn in 2012 with a 0000-18 model.