The Rather Eccentric Orville Gibson And His Carved Guitars And Mandolins

 

Orville H. Gibson

Orville Gibson’s name is on some of the very finest quality commercial guitars ever made. He was a musician and a self-taught luthier. 

As a musician, Gibson was a mandolin player during an era when mandolin orchestras were popular: the turn of the last century. His love of the mandolin and guitar influenced his unique ideas on building the instrument. 

Through my work career I have encountered some fairly unusual people. More than one guy often came to work wearing a kilt. There were ladies (and men) that decided it would be a great idea to wear a tutu to their job. 

After studying Orville Gibson's life I believe he would fit into the rather eccentric and odd category of funny people that I had the pleasure to have known. Gibson enjoyed dressing up in costumes and uniforms, some of which were just plain silly. Above all Orville Gibson loved to perform. One of my rules of life says, "We all have to wear the Monkey Suit." Gibson was one of those people that wanted to be noticed and felt the need to be different than the rest of us. He proudly wore the Monkey Suit.

We know that Orville Gibson moved to Kalamazoo, Michigan around 1876 when he was 19 years old. He had spent his childhood in Malone, New York, a town that is 75 miles south of the Canadian border. This was an extreme move to a new and different city. 

He desired to be a performer and at the time Kalamazoo had become a popular city for aspiring musicians. It had dance bands, orchestras, and even a city military band. 

Orville Gibson 

Gibson was featured in a fund-raising event for a Presbyterian Church. He played guitar and sang in an Irish dialect. This successful event  not only made a profit, it also introduced him to other musicians in town. 

Sprague Shoes and Boots

To support himself Orville Gibson took a job at a shoe store. We do not know exactly when he started creating his own stringed musical instruments. However we do know that by 1888 he had created his Mandolin-Guitar. As a luthier he was completely self taught

Orville Gibson created an entirely new style of mandolin and later guitar. He based his instruments on violin design, with its curved top and bottom carved into shape, and arched like the top and back of a violin.

Gibson Family Mandolins

His original invention was what he called the Mandolin-Guitar. It had nine strings with the three treble strings tuned like a guitar, and the lower six strings tuned in courses or pairs.

Orville Gibson's Patent

Ten years later, in 1898 he applied for and was granted a patent on his original mandolin design. The sides were also carved out of a single block of wood, rather than being made of bent wood strips. Due to his instruments sound board being hand carved there was no internal bracing or neck block needed. 

The instrument's top was carved with an arch, while the back was fairly flat to enhance sound projection. On the guitars, the neck was hollowed out to increase resonance.

Style F Mandolin
Style 0 Guitar 1894

Orville Gibson’s instruments were larger, and more durable than contemporary fretted instruments of the day. At the time all guitars were strung with gut strings. Because of his guitar's sturdy design, he used steel strings similar to the ones used on Mandolins. Because of this, and the larger body shape, Gibson's guitars were much louder than other instruments of that era. 

Musicians soon demanded more instruments than he was able to build in his one-man shop.  It is said that Gibson's instruments sounded dull by today's standards. His designs were revolutionary. To my ears his guitars sound pretty bright.

Based on Gibson’s ideas, in 1902 five interested Kalamazoo Michigan investors took a chance by forming the Gibson Mandolin-Guitar Mfg. Co., Ltd, making Orville Gibson an offer for his business, and selling shares of stock in the company.

Within a short period after the company was started, the board passed a motion that "Orville H. Gibson be paid only for the actual time he works for the company." 

Orville Gibson Style O

Orville Gibson's guitars were usually designated as Style O, while his three point fancy mandolins were Style F. His instruments all featured round sound holes. The rounded headstocks were usually inlaid with a quarter moon and a star. 

1904 Style O Headstock

Gibson has used a compound dovetail neck joint as an integral part of its acoustic guitars. Orville Gibson  believed this arrangement brought the instrument closer to resonating like a single piece of wood

At that time most other builders were using a scarf joint. This is still common in the industry.

There is no clear indication whether he worked there full-time, or as a consultant. Newspaper accounts stated that Gibson received a lump sum payment (perhaps as much as $10,000, with monthly payments thereafter. I have also read that Gibson was paid $2500 to train employees.

Gibson and the new company used music teachers to market the instruments along with print advertisements. 

At the time mandolins were all bowl backed instruments. So Gibson’s flat back design was quite revolutionary. His guitars, built on a similar method, were influential as well, and his guitar patterns are still recognizable in modern jazz guitar. 

Gibson's Workshop 1904

The idea of carving the instrument tops and bottoms appears to have originated with Orville Gibson and is not based on any mandolin or guitar building tradition. Although inspired by the carving of violins, he did not use violin manufacturing techniques or patterns to build his instruments. 

In addition to a variety of variations on the mandolin, and his guitar design, Orville Gibson built award winning harp guitars. He also built some violins. 

And though Gibson lent his name and expertise to the company he was never an owner. In 1908 Orville Gibson was paid an annual salary of $500. This was equivalent to $20,000 a year today. 

Orville in a Mandolin Ensemble 

Orville’s leisure time was spent with mandolin orchestras and ensembles. These groups included different voiced mandolins—soprano, alto, tenor, and bass. Orville Gibson also sang at these concerts. 

Gibson Ensemble

By 1900 Orville Gibson was having some health problems. His cousin, Margaret aka Maggie, was close to him and looked after Orville. Eventually Gibson moved into the home of Maggie and her father. 

Orville Gibson’s health took a turn for the worse in August 1908. He became ill with stomach issues and was placed under a doctor’s care. 

In June the following year Gibson evidently suffered a nervous breakdown. He was placed in the county jail for being violent and “brooding over imaginary troubles” His relatives in New York were contacted. After a few weeks of confinement, he was found “incompetent” by a court in July of that year, and a Mr. William R. Fox was appointed as Gibson’s guardian. 

Orville H. Gibson

His imaginary troubles were in fact early signs of a medical condition called endocarditis. This is caused by an infection in the lining surrounding  the heart. Symptoms include loss of appetite, weight loss, cough, blood in the urine or stool, and confusion or disorientation. In fact Orville's weight dipped below 105 pounds from his normal weight of 150 . Antibiotics would have cured him but were not available until the 1940's.

Orville was moved to New York State to live with family. His health began to improve, but by now he was forced to retire from building instruments. He returned to Kalamazoo at least twice after his retirement. 

Gibson Guitar Co. Kalamazoo

His first trip back was in August 1912 when he spent a few weeks with friends in Kalamazoo, South Haven, Grand Rapids and Chicago. He stopped by the Gibson plant on Harrison Alley. He was quite impressed with how much the town of Kalamazoo had grown in the three short years since his departure. 

After 1912 Orville Gibson returned to Malone, New York where he made “several beautiful instruments by hand, exquisitely inlaid and ornamented. 

Orville H. Gibson

Orville made a second trip to Kalamazoo in April 1915 on his way to the Panama–Pacific International Exposition (1915 World’s Fair) in San Francisco, where he planned “to exhibit musical instruments that he had built. Few in Kalamazoo seemed to notice his presence, as there was no word of his visit in the Kalamazoo papers. 

O.H. Gibson 1855-1918

Orville’s health continued to decline and in early 1918 he was taken ill and admitted to the A. Barton Hepburn Hospital in Ogdensburg, New York, which was an asylums for the mentally ill.  After five months of treatment, Orville Gibson passed away on 19 August 1918, at the age of 62 from endocarditis. 

The instruments we have left that Orville Gibson made are scarce. Although he created many guitars, harp guitars, mandolins, and even violins. However there are no more than 25 instruments remaining in existence. Only half of the instruments remaining are guitars.

Orville Gibson Harp Guitars

Though Orville Gibson's musical instrument designs were extraordinary, the necessary carving required to create the front and back from a solid block of wood was an impractical task for creating a quantity of guitars and mandolins expediently. His successor, Lloyd Loar, took mandolin and guitar production a step further by improving the process.

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The 2025 Limited Edition Squier Hello Kitty Stratocaster

 

Jimi with a Hello Kitty Strat?

I am so happy! My life is now complete. Fender has just brought back a limited edition Squier Hello Kitty Stratocaster for it's 50th Anniversary. It is the dawn of a new era!! 

For those that are not aware Hello Kitty was a fictional character created by Yuko Shimizu, currently designed by Yuko Yamaguchi, and is owned by the Japanese manufacturing company Sanrio. The character was designed to sell sandals and vinyl coin purses. 

Hello Kitty

Though Hello Kitty may look like a kitten the character is purportedly a little girl named Kitty White or in Japanese, Kiti Howaito. She lives in a London suburb with her sister Mimmy and must be doing well as London property is expensive. 

She came on the scene around 1975 and became popular due to a trend called Kawaii or “cute culture”. (Silly me. I thought Kawaii was a piano.) 

By 2010 Hello Kitty was a marketing sensation, with comics, music, video games, magazines, clothing, and even theme parks. 

2005 Squier Hello Kitty Guitar

In 2005 Fender created the Squier Hello Kitty Stratocaster which was marketed to preteen girls. At that time the guitar sold new for around $225. 

The original instrument’s body was made of a Agathis wood, a soft wood harvested in India. The Hello Kitty guitar had a single pickup with one volume control. 

The 2005 guitar's neck was Maple with a plain headstock. This instrument had a budget hardtail adjustable bridge saddle. The originals had Hello Kitty face adorning the pink body. Fender’s original run was around 7,000 instruments. 

Slash With Hello Kitty Guitar

The funny thing is a number well-known artists were seen using Hello Kitty guitars on stage. These included Dave Navarro, Slash, Courtney Love, Amy Lee, and John 5.

Vintage Hello Kitty Guitar

In 2019 the used price of a used 2005 Hello Kitty guitar almost tripled with some collectors asking $750 to $1000. 

Limited Edition Hello Kitty

The new limited-edition models have a suggested retail price of $579. The body is made of Okume wood, a hardwood harvested in central Africa. 

The guitar’s C-shaped neck and fretboard are maple wood with red fret markers. The guitar has a single Fender designed Alnico pickup and the jack is placed on the instrument’s lower side. 

The most popular body has a pink finish with a matching pink headstock. The Squier Hello Kitty models are also available with a pearl white and black finish. The guitar's back feature's Hello Kitty written in script. 

Apparently I missed the boat on the pink model that was released in 2024. But the 2025 white and black models are readily available.

The plastic pickguard is an image of Hello Kitty’s face. The instrument comes with a matching Hello Kitty gig bag. 

Fender Hello Kitty Products

But wait there is more! For an additional $125 you can purchase a Hello Kitty Fuzztone. The Hello Kitty 10-foot pink and white woven guitar cable is $37.99. The polyester Hello Kitty guitar strap is $35, a box of 18 Hello Kitty guitar picks sells for only $20, while a Fender Hello Kitty crew neck sweatshirt is $59.99 (although sadly they don’t come in my size). 

I am ordering mine right now!

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The Unusual Story Of The Gibson Toilet Seat Guitar

 

 

My Grandma lived on
 the top floor of this house.

When I was a young fellow  it was a real treat to visit my Grandma. She lived in an apartment above an old residence with an amazing staircase that today would be considered antique. In fact the entire house was antique. The home belonged to my cousin's grandparents during the 1940's and '50's. The Bellevue, KY house is still there.

There is the staircase
with the circular window 

At the first level of the staircase there was a circular window. I imagined it to be like a port hole on a ship. Grandma's living area had a sitting room which contained a small TV,  a small couch, and her favorite rocking chair. Her bedroom had this fascinating treadle sewing machine, her kitchen had an an old fashion wooden sink and an antique gas stove.  

The door behind her kitchen contained a large room that may have been a bedroom at one time, but it was converted into a bathroom. This was common in older homes when the outdoor privies were replaced by indoor plumbing. On the other side of the bathroom was a mystery door that I was not allowed to open.

Mother of Pearl Toilet Seat

Her huge bathtub had claw feet. The ceramic sink was set on a pedestal, but the most fascinating object to a child of my age was her toilet seat. It had pearl-like chips of back, gray, and white embedded in it. The boring one we had at home was just plain pink.

Mother of Toilet Seat Pickguard 

This same pearl-like design showed up later on some electric and electric steel guitars. Due to the popularity of its use on potty seats of the 1950’s it was nicknamed  “mother of toilet seat” or MOTS.

Bemis Toilet Seat

I thought about Grandma and her wonderful toilet seat when I recently received a Facebook post from The Bemis Manufacturing Company. This was an old company from Sheboygan Wisconsin founded in 1858. By 1901 they were best known for manufacturing bathroom fixtures that include sinks, tubs, along with quality toilet seats. Due to the shortage of metal during WWII the company invented the molded plastic toilet seat.

Bema Seat from
The Amsterdam Synagogue 

Often times I think it ironic when I go to a public restroom and notice that the words “Bemis Seat” is embedded in blue letters on the ‘throne’ where I am about to place my keister.  Bemis Seat has a similar sounding name to the elevated platform and raised chair that was a place of judgement for Jews and Christians and known as The Bema Seat. 

I think that is so ironic. 

Guitar by Gibson,
Body by Bemis 

This Face Book post from the Bemis Manufacturing company was a reminder that at one time the Gibson Guitar Company had contracted with Bemis Manufacturing to produce guitar bodies. Yep, it is hard to believe, but it is true. Gibson actually offered a TOILET SEAT guitar.

In 1965 the guitar market was flooded with Japanese imported  inexpensive electric guitars because every kid not just the United States, but I dare say much of the world, wanting to be a Beatle. At that time Gibson’s student guitar was The Melody Maker. This instrument was of a much higher quality than any of the imports. The Gibson Melody Maker was first launched in 1959 and in 1971 was discontinued. In 1964 a single pickup Gibson Melody Maker had a suggested retail price of $127.50. The median annual  income that year was only $4600.

1959 Melody Maker 

The Melody Maker guitar had a thin slab-style solid mahogany body and a one-piece set in mahogany neck. To keep assembly costs down all the electronics, from the small single-coil pickups to the cable jack and controls, were assembled on the pickguard and installed in a rout in the front of the body. The strings ran from a straight-sided simplification of the traditional Gibson headstock at one end to a wraparound bridge/tailpiece unit at the other. Some more expensive models came with two pickups and a budget vibrato unit. 

1964 Melody
Maker 

From 1959 until 1961, the Melody Maker had a single cutaway slab body style similar to the early Les Paul Junior model but thinner. Then in 1961 the body style changed to a symmetrical double cutaway. 

1967 Melody Maker 

By 1966 the body style was changed to a style similar to the Gibson SG guitar, with pointed "horns", a large white pickguard, and white pickup covers instead of black. 

In 1959 the original retail price for a Gibson Melody Maker was $99.50. By 1960 the price for a twin pickup model was $135.50. By 1966 the same Melody Maker price was increased to $149.50 and had a $10 price increase each subsequent year.

But in 1965 many imported Japanese made electric guitars were selling in the $50 to $100 price range. A U.S> competitor was Danelectro/Silvertone who offered electric guitars as cheap as $39.95 for their guitars made of Formica . It would be very difficult for a lot of families to afford an American made instrument for their budding rock star.

Vintage Bemis Toilet Seat

This competition from imports forced Gibson management to look into developing a low cost guitar. To do this they turned to the Bemis Manufacturing to compression mold a guitar body. Yep, the same company that was best known for manufacturing toiled seats using this process. 

The core of the guitars body was comprised of MDF or medium density fiberboard (Masonite) which, like the toilet seats, was coated with molded thermoplastic material. 

Until this time all Gibson guitars were made of solid wood, though some electric models also had solid veneer tops. Gibson had never made guitars of composite materials. So involving a company that specialized in Masonite just made practical business sense.

Gibson already had the Epiphone brand which it used to market a line of guitars. They had acquired the 

Epiphone brand name in 1957. and in those days were also built at their Kalamazoo facility as a sister project.  Epiphone would not become the budget guitar brand that was manufactured offshore until 1970.  

Gibson desired something truly affordable and profitable. The company had retired the Kalamazoo brand name in 1942 due to the war production. So in 1965 Gibson decided to revived the Kalamazoo brand for this line of budget electric guitars.

1965-66 Kalamazoo
Electric Guitars  

The Kalamazoo electric guitars all had bolt-on necks (something that Gibson, up until this point had never done), and a rosewood fingerboard. The bass guitar was a short scale instrument. A decal proclaimed  Kalamazoo "USA" on the six tuners on a side headstock, to set it apart from cheaper, imported guitars. 

These guitar had two subtly different headstock shapes, the first has a characteristic 'beak' shape, and is almost identical to that of the non-reverse Thunderbird. The body resembled of Fender Mustang. 

1967-69 Kalamazoo
 Electric Guitars

The second headstock style, appearing on the SG-shaped bases is more like that of a Fender, though a little more rounded. The Kalamazoo logo is engraved on the headstock. The necks were actually pretty well made and are highly playable.

The first design, manufactured from 1965 to 1966, was pretty much a copy of the Fender Mustang.  The second design, made from 1967 to 1969, resembled Gibson's SG design. 

Kalamazoo pickguard assembly  

Expense was also saved on the pickguard which was a single sheet of unlaminated plastic, and like the Melody Maker all the electronics were mounted in the pickguard and then placed on the body's routed area. The tuners were inexpensive open back types.

KG-1

Models were the KG-1, with one single-coil pickup selling at $89.50. 

KG-1A

The KG-1A, with a single-coil pickup and tremolo arm retailing at $99.50. 

KG-2

The KG-2 with dual single-coil pickups costing $104.50 . 

And KG-2A which came with dual single-coil pickups and a tremolo and retailed at $114.50. 

KG-2A

1966 KB -1

The Kalamazoo Bass was introduced in 1966 and like the guitar model had two body styles resembling the Mustang and next the SG. The earlier headstocks were, again, reminiscent of Fender models. Later headstocks bore a resemblance to that of the Gibson Thunderbird bass guitar. 

Several standard Gibson components were used in the KB, namely a typical EB series humbucker pickup that was used in many Epiphone basses. 

1966 and 1968 KB-1's

Sales were initially good, and during 1966-67 this was by far the best selling bass made at the Gibson plant. Production of the KB ceased in 1969. Gibson sales records show that 23,994 KG models were manufactured from 1965 through 1969 and 6287 KB basses sold from 1966 to 1969. The KB bass retailed at $119.50. Surprisingly these bass guitars came with the "Mudbucker" pickup that was found on more expensive Gibson basses.

1968-69 Kalamazoo Electrics

As stated in the 1967 the body design for the Kalamazoo line of guitars and basses changed to the SG shape. So the later pickguards were cut differently to reflect the newer body design. The bridge on the KB-1 was slightly modified as an improvement.

1966 Kalamazoo Catalog

For years I knew the Kalamazoo electric guitars bodies were made of compressed fiberboard, but it was not until I recently read a Facebook post discussion revealing this Gibson product used bodies that were produced by a toilet seat manufacturing firm. 

There is also literature suggesting that the bodies were made by a factory that specialized in molded medium density fiberboard for commode seats, The Bemis Manufacturing Company has it's headquarters in Sheboygan, Wisconsin.  

1971 Epiphone 5102T

By 1970 Gibson contracted with the Matsumoka factory in Japan, which had been building guitars under the Aria brand name.  Gibson first used this company to build inexpensive copies under the Epiphone brand name.  So the Kalamazoo electrics were eliminated in 1969.

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G&L Guitars Have Ceased Operations

 

Leo Fender at G&L Workbench

G&L Guitars quietly shut it’s doors and went out of business earlier this month. The Fullerton California facility ceased operation in late September, and the employees were laid off. There was no press statement or announcement. 

George Fullerton & Leo Fender 

G&L is an American guitar manufacturing company founded by Leo Fender, George Fullerton, and Dale Hyatt in the late 1970s after Leo Fender’s non-compete clause from selling the Fender Guitar Company to CBS had ended. . The G&L stood for George (Fullerton) and Leo (Fender). 

G&L Innovations

G&L produced some fantastic electric guitars and basses with designs based on some classic Fender instruments. The company also produced effects units for a short while such as the G&L Double Barrel Vari-Boost[3] and the G&L Buckshot Overdrive. 

ASAT & Commanche

The future of the brand is uncertain; production could potentially resume under new ownership or in a different location. G&L made a variety of guitars including the S-Type “Legacy”, and the T-Type “ASAT”, as well as more unique designs such as the Comanche. 

Leo called these “the best instruments I have ever made”. Leo Fender took his innovative approach to guitar development to G&L with several innovations including the “Magnetic Field Design” pickups, Dual-Fulcrum Vibrato, and Saddle-Lock bridge. 

Both Leo Fender and George Fullerton passed away decades ago. The current CEO is Dave McLaren.

G&L Fullerton Factory

Through September of 2025 G&L guitars were manufactured in Fullerton, California. 

Cor Tek Factory Indonesia

G&L Tribute series guitars are manufactured by Cor-Tek (Cort) in Indonesia. They are the largest guitar makers in the world, and produce instruments for many companies.

So far there has been no announcement if another brand may take over the G&L trademark. Based on the discussions in the two videos I have attached, G&L was a small company that may of experienced some management issues. They had a great product, and their overseas production exceeded sales of their USA made instruments. I certainly wish them the best.

Fender Buys G&L Guitars

UPDATE: As of October 31st it was announced that the Fender Musical Instrument Company acquired the assets and brand name of G&L guitars. This will allow them to once again use the image of Leo Fender. 

Sunn Amplification

In 1995 Fender started to acquire troubled competing companies when they purchased Guild Guitars. They then purchased Sunn Amplification, and the Washington State based Tacoma Guitar Company. 

Fender Buys The Kaman Corp

Hamer Guitars had been acquired by The Kaman Corporation, and Fender purchased Kaman in 2008. 

Fender Acquires Gretsch

Fender purchased Gretsch Guitars, but allowed Fred Gretsch to retain management of the company, however most of the instruments are now made in China. 

DeArmond D-72

Fender purchased the rights to Bigsby and DeArmond Products that were based in Ohio which made pickups, and other guitar related products. Fender acquired that brand name and produced some guitars using that brand. 

1997 Tacoma Mini Chief

Sadly Sunn, Tacoma, DeArmond, EVH, SWR, and Brand X were put out to pasture never to be seen again. Ovation, Gretsch, Guild and some others were sold to different companies. I suspect G&L guitars, including their Indonesian made Tribute Series will also be discontinued.

 

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