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Golden Era instruments
MichaelHorowitz
SeattleAdministrator
Here's an interesting article by the knowledgeable vintage guitar dealer George Gruhn (http://www.gruhn.com/)
Golden Era instruments
When I opened the doors to my shop in January 1970, people did not use the term Golden Era, but we were well aware of the profound difference between the current new instruments and used instruments of certain periods. We considered post-1965 Fenders and Gibsons to be very poor, but we recognized Martins up until 1969 (with Brazilian rosewood) as superior to those from 1970 onward. In fact, it has often been said that the new instruments of the late '60s and early '70s were of such poor quality that they were what created the demand for vintage guitars. Prices were lower then, of course, but in 1970 the most desirable vintage pieces already cost twice as much as new versions of those models.
Thirty-eight years later, little has changed except prices. The vintage market has boomed at times and stagnated at times, and economic, social and musical trends have changed dramatically over the years. Nevertheless, collectors and musicians today are still looking for the same instruments they were looking for in 1970. In other words, there have been no additional Golden Eras for fretted instruments in the last four decades (with the possible exception of Jimmy D'Aquisto's innovative archtop guitars of the late 1980s and early '90s).
To answer the obvious question - why are there no new Golden Eras? - we should first identify the long-established Golden Eras for fretted instruments.
Martin flat tops from the late 1920s through 1939. Martin guitars made from the mid 1920s, when the company first started routinely bracing guitars for steel strings, through mid-1939, when they were still using "high-X" scalloped bracing, are considered by most players and musicians to be the ultimate Martin guitars ever made in the entire history of the company. Certainly, the guitars made prior to that time exhibited beautiful craftsmanship, but they were designed for use with gut rather than steel strings, which limits their appeal to today's players. By mid-1939, the company changed the positioning of the X-brace to the "low-X" design and went to narrower spacing at the nut and bridge saddle. Martins with low-X scalloped braces are still very fine instruments, but in the opinion of most collectors and musicians, no Martins from any other period in the company's 175-year history rival those made from 1929-39. It is my opinion that these guitars richly earned the distinction they have been given, although I personally prefer those made after late 1934, when the steel T-bar was first introduced in the neck and modern-style T-frets were introduced. Consequently, I would narrow Martin's Golden Era to only a five-year span, from 1934-39.
Gibson f-hole archtops, 1922-42. For the first few years of this period, the L-5 was the only f-hole archtop offered by Gibson. It was joined by the various versions of what would officially become the L-10 in 1931. These are greatly sought by collectors and are wonderful sounding instruments, but with their 16-inch body width, large V-shape neck contour, rather plain ornamentation, and of course non-cutaway body, they truly predate the full evolution of the archtop guitar. In late 1934 Gibson introduced the "advanced" 17-inch models as well as the 18-inch Super 400. In 1939 Gibson introduced cutaway versions of the L-5 and the Super 400. Most collectors and players view the more highly ornamented instruments from late 1934 through 1942 as being the true Golden Era for Gibson archtops (although my personal favorite guitar is the early 16-inch L-5). Gibson continued to make fine archtop guitars through the 1960s, and the postwar models are great modern jazz guitars, but I share the opinion of most collectors that the workmanship of the postwar models is not equivalent to the prewar instruments.
Epiphone archtops, 1931 through World War II. The Deluxe and Emperor in particular are widely regarded as being on a par with equivalent Gibson models (the L-5 and Super 400, respectively). The Golden Era is blurred somewhat by the fact that Epiphone did not offer cutaway models until after the war, and jazz musicians typically prefer cutaways over non-cutaways to the point that postwar Epi cutaways may bring more money than the prewar non-cutaways. Nevertheless, in my opinion, the Epiphones of the 1930s have superior tone and volume to the postwar instruments.
D'Angelico archtops, 1932-64, and Stromberg archtops, circa 1940-55. John D'Angelico in New York and Charles and Elmer Stromberg in Boston started making archtop guitars during the early 1930s, and both shops were noted for superb jazz instruments. D'Angelico made marvelous guitars from his very first year of production in 1932 through his death in 1964, so virtually all of his nearly 1100 guitars (plus a few hundred mandolins) are collectible. Stromberg, on the other hand, took a few years to perfect his designs. His early guitars had laminated backs that were pressed rather than carved, and many of the tops on his early guitars featured three segment f-holes and multiple braces. It was not until circa 1940 that Strombergs appeared with well-graduated carving, one-piece f-holes, and one diagonal brace. Consequently Stromberg's Golden Era spans only 15 years. His known serial numbers range only from 300 to the 650s, so the total number of guitars from Stromberg's Golden Era is extremely limited. His Master 400s, Master 300s of 1940 through 1955 are among the most highly sought archtops.
Gibson flat tops, late 1920s to 1942. The instruments made from the very late 1920s through 1942, which feature X-bracing similar to that used in Martin guitars, are the most sought by collectors. The 1930s dreadnoughts, particularly the Advanced Jumbo, are highly sought after and are fine sounding instruments. Even the very inexpensive (when new) L-00 models, which feature mahogany back and sides and relatively little ornamentation, sound great and are sought by collectors as well as musicians. In the 1960s, these vintage Gibsons did not have the notoriety that vintage Martins had already gained; however, collectors and musicians were well aware that 1930s Gibsons were exceptionally fine instruments. In the past decade, Gibsons have achieved far more recognition and are now commanding prices more nearly equivalent to the Martins.
Larson Brothers. Carl and August Larson of Chicago made superb instruments from the turn of the century through the early 1940s. While it was a small two-man operation, they turned out a variety of instruments, ranging from parlour-size guitars to giants as wide as 19 inches across, plus mandolins, and f-hole flat-top guitars. They produced an estimated 2,500 instruments under several brand names, including Stahl, Maurer, Euphonon, Prairie State, Wack, and Dyer, but we've never encountered an instrument with their name inscribed or on a label. The Larsons were among the first to produce flat top guitars designed strictly for steel strings. They had a patented system of laminated bracing and also had a patented design for a metal support bar through the body as well as a metal rod that looped around the heel of the neck and was adjustable at the end to set neck angle. These are superb sounding guitars which are distinctive in their construction and appearance. In my opinion, these are some of the most collectible pre-World War II flat tops other than Martin and Gibson.
National metalbody resonator guitars, late 1920s to late 1930s. National's concept of a resonator guitar was an evolutionary dead end in the quest for a louder guitar, but the metalbody models -single-cone models as well as tri-cones - are still highly sought for blues-oriented music. The woodbody Nationals and the Dobros of the same period (woodbody as well as metalbody) do not have the same Golden Era status as the metal Nationals.
"Pre-CBS" Fender guitars and basses from 1950 to early 1965. Instruments made from 1950, when the Broadcaster (soon to be Telecaster) and Esquire were introduced, until Fender's acquisition by CBS at the beginning of 1965, are viewed as the ultimate Fenders. In the opinion of most players as well as collectors, these early instruments remain to this day unrivaled in tone. Fender basses made from the introduction of the Precision bass in 1951 through the end of the pre-CBS era are considered to be the finest ever made by the company. Fender amps, prior to the late 1940s are historically significant, but Leo Fender did not truly perfect his amp design until the late 1940s.
Rickenbacker electric guitars and basses, 1950s-60s. The Frying Pan and Bakelite-body lap steels of the pre-World War II years are historically important as well as great sounding instruments, but the Golden Era for Rickenbacker guitars began in the 1950s with the Spanish-neck models designed by Roger Rossmeisl. These instruments are considered to be classics. Rickenbackers produced during the 1950s command higher prices than those of the 1960s, yet Ricks remain collectible throughout much of the production of the 1960s. Their electric 12-strings are considered to be among the most collectible electric twelves ever made by any manufacturer.
Gibson electrics, 1936-65. The pre-World War II Gibson lap steels (introduced in 1935) are sought by musicians and collectors, but the most desirable prewar guitars are the ES-150 and ES-250 Spanish-neck models with the "Charlie Christian" pickup. The true Golden Era for Gibson electrics is the postwar period from 1948-65, when Ted McCarty was president of the company. The McCarty era encompassed important developments in electric archtops (the triple-pickup ES-5 and electric cutaway versions of the L-5 and Super 400) and solidbodies (Les Pauls, Korinas and SGs), along with the invention of the humbucking pickup and the semi-hollowbody electric. In the opinion of most musicians and collectors, these are some of the finest sounding electrics as well as the most aesthetically pleasing ever made.
Gibson mandolins, mid 1922 through 1924. This brief Golden Era is, not coincidentally, the period when Lloyd Loar signed F-5 mandolins, starting with the introduction of the model and ending with Loar's departure from Gibson. Most mandolin players consider the Loar-signed F-5 mandolins to be the finest such instruments ever produced by any maker in the entire history of mandolin making. The post-Loar F-5s of the 1920s are also excellent mandolins; the instruments made by Orville Gibson are historically important; and there are excellent oval-hole models made from 1910 through the 1920s. However, the Loar F-5s took mandolin design to a new level, and in the opinion of most players and collectors, that level has never been equaled.
Banjos. Golden Eras for banjo makers vary, depending on the style of banjo music. "Classical" and old-timey players consider the open-back five-strings made in the 1890s by Fairbanks of Boston and S.S. Stewart of Philadelphia to be magnificent pieces of art and craftsmanship. For tenor and plectrum players, the Golden Era encompasses instruments made by Bacon & Day, Vega, Epiphone and Paramount, starting at the tail end of the Jazz Age and extending to the late 1930s. Bluegrass players regard Gibsons with the flathead tone ring, especially those with the heavyweight, high-profile flathead of 1933 through the very early 1940s, as ultimate banjos ever made by any manufacturer.
And more. There are numerous exceptions, additions and footnotes that could be made to this list. For example, Les Paul Specials, Les Paul Juniors, and SGs have gained much of their prestige on the coat-tails of the sunburst Les Paul Standard. Similarly, Fender Telecasters and Stratocasters have "carried along" Jazzmasters and Jaguars, and the pre-CBS Fender era has carried along Fenders from the late 1960s, elevating these CBS-era instruments to a status that, in my opinion, they don't truly deserve. There are some highly collectible instruments (Gretsches in particular) that hold noteworthy places in guitar history, but in terms of quality and innovation simply do not rank with true Golden Era models. And finally, I've limited this list to American makers, so the Golden Eras of Selmer/Macafferi guitars, Marshall amps, Spanish-made classical guitars and others are not included.
What makes a Golden Era instrument? If we look for a unifying theme among these so-called Golden Era instruments, it becomes apparent that they are not only superbly made instruments that sound great and look great, but they are clearly not copies of instruments that came before them. These instruments introduced innovative design concepts so that effectively they were not competing with any used instruments of the day. Moreover, these instruments introduced innovations that brought the design of their respective instrument types to perfection, such that these designs have yet to be improved on. Then they maintained their status by virtue of their quality. In the years since Martin's Golden Era, for example, hundreds of companies and individual luthiers have made guitars modeled on a 1937 D-28, but no copy of a Martin has ever been viewed as being truly on par with the originals of the 1930s. Much the same can be said of all of the Golden Era instruments I have mentioned.
It is also quite remarkable how brief a time span the Golden Era has been for many of these makers, how they apparently did not recognize the perfection of their designs, and how soon they made changes that brought their Golden Eras to an end.
The next Golden Era. While I certainly do not rule out the possibility that a modern maker could come up with a major innovative new design, it is my opinion that it is far more difficult today to come up with a truly revolutionary design than it was from 1900 through 1960. The instruments as we know them appear to have been perfected. With the possible exception of digital technology and a truly great sounding acoustic-electric, there is no obvious void or need to be filled, such as there was for a solidbody electric guitar in Leo Fender's era, or for a sturdier and louder mandolin design in Orville Gibson's day. Virtually all of the significant acoustic guitar designs which are popular today were in place by the mid-1930s, whereas virtually all of electric guitar designs popular now had been introduced by the late 1950s. It is my opinion that there is virtually nothing wrong with the sound or playability of pre-World War II flat top guitars by Martin, Gibson, and the Larson Brothers whereas much the same can be said of electric guitars made by Gibson, Fender, Rickenbacker, and some Gretsch models.
Obviously, what human hands did once, they should be able to do again, but today's makers are having increasing difficulty getting the materials that were available to the Golden Era makers. The Golden Era makers were able to get old growth lumber that was air-dried for at least a decade. Today almost all the wood available is second growth and not well-seasoned, so virtually all manufacturers use kiln-dried wood, which is not nearly as stable, nor does it sound the same as the old style air-dried well-seasoned wood. In addition, few makers today use hide glue, and the lacquer formulas available today are quite different from those of the 1920s through the 1960s. Vintage reissues are coming ever closer to the originals, and in the case of archtops, the level of cosmetic craftsmanship - but not tone - by many of today's makers far exceeds that of D'Angelico and Stromberg. However, the focus on reissues is in itself a sign that makers are not actively pursuing the kind of innovations that could lead to new Golden Era. We may well be in a Golden Era of Reissues or a Golden Era of Limited Editions, but they represent pinnacles of craftsmanship and artistry rather than innovation-based Golden Eras. It's also worth noting that none of the Golden Era models were deliberate limited editions.
The true Golden Era instruments are not only superbly crafted and great sounding, but when they were introduced they were so innovative that they displaced and made obsolete many of their predecessors. These instruments have stood the test of time and have not been knocked off their pedestal by any that have followed. While today there are more skilled guitar and mandolin builders and ever before in the history of these instruments, none of the new guitars, banjos, or mandolins I have encountered sound better than the original Golden Era model, nor have I seen any yet that offer new design concepts that render the old ones obsolete.
I do not believe that human ingenuity has run its full course. I would certainly not make the same mistake that a U.S. patent office official made shortly before 1900 when he claimed that there was not much need to keep the office open in the future, since virtually everything that could be invented was already patented. The fact remains, however, that since I opened the doors to my business, nothing new has entered the realm of Golden Era status, and I seriously wonder if in my lifetime any significant new entries will be made into that hallowed status.
George Gruhn
Golden Era instruments
When I opened the doors to my shop in January 1970, people did not use the term Golden Era, but we were well aware of the profound difference between the current new instruments and used instruments of certain periods. We considered post-1965 Fenders and Gibsons to be very poor, but we recognized Martins up until 1969 (with Brazilian rosewood) as superior to those from 1970 onward. In fact, it has often been said that the new instruments of the late '60s and early '70s were of such poor quality that they were what created the demand for vintage guitars. Prices were lower then, of course, but in 1970 the most desirable vintage pieces already cost twice as much as new versions of those models.
Thirty-eight years later, little has changed except prices. The vintage market has boomed at times and stagnated at times, and economic, social and musical trends have changed dramatically over the years. Nevertheless, collectors and musicians today are still looking for the same instruments they were looking for in 1970. In other words, there have been no additional Golden Eras for fretted instruments in the last four decades (with the possible exception of Jimmy D'Aquisto's innovative archtop guitars of the late 1980s and early '90s).
To answer the obvious question - why are there no new Golden Eras? - we should first identify the long-established Golden Eras for fretted instruments.
Martin flat tops from the late 1920s through 1939. Martin guitars made from the mid 1920s, when the company first started routinely bracing guitars for steel strings, through mid-1939, when they were still using "high-X" scalloped bracing, are considered by most players and musicians to be the ultimate Martin guitars ever made in the entire history of the company. Certainly, the guitars made prior to that time exhibited beautiful craftsmanship, but they were designed for use with gut rather than steel strings, which limits their appeal to today's players. By mid-1939, the company changed the positioning of the X-brace to the "low-X" design and went to narrower spacing at the nut and bridge saddle. Martins with low-X scalloped braces are still very fine instruments, but in the opinion of most collectors and musicians, no Martins from any other period in the company's 175-year history rival those made from 1929-39. It is my opinion that these guitars richly earned the distinction they have been given, although I personally prefer those made after late 1934, when the steel T-bar was first introduced in the neck and modern-style T-frets were introduced. Consequently, I would narrow Martin's Golden Era to only a five-year span, from 1934-39.
Gibson f-hole archtops, 1922-42. For the first few years of this period, the L-5 was the only f-hole archtop offered by Gibson. It was joined by the various versions of what would officially become the L-10 in 1931. These are greatly sought by collectors and are wonderful sounding instruments, but with their 16-inch body width, large V-shape neck contour, rather plain ornamentation, and of course non-cutaway body, they truly predate the full evolution of the archtop guitar. In late 1934 Gibson introduced the "advanced" 17-inch models as well as the 18-inch Super 400. In 1939 Gibson introduced cutaway versions of the L-5 and the Super 400. Most collectors and players view the more highly ornamented instruments from late 1934 through 1942 as being the true Golden Era for Gibson archtops (although my personal favorite guitar is the early 16-inch L-5). Gibson continued to make fine archtop guitars through the 1960s, and the postwar models are great modern jazz guitars, but I share the opinion of most collectors that the workmanship of the postwar models is not equivalent to the prewar instruments.
Epiphone archtops, 1931 through World War II. The Deluxe and Emperor in particular are widely regarded as being on a par with equivalent Gibson models (the L-5 and Super 400, respectively). The Golden Era is blurred somewhat by the fact that Epiphone did not offer cutaway models until after the war, and jazz musicians typically prefer cutaways over non-cutaways to the point that postwar Epi cutaways may bring more money than the prewar non-cutaways. Nevertheless, in my opinion, the Epiphones of the 1930s have superior tone and volume to the postwar instruments.
D'Angelico archtops, 1932-64, and Stromberg archtops, circa 1940-55. John D'Angelico in New York and Charles and Elmer Stromberg in Boston started making archtop guitars during the early 1930s, and both shops were noted for superb jazz instruments. D'Angelico made marvelous guitars from his very first year of production in 1932 through his death in 1964, so virtually all of his nearly 1100 guitars (plus a few hundred mandolins) are collectible. Stromberg, on the other hand, took a few years to perfect his designs. His early guitars had laminated backs that were pressed rather than carved, and many of the tops on his early guitars featured three segment f-holes and multiple braces. It was not until circa 1940 that Strombergs appeared with well-graduated carving, one-piece f-holes, and one diagonal brace. Consequently Stromberg's Golden Era spans only 15 years. His known serial numbers range only from 300 to the 650s, so the total number of guitars from Stromberg's Golden Era is extremely limited. His Master 400s, Master 300s of 1940 through 1955 are among the most highly sought archtops.
Gibson flat tops, late 1920s to 1942. The instruments made from the very late 1920s through 1942, which feature X-bracing similar to that used in Martin guitars, are the most sought by collectors. The 1930s dreadnoughts, particularly the Advanced Jumbo, are highly sought after and are fine sounding instruments. Even the very inexpensive (when new) L-00 models, which feature mahogany back and sides and relatively little ornamentation, sound great and are sought by collectors as well as musicians. In the 1960s, these vintage Gibsons did not have the notoriety that vintage Martins had already gained; however, collectors and musicians were well aware that 1930s Gibsons were exceptionally fine instruments. In the past decade, Gibsons have achieved far more recognition and are now commanding prices more nearly equivalent to the Martins.
Larson Brothers. Carl and August Larson of Chicago made superb instruments from the turn of the century through the early 1940s. While it was a small two-man operation, they turned out a variety of instruments, ranging from parlour-size guitars to giants as wide as 19 inches across, plus mandolins, and f-hole flat-top guitars. They produced an estimated 2,500 instruments under several brand names, including Stahl, Maurer, Euphonon, Prairie State, Wack, and Dyer, but we've never encountered an instrument with their name inscribed or on a label. The Larsons were among the first to produce flat top guitars designed strictly for steel strings. They had a patented system of laminated bracing and also had a patented design for a metal support bar through the body as well as a metal rod that looped around the heel of the neck and was adjustable at the end to set neck angle. These are superb sounding guitars which are distinctive in their construction and appearance. In my opinion, these are some of the most collectible pre-World War II flat tops other than Martin and Gibson.
National metalbody resonator guitars, late 1920s to late 1930s. National's concept of a resonator guitar was an evolutionary dead end in the quest for a louder guitar, but the metalbody models -single-cone models as well as tri-cones - are still highly sought for blues-oriented music. The woodbody Nationals and the Dobros of the same period (woodbody as well as metalbody) do not have the same Golden Era status as the metal Nationals.
"Pre-CBS" Fender guitars and basses from 1950 to early 1965. Instruments made from 1950, when the Broadcaster (soon to be Telecaster) and Esquire were introduced, until Fender's acquisition by CBS at the beginning of 1965, are viewed as the ultimate Fenders. In the opinion of most players as well as collectors, these early instruments remain to this day unrivaled in tone. Fender basses made from the introduction of the Precision bass in 1951 through the end of the pre-CBS era are considered to be the finest ever made by the company. Fender amps, prior to the late 1940s are historically significant, but Leo Fender did not truly perfect his amp design until the late 1940s.
Rickenbacker electric guitars and basses, 1950s-60s. The Frying Pan and Bakelite-body lap steels of the pre-World War II years are historically important as well as great sounding instruments, but the Golden Era for Rickenbacker guitars began in the 1950s with the Spanish-neck models designed by Roger Rossmeisl. These instruments are considered to be classics. Rickenbackers produced during the 1950s command higher prices than those of the 1960s, yet Ricks remain collectible throughout much of the production of the 1960s. Their electric 12-strings are considered to be among the most collectible electric twelves ever made by any manufacturer.
Gibson electrics, 1936-65. The pre-World War II Gibson lap steels (introduced in 1935) are sought by musicians and collectors, but the most desirable prewar guitars are the ES-150 and ES-250 Spanish-neck models with the "Charlie Christian" pickup. The true Golden Era for Gibson electrics is the postwar period from 1948-65, when Ted McCarty was president of the company. The McCarty era encompassed important developments in electric archtops (the triple-pickup ES-5 and electric cutaway versions of the L-5 and Super 400) and solidbodies (Les Pauls, Korinas and SGs), along with the invention of the humbucking pickup and the semi-hollowbody electric. In the opinion of most musicians and collectors, these are some of the finest sounding electrics as well as the most aesthetically pleasing ever made.
Gibson mandolins, mid 1922 through 1924. This brief Golden Era is, not coincidentally, the period when Lloyd Loar signed F-5 mandolins, starting with the introduction of the model and ending with Loar's departure from Gibson. Most mandolin players consider the Loar-signed F-5 mandolins to be the finest such instruments ever produced by any maker in the entire history of mandolin making. The post-Loar F-5s of the 1920s are also excellent mandolins; the instruments made by Orville Gibson are historically important; and there are excellent oval-hole models made from 1910 through the 1920s. However, the Loar F-5s took mandolin design to a new level, and in the opinion of most players and collectors, that level has never been equaled.
Banjos. Golden Eras for banjo makers vary, depending on the style of banjo music. "Classical" and old-timey players consider the open-back five-strings made in the 1890s by Fairbanks of Boston and S.S. Stewart of Philadelphia to be magnificent pieces of art and craftsmanship. For tenor and plectrum players, the Golden Era encompasses instruments made by Bacon & Day, Vega, Epiphone and Paramount, starting at the tail end of the Jazz Age and extending to the late 1930s. Bluegrass players regard Gibsons with the flathead tone ring, especially those with the heavyweight, high-profile flathead of 1933 through the very early 1940s, as ultimate banjos ever made by any manufacturer.
And more. There are numerous exceptions, additions and footnotes that could be made to this list. For example, Les Paul Specials, Les Paul Juniors, and SGs have gained much of their prestige on the coat-tails of the sunburst Les Paul Standard. Similarly, Fender Telecasters and Stratocasters have "carried along" Jazzmasters and Jaguars, and the pre-CBS Fender era has carried along Fenders from the late 1960s, elevating these CBS-era instruments to a status that, in my opinion, they don't truly deserve. There are some highly collectible instruments (Gretsches in particular) that hold noteworthy places in guitar history, but in terms of quality and innovation simply do not rank with true Golden Era models. And finally, I've limited this list to American makers, so the Golden Eras of Selmer/Macafferi guitars, Marshall amps, Spanish-made classical guitars and others are not included.
What makes a Golden Era instrument? If we look for a unifying theme among these so-called Golden Era instruments, it becomes apparent that they are not only superbly made instruments that sound great and look great, but they are clearly not copies of instruments that came before them. These instruments introduced innovative design concepts so that effectively they were not competing with any used instruments of the day. Moreover, these instruments introduced innovations that brought the design of their respective instrument types to perfection, such that these designs have yet to be improved on. Then they maintained their status by virtue of their quality. In the years since Martin's Golden Era, for example, hundreds of companies and individual luthiers have made guitars modeled on a 1937 D-28, but no copy of a Martin has ever been viewed as being truly on par with the originals of the 1930s. Much the same can be said of all of the Golden Era instruments I have mentioned.
It is also quite remarkable how brief a time span the Golden Era has been for many of these makers, how they apparently did not recognize the perfection of their designs, and how soon they made changes that brought their Golden Eras to an end.
The next Golden Era. While I certainly do not rule out the possibility that a modern maker could come up with a major innovative new design, it is my opinion that it is far more difficult today to come up with a truly revolutionary design than it was from 1900 through 1960. The instruments as we know them appear to have been perfected. With the possible exception of digital technology and a truly great sounding acoustic-electric, there is no obvious void or need to be filled, such as there was for a solidbody electric guitar in Leo Fender's era, or for a sturdier and louder mandolin design in Orville Gibson's day. Virtually all of the significant acoustic guitar designs which are popular today were in place by the mid-1930s, whereas virtually all of electric guitar designs popular now had been introduced by the late 1950s. It is my opinion that there is virtually nothing wrong with the sound or playability of pre-World War II flat top guitars by Martin, Gibson, and the Larson Brothers whereas much the same can be said of electric guitars made by Gibson, Fender, Rickenbacker, and some Gretsch models.
Obviously, what human hands did once, they should be able to do again, but today's makers are having increasing difficulty getting the materials that were available to the Golden Era makers. The Golden Era makers were able to get old growth lumber that was air-dried for at least a decade. Today almost all the wood available is second growth and not well-seasoned, so virtually all manufacturers use kiln-dried wood, which is not nearly as stable, nor does it sound the same as the old style air-dried well-seasoned wood. In addition, few makers today use hide glue, and the lacquer formulas available today are quite different from those of the 1920s through the 1960s. Vintage reissues are coming ever closer to the originals, and in the case of archtops, the level of cosmetic craftsmanship - but not tone - by many of today's makers far exceeds that of D'Angelico and Stromberg. However, the focus on reissues is in itself a sign that makers are not actively pursuing the kind of innovations that could lead to new Golden Era. We may well be in a Golden Era of Reissues or a Golden Era of Limited Editions, but they represent pinnacles of craftsmanship and artistry rather than innovation-based Golden Eras. It's also worth noting that none of the Golden Era models were deliberate limited editions.
The true Golden Era instruments are not only superbly crafted and great sounding, but when they were introduced they were so innovative that they displaced and made obsolete many of their predecessors. These instruments have stood the test of time and have not been knocked off their pedestal by any that have followed. While today there are more skilled guitar and mandolin builders and ever before in the history of these instruments, none of the new guitars, banjos, or mandolins I have encountered sound better than the original Golden Era model, nor have I seen any yet that offer new design concepts that render the old ones obsolete.
I do not believe that human ingenuity has run its full course. I would certainly not make the same mistake that a U.S. patent office official made shortly before 1900 when he claimed that there was not much need to keep the office open in the future, since virtually everything that could be invented was already patented. The fact remains, however, that since I opened the doors to my business, nothing new has entered the realm of Golden Era status, and I seriously wonder if in my lifetime any significant new entries will be made into that hallowed status.
George Gruhn
Comments
The Golden Era makers were able to get old growth lumber that was air-dried for at least a decade. Today almost all the wood available is second growth and not well-seasoned, so virtually all manufacturers use kiln-dried wood, which is not nearly as stable, nor does it sound the same as the old style air-dried well-seasoned wood.
I've heard that JP Favino actually has a very old stash of wood that I think he inherited from his Father. Dupont also does, but only uses the old air-dried wood for his Vieille Reserve model. That would at least partially explain why these new guitars sound almost as good as the old ones.
I'd say the golden era for Gypsy jazz was during the Selmer years (1930s-early 1950s). Busato also built roughly during the same time. During this period there was a huge amount of innovation and production of Selmer style instruments. Not much has changed since then. The guitars from this era (Busato/Selmer) are probably the best sounding instruments you'll ever find.
I suppose you could also say there was a second Golden Era during the Favino hey day 1965-1978. A good Jacques Favino is the closest thing you'll find to the sonic refinement of the original golden era instruments from Selmer/Busato.
There is possibly a third one going on now with countless solo luthiers building Selmer copies. Although, from an innovation standpoint not much has changed as most luthiers are still relying on the old designs from the 30s. Only time will tell if where in another Golden Era for Selmer style instruments....
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Gruhn is in the business of selling vintage instruments for outrageous prices and so it does not surprise me to read his opinion.
I believe that there was a golden age of lutherie and that he is largely correct regarding the older instruments.
I also believe that prices being paid for vintage instruments are often ludicrous, far beyond their utilitarian value as tools for making music.
I further believe that we are in a second golden age of lutherie today, an age where the best luthiers still have access to fine tonewoods. This age will end when the tonewoods disappear. Until then guitars made by Monteleone and Bennedetto will certainly be on the same level as D'Angelicos, D'Aquistos and Strombergs. Some of the new Gibson Custom shop guitars are every bit as good as the best vintage counterparts, some are not as good, but some of those vintage guitars sucked too.
Old wood does have a "mojo" that may be worth a premium and for those of us over 40, we may not have 50 years to wait for a new guitar to have old wood.
There are a lot of factors regarding guitar value. Selmer's are valuable for several reasons. They are rare (less than 1000 were made), they were the highest quality (and most expensive) instrument of its type, and most importantly, THEY WERE PLAYED BY DJANGO!
Original Les Paul Standards are perhaps the most valuable guitars because they were played by Jimmy Page, Eric Clapton Keith Richards etc.
Strats, the same thing. Hendrix, Buddy holly etc.
There are exceptions. D'Angelicos and D'Aquistos (the finest guitars ever built IMO) are valuable not for who played them, but for who made them. Big Difference.
As the market for vintage guitars got too high, some second rate guitars have become valuable. An example in point is 70's strats. Lousy guitars. (I owned a couple in the early 80's. Worst guitars I ever owned). They now sell for way more than they should.
Buy a guitar for its sound and feel. If it is a truly rare guitar, consider future collector value, but remember that this may be a fad, especially with lesser known makers like Busato.
Selmers, D'Angelicos, pre war Martins. Probably no worries with guitars in that class. Their value has been proven over time.
New Gibsons, Martins, Fenders? Maybe a good long term hold, maybe not. If they play well and you enjoy them, they are worth every cent.
Do we have any Gypsy guitars being made today that will be worth a bundle tomorrow? Maybe JP Favino's? And then there is a whole new crop of builders. Perhaps we will all look back and say "remember when we could get a new Bob Holo guitar for only..."
He does seem to charge more then others...
It's all supply and demand....if there's a huge demand for a particular instrument the price will sky rocket. It does seem crazy sometimes...but often there's simply nothing else like it so it's worth the price. That's certainly true with the vintage Selmer type guitars. Nothing new sounds like the old ones...so you have to bid high on the vintage market if you want something with that sound.
I played a circa 2000 Gibson L-5 reissue and it was nowhere as good as 4 other 30-50s L7s. I'm a firm believer that you can't build them like they used to. I think it's a mix of age, available wood, and craftsmanship. There are certainly many amazing new archtops and Selmer style guitars. But I've never heard one that performs like the old ones.
For sure....80s Gibsons may be a hot item some day!
I would hardly call Busato lesser known. Busato guitars have been highly coveted for over a decade and have played /owned many stars like Romane, Stochelo, Moreno, etc. And they, meet the same criteria :rare, high quality, and PLAYED BY DJANGO! And they also happen to better then just about anything else out there...arguably better the a Selmer.
Lots of great stuff being made today....I think JPs guitars will be legendary as they are among the best of the new stuff.
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On another note old wood is good wood. Hide glues and lacquer formulas all are components of golden era tone. I have been fortunate to play many fine archtop guitars. Many were dogs. In deep sleep. Guitars need to be played alot. Years really. I certainly am no expert and merely voicing my humble opinion.
As far as vintage guitars are concerned I love them. I love new guitars as well. I think there are some amazing instrument being built now. Are they as good as the golden era? Thats up to you.
Vintage instruments can be great and they are cool from a nostalgia point of view, and I have gone the vintage instrument route, but they can also be fragile and not very durable. The necks and tops often move around, cracks develop, etc. due to temperature, humidity and mishandling. Personally, I am over the vintage thing since it is very hard to find one that does not, or will not soon develop structural problems, and there are so many great new guitars out there at a competitive price.
IMHO, in general, if you can find a good vintage guitar, plan to pay a lot for it in terms of purchase price and upcoming repair bills.
Remember, Gruhn is in the business of selling "vintage" guitars so he has a financial incentive to hype the nostalgia thing. There are plenty of great new guitars out there. Personally, I think that we are now in the midst of the real "golden age" of guitar building. Heck, just regarding GJ guitars, even the low end Gitane and Cigano stuff is phenomenal for the price not to mention all the great custom luthiers out there. And of course there are tons of great archtop builders. I think that it was the GAL and all the great custom luthiers bringing the level up so high that also brought up the level of the production shops in recent years (Saga for one).
I've actually experienced the opposite with respect to movement of the top. The older guitars, especially 40s Busatos and the like only need one bridge year round. They seem to have done all their moving around a long time ago and are actually far more stable then the new stuff. When we get newer stuff in I often have to change the bridges many times a month because they move so much.
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I had a discussion with a prominent archtop dealer about this a while back. He commented that the vintage archtop market is largely driven by collectors pieces like the pre-war Gibsons (super 400 or L-5) or D'Angelicos. But the Gypsy market is more driven by sonic performance. I think this largely true as there are many, many amazing sounding pre-war archtops like the L-7 that can be had for very little. Archtop guys only want the L-5s because of the aesthetics. But in the Gypsy world often the most beat up, plain looking guitars are fetching high prices because they sound totally amazing.
I do think that Selmers have now largely crossed over into the archtop collectors paradigm. But most other stuff like Favinos, Busatos, etc is driven by sound rather then pure hype.
Wood:
It's really difficult to get hold of. My primary sources of wood have been older guys in the wood business who have (thankfully) taken a liking to me. Without them I'd be out of luck, plain and simple. Bottom line, you can't just go buy wood. You have to find people who will take the time to teach you and point you in the right direction and help you find opportunities to acquire good wood, much as Michael and Josh have helped me find opportunties to understand these instruments and you folks have been willing to give me blunt honest feedback. Truly good wood is just not out there to be bought. I have a small stash of good wood acquired through a series of very fortunate opportunities to acquire small amounts, but there's no way I could turn on a production line tomorrow - I'd be out of wood by next week.
The Build Process:
Making guitars the way they were made during the golden eras of most makers is tough. Not only does it take a whole lot longer but it is slower and more physically demanding. If you really want to do it right - you need to be willing to use hand tools at certain places, and you have to wait the right amount of time between steps. The gist of it is that the nature of a small shop is that the natural way you do things in batches sort of works best. Michael and I had a conversation about this one day - he said he thought one of the reasons Selmers were so good is that the guys all thought like a bunch of old cabinet makers. That makes total sense. Cabinet makers understand aging / drying / stability / grain runout - and they know what a good piece of wood feels like when you hold & flex it. Equally important is that they think like woodworkers. They don't organize production in the most efficient way - they organize it in the way that gets the job done right. Guitars aren't the only industry hurt when companies get bigger and layers of middle level management get hired. Remember when computers weren't irritating? Remember when they didn't pop things up in your face all the time and try to get you to upgrade to this or try that? I worked at Intel during those years - we did a hell of a job - and the whole place was run by engineers. The beginning of the end was when we started hiring people who showed up to work in dress pants talking about things like efficiency. Efficiency means a whole different thing to an engineer - it means taking the time to do something right so you only have to do it once.
Design:
For better or worse, over the last couple of decades, standards for making guitars have been developed... radiused sanding dishes, standard arch templates for braces, truss rods that allow you to muscle necks into place under tension, finishes that are impenetrable and will never crack (or vibrate)... etc... etc... etc... and these improvements have dramatically raised the quality of lowend instruments and increased the amount of abuse an instrument can take without breaking. These techniques are being taught at modern schools of luthiery. To make a long story short, they bring up the bottom end and dumb down the highend. When all guitars have the same soundboard thickness, same soundhole size, same top arch, same neck angle, same scale length... they're going to sound... the same. When I first started looking up inside these old gypsy instruments I kept saying things like: "Wow - he did this part totally wrong." Hmmm... really? A 60 year old guitar that sounds better than any modern guitar you've ever played and he did it wrong? Hmmm... For the last three years I've been working about 80 hours per week trying to learn how to do things "wrong" as well as those old guys did.
Customer focused
A whole big thing in business since the '50s when the baby boomers started growing up is "The customer is always right". Modern business uses focus groups and pays companies to call us during the dinner hour to see how we feel about something or another and then use marketing to parrot these things back to us in words we find familiar so we'll reach for our pocket books. This is where thick glossy finishes and thin necks and pretty-woods-that-sound-like-crap come from. All of this is based on selling more product to a wider group of people. Back to the "cabinet maker" conversation Michael and I had a while back... Those old guys at Selmer had it right. They didn't think like Advertising representatives - they were woodworkers - they just did what was right based on their experience working with wood. Ironically, eventually Selmer decided it wasn't profitable to put so much work into an instrument that couldn't be sold for a ton of money and so instead of shopping out production or selling off the Selmer guitar brand name to some cheapie producer - they just stopped making them. Death before dishonor - plain and simple.
If you find this post to be offensive, please forgive it. This isn't intended to cast anyone or anything in a bad light. That would be ridiculously presumptuous on my part. It's just me blurting out what I really feel on this subject that I've been banging my head on these last few years. In fact, there are some larger makers that are doing really fantastic work - particularly when you consider the prices they're able to offer. If you've been around here for any length of time you know I'm a big fan of the Jorgenson 300, the Hommage, and so on.
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