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Gibson Melody Maker
The Gibson Melody Maker is an electric guitar made by Gibson Guitar Corporation. It has had many body shape variations since its conception in 1959.
The original Gibson Melody Maker was first launched in 1959 and discontinued in 1971. Its purpose was as an even cheaper alternative to the Gibson Les Paul Junior which was itself introduced as a student model in 1954. From its inception it had a thin slab-style mahogany body and a glued in one-piece mahogany set neck. All the electronics, from the small "Fender style" single-coil pickups to the cable jack, 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.
From 1959 until 1961, the Melody Maker had a single cutaway slab body style similar to the early Les Paul Junior model but thinner. In 1961 the body style changed to a symmetrical double cutaway; the single cutaway model was discontinued. The body style was changed again in 1966 to that of the Gibson SG. Colloquially known as the SG Melody Maker, it gained the SG's pointed "horns", while a large white scratchplate and white pickup covers replaced the black.
The SG Melody Maker alongside the rest of the SG line was discontinued and replaced by the short-lived SG 100, 200 and 250 of 1972, quickly replaced by the more traditional SG I, II, and III. In 1974-75 Gibson finally moved to the much more cost-efficient bolt-on necks with the Gibson Marauder and then the Gibson Sonex of the 80s.
Though Gibson stopped production of the Melody Maker in 1971, they continued manufacturing the classic single cut and double cut melody maker body style at various points throughout the years.
At the same time of the Melody Maker, Gibson's sister brand Epiphone made a version of the guitar named the Olympic. Initially virtually identical to the double cut Melody Makers, these guitars eventually developed an asymmetrical body with a slightly larger upper horn with the Olympic Special, and a higher-end model which shared a body with the later Epiphone Coronet, Wilshire, and Crestwoods called the Olympic Double.
Options on the Melody Maker included two pickups on the Melody Maker "D" model and a short-scale 3/4 neck. In 1967 on the "SG Melody Maker" both two and three pickup versions and a twelve-string version were introduced, the Melody Maker II, III and XII respectively. A short length version of the Vibrola vibrato device was also available as an option.
From 1959 to 1964 the finish was a sunburst, from 1964 to 1965 it was cherry, from 1966 on the "SG" Melody Maker it was fire engine red or pelham blue, in 1967 red was replaced by sparkling burgundy and walnut became an option from 1968. Rare examples were made to order in other custom Gibson colors e.g. Inverness Green.[citation needed]
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Gibson Melody Maker
The Gibson Melody Maker is an electric guitar made by Gibson Guitar Corporation. It has had many body shape variations since its conception in 1959.
The original Gibson Melody Maker was first launched in 1959 and discontinued in 1971. Its purpose was as an even cheaper alternative to the Gibson Les Paul Junior which was itself introduced as a student model in 1954. From its inception it had a thin slab-style mahogany body and a glued in one-piece mahogany set neck. All the electronics, from the small "Fender style" single-coil pickups to the cable jack, 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.
From 1959 until 1961, the Melody Maker had a single cutaway slab body style similar to the early Les Paul Junior model but thinner. In 1961 the body style changed to a symmetrical double cutaway; the single cutaway model was discontinued. The body style was changed again in 1966 to that of the Gibson SG. Colloquially known as the SG Melody Maker, it gained the SG's pointed "horns", while a large white scratchplate and white pickup covers replaced the black.
The SG Melody Maker alongside the rest of the SG line was discontinued and replaced by the short-lived SG 100, 200 and 250 of 1972, quickly replaced by the more traditional SG I, II, and III. In 1974-75 Gibson finally moved to the much more cost-efficient bolt-on necks with the Gibson Marauder and then the Gibson Sonex of the 80s.
Though Gibson stopped production of the Melody Maker in 1971, they continued manufacturing the classic single cut and double cut melody maker body style at various points throughout the years.
At the same time of the Melody Maker, Gibson's sister brand Epiphone made a version of the guitar named the Olympic. Initially virtually identical to the double cut Melody Makers, these guitars eventually developed an asymmetrical body with a slightly larger upper horn with the Olympic Special, and a higher-end model which shared a body with the later Epiphone Coronet, Wilshire, and Crestwoods called the Olympic Double.
Options on the Melody Maker included two pickups on the Melody Maker "D" model and a short-scale 3/4 neck. In 1967 on the "SG Melody Maker" both two and three pickup versions and a twelve-string version were introduced, the Melody Maker II, III and XII respectively. A short length version of the Vibrola vibrato device was also available as an option.
From 1959 to 1964 the finish was a sunburst, from 1964 to 1965 it was cherry, from 1966 on the "SG" Melody Maker it was fire engine red or pelham blue, in 1967 red was replaced by sparkling burgundy and walnut became an option from 1968. Rare examples were made to order in other custom Gibson colors e.g. Inverness Green.[citation needed]