Here is a vintage 1965 Gibson Melody Maker D model in original Cherry Red finish. This guitar was made at the original Gibson factory in Kalamazoo, Michigan U.S.A. The guitar has no breaks or repairs and is super solid. It is fairly original with a couple of mods and it is a really great player. It is ready to go and needs nothing.
The mahogany slab body has the desirable earlier "double cutaway egg" shape. The pickguard has no cracks and is nice and flat. The Cherry Red finish has a lot of weather checking-transverse lines that look really cool. They are fairly slight and only visible at certain angles in certain lighting. The Cherry Red stain has mellowed slightly to a rich autumn shade-so it's not bright red, but more of a soft red. Looks nice and vintage with killer mojo. The rollover bridge is an aftermarket unit that is a bit more beefy than the original piece. The neck angle is excellent, and the neck joint is solid and very stable.
The neck itself is straight and has a vintage C-shape profile. The nut is the earlier 1 11/16th" wide 50's/early 60's version. The neck depth measures 8.00" at the 1st fret and 9.84" deep at the 12th fret. The tuners had previously been changed and now a set of stock style klusons are back on it. The headstock and logo display nicely with a vintage vibe. The fingerboard is clean and looks good-see photos. The frets are in great condition and shine brightly-see photos. The action has been set low for an easy playing experience. The string height measures .010" at the 1st fret and .050" at the 12th fret. The guitar plays great up and down the fingerboard.
The original pickups have an excellent signal and great volume. The neck pickup measures 7.23 ohms and the bridge pickup measures 7.11 ohms. The tone is quintessential Melody Maker: heavy growl and low end with brilliant sparkle that somehow has a darkness that is really cool. Screams through any quality tube amp. The controls all function smoothly. Some knobs have been replaced over the years-but they all look good together-just a slight variance in font size. One tone cap has been changed for sure-I am not sure about the other one. Most of the wiring is the correct original pieces. The potentiometers are Noble brand and they have the correct era-dark boards. They are correct 500K pots and all match with a "UR" date code.
The guitar is incredibly lightweight! It only weighs 5.29 lbs. so it is extremely comfortable and easy to handle. You can play it all night long and forget about shoulder fatigue.
This is really a great vintage Gibson at a great price. Comes with a quality aftermarket hardcase.
