If you can't get it done with one pickup-what's the point? That's what I always think when I see a Gibson Melody Maker I. This one is a vintage 1965 model made at the original Gibson factory in Kalamazoo Michigan, U.S.A. It is early enough to still have the wide 1 11/16" size nut and desirable big meaty neck. It is solid and has no breaks, cracks or repairs. It is 100% original and has been professionally set up-it needs nothing, it is ready to go.
The body is the familiar slab style mahogany double cutaway shape and it is really nice and lightweight. The Cherry Red finish has light line checking all over the front sides and back-it is slight enough to disappear at a distance but looks really cool up close-see photos. There are minute pecks and other handling evidence here and there-overall it presents very nice with a killer vintage mojo vibe. The neck joint is solid and it has a perfect neck angle.
The neck itself is straight and smooth. It has a very big neck that feels just like a 50's Gibson Junior! The nut is 1 11/16" wide-just the way you want it. The neck depth measures .864" deep at the 1st fret and 1.020" deep at the 12th fret. The tuners all function and the guitar stays in tune-just behave and don't get psycho with the Vibrola, thank you. The headstock and logo display excellent with nice patina. The truss rod functions. The action is set low for an easy playing experience. The rosewood fingerboard is nice and clean and has a soft feel. The frets have been professionally polished and look crisp with an excellent height. The string height is currently .010" at the 1st fret and .050" at the 12th fret. The guitar plays like butter up and down the fingerboard with a nice soft touch.
The pickup has an excellent signal and measures 6.85 ohms. The controls all function smoothly and the original wiring harness is clean. The potentiometers do have date codes of the 8th week of 1965-so it is an early 65 model-and thus the earlier style neck makes sense. Has to be one of the last of the great ones! The tone is pure rock: that deep growl with a brilliance that is somehow dark and raw. So cool. So necessary. The pickguard is nice and clean and the lettering is bright! The wraparound bridge affords a non-tree option if you should choose to go that route-the Vibrola functions smoothly as it is.
The guitar is super lightweight and lots of fun to play. It has an amazing resonance that you can feel as soon as you pick it up. The guitar only weighs 6.06 lbs! That is rad, dude. Comes with soft case that is kind of reinforced in a form fit-shape.
This is one of the best values in 1960's vintage Gibson guitars out there-Its clean, its cool and its sounds and plays as good as it looks. You know what to do.
