Gibson Super V

[Doug B]

I just saw this guitar at guitarsnjazz.com. Supposed to have the tone of a Super 400 with the body size of a L5.

Doug

[ThatRhythmMan]

Well, they have the neck of a Super 400 (headstock and inlays) anyway.


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[Woody Sound]

More like the tone of an L-5 with the cosmetics of a S-400.

[Jimmy blue note]

So if I buy it, I'll have the sound of Wes Montgomery and the soulful playing of Kenny Burrell? Is this what I should expect?
Hey I've been looking for this exact guitar! How much? (I'm tired of sounding lame on this guitar of mine. They must've screwed up at the factory)

[Stringswinger]

So if I buy it, I'll have the sound of Wes Montgomery and the soulful playing of Kenny Burrell? Is this what I should expect?
Hey I've been looking for this exact guitar! How much? (I'm tired of sounding lame on this guitar of mine. They must've screwed up at the factory)

Sorry, to sound like Wes, you will need an L-5 Wes Montgomery (and even then you will only be "close" as Wes played an L-5C with one built in pickup) and to sound like Kenny, you will need a Super 400CES. With the Super V, you will likely sound like you, not them. Of course, even with the right guitars, you will still sound like you, not them. Alas, we are all destined to sound like ourselves, no matter the guitar. But I enjoy justifying another guitar purchase however I can. And I am glad to sound like me. But I sure enjoy listening to Wes and Kenny, who along with Joe Pass (One needs an ES-175D to chase Joe's sound) are my favorite jazz guitarists to this day.

[Doug B]

So if I buy it, I'll have the sound of Wes Montgomery and the soulful playing of Kenny Burrell? Is this what I should expect?
Hey I've been looking for this exact guitar! How much? (I'm tired of sounding lame on this guitar of mine. They must've screwed up at the factory)

Gibson probably had some spare parts sitting round and decided to put them together as some custom shop special. (They wish) Suits-what'cha gonna do!

Doug

[Doug B]

Of course, even with the right guitars, you will still sound like you, not them. Alas, we are all destined to sound like ourselves, no matter the guitar.

Most days I don't even sound like myself!

Doug

[Woody Sound]

[nevershouldhavesoldit]

(I'm tired of sounding lame on this guitar of mine. They must've screwed up at the factory

The guitar factory or the player factory?

[lawson-stone]

More like the tone of an L-5 with the cosmetics of a S-400.

To me that is glorious. I love the larger headstock of the Super 400 but I don't like the 18" body. My Aria Pro II PE180 is a copy of the Super V and I absolutely love it.

[wintermoon]

To me that is glorious. I love the larger headstock of the Super 400 but I don't like the 18" body. My Aria Pro II PE180 is a copy of the Super V and I absolutely love it.

Except for the lam vs carved aspect, yes.

[wintermoon]

In case folks don't know Bruce designed the Gibson BJB pickup.

[wintermoon]

More like the tone of an L-5 with the cosmetics of a S-400.

Most have the Oettinger finger t.p.s but over the years I've seen a few of them w factory Super 400 tailpieces.

[AKA]

Bireli Legrene and Russell Malone performed with them quite a bit. They still sounded like Bireli and Russell, only with a a slightly darker tone.

I had a mint sunburst that I sold to a gentleman on the forum a number of years ago. Great guitar, just a touch heavier than I preferred.

AKA

[gitman]

[QUOTE=Woody Sound;1349021]
Exactly THIS guy was the driving force behind many of these mongrels in the mid/late 70‘s and he didn’t stop after issuing a whole slew of solidbody models but continued in the archtop department with this mashup called
Super-V …..
I met him once at the Frankfurt Musik Messe ( Joe Pass was also at the Gibson booth) and when he demonstrated one of the models I thought to myself: how can HE be responsible for these instruments when he can’t even play ?….
Looooong time ago ?

[Sam Sherry]

Gibson probably had some spare parts sitting round and decided to put them together as some custom shop special. (They wish) Suits-what'cha gonna do!

IIMR the Super V debuted as the Johnny Smith contract ended. There are differences but there sure are similarities.

As a kid I gigged a bunch with Bob Kobus, who played a Super V that was a gift from his wife. The instrument and operator each sounded excellent through a silver-face Vibrosonic!

[setemupjoe]

I've owned my Super V since around 1981. It's been around the world on tour with me countless times over the years. I would say it's the equal of any L-5 I've played. I bought the Heritage Super Eagle because I liked the neck on my Super V so much.

[Woody Sound]

The camera lens makes that S-V look like an 18"-er.

[Danny W.]

IIMR the Super V debuted as the Johnny Smith contract ended. There are differences but there sure are similarities.

Nope--that's the LeGrand. The Super V was introduced in 1978, well before the JS was discontinued.

I've owned several of them:









I feel the same about these as I do about other Gibson archtops from that period. They're fine, but not as good as the ones they built pre- and post-Norlin. That said, I kept the blonde and BJB for about eleven years, so I can't say I hated them.

Danny W.

[deacon Mark]

Danny, you have owned every Gibson winner archtop ever but I have to ask, you ever owned a Kalamazoo Award Gibson. They are supposed to be the real finest. I played 2 in my day and nice guitars but nothing any better than others I have. Granted they are great guitars just a bit of the unusual.

Went to a Gibson clinic in Eureka Illinois in about 1980 and Mike Elliot had the clinic. He had a Gibson Super V acoustic great guitar, and he could play like nobody's business.

[Danny W.]

Danny, you have owned every Gibson winner archtop ever but I have to ask, you ever owned a Kalamazoo Award Gibson. They are supposed to be the real finest. I played 2 in my day and nice guitars but nothing any better than others I have. Granted they are great guitars just a bit of the unusual.

This was a pretty nice guitar, very acoustic and beautifully made. I kept it much longer than any of my other Norlins because there was no post-Norlin equivalent:





Danny W.