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Originally Posted by McGregor
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04-14-2024 05:41 PM
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Thanks Zig, looking forward to your insight.. all the response is very cathartic in the process and great feedback!
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@ McGregor
I bought my first Gibson guitar in 1974, currently own 9 Gibson guitars and I have owned many others over the years. My experience is that along with Martin guitars and American Fender guitars, Gibson guitars ( the popular models of which the L-5 is included) have consistently gone up in value, mostly exceeding inflation, and have been easy to sell (compared to other maker's instruments). That said, Stocks, bonds, and real estate are probably a better long term investment. It is hard to say what values will be in three years. I do not expect them to fall in that time frame, but I also do not expect them to go up at the same rate we have seen over the last 20 years.
Buy a guitar to play and enjoy. It is one of the few toys for big boys that does not depreciate rapidly. IMO, the most important reason to buy a guitar is to have an instrument to inspire your playing.
If you have narrowed the choice to a Bravo or a WESMO, my advice is to buy the WESMO. I was offered an artist discount on a Bravo from Howard Paul, the owner of Benedetto guitars and I passed. Gibson offered me nothing. I was a retail buyer of my WESMO and it won't be for sale until I am dead. HTH
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Peter Bernstein, who has an outstanding jazz tone, transitioned from playing a Gibson 175, to a WesMo (briefly), then to a Zeidler (which he’s played since to establish his signature sound).
While I loved his 175 tone, for me the WesMo was, surprisingly, a step backward; and the Zeidler was a huge leap forward. It was also an entirely different sound from the classic 175 laminate jazz-box tone. In fact, Peter was downright disparaging of the WesMo instrument. Perhaps he got a real dud as it’s hard to imagine it being as uninspiring of an instrument as he described it. (Do a web search to find his comments.) Perhaps comparing the 175 and the WesMo to a high-end luthier built carved-top instrument is not fair.
If you’re like most, it will likely take owning/playing several instruments in order to really understand and identify your preferences, and put you in a position to make knowledgeable choice(s). The experience you gain may wind up costing you a few dollars, or you might just get lucky with your Bravo out of the gate. It happens.
Finally, while Gibson may not be building many new archtops, there are a number of well-built relatively inexpensive instruments of various brands for you to “play around with” if you are not rushed. I suggest taking your time, though that’s easier said than done. And be mindful of comments that characterize entire instrument brands based on personal preferences and limited sample sizes.
AKA
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Yeah he mentioned it had some setup issues. But I remember in an interview with Mike Moreno that he said he was torn bw the Zeidler and the L5. I'd trade one of my L5s for a Zeidler. Probably not for a Benedetto.
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Originally Posted by omphalopsychos
AKA
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Here’s the 3 choices-
what would the forum’s choice be?
Given the price ranges from $7K- $9K-
I think I’ve made up my mind but the feedback I’ve received is very insightful.
thanks for all those that took the time to add their experiences.
I know it’s Guitar Porn…
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Take the 2014 L-5 Wes Mo Blonde.
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I’m partial to blondes and agree with Jabberwocky.
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÷3 on the Blonde WESMO
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+4, definitely the blonde.
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Purely visually, +5 on the blonde. But as I have found, outward appearance and personality don't always match. Play them first, if you can, or at least hear them played.
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Thanks Cunamara!
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Gentlemen prefer blondes but marry brunettes.
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As an object to look at, nothing beats an L5 (I think sunbursts are prettier than naturals, fwiw), but as something to actually play? There's a big difference between a 17" x 3-3/8" and 16" x 2-1/2" body. You really need to know which size works for you. I know 17" guitars don't work for me (having tried several), so if those were the only two guitars in the world, and I had to pick one it would be the Bravo. Now if there were actually only three guitars in the world -- those two plus a custom 16" L5 WesMo, I'd take that.
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Originally Posted by John A.
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Originally Posted by Jabberwocky
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Is there an interesting story in this history?
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One of my Wes L5s is a thinline version (2.75” deep). It’s insanely comfortable and makes zero sacrifice on tone.
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I’d take the sunburst Wes because Wes himself played one. The blonde looks like a signature model with the wrong color.
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Originally Posted by Bebop Tom
There is an album cover with Wes holding a Blonde L-5CES, but I believe that was a borrowed guitar for the photo shoot. It does seem that Wes Montgomery (and Joe Pass for that matter) preferred a sunburst guitar.
I own a Gibson Wes Montgomery and also own a Custom Mark Campellone with a single built in pickup. IMO, the Campellone get's the Wes Montgomery tone much closer than does the Gibson.
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I wouldn’t get a Wes for the sake of imitating Wes (same goes for any signature model). I’d get it because it’s a great guitar.
Ive yet to play a Campellone but from what I’ve heard I can see what SS said to be true. The modern Gibson Wes model has a thicker carved top and a thicker more midrangey tone than what I associate with Wes. I can see a thinner carve sounding more like Wes because the Gibsons from Wes’ era had thinner carves and overall lighter builds.
Some people don’t like the modern Gibsons for this reason. I just think they’re two distinct and great guitar designs.
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Originally Posted by John A.
Originally Posted by omphalopsychos
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Paulie, thanks for the insight, did you note a difference in tone and depth tween the two?
the WesMo 2002 I had a chance to noodle on had that sound- What amp are you playing your Benedetto through? Something you can dial in on or is it in the instrument?
You are right size matters!
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Originally Posted by McGregor
Here are a couple clips of the Benedetto through the DV Mark Little Jazz. It is pretty representative of the tone of that guitar to me through most amps.
16" 1920s/30s L5
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