gibson S-1 @ Southampton, UK

[mitchfit]

admit up-front theses are niche market guits. itself is one of the loyal followers/owners.

shop doesn't show photos of rear tuning head, but in this original PUP circuit offering the first ones assembled had flying V modified necks with >STAMPED< serial #'s that date back to late sixties, as they built from remaining stock.

bolt on neck and 3 single coil PUPs. with a longer scale, the "S"-1 would mean stratocaster. trick circuit from Bill Lawrence uses his custom wound clear plastic cast PUPs. one of the four possible rotary dial circuits has all three wired in a (hum)buck and a half path. other 3 options are standard strat circuits. single toggle switch is bypass from any rotary dial selections to bridge only.

no affiliation-


reverb.com/item/60926748-gibson-s-1-with-with-maple-fretboard-1975-1979-natural-satin



mitchfit

[michaelsegui]

I have always had a strange attraction to this model.

[Michael Messer]

These are cool guitars. In 1980 I bought myself a Gibson Sonex thinking it was like the S1, but I was wrong! It wasn't a great guitar because although it sounded good, it was designed badly and the pickup switch was really in the way. Anyway, I used it for a year or two and then got myself a blonde Telecaster which was a much better guitar all together.



Shine On
Michael

[pete1951]

The 70s and 80s were a strange time for Gibson. Japanese guitar building was improving and I guess they wanted to make cheaper guitars to complete. So bolt on necks and electrics all on a plate were used. SGs were remodelled with on -a-plate electrics and some with Fender style pickups






This SG 100 came into a shop I worked for in the late 70s. Someone had put a P90 ( rather badly) in and there was the start of a crude carving of a peacock on the body.

I cut the neck off and made a mahogany SG junior body. ( in the days before photos were common,so no images)

I gave the body to a friend who did pokerwork ( burning designs on wood) but 40 years later I still haven’t put a neck on it!
Pete

[mitchfit]

guess my love for these isn't shared much, as it hasn't moved yet. could also be a function of rough condition.

as said by pete1951 above, 70-80's Gibson found their brand needing to reduce costs to remain in the market.

still some celebrities with enormous buying power have liked the relatively cheap offering. perhaps the advertising deal with Gibson had some bearing on their choice?

duckduckgo.com/?q=rolling+stones+advertising+for+gibson+S1+guitars&t=ffab&iax=images&ia=images

{from wiki}

The Gibson S-1 is a solid bodied electric guitar, made by the Gibson Guitar Corporation. Notable players include Carlos Santana, Ronnie Wood, Keith Richards, and Angel Olsen. Only 3,089 of them were sold before the model was discontinued in 1980.

IMO, being a strat clone it should have also had the longer scale to make the strings ring out better for the single coil PUPs...



VERY LONG 1975 [ORIGINAL CIRCUIT] S1 REVIEW:





like MM, i also bought a sonex 180. wanted to hear what their "Resonwood" body sounded like. [fifty dollar word for what is commonly called high pressure chipboard now] sounded OK for synthetic body, but itself was also underwhelmed.

mitchfit

[chromatic]

Reminds me of 'Masonite' as used by Danelectro in the 1950's and beyond. Seems to be a pressure cooked version of hardboard?

Cheers

[mitchfit]

the logical progression of spending less on body construction is to charge more for the product?

reverb.com/item/13836730-fender-custom-shop-323-clear-acrylic-stratocaster

mitchfit

PS-- aren't "laminated" guitar bodies a form of plywood?