Vintage 1958 Gibson Electric Guitars

This was the year Gibson would explode on the scene with innovations and designs that would define the electric guitar for generations. This year saw the advent of the Explorer, Flying V, and Double Neck. This was the year that the Gibson Les Paul went from a goldtop to a sunburst and the back changed from brown to a cherry red color.The most beloved and enduring Gibson of all time is the ES-335. The ES stands for Electric Spanish as opposed to the EH, Electric Hawaiian, line of lap steels. The 335 stood for the instrument`s price at the time. It was nicknamed 'wonder-thin', for eliminating the howling feedback which plagued hollow bodies.

The double-neck design added to be company`s already considerable prestige and credibility. The EDS 1275 was a double neck, double cutaway 6 and 12 string hollow body until 1962. It has a one-piece mahogany neck with adjustable truss rods and rosewood fingerboards; both necks have 6 strings. The Gibson Double Mandolin is not a mandolin but rather another type of double cutaway with a short scale guitar neck, which was tuned one octave higher than standard pitch. 1958-1961 hollow body vintage Gibson electric guitars range in price from $17,000 to $35,000 with an average upward trend of 5% a year since 2000. Go to eBay to comparison shop, if not for an original, look at the gorgeous custom reissues.