Vintage 1976 Gibson Electric Guitars

 Being the number one manufacturer of electric guitars in the world by 1976, it was inevitable that other companies would copy. Ibanez copied the Les Paul guitar body shape, but it was their use of Gibson’s open book headstock shape that prompted a lawsuit against Ibanez. Gibson became North Star in electric guitars with its Les Paul, the SG, the ES-175, and the ES-335 among others. For those with minimal knowledge, forgeries can be easily identified by the rod cover being affixed to the headstock or the use of three screws instead of two in an authentic Gibson. EBay is the place to look for well-described and pictured 1976 vintage Gibson electric guitars. Look for serial numbers and papers of authenticity.

 In 1976 Gibson celebrated the spirit of the American bicentennial by reissuing the Thunderbird IV. This model stayed in production until 1979 when it was discontinued. Any 1976 Gibson guitar could be considered a collectible, but being in production for a limited number of years generally makes a particular model of guitar even more appealing to collectors. The reputation of Gibson guitars became so great that even talented guitarists outside of the US got in on the act. Irish rocker the Edge of U2 fame used his 1976 Gibson Explorer guitar for numerous stage performances. The Edge isn’t the only fan of the 1976 Explorer. This model is one of the more sought after 1976 Gibson guitar models on the market.