1956 Gibson Country Western and 65 years of Gibson tone!
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- čas přidán 24. 01. 2023
- This is my 1956 Gibson Country and Western model. Very glad I found this gem and I go over how I got it and what condition it was in and what I did to it.
Also later on I play a side by side with my 2021 Gibson Southern Jumbo and you can compare 65 year difference between two very similarly built guitars.
Gear in this video:
Zoom Q8N 4k
UA Volt 256
sE VR2 Active Ribbon mic
Neumann KM184 condensor
Gibson Country Western 1956
#acousticguitar #gibsonguitars guitars #acousticmusic
The 56 sounds amazing!
I own a 1955 made a living with it for 50+ years. it still rings like a bell. In fact, a few years back I played a 12th fret harmonic on the D string to help a jam buddy tune his dobro and the harmonic caused a glass ash tray 15 feet away to split in half. Like you I had to replace the nut. I do a lot of finger pick style playing and love the strong stride bass it gives. The action and intonation are just like the day I bought it. Mine has what I assumed are Deluxe Tuners. I have the same type of tuners on a 40's Gibson mandolin. I turned 81 last fall and am approaching the time when I should consider selling it to someone who would appreciate it.
That's an amazing story and history! I'd love to see it some time for sure
That 56 has such a sweet sound, from the first chord you strummed. Thanks for sharing
They sound almost identical. Both sound fantastic.
I like the sparkle of the country western but give the SJ a few more decades to catch up. 😆 Nice video!
Sounds really good.
Thank you!
Great score on the '56. Sounds awesome, rich and full! Your Southern Jumbo sounds equally good. It has a tad more ring to the treble.
Wonderful instruments, both of them. Thanks for sharing 😊
GREAT FIND. The 1956 CW seemingly has more warmth due in part to the aged woods.
Shame I live in Melbourne Australia, would love to get my hands on one of these. ❤️🎶
@@jimjohnson1655 send me an email to acousticmusicnthings@gmail.com. Might know a couple you could get your hands on lol
Great demo David,beautiful’56 Country Western but then I’m biased being born in ‘56.👍🇬🇧👍
The old one is outstanding
Thank you. It’s actually listed in my reverb store currently.
I have an identical 56 that my father bought new and played actively in the 50s/60s. I have a picture of him with it @ Renfro Valley, KY. It was the first guitar I played as a child. After some minor set up work after storage, she sings once again. Benchmark guitars. Thanks for your video!
I wasn't watching, but listening while filling my humidifier. I looked and saw the sunburst. I backed up and watched it again.
Both are very similar and sound amazing.
You take good care of both. I was born in '56.I would love a chance to play one someday.
Thank you John! They are getting harder to find, but I hope you get the chance soon for sure. If you do, let me know what you think.
This is great! However, I’d like to hear that big Guild hiding in the back there too. 👍
I think I've made videos on all of the Guilds! Check out my other videos and let me know what else tried like to see, sand I'll make it happen!
I should add that they both sound great. Nice playing. I have a J45 that I love.
CW I think has more mids and upper sparkle, great strummer!
Hi David, I think I’m more fond of the natural top 50’s, just because of the stories. Obviously, both great guitars. Love your vids, brother man 👍🏻
Thanks Randy!
Leave the 56 as is. It’s all about the tone. Great presentation. 🎧
I don’t think it’s close..’56 rich as hell, and rings like a bell.
My j-45 twelve string is recently made and i like its tone very much.
(Yer newer jumbo also sounds great)
That '56 might be the best-sounding slope shoulder guitars, I've ever heard! What strings and string gauge do you use typically?
These are DR Sunbeams 12-54. They are round core phosphor bronze. I normally use 13's but wanted to go lighter with it just to make sure everything was fine with the guitar before I go any higher.
@dlzannini1 Ty, I use to do 13's then 12s then 11's. Now that my son plays, we have so many guitars in the house,
I pretty much put 10's or 11's on everything. Honestly I don't notice that much of a difference, a little bit on the bass end maybe. But I'm a percussive strum bum player mostly, I hear you playing a little of everything. Sounds great Ty again! Sunbeams (I'll have to check those out)
I am by no means a vintage acoustic snob. Over the last couple years, I have purchased three Gibson Custom Shop Historic acoustics and I believe Gibson has broken the “vintage” acoustic code. But in this case, the ‘56 C&W is in my opinion clearly the winner. The ‘56 is my open, alive, and less compressed than the SJ.
Do you know if the Country Western was played a lot during its life? I ask because generally in my experience with vintage Gibson acoustics, you can hear a pretty big difference in the response of the older one than you can a newer model that has not been played as much. Like most people are saying on here they seem to sound very similar. To my ears the Country Western has the potential to open up more and sound really great. Could be my airpods I am listening on. Just my observation. No negative or positive comment, just my observation.
It was played pretty heavily up until the early 80s and I was told only moderate use after that. It'll take a bit to open back up fully but there's the feel to it while playing it where you know it's in there. I think the strings were a bit newer on the CW and the strings a bit older on the SJ which leveled the tone a bit. It will open up a bit more, but I'm enjoying the fact that they still sound like a Gibson. Says something about the current manufacturing.
@@acousticmusicnthings I have no doubt it will open up more for sure with play. The aging is already there for the wood. Would love to hear it again in a month or two after regular play. I bet it really starts to separate itself from the 2021 model. Not that the 2021 model sounds bad but it does not have 60 some odd years of age to it yet.
I'm looking forward to it too! Still got that J185? Kind of missing it now 🤣
@@acousticmusicnthings I do not, sold it to a guy that really wanted it last year
Both guitars sound excellent…Gibson Montana has consistently been making fantastic sounding Acoustic guitars….I have Gibson Red label custom shop and Gibson Standard White Label guitars and sound wise they are very close Adirondack verses Sitka spruce being the sound differences…I’ve played vintage Martin and Gibson that in my opinion sound not as good
throw some 13-56 mediums on the 56 and be amazed. bronze