Your shopping bag is empty
Go to the shop
Up for sale, a 1964 Gibson Melody Maker, honestly played and in perfect working order. One of Gibson's most spartan yet compelling "student" models, the Melody Maker has all the essential tonewood ingredients, with solid Honduran mahogany body construction, and a one-piece Honduran mahogany neck capped by a Brazilian rosewood fretboard.
The bridge position single coil pickup combines a Fender-esque snap and twang with the fuller midrange and low end punch that mahogany provides, offering a raw, bell-like sound and tonal profile all its own, with plenty of detail and cut. Featherweight at just 5lbs 10oz, this Melody Maker has been professionally setup here at Mike & Mike’s Guitar Bar with 10-46 strings, low action, and accurate intonation.
The one-piece Honduran mahogany neck has a slender C-shaped profile carve at the nut, with full-feeling shoulders in every register, rolled fretboard edges, and notable heft and chunk as you travel up the fingerboard, measuring .790" deep at the 1st fret and 1.020" at the 12th. The dark Brazilian rosewood fretboard features pearloid dot inlay (a few of the dots are replacements), refretted with medium jumbo fretwire which has plenty of meat, exhibiting decent grooves, primarily beneath the plain strings on frets 1-5, with further wear extending beneath the plain strings up to fret 12, largely beneath the G string. This guitar plays cleanly up the 24 3/4“ scale with a straight neck and a responsive, optimally-adjusted truss rod, and the modern nut measures a full 1 11/16” in width. The headstock sports the Melody Maker's signature slender "open book" shape, with extensive lacquer checking on the headstock face. The modern Kluson Deluxe double line strip tuning machines function reliably, with a few cleanly doweled tuner mounting holes from a different tuner set installed in the guitar’s lifetime.
The headstock exhibits an older professional W-shaped repair, smooth to the touch, and holding pitch reliably at full string tension.
On the body, the electronics all function as intended, with original Centralab pots that date to the 31st and 32nd weeks of ‘64. The original pickguard with “Melody Maker” silkscreen text is present, and the pickup cover has a good bit of wear on the forward edge. The pair of reflector cap knobs are modern replacements. The strap buttons are modern vintage-spec components as well, and the lightweight aluminum bridge has subtle compensation, furnished by MojoAxe.
The Sunburst gloss nitro lacquer finish is 100% original with no touchup or overspray, exhibiting extensive lacquer checking with various dings, finish chips and scuffs, particularly concentrated along the back lower bout body edge. Much of the neck profile has been worn to the smooth, bare mahogany.
A brand new premium hardshell case is included.
The bridge position single coil pickup combines a Fender-esque snap and twang with the fuller midrange and low end punch that mahogany provides, offering a raw, bell-like sound and tonal profile all its own, with plenty of detail and cut. Featherweight at just 5lbs 10oz, this Melody Maker has been professionally setup here at Mike & Mike’s Guitar Bar with 10-46 strings, low action, and accurate intonation.
The one-piece Honduran mahogany neck has a slender C-shaped profile carve at the nut, with full-feeling shoulders in every register, rolled fretboard edges, and notable heft and chunk as you travel up the fingerboard, measuring .790" deep at the 1st fret and 1.020" at the 12th. The dark Brazilian rosewood fretboard features pearloid dot inlay (a few of the dots are replacements), refretted with medium jumbo fretwire which has plenty of meat, exhibiting decent grooves, primarily beneath the plain strings on frets 1-5, with further wear extending beneath the plain strings up to fret 12, largely beneath the G string. This guitar plays cleanly up the 24 3/4“ scale with a straight neck and a responsive, optimally-adjusted truss rod, and the modern nut measures a full 1 11/16” in width. The headstock sports the Melody Maker's signature slender "open book" shape, with extensive lacquer checking on the headstock face. The modern Kluson Deluxe double line strip tuning machines function reliably, with a few cleanly doweled tuner mounting holes from a different tuner set installed in the guitar’s lifetime.
The headstock exhibits an older professional W-shaped repair, smooth to the touch, and holding pitch reliably at full string tension.
On the body, the electronics all function as intended, with original Centralab pots that date to the 31st and 32nd weeks of ‘64. The original pickguard with “Melody Maker” silkscreen text is present, and the pickup cover has a good bit of wear on the forward edge. The pair of reflector cap knobs are modern replacements. The strap buttons are modern vintage-spec components as well, and the lightweight aluminum bridge has subtle compensation, furnished by MojoAxe.
The Sunburst gloss nitro lacquer finish is 100% original with no touchup or overspray, exhibiting extensive lacquer checking with various dings, finish chips and scuffs, particularly concentrated along the back lower bout body edge. Much of the neck profile has been worn to the smooth, bare mahogany.
A brand new premium hardshell case is included.
