The First Quality Music Blog

Welcome back to another Vault Friday! Each Friday I’ll venture into the Vault with one of our instrument specialists to showcase some of the cool stuff we’ve got hidden away in there.

One of the most beautiful guitars in our Vault, the Gibson Doves in Flight Acoustic Guitar is a masterpiece of hand-done craftsmanship. Featuring 28 individually engraved pearl doves, hand-rubbed cherry finish, and top grade wood, this guitar is a wonder to see and hear.

You can learn more about the Gibson Doves in Flight Acoustic Guitar here.

Welcome back to another Vault Friday! Each Friday I’ll venture into the Vault with one of our instrument specialists to showcase some of the cool stuff we’ve got hidden away in there.

This week, we’re proud to present “The Kristofferson”, a Gibson Super Jumbo acoustic guitar modeled to recreate the look and sound of Kris Kristofferson’s beloved Southern Jumbo Acoustic. There are only 300 of this guitar in existence, and we’re proud to have it.

You can learn more about the Gibson SJ-Limited, Kris Kristofferson Signature here.

We’ve decided to start a new weekly feature here on the First Quality Music Blog: Vault Fridays. Each Friday I’ll venture into the Vault with one of our instrument specialists to showcase some of the cool stuff we’ve got hidden away in there.

Last week, we showed you a very special Gibson F-5 Mandolin signed by the late Charlie Derrington. This week, we decided to pull a Guitar out of the vault, the Gibson SJ-200 True Vintage. Gibson’s master luthiers in Bozeman, Montana set out to recreate the legendary SJ-200 that helped define the American music scene of the 1930′s, and we’re pretty impressed with the outcome. This guitar features deep, well-balanced tone and the powerful sound we’ve come to expect from the Gibson Super Jumbo line.

You can learn more about the Gibson SJ-200 True Vintage Guitar here.

We’ve decided to start a new weekly feature here on the First Quality Music Blog: Vault Fridays. Each Friday I’ll venture into the Vault with one of our instrument specialists to showcase some of the cool stuff we’ve got hidden away in there.

This week, we’re taking a look at a very special Gibson F-5 Master Model Mandolin signed by a late friend of ours, Charlie Derrington. Charlie was instrumental in bringing about the standard of excellence in the modern Gibson Mandolin, but was tragically taken from us in a motorcycle accident in 2006.

You can learn more about this mandolin here.

We’re featured on Gibson Lifestyle’s “America’s Best Guitar Shops” this week as they make their way across the US highlighting independent music stores. You can check out their entire line of Blog’s at the Gibson Lifestyle Homepage: http://www.gibson.com/en-us/lifestyle/

Thanks Gibson! We’re pretty fond of you, too.

First Quality Music will be offering the Limited Edition Roy Orbison “Oh Pretty Woman” Signature Model 12-String Guitar. We will begin taking delivery in September 2009.  These are sure to be a hit wth players and fans alike.  Please check out the First Quality Music website, or call 800.635.2021 for additional information.

Below is the Announcement from Epiphone.

Roy Orbison "Oh Pretty Woman" Signature Model Guitar Package

 The Epiphone Guitar Company of Nashville, Tennessee announces the release of the new limited edition “Oh, Pretty Woman” 12-string acoustic guitar. Produced in cooperation with the legendary singer/songwriter Roy Orbison’s estate, this signature guitar is based upon Roy’s own 1962 Epiphone “Bard” 12-string acoustic guitar. Orbison used his original Epiphone acoustic guitar to write and perform many of his most well-known songs including perhaps his biggest hit “Oh, Pretty Woman.”

“As a young brilliant guitar player growing up in West Texas, Roy would have never dreamt that he would one day have his own Epiphone signature guitar named after him. Roy wrote ‘Oh Pretty Woman’ on his Epiphone 12-string acoustic guitar which features one of the most instantly recognizable rock n’ roll guitar riffs and has remained iconic and fresh to this day. I hope the next generation of artists will feel inspired to write another great rock n’ roll song thanks to the Epiphone signature Roy Orbison 12 string acoustic guitar,” said Barbara Orbison, Roy’s widow.

The new Epiphone “Oh, Pretty Woman” is a faithful reproduction of the 1962 original and features a solid spruce top, a solid mahogany back, a rosewood 12-string bridge and vintage tuners. For this limited edition release, the back of the guitar’s headstock includes a replica of Roy Orbison’s signature and the notation for the first measure of the world famous “Oh, Pretty Woman” introduction riff. Also included in this limited edition offer is a hard case with Roy’s signature and “sunglass” icon on it, a certificate of authenticity hand-signed by Roy’s widow, Barbara Orbison and Roy’s son, Roy Orbison, Jr., a black & white photo of Roy with his original Epiphone Bard 12-string, a “sunglass” lapel pin and a copy of the “Oh, Pretty Woman” sheet music. The certificate and photo come in a leatherette presentation binder.

The Epiphone limited edition “Oh, Pretty Woman” 12-string Bard outfit will be officially unveiled on Roy’s birthday, April 23rd, at the Gibson Guitar Studio in London, England. The Roy Orbison limited edition 12-string package has a U.S. MSRP of $1,332 and will be available at authorized Epiphone retailers in September 2009.

To see additional photos please click the link below.

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Good friend and Guitar picker Matt Phelps dropped into the store today, we got him to pick us a rendition of “Home Sweet Home”.   Matt’s picking his First Quality Custom Advanced Jumbo.  You can check it out a guitar like the one Matt’s playing at First Quality Music’s website.

Howdy folks.  Just wanted to give everyone a short clip of the new Gibson F-10 Mandolin.   You can check out all the details at the First Quality website.

The new Sam Bush 1934 Limited Edition Fern has arrived at First Quality Music.  Just a limited run of 25 instruments will be hand signed, the mandolin was inspired by Newgrass master mandolin player Sam Bush and created under the watchful eye of Gibson’s master luthier David Harvey.  Gibson created a marriage of the Gibson Fern and the now famous Sam Bush model mandolin.  This mandolin features many of the same appointments as the instrument depicted in the 1934 catalog, including the figured maple body chassis with a red spruce top, the mother of pearl block fingerboard inlays and the Fern peghead inlay made from genuine abalone pearl. The instrument’s stunning nitro-cellulose lacquer finish — painted in a ’30s Iced Tea burst color — is also faithfully recreated, giving the instrument its alluring vintage patina.  You can check out this beautiful instrument on our website, and if you in the Louisville area be sure to stop by our showroom where we’ll be happy to let you see (and pick) it first hand.

We just got in our first shipment of new Jam Master Gibson Mandolins,  all we can say is WOW!  Dave Harvey and Crew down at Gibson Original Instruments have sure done a fine job on these new offerings.  Below is some information on these fine instruments. Check them out on line.

Jam Master Series Standard F-style Mandolin
The new Jam Master Series Standard F-style mandolin descends straight out of Gibson tradition, delivering a fresh new take on one of Gibson’s most popular mandolin lines. Each F-style mandolin is crafted with all the artistry of a world-class mandolin maker, along with a no-nonsense, hard-traveled, but much-loved look that lets these superb instruments sit in at any occasion. Stripped-down appointments offer a simple yet elegant look, while making way for the performance-enhancing elements that players of the Jam Masters Series will certainly appreciate. F-holes remain unbound, there’s no neck or headstock binding, no position markers on the fretboard (side dots only), and no inlay on the peghead, just the timeless Gibson logo decal. All of the notable luthiery features you do find, however, are in the tone and playability departments.

Bigger Frets, New Satin Finish Equals Improved Performance
Each new F-style Jam Master Standard Mandolin features a top carved from solid spruce, trimmed with simple single-ply binding to contrast its classic Gibson Sheraton Brown color with satin lacquer finish. The back and sides are constructed from figured maple, and the figured maple necks are hand-shaped to Gibson’s popular “rounded V” profile, with a 1 3/16″ width at the nut providing enhanced comfort and finger room across the radiused ebony fingerboard. Thirteen of the mandolin’s 20 frets clear the body, and are a little bigger than the traditional frets typically fitted on vintage mandolins – a modification that improves fingering for many players and playing styles, and one that many contemporary players are sure to appreciate. Advanced constructional features include Gibson’s time-tested tone bar bracing, a radiused dovetail neck joint, and a genuine bone nut all help to enhance the instrument’s resonance and projection. An adjustable ebony bridge and nickel Grover tuners round out the package.

Test Drive a Jam Master Mandolin at Your Nearest Gibson Dealer
The first 100 Jam Masters Series F-style mandolins will be signed by Gibson Original Acoustic Instruments’ Master Luthier David Harvey. Every instrument in the series will come in a snug pouch-plentiful padded travel bag, making it ready for the road and easy to haul from site to site. Contact a Gibson Dealer near you, or visit one of the internet dealers, and let the jamming begin.

See all the photos on firstqualitymusic.com