Buying a Gibson guitar in Los Angeles turned into a two-day hunt, and it taught me a few things about how to shop for one. The studio I work in now is a big fan of Gibson Guitars as am I. In 2009 when I was flying back from my wife’s home country Venezuela, we stopped in LA on the way home. What do you do in LA? Well many things but obviously a great thing to do in LA is to go guitar shopping.
I went out to some BIG guitar stores. The Americans they do it big and awesome. I played Martins, Taylors, Breedloves, Takamines and more. I loved a Takamine I played so I made an impulsive decision to buy it. AUD $3500 later! It was a top of the line Taka that would be very welcome in any Sydney Recording Studio.
Buying a Gibson Guitar in LA
So I thought I was done! but decided since we were in LA to go to a few more stores. I went to one place and the guy said with an enthusiastic look “Have you played a Gibson yet?”. “No, not yet” I replied and he immediately stuck a J45 standard into my hands. After one strum I was in love and had instant buyers remorse about my earlier purchase. Don’t get me wrong, the Takamine was amazing but this was something else altogether. Another level. No wonder they are a standard in many a Sydney Recording Studio. I instantly loved the crisp and punchy base notes that were so much more defined and prominent than any other guitar I had played. Ahhhh, I had a dilemma now, I had just spent $4000 on my credit card on a guitar already. I had to have the Gibson. So what did I do?
That is the thing about buying a Gibson guitar: no two are the same. I decided to put another $4000 on my credit card. Although I stretched my financial resources to the limit that day I have NEVER looked back. I have been in love with my Gibson J45 ever since then and especially love playing it in the sydney recording studio – Crash Symphony Productions!
My advice on buying a Gibson guitar is simple: play as many as you can, in as many shops as you can, and trust your hands over the spec sheet. You can hear the one I came home with on plenty of sessions at our Sydney recording studio, and Gibson has the full current range.
