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Vintage Gibson Sonex

Posted: Fri May 04, 2012 2:48 am
by Doug
Not familiar with this model, Sonex, but it looks pretty interesting, and a nice price for vintage Gibson.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-1981...64125987547657

Posted: Fri May 04, 2012 4:32 am
by JJLipton
My friend has one, honestly i thought it was a piece of crap.

Posted: Fri May 04, 2012 4:41 am
by gaybear
I agree with JJ, I'm a gibson fan but hear that these are mediocre

Posted: Fri May 04, 2012 5:12 am
by Billy3000
One of my student's parents have one. It's REALLY HEAVY! It feels like the body is made out of concrete and lead. I've never heard it plugged in before though because my student plays acoustic. The weight alone would be enough to make me never want to play it though. It's probably almost twice as heavy as any Les Paul I've ever picked up.

Posted: Fri May 04, 2012 8:06 am
by timhulio
I've always liked the look of them, but hear horror stories about the laminate/composite body construction. The dirty fingers pickups aren't to everyones taste either, and some of the finished (black ones mainly) are prone to discolouration and cracking.

Posted: Fri May 04, 2012 8:15 am
by NickS
That's this but just check for gibson sonex, there are more than a couple on ebay right now.

Here's another Gibson I hadn't heard of, suggested by ebay.
Image

Posted: Fri May 04, 2012 9:33 am
by dub
Cheapest, and probably the heaviest gibsons ever made.

I've got one of the upper tier ones with the dirty fingers and an ebony/maple neck. It's a piece of shit, but the first 'nice' guitar I ever owned, and is so comfortable and worn in from thirty years of abuse. It sounds plenty ferocious too, although I have a love hate relationship with the DF, they're unpredictable pups.

The resin over wood bodies are rock hard, although maybe if you get them wet they melt... aha The paint rubs off soon as you look at it. I think it reacts with sweat. They really cut some corners with the Sonex.

Some extra flattering shots taken on the smokers' balcony at my old apartment:
► Show Spoiler

Posted: Fri May 04, 2012 10:39 am
by cooter
dub wrote:Some extra flattering shots taken on the smokers' balcony at my old apartment:
► Show Spoiler
It looks sexy. If I had one I'd want it to look just like that.

Posted: Fri May 04, 2012 11:21 am
by dezb1
Never played one, but when I started playing (back in the early 90's) there was a guy who used to busk in Glasgow; doing Pink Floyd covers with one of these and he got some excellent gilmour tones out of his...

Posted: Fri May 04, 2012 11:31 am
by dub
Yeah, I've always had the horrible suspicion that it plays a bit like a strat.
Maple bolt on neck, pg-mounted pickups over a huge swimming pool route.

The only 'professional musician' I've seen with one is Jimmy Bower from Eyehategod, and one of the guys from Hammerhead.
oh, I think I spotted one in the background of a Hank II interview too, not sure if it was his.

Posted: Fri May 04, 2012 11:57 am
by johnnyseven
Is the Sonex the guitar that the guy from Harvey Milk plays?

Posted: Fri May 04, 2012 6:28 pm
by Zack
I think the guy in harvey milk plays a marauder.

Posted: Tue Feb 25, 2020 5:50 pm
by westtexasred
Harmony Central Forum "The Gibson Sonex" thread circa 2009:

"those 2 ( sonex and Marauder) were some of the worst guitars Gibson ever made"

http://www.vintageguitarandbass.com/gr ... luxe_1.jpg

Still want this Blonde one At Lavonne Music in Savage MN cuz I got a thing for blondes.

[youtube][/youtube]

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Posted: Tue Feb 25, 2020 10:16 pm
by robroe
Lol look at the back of the neck joint. It's so fucked. Not straight

Posted: Tue Feb 25, 2020 10:51 pm
by westtexasred
robroe wrote:Lol look at the back of the neck joint. It's so fucked. Not straight
But the guitar looks not straight

Image

Posted: Wed Feb 26, 2020 1:57 am
by robroe
Hahah looks like the neck is pointing down like 10°

Posted: Wed Feb 26, 2020 3:58 am
by singlepup
Can confirm the Sonex sucks. Tried one at Real Guitars in San Francisco. Heavy af, pieced together from some weird material, didn't care for the sound. Would recommend avoiding at all costs.

Posted: Wed Feb 26, 2020 7:14 am
by gusman2x
dezb1 wrote:Never played one, but when I started playing (back in the early 90's) there was a guy who used to busk in Glasgow; doing Pink Floyd covers with one of these and he got some excellent gilmour tones out of his...
Yeah, the guy in St Enoch square? Wow, remember him well.

Posted: Wed Feb 26, 2020 7:54 am
by kingkiller
It’s like one of those LPs with single coils that Epiphone put out in the toothpaste colors that everyone loved but no one could find anywhere, except with humbuckers and mojo finish. That sounds more disparaging than I mean it to, I’d definitely play one if the consensus wasn’t a resounding “ASS� (and if I could find one)

Posted: Wed Feb 26, 2020 8:08 am
by sunshiner
I'l tell you where you can find one Thursday