1968 Melody Maker bass on Charlotte CL

pamlicojack · February 10, 2008, 04:36:34 PM

If anyone is interested, I might be able to check it out in person...

http://charlotte.craigslist.org/msg/569459133.html

Dave W · February 10, 2008, 05:22:55 PM

Somebody read that online site that claims only 26 were made.

Nice bass, nice color, no way I'd pay that.

Chris P. · February 11, 2008, 12:58:41 AM

I like the colour and hand rest.

uwe · February 11, 2008, 04:23:40 AM

Given how much everything else with a Gibson logo has risen in price, the 1.500 bucks are an ok offer, especially as condition looks very good. That doesn't change the fact of course that those Melody Makers do have a cheesy feel to them, both my earlier sixties EBs and my later slotheads feel more like real, lovingly produced instruments in comparison. (Same goes for the seventies maple necks.)

The Melody Maker is not too far removed from a Kalamazoo or Danelectro feel, I find even the various SBs more substantial and valuable in feel.

But if you are really set on having one of those here, I guess you could do a lot worse.

Uwe

Barklessdog · February 11, 2008, 05:42:40 AM

A cadaver was on Ebay for $58 in the same color.

exiledarchangel · February 11, 2008, 06:17:26 AM

I love that color, even if I'd like my pelham blue just alittle more... blueish.

hieronymous · February 11, 2008, 10:50:11 AM

Just noticed that one of the knobs is missing too.

I think it's almost worth it, if you really want a single-mudbucker-bearer. I paid a few hundred less for mine a few years ago in Japan, and really love it, though I haven't been playing it much lately. I found a white Kalamazoo for $400 locally, and that thing was much heavier than I expected! I've been toying with the idea of picking it up for parts (the pickguard is the same as my Melody Maker), but it seems a bit steep for that.

Dave W · February 11, 2008, 10:55:20 AM

$400 for a Kalamazoo?

The ones on eBay lately still seem to be much less than that, though I haven't really been paying close attention. Maybe vintage chipboard is rising in value.

Barklessdog · February 11, 2008, 11:07:37 AM

QuoteThe ones on eBay lately still seem to be much less than that

I thought I remember not too long ago, they were going for around $1000 and people saying that's crazy!

hieronymous · February 11, 2008, 01:11:47 PM

Quote from: Dave W on February 11, 2008, 10:55:20 AM
$400 for a Kalamazoo? The ones on eBay lately still seem to be much less than that, though I haven't really been paying close attention. Maybe vintage chipboard is rising in value.

Yeah, I thought it was expensive, which is why I held off.

And chipboard is a lot heavier than I imagined!

Barklessdog · February 11, 2008, 01:22:50 PM

QuoteAnd chipboard is a lot heavier than I imagined!

That's because it mostly glue combined with saw dust & pressed into a dense board.

eb2 · February 11, 2008, 02:51:55 PM

A proper Kalamazoo is worth a couple of hundo for the parts anyway. I feel these are the same - although I was corrected in my mistaken assumption that the Melody Maker was of the same Cow parts and sawdust construction. I still can't get that excited about them. They are still waste-wood and shiny paint with good parts. If the Kalamazoo is a hot dog, then the Melody Maker is Blood and Tongue Loaf. I don't know that I have seen Blood and Tongue Loaf outside of MN, but trust me - it is a great analogy.

Dave W · February 11, 2008, 06:14:01 PM

Quote from: eb2 on February 11, 2008, 02:51:55 PM
A proper Kalamazoo is worth a couple of hundo for the parts anyway. I feel these are the same - although I was corrected in my mistaken assumption that the Melody Maker was of the same Cow parts and sawdust construction. I still can't get that excited about them. They are still waste-wood and shiny paint with good parts. If the Kalamazoo is a hot dog, then the Melody Maker is Blood and Tongue Loaf. I don't know that I have seen Blood and Tongue Loaf outside of MN, but trust me - it is a great analogy.

The Melody Makers were made of mahogany. Just because it's paint grade wood in appearance doesn't make it waste wood.

I doubt that any genuine cow parts were used in Kalamazoo chipboard glue.

Nocturnal · February 11, 2008, 08:32:57 PM

$1500 seems cheap compared to this one:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Vintage-1968-Gibson-Melody-Maker-Bass-SparklingBurgundy_W0QQitemZ290205990790QQihZ019QQcategoryZ64402QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

Of course, maybe the color is more rare?

But this one may be what the guy is using to get his price:

http://cgi.ebay.com/VINTAGE-1967-GIBSON-MELODY-MAKER-ELECTRIC-BASS-GUITAR_W0QQitemZ290204383633QQihZ019QQcategoryZ64402QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

eb2 · February 11, 2008, 10:46:02 PM

They are all those colors. That was Gibson's "OOOPS" paint.

Perhaps a horse's hoof or two in a Kalamazoo.