The Delta Snake Review: Musical Gear Review and Music Article Archive: Review: 2006 Gibson Melody Maker

The 2006 Gibson Melody Maker: Can A Headstock Be Worth $100.00?

Note: There are different model lines of Gibson Melody Makers. This version was a single pickup and volume control economy line that also featured SG and Flying V bodies.

When looking at this single pickup-one volume knob version of the Gibson Melody Maker, one has to look at it from the perspective of before and after the release of the Limited-Edition Epiphone which reproduced the original in look and feel and differs in some hardware respects and finish from the Gibson.

The price of this Gibson Melody Maker has dropped to around 350.00 on the internet from an original street price that averaged 400.00 or so. I'm sure part of the reason is that the Epi version came out at a 300.00 street price, which if you go to a Guitar Center or like place, can get that lowered if you are prepared to buy. That makes the Gibson only about 50.00 to 100.00 more, and except for some cosmetic issues, makes it worth considering over the Epi version.

Before the Epi Limited Edition, I'd have said 400.00 wasn't too bad for a Gibson with a classic bloodline, but still pretty pricey for a “plank” style guitar with a single pickup and volume control (you can adjust the tone with amp settings). Add the infamous “faded vintage” finish, and you have an axe that’s a little short of style points.

My opinion is that there generally isn't much difference between a 300.00 and 350.00 guitar, and you might as well buy for emotional reasons like cool factor or brand name. The Epi is the better buy, if you want a real recreation of the old classic Melody Maker at 300.00 or less. The Gibson, ironically, is the ugly duckling that has one key advantage; the Gibson P-90 is a better pickup than the Epi version, which isn't a slouch either.

On the negative side, many of the Gibsons you see are the faded satin finish types which look better on a computer screen than in real life. See one up close, and it literally looks like someone used old fence lumber to make the body. Which I should add, doesn't look vintage. If you look at websites and books about the 50's and 60's guitars, it was obvious that manufacturers did their best to at least make the product look cool, wild, or whatever, even if the hardware was near worthless.

Add to that, no pickguard and you have a pretty plain guitar that to some eyes would like downright silly compared to another guitar in the same price range. That includes Mexican strats and teles, Jackson metal guitars, Schecter modern shapes, and so on. All of which tend to be feature rich, not so plain, and generally come with two pickups (and thus more versatile.

Now, don't get me wrong. I'm not trying to trash this Gibson. I'll get to the value side shortly. However, since Gibson simply cannot put out a cheap guitar without making it look cheap (for various reasons we all know and understand), it's smarter to have let Epiphone handle the low end like they did with the Limited-Edition version.

This guitar does have its virtues. It does sound better than the Epi. Not by a mile, but the difference in the Gibson's P-90 and its tone is noticable. Set up properly (sadly, you can't count on that with the economy Gibsons), it's a sweet player with a fine classic rock tone. Good enough to make even a cheapo amp sound good. Of course, a good amp can make the Epi version sound better too.

Underneath what seems to be an unattractive finish is good mahogany guitar, with excellent tuning pegs and bridge hardware. The material is, in fact, first class, and the workmanship level is decent.

So, should you buy it?

The answer is simple. Does the guitar fit in with what you intend to play? This guitar will play classic rock, loud punk or alternative, and perhaps little a jangly stuff in clean mode. If not, look elsewhere, there's plenty of competition in this price range.

Also, are you willing to get less guitar for the 350.00 asking price. Well, in my case, compared to a 250.00 Mexican Telecaster, I'd just pay the extra 100.00 and add the Melody Maker to my palette of sounds. Better yet, find a used one.

I did own one of these last years and traded it off and that highlighted another advantage to this guitar over the competition. That Gibson headstock made it valuable enough to the person I traded with, that the axe hadn't depreciated very much in that person's eyes. I got nearly what I paid for it.

A similar Jackson guitar would have lost at least 50% of its value while the Gibson pretty much stayed static at least in trade value. So, in end, yes, a headstock can be worth 100.00 if it's backed by the Gibson mystique.

Note: This review first appeared on the ePinions.com site in 2013. This and other reviews were short takes that accompanied the link to a business that sold the guitar. As a rule, the guitar had to be at least examined and played by the reviewer (and ideally owned). In my case, a severe case of GAS made it possible to have at least owned the reviewed instrument for a short while. I'm reprinting these as having another source on a guitar never hurts, even if the reviews aren't definitive. Other than minor corrections, these short takes are unchanged from the original text. I figure that it might be helpful to keep the older perspective.

The Quitturz by Al Handa