1959 Gibson Melody Maker+1958 Fender Tweed Champ Demo-All the Tone You Need for $159!

"Student" level gear from the golden era of electric guitars! Reed demos a 1959 Gibson Melody Maker 3/4 scale guitar through a 1958 Fender 5F1 Champ amplifier for some in-your-face rock and roll guitar tone!
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[@sassulusmagnus]

Watching that Gibson headstock swing perilously close to smacking into that tweed Champ. But hey, that whole rig only cost about $159. Wonderful sounds. Thanks for the demo.

[@marcpernia8487]

I love the story that pairing tells. really cool! On an aside, while ~$160 dollars sounds inexpensive, thats close to $1500 dollars, adjusted for inflation; so, a serious investment for a parent, and not indicative of cheap. Especially considering today's fender 20in scale guitar with amp combo is ~$200 - $50 dollars more, despite inflation and over 60 years.

[@reedj112]

It sure was investment! It's hard to find comps today because "beginner" instruments are almost never made in the US. Playing that guitar and amp certainly doesn't feel cheap, either, and that has nothing to do with their price tag! They're just extremely well built...I doubt those Fender guitar/amp combos will be around in 60+ years to tell the story. Thanks for the comment, it provides some context that I did not in the video!

[@ryanewalters]

I have a Panama Conqueror 5 with a Tung Sol 6v6, Genelec 12ax7, and a Russian 6cp4v, through a G10 Creamback. Sounds very similar to this. The thing I love about this sound is you can go from absolutely clean to nearly fuzz just from picking dynamics. Makes you feel like a man.

[@tagacale1733]

im a happy owner of two 3/4-scale gibby melodymakers from he 50s. the single and the double cutaway. one suggestion though, i love those 5 watt tweed champs but if you really want to go balls deep, try the supro amps of the same era

[@WS-bk7uu]

Your channel is great, can't fathom why you have so few views/subscribers

[@Mason_Wright]

Love that tone!

[@eljefeguapobarbon]

A Gibson guitar played through a Fender amp is always a great choice. Always.🤘🏼

[@reedj112]

Agreed!

[@Rhythmicons]

It summons a rock and roll monster that just runs away out of control.

[@MarcosMendozaJr]

Thanks for the video. I also own a single cut away 59 Melody Maker that sounds really awesome. I also have a mint condition Tweed Champ. The only thing I did to the guitar is changed the tuners with Tone Pro so it would stay in tune. Great little usable Gibson.

[@reedj112]

Very cool! That's quite the combo!

[@joeypinter7264]

yes indeed

[@isaacroche3223]

For me the 5f1 and the 5e3 are the best amps ever created!!! Fender🥰🥰🥰

[@carls8286]

Love Melody Makers! Awesome guitars.

[@reedj112]

They are! Unadorned rock and roll!

[@TheFairway8]

I’ve got exactly the same 59 3/4 Melody Maker I’m just curious what string gauge are on that one and is it standard pitchI strung mine with I think 11s normal tuning although they seem a little flubby

[@reedj112]

I have 12s on it strung to normal pitch. It's a little slinky, but not too bad. For most people it would likely feel pretty good, I like a pretty stout action!

[@TheFairway8]

@@reedj112 cheers for the reply

[@danyoung3245]

It should be stated that if you plug $150 from 1958 into an inflation calculator it is equal to $1,375 in today's money. Still great instrument and amplifier, but not exactly a cheap student model unless it's a serious student.

[@greatwhite3676]

In the time it took me to read this pedo joe caused another 5% inflation. But you are absolutely correct because you can still get a student guitar package for 150 bucks today. Its china trash but it exists.

[@mr.e1220]

Basically you just did back to the future. Does McFly live next-door to you?

[@bruceschlabach5780]

Awesome. Next time let Eli play it.

[@mr.e1220]

I’m sure somebody turned it all the way up with that same guitar and got that same sound. We just don’t know about it because it just happened in the living room or bedroom.

[@joshgascon7087]

Ahh... my heart

[@randysimmons9838]

I'd use it for slide!

[@josephhagins4631]

I think Danelectro, silvertone, and harmony would had been the realistic choices for a budget buy back in the late ‘50s.

[@mbrooks0711]

True, but these were built well enough that you can still find them 60 years later. A lot of those sears catalog type things seemed to have disintegrated sometime a few decades ago. They are cool when you can still find them though.

[@reedj112]

I've made some videos with those, too!

[@zhou_sei]

not sure why they make amps that aren't single ended class a beasts like this thing, pretty sure they shoulda just stopped here. ok, ok, a giant bf style fender for cleans is also needed.

[@joshuahymer15]

I want to hear a line 6 with that guitar.

[@reedj112]

You're barking up the wrong tree!