My sister was married to a guy who’s father worked at Gibson in 68 and 69. He took me on a tour of the whole factory in Kalamazoo. I was eleven years old, it left a big impression on me. Really enjoyed seeing the guitars being made. Such great memories...
I grew up in Kalamazoo. and was 4 years old when this was shot. As a player, a Kalamazoo area native, and a lover of great guitars I LOVED this doc. Coolest I have seen. Had an awful lot of friends and friends' parents and grandparents who worked there. One particular guy, Jim Hutchins, was lead QC or manager or something. During his tenure not a hollow-body electric left the plant without his signature. When I think of all the great players that carried his name on stage with them over the years, it gives me a little nostalgia buzz.
What's up brother! Yeah what a great documentary man. I have many guitars but I really love my Les Paul's. If I could only keep one, it would be my 2009 desert burst standard traditional. Very cool story man! God bless you! Peace!
Merci. Ce guitariste americain apprecie beaucoup vos pensees. I wish we had more to be proud of as a nation these days. I've been to France and was amazed at how friendly people were when I tried to speak French.
For any good guitarist, for a true guitar lover and above all for a Gibson guitar lover, this video is to be considered as a relic of great historical value... In simpler words, it's SIMPLY WONDERFUL!!!
It's a rare peak behind the curtain and a chance to really appreciate the immense skill, hard work, and dedication that went into literally handcrafting these guitars. I had the chance if a few months back to play a 59. Except for frets and I believe a GraphTech nut, the unfortunately all-too common headstock repair was the only serious damage this guitar had suffered. It had been played, gigged, broken, expertly repaired (awesome repair!), And obviously cared for and loved for its life. Guitars like that are different. They're nothing like we have today. I'm not saying better or worse, you have to decide that for yourself. But they are just different. They played differently, they sound differently, they hang differently. And now I am recalling that the bridge humbucker had been replaced. Can't remember what, but it was definitely hotter than what was there before. The Nick pickup was intact and original. And what a lovely, smooth, nearly perfect sounding neck pickup! It had this little bit of a honk to it that just made me really happy! To top everything off, for what it is I firmly believe that he asking price of $3,500 was completely Fair. Somebody is going to Shell out a good amount of cash for that guitar one of these days. And that wonderful instrumental will repay them every time they pick it up. Thanks for the upload! When are you going to offer the Dave Mustaine flying V's in my beloved Epiphone models?
Fantastic, love this... I had the opportunity to tour the Gibson, Parsons Street factory in Kalamazoo in 1977. It was a one on one personal tour that was absolutely inspiring, and I was so appreciative to be given that tour. I own a couple Gibson's now, a newer Les Paul goldtop, and my #1 instrument, a 1964 ES-125 TCD which was made in Kalamazoo! I have had that guitar for over 50 years.
As a guitar player and art historian I like this documentary very much. These old 1950th to 70th documentarys have a hard to describe quality not reached in todays documentarys anymore. The voice/mic/recording sound of the speaker, the background music, the quality and colour tones of the real old film material, the light, the cut... All theses things contribute to these nice , entertaining, old documentarys. Beatyful Gibson. Try to find more of them in your archives.
@@cattnipp I have a Magister Artium, M.A. (Heidelberg) degree since 2000 in European Art History, Christian Archaeology and Prehistory. Film History is a part of Art History and one of my professors was from the Staatliche Hochschule für Gestaltung Karlsruhe and gave seminars about this matter in Heidelberg. Also I learned to make lutes and guitars and I play guitar since my childhood. I own many instruments, lutes, guitars, by PRS, Vigier, also a nice Gibson LP. Many of my friends and people I know personally, are musicians who play in bands, known in south Germany, like Söhne Mannheims, Abba Alive, Gotthard, Joachim Schäfer.
@@andreasmann8954 And you are welcome to post, your opinions and ideas, people who post videos appreciate your Comments. I enjoyed reading yours. You are appreciated. Stay Blessed, being a Christian myself, we naturally see things differently.
I have in my collection an almost mint condition 1966 Gibson ES-330 TD. Watching this video it made me realize how many of these processes/machines my guitar had to go through and also for sure some of the people appearing in this short film actually touched it. Simply amazing and makes me treasure it even more. Greetings from Mexico!
Proud owner and player of vintage Gibson ES-125T, ES-125TDC and 1960's tube amps. P.S. The vintage Maestro Fuzz-Tone is awesome too. Thank you for the historic footage, Gibson TV🙏.
It was such a better time. We were a white united nation. Common values, goals, ideals. Americans made the finest products in the world. Now we are destroyed , we make nothing but junk. The evil stupidity of diversity killed the greatest nation and the greatest people.
Btw, it would be cool if a Gibson would post this again with a side by side showing the machines that are still in use and how the processes compare. Would be fun to see them side by side at once!
@@gibsonguitar right, that’s the point! Let people see that a good thing never dies and stays true to itself - maybe a few tweaks here and there, but mostly the same Gibson churning out stuff the same way it always has. A way to honor the Gibson tradition and the amazing fact that the machinery is still working all these years later. Obviously someone else here agrees! And fun to see current workers doing it side by side anyway. 😉
I'm impressed by the level of technology they had back in '67. Those machine shaping bodies can be considered a sort of proto-cnc. That's truly impressive and amazing.
While I'm sure Gibson was taking advantage of the most up to date equipment and techniques available. But that type of pattern following copy equipment has been known for several hundred years. It's been used to replicate chair legs and stair rails since the days of manual powered lathes.
@@italianguitargarage708 The machine at app 4 min mark is a wood shaper with a chain driven pattern/template. The template has a chain around the bottom of it and that chain engages the sprocket around the spindle of the shaper. The sprocket turns and drives/pulls the template around automatically while the template follows the bearing on the spindle. Hope that helps.
For twenty minutes and nineteen seconds, I was rivetted. As a guitar player, there is something very special when you play and connect with a Gibson guitar, The way it sounds, feels, plays and looks. You instantly appreciate the craftsmanship of that guitar.
its actually inaccurate and dumb, guitars are a very modern concept, no more then 140 years, last tiem i checked they didn't have guitars in the antiquity nor the dark ages.
What we know as the guitar today is relatively new - dating to the 19th century. Its antecedent is believed to have originated in Spain about 300 years before that.
@@DS-bq3gv While that is all true, it does not make sense to think too much of the sentence used imho... It is just a rhetoric stylistic device which sounds beautiful :D
This is a real treasure and treat to experience the actual Gibson Kalamazoo production floor from so long ago. My brother still has his ES-355TDSCV (1969) original and he is almost afraid to play it. It is so beautiful and flawless. He keeps it in mint condition. It took him over six years to save enough money to buy it. We both think so highly of these people in this film. Everything in this world should be built like this. Perfection.
This is beautiful! It’s a time capsule. I can’t help but get lost in wonder thinking about what the lives of the people making the guitars were like, what music those guitars went on to make, and where they all are now. I guess in a way it’s a sobering reminder of the reality of that our instruments- and our music - will outlive us.
The hand workmanship, quality employees, skill and craftsmanship, “60 to 90 days of work before they are strung” what a different time, man, no wonder the old Gibsons sound so wonderful.
I was born in Kalamazoo and my first baby bed was a Les Paul guitar case my mother brought home from the factory. They had a hard time closing the lid but the neck pocket fit my head stock perfectly. They used maple saw dust taken from the factory to heat our row house. My dad made wind chimes with guitar strings and used scrap tortoise shell pickguard materials to hang on his Gibson creations. My uncle took binding and inlays and made a cool outhouse seat from mahogany inlaid with all the scraps all held together with hide glue…. It was amazing to sit on a Gibson throne… our windows all had scrap binding used with scraps of mahogany complete with side dot markers…. It was as close to stained glass as we could afford while all my family were working at The Gibson factory . My mom got a Gibson letter G tattoo on her right cheek and dad always said that was either because she loved working there or stood for our next door neighbor Gary…. Who might also be my dad. Life was simple back then…. You could get the clap and a shot and still make it to work on time. We lived close enough to walk to work. Yes …Gibson when in Kalamazoo , really made life better.
Oh man, what a great find! Growing up in Kalamazoo Mi in 1967, and two years into my guitar journey, Gibson's were all we played! Our Lead guitar played an 335, rhythm guitar played a SG, Bass played EB 3 along with Gibson Gs100 and Gs 50 amps. Bass player played with Trainor top and Sunn bottom. Such a wonderful time to be alive! So sad Gibson moved to Memphis , we were devistated! Thanks for sharing. Cheers from Michigan.
Having visited this historic shop a few times since it has been Heritage Guitar Inc this is so great to see how little things have changes after all these years. Fewer people building, but the quality and attention to detail and customer service of the folks at Heritage is the best ever....
How ironic at the end the narrator describes the heritage of the Gibson company, when in 1985 after Gibson left Kalamazoo, the workers that stayed here started The Heritage Guitar Company in the same building. Fantastic ❤️
Way too cool! There needs to be a movie or something at some point about the criminally underrated importance of the highly-skilled women that used to work in these factories and still do to this day. It was women that made the most iconic and coveted pickups that Fender and Gibson have ever made.
Why is that so important? They've got all the equality and such, why do we need to keep highlighting the "importance" of women?. Any human with a working brain knows, and has always known how important women are. None of us would be here if it wasn't for our mothers, who are women! How about we highlight the importance of developing skills, and promote a healthy work ethic in all our young people, male and female alike.
I never thought I would get to see vintage guitars being made let alone the people making them. I also like that they spend so much time (3 minutes) explaining what a guitar is.
as I sit outside, smoking a cigar, listening to this took me back in time. this stuff is why I love Gibson particularly, they're a brand I recognize as a monument in American history, thank you for sharing this with us!
I can't express how much I love this video! I own a '67 ES-335-12 that I bought used in 1977. Crazy/incredible that I just got to see the folks that handcrafted my beautiful guitar! And seeing the band with a member playing a 335-12, I had to wonder if that could have been my exact guitar...I'll never know. Thanks for sharing this video!
@@r.w.7470 Mine left the factory as a sunburst guitar. Before I got her, someone gave her the "'70s treatment" by stripping off the original finish and brushing on clear (leaving the original finish on the neck, headstock and sides). I've played a couple red ones at Norman's Rare Guitars when I visited there years ago (when Mark Agnesi still worked there).
I have a mid-60's 335 12-string too. I bought it in July 1976. Still have it. Plays great. Had a fret job back in 2000 but other than that I have done nothing to the guitar. Never adjusted the truss rod, nothing! Pretty amazing. Oh, the nut is 1-9/16". That's pretty narrow for a 12-string. One other thing? I have never had 12 strings on the guitar. Crazy I suppose but as my main axe I had to play lead guitar so 12 was not exactly functional. Thanks for the comment BB_LZ. You don't see many 335 12-strings around.
Did anyone from the assembly line write their name anywhere on it? I have a '66 SG with M. Willis scratched on the tailpiece and under the scratchplate. I've never ever had to adjust the truss rod. Bought it from new in '73.
@@sirwinston2368 You're welcome. Funny that you should mention string count... I bought mine as a 6-string and I too have never had 12 strings on it. I think I still have a pack of strings (Ernie Ball) for an electric 12 string that I bought in '77 or '78 but I never installed them. Over the years I have alternated which tuners I'm using when I change the strings.
This is probably the coolest thing I've seen since I started playing 3 years ago. Got my first Gibson Les Paul on order and can't wait to finally play it!
Unbelievable! I had no idea that were using overhead pin routers and many of the other template tools they showed in. this video! So glad Gibson put this out! 🙂
WOW! This is the most concentrated documentary yet about Gibson guitar manufacturing and craftsmanship. Just think, some of the guitars being made in this video ended up being instruments played in the late 1960's and throughout the 1970's that laid down the music of the greatest period in music history (CLASSIC ROCK). I am a lifetime Gibson customer. I will only play Gibson guitars. Thank you to everyone who has ever been employed by the Gibson company and is currently employed by the Gibson company. Merry Christmas everyone!
I love Gibson amps from the 50s & 60s. It was cool seeing how they were assembled. I picked a little Gibsonette from 1952 that sounds gorgeous, a big Atlas IV from 1964 that's meant to be a bass amp but sound monstrous with a Les Paul and an overdrive pedal, and a GA-15 from 1967 that's fantastic for recording. All relatively affordable for vintage tube amps ... at least they used to be.
I have a 68 and the quality of the guitar amazes me, especially the carve of the neck, I've always wondered who crafted it and now I can see some of the fine Luthiers. Thank you Gibson!
My first Gibson CS 60s anniversary LP reissue is scheduled for delivery tomorrow. In all my 57 years have I ever been so excited to receive an item in the mail. There's just something about a Gibson
Thank you very much for posting this! I live 4 miles away from this building and it's great to see the manufacturing process that has been lost to time.
I worked at Fender for 17 years, 10 in the Custom Shop, and it's interesting to see how many steps are done the same way; bag and final sanding of necks, fret install, buff and polish, wiring and final assembly, etc. Gotta love the female touch and patience. Couple thing I noticed that has changed big time, spraying without masks and guards around those big ol' shaper bits, safety first. What a great find and whats sad is how few of these videos we have. Now, everybody has a video camera on the cheapest phone. Thanks for posting.
Happy Gibson guitar owner here, so this fascinating. I grew up in the 50-60s, so this has a familiar, nostalgic production style. Great narration, music score and, importantly, demonstrating the various key instruments, while presenting fascinating Gibson manufacturing history. Thanks to the remaster team, and unsung anonymous factory workers, and primary demo guitar player.
In 2012 I got to tour the Memphis and Nashville (USA and Custom) plants and saw many of the old green machines from Kalamazoo still at work, for example the presses for the ES models and the top carver.
Safety? We don't need no safety equipment! I doff my pick to the men and women who crated these amazing guitars over the years. We all owe you a huge THANK YOU as music would not have been the same without you!
I paused the video after a few clips of spraying on lacquer less than two feet from an unmasked face. 😅 And all that sanding done less than 12 inches from their noses & mouths. Life expectancy may have been a little shorter back then.
This is beautiful time capsule. Loved it. It was a little worrisome to see how little protective equipment they used back then. That guy spraying lacquer in street clothes and no respirator would be a nonstarter today.
This is one of the coolest things I've seen! I hope you guys find more stuff in your vaults and elsewhere, especially those ledgers. Thank you for restoring and posting this!
I was hoping to get a glimpse of my '67 Johnny Smith in production. A very important piece of history for all guitar enthusiasts and vintage Gibson collectors. Well-done to whomever posted this time capsule video.
That's great! Did she stay on with Heritage after the move? There is also a book called Kalamazoo Gals about the women who worked there during WWII and the guitars they built.
You see the same thing with Hammond and other music brands. This was considered "light" factory work. The men would have been involved with much heavier labor.
My latest video is about these women. This is a world they took from you. Now its robots. I also talk about Toddlers and Aliens. You may find it interesting. You must watch with your mask on though.
Fascinating how many of these workers wont ever find out how these exact workers shaped the future of the brand and how relevant their work is to so many people as of today.
I Respect Any pair of Magic Hands that can craft a musical instrument. God Bless those with such talent. Oddly Enough, as a Guitar Player All my life, I've never enjoyed playing Anything Gibson. I don't know how to explain this, other than that they Just 'Don't Fit my Hand or Balance Factor'. Please don't think I'm bashing Gibson, I'm not. I actually Wish I could add a Special Axe from Gibson to my collection. Life is strange. God Bless. (I am Very Impressed at how much work these Great Woman put into building these fine instruments with Only their hands. Unlike today with cnc etc., etc.)
My Grandfather used to go down to the Gibson factory and get the throw away (cutoffs) for his wood shop. I saw many of these beautiful pieces of wood. He even met Les Paul there.
I loved 8:24 installing frets. We all agonize when we need to refret, but I think we make it more difficult than it is. I will use this method for my next refret, seems practical as long as the underlying board is prepared well and sound. Great video thanks.
@@conjunctionfunctions Real good, and I think that is the finished product for fretting. I am thinking I will try this technique myself for next refret. Will keep the fretwire long (after radiusing) and cut as I go. Especially on Fender necks with no binding, no pre cutting to length needed. This works on Gibson necks prior to binding.
@@Hartech100 it’s definitely awesome to see, but that’s just an initial tap in placement, you can see the frets aren’t even or perfectly set, but exact for holding em down before a proper tamper/press. This video is amazing.
@@karlvonpackal1402 yep you are right, close inspection does show that, but still I think I will try this for my next full fret job and then press with cauls. It is a great video.
Amazing. Makes the 59 Fender factory film look like a tour of a high school Vo Tech shop. The woman literally mopping on red stain to that thinline body is priceless! Great stuff. Too bad they've lost their way it seems......................
This is how my '61 SG, '68 Johnny Smith and '77 Les Paul were all born. I'll never forget touring the factory on my FIRST road gig - in Kalamazoo! The thing that fascinated me most was the necks being cured in their "pigeon holes" in the high temp, high humidity room - the necks for the high end Jazz guitars were aged 25-50 years, if my memory is correct. Today, some guitar makers cut down a tree in the morning and it's a guitar in the afternoon. That's sad. But this film is very cool.
Women have always been employed in factory work. If it's a stereotype you seek, address the one that holds that women excel at fine, manual, detail work...
Not exactly sure what you mean by breaking stereo types, but for that time period and for many decades prior, here are several stereotypical jobs for women: housewife, secretary, school teacher, nurse, and factory line work.
Neat to see how much has stayed the same. Perhaps it’s been technologically updated, but the process is basically the same. And that music clip towards the end was “groovy, man”. LOL
My 335 12-string was made in that factory at about the same time - '66/'67 or so. I bought it on July 3, 1976, my first electric. It was my main axe for decades. Still plays great 55 years later! Thank you Gibson! By the way, I was at the factory before you moved out in '85. Had an awesome time there. I remember seeing posted on the walls all the pictures of all the musicians who came to Kalamazoo. Rock, country, jazz... lots of music royalty! Thanks again Gibson. (I also have an SJ-200 made in Montana - another great guitar!)
That totally rocks, rediscovered Footage. The Nylon Stringed Guitars that you used to make (maybe you should make them again someday) actually are great for beginners that wanna Start rocking out as the Nylon Strings will protect the fingers.
I’ve always seen Gibson as a magical company ever since I first played their 5 string banjos which are otherworldly. What an amazing insight into the process, thanks for this!
Love this documentary? Learn how Gibson guitars are made today: th-cam.com/video/04m1B88bBt0/w-d-xo.html
That is my father adjusting the guitar at (14:06)! Thanks for the video.
Wow!!!!!!!!!!
Hopefully your not lying, because it's the kind of shit I'd post 😂🤷
That's awesome!!
Liar
Narrators those days are so classy, their narration is like poetry. Many things are better in the past.
Were***
BOT
Sounds like Frank Cannon
My sister was married to a guy who’s father worked at Gibson in 68 and 69. He took me on a tour of the whole factory in Kalamazoo. I was eleven years old, it left a big impression on me. Really enjoyed seeing the guitars being made. Such great memories...
There's a gal from Kalamazoo at 00:31 - the colour check image!
This documentary is pure poetry. So relaxing and nostalgic.
I grew up in Kalamazoo. and was 4 years old when this was shot. As a player, a Kalamazoo area native, and a lover of great guitars I LOVED this doc. Coolest I have seen. Had an awful lot of friends and friends' parents and grandparents who worked there. One particular guy, Jim Hutchins, was lead QC or manager or something. During his tenure not a hollow-body electric left the plant without his signature. When I think of all the great players that carried his name on stage with them over the years, it gives me a little nostalgia buzz.
Yeah, Santana and others played the guitars made here by these people.
Hey Todd, My mom had been working at Gibson for 5 years now when this was shot.
What's up brother! Yeah what a great documentary man. I have many guitars but I really love my Les Paul's. If I could only keep one, it would be my 2009 desert burst standard traditional. Very cool story man! God bless you! Peace!
I have a 1966 SG. The tailpiece and scratchplate both have the name M: Willis etched on. Did you know him by chance or could anyone else you know?
To bad Jim doesnt do QC there now.
THIS is a treasure! Holy crap, what a find.
Hell Yes!
Agree! Loved seeing his things were made pre-OSHA lol
Treasure is for sure !!!!! What a time machine this is. The hairstyles, clothing, personnel, everything.
High, Brad!
@@johnvrabec9747 yea, because we all know how much our corporations love their employees
You, American people, can be very proud to provide the finest guitars to all the players around the world. Cheers from France by a Gibson fan.
Vigier are pretty cool!
@@bryanlemeilleurtexas tina g plays one of those i think? amazing guitars its a shame you never hear about them in the wild
Yeah, and without, you’d all be speaking German….
Merci. Ce guitariste americain apprecie beaucoup vos pensees. I wish we had more to be proud of as a nation these days. I've been to France and was amazed at how friendly people were when I tried to speak French.
@@mr.smithgnrsmith7808 You realize Russia lost about 40 million of their citizens to World War 2 vs America’s 300k…
For any good guitarist, for a true guitar lover and above all for a Gibson guitar lover, this video is to be considered as a relic of great historical value... In simpler words, it's SIMPLY WONDERFUL!!!
@@johnnyghoul8100 The world is bad because there are ignorant people with small brains who disturb the intelligent with unnecessary controversy.
Amen.
It's a rare peak behind the curtain and a chance to really appreciate the immense skill, hard work, and dedication that went into literally handcrafting these guitars.
I had the chance if a few months back to play a 59. Except for frets and I believe a GraphTech nut, the unfortunately all-too common headstock repair was the only serious damage this guitar had suffered. It had been played, gigged, broken, expertly repaired (awesome repair!), And obviously cared for and loved for its life.
Guitars like that are different. They're nothing like we have today. I'm not saying better or worse, you have to decide that for yourself. But they are just different. They played differently, they sound differently, they hang differently. And now I am recalling that the bridge humbucker had been replaced. Can't remember what, but it was definitely hotter than what was there before. The Nick pickup was intact and original. And what a lovely, smooth, nearly perfect sounding neck pickup! It had this little bit of a honk to it that just made me really happy!
To top everything off, for what it is I firmly believe that he asking price of $3,500 was completely Fair. Somebody is going to Shell out a good amount of cash for that guitar one of these days. And that wonderful instrumental will repay them every time they pick it up.
Thanks for the upload! When are you going to offer the Dave Mustaine flying V's in my beloved Epiphone models?
I wish they had that level of quality and craftsmanship today
if they did im sure the cost of a gibson LP Standard would be like $10k
@@darkstar9008 ... They cost 10k today with less guality
they do. its called the Gibson Custom shop. but now you'll complain about the price because hey, craftsman in the USA getting paid by the hour.
Fantastic, love this... I had the opportunity to tour the Gibson, Parsons Street factory in Kalamazoo in 1977. It was a one on one personal tour that was absolutely inspiring, and I was so appreciative to be given that tour. I own a couple Gibson's now, a newer Les Paul goldtop, and my #1 instrument, a 1964 ES-125 TCD which was made in Kalamazoo! I have had that guitar for over 50 years.
As a guitar player and art historian I like this documentary very much. These old 1950th to 70th documentarys have a hard to describe quality not reached in todays documentarys anymore. The voice/mic/recording sound of the speaker, the background music, the quality and colour tones of the real old film material, the light, the cut... All theses things contribute to these nice , entertaining, old documentarys. Beatyful Gibson. Try to find more of them in your archives.
@@cattnipp I have a Magister Artium, M.A. (Heidelberg) degree since 2000 in European Art History, Christian Archaeology and Prehistory. Film History is a part of Art History and one of my professors was from the Staatliche Hochschule für Gestaltung Karlsruhe and gave seminars about this matter in Heidelberg. Also I learned to make lutes and guitars and I play guitar since my childhood. I own many instruments, lutes, guitars, by PRS, Vigier, also a nice Gibson LP. Many of my friends and people I know personally, are musicians who play in bands, known in south Germany, like Söhne Mannheims, Abba Alive, Gotthard, Joachim Schäfer.
@@andreasmann8954 And you are welcome to post, your opinions and ideas, people who post videos appreciate your Comments. I enjoyed reading yours. You are appreciated. Stay Blessed, being a Christian myself, we naturally see things differently.
@@andreasmann8954 Oh,oh very mainstream.
@@cattnipp and you? I am happy. Its a nice film about Gibson Guitars! :)
@@cattnipp troll.
I have in my collection an almost mint condition 1966 Gibson ES-330 TD. Watching this video it made me realize how many of these processes/machines my guitar had to go through and also for sure some of the people appearing in this short film actually touched it. Simply amazing and makes me treasure it even more. Greetings from Mexico!
BOT
This video makes me proud to be a Gibson employee.
BOT
From the "instruments of the people" to "instruments for a few people" in a few decades, congrats!
Proud owner and player of vintage Gibson ES-125T, ES-125TDC and 1960's tube amps. P.S. The vintage Maestro Fuzz-Tone is awesome too. Thank you for the historic footage, Gibson TV🙏.
That "modern as tomorrow" part made me chuckle considering Jimi Hendrix was about to change everything so drastically.
Every new Gibson factory employee should have to watch this. Very cool!
I love the way the narrators of the documentaries back in the day all sounded so good..
And no robot voice .
Smoking was common. Rod Serling from Twilight Zone, Night Gallery is a good example
It was such a better time. We were a white united nation. Common values, goals, ideals. Americans made the finest products in the world. Now we are destroyed , we make nothing but junk. The evil stupidity of diversity killed the greatest nation and the greatest people.
BOT ALERT
Btw, it would be cool if a Gibson would post this again with a side by side showing the machines that are still in use and how the processes compare. Would be fun to see them side by side at once!
Not much has changed really
@@gibsonguitar is this in Memphis?
@@jvon3885 Kalamazoo
@@gibsonguitar right, that’s the point! Let people see that a good thing never dies and stays true to itself - maybe a few tweaks here and there, but mostly the same Gibson churning out stuff the same way it always has. A way to honor the Gibson tradition and the amazing fact that the machinery is still working all these years later. Obviously someone else here agrees!
And fun to see current workers doing it side by side anyway. 😉
@@gibsonguitar How does this differ from the custom shop? I am dying to know
I'm impressed by the level of technology they had back in '67. Those machine shaping bodies can be considered a sort of proto-cnc. That's truly impressive and amazing.
While I'm sure Gibson was taking advantage of the most up to date equipment and techniques available. But that type of pattern following copy equipment has been known for several hundred years. It's been used to replicate chair legs and stair rails since the days of manual powered lathes.
@@markdoldon8852 So, basically is a sort of an automated overhead pin router? Correct me if I'm wrong
@@italianguitargarage708 The machine at app 4 min mark is a wood shaper with a chain driven pattern/template. The template has a chain around the bottom of it and that chain engages the sprocket around the spindle of the shaper. The sprocket turns and drives/pulls the template around automatically while the template follows the bearing on the spindle. Hope that helps.
It’s either the one in this video or the one at the Martin factory but the side wood bender is still being used today
@@italianguitargarage708one day 😅
This is freaking amazing! I bet you guys lost your mind when you found this.
For twenty minutes and nineteen seconds, I was rivetted. As a guitar player, there is something very special when you play and connect with a Gibson guitar, The way it sounds, feels, plays and looks. You instantly appreciate the craftsmanship of that guitar.
"The guitar, old as mankind, new as tomorrow!" This is downright beautiful! Love Gibson!
its actually inaccurate and dumb, guitars are a very modern concept, no more then 140 years, last tiem i checked they didn't have guitars in the antiquity nor the dark ages.
@@michgingras like you would know 😂
@@michgingras Thank you captain obvious!
What we know as the guitar today is relatively new - dating to the 19th century. Its antecedent is believed to have originated in Spain about 300 years before that.
@@DS-bq3gv While that is all true, it does not make sense to think too much of the sentence used imho... It is just a rhetoric stylistic device which sounds beautiful :D
This is a real treasure and treat to experience the actual Gibson Kalamazoo production floor from so long ago. My brother still has his ES-355TDSCV (1969) original and he is almost afraid to play it. It is so beautiful and flawless. He keeps it in mint condition. It took him over six years to save enough money to buy it. We both think so highly of these people in this film. Everything in this world should be built like this. Perfection.
BOT
This is beautiful! It’s a time capsule. I can’t help but get lost in wonder thinking about what the lives of the people making the guitars were like, what music those guitars went on to make, and where they all are now. I guess in a way it’s a sobering reminder of the reality of that our instruments- and our music - will outlive us.
mostly dead by inhaling toxic fumes from painting and sanding i think...
We are not the owners of these instruments but just the keepers for a period of time..let that sit in a minute
@@r.w.7470 I don't know about you, but I would rather be dead later. You'll change your mind when you reach puberty.
Many have retired or passed away. Heritage Guitars now occupies the building with many former Gibson employees.
@@Hasselblad9999 you may change your mind if you live into your 90s
Paul Yandell; a silent giant of fingerstyle guitar.
Pops up in all sorts of Nashville based videos from 1950-2000.
The consummate studio player.
Thanks, was looking for his name
Chet’s sideman for many, many years.
I believe he is on all the Louvin brothers tracks that feature thumb style guitar.
I had the chance to meet Paul Yandell and talk with him for awhile. He was a really nice and humble man.
Anybody know what jazz thing he was playing at the beginning?
The hand workmanship, quality employees, skill and craftsmanship, “60 to 90 days of work before they are strung” what a different time, man, no wonder the old Gibsons sound so wonderful.
I was born in Kalamazoo and my first baby bed was a Les Paul guitar case my mother brought home from the factory. They had a hard time closing the lid but the neck pocket fit my head stock perfectly. They used maple saw dust taken from the factory to heat our row house. My dad made wind chimes with guitar strings and used scrap tortoise shell pickguard materials to hang on his Gibson creations. My uncle took binding and inlays and made a cool outhouse seat from mahogany inlaid with all the scraps all held together with hide glue…. It was amazing to sit on a Gibson throne… our windows all had scrap binding used with scraps of mahogany complete with side dot markers…. It was as close to stained glass as we could afford while all my family were working at The Gibson factory . My mom got a Gibson letter G tattoo on her right cheek and dad always said that
was either because she loved working there or stood for our next door neighbor Gary…. Who might also be my dad. Life was simple back then…. You could get the clap and a shot and still make it to work on time. We lived close enough to walk to work. Yes …Gibson when in Kalamazoo , really made life better.
Kalamazoo Michigan
OMG😂😂😂
Way too Cool !!!
Chat gpt definitely was used for this comment lol. This is funny.
@@vinn.5215my warped sense of humor and being retired Navy got the best of me man….. I might need meds…… I dunno
BOT
I own a 1967 sg standard, so this is really cool to me.
Oh man, what a great find! Growing up in Kalamazoo Mi in 1967, and two years into my guitar journey, Gibson's were all we played! Our Lead guitar played an 335, rhythm guitar played a SG, Bass played EB 3 along with Gibson Gs100 and Gs 50 amps. Bass player played with Trainor top and Sunn bottom. Such a wonderful time to be alive! So sad Gibson moved to Memphis , we were devistated! Thanks for sharing. Cheers from Michigan.
Beautifully filmed. Wouldn’t expect anything else from the greatest guitar brand
Fender
Well, I expect nothing from Gibson these days,so there ya go!
*Fender
Having visited this historic shop a few times since it has been Heritage Guitar Inc this is so great to see how little things have changes after all these years. Fewer people building, but the quality and attention to detail and customer service of the folks at Heritage is the best ever....
How ironic at the end the narrator describes the heritage of the Gibson company, when in 1985 after Gibson left Kalamazoo, the workers that stayed here started The Heritage Guitar Company in the same building. Fantastic ❤️
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Way too cool! There needs to be a movie or something at some point about the criminally underrated importance of the highly-skilled women that used to work in these factories and still do to this day. It was women that made the most iconic and coveted pickups that Fender and Gibson have ever made.
I was surprised to see them in the amplifier department as well. I cant think of even one amp builder that is a woman today.
Checkout fazio electric! Colleen fazio is a rad amp tech/builder
Who knew, those that brainwash us lately are lying.
Why is that so important?
They've got all the equality and such, why do we need to keep highlighting the "importance" of women?. Any human with a working brain knows, and has always known how important women are.
None of us would be here if it wasn't for our mothers, who are women!
How about we highlight the importance of developing skills, and promote a healthy work ethic in all our young people, male and female alike.
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I never thought I would get to see vintage guitars being made let alone the people making them. I also like that they spend so much time (3 minutes) explaining what a guitar is.
I loved seeing the amps being built. Being a Michigander I was sad to see Gibson leave my home state. Thanks,for this.
as I sit outside, smoking a cigar, listening to this took me back in time. this stuff is why I love Gibson particularly, they're a brand I recognize as a monument in American history, thank you for sharing this with us!
This is the best video on all of Gibson TV.
I can't express how much I love this video! I own a '67 ES-335-12 that I bought used in 1977. Crazy/incredible that I just got to see the folks that handcrafted my beautiful guitar! And seeing the band with a member playing a 335-12, I had to wonder if that could have been my exact guitar...I'll never know. Thanks for sharing this video!
@@r.w.7470 Mine left the factory as a sunburst guitar. Before I got her, someone gave her the "'70s treatment" by stripping off the original finish and brushing on clear (leaving the original finish on the neck, headstock and sides). I've played a couple red ones at Norman's Rare Guitars when I visited there years ago (when Mark Agnesi still worked there).
I have a mid-60's 335 12-string too. I bought it in July 1976. Still have it. Plays great. Had a fret job back in 2000 but other than that I have done nothing to the guitar. Never adjusted the truss rod, nothing! Pretty amazing. Oh, the nut is 1-9/16". That's pretty narrow for a 12-string. One other thing? I have never had 12 strings on the guitar. Crazy I suppose but as my main axe I had to play lead guitar so 12 was not exactly functional. Thanks for the comment BB_LZ. You don't see many 335 12-strings around.
Did anyone from the assembly line write their name anywhere on it? I have a '66 SG with M. Willis scratched on the tailpiece and under the scratchplate. I've never ever had to adjust the truss rod. Bought it from new in '73.
@@fedup3449 Not that I know of. I'll take a look sometime though.
@@sirwinston2368 You're welcome. Funny that you should mention string count... I bought mine as a 6-string and I too have never had 12 strings on it. I think I still have a pack of strings (Ernie Ball) for an electric 12 string that I bought in '77 or '78 but I never installed them. Over the years I have alternated which tuners I'm using when I change the strings.
This is probably the coolest thing I've seen since I started playing 3 years ago. Got my first Gibson Les Paul on order and can't wait to finally play it!
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Unbelievable! I had no idea that were using overhead pin routers and many of the other template tools they showed in. this video! So glad Gibson put this out! 🙂
WOW! This is the most concentrated documentary yet about Gibson guitar manufacturing and craftsmanship.
Just think, some of the guitars being made in this video ended up being instruments played in the late 1960's and throughout the 1970's that laid down the music of the greatest period in music history (CLASSIC ROCK).
I am a lifetime Gibson customer.
I will only play Gibson guitars.
Thank you to everyone who has ever been employed by the Gibson company and is currently employed by the Gibson company.
Merry Christmas everyone!
Wow! I just love how audio from back then sounds. The guitar playing at the start just sounds so nostalgic!
I love Gibson amps from the 50s & 60s. It was cool seeing how they were assembled. I picked a little Gibsonette from 1952 that sounds gorgeous, a big Atlas IV from 1964 that's meant to be a bass amp but sound monstrous with a Les Paul and an overdrive pedal, and a GA-15 from 1967 that's fantastic for recording. All relatively affordable for vintage tube amps ... at least they used to be.
You don't see too many Gibson amps anymore
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I love to see that the techniques that were used back then, are still used today on the finest guitars ever made. Gibson forever !!
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This is truly special
I have a 68 and the quality of the guitar amazes me, especially the carve of the neck, I've always wondered who crafted it and now I can see some of the fine Luthiers. Thank you Gibson!
luthiers
And now you know the carver of that neck was a table router! 6:24
@@TeKaMOTO lol yeah, they must of did some more after that, the guitar is solid.
@@dons1517 Don: I've got a'68 SJ I bought new & it sounds
better now than it did then-QUALITY !!! What model is yours?
@@lungerpete9339 Yeah Gibson always is great Quality, I own the ES model.
My first Gibson CS 60s anniversary LP reissue is scheduled for delivery tomorrow. In all my 57 years have I ever been so excited to receive an item in the mail. There's just something about a Gibson
Thank you very much for posting this! I live 4 miles away from this building and it's great to see the manufacturing process that has been lost to time.
Also 4 miles away, Comstock.
@@dansanderson9520 hello, neighbor. Cooper Township here.
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Wow what an amazing documentary!
My Les Paul Deluxe was made at the Kalamazoo factory in 1977. A beautiful instrument! Thanks for sharing this video!
An early '70's LP Deluxe is on my bucket list.
My SG was made in the year of this film, 1967.
@@bobaldo2339 I had a neighbor with a 1962 SG and it is the best guitar I've ever played.
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I worked at Fender for 17 years, 10 in the Custom Shop, and it's interesting to see how many steps are done the same way; bag and final sanding of necks, fret install, buff and polish, wiring and final assembly, etc. Gotta love the female touch and patience. Couple thing I noticed that has changed big time, spraying without masks and guards around those big ol' shaper bits, safety first. What a great find and whats sad is how few of these videos we have. Now, everybody has a video camera on the cheapest phone. Thanks for posting.
Thanks for the builds at Fender. I love playing.
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So many talented women at the work bench. Great music, some of the best guitars ever, being made. Thank you.
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Beautiful craftsmanship. It's so good to have this documented so well now.
My 1963 Gibson ES-125T is the queen of my guitar (mini-)collection.
Happy Gibson guitar owner here, so this fascinating. I grew up in the 50-60s, so this has a familiar, nostalgic production style. Great narration, music score and, importantly, demonstrating the various key instruments, while presenting fascinating Gibson manufacturing history. Thanks to the remaster team, and unsung anonymous factory workers, and primary demo guitar player.
Magic, my Les Paul (2004, and a good'un) and me thank you for taking the time and effort to restore and post this.
Well now, that *is* history. Amazingly interesting! Thank you for making this available for your fans!
One of the greatest companies in the history of this country.
In 2012 I got to tour the Memphis and Nashville (USA and Custom) plants and saw many of the old green machines from Kalamazoo still at work, for example the presses for the ES models and the top carver.
Safety? We don't need no safety equipment! I doff my pick to the men and women who crated these amazing guitars over the years. We all owe you a huge THANK YOU as music would not have been the same without you!
I paused the video after a few clips of spraying on lacquer less than two feet from an unmasked face. 😅
And all that sanding done less than 12 inches from their noses & mouths. Life expectancy may have been a little shorter back then.
Amen !
Amazing find! What a treasure. I’ll be watching this one over and over.
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A very great moment ! Thanks Gibson TV...
A great video made near the very end of the Kalamazoo golden era! You gotta love seeing all that original soft tooling too!....
This is beautiful time capsule. Loved it. It was a little worrisome to see how little protective equipment they used back then. That guy spraying lacquer in street clothes and no respirator would be a nonstarter today.
That was an absolute joy to watch. What a piece of history.
Now this is a beautiful piece of instrument history BRAVO.
This is one of the coolest things I've seen! I hope you guys find more stuff in your vaults and elsewhere, especially those ledgers. Thank you for restoring and posting this!
I was hoping to get a glimpse of my '67 Johnny Smith in production. A very important piece of history for all guitar enthusiasts and vintage Gibson collectors. Well-done to whomever posted this time capsule video.
“An instrument of the people” no truer words have been spoken
Amazing how many women worked at Gibson to make these instruments,my wife worked there making strings until they moved in '84.
That's great! Did she stay on with Heritage after the move? There is also a book called Kalamazoo Gals about the women who worked there during WWII and the guitars they built.
A lot of men were in Vietnam.
You see the same thing with Hammond and other music brands. This was considered "light" factory work. The men would have been involved with much heavier labor.
My latest video is about these women. This is a world they took from you. Now its robots.
I also talk about Toddlers and Aliens. You may find it interesting. You must watch with your mask on though.
@@zacharyhandcraftedguitars Toddlers ARE aliens.
Fascinating how many of these workers wont ever find out how these exact workers shaped the future of the brand and how relevant their work is to so many people as of today.
I Respect Any pair of Magic Hands that can craft a musical instrument. God Bless those with such talent. Oddly Enough, as a Guitar Player All my life, I've never enjoyed playing Anything Gibson. I don't know how to explain this, other than that they Just 'Don't Fit my Hand or Balance Factor'. Please don't think I'm bashing Gibson, I'm not. I actually Wish I could add a Special Axe from Gibson to my collection. Life is strange. God Bless. (I am Very Impressed at how much work these Great Woman put into building these fine instruments with Only their hands. Unlike today with cnc etc., etc.)
You really see how Gibson really took their time creating amazing quality instruments back then
My Grandfather used to go down to the Gibson factory and get the throw away (cutoffs) for his wood shop. I saw many of these beautiful pieces of wood. He even met Les Paul there.
THIS IS AWESOME! Keep looking for one from the 1950's please! And then 70s, 80s, 90's, 00's, 10's, and 20's. Love seeing how Gibsons are made.
I loved 8:24 installing frets. We all agonize when we need to refret, but I think we make it more difficult than it is. I will use this method for my next refret, seems practical as long as the underlying board is prepared well and sound. Great video thanks.
It’s likely possible that that was an initial fretting, to be followed by an arbor press. Many companies do it that way.
That woman at the factory was laying those frets out like train tracks, id like to find her for my next refret 😄
@@conjunctionfunctions Real good, and I think that is the finished product for fretting. I am thinking I will try this technique myself for next refret. Will keep the fretwire long (after radiusing) and cut as I go. Especially on Fender necks with no binding, no pre cutting to length needed. This works on Gibson necks prior to binding.
@@Hartech100 it’s definitely awesome to see, but that’s just an initial tap in placement, you can see the frets aren’t even or perfectly set, but exact for holding em down before a proper tamper/press.
This video is amazing.
@@karlvonpackal1402 yep you are right, close inspection does show that, but still I think I will try this for my next full fret job and then press with cauls. It is a great video.
What a gem of a documentary!,
What an eye opener, Thankyou for showing this film.
Long live Gibson, and the Les Paul, the Explorer, Flying V, SG, and ES. Timeless guitars.
I’m not a Gibson fan,but you can’t refute the professionalism of such a wonderful guitar making company.
Fantastic. A treasure from the past
Great find! Really gives perspective on how labor intensive manufacturing used to be, compared to today
This is all the therapy I needed. Thank you for preserving and sharing this priceless gem with the world.
And that’s why I buy and love Gibson! Still built the same way after all these years! Pure perfection!
Amazing. Makes the 59 Fender factory film look like a tour of a high school Vo Tech shop.
The woman literally mopping on red stain to that thinline body is priceless!
Great stuff. Too bad they've lost their way it seems......................
This is how my '61 SG, '68 Johnny Smith and '77 Les Paul were all born. I'll never forget touring the factory on my FIRST road gig - in Kalamazoo! The thing that fascinated me most was the necks being cured in their "pigeon holes" in the high temp, high humidity room - the necks for the high end Jazz guitars were aged 25-50 years, if my memory is correct. Today, some guitar makers cut down a tree in the morning and it's a guitar in the afternoon. That's sad. But this film is very cool.
Magnificent ..... thank you for the upload, thoroughly enjoyed and appreciated
I love seeing these women working in the factory! Nice to see actual footage breaking stereo types for that time period.
Women have always been employed in factory work. If it's a stereotype you seek, address the one that holds that women excel at fine, manual, detail work...
Not exactly sure what you mean by breaking stereo types, but for that time period and for many decades prior, here are several stereotypical jobs for women: housewife, secretary, school teacher, nurse, and factory line work.
Look up the female factory workers who helped the USA (🇺🇸!) WIN in WW2.
Fantastic! I hope you find more of these!
I have a gibson sg from 1967 , it's my absolute favorite.
And actually the only star in the band
Yea thats amazing they had all that machinery back then great documentary thanks for that!
Neat to see how much has stayed the same. Perhaps it’s been technologically updated, but the process is basically the same.
And that music clip towards the end was “groovy, man”. LOL
My 335 12-string was made in that factory at about the same time - '66/'67 or so. I bought it on July 3, 1976, my first electric. It was my main axe for decades. Still plays great 55 years later! Thank you Gibson! By the way, I was at the factory before you moved out in '85. Had an awesome time there. I remember seeing posted on the walls all the pictures of all the musicians who came to Kalamazoo. Rock, country, jazz... lots of music royalty! Thanks again Gibson. (I also have an SJ-200 made in Montana - another great guitar!)
That totally rocks, rediscovered Footage. The Nylon Stringed Guitars that you used to make (maybe you should make them again someday) actually are great for beginners that wanna Start rocking out as the Nylon Strings will protect the fingers.
Thank you for posting, this is a window into history.
It's amazing to see all those people making those incredible guitars, for the most part, by hand.
I’m impressed with how advanced their process was for back then
I’ve always seen Gibson as a magical company ever since I first played their 5 string banjos which are otherworldly. What an amazing insight into the process, thanks for this!
A great piece of historical film from the days when "Only a Gibson is good enough"
I am lucky and privileged to have two guitars made right there, by some of these people and machines.
Masterworks we’re produced in Kalamazoo, MI. I was able to visit the factory several times in the ‘60’s. What a fantastic journey it was.