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Topic: Gibson EH-500 Skylark Lap Steels |
Jack Hanson
From:
San Luis Valley, USA
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Posted 8 Feb 2015 3:28 pm |
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Would like to know what is so special about the student model Skylarks that Gibson produced from 1957 to 1967. They routinely sell for about the same amount, and often much more, than the top-of-the-line Ultratones and Centurys.
It can't be their rarity, because factory production records indicate nearly 3000 were built, exceeded only by the BR-6 and the BR-9 (which the Skylark replaced as Gibson's entry level instrument). Both the BR-6 and the BR-9 had much longer production runs.
Doubt that it's the pickup, which was the same unit Gibson installed in tens of thousands of Melody Maker guitars throughout the 1960s.
Could it be the stigma associated with their African Black Limba construction, marketed by Gibson as "Korina," the tonewood they used to build the original Flying V and Explorer guitars?
Anyone have both a Skylark and a P-90 or racetrack pickup-equipped Ultratone or Century in their collection? How does the sound and playability of the Skylark stack up compared to the more upscale models?
Would like to try one, but not for a cost comparable to a nice old Century or Ultratone. Seems roughly akin to paying the same amount for a Karmann Ghia as for a Porsche 911.
Am I missing something here? |
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Adam Nero
From:
Wisconsin
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Posted 8 Feb 2015 9:09 pm
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Jack, I see them for sale routinely on eBay for what I also feel may be exaggerated prices (700-800). I guess I could view the sold listings, but are they really selling that frequently or for that much?
They look attractive enough to my eyes, but I have a Century and don't feel like I'm missing out.
Based on your body of knowledge about post-war Gibson lap steels, I just have a hunch you're not missing anything. I humbly doubt that one would sell for 700-800 on the forum.
_________________
2 cheap dobros, several weird old lap steels, and one lifelong ticket to ride on the pedal steel struggle bus. |
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Jack Hanson
From:
San Luis Valley, USA
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Posted 10 Feb 2015 8:31 am
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| Adam Nero wrote: |
| I guess I could view the sold listings, but are they really selling that frequently or for that much? |
Adam, I believe you're correct in your assertion that few Skylarks sell for their listed prices, especially if they're exorbitant.
I did a cursory eBay search of their sold listings, and the three Skylarks that sold in the last few months averaged about $495. I have a handful of Ultratones and Centurys in my collection, all but one of which were purchased on eBay, and the average price for the lot was about $401. If you take the one wild card out of the equation (a 10-string), that number drops to about $365.
Don't think there's one in my stable that I'd trade for any two Skylarks (with the possible exception of the final variation that was translucent red mahogany, like your Century) but that's just me.
Would like to hear a convincing argument from anyone who regularly plays a Gibson Skylark that will make me change my mind. |
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James Hartman
From:
Pennsylvania, USA
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Posted 10 Feb 2015 8:40 am
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| My recollection of playing vintage Melody Makers is the pickups were weak and without a whole lot of character. Can't imagine why anyone would prefer them to a good P90. |
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Paul Honeycutt
From:
Colorado, USA
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Posted 11 Feb 2015 5:25 pm
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| I'm borrowing one at the moment to learn C6 on. I can't campare it to a P-90 steel, but it has a nice tone. It's a light weight guitar and it works for me as what it was designed for, a student guitar. Why they'd go for big bucks is beyond me unless someone wanted the logo and the knobs to resell. |
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Jerome Hawkes
From:
Fayetteville, North Carolina, USA
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Posted 11 Feb 2015 5:49 pm
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my guess is that these are associated with the korina V's and Explorers by the vintage guitar collectors. this is also the holy grail era for electric gibsons in general...so.
i bet most guitar players that dabble in slide steel gravitate toward this model more than any other with the exception of maybe the 50's S-6 fenders. hey, i can pick up a 58 gibson for $800...what a deal!!
they are cool though
_________________
'65 Sho-Bud D-10 Permanent • '54 Fender Dual-8 • Clinesmith T-8 • '38 Ric Bakelite • '92 Emmons D-10 Legrande II |
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Doug Beaumier
From:
Northampton, MA
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Posted 11 Feb 2015 6:43 pm
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I see high asking prices on eBay, but they rarely sell at those high prices. I always thought the Skylark was a student grade lap steel because of the large "numbers" on the frets. One of my students has a Skylark and a couple of other lap steels. We have done side-by-side comparisons of the Skylark and other Gibson lap steels and the Skylark has poor sustain compared to the other lap steels. Not much tone or fullness in the sound IMO. As others have said, guitarists and collectors like them because of the Flying V logo and Korina body, both considered rare and collectable in the world of Gibson guitars. But the Skylark lap steel is basically student grade instrument and sounds like it IMO.
_________________
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25 Songs C6 Lap Steel / 25 MORE Songs C6 Lap Steel / 16 Songs, C6, A6, B11 / 60 Popular Melodies E9 Pedal Steel |
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Fran Ledoux
From:
Massachusetts, USA
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Posted 12 Feb 2015 4:06 am
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I am th owner of a '59 Skylark that I purchased in 1981 for 125.00 (which also included a Premiere amp). A few months after purchase, I had brought it down to Guitar Trader in N.J. (along with a '59 L.P. Std. that I was selling for a customer). As soon as they saw the Skylark, they immediately offered me 300.00 for it. When I asked them why the price, they said it was for the raised plastic logo (this one was mint) not for the instrument. They would have taken the logo and put it on a Flying V or Explorer that would have had a damaged logo on it. This would have brought up the price of the Flying V by a couple of grand or more back then.
(By the way, the '59 L.P. got the customer 3,500.00 and sold for 7,000.00 which we thought was insanely crazy money back then) |
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Jack Hanson
From:
San Luis Valley, USA
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Posted 12 Feb 2015 9:05 am
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Thanks to everyone who answered. I believe Paul and Fran hit the nail on the head -- it's the parts, and especially the chromed plastic "Gibson" logo, that people are after. The original Klusons and the knobs have skyrocketed in value as well.
Similar situation with the Gibson BR-9 that was superseded by the Skylark, as its fragile jackplate is the same as used on some of the early Les Paul models.
Don't you just hate it when classic old lap steels become victim to the cannibals who strip off their parts to install on standard guitars? 'Cest la vie. |
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