Gibson Dove

Cryptid · April 2022

@Mellish Congrats on the new Dove. Just tried one out and was blown away, what a guitar! It was a '94 100th Anniversary model with lacquer checking, fairly low frets (will need replacement in a few years) and pick guard that was lifting in the centre. I almost came home with it... but I don't know how I'd feel about drilling to fit a pickup or even taking it out the house to be honest.

@ICBM You're right, they can do everything. Every style, either with fingers or a pick, just sounded perfect.

I'm getting GG to bring a Gibson Sheryl Crow C&W Supreme over to Birmingham to try on Thurs. They're gig ready, very sweet and undoubtably more suited to strummed vocal accompaniment (which is the main aim of my next purchase), but if the Dove is still there it's gonna be a tough old decision. Wish I could afford both!

Mellish · April 2022

Cheers @Cryptid

. That Dove - in GG Birmingham? I was in there last Thursday. That's where *my*Dove came from

ICBM · April 2022

Cryptid said:

Just tried one out and was blown away, what a guitar! It was a '94 100th Anniversary model with lacquer checking, fairly low frets (will need replacement in a few years) and pick guard that was lifting in the centre. I almost came home with it... but I don't know how I'd feel about drilling to fit a pickup or even taking it out the house to be honest.

Don't worry about it, if you need to - it's a modern guitar, not an antique.

They also have a maple neck, which means it's one of the few Gibson guitars I'm not worried about gigging from a headstock-break point of view...

The lifting pickguard is an issue though - the celluloid plastic warps, and it can be difficult to get glue under them and stick them down again properly.

Cryptid · April 2022

Mellish said:

Cheers @Cryptid . That Dove - in GG Birmingham? I was in there last Thursday. That's where *my*Dove came from

Yep that's the one. It's haunting me, but...

ICBM said:
The lifting pickguard is an issue though - the celluloid plastic warps, and it can be difficult to get glue under them and stick them down again properly.

The pickguard is quite badly domed. I'm confident I could remove it and the glue residue with naptha and dental floss (have done so on a Hummingbird before) but there's no guarantee I could get the guard flat enough to prevent it happening again. From a quick search, replacement Dove pickguards are hard to get hold of and ridiculously expensive.

That, the frets, and the fact it's had a quite messy nut replacement makes me think I'll leave this particular one. I'm sure I'll own one at some point... fantastic guitars.

Mellish · April 2022

@Cryptid ; I think you're still OK mate, I don't think mine is a 100th Anniversary. Gorgeous case that comes with it, plush velvet inner with double neck support

Cryptid · April 2022

@Mellish Did you have a play of the anni, or did it come in after your visit?

Mellish · April 2022

@Cryptid ;;;I didn't see it mate tbh. I think it must have come in later. Mine was high up the wall right in the corner. They had some Gibson Studio models displayed below it...... But that 100th Anniversary you've described seems to need work! Tbh, if it was me, I'd try to find a better example. The pickguard needs sorting, possible nut replacement... But if you like how it sounds, and you can live with the work, fine. Let us know the outcome

Mellish · April 2022

So, first gig with the Dove last night. Much easier to play than the HD-28 Reimagined I had - which I loved, don't get me wrong. It just wasn't right for me......it might be me, but I think the headstock allows more nut break angle than I got with the Martin. All in all, I'm happy

Cryptid · April 2022

@Mellish Glad to hear the Dove had its first outing and you're happy mate. Do you play gigs close to Birmingham?

I reckon I could sort the pickguard on that Anni and the nut does the job - just a shame it wasn't a neater replacement on such a collector's piece. It sounds unbelievably good and if it was a grand less I'd consider it but there's too much work to be done for the asking price.

A Dove will have to wait as I got a great deal on a 2011 SJ-200 Studio (maple) last night, plus, I'll also be trying out the Sheryl Crow Country & Western Supreme tomorrow at GG. Could it be... two Gibson acoustics in one week?

Mellish · April 2022

@Cryptid ; no, I don't gig out as far as Brum mate. I'm south Lincolnshire. I gig mainly two nights each week.......looks like a J-200 or a Sherryl then. Hope it works for ya

artiebear · April 2022

bertie said:

Mellish said:

It's a P O L I S H

Wow, there's a reminder of a long and distant past. I got to meet him in Gdansk in the bad old 80's. What feels like a very different world in some ways and yet with recent events, not so much.

guitarjack66 · April 2022

artiebear said:

bertie said:

Mellish said:

It's a P O L I S H

Wow, there's a reminder of a long and distant past. I got to meet him in Gdansk in the bad old 80's. What feels like a very different world in some ways and yet with recent events, not so much.

Great story about meeting him. Any chance of sharing it?

artiebear · April 2022

guitarjack66 said:

artiebear said:

bertie said:

Mellish said:

It's a P O L I S H

Wow, there's a reminder of a long and distant past. I got to meet him in Gdansk in the bad old 80's. What feels like a very different world in some ways and yet with recent events, not so much.

Great story about meeting him. Any chance of sharing it?

While playing a few dates in Poland in the mid 80’s ( they were just starting to allow the odd western act to tour to placate the masses after a lot of unrest ) I met the secretary of solidarity after a gig in Gdańsk and ended up dodging my official minders and going for a drink back at an apartment in the city. After talking through the night about the situation ( there had just been more shipyard riots ) the next morning I had the honour of being introduced to the man himself.

I got into a lot of trouble for disappearing which took our management a certain amount of smoothing over, especially as I had to keep very quiet about the company I had been keeping. Looking back it hardly seems real now but my memories of the world under the red flag are mostly grim due to the things we saw.and experienced. The Polish people were amazing and resilient and would not give in.

jellyroll · April 2022

Very cool. Meeting Ronnie Barker in Gdansk!

artiebear · April 2022

jellyroll said:

Very cool. Meeting Ronnie Barker in Gdansk!

not many jokes at the time, or now if you have a grasp of history.

guitarjack66 · May 2022

artiebear said:

guitarjack66 said:

artiebear said:

bertie said:

Mellish said:

It's a P O L I S H

Wow, there's a reminder of a long and distant past. I got to meet him in Gdansk in the bad old 80's. What feels like a very different world in some ways and yet with recent events, not so much.

Great story about meeting him. Any chance of sharing it?

While playing a few dates in Poland in the mid 80’s ( they were just starting to allow the odd western act to tour to placate the masses after a lot of unrest ) I met the secretary of solidarity after a gig in Gdańsk and ended up dodging my official minders and going for a drink back at an apartment in the city. After talking through the night about the situation ( there had just been more shipyard riots ) the next morning I had the honour of being introduced to the man himself.

I got into a lot of trouble for disappearing which took our management a certain amount of smoothing over, especially as I had to keep very quiet about the company I had been keeping. Looking back it hardly seems real now but my memories of the world under the red flag are mostly grim due to the things we saw.and experienced. The Polish people were amazing and resilient and would not give in.

Thanks for sharing. Great experience too.

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