The Gibson S-1

In the 1970s the major American guitar companies were losing money due to sales of the competition, whose sales model was to produce quality instruments at drastically lower production costs. Gibson Guitars has proven over the years that they were always willing to change their approach to guitar creation from decade to decade. This is clearly illustrated throughout their history from the 1950s creation of the Flying V and Explorer, to the GibsonFirebird / Thunderbird line of the 1960s, to some interesting instruments in the 1970s that were created with factors new to Gibson such as bolt on necks and newer woods such as maple and alder.

One of these instruments was the 1975 Gibson S-1, which was an effort to create a single coil-pickup guitar that could sound like a Fender at times while also keeping the ability to create a humbucker Gibson sound by combining coils with a “chicken head” four position rotary switch. The Gibson S-1 was shaped like a Gibson Les Paul with a Gibson Flying V peg head.

The Gibson S-1 is often mistaken for the Gibson Marauder, which had on humbucker and one slanted single coil pick up. While the Gibson S-1 was endorsed by Ron Wood, the Marauder was endorsed by Paul Stanley of Kiss. Either one is an easy way to get in the door of Collecting Vintage Guitars, find one at a vintage guitar shop at around $800-$1000.