Gibson Console Grande-sters Unite!!!

Clyde Mattocks · Post by **Clyde Mattocks** » 7 Mar 2023 10:53 am

Thanks Erv. I had never seen anyone address this. I posted a while back about a slight intonation problem noticable starting about the 8th fret. that was before I noticed the the pin holes wallowed out and corrected it.

Erv Niehaus · Post by **Erv Niehaus** » 7 Mar 2023 10:59 am

Clyde,
Yes, when I re-assembled the last Console Grande I sold, I noticed these spacers and wondered what they were for.
When I looked closer, I saw that there was a gap between the nut and the fret board.
And that was where the spacers went.

Erv

Erv Niehaus · Post by **Erv Niehaus** » 9 Mar 2023 11:03 am

I'm in need of an 8 string nut for a Gibson Console Grande.
Can anybody help me out?
Thanks,

Erv

Erv Niehaus · Post by **Erv Niehaus** » 17 Mar 2023 7:09 am

Eugene Cole · Post by **Eugene Cole** » 24 Mar 2023 3:29 pm

Brad Davis wrote:Hello GCG lovers, it's been a while. Post your guitars! Here's my '54.

Do you play a Console Grande? What do you love about it?

I like the sound and the overall aesthetic.

The engraved name plate is a reminder of an earlier and more elegant era.

As I recall; my guitar is a 1940 model.

The following image is not from my GCG; it is of the mute which was only included on some 1938 models.

I often attribute the rareness of these guitars more to how unstable they are on the 3 legs which they shipped with than to how many of them were shipped from the factory.

John Rosett · Post by **John Rosett** » 27 Mar 2023 11:55 am

I took the control plate off of my '40's CG today and noticed these hand written numbers. They don't look like a serial number or an FON. Anybody know what they are?

[/img]

Erv Niehaus · Post by **Erv Niehaus** » 27 Mar 2023 11:58 am

It looks like a date.
Erv

John Rosett · Post by **John Rosett** » 27 Mar 2023 12:20 pm

Erv Niehaus wrote:It looks like a date.
Erv

That thing that looks like a "0" next to the 5 is a blemish in the wood. I'm pretty sure that there are just 3 characters there. Have you ever seem a date written like this on one of these?

J D Sauser · Post by **J D Sauser** » 27 Mar 2023 7:44 pm

My D-8 Console Grande was my first "real" steel guitar, after playing on a guitar with a pensil stuck under the strings in front of the nut and a "2x4" strung up with strings.

It was 1983... I was 18 and bought it for 1000 bucks at a pawn shop.
She came in her original brown pleather case with the plush pink lining. She was drop dead gorgeous.
Yet, a "cheap" Gibson UltraTone would just "blast" her away.
Still, I wished I had never sold her when I started traveling the world.

... J-D

John Rosett · Post by **John Rosett** » 3 Apr 2023 7:25 am

I finally completed the conversion from 7/8 to 8/8 yesterday. Finding the parts was the hardest part of the process. Thanks to Tommy Wayne and David Venzke for giving me some very hard to find parts! Also, thanks to Kevin Glandon for advice. I've been playing the guitar with just one working neck for over a year, and I'm looking forward to my next gig with it!

[/img]

Erv Niehaus · Post by **Erv Niehaus** » 3 Apr 2023 7:41 am

John,
Where did you find the 8 string nut?
Erv

John Rosett · Post by **John Rosett** » 3 Apr 2023 9:27 am

Erv-
I'm pretty sure that I got it from Tommy Wayne.

Erv Niehaus · Post by **Erv Niehaus** » 3 Apr 2023 10:22 am

John,
Thanks,

Erv

J D Sauser · Post by **J D Sauser** » 3 Apr 2023 11:18 am

John Rosett wrote:I finally completed the conversion from 7/8 to 8/8 yesterday. Finding the parts was the hardest part of the process. Thanks to Tommy Wayne and David Venzke for giving me some very hard to find parts! Also, thanks to Kevin Glandon for advice. I've been playing the guitar with just one working neck for over a year, and I'm looking forward to my next gig with it! [/img]

Those are the GOOD pickups, may even be what are today mislabeled P90s (they were wound differently than the fame guitar P90).
Mine had the soap-bars and they just didn't have that "pressure" (greatly regarded by Jazz GUITARISTS, thou).

Nice job on the conversion.

By the way, they are heavy, but sound noticeably better on laps.

... J-D.

John Rosett · Post by **John Rosett** » 3 Apr 2023 11:31 am

J D Sauser wrote:
Those are the GOOD pickups, may even be what are today mislabeled P90s (they were wound differently than the fame guitar P90).
Mine had the soap-bars and they just didn't have that "pressure" (greatly regarded by Jazz GUITARISTS, thou).

Nice job on the conversion.

By the way, they are heavy, but sound noticeably better on laps.

... J-D.

I've heard people call those pickups "Pre-90's".
I plan on using the left over 7 string parts for a lap steel build at some point.

Scott Rogers · Post by **Scott Rogers** » 8 Jun 2023 4:02 pm

Finally getting around to post some pics of my GCG. Just picked up from Carter's in Nashville last weekend. Notice the sticker on it, "It's a Dusi",,, I'm not sure of the pronunciation/meaning of that, but I'm guessing the same as what I would figure as "doozie" as in something special. And so far it is proving to be a very special instrument, very proud of own this guitar and looking forward to growing more with it. Hoping someone might know something about that sticker

Also by the way I'm looking to find an original rubber foot for one of th legs and a replacement nut, one of them is a little beat up.

I'll upload a couple pics and leave a link for.morr on my Google photo library.

By the way,,, I may soon be ready to post a blonde '61 Stringmaster D8, stay tuned!

Scott

Google album
https://photos.app.goo.gl/nK3tyc4VsB8dnGfp6

J D Sauser · Post by **J D Sauser** » 8 Jun 2023 8:01 pm

real early one, still with the 3 legs. Be careful when playing it standing, they tip over easily as they are heavy.

I wonder what this one will sound like.

Good Luck!... J-D.

Bill Sinclair · Post by **Bill Sinclair** » 9 Jun 2023 9:10 am

I'll have to agree - it IS a Dusi (doozie, dusey..). I always heard that the phrase originated from the Duesenberg automobile built in Auburn Indiana in the 20's and 30's, considered by many to be one of the finest cars ever built. No idea about the sticker though, other than a proud owner of a beautiful guitar.

Take a picture of what rubber foot you need matched and measure the outside diameter of the leg and I'll see if I have something.

Mike Black · Post by **Mike Black** » 18 Jun 2023 9:06 am

If anyone wants a 1938 (Serial DGE-3960) 8 & 7. Drop me an email. One of 35 made in that year. It’s a project and will never be more than a player. Original Sunburst finish. I’ve not tried them but the CC pups meter and I will test them to make sure they work. It’s got most of the original parts, including the mutes and bridge covers. It has leg sockets which a Gibson steel guy, told me could be original. What’s it missing? The badge, knobs, legs and case.
At the moment it’s disassembled. The wiring harness was broken but is original, no jack. The tone cap is probably reusable but it needs a new harness. It will include some repro black knobs, shielded wire, jack and 2 pots, a set of used Gibson 8 string tuners from a later Gibson 8 string that had plastic buttons which need replacing. I had originally planned on making it a D8. It needs work on the body, The binding shrunk and tore the top by the jack, if you Google the year and model you can find a luthier in CT that repaired the same year with the same issue. The 7 string tuners will also need work. Or adapt one side to make a D8.
It’s a restorable first year CG that will make a decent guitar.
Email for more details and pics. I’ve forgotten how to load images here.

Brought all the parts home from my locker yesterday. I'll see if I can upload some images later. If anyone wants or needs one of these they aren't all that common with hard to find parts. If you're interested drop an email.

Mike Black · Post by **Mike Black** » 24 Jun 2023 10:11 am

[img]https://bb.steelguitarforum.com/userpix ... 7610_2.jpg[/img]
I guess this didn't work. I'll try uploading images again later.

Brian Fox · Post by **Brian Fox** » 24 Sep 2023 8:50 am

Just released this track . I used the Gibson console E13th neck. Hope you enjoy,

https://youtu.be/WTfO3Pxm6EI?si=jU8P5DHvqikWGUQm

Owen Duffy · Post by **Owen Duffy** » 10 Oct 2023 4:23 pm

Hi Folks,

New member here, with my first steel guitar! What I believe is a 1958-9 Gibson Console Grande C-520.

I’ve always wanted to play and thought it would be really beyond my skills but I took the leap and glad I did as I was playing passably in tune versions of Sleepwalk within a couple hours. I say that as I am pleasantly surprised that I was able to do that as I am not a great lead guitar player. So this is encouraging me to press on into deeper water!

I have tons to learn and am scouting these pages to soak up all your contributions - I find this to be a very welcoming and supportive group which is why I joined.

I bought Don Helms “Your Cheating Heart” songbook and will have a ton of fun with that. Mostly I’ve been reading about tunings and trying to understand them and try and determine which tuning would be best to start with - it seems C6 is the universal favorite for that.

This guitar has a nice sound - I don’t have anything to compare it to but a guitar and I guess in that regard it sounds like the equivalent of an ES-125. Definitely not a Telecaster. But it is quite bright. Everything is functioning, to my surprise. I was thankful to the nice woman who sold me one of her late father’s old guitars for a very fair price. I think there hadn’t been much interest. I sure will enjoy it and take care of it.

In the sense of universal - is there a universal traditional slide and also instruction book with scales and so on that’s tried and true? Like an old Mel Bay book?

Thanks for looking and reading! - Owen

Erv Niehaus · Post by **Erv Niehaus** » 11 Oct 2023 6:53 am

I don't think that model is considered a Console Grande.
Didn't Gibson call that model a Consolette or something like that?
Erv

Owen Duffy · Post by **Owen Duffy** » 11 Oct 2023 9:10 am

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Gibson Console Grande-sters Unite!!!

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