Gibson-S1
Serial 71708088 170 Tag 1978 ProdNr 88
19.06.1978
Kalamazoo Plant, MI, USA
Model: Gibson S1
Available: 19751981
Body: Woods varied to some extent; though broadly maple (1976 79) or mahogany (197879). Early examples from 1975 may also have used alder.
Neck: Bolton. 24 3/4" scale, 22 frets. Laminate maple, with rosewood fingerboard (1975early '78), or maple fingerboard (19761979)
Pickups: 3 high frequency Gibson "special design" adjustable pickups, with a "bright/low" tonality. These were single coil units, each with one Alnico
magnet and no adjustable polepieces. Part numbers 13660 (front), 13661 (middle), 13662 (back).
Dimensions: 13" wide, 17 1/4" long, 1 3/4" deep
Gibson S1 chronology
1975 Launched mid 1975. Finishes: Natural Satin ($399), Ebony ($449), Sunburst ($479)[1]. Total sales 1064[2]
1976 New finish Natural Maple Gloss. Maple fingerboard, unlike rosewood used on all other finishes. Prices: Natural Satin ($439), Ebony ($479),
Maple Gloss ($479), Sunburst ($509)[3]
1977 Prices: Natural Satin ($499), Ebony, Maple Gloss, Sunburst ($539)[4]
1978 This was the peak year for the S1. Maple fingerboards became standard, electronics redesigned [5], bodies optionally mahogany. New finishes were Natural Mahogany, Wine Red and Walnut. The Natural Satin finish was now identical to the Natural Maple Gloss finish, so that name was dropped. It cost $519, and all other finishes were $559. [6] Total sales were 1158. Not great for a peak year.[2]
1979 Maple bodied S1s were listed as an option as late as June 1979[7], however the final appearance of the S1 in Gibson literature in late September
'79 lists only one wood/finish combination; mahogany body, maple neck and a Satin Walnut finish. $459[8].
1979 Maple bodied S1s were listed as an option as late as June 1979[7], however the final appearance of the S1 in Gibson literature in late September
'79 lists only one wood/finish combination; mahogany body, maple neck and a Satin Walnut finish. $459[8].
1980 Gibson announce the discontinuation of the S1 in dealers newsletter Gibson News.[8].
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The first position paired the neck pickup with the middle pickup (neck only after 78)
the second position paired the bridge and the middle,
the third position was cool in that it combined all three pickups together,
and all three positions are humbucking. Not to be left out or outdone,
the fourth position is also humbucking, but it is different in that it pairs
the neck and bridge pickups in an out of phase humbucking arrangement.
So, all four positions are parallel humbucking outputs.
Throw the toggle, and get the single lead from the bridge.
The second version replaces the first position neck/middle combination with the neck only.
I decided I wanted to incorporate that into mine, but yet I did not want to lose anything the original scheme had.
