SOLD Gibson Tal Farlow

lesyeuxnoirs · February 2022

I am tentatively putting this up for sale, in case anybody is actively looking for one.

If you aren't familiar with these then please head over to the Jazz Guitar Forum, where you will find a lot of love for these. It is variously thought of as a 175 on steroids that can also do a passable impression of the solid carved - and much more expensive - L5

It is modelled after the ES-350 but slightly less deep (3") and has a few visual quirks (the scroll, the pickgaurd, the fretboard inlays) as per Tal Farlow's preferences

Specs available online

So - it is a 2013 Crimson model in sunburst. The Crimson division, as you probably know, built all of the higher end Gibson arch tops (L5, Super 400 etc.) The build quality is exquisite (blows any 175 I have played out of the water, to be fair), plays like a dream, and sounds even better

There are absolutely no issues with the guitar whatsoever. It is close to mint - there isn't even any fret wear or playing marks - save for a couple of very small dings on the rims (as can happen with a nitro finish) that I couldn't get to show up in the photographs.

Set up beautifully with TI 13s (flatwound)

Comes with OHSC and COA

Price is £4,000 but if you think I have put this unreasonably high, pop me a message to tell me why!

I don't think that shipping or posting this is great idea but if you are serious about buying, I could potentially meet in a variety of UK locations (within an hour or so of Manchester, ideally but London and Bristol are also options) to facilitate safe handover.

PM for any questions or if you wish to discuss practicalities etc.

https://i.imgur.com/bq1IdLz.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/x1DTv5Z.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/isNma9V.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/iX2XJcq.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/azra67i.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/s7TsYft.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/pyS0VPY.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/l392rgg.jpg

DB1 · February 2022

Beautiful. I played one belonging to @danishbacon last year and it felt every bit as good as my L-5, if not better. Stunning guitar.

grappagreen · February 2022

Oh man.. that is beautiful…

joeW · February 2022

Awesome piece of kit and the Crimson phase of builds were excellent. Someone will be very happy.

danishbacon · February 2022

The neck on that is absolutely stunning. The whole thing is.

Before the Tal model was a thing Tal was playing a residency gig in Hawaii with Red Norvo. Mr. Berlin, then CEO of CMI (the controlling stake in Gibson) was staying at the hotel they were playing at, met Tal and offered him a signature instrument. At the time, they would have had Les Paul, Johnny Smith and maybe Barney Kessel on the roster.

Tal was a sign painter and had a lot of influence on the design (opposing crowns on headstock, cloud inlays, switch positioning -changed across the different eras of the Tal Farlow signature- and the scroll and scratch plate designs). Tal was a creative at heart, designed his own stool with integrated octave effect and amplifier which I believe he holds a patent for. The model was discontinued sometime in the late 60s as jazz fell out of favour and was brought back, with Tal’s input and participation on new prototypes through the late 80s and into the 90s. There were changes through those years and this one represents the ‘last’ iteration of the Tal Farlow. He regularly played and toured the contemporary models of his. They are that good.

I’ve been fortunate to play a few, and without exception, they are the best that Gibson could make. There are talks of the L-5 having been finally discontinued and I’ve not seen any Tal’s later than @EvansDrD ‘s. Under careful crimson hands it’s hard to think of a more definitive Archtop.

DB1 · February 2022

Great post Fred, really interesting.!

Lozboy · February 2022

Great guitars and bargain at £4k!

rze99 · February 2022

what a gorgeous guitar.

lesyeuxnoirs · February 2022

danishbacon said:

The neck on that is absolutely stunning. The whole thing is.

Before the Tal model was a thing Tal was playing a residency gig in Hawaii with Red Norvo. Mr. Berlin, then CEO of CMI (the controlling stake in Gibson) was staying at the hotel they were playing at, met Tal and offered him a signature instrument. At the time, they would have had Les Paul, Johnny Smith and maybe Barney Kessel on the roster.

Tal was a sign painter and had a lot of influence on the design (opposing crowns on headstock, cloud inlays, switch positioning -changed across the different eras of the Tal Farlow signature- and the scroll and scratch plate designs). Tal was a creative at heart, designed his own stool with integrated octave effect and amplifier which I believe he holds a patent for. The model was discontinued sometime in the late 60s as jazz fell out of favour and was brought back, with Tal’s input and participation on new prototypes through the late 80s and into the 90s. There were changes through those years and this one represents the ‘last’ iteration of the Tal Farlow. He regularly played and toured the contemporary models of his. They are that good.

I’ve been fortunate to play a few, and without exception, they are the best that Gibson could make. There are talks of the L-5 having been finally discontinued and I’ve not seen any Tal’s later than @EvansDrD ‘s. Under careful crimson hands it’s hard to think of a more definitive Archtop.

Thanks Fred. Really interesting and knowledgeable, as ever!

Gibson have all but ceased archtop/jazzbox (L5, Super 400, Tal etc.) production, save a few outstanding custom orders. It’s a crying, crying shame. The biggest shock is that they stopped making the 175 in 2019 after 68 years of continuous production

There are noises of things starting up again soon but I suspect the prices to be high and worry about the skills and knowledge that might have been lost in the intervening years (to say nothing of the jobs and livelihoods that might have been lost)

Trelf1980 · February 2022

Gorgeous

TINMAN82 · February 2022

I’ll be honest, at £4k I think you’re underselling this. If these came back into production tomorrow it would be at least 8-10k. If you sell at that price, please make sure it’s not to a scalper. You’ll see it on eBay for at least double within a week.

ps don’t sell!!

prudd · February 2022

TINMAN82 said:

I’ll be honest, at £4k I think you’re underselling this. If these came back into production tomorrow it would be at least 8-10k. If you sell at that price, please make sure it’s not to a scalper. You’ll see it on eBay for at least double within a week.

ps don’t sell!!

Totally agree, lets hope it can go to someone who will cherish it.

I have to say it made me look twice and started to consider how I could justify buying it, still working on it in fact

I was lucky enough to meet and have a chat with Tal back in 1989 at the Pizza Express in Soho, he was a charming man, self-effacing and very encouraging to me about keeping up with my guitar playing, he also had the biggest hands I have ever encountered. I still cherish the program he signed for me. A very happy memory for me.

danishbacon · February 2022

prudd said:

TINMAN82 said:

I’ll be honest, at £4k I think you’re underselling this. If these came back into production tomorrow it would be at least 8-10k. If you sell at that price, please make sure it’s not to a scalper. You’ll see it on eBay for at least double within a week.

ps don’t sell!!

Totally agree, lets hope it can go to someone who will cherish it.

I have to say it made me look twice and started to consider how I could justify buying it, still working on it in fact

I was lucky enough to meet and have a chat with Tal back in 1989 at the Pizza Express in Soho, he was a charming man, self-effacing and very encouraging to me about keeping up with my guitar playing, he also had the biggest hands I have ever encountered. I still cherish the program he signed for me. A very happy memory for me.

What an amazing memory! He would have likely been playing this one: https://rudysmusic.com/products/gibson-tal-farlows-personally-owned-viceroy-1987-tobacco-sunburst-soho?_pos=2&_sid=de3fd5c32&_ss=r

although I didn’t get to meet Tal, I did get to play that very guitar at Rudy’s last year

lesyeuxnoirs · February 2022

prudd said:

TINMAN82 said:

I’ll be honest, at £4k I think you’re underselling this. If these came back into production tomorrow it would be at least 8-10k. If you sell at that price, please make sure it’s not to a scalper. You’ll see it on eBay for at least double within a week.

ps don’t sell!!

Totally agree, lets hope it can go to someone who will cherish it.

I have to say it made me look twice and started to consider how I could justify buying it, still working on it in fact

I was lucky enough to meet and have a chat with Tal back in 1989 at the Pizza Express in Soho, he was a charming man, self-effacing and very encouraging to me about keeping up with my guitar playing, he also had the biggest hands I have ever encountered. I still cherish the program he signed for me. A very happy memory for me.

Wonderful story! It is always nice to hear of people that you admire as artists being decent people. I believe he was nicknamed 'the octopus' on account of the size of his hands. Frank Evans (no relation) - a British player who some might remember - apparently had massive hands too with a similar mastery of the instrument.

Thanks for all kind words and advice, gents. I should add that it is important to me that this goes to somebody who will play and appreciate it (hence I am only advertising here and on the jazz forum).

Norlin4life · February 2022

I would really love to buy this, but I wouldn’t be doing it justice with my befangled blues nonsense.

FYI I had a quick look at pricing and it does seem you may have undervalued it by quite some way. Best of luck with the sale!

lento · February 2022

If only that would have one less '0'

... I'd be round like a shot ! Btw, did the GB10 find a happy home ?

For me, the nicest guitar on here atm ...

dcg · February 2022

lento said:

For me, the nicest guitar on here atm ...

What he said!
The Tal Farlow is (for me) the most stylish of Gibson's great archtops, and Tal's input to its form, structure, and aesthetics set it aside from everything else the company produced, even (dare one suggest), a Wes L5 CES...a really beautiful guitar, and I suspect rather keenly priced. Deserves the very best of homes (and the most appreciative player/owner)

prudd · February 2022

Hi Dr D, PM replied to

TINMAN82 · February 2022

The most desirable guitar I’ve seen
in the classifieds, I think. And the classifieds tends to be full of surprisingly desirable stock!

lesyeuxnoirs · February 2022

lento said:

If only that would have one less '0' ... I'd be round like a shot ! Btw, did the GB10 find a happy home ?

For me, the nicest guitar on here atm ...

The GB10 did indeed find a happy home!

lesyeuxnoirs · February 2022

On hold - pending the usual

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SOLD Gibson Tal Farlow

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