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APRIL 2006 / VOLUME 58 / NUMBER 4 ➤ BY MIKE PRINCIPATO Hitting a high USA proves that manufacturing in America ROCKS.

In the second installment of our Made in America series, CTE colum- nist Mike Principato learns what it takes to make the legendary Gibson .

ure, they ship tens of thou- sands of the most desired elec- tric in the world every year. Yes, they sell every one they make for prices that would cover two or three of your mortgage payments. And, of course, they’ll make you your very own model if your name happens to be or . But the most impressive thing about Sthe folks at Gibson USA and the leg- endary Les Paul guitar they produce is that they have somehow mastered the art and science of making a handmade, custom guitar in a mass-production setting. Think of it: Even as you’re note reading this, dozens of musicians are purchasing an instrument that bears all the hallmarks of a customized product, from its electronics to its high-gloss finish, an instrument that emits a sound as unique and desired by Les Paul afi- cionados as the characteristic “potato- potato” sound is by Harley-Davidson fanatics. And thousands more are sav- ing their hard-earned money with the dream of buying one. Although Gibson USA, Nashville, Tenn., makes a huge variety of guitars and musical instruments, none has The legendary Les Paul guitar. the storied history of the Les Paul. Designed and launched in 1952 in co- operation with its namesake, a virtuoso electric guitars. Les Paul the inventor gle-coil electronic devices that literally , the Paul was one of the was also an avid electronics innovator. “pick up” the sound of the strings—in world’s first commercial solid-body His unique pickup system—two sin- combination with Gibson’s vision for an that was as much The tracing mill, artwork as instrument, made the new or “guitar copier,” model an instant hit. rough-planes How is it possible that a product de- bodies of the Les Paul. sign that has remained essentially un- changed for 54 years, sold in an indus- try notorious for starry-eyed dreamers and marginal profitability, and priced above—way above—the majority of its competitors is setting sales records today? That question and others, including whether or not there would be time to buy some cool souvenirs at the Gibson gift shop, were on my mind as I arrived at Gibson USA’s Nashville manufac- Gibson turing plant, home of the famed Les machining , and rose- wood” with an FSC stamp. Marlow Paul, SG, Firebird and Flying V, among wood, the woods used by the truckload noted that Gibson uses a huge amount other iconic electric guitars. to make the typical Les Paul’s body, of this environment-friendly wood. Today, I would be the guest of Gib- top and neck, respectively. I wondered “We won’t use Brazilian rosewood son Support Coordinator Eric Marlow, if Greenpeace would be slashing the or Honduran mahogany, for example; a pleasant young man who greeted me tires of my motorhome in the Gibson whenever possible, we use sustainable, at the entrance of the plant, a sprawling, parking lot, payback for my support of replantable woods,” he said. pre-engineered, one-story steel struc- a company that seems to be consuming My conscience assuaged, I turn my ture that by its bland exterior could just an entire rainforest. attention to a 20'-wide tracing mill that as easily be the home of Acme Fork Not to worry, Marlow assured me. Marlow calls a “guitar copier.” Like a and Spoon Manufacturing Inc. Turns out that Henry Juszkiewicz, mammoth key-duplicating machine, Adopting my best investigative jour- chairman and CEO of Gibson, is an the machine is pure old-school Gibson. nalist practices, I quickly ascertained environmentalist who’s allied with the It rough-planes the distinctive contours that, yes, Marlow plays guitar (a Les Forest Stewardship Council, a nonprofit of the Les Paul body, 12 at a time. For a Paul Junior model), yes, lots of his fel- organization that protects rainforests company the size of Gibson, I told Mar- low Gibson employees also play guitar from depletion by certifying “good low, it’s rather Rube Goldberg-ish, no? (sometimes engaging in impromptu He agreed, and then led me jam sessions during lunchtime), and, about 50' down the factory aisle no, my credentials from CTE would to a CNC version of the same not be sufficient for his company to machine, chugging away at the produce a Mike Principato Signature same task. “We’re still evaluat- Les Paul, particularly given the fact ing this machine,” he explained, that I am a drummer. “to be sure that it produces the Such interrogations out of the way, same body as the old machine.” I was ready to enter what is hallowed It was not the last example of a ground for this aging, recreational rock clash of technologies I saw. ‘n’ roller. Minutes later, I was introduced to “Mack,” a 29-year veteran of Old School Meets New School Gibson, methodically slicing The “artwork” part of making a Les rosewood into guitar necks. Paul begins in the company’s rough Mack’s job, like many of Gib- mill, a humidity-controlled, 60,000- son’s experienced craftsmen, sq.-ft. building that’s the world’s larg- is critical. He has to quickly est wood shop. One step inside and the and accurately detect and wonderful aroma of sawdust took me slice along the grain of each right back to high school and my first unique plank of wood to en- turn on a lathe. sure the Les Paul’s characteris- This sawdust, however, is a lot more tic sound and feel. He’s a man expensive than the pine stuff my shop of few words who’s accustom- Gibson teacher allowed me to generate by the Guitars hang for 4 to 5 days to allow the ed to plant visitors. I got the feel- bucket. It is the byproduct of rough- lacquer to fully dry. ing that if I were B.B. King I’d Lust, thy name is Les Paul

n every manufactured-product universe there are brands— might say, play a guitar like he was ringing a bell. In Klotz’s Iand then there are solid-gold brands. The latter bear the case, it was a gold-top Les Paul Standard. kind of mystique and cachet that marketing execs dream That guitar, and the preternatural skill with which Klotz about, an aura that transcends its respective industry. Think wrung its trademark wailing, searing, sustained-longer- Mercedes-Benz, Tiffany and Godiva. than-a-Baptist-preacher’s-sermon sound out of it, instantly In the ’ world, the has that aura. transformed its owner from awkward adolescent to a local I can barely play an F chord (hey, gimme a break, I’m a drum- . Every garage band in the neighborhood, and mer!) and I’ve wanted a Les Paul since I was 12 years old. beyond, wanted Klotz as their lead guitarist. And every teen- That lust was inspired by a 15-year-old guitar god with the aged girl wanted him as her leading man. very un-rock hero name of Bob Klotz. Over the 34 years since then that I’ve drummed with rock Klotz looked more geek than god, with his skinny frame, and jazz bands, I’ve played with a lot of guitarists who swear unkempt long hair and thick, aviator-frame glasses. He didn’t by Les Pauls. But I’ve never forgotten the first one I ever have much of a personality, either, as saw, in the hands of a kid I haven’t seen I recall. But he could, as since. —M. Principato

get the same greeting. use of vertical integration as with the His work, along with everyone else’s skilled, and in many cases, veteran in the Gibson manufacturing opera- craftsmen who still perform the most tion, is constantly checked at random crucial guitar-making operations by by quality-control staffers who report hand. directly to the general manager. Mar- low told me that the general manager’s Art of Neck Rolling Gibson policy regarding QC is simple: “All is Les Paul himself playing one of his Consider, for example, the 10 men forgiven EXCEPT passing along poor famous guitars. working in Gibson’s “neck rolling” quality.” The plant produces less than department. They are masters at shap- 1 percent scrap and less than 2 percent veneer that attaches to the guitar’s ing the necks of the company’s various rework. No factory outlet here for “ir- , for example), the Les Paul guitar models and ply their trade more regular” merchandise. is made entirely from parts produced at by feel than by mechanical gage. I As we moved from the roughing the Nashville plant. stood watching them for a few min- area to the next stage of guitar produc- But it isn’t the mere collective of utes and noted the intensity of their tion, I began to understand one of the raw materials and machinery that concentration as they carefully and reasons for Gibson’s success: verti- make a great product, or, in this case, methodically sanded individual gui- cal integration. Other than a handful a great guitar. No, the Gibson plant’s tar necks, inch by linear inch, under of relatively minor components (the success has as much to do with the rolling buffing wheels. “Call me crazy, Eric, but that looks like incredibly tedious work,” said I, always the diplomat. “It may be, but these guys are per- forming some of the most important work in the plant. None of them has less than 10 years of experience, and to get this job—it pays very well—an employee has to apprentice,” he re- plied. He added, with justifiable pride, “This is what it means to be ‘hand- made.’ ” I was instantly reminded of my first shop foreman, who told me that the first stage of his apprenticeship con- sisted of receiving a blob of steel, a micrometer and a flat file with instruc- tions to “come back when the block Gibson A veteran Gibson craftsman hand-works the neck on a Les Paul, a process called was square.” Same tradition, different “neck rolling.” application. A Delicate Balance That’s not to say that Gibson has resisted technology to the point of inefficiency in their Les Paul manu- facturing processes. It’s just that it’s clear that the bosses have decided that a delicate balance of computerized manufacturing and hand craftsmanship must be preserved to produce the Les Paul that musicians have come to ex- pect, both in feel and tonal quality. Gibson Thus, the entire operation is a study Les Pauls are renowned for their lustrous finish, a result of six coats of lacquer and in paradoxes: CNC routers cut bridges, a buffing process. pickup slots and tailpieces just yards away from men who literally mummify : hitmaker guitar tops and guitar bodies together with cloth strapping during a gluing n 1881, Orville Gibson worked as a 1932 “When the Blue of the Night process that makes Congress look ef- Ishoe clerk in Kalamazoo, Mich. But (Meets the Gold of the Day)” by Bing ficient by comparison. But there’s sim- his great love for woodworking and a Crosby, accompanied by Eddie Lang on ply no better way to produce a Les passion for music started him thinking his L-5. Paul, and that’s that. about guitar and designs. 1936 “Terraplane ” by Robert Process management, too, is a study Applying construction ideas, Johnson on his L-1. in contrasts. An unending parade of and inventing some new ones, he 1939 “Muleskinner Blues” by Bill guitars hanging from a motorized con- began making instruments. His man- Monroe and the Blue Grass Boys estab- veyor whirred overhead, each instru- dolins and guitars had carved tops and lished , with Monroe ment tagged and monitored by produc- backs instead of flat ones. They became on a J-35. tion management software. But after an instant success when introduced 1954 “That’s All Right Mama” by each guitar is fitted with electronics in 1894. Elvis Presley, with on an and receives its six coats of lacquer When orders began coming in faster ES-295. and buffing, there’s a whole team of than they could be filled, Gibson was 1955 “Maybelline” by Chuck Berry employees in the finishing department finally persuaded to set up a company. on an ES-5. who have the toughest job of all: Play- The Gibson Mandolin-Guitar Co. Ltd. was 1967 “Sunshine of Your Love” by ing the finished products. incorporated on Oct. 11, 1902. Cream, with Eric Clapton on an SG Stan- For some reason, those guys seemed Many hits songs have been played dard and Jack Bruce on an EB-0 bass. to be happiest ones in the plant. q on Gibson instruments. Following are 1969 “Lay Lady Lay” by some of the best-known: on a J-200. 1910 “Yankee Doodle Backwards” by “The Thrill Is Gone” by B.B. About the Author 1970 Mike Principato owns a machine shop vaudeville star Jimmie Johnstone, played King on his ES-355. in Pennsylvania and is the author on an F-2 mandolin. He would announce 1973 “Ramblin’ Man” by the Allman of Manager’s Desk, a column that this number, then put his Gibson behind Brothers Band, featuring Dickey Betts appears monthly in CTE. He can be his head, turn his back to the audience playing a Les Paul. e-mailed at [email protected]. and play “Yankee Doodle.” 1993 “Are You Gonna Go My Way” 1928 “Wildwood Flower” by the by Lenny Kravitz on a Flying V. Carter Family, with the all-time clas- sic country lead guitar part played by —Based on information from the Gibson Maybelle Carter on her L-5. Web site (www.gibson.com).

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