wingsdad
January 14th, 2008, 09:25 PM
I posted the following earlier in the thread titled "P-90 vs. H-90 pickups" in the Amps, Pedals, etc. 'forum', and realized that this guitar was probably a Topic of its own:
Not only did Gibson have this type of P-90 before, but they were at the heart of a remarkably low-priced Memphis-made Gibson, the BluesHawk. I think its last MSRP was about $1,200, including gigbag. It had the dummy coil going on, and so they called the pickups 'Blues 90's'.
Here's a link I've somehow saved to what used to be its page on the Gibson website in 2002:
http://www.gibson.com/products/gibson/Hawk/BluesHawk/BluesHawk.html
The BluesHawk is strange, for a Gibson. Strangely 'Fenderish'. A 25 1/2" scale length like a Strat or Tele, as opposed to the common 24 3/4" Gibson electric scale length. String-through-body like a Tele. Very lightweight with a Semi-hollow poplar body with a maple cap top. 'Belly' Contour on the back like a Strat. And the Vari-tone switch, combined with the 3-way Strat-style selector gives you 18 different pickup/tone combinations. Nitrocell lacquer not poly, finish.
The BluesHawk was introduced in '96 as a follow-up to the NightHawk, and finally discontinued in 2006. There were a few different 'Hawks' in the Hawk Series, including it's 'top of the line' model, the 'Little Lucille', that came with the only hardshell case customized to fit a Hawk, and with B.B.'s mojo, went for about $200 more.
Why did they stop making it? Too cheap? Too Fender? Because it's slightly odd body shape didn't let it fit in an LP case?
They occasionally pop up on e-bay, and BlueBook or Vintage Guitar says they're worth about $700-$800 in good shape.
I managed to get a '99 in nice shape 2 years ago for $700. Here's front & back shots of her. The access panel in the middle of the back is how you got at the dummy coil if you wanted to disconnect it:
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b81/wingsdad/Forum%20Profile/BluesHawk1x3.jpghttp://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b81/wingsdad/BluesHawk2sm.jpg
Great little axe. Alas, I, let her go for a modest profit on trade-in to cap a bargain deal on my Fender AmVint 62RI Strat.
MORE INFO: BluesHawks (& other Hawk Series guitars) have something of a 'cult following', with that 'cult' having an informative website started & maintained by a guy in England, loaded with info:
http://www.blueshawk.info/intro.htm
Besides e-bay, this site is a good spot to search for used/vintage & sometimes new stuff, from guitars to pickups, for sale usually by dealers specializing in this sort of thing, like Elderly Instruments in Michigan, but not on e-bay. I didn't see any Hawks there just now, but a couple of years ago, there were a couple.
http://www.gbase.com/
Not only did Gibson have this type of P-90 before, but they were at the heart of a remarkably low-priced Memphis-made Gibson, the BluesHawk. I think its last MSRP was about $1,200, including gigbag. It had the dummy coil going on, and so they called the pickups 'Blues 90's'.
Here's a link I've somehow saved to what used to be its page on the Gibson website in 2002:
http://www.gibson.com/products/gibson/Hawk/BluesHawk/BluesHawk.html
The BluesHawk is strange, for a Gibson. Strangely 'Fenderish'. A 25 1/2" scale length like a Strat or Tele, as opposed to the common 24 3/4" Gibson electric scale length. String-through-body like a Tele. Very lightweight with a Semi-hollow poplar body with a maple cap top. 'Belly' Contour on the back like a Strat. And the Vari-tone switch, combined with the 3-way Strat-style selector gives you 18 different pickup/tone combinations. Nitrocell lacquer not poly, finish.
The BluesHawk was introduced in '96 as a follow-up to the NightHawk, and finally discontinued in 2006. There were a few different 'Hawks' in the Hawk Series, including it's 'top of the line' model, the 'Little Lucille', that came with the only hardshell case customized to fit a Hawk, and with B.B.'s mojo, went for about $200 more.
Why did they stop making it? Too cheap? Too Fender? Because it's slightly odd body shape didn't let it fit in an LP case?
They occasionally pop up on e-bay, and BlueBook or Vintage Guitar says they're worth about $700-$800 in good shape.
I managed to get a '99 in nice shape 2 years ago for $700. Here's front & back shots of her. The access panel in the middle of the back is how you got at the dummy coil if you wanted to disconnect it:
http://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b81/wingsdad/Forum%20Profile/BluesHawk1x3.jpghttp://i17.photobucket.com/albums/b81/wingsdad/BluesHawk2sm.jpg
Great little axe. Alas, I, let her go for a modest profit on trade-in to cap a bargain deal on my Fender AmVint 62RI Strat.
MORE INFO: BluesHawks (& other Hawk Series guitars) have something of a 'cult following', with that 'cult' having an informative website started & maintained by a guy in England, loaded with info:
http://www.blueshawk.info/intro.htm
Besides e-bay, this site is a good spot to search for used/vintage & sometimes new stuff, from guitars to pickups, for sale usually by dealers specializing in this sort of thing, like Elderly Instruments in Michigan, but not on e-bay. I didn't see any Hawks there just now, but a couple of years ago, there were a couple.
http://www.gbase.com/