The Chetboard

I was also told that the Phasar was the first guitar to have the color "Sunrise Orange" which was named after the tune "Sunrise" that Chet recorded with the Peaver. Paul Yandell said that at one point they were going to call the guitar "Sunrise".

At any rate, the guitar was a resounding flop as I recall, and I think they only sold but a very few of them. Knowing Gibson, they were probably overpriced. I believe the initial reason for them even making them, was to try to cut into the Fender market at that time, which was the most popular guitar for rock musicians...

David, in answer to your statement above: I had some email exchange a few years back with Tim Shaw who was with Gibson at the time when the CGP/Phasar was made. Here's what he said about it:

Jim Hutchins and I built the first two, and I think very few (like maybe
6) were built in total. If there were that few, it's possible that Hutch
built all of them; we made up some soft tooling for them. The Market
wants some things more than others, and didn't appear to want that
guitar very badly. Most people wanted a guitar with the third pickup in
it.

Chuck,
What is the tiny switch/button below the volume-tone dials for?
David

David,
I believe it is a pickup selector switch. That's what it was on Chet's Peaver.

I emailed the seller to ask about the authenticity of this guitar:
"Is the serial number correct? The few Gibson CGPs that were built were made by the Gibson Custom Shop in Nashville around 1986-1989. How is this one from a "Custom Shop in California around 2000"?"

Here's his reply:"hi,i contacted the person i bought this collection of guitars from and he told me that gibson nashville didn't want him to have that guitar so he contacted roger giffin master luthier in california custom shop and he agreed to build him one in 1992 there.he told me Mr Giffen sent him the original blueprints and that he would give to me to include with the guitar."

So it appears that this is a reproduction, not an authentic Gibson (although the seller is attempting to pass it off as one of the "six that were made").

Bill and Chuck,

I guess it just goes to show you that you can't believe half of what you read on eBay, and other sites!

As Bill says, the seller is definitely indicating that this guitar is one of the six known that were made, (despite the fact that at least as far as I know Gibson never had a "custom shop" in California), etc. and I think this was before their Montana facility was opened.

I finally dug my MAMG book out, and refreshed my memory (page 160) about the guitar. First of all, the Phasar apparently came out in the "late '80's" at least as said by Chet in the book. Also, that Roland "device" was evidently a 'phaser' mounted at the bottom on the top of the guitar.

Another semi-mystery aspect... I can't find anything indicating the guitar was ever made in anything other than the wine-red color, even though orange/sunrise orange is mentioned. ?? If they only made six of them, it's possible they planned on making them in other colors but never got around to it!

David

I have no problem with builders/craftsmen making reproductions ("imitation is the sincerest form of flattery..."). After all, my brother Bud was quite successful in making duplications of the original 1954 Standel 25L15 amplifier (as did Chuck S. and others). But Bud presented it (with slight tongue-in-cheek) as a "Parkel" and never once claimed his reproductions were actual Standel amps. When a "clone" builder tries to pass off their reproduction as an original (as SEEMS to be the case with this CGP/Phasar), well, not only is it unethical, it's illegal...

Good detective work Bill! I just did a little myself. It appears that Mr. Giffin did work for Gibson at one time and built custom shop instruments in California for Gibson:

http://www.giffinguitars.com/About%20Giffin%20Guitars.htm

I'm sure that this is the case, otherwise I'm sure Gibson would have had him locked up. You can click on his link that shows some of the other custom shop Gibson guitars that he built for them. So this does make since after going to his website. He states:

Here are some examples of custom instruments built during my period working for Gibson. (These instruments are for general interest only. As I no longer work for Gibson, I cannot build Gibson instruments.)

So it is a genuine Gibson Custom Shop guitar, but it is not as the Ebay seller represents it exactly. It just goes to show, a person needs to do some detective work before you buy any guitar, anywhere. Especially if it is a rare guitar!

Also, that Roland "device" was evidently a 'phaser' mounted at the bottom on the top of the guitar.

David, in answer to your quote above, the Roland device was a Roland synth pickup & control. It's a midi device that makes your guitar sound like other instruments such as a piano, sax, and numerous other instruments. The guitar got it's name "Phasar" from the out of phase Strat type pickup sound that it had, not from a phaser effect.

http://www.roland.com/products/en/GK-3/

For Sale.........A real Gibson CGP Guitar signed by Chet. Price $$$$ A lot of money. Why? Because Chet said so . Make me an offer. Don"t make me laugh and don"t be stingy. The same one Waylon is holding in the Gibson Ad and the same one Chet is playing in the Christmas video. Thank you Bill and Chuck for your work. Chet fan Stan.