Your take on Garrison guitars

Juan_Banjovy · #1 06-22-2009, 06:10 AM

I'm not looking for one but just curious about them. I remember seeing their ads years ago & thought one might be my next guitar. The idea of using a one piece, non-wood brace to build a guitar on seemed like a good idea, at the time at least. Cheap, sturdy & consistant. Well, last I heard, they went away or got bought out. Anyone have one or played one? What'd ya think?

alan814 · #2 06-22-2009, 07:48 AM

I have a G-10 model (their entry level originally) and love it. I bought new in 02 and have used it alot over the years. Solid birch with (I think) a lovely sound. I had one of their oversea models (the AG series) and gave it to my son. It was very nice also. I realize that they are not for everyone, but I have been very happy with my Garrison. It is on the heavy side, but then again, so is my Japanese made Takamine. Very solid construction and I was very happy with the setup (although I did have it setup by a luthier a few years ago). Gibson bought them out a few years ago and the Garrison name seems to have disappeared. I though Garrison was going to be continued, but as I said, I have seen nor heard any mention of them since. Gibson does produce guitars from the old Garrison factory and the reviews I've read on them seem to be mixed - some like them & some don't.

Fliss · #3 06-22-2009, 11:01 AM

Garrison did indeed get bought by Gibson. Last I heard, they were discontinuing production of Garrison, but I could be wrong. They are fairly cheap and should be pretty sturdy, but the ones with the full carbon fibre system can be heavy, so it depends if that works for you or not. Some of the smaller models just have carbon fibre bracing for the top, not the full frame, and I think those are better. I'd recommend trying one before deciding.

Fliss

rdm321 · #4 06-22-2009, 12:11 PM

Garrisons are no longer made. The factory in Newfoundland now makes low-end Gibsons (the Songmaker series I believe). Reviews of these Gibsons have been mixed.

The Garrison bracing system adds a lot of strength to the guitar, although I've heard of a few problems caused by differences in expansion/contraction between the wood and the bracing.

Palomid · #5 06-22-2009, 12:37 PM

Once I had Garrison G40 and sold it shortly after purchase - it doesn't have nice overtones that I like in wooden-braced acoustic.
Although, build quality was excellent and I liked Buzz Feiten system a lot.

kats45 · #6 06-22-2009, 01:04 PM

Yes, the songmaker series Gibson puts out is the old Garrison design without plastic bracing. I don't know about the songmakers, but I had a Garrison once. I had a terrible time with it buzzing. It was sent back to the factory, but it was never right even when I got it back.

random works · #7 06-22-2009, 07:09 PM

Not recently but I was shopping for a mid-range acoustic and had a Garrison and a Seagull S6 out to try. I played them both over and over. The Garrison just did not have the same quality of sound. I ended up with the S6

Wade Hampton · #8 06-22-2009, 07:17 PM

I played a bunch of Garrisons over the course of the years that company was in business, and tried hard to like them, since I admired the ingenuity of their construction and design. But truthfully I never played one I particularly liked.

The ironic thing is that for a while Garrison was making its Canadian-made guitars with its proprietary binding/bracing framework, but was also importing some less expensive Asian-made instruments that were built like conventional guitars. And in side-by-side comparisons, I always preferred the sound of the cheaper Asian-made Garrisons.

Obviously, there are folks who just love their Canadian-made Garrisons, and that's great. But they never worked very well for me.

Wade Hampton Miller

marty bradbury · #9 06-22-2009, 10:20 PM

Got my G-10 in 2002 also and love it. Nice sound and tone and beautiful famed top.

guitarcatmiami · #10 06-23-2009, 03:33 AM

Here's my take on a Garrison: I got a G 40ce in a guitar trade, as I had seen some locally, liked the carbon fiber bracing concept, and liked the tone & volume output. Amplified, it sounded very good, if not exceptional - it had a Fishman Prefix. Acoustically, it was about the loudest guitar I'd heard. A dreadnaught, it's a big guitar, but what I understand about the build physics, makes it such a powerful instrument. As to tone, it's so subjective.... like its looks, there is no one distinctive aspect to this guitar - the tone is nice, with booming bass, befitting a D guitar, but also nice warm treble strings, which blanace the bottom end.

I had not heard that they were phased out - I thought that Gibson planed to keep them as a subsidiary brand. I would say that if you get a chance, grab one, as they can't be out there in huge numbers, and you will have a nice, sort of unique guitar, that will last for a long time and serve as a nice workman's guitar.

Cat

Stephen W. · #11 06-23-2009, 08:07 PM

According to a player in Newfoundland who drives by the old Garrison works each day, it's closed. There seems to be no signs of activity at all. This after Gibson promised to keep it open, even higher up to 40 more employees and increase production to 15,000 units per year.
Read the full story of Gibson's buy out here, Telegram from 2007

$ongWriter · #12 06-23-2009, 08:44 PM

My son has one of the first Garrison models. Made out of birch I think. It sounds great. Got it at a discount due to a broken and repaired neck. Never had any problems. I bought one of their cheaper models used for a beater and it's a great "cheap" guitar....wish Gibson would keep makin' them!!!!

Carbonius · #13 06-23-2009, 09:41 PM

I had one for a few days. It sounded fine and intonation was good. It had some minor buzzing so I took it back for a set up. The tech went to loosen the truss rod and it was already loose, as in you could spin it. With no ability to adjust the neck, and with it having a back bow, my new guitar was going in for warranty work. The tech was not impressed with the company and told me privately that many were going back for "warranty" work. I just got a refund and moved on. Shortly after, the music company (the entire chain actually) dropped the Garrison line.

There are better guitars out there for the same money ... and less money. My 2 cents is look elsewhere.

D. Churchland · #14 06-23-2009, 09:55 PM

I only played a few, they were all REALLY heavy I thought when compared to something like a Yamaha or Taylor.

tone to my ears was "meh" but that's just me

Juan_Banjovy · #15 06-29-2009, 06:02 AM

A belated thanks to all of you who replied. Interesting stuff. Seems like Garrison had a good idea but maybe didn't refine it to it's full potential.