Memphis Gibson plant tour

Lopp

Lopp

New member
Wa-hoo!

My wife planned a short vacation to Memphis where we toured the Gibson plant. Kick ass vacation idea. I highly recommend the tour if you are into guitar construction or woodworking. You get to see each stage of the hand manufacturing process of semi-hollowbody guitars. If you're interested in solid bodies, you're out of luck, because they supposedly don't give tours at the Nashville plant. I'll try to post some pics once they're "developed."

We also toured Graceland. I'm not a big Elvis fan, but it was interesting.

Aside from Gibson, I'd highly recommend visiting Beale Street if in the Memphis area on a weekend. It seems like every bar has a band and "Big Ass Beers" are readily available.

Btw, was it Aaron that mentioned a guitar-related vacation?


A small note, some areas of Memphis are kind of run down. Pick your hotel wisely. We dumped two hotels before finding a decent Holiday Inn Express. Of note, we reserved a room at a Sleep Inn. After seeing the dump, we cancelled (two hours after we reserved the room). The hotel actually said they were going to charge us for one night because we cancelled. Not to metion we specifically asked for a fitness center and a pool. The "fitness center" was a treadmill in a tiny room and the pool was closed. :rolleyes: Lesson: Don't stay at a Sleep Inn in Memphis.
 
Lopp said:
If you're interested in solid bodies, you're out of luck, because they supposedly don't give tours at the Nashville plant.
Click to expand...

That's because the solid bodies are made by machines.

They don't want you to see that.
 
Memphis SUCKS. But you CAN watch Gibson's luthiers make mandolins and banjos by hand through the window at Opry Mills here in Nashville.

Side note, I stayed at a Holiday Inn Express in Memphis once, and there were bullet holes in my wall. You're best staying the hell out of Memphis.
 
I did the tour during Christmas 2001 while on my trip to Graceland. It's a neat experience...you don't get to see the solid bodies being constructed, but you can check out the finishers- and see how those beautiful sunbursts are made...

And the peanutbutter and banana sandwiches on toast are delicious.... :P
 
Been to Memphis many of time and I agree there are areas that look like a fucking war zone.. Tip: If you act like you are looking for work you can go inside the solid body factory... ;)


Beale Street can be fun sometimes but most of the time it is freaking dead.
 
Re: Re: Memphis Gibson plant tour

Buck62 said:
That's because the solid bodies are made by machines.

They don't want you to see that.
Click to expand...

How the hell else would they make them? Trained beavers? :D
 
Lopp said:


Btw, was it Aaron that mentioned a guitar-related vacation?
Click to expand...

Ya, that was me. I've almost concluded that despite all the cool stuff in CA, a real guitar trip would have to be down south. I've always wanted to visit New Orleans just for the voodoo and haunted cemeteries, French Quarter and Mardi Gras. Nashville and Memphis are in that same neck of the woods (at least it seems that way from Seattle).

Someday....

Aaron
http://www.voodoovibe.com
 
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