1949 Gibson ES-5, a guitar with a soul!

We are so excited to have this guitar on consignment in our shop. We have known the owner since the 1960s. This guitar is really special, everyone who has played it has remarked on its incredible sound and feel.

Details:

The serial number would indicate that this is a 1950, but since the f-holes are unbound, it would seem to be from 1949.

All the electronics are original except the output jack.

The master tone control knob is not original, but all other knobs are original

There is a non original bone nut installed, and the guitar has been refretted professional (by us), with the original fingerboard binding intact.

It has Grover Rotomatic tuning machines, not original, and the back of the headstock has been touched up where the original tuning machines were placed.

Other than that repair, all of the finish is stock.

The bridge is not original, and has been pinned to the top with small concealed pins (this can be reversed if desired)

The tailpiece is a non original, but factory tailpiece, so it fits with the style of the guitar really well.

Overall, this guitar is in really good condition. It has been lovingly played for many years by a gigging musician, and taken care of very well. It is most definitely a players guitar.

If you are looking for pristine collectors item, this guitar is not for you. But if you are a serious, gigging musician, or a hobbyist, you will love this guitar.

As you might have gathered, this guitar has special meaning to us, and we want to find a good home for it, where it will be played and appreciated. Come on in and check it out, or give us a call with questions.

Pictures? We are having camera problems right now, but we should be able to post pictures in the next few days.

Summer Sale - Setups, Pickup Installs, and Retail

Our Summer Sale is on. Now through Labor Day:

• Setups start at $125 (a $25 savings)
• 20% off pickup installations
• Get special pricing on instruments, amps, and pedals

Call or come in for more information!

Happy Summer!

Upcoming Seminar - Musician's Roadmap

Announcing an upcoming seminar at C.B. Perkins, Inc.: A Musician's Roadmap

Taking inquiries now - if you are interested in this topic, please let us know. Once we have enough inquiries, we will schedule the seminar.

Where do you want to go? And how do you get there?

You're a musician, a performer, a songwriter. Or maybe you have aspirations to produce or promote music.

The internet and digital technology have dramatically changed your world.

Do you understand the impact of the digital age on the music industry?

Do you understand how important a working knowledge of copyrights and intellectual property is?

Join us for an informative seminar put together especially for musicians by attorney and musician Gene Mascoli.

Gene has broad experience as both an intellectual property attorney and as a musician and composer.

You will learn about:

• contracts
• copyrights and intellectual property rights
• music copyrights and royalties
• music on the internet
• infringement and fair use
• digital technology, downloading, streaming
• digital "no-nos" for musicians
• online music promotion

Seminar will be held at C.B. Perkins.
5807 Winfield Blvd, B6, San Jose, 95123
Refreshments will be served.
Price $40, includes class materials and a special goodie bag courtesy of C.B. Perkins.

Call us, or send an email to sign up today: 408-578-3428, cbperkins@cbperkins.com

We hope you can make it to this important seminar!

Meet our Teachers

We post a lot here about sales, and new things in our store, but we wanted to take a few minutes to talk about our 8 very talented guitar and bass teachers. They offer private lessons to students of all ages and abilities, covering nearly every style of music. Each lesson is half an hour long, and there are four lessons each month. Some teachers also offer hour-long workshops for more advanced students (by arrangement). When you sign up for lessons at our shop, we will help you find a teacher who will be a good fit for you or your child.

Well, without further ado, we'll introduce you to the teachers:

Kent Perkins:
When not building or repairing guitars, Kent teaches one-on-one workshop-style lessons in traditional chord solo guitar playing. As a professional guitarist with over 35 years of live performance experience, Kent offers a real-life approach to performing solo guitar. Kent accepts students of all ages and abilities. Kent has a very calming presence, and is great at explaining music theory. He challenges his students to stretch their abilities to the next level. Kent teaches guitar only.

Josh Perkins:
Josh has been teaching guitar at the family business since 1989. He is one of the areas hottest swing guitarists, and specializes in swing, hot jazz, blues, rockabilly, and various styles of rock. He takes students of all abilities. Josh can be heard playing with his band "JP and the Rhythm Chasers" at venues throughout the West Coast. Josh is very patient, and has a great ability to explain concepts to students in terms they can understand. Josh has an amazing amount of knowledge about the roots and origins of many styles of music, and is also familiar with current and popular music. Josh teaches guitar only.

Rick Silvestri
In addition to teaching all styles of guitar, Rick also serves as a bass instructor, teaching both electric and upright lessons. He specializes in rock, blues, and jazz, and takes students of all abilities. Rick has been teaching full time at C.B. Perkins Co. since 1997. He has performed with several premier Northern California rock and blues bands, as well as in local orchestras. Rick holds a Bachelor of Arts from Santa Clara University. Rick is very friendly and easy to work with, and because of his level of musical education, he can give his students a solid foundation in musical theory that will help them become better musicians.

Cris Snyder
Cris is a highly talented musician with extensive experience in entertaining live audiences in nightclubs, concert halls and theaters. He is also an experienced instructor with a great ability to communicate musical concepts clearly. Cris currently performs with Nuthin' Fancy, tribute to Lynyrd Skynrd (Bass, Vocals), Lydia Pense & Cold Blood (Bass), and California Dreamin' A Musical Journey Through the Golden State (Bass, Vocals). He has been studying guitar and bass since 1979. Cris is our newest instructor, and he is quickly developing a following. He has a very welcoming and outgoing personality, and his goal is not only to create educated musicians, but make his lessons enjoyable and fun for his students.

Chris Jordan
Chris has been playing guitar for twenty seven years and teaching guitar and bass for twenty years. He has performed with rock bands, jazz ensembles, and as a solo classical guitarist. Chris is currently studying composition, as well as performing in his own band and writing music. He is continually learning and experimenting with new ideas and material. Chris is well versed in theory and technique, and he also believes fun and creativity should accompany the learning process. If you are serious about improving your knowledge of music theory and honing your technique, Chris is the perfect teacher for you.

Karen Mollicone-White-Specializing in younger students
Karen was an elementary school teacher in the Oak Grove school district for 13 years, and has also been a student at C.B. Perkins Co. for many years. As an elementary school teacher, she was included in the 2005 edition of Who's Who Among America's Teachers. Karen is a talented guitar player with a gift for working with children. She is now retired from teaching, and we are pleased to have her on our team of guitar instructors. Karen has a great sense of humor, and the ability to put kids at ease and draw them in, making the experience of learning guitar very positive for her young students.

Tom Caprino
Tom has been playing guitar since the age of ten, and has over 40 years of playing experience. He studied under jazz guitarist Bud Dimock, and has been a side man for many recording artists over the years. Tom has also performed throughout the Bay Area for over 25 years, and has released two of his own CDs under the name Tom Casino. Tom has a very fun and engaging personality, and with his breadth of experience, he has a lot to offer his students. Tom accepts students of all ages and abilities.

Andres Faz
Andres is a master instructor, who has studied with composer Jose Villarreal and Juan Arevalo, Concert Master of the Mexico City Symphony Orchestra. He has over 60 years of playing experience. Andres specializes in Flamenco and Latin styles, along with fingerpicking style for Jazz standards. He focuses on more experienced students who would like to learn Flamenco and Latin style guitar, but he will also take beginners who want to learn these styles. It is our priviledge and honor to have him on our team of instructors. He is available to take a limited number of students, by arrangement.

Thank you for taking the time to read about our teachers. Now your assignment: come in and meet them for yourself, and while you're at it, sign up for lessons!

C.B. Perkins Toy and Game Corner

Since both Josh and Erick have kids, and since we have so many kids coming into our shop for lessons, we decided to add a toy corner to our shop.



Some of the toys are musical, like kid's Ukuleles, harmonicas, kazoos (c'mon, they're kind of musical!), and shaker eggs. Some of them are just fun, like tins with tiddlywinks, jacks, and marbles. We also have tops, jump ropes, and yo yos.

We have this really cool Victorian toy called a Wonderball, which includes four Classic American Girls’ activities. You unwind a ball of yarn to find treasures, charms and trinkets of the past. It includes a handbook with the history of the Wonderball, Cat’s Cradle string games, friendship bracelet patterns and more.



Oh, and there also some parlor games for grownups, like Golf, Football, and Baseball. These are great for travel, or playing at your local pub.

And true to C.B. Perkins tradition, they are all made in the USA!

We don't have this listed on our site yet, but we will soon.
Come in and check them out!

Hamer Guitars

We recently started carrying Hamer electric guitars, and we are really happy with them. These are all solid, set neck guitars, and they sell for under $400.

And better yet, they are made in Indonesia, not China.

This is a great guitar as is, but add a Lollar or Seymour Duncan pickup to it, and it becomes a kick-ass guitar.

We can customize these Hamers with Humbuckers or P-90s. Just contact us for pricing and details.

Right now we can offer a special price on these guitars, so if you are interested, let us know right away!

Guitars from a book store?

Why should you buy a guitar from us, and not your favorite online bookseller? (not naming names, but you know who we mean!)

We are not a huge warehouse, so we can actually pick up the guitar you are interested in and talk to you intelligently about it. We check out every guitar that comes into our store. If it is defective, or not up to standard, it never goes up for sale. That means you don't have to deal with returning a defective guitar that nobody has looked at. And we'll set up the guitar to your specifications before it ships. You can even choose the type of strings that go on the guitar. Need accessories or an amp? We have those, too.

We will talk with you about what you are looking for and help you pick out a guitar you'll be happy with.

Our instruments are stored in a climate controlled environment, not boxed up in a cold warehouse ready to be automatically shipped when you press Buy it Now.

Online does not equal cheaper. We are not asking you to choose price vs. service. In many cases we can match or even beat the price you saw at that online bookstore.

But while we're on the subject of service...

Have you ever tried to find a phone number for one of those big stores? We don't have a voice automated phone system, and our number is at the top of every page of our website. When you call us, you will be getting a real live, knowledgeable, courteous person who is dedicated to selling you a guitar you will enjoy. Heck, there are only four of us here, so we can make that statement pretty confidently (of course, you may get our voicemail if you call at 3am, because, well, there are only four of us. We'll call you back, though). Contacting us via email? You will receive the same level of service.

We only sell stringed instruments and accessories here, and we stake our reputation on every product we sell. If you are unhappy for any reason we will do everything we can to fix it.

Guitar Repair - Not for Amateurs

Does your guitar need work? Why should you bring your guitar to a Luthier instead of your buddy's cousin who works out of his garage?

Our labor rates, though competitive, might be higher than that guy down the street, but have you thought about what you are paying for? Why is it worthwhile to bring your guitar to an experienced luthier? While you might think you're saving a few bucks, that cheaper work could cost you.

With our shop you are getting:

• Experience. We have many years of experience working on guitars of all types. We interview you about your playing style so that your guitar will play and sound the way you want it to. That may include helping you choose the right pickup for the sound you're looking for, or doing a setup that will match your playing style.
  
  We know our way around guitar electronics, so your parts will be installed correctly, and they will work they way they should. If you ever have problems, bring it back and we will fix it. Guaranteed.
  
  Have a vintage guitar you want to restore? We have the experience and the appropriate parts (in most cases) to restore your guitar to original. Do you really want to risk your valuable instrument with someone who may be "learning on the job"?
  
  
• Honesty. We will not sell you work that your guitar doesn't need. If you are interested in consigning a guitar with us, we will be honest about what your guitar is worth, whether that is more or less than you think. And if your guitar is not worth working on, we'll tell you that, too.
  
  
• Quick turnaround. For minor work or maintenance, you can make an appointment so that you can have your instrument back the same day. For longer jobs, we will give you an honest estimate of the time your job will take, and communicate with you throughout the process.

And finally, our shop is climate controlled and insured, with a high grade security system. Your guitar will not be exposed to temperature changes, and will be safe while it is with us.

NAMM Show News Part Two! Heritage and G&L.

Continuing with our NAMM Show updates, we were very impressed with the new offerings from G&L and Heritage guitars.

First G&L. They came out with some new models, such as the G&L "Aged" guitars. These are similar to the "Relic" guitars from Fender, but we find these much more tastefully done, not over the top at all. They use nitrocellulose lacquer as well.

G&L has also come out with a new Jazz Bass model:

And the new carved top Tributes are really a steal for the price (inquire for prices)

If you are interested in any of these G&Ls, we can place a special order.

Heritage

Heritage has come out with a couple of great new models with Lollar P-90s.

First, the 137 double-cutaway, with slab mahogany body and Lollar P-90s:

Then, Heritage has a 535 with 2 Lollar p-90s (the one with the natural finish is coming to our store):

We expect to have these guitars in our store by this weekend (1/24)

Contact us for more information on any of these guitars, or if you would like to place a special order.

NAMM Show News Part One! Seagull and Godin.

We're just back from the NAMM show, and we are excited about the great new guitars we saw. The crappy economy out there is not stopping the music industry from innovating! In fact, it has made us think more carefully about the value of what we buy.

Case in point, Godin guitars has come out with a new solid wood series of its Seagull guitars. These are solid spruce tops, solid mahogany back and sides, for under $800! And they are made in Canada. You will not find a better guitar for anywhere close to this price.

Seagull also has updated their Performer series guitars, with cutaways, solid spruce tops, and laminate flame maple back and sides. Seagull does a high quality 3-layer laminate, which is maple-wild cherry-maple.

More from Godin, the new Redline series. These are affordable high quality shred style guitars that we think look and sound amazing.

These guitars are coming to our store this by this weekend (1/24), so please inquire if you are interested. Anything we don't have in stock, we can special order.