This was a strange acquisition - I went to take a '78 Tele as a part-trade for something, and picked this 2000 Custom Shop Pat Martino Standard up instead. I'd seen it before, but wasn't really bowled over by its looks - it's not (to my eyes) the most elegant guitar that Gibson have ever made. The Florentine cutaway looks a little disproportionate, compared to the Florentines of the 175/295/135, etc (a Venetian cutaway might have worked well, a la ES-275), it's lack of depth perhaps makes it look a bit of a pancake, and the snakehead headstock looks, well, 'wrong' on a Gibson, and a bit bug-eyed, although the straight string pull is good. So far, so, well, meh....
It's quite an interesting spec, having a solid maple top, and Honduras mahogany back and sides, mini-Schallers, and an ebony fretboard with no markers (it has side markers thankfully!) Anyway, I did pick it up, and couldn't put it down again. I love it.
It's tone isn't dark at all (as they're reputed to be) although this is wearing what feel like 9.5's, and Pat Martino, I think, plays with flatwound 12's. I don't know much about Pat Martino, and I still know very little about the guitar. I only see the Custom model for sale, and that's not very often. It's simply amazing to play - quite a wide fretboard, and my fingers - which aren't the most nimble - just glide across the ebony. The lack of fretboard markers catch me out occasionally, but it's steering me away from playing hunched over it like that bloke from Notre Dame, which can only be a good thing.
It's like being on one of those slides in winter that we used to build as kids - effortless, but not as (ultimately) painful. It really does play like, well, no, I can't say it, I mustn't even THINK it - but I can't believe it's NOT....
:-)Anyway, it['s surprised me that much that I had to share it. Just a warm-toned, effortless, well-balanced sweet thing to play.
Call me Dave.
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It does seem to be a pretty rare instrument - even more so than the Custom model, which I guess was more popular due to its looks - I suppose for 'rare', you could read 'didn't sell many'! I think they were pretty expensive new - in fairness, they've pretty expensive used, but they're quite a high spec.
Due to the name and the style, I suspect that they have a very small market, but at the risk of repeating myself, it's one of the - if not THE - nicest guitars that I've ever played.
Pat actually uses much heavier gauge than that in top strings (15-52 or 16-56) and normally runs his tone knob really low which might be one of the reasons some people think the guitar is dark sounding when it isn't really.
I could see see it being a permanent house guest if I tried to sell it again at some point, so didn't really bother with it - until I played it. I reckon with a set of flats on, it would be smoother than Nigel Havers dipped in baby oil, which has just put me off my cornflakes.
Remember, it's easier to criticise than create!