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Garrison P 500-CE mystery brand?


Cactus Music

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Hi I read this forum and I signed up a while ago but this is my first thread and question. I'm a regular on the Sonar forum for those who might recognise my handle.

 

Only a few threads here regarding Garrison Guitars. Google is the same and almost all activity seems to stop back in 2008.

I was in the market for another Parlor / Folk sized guitar having just sold my Taylor Mini GS ( tinny sounding) and after playing a lot of guitars that day settled on the Garrison P-500.

For the $400 it had the best tone and feels real solid and plays better than almost everything I tryed including some $$$ Taylors, Gibsons and Martins. Lots of brands are making small bodies these days.

I had heard of Garrison and knew it was a Canadian Company etc but this one was Made in China.. The salesperson said that Gibson had bought the ( correct) and was not sure as this guitar apparently was old stock or even a trade in.

Does anybody here have any idea of when and if they stopped making these , As I say it could not be as old as 2008 as it is like brand new condition.

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Yep. Gibson bought out Garrison guitars in 2007. Gibson claimed to be planning to continue to produce them, but shortly after the buyout, Garrison guitars disappeared. Garrsions were known for their fiberglass bracing instead of wood. That bracing gave all kinds of trouble IIRC.

 

AFAIK, Gibson still owns the Garrison name, although they're not making or selling any guitars under that name anymore.

 

Crooked Chinese outfits often market cheap counterfeit knock-off guitars with popular names on them, like Gibson, Martin, etc. I'm betting that's what you have. Doesn't seem likely that Gibson would have licensed the name to a Chinese company, but who knows?

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I have that information about the Canadian made guitars,, what there is nothing about is the newer Chinese made models.

There's plenty of info about the start up in 2000, The guitars they made then are more or less collectors items, most people praise their Made in Canada Garrisons. Then all you read is about the Gibson takeover, how they were given Federal start up money, made a few Garrisons, then made a few Gibson's using the Fiberglass frame and then abandoned the Canadian Factory after only a year putting 100 people out of work.

 

But in the mean time there is also people talking about the models that Garrison Canada also produced in China and claims of this being as early as 2003. They are different in that they only use the Fiberglass for the top bracing , not the back and sides.

 

All I found was a few dated threads on the Acoustic Guitar guitar forum. I just singed up and I'm waiting posting privileges so I can ask there too.

 

There is this thread on this forum is why I thought I'd try here too, I didn't want to dig up an old thread so ...

 

http://www.harmonycentral.com/forum/forum/guitar/acapella-42/1312920-

 

Heres a few of the rare threads on the garrison:

 

http://www.acousticguitarforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=443252

 

http://www.acousticguitarforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=400833

 

http://www.acousticguitarforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=203484

 

http://www.acousticguitarforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=157318

 

https://www.guitarscanada.com/index.php?threads/garrison-guitars.16948/

 

 

 

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Well I found a picture of the closest you'll get to mine,

This one is a AG P-200 Mine is AG P-500

Mine is a solid spruce top, normally you wouldn't paint a solid top so my guess the one for sale is laminated top.

The Labels are a little bit different too. Mine does not have AG in the model number and there is wording

"Designed in the oldest city in Canada St John's NFL Made in China" . which I think the other one say's to but cannot read it.

 

The serial numbers are sort of the same too.

The one listed for sale say's S06120487

mine say's SQO5120200

 

I wonder if that 6= month and 12 = year? it would make sense to me that it was made in 2012 judging by it's condition.

 

 

 

https://reverb.com/item/4672535-garrison-parlor-acoustic-electric-black?device=c&gclid=CIzihMblxdQCFU9gfgodzFMFPg&pla=1

 

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I recall that there were a number of good threads on this forum about Garrison guitars, and on the the buyout and the aftermath. Unfortunately, all the "improvements" that GC did here pretty well destroyed or buried all these threads, and they are now impossible to find. I did find this one: http://www.harmonycentral.com/forum/...la-42/1316393-

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. . . Garrsions were known for their fiberglass bracing instead of wood. That bracing gave all kinds of trouble IIRC. . . .

Garrisons had trouble because wood expands and contracts with changes in humidity but fiberglass doesn't. Add to that that they were fairly pricey compared to comparable Asian guitars, at least IMHO. Even today a midrange model that's ten years old can go for $500. I don't know what to make of the OP's guitar except to say if you like it and don't plan to resell it that's all that counts.

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Yes, I think I will be keeping it,, played it all day and it's just amazing. I just can't see why they say it sat unsold in the store?? What? am I the only one who knows a good guitar when I play it?? I hardly think so. I am going to talk to the store again and see if They will tell the story.

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