Riders In The Sky
Ranger Doug Model Gibson L-5 Guitar
"I recall with sharp clarity being a wide eyed aspiring guitar player in my tender teenage years, wandering through the local music store showroom, staring in awe at the new Gibson guitars on the racks, poring over the Gibson catalogue where greats like Johnny Smith, Howard Roberts, Barney Kessell, and of course Les Paul had their own unique Gibson designed and styled for them. What was then an outrageous teenage fantasy became a reality last night, when master luthier Ren Ferguson presented me with the prototype Ranger Doug model Gibson L-5, to be part of their developing cowboy/western series. I played it for the entire show at the historic Ellen Theater in Bozeman, Montana, where Gibson builds its acoustics. (Earlier in the week we were all given a tour of the Gibson operation, a thrill in it's own right).
That the guitar would be gorgeous was a given; the big question was the sound. As someone who collects vintage guitars I was prepared for a good but not great sound, especially as new guitars take a while to be played in' and for the tone to mature. Big surprise: it sounds sensational from the first strum, and will only get better.
A lot of this is due to several experiments in bracing and sound hole design, and of course the matchless woods chosen and the careful hand carving and tuning of the top and back. My deepest thanks go to Doug Koffinke, in charge of the operation in Bozeman, and Ren Ferguson who designed and built it, and the several men and women who had a hand in it's construction.
You'll be seeing plenty of this guitar on the road and on these pages, saddle pals. I don't know when the model will be available to the public, but we'll be sure to let you know!
Your dazzled saddle pal, Ranger Doug"
That the guitar would be gorgeous was a given; the big question was the sound. As someone who collects vintage guitars I was prepared for a good but not great sound, especially as new guitars take a while to be played in' and for the tone to mature. Big surprise: it sounds sensational from the first strum, and will only get better.
A lot of this is due to several experiments in bracing and sound hole design, and of course the matchless woods chosen and the careful hand carving and tuning of the top and back. My deepest thanks go to Doug Koffinke, in charge of the operation in Bozeman, and Ren Ferguson who designed and built it, and the several men and women who had a hand in it's construction.
You'll be seeing plenty of this guitar on the road and on these pages, saddle pals. I don't know when the model will be available to the public, but we'll be sure to let you know!
Your dazzled saddle pal, Ranger Doug"
