What is a Gibson Sonex guitar?

Answer 1

A Gibson Sonex is a rare American made Gibson guitar that was produced between 1980 and 1984. It was definitely a budget model when it came out and sold new for about $300. The Sonex was not made of wood, but instead was built from a composite material. They look similar to a Les Paul and are similar in weight and sustain, but may exceed the Les Paul in both categories (meaning they are heavy and very resonant). The Sonex is not a highly regarded guitar due to it originally being a budget model and because it was not made of real wood. However, it came stock with Dirty Fingers humbucker pickups, which are very hot, very good pickups. Since the pickups shape the tone of a guitar more than any other feature, and the Dirty Fingers were excellent pickups, the Sonex had a great sound, especially for the price. Currently (2009), the Sonex is worth about $400-500 if it has the original pickups and is in very good to excellent condition. In my opinion, if it does not have the original pickups it isn't worth anything, maybe $100. But $400-500 is an excellent price for a vintage American made Gibson that really produces a sweet tone and a mean growl. It also has somewhat of a "cool" factor because it's a bit unique, looks cool, sounds great, and was a working man's guitar (like the Fender Mustangs made famous by Kurt Cobain) instead of a high priced museum piece.