What a load of crap.!

That having been said,my three children Joyce, Kate and David Katzberg, folksingers and musicians all, and the ever lovely, scintilating Donna Gibson, my Wife agree that I am the worlds champion goof cover upper. I've been doing this professionally since 1947. I suppose I should be a lot better at it. I can copy many guitar styles, but,. for the most part, I have my own way of doing it. I've never heard anyone else play the way I do. (And a good thing too) But, people keep coming back. Go figure. There's an abundance of "crude vigor" here. I have an old (1963) Brazillian rosewood D=28 , the sound of which, purely inspires my performance, and a fairly new Gibson J30 that is damned near it's equal in tone and, is a whole lot easier to play. The J 30 is one of Gibsons less expensive models. I really lucked out when I bought this one. It cost $500.00 new in a local music store operated by an old fr iend. There were two other J-30's with excellent tone and resonance there. It seems that Gibson's guitars keep getting better and better while Martin's slide further and further downhill while their cost goes higher and higher. That ought to start somehing. Go ahead and yell, I'm used to it.

Here are some of the factors that propell me toward this conclusion. My pal, Bruce Fisher,bought two (count them) multi thousand dollar Martin's, neither of which can hold a candle to mine. Another good and true friend, 90 year old Todd Farnham, an accomplished luthier himself, has a Martin D=41 he bought new in 1950 that is superior to mine as is Wilma Lee Cooper's D-48 and Tom Paley's "New Yorker". These are the only three guitars I've ever heard that beat mine for tone. All three are much older and likewise have Brazillian rosewood back and sides.
And then, there's this. At a party several years ago, a drunk woman (who shall remain nameless) with two wooden legs, fell on my old D-28 and killed it's tone. There were no visible cracks or breaks in the wood. I sent my old pal back to the Martin Co for repair and they wanted $1600.00. The person who did the appraisal, proposed a new top, new back new neck and finger board. WHICH, AS ALL OF THE TONE COMES FROM THE TOP, WITH THE BACK AND SIDES RESONATING, MEANT A NEW GUITAR. The only possible explanation I can think of is that this scoundrel wanted the wood for himself.
I had them send it back., and gave it to AL Leis, another fantastic Luthier in Tiverton Rhode Island who stuck the various loose struts and braces back on, without replacing any of the wood. Total price, *75.00 and it regained all of it's former sound. Todd Farnham, (also of Tiverton Rhode Island,) had begun to lose his eyesight, or he'd have fixed it for nothing. And, then, ladies and gentlemen, Paul Geremia, the great blues artist who also lives in Newport, took an automobile "points" feeler guage and a mirror, poked around inside the old guitar, found a loose stru WHICH SHOPULD NOT HAVE COME UNGLUED IN THE FIRST PLACE, stuck it back in and, lo and behold my old D-28 sounded better than it ever haS.

Paul truly loves guitars, and he practices constantly. He never makes a mistake on stage, and there's more warmth and artistry in this man's performance than anyone I know. There's an abundance of raw vigor AND flawless technique.

I'm going to close temporarily, and go buy some dog food for "Gus" my hungry Rat Terrier Puppyand pills for Donna my lovely spouse.

Now, you may ask, How come Donna and I have the name "Gibson" while my three offspring and "Grand off-spring" have the name "Katzberg". Go ahead and ask, but it's none of your Damned business. My long suffering wife just called me Cyclone Gibson" the long winded No'th-easter. I'll get back later about banjos. And that is a threat.

So There:
Jody Gibson