Comments on: Guitar portrait: 1976 Gibson MK-81 acoustic guitar (Mark series)

By: john

john — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 18:00:28 +0000

Hi! I have this guitar, I love it and have had it many years, anyone know what the value is?

By: Jim Phillips

Jim Phillips — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 16:30:23 +0000

I own a MK81. I think it is pretty simular in serial number. It is number 06183557

By: David

David — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 13:46:45 +0000

Some pics of my MK-81:
http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/frdako/Mk81?feat=directlink

By: David

David — Tue, 22 Jun 2010 17:40:34 +0000

Hi, recently I’m too the very very happy owner of a mk-81.
It just plays lovely and the sound is so nice.
But i’ve got some troubles decoding the serial number. Mine says on the back of the head: “MK-81 made in u.s.a 00222255″.
I can’t figure out for myself the year it is build etc.
According to the seller the guitar is build in 1976 and I’m the 4th owner, the first owner was a Gibson employee and they sold it to a couple who owned the guitar until 9 years ago and recently it got it.

Hopefully anyone of the other MK-81 owners now how to decode the serialnr.

By: Jose

Jose — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 16:46:03 +0000

I was told by “Jim” the Rep that the Mark Series flopped because the production examples did not meet any quality standards, or those set by Richard Schneider who built the prototypes; Norlin wanted to do a quick job of assembly, (“we gots to move these, refrigeraters…”, but the Mark guitars could not be produced at speed and the result was a disaster. When Schneider saw the first batch of Mark guitars, he was disgusted and quit, Dr. Kasha quit next, and corporate chaos ensued.

By: Ingo

Ingo — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 20:51:39 +0000

Thanks for your interesting comments
You are right, the pearl dots on the bridge of mine are not original. When I got it it was in a bad state: the bridge seemed had loosened and was then screwed to the top ! I had it repaired and the luthier covered the holes with the dots.

I also love mine very much, it sounds so special and nice. Never understood why it the series flopped.

By: Jose

Jose — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 19:58:04 +0000

here’s more info. on my MK-81:
I first saw and heard a MK-81 guitar in mid 1978 in Los Angeles, Calif., when I was enrolled at GIT (Guitar Institute of Technology). Someone from Norlin/Gibson showed up at GIT with the guitar and was demonstrating it to Howard Roberts, Ronnie Eschete, Don Mock, and the other famous instructors there while we all listened and each instructor played the MK-81. (not sure but I think the guy from Norlin/Gibson was called Bruce Bolin). The guitar had a fantastic volume and richness of harmonics that none of us had ever heard from an acoustic guitar, even sitting in the back with 40 other students in front of me. Next day I went around the Hollywood guitar stores looking for a MK but incredibly, nobody had heard of the MK Series. I kept checking but all I heard from the guitar stores was about “The New RD Series”. (another Norlin fiasco). I graduated in 1979 from GIT and moved to Nashville Tennessee; I kept going around guitar stores in Nashville and it was the same story, but in one of those stores, one lady told me: “if anybody knows anything about those MK guitars, it would be “Mr. Jim” at so-and-so music store (names changed because “Jim” asked me to not reveal his name); So off I went looking for “Jim”. Turned out he was the Norlin Sales Rep for the South East. Jim kindly told me to call back in a month and he would have some MK’s for me to try out. When we met again, he had a MK-35, and MK-53, and a MK-72, all with the ‘flat’ finishes and the guitars were practically falling apart at the seams, and they sounded horribly “flat”. I told Jim that’s not what I saw at GIT and he smiled and told me “you probably saw one of Schneider’s demonstrators, (the MK-81 model), I have one of those but I’m not selling it, too many memories”. Well, I kept calling and harassing “Jim” to show me the guitar. A year later, I called him again and he invited me to his house to see the guitar. That was it! it was a gem of a guitar, hand-built by a Master Luthier, with a finish like glass. After a few more months, “Jim” agreed to sell me the guitar if I paid his price, and I did. Took me a few more months to pay him but I bought it and I still have it.

By: Jose

Jose — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 19:19:51 +0000

MK Series! These guitars are for life! I have one of the original MK-81 demonstrators, built by master luthier Ricardo (Richard) Schneider, who was involved in Norlin’s (Gibson) MK Series designs during the 1975-1977 period with Dr. Michael Kasha, (Univ. of Florida). I got mine from the Norlin’s Sales Rep for Tennessee at the time, who got it as a “back door” instrument straight from Schneider when the whole project went kaput and Norlin ordered all demonstrators picked up and destroyed!! The guitar is Sunburst, similar to the one shown at the bottom left of the catalog page, except everything was done by Schneider himself, the detailing and the woods are just incredible. Mine has been kept in its case since 1980, it has the original unused pickguard still in its factory envelope with instructions, and it came with a total of 4 bridge saddle-inserts, 2 in ebony/bone, 2 in Melamine, all in different heights. The sound is penetrating, cutting, silky, smooth, loud, too many qualities to put in words, and the beauty of the instrument is like no other Gibson or Martin or any other guitar I have ever seen since I started playing in 1963.
One observation about your MK-81: the pearl dots on each end of the bridge are not original, mine does not have them, and neither do the catalog pictures. Those are reinforcements, apparently your bridge was being pulled off. congratulations, these guitars are simply, unique.

By: Gibson Guru

Gibson Guru — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 03:14:20 +0000

I own a MK-35 I bought new in 1977 & love it. In fact when my time comes, it will be inherited by my youngest son, who knows the value of this fine instrument & learned to play on the same. I’ve been playing since 1962 & am 54 yrs young as of this writing(10March2010). It’s just a shame the way the purists run down guitars that don’t have their “Seal of Approval”. Oh well-it’s their loss. All I can say is-”Enjoy”! (notice my e-mail address?)

By: ProFuzz

ProFuzz — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 16:11:11 +0000

This guitar looks fantastic, I’d be happhy to try it at least for several minutes, the sound must be very cool! You just don’t imagine how much I like old guitars…