NGD! Gibson WM-00

[zombywoof]

This one was destined to find a home with me. Only 20 minutes down the road and a price tag less than I would have laid out for a new Epi Maserbillt. What was a poor boy to do.

The WM-00 was part of Bozeman's first attempt at a budget line. They brought out four models, three of which including mine, were offered only from 1998 to 2001. Mine was birthed that last year of production making it the only guitar I own which rolled out of a factory in the century I am living.

While the other models were based on guitars from past catalogs this one was a pure Bozeman concoction. It mates a 14 7/8" wide round lower bout with a J45 body depth. Fortunately, the stock gold Rotomatics (go figure) had already been swapped out for Kluson Keystones. But the Martin-style teardrop pickguard has got to go. As to sound, the guitar is mid-range rich with a heck of a snap to it.

[dodge]

Sweet zombywoof, is this the one that was on the Gibson forum. Seemed like an excellent deal, good score.

[eyesore]

WOW Congrats !that's a great looking guitar!!

[zombywoof]

Originally Posted by dodge

Sweet zombywoof, is this the one that was on the Gibson forum. Seemed like an excellent deal, good score.

Yup. From what they say over there this is a hard guitar to come by.

[Lillis]

That’s a very nice find. I actually like the pick guard on it although maybe a batwing would look good and cover any tan line.

[blacknblues]

Very cool. I assume it’s got that ‘Gibson tone’? How does it compare sound-wise to say a J-45 or a Hummingbird?

[mikef]

I saw your post over at the Gibson forum. That's a nice find, hope you enjoy it!

[Jim Owen]

Envious. That’s a cool guitar.

[SalFromChatham]

Congrats ZW....

Similar in size to a Martin 000? Or bigger?

[Wade Hampton]

ZW, that's a fairly rare bird. I've never actually seen one in real life, nor the WM-185, which is the one "Working Man Series" Gibson guitar I'd be most interested in getting my hands on.

I did own a WM-45 for a few years, which was a very good guitar. I ultimately traded it for something else I wanted more, but it was of professional quality, no question about it.

I agree with you that the pickguard on your WM-00 looks kind of odd on a Gibson guitar:

This Pickguard Is Asking: "What Am I DOING On A Gibson Guitar?"

That's basically a Martin OM pickguard, rather than any historical Gibson pickguard shape that I'm aware of.

My WM-45 did have an opaque black pickguard, rather than a translucent firestripe or tortoiseshell plastic guard. But at least it was in the Gibson teardrop pickguard shape, not the Martin shape:

The Mighty, Yet Reasonably Priced, Gibson WM-45

The problem with removing the jarringly inappropriate pickguard on your WM-00 now, though, is that the guitar is old enough that taking the pickguard off will inevitably reveal the lighter colored wood that was underneath.

Even though I don't care much for an OM-style pickguard on a Gibson guitar, in this case if the guitar was mine I think I'd just leave it alone, to preserve the guitar's collector value if nothing else.

But since the original tuners have already been replaced, perhaps trying to keep the guitar as close to stock as possible is pointless. So get rid of the pickguard if you want - I doubt that the Guitar Police SWAT team will kick in your door in the middle of the night if you do.

By the way, I would have yanked those gold-plated Rotomatics off the guitar, too, and did so on my WM-45. I never understood the logic of putting gold-plated tuners on such an ostentatiously plain jane guitar to begin with: it's like putting chrome bumpers and tail fins on an Amish buggy.

Anyway, cool guitar, good score.


Wade Hampton Miller

[zombywoof]

Originally Posted by blacknblues

Very cool. I assume it’s got that ‘Gibson tone’? How does it compare sound-wise to say a J-45 or a Hummingbird?

You will have to take this with a grain of salt as the only Gibson six strings I own and have owned were built from 1932 to 1957. So I can only render an opinion based on Bozeman guitars owned by others I have played and then often only fleetingly. As I said, the guitar is voiced towards the midrange. The upper end to my ear is similar to a J45 being crisp but not crossing the border over to bright. What the WM-00 gives up to the J45 is on the low end. This guitar just screams for a heavier gauge string and slapping on a set of Newtone 12s brought the low end out of hibernation although I would say it is still a bit more subdued than on a J45. All in all the WM-00 comes off more like a mid- to late-1950s Gibson in that while giving up something on the low end it makes up for it by being punchy and quick.

Interesting how the body shape completely differs from an L-00.

[darylcrisp]

Never knew about this model, I think it looks great, love the shape.
I actually like the guard, I think it complements the shape of the lower bout.

[Rev Roy]

Nice find. Congrats!

[foxo]

Very nice!

Originally Posted by dodge

Sweet zombywoof

I initially thought this was some lesser known exclamation like "zoinks!" or "holy cow!".