Gibson Made a Stratocaster? 1976 Gibson S-1 Review + Demo

In the 70s Gibson started to toy with lower-end models built to compete against Fender and other guitar manufacturers. The three that pop into my head first are the Marauder, S-1 and L6-S. The Marauder and S-1 were basically an attempt to create a Gibson Telecaster and Stratocaster. Their pickups were designed by Bill Lawrence. These were bolt-on neck guitars with a flying V headstock and a Les Paul body with Fender esq tones. These were later replaced by the Sonex-180 which eventually led to the introduction of the Les Paul Studio in 1983.

I'm a big fan of the S-1 and Marauder. I think they are great little guitars that are fun to play around on. I don't suggest paying more than $1,000 for one, but $900 and under - they are great! They are more of a novelty - I don't think one could really survive tonally with just one of these guitars if you're used to Gibson tones.
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