Stiles Guitars.

[Wayne Lewallen]

I have a solid body (Strat type) guitar built by Gilbert Lee Stiles around
1960. I purchased the guitar in 1960 and it still is a fine playing
instrument. Does anyone have an old "Stiles" guitar. They seem to be
pretty rare and very well made guitars. Mr. Stiles died in 1994 in West
Virginia. I have never found anyone else with a Stiles.

[John Walkenbach]

Just for the hell of it, I did a search at www.google.com (the world's best
search engine). It led to a Q&A at:

http://www.acguitar.com/issues/ag42/dear42.html

I copied and pasted the question and George Gruhn's answer below.

-John

~~~~~~~~~ begin copied text~~~~~~~~~~~~
I found a wonderful rosewood guitar in a pawnshop in Jacksonville, Florida.
It was made in Hialeah, Florida, by G.L. Stiles. Can you tell me more about
the guitar and Mr. Stiles?
Bill Blakely
Tampa, Florida

The late G.L. Stiles produced hundreds of handmade instruments from about
1960 until his death at age 80 in 1994. He made a wide variety of
solid-body, flattop, and archtop guitars as well as some mandolins and
banjos. Stiles was a craftsman willing to plunge into virtually every kind
of project. He even produced an airplane in 1969, which, according to the
Stiles family, FAA experts said would never fly. The plane did prove to be
airworthy, and Stiles eventually sold it to a man in Pensacola. His business
card read, "You're all smiles when you play a Stiles." You can get further
information on this maker from the book Guitar Stories, Volume 1, by Michael
Wright, published by Vintage Guitar books in 1995. The book includes a
photo-illustrated chapter on Stiles and his work.
--George Gruhn
~~~~~~~~~ end copied text~~~~~~~~~~~~

Wayne Lewallen <wlew...@carolina.rr.com> wrote in message
news:t%r64.1138$al1....@typhoon.southeast.rr.com...

[DBrophy479]

"Wayne Lewallen" wrote:

>I have a solid body (Strat type) guitar built by Gilbert Lee Stiles around
>1960. I purchased the guitar in 1960 and it still is a fine playing
>instrument. Does anyone have an old "Stiles" guitar. They seem to be
>pretty rare and very well made guitars. Mr. Stiles died in 1994 in West
>Virginia. I have never found anyone else with a Stiles.

I bought one in a pawn shop in Miami about 10 years ago,and sold it to my
brother at cost,which was $125.
Nice guitar.It's mahogany,clear finish,and shaped a bit like a strat.The upper
bout has a carved scroll look.Two single coil pickups,I think made by
Stiles,with a midrange-scooped tone not unlike a Danelectro lipstick tube.
Several local Miami players had Mr.Stiles build instruments for them in the
mid-to-late 60's.Joey Spampinato of NRBQ had a sort of Beatle bass made.There's
a pic of him playing it on the back of the LP "Scraps",which itself hard to
find.
I heard that Mr.Stiles hooked up with a young hippie girl and left Miami
around 1969,I guess moving to WV.

[Wayne Lewallen]

I found another "Stiles" on the net, in a music store in Memphis. They were
asking around $450. The body style wasn't like a Strat or Gibson, kind of
strange looking. Obviously these aren't collector quality guitars but are
well constructed. Some of Gilbert Stiles guitars were sold under the brand
name "Higgins". Guitar Stories by Michael Wright has a section on Gilbert
Stiles and his guitars with a full page color photo his Strat style solid
body. Gilbert Lee Stiles died in Independence West Va. October 21, 1994, he
was 80 years old.
"DBrophy479" <dbrop...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:19991217174438...@ng-fo1.aol.com...

[paxro...@gmail.com]

On Friday, December 17, 1999 at 3:00:00 AM UTC-5, Wayne Lewallen wrote:
> I have a solid body (Strat type) guitar built by Gilbert Lee Stiles around
> 1960. I purchased the guitar in 1960 and it still is a fine playing
> instrument. Does anyone have an old "Stiles" guitar. They seem to be
> pretty rare and very well made guitars. Mr. Stiles died in 1994 in West
> Virginia. I have never found anyone else with a Stiles.

I have a Stiles bass I aquired in the mid-60's while stationed in Homestead AFB

[emmaind...@gmail.com]

I have the banjo that Stiles made for me in 1979 that is in the picture in Vintage Guitars vol II. I was in 10th grade and he like to freak me out by taking out his dentures. Still play it. Mark Cloud

[emmaind...@gmail.com]

[dpass...@gmail.com]

On Saturday, June 25, 2016 at 7:11:43 PM UTC-4, emmaind...@gmail.com wrote:
> I have the banjo that Stiles made for me in 1979 that is in the picture in Vintage Guitars vol II. I was in 10th grade and he like to freak me out by taking out his dentures. Still play it. Mark Cloud

Can you provide a picture? I have a Stiles guitar and knew Lee Stiles well as he helped me with some issues I had with a nice Fender 12-string I had. My Dad bought me my first electric from Mr. Stiles. When I would in later years go into his workshop, he was working on a gorgeous banjo he'd crafted. Wondering if yours was it.

[geary...@gmail.com]

Gilbert Stiles is my great, great, great uncle. I have one remaining great uncle in and he verified that Gilbert was his uncle. My grandmother had a Stiles electric guitar that I was fortunate enough to get.
We had friends over last night that wanted to play so we drug her out of the closet to pick. It hasn’t been touched in over ten years (hub plays acoustic).... strummed it and she was nearly perfectly in tune. In the case live a few photocopied newspaper articles about Gilbert and his business and life.
He is from Star City, PA, which is where my grandmother had my daddy. He also worked in the glass factory up there awhile, as did the majority of my family as well. That’s a whole ‘nother story.
Glad you all Stiles instruments and found them interesting. Mine is special because it connects me to family and a time long gone. :)