Gibson Acoustic Guitars

[BlueBowman]

don't give up on Martin William.  while embarrassing the binding issue has long been resolved and never impacted wood bound guitars.  To my ear, Martin is still the quintessential acoustic sound.

Standing by my original comment but to each his own

I've been consistently impressed with their standard line over the last couple years. While I've moved away from dreads for the most part, the newer D-18s I've played have been the most consistent of all the standard models. Excellent guitars for a lot of players. 

[William2]

Great topic and some good replies I will come back and read when I have a little more time.

I have a Gibson Hummingbird that is currently my favourite guitar.  A lot of people say dreadnoughts or the slightly narrower nut width or bridge spacing is not good for fingerstyle but my hands and body learned to adapt where it is a non issue for me.  Gibson has the most distinctive designs in acoustic and electric.

My gripe has always been that they shoehorn the under saddle pickup in all of their guitars.  I changed mine out for a K&K pure.  I was wanting to add an L-00 to my collection but didnt want to have to remove electronics from an expensive brand new guitar...then I saw the century series come out.  No electronics and a hardcase.  NOW we're talkin'!

Everytime gibson tries a new line, all the reviews say the same thing...its always a stripped down version with a softcase designed to give players a USA guitar for less money.  I think the century series they marketed it as a homage or celebration of Gibson design that in my opinion makes it more appealing than cost cutting to get something USA made.

The gibson acoustic sound for me was a bit of an acquired taste because when I was getting into steel string and I'd pick them up in the store, they always seemed to have a mellow or darker, maybe even muted sound, especially compared with a balanced and crisp sound of my Larrivee...after a while I came to appreciate the tone of Gibsons, and of course they are the nicest looking to my eyes.

I agree with you on the Hummingbird. I love the looks of them. As far as acoustic guitars go, I wish they were offered without pickups that could be added. My dealer plays Gibson and told me the first things he does is take out what Gibson has in there. I think the Century models attract me because there is no electronics, they are all lightly built, and I love the looks of that case that they come in.

[B0WIE]

 Since I've seen Michael Watts brought up before on this forum, I'll mention an interesting video I saw today. Michael showed off his new guitar, which was a custom 12-fret J45. He's a "modern-dread" player, which is sort of the opposite end of the dread spectrum. I totally get it though. The more confident I get in my playing, the more I appreciate different instruments.

[BlueBowman]

Since I've seen Michael Watts brought up before on this forum, I'll mention an interesting video I saw today. Michael showed off his new guitar, which was a custom 12-fret J45. He's a "modern-dread" player, which is sort of the opposite end of the dread spectrum. I totally get it though. The more confident I get in my playing, the more I appreciate different instruments.

Those 12-fret J-45s get amazing reviews online. I know a couple die-hard acoustic players who love them -- guys who have gone through A LOT of nice guitars.

[StringPicker6]

Yeah, people rave about that Keb Mo 12 fret model.  I think it also has a shallower body than a standard j-45.

[teh]

Over the years, I just haven't found the right Gibson to stop me in my tracks. I find it interesting that a lot of guitar manufacturers are now offering satin finish models at a lower price point on some of their more popular models that typically have a gloss finish. Examples include Martin, Gibson and Huss & Dalton just to name a few. Maybe I can find a new generation Gibson or the right older one that will trigger my interest.

I have three gloss finish Martins and one Alvarez as well as four satin finish Larrivee acoustics and a recently acquired Violet Series Furch which has an open pore finish. My personal experience is that the satin/open pore finish highlights the wood grain better and is extremely durable. The finish on my two Vancouver built Larrivees is in better condition than my Nazareth built Martin OM-35 which is two years newer.

[B0WIE]

I guess it's worth noting that most satin finishes are some type of poly while a gloss Martin is nitro. That satin poly finishb is strong but, it will never look right once it's scratched and there's really no way to make an invisible repair, or anything close to it. Nitro is more susceptible to fine scratches but, some (including myself) would say that's part of the charm as they get a really nice, soft look as they age. And, you can do invisible repairs since nitro melts into itself.

 I will say that the Larrivee aesthetic works really well for the finishes they use. For instance, maple binding looks fantastic under a finish that doesn't yellow. Such a clean look.

[Queequeg]

I guess it's worth noting that most satin finishes are some type of poly while a gloss Martin is nitro. That satin poly finishb is strong but, it will never look right once it's scratched and there's really no way to make an invisible repair, or anything close to it. Nitro is more susceptible to fine scratches but, some (including myself) would say that's part of the charm as they get a really nice, soft look as they age. And, you can do invisible repairs since nitro melts into itself.

 I will say that the Larrivee aesthetic works really well for the finishes they use. For instance, maple binding looks fantastic under a finish that doesn't yellow. Such a clean look.

I've seen so many old Gibsons with checked or gatored finishes.
I am really drawn to the look.
The 'relic' thing doesn't do much for me personally, but I guess most people don't find the finish cracks as appealing as I do. If they did, they would build them that way.
Like the wrinkles in an old person's face, it looks seasoned and wise.

[B0WIE]

I've seen so many old Gibsons with checked or gatored finishes.
I am really drawn to the look.
The 'relic' thing doesn't do much for me personally, but I guess most people don't find the finish cracks as appealing as I do. If they did, they would build them that way.
Like the wrinkles in an old person's face, it looks seasoned and wise.

I think you're definitely not alone. Though they have ways of checking new nitro, it's not the same as one that's shrunk and gone through the full process. 20 years ago, I was so upset when my LP checked. Now, I'm so happy it did.

Though I just can't appreciate artificial relicing (I don't look down on it, but I would feel awkward buying one) I really like Collings new "antiqued" finish where the nitro and hardware are all lightly brushed. It looks really natural and gives everything a soft glow. So handsome and cozy.

[BlueBowman]

Though I just can't appreciate artificial relicing

It's the opposite of honest play wear. I'm also not a fan.

But the finish checking is another matter. I think there's a good argument that it might aid/help the guitar in sounding a little more open. My only proof of that is playing similar guitars, where one is artificially checked and the other isn't. I always seem to prefer the checked ones. I'd be open to having a guitar artificially checked, especially if it were a new one built in the vintage style.