What's the Scoop on Gibson Acoustic Guitars?



There is nothing quite like the feel or sound of Gibson Acoustic Guitars. If you are shopping for an acoustic guitar you’ll understand exactly what I mean when I say this, especially if you have actually had the opportunity to play one. There’s just one problem; the price!

If you are not shocked (as I was) at the price tag on most of the Gibson models then you are probably making a lot more money per year than I am!

Gibson Arlo Guthrie
Arlo Guthrie
Gibson Robert Johnson L-1
Robert Johnson L-1
Gibson AJ Advanced Jumbo
AJ Advanced Jumbo
Small-body fingerstyle blues guitar - USED ONLY 25" scale guitar for blues style playing - USED ONLY Jumbo with rosewood back & sides offers rich sound

Gibson J-185 True Vintage
J-185 True Vintage
Gibson Hummingbird True Vintage VOS
Hummingbird True Vintage VOS
Gibson Montana Gold Flame
Montana Gold Flame
Jumbo with AAA-grade Sitka spruce top - USED ONLY Famous classic with engraved hummingbird pickguard Bright-sounding guitar made in Montana, USA - USED ONLY

Gibson Custom Firebird
Custom Firebird
Gibson 50th Anniversary 160 Hummingbird
50th Anniversary 160 Hummingbird
Gibson SJ-200 True Vintage
SJ-200 True Vintage
Hand-made in Montana with "flame" motiff Recreation of 1960 topseller Super jumbo is king of the flattops

Gibson 1937 L-00
1937 L-00
Gibson L7-C Archtop
L7-C Archtop
Gibson 1942 J-45 Legend
1942 J-45 Legend
Small size with mahogany sides gives great base - USED ONLY Looks like electric guitar and with a banjo bounciness - USED ONLY Remake of J-45 legend, arguably best acoustic guitar ever

Gibson Acoustic Guitars

Take the Gibson Zodiac acoustic guitar. This private reserve model has a MRSP of $17,000 (though most music stores sell it for decidedly less). But even models such as the Gibson 50th Anniversary 1960 Hummingbird (an excellent guitar by the way) or the Gibson Blues King will run you $4,600 and $3,000 respectively; prices that may have your eyes popping.

I don’t know about you, but I really don’t have that much extra money to spend on an acoustic guitar no matter how good the quality!

The real question then comes down to this; are Gibson acoustic guitars worth the price you pay? The answer lies in the quality of the tonewoods and workmanship.

About the Quality of Gibson Acoustic Guitars

All guitars that bear the Gibson label (not its subsidiaries such as Epiphone) are made in Nashville, Tennessee at Gibson USA (the Gibson manufacturing plant). Each of the guitars is made by hand using top quality tonewoods and a step-by-step construction process that results in superb tonal quality.

Honestly, when you compare real live Gibson acoustic guitars to the company’s lower quality counterparts, and indeed to many of their competition’s models, there is no comparison. In fact, I know plenty of musicians who will play nothing but a Gibson. But do you really need to pay thousands of dollars to get the Gibson quality of tone and its ease of playability?

The Real Value of Gibson Acoustic Guitars

Let’s face it. A Gibson guitar sells on its reputation (which is awesome). And being a company that is (of course) looking to make money, they are going to charge what people are willing to pay. But there are a number of smaller guitar companies out there that make handmade solid wood guitars for quite a bit less than the Gibsons or Martins of the world,such as those made by Washburn, Seagull and even Breedlove.

Mind you, the resale of these lesser-known brands is decidedly less than the better known guitars. With a Gibson, you can get a good bit of your investment back, especially if you sell your used guitar to a collector. Of course chances are that you won’t want to sell your guitar since you’ll enjoy playing it so much. But it can bring you peace of mind to know that if you really need to you can make back a good bit of the money that you spent.

So don’t feel that if you want an awesome quality guitar that you have to spend the small fortune that Gibson asks for its models. If playing is what is important to you, if tone and quality are your specifications, there are other options. However, if the thrill of actually owning and playing Gibson acoustic guitars brings you the same sort of satisfaction that it does for me, you just may want to invest. The choice, of course, is yours.

Review of the Gibson J185 Series

Tell us about your favorite Gibson Acoustic Guitars!

Include the model # and explanation of why your guitar is so great!

What Other Visitors Have Said

Click below to see reviews from other visitors to this page...

Gibson Acoustic Guitars: 1942 J-45 Legend 
Gibson Acoustic Guitars: 1942 J-45 Legend ”The Guitar That Legends Are Made Of” The Gibson 1942 J-45 Legend Acoustic Guitar is an exacting …

Gibson Acoustic Guitars: 1937 L-00 
Gibson Acoustic Guitars: 1937 L-00 ”The Dead Ringer That’s a Vintage Singer” The Gibson 1937 L-00 Acoustic Guitar is a precise reproduction …

Gibson Acoustic Guitars: 50th Anniversary 1960 Hummingbird 
Gibson Acoustic Guitars: 50th Anniversary 1960 Hummingbird ”Top Seller with Soul” The Gibson 50th Anniversary 1960 Hummingbird acoustic guitar …

Gibson Acoustic Guitars: Custom Firebird 
Gibson Acoustic Guitars: Custom Firebird “A Real Hot Number” The Gibson Firebird Custom Acoustic Guitar is truly a unique piece of work. …

Gibson Acoustic Guitars: Montana Gold Flame  
Gibson Acoustic Guitars: Montana Gold Flame ”A Vibrant Beauty” The Gibson Montana Gold Flame Maple Acoustic Guitar does credit to the Gibson …

Gibson Acoustic Guitars: Hummingbird True Vintage VOS 
Gibson Acoustic Guitars: Hummingbird True Vintage VOS ”A True Classic is ReBorn” When you look at the Gibson Hummingbird True Vintage VOS …

Gibson Acoustic Guitars: J-185 True Vintage 
Gibson Acoustic Guitars: J-185 True Vintage ”A Vintage-Style Guitar with a Big Sound” Made with a premium (AAA-grade) Sitka spruce top …

Gibson Acoustic Guitars: L7-C Acoustic Archtop 
Gibson Acoustic Guitars: L7-C Acoustic Archtop ”A Look and Tone That’s All Its Own” The Gibson L7-C Acoustic Archtop Guitar has a look and …

Gibson Acoustic Guitars: SJ-200 True Vintage 
Gibson Acoustic Guitars: SJ-200 True Vintage ”A Guitar That Brings Out Your Best” The Gibson SJ-200 True Vintage Acoustic Guitar has a lot …

Gibson Acoustic Guitars: AJ Advanced Jumbo 
Gibson Acoustic Guitars: AJ Advanced Jumbo ”Guitar Worth Investing In” The Gibson AJ Advanced Jumbo Guitar is as beautiful today as were …

Gibson Acoustic Electric Guitars: Blues King 
Gibson Acoustic Electric Guitars: Blues King ”A Blues Guitar You’ll Fall In Love With” The Gibson Blues King Acoustic-Electric Guitar combines …

Gibson Acoustic Guitars: Robert Johnson L-1 
Gibson Acoustic Guitars: Robert Johnson L-1 ”Small Bluesman's Guitar with Big Sound” “Sleek” just about sums up the Robert Johnson L-1 Acoustic …

Gibson Acoustic Guitars: Arlo Guthrie LG-2 3/4 Size 
Gibson Acoustic Guitars: Arlo Guthrie LG-2 3/4 Size ”A Legendary Guitar for the Fingerstylist” The Gibson Arlo Guthrie LG-2 ¾ Size Acoustic …

Gibson Acoustic Guitars: PR200 
I first picked up a guitar when I was very little and have attempted to learn how to play many times. Through my grade school years I owned a Gibson PR200 …

1972 J-55 Not rated yet
Love it.

Gibson Acoustic Guitars: 1960 Model Not rated yet
I came across this website, and I love it! It has such great information, and shows what each of the guitars look like. I had a Gibson guitar in the …

Click here to write your own.

Gibson Acoustic Guitar Gibson Acoustic-Electric Guitars

Return from Gibson Acoustic Guitars to Best Acoustic Guitar






Winter Clearance Sale on Guitars at Musicians Friend. Save up to 88% MSRP!

Custom Search

Newsletter

E-mail Address
First Name
Then

Don't worry — your e-mail address is totally secure.
I promise to use it only to send you Play Acoustic Guitar Newsletter.

Acoustic Guitar Reviews

Guitar Buying Guide

Child Guitar Reviews