Gibson 2017 Acoustics Announced
The new 2017 Gibson Acoustic range has been announced and they have got some new faces as well as some old styles that you love and know.
All in all, not much has changed but you don’t need to fix something that isn’t broken and the Gibson Montana factory definitely know a thing or two about making an amazing acoustic guitar to suit any style.
Gibson acoustic guitars are all made at their Montana factory by a very small team who still believe in hand-building the instruments. Each guitar is carefully assembled by the team and features a thin nitro finish to ensure maximum resonance from instruments.
High Performance Models
The first thing you’ll notice is that the HP models don’t actually have G-Force automatic tuning system. Though this can be found on some other models in the 2017 range (The Progressive J45 and Songwriter). They have however got advanced performance necks which have a flatter radius (16″) which makes it much easier to actually fret the notes and allows you to get a lower action.
They’ve got slightly thinner bodies, but that won’t detract from the sound at all. In fact, because there is less air in the body, it means less energy is required to get a big sound out of the guitar. This also makes them far more comfortable to play live as they won’t dig into your ribs when standing up and playing.
Speaking of playing live, I should also mention the incredible LR Baggs Element pickup which is a piezo-style pickup that sits under the saddle but gives you the full,warm sound of a microphonic pickup.
- Gibson HP 415 W Electro Acoustic Guitar in Natural 2017
- Gibson HP635 W Electro Acoustic Guitar in Antique Natural 2017
- Gibson HP735 R Electro Acoustic Guitar in Antique Natural 2017
- Gibson HP835 Supreme Electro Acoustic Guitar in Antique Natural
- Gibson HP665 SB Electro Acoustic Guitar in Antique Natural 2017
Vintage Models
You’ll also notice that Gibson 2017 feature a few Vintage models which are artificially aged to give the feel and sound of an old acoustic without having 60 years to produce that tone.
The top wood is thermally baked before it’s used to make the guitar. Once this is done, it’s connected to the side woods with hide glue (As all Gibson acoustics are) which are then connected to the back wood.
That fact that older acoustics sound better is not a myth. The last remaining cells in the wood die out as the guitar ages, which creates a much more dense barrier for the sound to resonate against. This also makes the wood more pliable in the sense that sound will rock the whole top, creating more volume and a better tone from the guitar.
On a microscopic level, this wouldn’t make much of a difference, but when the whole top moves, that’s when you get an awesome sounding acoustic. Thermally aging the top speeds up the process so you can buy an old sounding guitar out of the box.
- Gibson Hummingbird Vintage Acoustic Guitar in Cherry Sunburst
- Gibson J-45 VINTAGE Acoustic Guitar in Vintage Sunburst 2017
Progressive
The progressive models are definitely for the forward-thinking player. This is your ultimate gigging guitar because it has an LR Baggs lyric pickup that will amplify any nuance of your playing including percussive tapping.
They feature the G-Force tuning system which will allow you to change between alternate tunings on the fly.
Most notably, the Progressive models have a tune-o-matic bridge on them. Yes, you read that correctly. Normally seen on Gibson electrics, the tune-o-matic is a titanium saddle that allows you to adjust intonation for each string individually. A feature that few acoustics have so you can optimize your guitar to have perfect pitch all the way up the neck. It will also increase sustain and overall volume of the guitar because of the metal on metal contact.
- Gibson Songwriter Cutaway Progressive Acoustic Autumn Burst
- Gibson J-45 PROGRESSIVE Acoustic Guitar in Autumn Burst 2017
Traditional
And lastly, you can feel safe knowing Gibson will continue to make the legendary, SJ-200, Hummingbird and J-45! These iconic guitars are still in range as well as a few others. All of them now feature an enhanced VOS finish.
The Montana factory are using a finer grit sandpaper to give you a more vintage look and feel, but it also improves the resonance of the guitars because it thins out the already light Nitro lacquer.
All of the models also feature rolled fret edges to improve playing comfort, especially for chordal work and their traditional look. Everyone wants a sunburst J-45 right?
