# Gibson acoustic guitars????



## Duane (May 11, 2010)

First off I love Gibson electric guitars. Love my 335, les paul standard jr and special and my ES 137.

Why is it everytime I am in a store and pick up a Gibson acoustic I question what I am hearing. Yesterday I picked up a Hummingbird. It sounded flat and had no bottom???? A Larrivee at one third the price sounds fantastic. A 16 series Martin sounds fantastic again at a thrid the price.

What am I missing??


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## GuitarsCanada (Dec 30, 2005)

Other than vintage you don't hear much up Gibson acoustic's today. Interesting but very true


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## pattste (Dec 30, 2007)

I find that Gibson guitars are very sensitive to the condition of the strings. Most stores have old strings on the guitars so they don't sound their best. Many manufacturers ship with coated strings and that gives them an edge. I have played many spectacular Gibson acoustics in the last couple of years. I even bought one, a limited edition (Custom Shop) Gibson Northern Jumbo:


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## washburned (Oct 13, 2006)

Gibson's have to play in....they get lots better with age and playing, and they like medium or heavieer strings to "get the top moving" as my tech says. They definitely have a distinct voice, which I describe as "darker" than other dreadnoughts. They do like fresh strings too.


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## Scottone (Feb 10, 2006)

The new one's don't do much for me either, but the vintage one's are a different story.

The best sounding acoustic that I've ever played was a 50's "Country and Western" model. In hindsight, I should have just ponied up the 5K and took it home....would have permanently killed my acoustic GAS.


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## mrmatt1972 (Apr 3, 2008)

The ones made in Bozeman are damn fine, but WAYYYY out of my league.


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## Ship of fools (Nov 17, 2007)

You know Gibsons are a very tricky thing, either you like them or you end up hating them. Not a guitar that everybody enjoys for me I have found most to be very over priced for what you got these days some of the older ones were to die for. But try and pry one of those out of the owners hands and still be standing after. Me for the price I would rather look at a Larrivee or better yet a Morgan for about the same cost and I know what I am getting down the road, were as some of my friends prefer the Gibson over my tastes, biut to each there own, when you find the right one then its magic and when its been played to death then its music.Ship


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## Mike MacLeod (Nov 27, 2006)

My experience with Gibsons suggests that there is a greater unit to unit variation than in many other guitar production facilities. Even the Gibson Flat-top book points this out. Consistency of bracing, even in the early days (outside of the 'Banner Years') were spotty at best. Where Martin would have everything jigged up to the stratosphere, Gibson left that to the individual builders. I expect this is not the case for the newer instruments, but for some reason the modern guitars seem to show the same variability. Still, I've played a few very nice Gibsons. Still not in the same league as the various small makers, though. I love the private builders. We are living in an amazing age.


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## Scottone (Feb 10, 2006)

Mike MacLeod said:


> My experience with Gibsons suggests that there is a greater unit to unit variation than in many other guitar production facilities. Even the Gibson Flat-top book points this out. Consistency of bracing, even in the early days (outside of the 'Banner Years') were spotty at best. Where Martin would have everything jigged up to the stratosphere, Gibson left that to the individual builders. I expect this is not the case for the newer instruments, but for some reason the modern guitars seem to show the same variability. Still, I've played a few very nice Gibsons. Still not in the same league as the various small makers, though. I love the private builders. We are living in an amazing age.


Have to agree with you there Mike...the smaller builders (Bourgeois, Collings, Santa Cruz, etc) are making some really great guitars.


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## Jeff Flowerday (Jan 23, 2006)

From my experience, the majority of Gibson acoustics are duds. I tried every Gibson I could find over 10 years. I finally found 1 exceptionally good Dove about a year back, I didn't buy it but a buddy did and I've been kicking myself since.


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## Jeff Flowerday (Jan 23, 2006)

Actually here it is:

http://www.guitarscanada.com/acoustic-guitar/29451-after-years-trying-gibsons-2.html#post253621


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## six-string (Oct 7, 2009)

gee is this another Gibson bashing thread? 
i don't know where you guys shop for guitars, but i've tried out some fine Gibson acoustics in the past few years.
some of the stuff out of Bozeman MT sounds great to me.
at least as good as the stuff Martin is pumping out these days in a similar price range.
and i like their stuff better than the similar priced Taylors.
(actually i'm not keen on Taylors at all. but i'm not sure why? just don't sound right to me.)
now personally i chose to spend my money on a Collings 
and i have a lingering desire to pickup a Bourgeois too.

oh well...over to you Gibbo bashers-


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## Scottone (Feb 10, 2006)

six-string said:


> gee is this another Gibson bashing thread?
> i don't know where you guys shop for guitars, but i've tried out some fine Gibson acoustics in the past few years.
> some of the stuff out of Bozeman MT sounds great to me.
> at least as good as the stuff Martin is pumping out these days in a similar price range.
> ...


I don't know why you are bashing Taylor...


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## Ship of fools (Nov 17, 2007)

Fail to see six- strings where anybody was bashing Gibby's they are what they are. Some like them like some don't like Taylors, its all what you hear in the sound some folks like that Gibson todays sound and some of us well we don't care for it. If you are going to spend that kind of money well you should buy what you like the sound of it. I have played some Bourgeois's that sonded like heaven and some that were well no better then some production guitars, not that there is anything wrong with production guitars I know I have a few in my collection but we all hear something differnt and there fore you'll have those that love'em and those that don't, and besides bashing is when you turn around and say soemthing like " All Gibsons made these days suck " not true completely but some do some don't and as long as they are being enjoyed by players well thats all that matters at the end of the day.Ship............just my 3 cents worth of experieince.


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