Mention the words ‘signature guitar’ and you will usually provoke one of two distinct reactions.

Some see the ultimate expression of an artist’s vision, an instrument shaped by years of touring and real-world experience. Others see little more than a standard production guitar with an inflated price tag and a famous name slapped on the headstock.

The truth lies somewhere in the middle, split between two design philosophies: instruments built as faithful replicas, and instruments engineered to refine and innovate.

The first approach treats the guitar as a historical artefact. Faithfully replicated models such as Gibson’s recent ‘Greeny’ Les Paul, cloned from the iconic 1959 ’Burst shared by Peter Green, Gary Moore and Kirk Hammett, aren’t trying to improve the original template.

Their purpose is to preserve a frozen moment of rock history for a new generation. Conversely, the second philosophy looks forward, asking a practical engineering question: how can we make this guitar better?

These instruments use an artist’s experience to refine ergonomics, hardware and electronics. Steve Vai’s groundbreaking Ibanez JEM is the ultimate example. Its structural innovations solved real performance roadblocks, eventually trickling down into the mass-market RG series and permanently changing how modern guitars are built.

Problem Solvers

The best signature guitars rarely begin as marketing ideas; they start with a player trying to solve a persistent problem. Fender chief product officer, Justin Norvell, explains that this collaborative spirit is part of the company’s original DNA.

“It’s an ongoing conversation we have with everybody,” Norvell notes. “Leo wasn’t a guitar player. It was Bill Carson, Freddie Tavares… all of these players that would just say, ‘I like this. I don’t like this. Can you put an extra pickup on there? Can you do this?’”

Artist-driven R&D existed long before formalised signature models did. Michael Schulz, Fender’s head of Signature Artists, says that same spirit drives modern projects, though artists now arrive with highly specific insights from heavy touring and recording.

“We’re getting more information from artists saying, ‘Hey, I’ve been doing this thing. I’ve been hearing this thing… let’s R&D it.’ So then, we’ll try to figure out how to make it work.”

In much the same way, the PRS DGT grew organically from a friendship starting in the mid-1980s between David Grissom and Paul Reed Smith. As they exchanged ideas, Grissom’s road and studio experiences led to requests for a thicker mahogany body, revised pickups and player-focused changes.

Those ideas first evolved into the PRS McCarty model, which Grissom initially declined to put his name on out of respect for Ted McCarty’s legacy.

Grissom explains: “I was really at the point where… nobody knows who I am and I don’t want my name on the guitar. A lot of the ideas that I was trying to translate into the PRS were really ideas that Ted McCarty had pioneered at Gibson, and I thought it was extremely fitting and appropriate to recognise Ted for all his contributions.”

Only after years of continued refinement did that platform become the DGT. As Grissom recalled: “We bounced ideas off each other for years and we would always come up with different stuff.”

As Grissom’s session work increased, the guitar had to cover more ground. “We changed the control layout so the bridge pickup volume knob was closer to my little finger because I worked that constantly,” he explains. “We worked on the neck profile quite a bit over several years with quite a few prototypes.”

Norvell witnessed a similar level of microscopic detail when collaborating with Radiohead’s Ed O’Brien, where tiny shifts in wood dimensions mattered.

“I remember we were messing with different necks,” Norvell recalled, “and Ed was feeling 10 thousandths of an inch on the back shape of neck. ‘Well, this one’s a little bigger.’ We’d get out the digital calipers and, sure enough, the neck was bigger.”

The Eric Johnson Signature Stratocaster illustrated how demanding an artist can be when every detail affects performance. Norvell recalls that “Eric wasn’t interested in changing a guitar simply for the sake of change; he was searching for a very specific feel and response. The project ultimately involved testing more than 60 pickup sets and developing Fender’s first compound back-shape neck.”

But the real takeaway was much bigger than any single component. It was about getting every element to vibe together perfectly. “We always reduce it to the components,” Norvell says. “But, really, it was about designing a guitar that’s optimised to be the best version of itself where all the components work together in harmony.”

This same holistic approach defined the development of the PRS DGT, where Grissom focused heavily on achieving a seamless dynamic response across the entire fretboard.

The pickups became a major focal point of the R&D process. Instead of settling for high-gain performance or sterile vintage replication, he pushed for a balanced pickup voiced to deliver rich output and musical warmth without losing an ounce of single-coil-like openness and clarity.

“I still felt like there was too much midrange, too much gain,” he says, “but I didn’t want it to be sterile. I’m trying to get that sweet spot, where you do have mids, but you don’t sacrifice the sweet top-end and the harmonic complexity.”

Factory manufacturing methods, like pickup potting, became part of the discussion. Grissom questioned whether soaking them too long in wax killed the sound.

“If you’re letting them soak in a tub of wax for 10 minutes,” he says, “you’re killing all that air around them.” The solution was subtle: “To this day, they just go in for a little bit, and we don’t do the vacuum where it pulls the wax through.”

That level of detail carried through the entire instrument, down to the fret bevels, spec’d for “maximum real estate, but with no sharp edges”. He sums up the philosophy simply: “Everything about that guitar is spec’d out. It’s not an accident. It’s not left to chance.”

Tried & Tested

Real-world testing is equally vital. Fender’s Michael Schulz recalls sending Mike McCready an early Road Worn Strat prototype to play on stage with Pearl Jam. McCready came back with direct operational notes: “Hey, this sounds great, but I need this changed a little bit – I need this neck thing fixed right here a little bit.”

For Schulz, that was definitive proofing: “How much more R&D truth can you get than having this be played during Yellow Ledbetter and Alive and Even Flow live with Pearl Jam?”

Grissom describes the exact same idea from the player’s side. His suggestions were “born out of thousands of gigs and hundreds of sessions”, but success required “the ability to take those suggestions, put them into a guitar, and then hit the road, or go make a couple of records to see if they worked”.

Jared James Nichols’ signature model evolved even more organically. Nichols took his own Les Paul, removed the neck pickup, stripped the controls and rewired it with a single bridge P-90 and one volume knob. The guitar became his main instrument long before a brand got involved. When Gibson approached him, Nichols says the development was remarkably collaborative.

“They let me pick whatever components I wanted,” he recalls. Crucially, Nichols chose to build the guitar as an Epiphone, rather than a Gibson Custom Shop model, wanting something working musicians could realistically afford.

Perhaps no model better illustrates the power of artist-driven R&D than Steve Vai’s collaboration with Ibanez. Rather than modifying an existing production model, Vai worked with engineers to build a guitar from scratch.

The resulting JEM introduced innovations such as the Monkey Grip, enhanced upper-fret access, advanced switching and the ‘Bear Claw’ tremolo rout – all practical solutions to Vai’s real playing challenges.

Meanwhile, Paul Reed Smith rejects the idea of a standard blueprint for signature guitars, noting every collaboration follows its own path.

“It’s all different,” Smith explains. “What I did with Herman Li, what I did with David Grissom, what I did with Carlos Santana – all completely different stories.” In fact, Herman Li’s model took nearly a decade because “he didn’t just want a guitar. He initially wanted a synthesizer controller that would do things that most guitars won’t do.”

By contrast, “David wanted a McCarty guitar with a tremolo, he wanted everything right”. Ultimately, Smith says, “it’s not a label-slapping moment where you just throw an artist’s name on the back of a headstock. It’s getting these people what they want and having their legacy and their pride involved.”

Together, these stories show that signature guitar R&D is multifaceted. Whether it is a long factory development cycle, a prototype tested on stage, or a guitarist stripping a Les Paul down to the essentials, the best examples all share one core idea: the artist brings the problem, the builder helps find the solution, and the guitar becomes stronger because both sides listen.

Back To Business

Behind every successful signature guitar is a massive investment of time, money and trust. Long before reaching a dealer’s wall, manufacturers spend years refining prototypes alongside an artist. It is a major risk, with no upfront guarantee that the instrument will appeal beyond a core fanbase.

For some players, royalties from a successful signature guitar can provide long-term financial stability while cementing an artist’s legacy. While David Grissom and Steve Vai both acknowledge the economic benefits, they insist that a guitar must ultimately stand on its own merits. Players buy an instrument because it performs, regardless of whose signature is on the headstock.

To make it all work, the guitar market has split into very distinct price points and tiers. At the ultra-premium end, limited Custom Shop micro-runs function less like tools and more like fine art or financial assets. The benchmark remains Gibson’s 2004 Jimmy Page Les Paul.

The 25 ‘Played and Signed’ models originally retailed for $25,000 and now routinely command over $80,000 at auctions. Fender’s 2006 clone of Eric Clapton’s ‘Blackie’ retailed for $24,000 and sold out in hours. These instruments generate immediate, high-margin cash flow and can elevate a brand’s entire catalogue.

This split highlights a brand-new approach to signature collaborations. As Fender’s Justin Norvell and Michael Schulz reveal, modern collaborations look far beyond traditional rock heroes.

High-profile releases like the Bruno Mars and H.E.R. Stratocasters are explicitly engineered to introduce the guitar to younger, more diverse demographics. When a partnership really clicks, it doesn’t just sell gear; it builds a lasting legacy for the company and creates a classic instrument that keeps inspiring players long after the artist is gone.

More Than A Name

The ultimate compliment a signature guitar can receive is when players forget it’s a signature model at all. The Gibson Les Paul is the absolute benchmark. While it carries the name of a true pioneer, most guitarists don’t buy a Les Paul to sound like Les Paul; they buy it because it is one of the greatest electric instruments ever built. Somewhere along the way, the design simply became bigger than the signature.

The same has happened with many of today’s most successful artist models. The PRS DGT has earned a loyal following among players who appreciate its feel and versatility, regardless of whether they’re familiar with David Grissom’s music. Martin’s 000-28EC followed a remarkably similar path.

The guitar’s initial spark came during Eric Clapton’s legendary 1992 MTV Unplugged performance, where his stripped-down acoustic set gripped a global audience and put the short-scale Martin 000 back on the modern map.

But while that landmark broadcast served as the ultimate launchpad for his 1996 signature model, 30 years later, it remains a cornerstone of Martin’s line-up because players discovered it is simply an outstanding, highly responsive acoustic instrument in its own right.

Even the Ibanez JEM tells a similar story. Steve Vai’s ideas helped reshape the instrument, but many of the innovations developed during the project eventually found their way into Ibanez’s hugely successful RG series, extending far beyond the people who originally set out to buy a Steve Vai model.

A signature opens the door in a showroom, but the guitar has to do the rest. That’s what separates the truly great signature models from the forgettable ones. The best ones endure because they became exceptional instruments in their own right.

The Game-Changers

Most signature guitars are designed to solve problems, introduce new ideas or celebrate an artist’s contribution. Every once in a while, a guitar does something much bigger. It changes the entire direction of the company.

Gretsch is one of the best examples. By the early 1980s, the company had all but disappeared from the conversation. Production had stopped, quality had suffered, and the brand had lost relevance.

Then Brian Setzer stepped into the spotlight with the Stray Cats, proudly playing his well-worn Gretsch 6120. Suddenly, a new generation of players rediscovered the brand, sparking renewed interest that eventually led to a successful line of signature models and playing a significant role in the company’s resurgence.

Gibson experienced a similar revival in the late 1980s. At a time when pointy ‘SuperStrats’ dominated the hard-rock market, Slash walked on stage with a late-’50s-style Les Paul and reminded an entire generation why the design had become a classic. Demand for Les Pauls surged, helping re-establish the model as Gibson’s flagship guitar and laying the foundation for one of the company’s most successful signature relationships.

Stories like these are rare, but they illustrate the extraordinary influence the right artist and the right guitar can have. The best signature models don’t just sell well; occasionally, they revive forgotten designs, reshape public perception and help rewrite a company’s future.

• With thanks to ATB Guitars in Melksham (www.atbguitars.com) and Gas Station Guitars in Taunton for providing the stunning vintage guitars photographed for this issue’s cover feature
• This article first appeared in Guitarist. Subscribe and save.

The sale of a great player’s guitar collection is sometimes lamented by fans, however, it’s something we are seeing more often as celebrated musicians reflect on the road travelled and the road yet to come.

As a player always ready to embrace the future, Marr is clearly no servant to his own backstory. But why is he choosing to sell some of the most important guitars, amps and even the gold and platinum discs that he’s picked up over the years?

“He found the process of writing and publishing the book Marr’s Guitars in 2023 quite a cathartic experience,” says Amelia Walker, Christie’s Head of Private and Iconic Collections, who is overseeing the sale.

“In the process of writing the book about the guitars, he was getting them all out, holding them… finding the muscle memory of all these amazing songs that he’d written on them – particularly some of the earliest guitars – and then going out after the book was published and speaking about them…

“And then when that whole tour wrapped up, and it was time to put them away, the impression I got was that he didn’t want them just to get put away in cases again.

“With his [signature] Jag, he’s basically created an instrument that does everything he needs – so he doesn’t see as many opportunities to use a lot of these instruments in the future.

“And yet he wants them to be played, he wants them to find new owners and I think he really loves the idea of people coming up to him in years to come and saying, ‘I’ve just written a song on your D-28’, or ‘I’ve just played your Rickenbacker on stage,’ or whatever it might be. Or even if it’s not someone who performs, just ‘I love your guitar,’” Amelia says.

“The final lot count is 111,” she continues. “There are about 90 guitars and we’ve got about 10 gold records… actually gold, silver and platinum. Mainly Smiths, but also one for Electronic’s [eponymous debut] 1991 album and a recording he made with Bryan Ferry, which are all being sold for charity.

“And then there’s a collection of concert posters and promo posters, which again are all being sold for charity. There are about 10 amps as well – no pedals – and I think most of them are amps that he’s had for his whole career.”

It’s an impressive collection even when viewed simply as vintage instruments – but when you consider the music made with them, it adds real depth to Marr’s decision to let them go, and pass the proceeds of around 20 lots on to his chosen charities (The Guide Dogs for the Blind Association and the National Autistic Society).

Before they go under the hammer, we took the opportunity to take a close look at the most important (and distinctive) of his guitars, with Amelia as our guide.

1963 Epiphone Casino

“Compositionally, a lot of his songs start on acoustics, but How Soon Is Now was written on the Casino, over what sounds like the most prolific songwriting weekend of all time, when he wrote William, It Was Really Nothing and Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want and then How Soon Is Now as the third, just to top it off [laughs]. The fact he wrote the song on the Casino and then also used it to record that riff makes it very, very special.

“He used the Casino at Glastonbury in 1984 which, by all accounts, was the moment that the festival kind of shed its hippie roots and went into pop because [The Smiths] were in the pop sphere by that year.

“Then everyone rushed the stage and there were these guys trying to climb up the sheet metal in front of the stage, while he’s playing that guitar. Casinos have such a strong association with the music that he loved from the ’60s that he was listening to. So yeah, it’s a really cool thing, and everyone loves that song.”

1959 Gibson ES-355

“So this guitar is probably the one guitar – other than the Rickenbacker – that is most associated with the Smiths. I think it was probably the third guitar he owned in that band: he had a Gretsch [Atkins Super Axe], the Rickenbacker and then this.

“He got it because the Smiths went to New York between Christmas and New Year in 1983, and they were due to play their first show and to sign to Sire Records with Seymour Stein – they were already signed to Rough Trade in the UK but they were going to do their US deal [with Sire]. Johnny had heard about Sire doing a similar deal with Brian Jones, so he cheekily said, ‘We’ll sign to Sire if you buy me a guitar.’

“So they played their show on New Year’s Eve at Danceteria, and then on 2 January, Johnny marched Seymour to 48th Street and bought this guitar, which is a thing of beauty. He got back to the hotel and I think before even sitting down he wrote Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now.

“Johnny talks about songs ‘falling out of him’ and sort of just coming to him, as well as guitars giving him songs – and it seems that this guitar inspired him to do that. He then used it to record a lot of the Smiths’ second album [Meat Is Murder] and it’s seen on stage throughout 1984 and 1985.”

“He made a few modifications to it. It was, obviously, originally a stereo [output] guitar but he didn’t want it to be stereo so he switched it to mono. And then I think at some point in the late ’80s, Bill Puplett replaced the wiring harness but unfortunately we can’t date that because everything’s shielded and it’s really hard to see.

“But we still have the original [wiring harness] that he took out and from that we can tell the original pots must have been taken out before he bought the guitar as the harness that was in there dates to ’83 – all the pots are ’83. But it’s still got these lovely [original] Patent Applied For pickups.

“The Varitone must have been switched out as well because that dates from a bit later than 1959. The guitar’s factory order number dates it to late ’59, but then it was shipped on 2 February 1960. So it’s a bit of a hybrid, crossing over ’59 and ’60.”

1992/93 Rickenbacker 330

“When you think Johnny Marr, really you think Rickenbacker. This particular guitar also appears on the front cover of Supersonic by Oasis – just lying on the floor. That says a lot about Johnny’s generosity in lending instruments to other musicians and further underlines that he wants his guitars to be played. He wants them to give songs to other people.

“The Rickenbacker is [the sound of] This Charming Man and so many other songs. It’s his jangly sound and I think it was a deliberate choice at the time – he wanted his playing to go in a certain direction and that’s what the Rickenbacker did for him. His melodic arpeggio playing and picking out the individual strings of the chord, rather than just strumming, is so intertwined with the Rickenbacker.

“He got it in ‘83 and he used it to record the single This Charming Man, which was tracked along with a Telecaster that belonged to producer John Porter. I think Johnny only had two guitars at the time [this and the Gretsch Super Axe], and John thought he needed another one on that track.

“He then used it on most of the Smiths’ first record as well. I think a lot of that record was written on the Gretsch because he didn’t have the Rickenbacker at the time, but the recording itself is a lot of Rickenbacker with the Tele added in. It’s really so connected with the Smiths emerging and their whole story.”

Custom Roger Giffin T-Style 

“That guitar was custom-made by Roger Giffin. I think having played John Porter’s Tele, Johnny really wanted one. So Alan Rogan, who worked with The Who, Keith Richards and George Harrison, put [Marr’s then girlfriend, now wife] Angie in touch with Roger Giffin and she bought the guitar for him.

“It’s heavy – it weighs around the same as Tiger [Jerry Garcia’s custom electric built with exotic woods by Doug Irwin], around 10lbs. But the Roger Giffin guitar is iconic because of its unique look, and so many fans will remember it as the guitar he played on Top Of The Pops with the Smiths.

“Johnny switched out the neck humbucker after a while because originally it had a Mighty Mite zebra-coil pickup fitted. But now it’s got a different humbucker with these very distinctive hexagonal pole pieces – a Bare Knuckle ‘Juggernaut’. We don’t know when that mod was done but again the work was completed by Bill Puplett.

1963 Lake Placid Blue Fender Stratocaster

“That was a John Entwistle guitar, so that came from him, via Alan Rogan. There were about seven or eight guitars that came from John, who seemed to have the most amazing, huge collection of guitars… there’s a fantastic photograph taken around 1977 of him in his living room, literally surrounded by guitars – and we managed to spot one of Johnny’s in the photo, which is pretty cool [a Gretsch 6120].

“It’s actually composite – it’s got a ’65 neck, and the body is ’63, which is why he would have wanted it. He used it on Strangeways Here We Come, for the solo in Paint a Vulgar Picture – which is notable because it’s his first proper solo on a Smiths record.

“We don’t know what neck it had on it originally, but at some point in the late 1980s he took the neck off his sunburst Strat – which had this really beautiful bird’s-eye maple neck, and is really distinct because it has particular wear on the first and third fret, and switched it onto this Lake Placid Blue guitar.

“In late 1989 he was photographed with it for the cover of the January 1990 issue of Guitar Player magazine, with the maple neck. I don’t know when he put this [current] 1965 rosewood neck on it – we’re still verifying that.”

1977 Gretsch Atkins Super Axe

“This was Johnny’s only guitar for I don’t know exactly how long. It’s pre-Morrissey, pre-Smiths and I think – until he got the Rickenbacker– it was the only guitar he had. I think it was some sort of part-exchange when he sold his [prior] Les Paul. And it’s interesting that he chose this model.

“I don’t know if it was literally what was available in the shop, or if he was on the lookout for a Gretsch... but he was clearly looking to move away from the Les Paul when he swapped it for this. He wrote the whole of the first album on this, and recorded Hand In Glove on it.”

1984 Gibson Les Paul Standard

“He got this new in 1984. Again, I’m not sure of the exact date, but it was probably around September. When he bought it, it didn’t have a Bigsby – he put that on himself in about the summer of ’85, because we have photos of him with the Les Paul without a Bigsby on in December ’84 and March ’85. But then by the time the Smiths were on Top Of The Pops in October ’85, it had the Bigsby on. He’s said that if the building was on fire, this would be the guitar he’d grab.

“Because I think he’s done more on that guitar than any other in terms of consistent use throughout his career, even up until his current record that’s about to come out [The Age Of Everything], there are parts on that record that have been played with this particular Les Paul.”

“It’s got Seymour Duncans in now and I think they were double blacks originally, but they always had covers on them during his time in The Smiths, and then at some point they got swapped out again by Bill Puplett.

“We’re still investigating when the Seymour Duncans were fitted but, again, I think it would have been late ’80s, because he used the Les Paul in the music video for The The’s track Dogs Of Lust and you can very clearly see there’s a zebra in both positions – and that was in 1993.”

1978 9-Pickup Modified Fender Stratocaster

“We initially had no idea who created this, but we had another look at the instrument when we took some of the guitars to New York for an exhibition in late June. And we found a label indicating who [had carried out the major modifications]. It seems as though the idea was the concept of one brother, Stephen Liddard, with the work itself done by a Richard Liddard in 1991.

“So that would have been just before Johnny bought it from Music Ground in Doncaster. He bought it on a trip there with Noel Gallagher, just a day or two after they first met… Noel remembers Johnny saying, ‘Let’s go for a sandwich. Never buy guitars on an empty stomach.’

“But anyway he bought the 9-pickup Strat and, much later on, it was used in the video for his solo record Spirit Power And Soul. It’s amazing, just about the maddest thing you’ll ever see, and it was the concept of the Liddard brothers in, I presume, somewhere near Doncaster.”

1963 Gibson J-160E

“I think [he acquired this guitar] at the same time he bought the Casino when he was very Beatles-focused, and wanted that Beatles sensibility in his playing. This was around the time The Smiths moved to London just after they released their first record, and that was when he met Alan Rogan. This was when he started to have a bit of money to buy guitars and when his guitar-purchasing really sort of started taking off.

“He went from only having two to suddenly having three… five… seven guitars, and wanted them so he could do different things for specific reasons and sounds. He used it, as I mentioned before, when he wrote three of the most epic Smiths songs on a quiet weekend when the band had nothing on – William, It Was Really Nothing and Please Please Please Let Me Get What I Want were both written on that guitar.”

• Marr’s Guitars: The Johnny Marr Collection will go under the hammer on September 17. See Christies for more details.
• This article first appeared in Guitarist. Subscribe and save.

Just outside the Czech city of Brno, known for its motor racing circuit, there are rolling fields and orchards dotted with hamlets and canals.

Pulling up to the white stone frontage of an old mill in the village of Velké Němčice, you might think we were about to enter some artisanal throwback to a hand-crafted past. But a quick look around inside tells another story.

Five-axis robots cut precision neck joints, while humidity is micro-controlled in different areas of Furch’s factory to optimise the various processes taking place – from glueing bracing to soundboards, to fitting hi-tech climate-compensating truss rods to the guitars being built.

There is a certain boyish delight on CEO Petr Furch’s face as he explains how Furch engineers guitars as much as it crafts them. He’s a big believer in human hands doing the jobs that require lots of careful micro-decisions and judicious tweaks – like glueing binding to a guitar body.

But when it comes to the things that are at their best when they are simply deadly accurate, every time, like cutting a neck joint, he says without a shred of doubt that he prefers hi-tech robotics to do the job.

Like a football manager picking the best squad, he simply assigns people and machines to different stages in the construction of a guitar according to which choice will yield the best finished instrument, as he sees it.

It’s refreshing to hear after all the (admittedly compelling) emphasis on craft and legacy that established acoustic makers such as Gibson and Martin often employ. To be fair to them, they know that not only can they lean quite hard into history to sell their guitars but that people actually expect it of them – which can be its own form of gilded cage sometimes, if you want to branch out and try something new.

As a relatively young company that’s still building its profile around the world, Furch doesn’t have that problem. Instead, it has plenty of things to talk about concerning the future of acoustic guitar design, which is being defined in its workshops every day, according to the company.

Its guitars are now offered in one of two formats: Performance or Deluxe variants. The former comes with a high-quality LR Baggs pickup system, whereas the Deluxes are designed for an immersive unplugged experience and feature the elegant Booster Soundport system – a series of slots in the upper side of the guitar that spills some of the sound of the instrument back towards the player for a more immersive playing experience.

The company’s colour-coded system for indicating where each model sits in the overall range, from entry level to the highest spec the company offers, is perhaps the only unintuitive thing about their instruments (the cheapest guitars belong to the Violet range and the quality and features increase incrementally through the Blue, Green and Yellow ranges all the way up to the flagship, high-end Red range).

But what is common to all Furch guitars is perhaps more surprising than what differentiates them.

All have soundboards that have been individually analysed and tuned for the best resonance and performance, a high-end feature normally reserved for Custom instruments, and most of them feature some variation of the Bevel Duo system of a comfort armrest on the top edge of the guitar and a bellycut behind, again a feature normally only seen on high-end or custom acoustics but, at Furch, a pretty standard perk on its guitars.

With all this percolating in our minds, we managed to grab CEO Petr Furch – son of company founder, Frantisek Furch – for a chat amid various 45th Anniversary celebrations taking place at the factory during our visit, to talk about what it takes to be different and to genuinely move the state of the art forward in that most traditional area of lutherie: acoustic guitar design.

Furch has been around for 45 years now – what core values that were a feature of the company when it started are still true of it today?

I think even from the beginning, even in my father’s times, it was not really about making a copy of somebody else’s guitar. It was about improving the guitar in general. In the ’90s, we didn’t have so many possibilities. We didn’t have the budgets and the revenue we have right now, so we didn’t have so much possibility to invest in such great things [as we can do] today.

But still, I think the core [of our ethos] was: let’s improve the guitar somehow [with] things that customers need – or maybe they don’t know they need it, but it would be helpful for them – in terms of the ergonomics, durability or longevity of the guitar. Or, of course, the main thing: the sound.

I think these are our core values, which have been there basically since the first guitar. And these days, bigger-budget technology is available, and let’s say our internal knowledge – how to utilise that technology – these are new things and they’re opening new doors for us.

You have to consider that the guitar world and the world in general is a very dynamic place. Therefore, new ideas are coming, new technologies and new ways of how you can produce something. So if you mix it all together, you can always find some new way to improve [things], though that doesn’t mean that the older stuff was bad. It’s just that you have new possibilities, new knowledge, and so new opportunities. So that’s how I see guitar as well.

What’s interesting about Furch is that it isn’t just interested in the usual showpiece upgrades to a guitar’s tone such as a nice soundboard. You’ve spent just as much time coming up with a so-called Resonance-Enhancing Finish. What does that contribute to the sound of your guitars and why make it such a priority to get right?

The acoustic guitar generates its sound by vibrating the body of the guitar. Therefore, the physical properties of that ‘box’ are important and, of course, it has to somehow resonate the weight of the soundboard – and the flexibility of the soundboard is important.

So if you want to go deeper into the detail of the guitar construction, at some point you have to say to yourself, “Okay, how do I cover and protect this ‘box’?” And, at the same time, ‘How can I avoid compromising the sound?’

You’re trying to figure out, “What kind of protective cover should I put on it? What should be the material? Should it be soft or hard or thick or thin?” Years ago, that [question had] already prompted me to think about exactly what finish I’m going to use.

So we consulted with many companies that specialised in producing lacquers and finishes, and we came up with a formula for a material that is specific for us and specifically designed for a guitar body and guitar shapes. We had to really play with properties of the finish so it’s applicable, especially on round edges and sharp edges of the guitar.

Basically, we needed a lacquer that was as thin as possible and as hard as possible. But at the same time it must also be flexible somehow, though not soft, because the guitar body is always moving with humidity: the top is either lifting or dropping down, even the sides.

It took me more than a year in our spraying department, mixing different additives supplied by the manufacturer of the lacquer. And I was mixing and testing, spraying, curing, sanding and so on. After a year, we got to the [right] formula – I think it was in 2017 – where we started to apply this finish to all our guitars.

And actually these days we call it a Resonance-Enhancing Finish and we apply at least a little bit of that lacquer to all our guitars. Even if you have a [more basic] open-pore finish, we put a little bit of that lacquer on it because we found out that it really improves the sound.”

What tonal qualities does that Resonance-Enhancing Finish enhance, in your view?

Extra volume is the main thing that you can notice – but it’s improved balance as well, and enhanced high frequency a little bit, too. But the volume [boost] is really noticeable.

One of the most eye-catching innovations Furch has recently introduced is the CNR System Active neck joint and truss rod mechanism. It’s designed to automatically counteract changes to your setup that might happen when you take the guitar into different climate conditions, either drier or more humid. How does that work?

CNR Active System is a special neck-to-body joint. We made sure that it’s not visible from the outside, but inside there is this piece of wood that we call the Expansion Element. So the direction of the grain of this block of wood is set so it can absorb the humidity and expand and shrink with ambient humidity.

Basically, the expansion or shrinkage of that piece of wood [which is mechanically connected to the neck joint] is making the neck tilt backwards or forwards a little bit relative to the body…

If your top is exposed to high humidity and is lifting, the Expansion Element basically compensates for a change. And the other way around, if you have a guitar exposed to low humidity and the top is dropping [CNR Active will adjust the neck angle slightly to compensate], so the string action stays pretty much the same.

Also the added value to that concept is that you can use a special Allen key to perform what for years was termed a ‘neck reset’ in seconds. You very quickly adjust your neck angle and therefore your string action and playability in a couple of seconds, and this is very powerful.

It’s pleasing that amid all the hi-tech solutions Furch uses, a block of wood – albeit mounted in a precision-engineered mechanism – turned out to be the best material for automatically adjusting for changes in climate…

It makes sense. I mean, your top is also made of wood, and wood is reacting with certain dynamics and a certain speed to the humidity.

We were initially thinking about some artificial material [for the Expansion Element], for example, that probably could be more predictable than wood. But after all this, [wood] was the best solution. Because once you do a couple of tests, find the right length of that expansion element – basically, how big the expansion is going to be – then it really does the best job here.

Do you think of making acoustic guitars as a craft or a science?

I think it’s a little bit of both. I’m an analytical person, so I tend to work with data and I tend to [take steps to] obtain the data if I don’t have them.

But, of course, there are many things that I still don’t know about guitars and don’t understand about the guitar, so those are the blind spots for me, which still need to be explored. Those, for now, I just have to sort of intuitively decide – so in that way I would say it’s more like a craft.

What are the most interesting challenges that still lie ahead of you, in terms of crafting ever-better guitars?

Materials, for sure. Every year some materials become less and less available. That doesn’t mean that we will go away – or anybody should go away – from making wooden guitars because wood is still the best acoustically performing material out there and not every species is endangered.

But working with materials, that would be one topic not only for us [to expand our horizons on] but for all guitar manufacturers. Because when we are getting deeper and deeper in understanding the guitar and basically improving for guitar sound specifically, it’s getting tougher and tougher to make another step forward.

We have a couple of main [areas for evolving the art of making guitars] that we are still researching… there are always ideas. And there are also dead ends that we encounter, where we have to say, “Okay, we shouldn’t go this way because if the guitar would maybe end up being too expensive, the resulting sound improvement will be too small.”

So the [process of raising the game] gets more difficult with every new generation of our guitars. But I’m not complaining – this is the game and we’re gonna play it well. I like challenges and they give us the potential to improve ourselves.

• For more information, see Furch Guitars.
• This article first appeared in Guitarist. Subscribe and save.

LR Baggs has announced it’s changing its name. Going forward, the acoustic guitar expert will be known as ‘Baggs’.

The name change comes as part of the firm’s 50th anniversary celebrations, leading the way for a new modernized brand identity.

The ‘LR’ in LR Baggs referred to company founder, Lloyd. Dropping the initials is said to be part of a new initiative to ‘expand the story’ of the brand, and the result of a year-long appraisal of the Baggs identity.

The new name has been announced alongside the appointment of Lloyd Baggs’ daughter, Jenny Luckett, as Baggs’ Creative Director.

“Removing the LR isn't about removing Lloyd from the story,” says Luckett. “It's about expanding the story. It takes something that began with one person and makes room for all the people who have become part of it.

“To us, Baggs is the family, and that family is much bigger than Lloyd's actual family. It includes all the people who have helped build this company and all of the people who will be part of where it goes next.”

Baggs adds, “I'm thrilled beyond words for Jenny to be joining the company and helping guide it into the future.

“Not only is she amazingly talented and driven to do the right things, but she's thoughtful, kind and joyful. She's a born leader and a joy for all of us to work with.”

Lloyd’s role in the company will not change. His work will remain focused on product design and innovation.

Baggs has positioned itself as one of the leading brands in acoustic guitar tone. It has developed a number of industry-leading amp systems and instruments, including the HiFi Duet pickup and revolutionary AEG-1, which reinvented the acoustic electric guitar.

Head over to Baggs for more.

What is it?

The history of the Epiphone El Dorado might seem a little convoluted, but bear with us while we offer a thumbnail sketch of this model’s past.

Originally made in Gibson’s Kalamazoo factory in Michigan, the El Dorado was introduced into the USA catalogue in 1963, its square-shouldered dreadnought shape and large 412.7mm (16.25 inch) body width mimicking Gibson’s own recently released Hummingbird and Dove acoustics.

It was dropped from the USA line at the beginning of the 1970s, when Epiphone manufacture was switched to Japan, and was subsequently built at the Matsumoku factory. Here it became known as the FT-350 and enjoyed a few cosmetic changes while keeping its large dread credentials.

It was a Japanese El Dorado that became the soulful, genre-straddling guitar virtuoso Marcus King’s first guitar. And in honour of this, Epiphone has released a time-limited, made-in-China edition that sits just underneath that all-important £1k price point.

Casting a casual eye over the Epi El Dorado we have in front of us, it doesn’t exactly scream ‘signature guitar’. But then the eye is drawn to the outline of Marcus’s home state of South Carolina in mother-of-pearl on one side of the bridge and Tennessee’s Tri-Star emblem on the other.

Flip the guitar over and just above the neck volute it’s possible to make out Mr King’s signature in gold. All very subtle touches, devoid of any unnecessary flash. We like it. Meanwhile, if you were wondering about the somewhat ‘mod art’ pickguard, this apparently is modelled after the one on Marcus King’s original ’70s guitar.

Perusing the El Dorado’s spec, we find a spruce top, unspecified as to which exact type, but Sitka would be very high on the list of suspects as it’s a fairly common timber to find on Chinese-made instruments. In any case, it looks very fit for purpose and the Antique Natural gloss finish sets it off a treat and offers a subtle helping of vintage chic along the way.

The guitar’s back and sides are rosewood (again, no precise designation, but we suspect Indian) but the finish hasn’t done the grain pattern any favours on our example as it’s barely visible. A shame, because rosewood can be a beautiful wood to look at.

But, of course, results may vary from guitar to guitar and so on other models it might be more apparent. The neck is mahogany, with a rosewood ’board, festooned with real mother-of-pearl block inlays.

From what we’ve seen so far, the fixtures and fittings on the El Dorado reach far beyond its modest retail price, especially when we mention that the guitar comes in a very attractive black hard guitar case, itself embossed with Marcus’s signature in gold.

Elsewhere, we find bone used for both the 43mm nut and compensated saddle, plus Epiphone’s own Kluson-alike Deluxe tuners with metal buttons and a headstock shape that once again doffs its cap to Marcus King’s original Japanese-made model. There’s also an onboard pickup in the form of an LR Baggs Element Bronze VTC, with the controls tucked away out of sight at the top of the soundhole.

Overall, it’s an attractive package, especially if you’re a fan of larger dreadnought guitars. And if you’re curious as to what it sounds like, so were we…

Specs

• Price: $999 | £949 | €1,099 (inc hard case)
• Origin: China
• Type: Square-shouldered dreadnought
• Top: Spruce
• Back/Sides: Rosewood
• Max Rim Depth: 124mm
• Max Body Width: 407mm
• Neck: Mahogany
• Scale Length: 629mm (24.75 inches) 
• Tuners: Epiphone Deluxe
• Nut/Width: Bone/43mm
• Fingerboard: Rosewood
• Frets: 20
• Bridge/Spacing: Rosewood with compensated bone saddle/55mm
• Electrics: LR Baggs Element Bronze VTC
• Weight (kg/lb): 2.49/5.5
• Left-Handers: No
• Finish: Antique Natural gloss poly
• Contact: Epiphone

Build quality, usability and sounds

Turning the guitar over in our hands, there are no badly polished frets to contend with, and no sharp edges as we run our fingers along the neck, so we can assume that Epi’s Chinese-based quality-control department is well up to speed.

There were a couple of ‘pings’ from the nut when we were tuning the guitar, but these soon disappeared after a while and afterwards the Epi held its tuning well throughout the time we spent with it.

The neck is what Epiphone refers to as a “rounded C” and feels slightly chunkier than a ’60s Strat but is far from being unwieldy. We did notice that the guitar feels weightier than we would have expected. At approximately 2.49kg (5.5lb) it’s certainly a lapful, but that’s far from a deal-breaker.

Experimenting with a few campfire chords, we found a full and strident voice – if you’ve ever picked up and strummed, say, a Gibson Hummingbird, then you’ll know what we mean. There’s quite a reserve of power to the dynamic range and the guitar remained perfectly musical from a whisper to a roar.

We tried some fingerstyle as well and the El Dorado gave a very good account of itself here, too. If we were being hypercritical, we’d say that there are a few notes around the F# in the lower register that don’t ring out quite as stridently as the rest, but these weren’t dead spots as such, and possibly merely a foible with this particular instrument.

It’s always difficult to look into the future and foretell how an acoustic guitar will develop given the passage of time. But, from what we hear today, there’s every chance that the El Dorado could turn out to be quite an investment.

We tried it through the acoustic channel of our handy Boss Katana-50 EX and hit our first hurdle as the battery that comes with the guitar was flat. This has happened often in the past – and it’s really nobody’s fault – and we always have an emergency battery standing by just for this sort of eventuality.

It did remind us what a faff it is to slacken off all the strings and wrestle with the little Velcroed pouch attached to the neckplate, though. But all the detuning and retuning got rid of those ‘pinging’ strings we mentioned earlier and so the journey was worthwhile.

What we heard before we retrieved our precious Duracell was what we expected. The LR Baggs does a very good job of enhancing the natural sound of the guitar and setting a sound we enjoyed was quick and trouble free.

Verdict

Verdict: ★★★★½

What can we say? A perfectly capable-sounding dreadnought with a bit of history and collectability thrown in for good measure, for under a grand?

The Marcus King El Dorado easily hits the benchmark that Epiphone has set for itself over the last few years in that it’s a nicely built, well-equipped guitar with a set of very capable sounds that compares well with instruments costing at least twice as much.

Furthermore, despite the fact Epiphone isn’t saying exactly what ‘time-limited edition’ means in this context, it’s got to be factored in that it could very well hold its value and even sport the sort of second-hand premium that signature models sometimes attract in the future.

Guitar World verdict: If you ever find yourself in the market for a fully equipped and stage-ready dreadnought then the Epiphone Marcus King El Dorado should definitely feature on your shopping list.

Hands-on videos

Marcus King

• “Even with their sub-$500 tickets, these guitars have been built with some degree of care and expertise”: Epiphone J-45 Studio and J-200 Studio review
• This article first appeared in Guitarist. Subscribe and save.

Blind Guitars hails from Anglet in France with luthier Virgile Pilon at the helm.

Somewhat surprisingly, for such a modern-looking guitar, Virgile’s mission is to try to recreate the sound of the acoustic blues players from the 1920s and ’30s. But he will build each commission he receives in accordance with an individual musician’s needs.

“I make each guitar according to the playing, the affinities and the taste of each musician,” he says, “with the goal of getting as close as possible to their desire while making them discover an instrument that pushes them towards new creative limits.”

As is often the case, Virgile began his path towards building by doing instrument repairs. “That was really important in my building process,” he continues, “because you get to experience a lot of the different ways of making a guitar, and you explore what works and what doesn’t work.”

Despite his aim to recreate the tones of a hitherto bygone era, a lot of the techniques Virgile employs are cutting edge, including the use of parabolic tops and a compound radius on the bracing “for a lighter construction without sacrificing strength and stability, thus creating more powerful and responsive guitars”.

The B-24L resides in the upper echelon of models that Virgile offers and comprises a who’s who of premium tonewoods with a top fashioned from Adirondack spruce and a set of old-growth Brazilian rosewood for the back and sides.

Along with a flame maple neck, the fingerboard and bridge are Amara ebony, a wood native to Indonesia and as highly prized as its Macassan equivalent for its denseness and durability. The frets are phosphor bronze, which sit in between the toughness of nickel-silver and the more modern stainless steel.

As far as finish and furnishings are concerned, the rosette is Brazilian rosewood, and bindings and headplate back are flamed koa.

The face of the headplate is a cocktail of ebony with Amara ebony decoration, and if we look under the hood we find that the braces are Alpine spruce.

With a scale length of a familiar 648mm (25.5 inches) and a nut width of a fingerstyle-friendly 45mm, the Blind B-24L is certainly a stunning instrument with workmanship only found in the topmost realms of lutherie expertise.

Smooth and refined – both sonically and aesthetically – but also deeply rooted in the workmanlike guitar designs that defined early blues, it is a vision of roots burnished to a golden glow that transcend their humble origins.

• For more information see Blind Guitars.
• This article first appeared in Guitarist. Subscribe and save.

What is it?

Like the Jason Isbell 00-10E that crossed my path recently, this tidy 000-size acoustic guitar, honoring star songsmith Shawn Mendes, is loosely based on a pre-war Martin that Mendes owns – and blends vintage styling with modern functionality at a price everyday players won’t baulk at.

The 000 body shape is one of the best-loved platforms in the Martin canon, being favored by everyone from Clapton to Mendes himself - this being his second signature model following 2022's 000JR-10E Shawn Mendes model.

While it resembles Martin’s equally famous OM model, the 000’s scale length is shorter at 24.9” as opposed to 25.4”, giving a slightly looser, more relaxed playing feel than the OM.

That’s made it a favorite with fingerstyle players and trad-bluesers over the years, with bends and delicate fingerwork all falling easily to hand.

Specs

• Launch price: $1,099 | £1,079 | €1,333
• Made: Mexico
• Body shape: Auditorium-size ‘000’
• Body top: Solid FSC-certified spruce
• Top bracing: Scalloped spruce
• Back & sides: Solid sapele
• Neck/shape: Select Hardwood / Performing Artist profile
• Scale/length: 24.9” (632.4mm)
• Nut/width: Corian / 1.73” (44mm)
• String spacing at bridge: 55mm
• Fingerboard wood/Radius: Ebony/16”
• Body depth: 4” (102mm)
• Finish: Natural, as reviewed
• Bridge/pins: White plastic
• Tuning Machines: Enclosed chrome
• Electronics: Martin E-1 pickup system; phase switch; tuner
• Weight: 4.1lb/1.88kg
• Case: Premium softshell gig bag
• Left-handed options: Yes, 000-10E Shawn Mendes LH
• Contact: Martin

Build quality

Build quality rating: ★★★★☆

Like many mid-price acoustics, the Shawn Mendes 000-10E features a solid spruce top with solid sapele back and sides – sapele is a commonly used, cheaper alternative to mahogany with broadly similar tonal qualities and appearance, hence it finds its way onto a lot of guitars in this price bracket and does them no disgrace.

Because this 000-10E is derived from a rare pre-war Martin, it’s been given a bit of a vintage makeover. For the first time on a Road Series guitar, for example, we get that lovely, archaic-looking straightline bridge with crisply carved pyramids at either end.

The faux tortoiseshell scratchplate, too, is patterned on that of Mendes’ pre-war 000. So much for tradition, however, because there’s also an eagle inlaid into the fretboard that’s based on one of Mendes’ tattoos. Eat your heart out PRS.

As a modern electro, there's also a Martin E1 pickup system and a built-in tuner, too, which definitely aren’t to be found on Mendes’ original. Martin doesn’t specify if FSC-certified spruce top is Sitka or some other type but the amber toner used on it gives it a suitably vintage look – while scalloped bracing does its usual job of balancing strength with ample resonance.

The neck, meanwhile, is made from what Martin calls ‘Select Hardwood’ – a catchall term that typically means a tropical hardwood, such as sipo or sapele, that performs a role similar to true mahogany at a lower cost.

The 20 frets are tidy, though the fret slots are cut quite deep and filler is very faintly visible under some of the fret ends. The enclosed chrome tuners are perfectly effective, though I wonder if an open-gear set would have looked the part better alongside that vintage bridge.

The nut is made of white Corian, while the saddle is white TUSQ which is compensated for accurate intonation through clever shaping of its top edge.

Playability

Playability rating: ★★★★☆

Straight out of the box, this 000-10E has a fairly high action, measuring just under 3mm on the treble side at the 12th fret, so a little extra effort is required to get around the fingerboard, though a quick truss-rod tweak would remedy that niggle and the 44mm nut width gives decent room for fingerstyle.

The neck has a ‘happy medium’ Performing Artist profile – not skinny, not clubby, just familiar and comfortable, while the guitar voices and intonates single notes and chords clearly and holds its tuning well.

Sounds

Sounds rating: ★★★★☆

Strumming the 000-10E in standard tuning, I'm surprised to find it has quite a bold voice, louder and more bassy than many guitars of its size, with a crisp midrange.

It almost comes across almost like a mini dreadnought, though it lacks some of the breathy sweetness that really good Auditorium-size guitars often have. Overall, it’s a guitar with a strong, appealing sonic personality – not the subtlest, but harmonious and clear with a good amount of power. It’s a guitar I’d trust to get the point across on a live stage.

Its amplified sound, as tested through the acoustic preamp setting of a Blackstar Beam Mini and also through a Boss Cube Street II is clear and reasonably natural-sounding for an under-saddle piezo pickup.

Judicious EQ of the mids permits me to dial in a warm, balanced tones with no piezo ‘quack’. The chromatic tuner, whose display sits just inside the lower rim of the soundhole, tracks well and gives a nice positive reading.

Verdict

Despite its hip vintage vibe, the Shawn Mendes 000-10E feels very much a modern, performer’s guitar and its clear, assertive voice is more ‘festival’ than ‘folk club’.

GuitarWorld verdict: It's a fairly-priced guitar with custom-style touches and strong workhorse potential, plus you won’t have to be a fan of Mendes to appreciate its power and utility. A capable performer with a strong, clear voice and modified-vintage vibe.

Also try

Hands-on videos

Martin and Shawn Mendes

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• Best Martin guitars: we rank the legendary acoustics of an industry icon

Martin has partnered with Joe Bonamassa for two signature guitars that pay tribute to one of his most prized vintage acoustics.

The 00-18 and 00-10E are both inspired by the blues maestro’s 1937 Martin 00-18 Shade-Top. The release marks Martin's second collaboration with Bonamassa, after the pair partnered back in 2024 for a meticulous five-figure recreation of his 1941 000-45.

But this time, both a premium and a more accessible model have been released, each offering the same 00 body shape and 1937-style sunburst as Bonamassa’s original.

What’s more, they’ve both been carefully aged to replicate the top wear of the source material, in a bid to capture “the appearance of an instrument that was spent decades making music.”

Made in the premium Nazareth shop, the 00-18 features a solid spruce top with mahogany beck and sides. There’s Golden Era scalloped X-bracing, faux tortoiseshell binding and a Golden Era Modified Low Oval profile to its mahogany neck.

The more affordable Navojoa-made 00-10E, meanwhile, swaps in sapele back and sides, with scalloped spruce X-bracing and a Performing Artist neck profile. This one also has Martin E1 electronics, with volume, tone and phase controls.

Both models have already been put through the wringer by Bonamassa. The Nazareth model was mic’d up in the studio, and apparently JoBo’s producer preferred the prototype to the original.

More impressively, the cheaper model was played on stage when Bonamassa had a gig with a fellow guitar legend.

“I couldn't believe it when I first saw the one that came out of Nazareth and the lower end model, which is really great too because it has electronics,” he says.

“And the electronics sounded great. The first time I tested it, I had this gig in New York with Slash, and we were doing an acoustic opener.

“I didn't have an acoustic guitar at my house with a pickup, but Martin had just sent over these two. I was like, ‘Oh cool, it's got a pickup’, and I plugged it in. I was like, ‘Great!’”

The 00-18 and 00-10E are available now for $3,999 and $1,299, respectively.

Visit Martin for more.

As we strive for new modes of expression, it is no surprise to see players such as Blake Mills, Molly Tuttle, Tim Henson and Tosin Abasi reaching for hybrid guitars in search of inspiring sounds and blended textures.

While the origins of the acoustic guitar and its electric sibling are relatively well documented (with enough ambiguity to maintain the mystique), less has been written about the sub-genre of weird and wonderful instruments that has resulted from chimeric collisions of the two worlds. This potted history will attempt to fix that…

Necessity being the mother of invention, hybrid guitars are intended to offer the player access to ‘acoustic’ sound and playing experience, coupled with the comfort and feedback resistance of a solid or thinline body.

While the Danelectro convertible 1959 – a hollow Masonite guitar with a lipstick pickup mounted in its soundhole – and the heroically hideous Burns Steer with its Chris Eccleshall active electronics deserve honourable mentions, the first real hybrid guitar was brought to us by Gibson guitars in partnership with one of the world’s leading fingerstyle players: Chet Atkins.

Frustrated by the primitive options available when amplifying acoustic steel-string and classical guitars, Atkins approached Gibson with a new concept – a solidbody design with an acoustic voice that would allow him to turn things up. The resulting nylon-string Gibson Chet Atkins CE/CEC hit the market in 1982, with its steel-string equivalent SST model joining five years later.

It remains a favourite of players such as Mark Knopfler, David Gilmour, Johnny Marr, Lindsey Buckingham and Sting. With an average weight of 7lb, the Chet Atkins is significantly lighter than a Les Paul but still cumbersome for players more used to an acoustic, and while its piezo-driven voice is far from a natural acoustic sound, it still works well in a full band.

For many years the Gibson Chet Atkins model was the only viable option in an extremely niche market. Granted, legendary Bay Area luthier Rick Turner had designed his iconic Model 1 with Fleetwood Mac guitarist Lindsay Buckingham in 1979, but it was only later that he would add a piezo bridge option before launching his Renaissance acoustic electric model in the 1990s.

In 1993 a big ripple hit the hybrid-guitar world with the Parker Fly. Created by the late, great Ken Parker and Larry Fishman, the Fly featured a carbon-fibre exoskeleton over a tonewood core and was arguably the first production electric guitar to combine active piezo electronics with magnetic pickups.

Finding immediate favour with players such as Eddie Van Halen, Joni Mitchell and Reeves Gabrels, the Parker Fly was a revolutionary instrument, but as Ken Parker himself said, “We were making a $10,000 guitar and selling it for $3,000.”

Double Design

As radical as it may have been, the production Parker Fly was actually a corporate compromise. In a conversation with Ken Parker in Colorado, he showed me his 1987 prototype for the Fly, which was no more than 10mm at its thickest point with most of it being substantially thinner.

“The idea was to create a guitar that had the top of an archtop without the back and sides, so it was designed to be a resonant structure… reflective and conservative of energy, which means that it sustains a long time,” Ken said.

“This is pretty close to what I was hoping to manufacture at the Parker Guitars factory… but it was decided that we couldn’t use non-standard magnetic pickups [so the production models were a lot thicker].

“I have to be honest and say it was a little bit of a bummer… Here I am trying to make this magical new thing and they wanted me to incorporate heavy, dopey pickups that were made in the ’50s. Anyway, I got over it and we produced the Parker Fly.”

By the mid-1990s other brands had woken up to the musical potential (albeit coupled with limited commercial appeal) of hybrid instruments – bridge-mounted piezo systems were becoming increasingly common in guitars aimed at session players and experimental heads looking for new textures – and the big names such as Fender and PRS were starting to get properly involved.

In a rare break from its acoustic lineup Taylor Guitars launched the hybrid T5 model in 2005, which combined Taylor active electronics with one or more lipstick pickups like the old Dano Convertible. It was later superseded by the T5z, which features a smaller body and remains in production today.

Perhaps the most outlandish hybrid design of the early 21st century was the somewhat short-lived Line 6 Variax acoustic. This solidbody electric with soundhole offered digitally modelled acoustic sounds including banjo and sitar, as well as access to altered tunings with some clever pitch-shifting.

Yamaha also gave the hybrid a shot with the launch of its Silent guitars, which, although mainly aimed at the quiet-practice/travel-guitar market, make superb hybrid instruments. However, for some years the alternative choice was a luthier-made marvel, which includes Rolf Spuler’s Paradis model or Uli Teuffel’s Antonio.

Things changed in 2019 when Fender debuted the Acoustasonic Telecaster, with the Stratocaster arriving in 2020 and the Jazzmaster following the year after. These guitars had been created by a team that included Brian Swerdfeger, who was instrumental in the design of the original Taylor T5, chief engineer and pickup guru Tim Shaw, and Larry Fishman, who had played a vital role in the world of acoustic amplification for decades.

Available in various formats and often including modelled sounds and textures, some even overdriven, the Acoustasonic range is currently the number one choice of many guitarists entering the hybrid world.

At first glance, hybrid guitars may have limited appeal – not everyone wants to play a loud acoustic after all – but those players who do use them extensively find them to be expressive and engaging instruments that can offer new and inspiring sounds. Try one for yourself!

Three acoustic-electric guitars to check out

Fender American Acoustasonic Jazzmaster – $1,999/£1,799

Yes, you can get a Telecaster or Stratocaster version, but wouldn’t you prefer an achingly cool offset? Featuring a triple active pickup system, internal resonance and a plethora of different acoustic voices, this is a great choice.

Fender’s Acoustasonic range instruments are currently top dogs for a reason. This model even has a semi-usable unplugged sound for texture work in the studio.

Parker Fly – circa $/£3k

Now only available on the secondhand market (because Parker Guitars closed in 2016; pictured here is the Parker DragonFly DF524 offshoot), the Fly is perhaps the apogee of the hybrid-guitar idea with its carbon-fibre exoskeleton, custom-made DiMarzo or Seymour Duncan pickups (depending on the model) and the active piezo bridge.

The top horn may poke you in the moob, but you do get whammy bar dips with an acoustic sound – so it all pans out nicely.

Yamaha SLG200 Series Silent Guitar – from $879/£716

Available in both nylon- and steel-string (pictured) configurations, the Yamaha Silent guitar models are much more than quiet practice tools – they’re lightweight, well designed and have a great plugged-in sound with internal reverb and chorus effects.

A future update with Bluetooth connectivity would be very welcome, but in the meantime you can still have a very nice time indeed.

• This article first appeared in Guitarist. Subscribe and save.

Epiphone has unveiled Marcus King's latest signature guitar – a recreation of his beloved childhood acoustic guitar.

King was a youngster when his father gifted him an Epiphone El Dorado acoustic. It’s been his trusty sidekick ever since, and now it’s getting the signature treatment.

The six-string has already been immortalized by King, who named his 2020 record after the vintage dreadnought. Now, Gibson’s affordable arm is taking that legacy to a new level.

The Marcus King El Dorado endeavors to bottle the spirit of the original with solid rosewood back and sides, and a solid spruce top. Epiphone claims its woods will open with age, meaning it will hopefully sound more expressive day by day.

The body is accented with four-ply top binding and single-ply back binding, while a C-profile mahogany neck gets a traditional dovetail joint. At the other end, there’s a bone nut, Epiphone Deluxe tuners with metal buttons, and a mother-of-pearl bedazzled headstock that draws on 1970s styling.

Elsewhere, the electro-acoustic features a three-ply bound rosewood fingerboard with 20 frets and rounded-corner mother-of-pearl block inlays.

It also has an L.R. Baggs Element Bronze under-saddle pickup and preamp with soundhole-mounted Volume and Tone controls. The guitar does not ship with a 9V battery to power its pickup.

Lastly, in honor of King’s lineage, its belly-down rosewood bridge is fitted with a compensated bone saddle and black pins. Look closely, and you’ll see nods to South Carolina’s silhouette and Tennessee’s Tri-Star emblem. The pickguard has also been designed to resemble King’s valued companion closely.

“This guitar means the world to me,” King says. “My first El Dorado was a gift from my father, and it carried me through some of the earliest and most important moments of my musical journey.

“It has always represented family, home, and the songs that shaped me. Partnering with Epiphone to share that feeling with players around the world is an incredible honor, and I hope this guitar inspires people to write their own stories for years to come.”

The Epiphone Marcus King El Dorado is available in Antique Natural. It is priced at $999 and ships with a hardshell case.

It follows his ES-345 signature model and a signature Orange amp.

See Epiphone for more.

A guitarist has been left fuming after American Airlines shattered his acoustic guitar, sparking outrage online.

Airlines have demonstrated time and again why they have a ‘heavy-handed’ reputation among musicians.

In one of the more grisly cases we've seen, Titus Tucker, who has over 35,000 followers on Instagram and TikTok, posted images of the aftermath of a flight. In the shared clips, the guitar’s hardshell case is seen badly damaged, and the instrument inside is “unrecognizable.”

Its back and sides are now separate entities. There’s also a heart-wrenching mangle of wood atop the guitar’s severed top, which looks to have been broken from the soundhole to its edge.

“They dragged it out like a dead body,” he’s heard saying in a video clip. He then points to a brutal-looking gash on the case, saying, “This is a tire; there’s no other explanation.

“That’s a brand new case, and a brand new guitar,” he adds.

One small silver lining is that Gator Cases can be found in the comments, saying, “DM incoming,” which suggests he’s likely getting a new case. But, of course, it does little to rectify the sheer savagery American Airlines has shown toward Tucker’s beloved six-string.

Horror stories like these are, sadly, all too common, and it’s no new phenomenon, either. This is not an isolated incident.

Back in March, a baggage handler went viral on TikTok after a clip of them carelessly tossing guitars around like confetti surfaced on the platform. It very quickly clocked up over four million views.

And in August last year, Emily Wolfe went to war with Southwest Airlines after her guitar was decapitated, despite it being in a hard case. The Airline refused to acknowledge responsibility, as Peter Thorn and Gilby Clarke spoke out about similar gut-punch incidents.

What is it?

It has to be said that we’ve been impressed by virtually every instrument we’ve seen from the Cor-Tek Corporation in recent years. The company is also responsible for building a number of guitars outside of its own Cort house brand (including PRS’s SE range) and the quality is always tip-top with playability that hits the mark every time.

This Gold A10 hails from the company’s highly automated acoustic guitar facility in the Jinzhou District of Dalian, Liaoning, China, and just reading the spec put us in a bit of a swirl even before opening its case. Cocobolo back and sides with a torrefied Adirondack spruce top? That’s a match made in heaven if ever there was one – on paper at least.

The company’s website proclaims that “the Cort Gold-A10 Cocobolo exudes boutique-style craftsmanship that extends beyond gorgeous tonewoods and distinguished accoutrements, with time-intensive hand-rolled fret edges, tone-enhancing torrefied materials, and Fishman Flex Blend electronics for unforgettable performance”. And at a price that won’t break the bank (too badly, anyway…).

So, what’s all the fuss about the woods that are involved? Well, first let’s take a look at cocobolo. To begin with, it’s a member of the rosewood genus Dalbergia retusa and is often employed by luthiers as a more than able substitute for that Dalbergia superstar, Brazilian rosewood.

There are tonal variations between the two, of course, with cocobolo being renowned for its bright tone, lower register resonance, articulation and note distinction. Native to Mexico and Central America, it is also renowned for its wild grain pattern, which often challenges all but the most sublime Brazilian variety.

As you can see from the pictures here, the back wood has a beautifully complex pattern with the paler sapwood running down the centre. It’s strange that all the fuss is made about the beauty of back woods on acoustic – and classical – guitars when it’s the part your audience never sees. But that’s all part of the fun of owning such an instrument.

The cocobolo’s running mate on the Cort A10 is torrefied Adirondack spruce, and this is another tonewood that goes hand in hand with exceptional levels of tone and performance.

Known for its “ringing yet complex and nuanced tone that carries right through high volume levels where other spruces start to break up”, according to the Wood Database, ‘Addie’, as it is affectionately known, has graced the tops of some celebrated pre-war Martin acoustics. Indeed, its legend continues, optimising as it does an acoustic’s dynamic and tonal ranges.

But the equation doesn’t end there as we find a mahogany neck, very good-looking reddish-brown padauk binding and maple purfling to both body and neck, plus an ebony fretboard – with mother-of-pearl and abalone inlays – to complete the body timbers.

We’re told the neck is also reinforced with strips of walnut either side of the truss rod underneath the ’board for extra stability and reinforcement. Factor in a bone saddle and nut, with Grover open-gear tuners and a factory-fitted Fishman Flex Blend pickup and you can see what excited us when we scanned the A10’s bill of goods in the first place.

Oh, and if you’re thinking that it would have been nice of Cort to include a scratchplate to protect the top from those wilder plectrum wielding moments, fear not, there’s one in the case for you to fit yourself if you want to. Nice touch.

Freed from its case and turning the A10 over in our hands, its finish and build look as exemplary as we’ve come to expect from Cort.

The cocobolo on the back and sides is the star of the show – and we mustn’t forget that the precise patterning of the wood will vary from instrument to instrument – but if this guitar sounds half as good as it looks, then we’re on to a real winner.

Specs

• Price: $2,599/£1,899 (inc case)
• Origin: China 
• Type: Grand Auditorium
• Top: Torrefied AA-grade Adirondack spruce
• Back/Sides: AAA grade cocobolo
• Max Rim Depth: 113mm
• Max Body Width: 402mm
• Neck: Walnut reinforced mahogany
• Scale Length: 648mm (25.5”) 
• Tuners: Grover gold open gear
• Nut/Width: Bone/44.5mm
• Fingerboard: Ebony
• Frets: 20
• Bridge/Spacing: Ebony with bone saddle/55mm
• Electrics: Fishman Flex Blend
• Weight (kg/lb): 2.4/5.2
• Left-Handers: No
• Finish: Natural gloss with satin neck
• Contact: Cort Guitars

Build quality, playability and sounds

Every player would agree that no matter how good looking a guitar is, it’s the playing surfaces – neck, fingerboard, et cetera – that either win or lose the day. In the case of the A10 we’re happy to report that the satin-finished neck is a very comfortable C profile that feels like it belongs in the hand.

It sits in that area where it’s neither too chunky nor too skinny, measuring 21.5mm deep at the 1st fret, broadening only slightly to 22mm at the 8th. The nut has been expertly cut and the ’board is very nicely finished, too, with those hand-finished rolled fret-ends adding extra boutique swish.

When we first tried a few pioneering chords the sound was a little compressed. But we concluded the A10 had very likely not been out of its case since it left China many moons ago and would probably respond to a day or two left on a stand to come up to room temperature and prevailing humidity.

We also made sure to give it the occasional campfire chord serenade each time we passed and it began to open up nicely. Basses became stronger, trebles noticeably sweeter and, although it’s impossible to measure, we could swear it got louder, too.

Of course, all this is in line with how new acoustic guitars can come out of storage hibernation and begin to blossom and bloom – everything we would expect from an Addie top backed with a nice member of an elite rosewood family. And, of course, it bodes well for the future as we’re sure there’s plenty more opening up to be done by the guitar in the months and years ahead.

The instrument responded well to both fingerstyle pieces and chordal workouts, the latter offering a very good blend of clarity and complexity.

The Fishman Flex Blend pickup and preamp system adds another important dimension to the sound. Combining an under-saddle piezo with an internal mic, the plugged-in sound reflected that of the A10’s acoustic nature when interfaced with our Boss Katana-50 EX.

The Fishman’s tone control added more colour with a variable midrange that you can adjust for chordal oomph or fingerstyle finesse. It has a built-in tuner, too.

Verdict

Verdict: ★★★★½

We were aware that this is a factory build with a degree of hands-on along the way. But it successfully escapes that stereotypical ‘cloned’ tone set that some factory builds succumb to and when it left us was well on its way to being a standalone individual with a very good portfolio of usable sounds.

Sure, if you gave a set of triple-A grade cocobolo and some Adirondack spruce to a boutique luthier you might find that further tonal refinements and build enhancements would become available. But then the price would very likely be five times what it is here.

Guitar World verdict: What Cort’s A10 offers is a step towards the upper echelon of acoustic guitar lutherie at a very reasonable price and, from what we’ve heard, once the guitar has fully opened up, your investment could be, quite literally, very sound indeed. Try one, we think you’ll like it.

Hands-on videos

Cort

WM Sound Guitars

• Cort Flow-OC and Gold-A6 Bocote review
• This article first appeared in Guitarist. Subscribe and save.

Guitarist and producer Chris Turpin of Ida Mae and his Jake Kiszka collab Mirador has an enviable selection of vintage guitars to work with, but one of his most frequently used instruments proves that buying vintage can be quite affordable.

His prized acoustic is a Gibson B-25 12-string, which began life as a budget instrument when it was first introduced in 1962. Glen Campbell used one and it appeared on the cover of his 1964 Capitol Records album The Astounding 12-String Guitar Of Glen Campbell.

It was clear, however, that when Chris bought his own B-25, it had seen a lot of action over the years.

“I really like Fanny’s House of Music In Nashville,” Chris says. “They have great stuff to play and they’re very friendly – good, honest folks. I went in and they had this particular 12-string, which had clearly lived a life.

“It’s had the back panel smashed in, and I felt it just had the energy, like it had been to a bunch of political protests or something in the ’60s and someone had played Simon & Garfunkel covers on it. I got it for not very much at all, 800 bucks or something, and it became quite an important guitar.

“I took it over to Jake [Kiszka’s] house, and he whipped out a case and he had the same one. I was like, ‘Oh my god, aren’t these the coolest 12-strings, or the best recording 12-strings?’ and it’s been on records ever since.”

• This article first appeared in Guitarist. Subscribe and save.

Martin has brought back a gem from the archives in the form of the 5-28 Terz – a reissue of the smallest acoustic body shape it's ever produced.

Forget your parlor guitars and travel guitars, the 5-28 Terz is a different proposition altogether. With a pint-sized 21.28” scale length and a total fret count of only 18 – with a body joint at the 12th fret – this newly revived Size 5 model is officially the smallest guitar Martin has on its books.

Its return has been a long-time coming. Martin says the 5-28 Terz answers “long-standing player demand” for its comeback. And while at $3,599 it might not have returned in the form everyone was hoping (surely there’s a cheaper version in the pipeline?) it’s nice to see a bit of extra history in the Martin lineup.

As per the price tag, Martin has rolled out the red carpet for this one. There’s East Indian rosewood back and sides, a spruce top with “Aging Toner” top color for a vintage feel, and an ebony-topped dark mahogany neck.

Flourishes include mother-of-pearl fingerboard inlays, multi-stripe body binding, and a Style 28 multi-stripe rosette. There’s also an ebony bridge with bone pins, a compact 1 ¾” fingerboard width at the bone nut, and a Modified Low Oval neck with High-Performance taper.

Because of the tiny setup, this one features Terz tuning – which pitches it a minor third above standard. So, not only is this unusually small, it is also unusual-sounding. Plus, it kinda looks like that priceless 1870s acoustic that Kurt Russell mistakenly smashed in The Hateful Eight, so that’s a plus.

In its pitch, Martin writes, “The Martin 5-28 Terz answers long-standing player demand for the return of this uniquely voiced Size 5 model to the Martin lineup – now the smallest guitar we offer.

“With roots dating back to the earliest days of Martin, this ultra-compact 12-fret instrument features a short 21.38" scale length and is designed for Terz tuning – a minor third higher than standard – delivering a focused, bell-like voice that adds shimmer, clarity, and new sonic texture to any arrangement.”

The 5-28 Terz has been released alongside three other new acoustics – the OM-35 Inception, and Custom Shop 0-18 and 0-28.

Head over to Martin to find out more about the new models.

It’s hard to imagine a world without the Gibson flat-top. But as senior product development manager, Robi Johns, reminds us, you have to wind back the dials of the time machine a full century to find the Michigan luthier on the brink of arguably its most exciting quantum leap (at least, until the electric revolution of the ’50s).

“It’s amazing to think that it’s 2026 now,” considers Johns, “and although they’d existed before that, for those in the know, the first time a flat-top appeared in a Gibson catalogue was 1926. I don’t attribute the death of the banjo and the rise of the guitar so much to the crash of the US economy. I think it was influenced highly by the development of the radio in 1919. Most people didn’t know the guitar prior to that.”

From that leap of faith, the flat-top made a perfect landing. Today, scanning the Gibson website reveals acoustics sprawling into the hundreds. And yet everybody still wants to own the models that made the legend, and the luthier’s latest cache of vintage-modern collectibles will certainly scratch that itch (for those who can afford the ticket).

As the branding implies, the three-strong Century Collection – comprising the punch-above-its-weight L-00, populist J-45 and cult-hero J-185, each with a thin satin finish – salutes that formative era when it seemed that every year heralded another stone-cold classic.

And while there are concessions to modernity, the period-correct authenticity spans from the minutiae (hide glue in place of PVC) to the freshly introduced 12-fret neck-to-body joint that gives these acoustics a striking look and feel.

First, let’s talk about that 12-fret neck-to-body joint. It was ultimately overtaken by the 14-fret format, but what are the selling points of that earlier design?

Number one, it’s more comfortable. I mean, this is hypothetical – I’m not sure everyone would agree with that. But it’s a little bit closer to the player. As you know, there’s a [standard] scale length to the instrument, which is 24.75 inches for short scale and 25.5 inches for long scale. But when you get rid of a couple of frets and move the neck into the body, you have to move that bridge further out to make that 24.75-inch scale length.

It’s more than a theory. I’ve noticed over time that moving that bridge into the widest part of the lower bout just opens up the sound even more. It’s much more responsive, more resonant, more vocal-sounding – it just sounds better.

That’s why we went to the 12-fret Century Collection models. We wanted to make these amazing, early-designed guitars sound as beautiful and resonant as possible. And the 12-fret neck-to-body accommodates that, by virtue of its construction.

It’s common to hear pre-war necks described as ‘baseball bats’. But the Century Collection models have adopted the more modern Gibson SlimTaper.

Yeah, it’s much more comfortable for the player. Although the theory might be with some people that the more mass of a neck [the better]. Like, the 1928 models and the 1942 J-45 had some really big V necks.

Now, some people like the V neck because of the way they can put their thumb over the top of the fingerboard. The resonance of that neck is something that can be attributed to a better-sounding instrument. The lighter neck works for us beautifully.

However, some people say that the heavier neck transfers more of the vibration. There’s more vibration going down that neck; it’s like a giant wooden tuning fork, if you will. And it’s vibrating into the body, which is why that dovetail is so important to transfer that into the body.

These three Century Collection models look stunning, from the subtle finish to the old pre-war Gibson logo on the headstocks.

Well, [it’s] the vibe of these guitars – and I say ‘vibe’ in the sense of the allure of the style of the guitar, and the simplicity of it, and the size of it. We put a light satin finish on them, which makes it sound even older because the old finishes kinda dissipate over time and therefore the body resonates even better. So we were very pleased.

Let’s look at the individual models, where they fit into Gibson’s history and how you’ve approached them for this new collection. Starting with the L-00…

Well, the L-00 was an evolution, it seems, from the Nick Lucas Special and the L-1. It’s a little bit elongated instead of round. That came out in 1932 – in my opinion, to supply the American market with a really nice, relatively affordable (at the time) acoustic guitar made by a manufacturer, with mahogany back and sides. The Nick Lucas Special was more expensive.

The L-00 became one of the more long-term sustained models that we do. One of our most popular small-bodies today is the L-00, still. A lot of people like the L-00 because it’s really comfortable to sit with. And it’s so resonant, with that 12-fret body and its bridge pushed out. It’s very popular with blues players – a very focused sound.

The construction is virtually identical to what was happening in the 1920s or 1930s. That can be identified in two ways: we still use the dovetail joint, and we still use organic hide glue to bond that neck to the body.

Nowadays, it’s PVC glue, typically, but in those days we used hide glue and we still use that. And we do that on our Custom Shop models so they sound even more authentic because of the bond between the hide glue and the wood – which is much more molecular than PVC glue.

With the next model, we’re moving on a decade, with the iconic J-45.

“We had already developed the J-45 body. But it wasn’t called a J-45 in 1934: to compete with our competitors, who were building bigger guitars at that time, it was called the Jumbo. This was the first round-shouldered Gibson acoustic. And it eventually turned into the J-45 by 1942.

“The J-45 is so versatile. You can use it for blues. You can use it for rock. It’ll growl at you if you hit it hard. But it can also sound nice and warm and balanced if you play it lighter. You can fingerstyle it. So that round-shouldered dreadnought rose up from the 1930s, and by 1942 it became the J-45 – and it stayed and it’s our biggest seller.

“My hypothesis is that the J-45 became embedded in society not just by virtue of its sound but because we saw it in the broadcasts of the early ’60s. I was just at the edge of that. And I have to attribute it to the Brits coming to America in the ’60s with all this amazing music. I remember Donovan playing a J-45 on his legendary songs.”

There’s a Beatles connection with that model, too, isn’t there?

Yeah. What did The Beatles use on the orchestration of Love Me Do, one of their first recorded songs? An acoustic guitar. And that acoustic guitar looks like a J-45 because it was a J-45, with a single-coil pickup, called the J-160E at that time. I think The Beatles had a lot to do with the exposure of the J-45 – even though it was a J-160E, which was the J-45 design.

In 2026, we just re-released the J-160E in our core line-up. And it’s still revered. It’s kinda retro for young people playing modern music. They say, ‘Oh, that’s kinda cool.’ It’s a very distinctive acoustic-electric sound: not fully acoustic, a little bit of both. That J-160E is still popular because of George Harrison and John Lennon – and rightfully so.

Moving on another decade, we’ve got the J-185, which is probably lesser-known relative to the Hummingbird, Dove, J-45 and so on. It’s almost a bit of an unsung hero, isn’t it?

Yes. It was released in 1951. From my perspective, the J-200 became quite famous from the 1930s on as the big, extravagant model. You know, Elvis played it.

It was the biggest thing available, the most pronounced. But the J-185 is actually just a one-inch-smaller version of the J-200: the J-200 was 17 inches across, the J-185 was 16-inches across with the exact same proportions.

So now you could have this J-200-looking guitar, beautifully balanced looking, pretty big sound but one inch less depth. And the idea was that it was a wonderful rhythm guitar. You have a little less bottom-end, which makes it very balanced in the lows, mids and highs – but the J-200 has more depth.

And then, in the early ’60s, the Everly Brothers wanted to use the J-200 as a [signature] model. But Gibson wisely said, ‘No, let’s leave that alone. Use this body instead, it’s a little bit smaller but it’s very balanced.’ So they used the J-185 body to create what was the Everly Brothers model. Without that low-end – and due to the fact it had warm lows, mids and highs – it became an excellent rhythm guitar.

But the other connection is that the body mould that was used for the original L-5 jazz guitar was also used for the J-185. That was 16 inches across, too, so we had that available. With the flat-tops, we didn’t want to get much bigger than 17 inches. I think that might have been risky.

We did do the Super 400 [in 1934], which is 18 inches across – but that was an archtop. So, anyway, I like to say that the J-185 Century Collection model has all these connections to our history.

How has the popularity of the J-185 ebbed and flowed over the years?

When we first started this Gibson plant in Bozeman, Montana, in 1989, I was the only one here in sales and marketing because it was all builders. I was getting calls from the UK, from the wonderful artists there – George Harrison’s group and Eric Clapton’s group. They were working together doing some unplugged things. And what were they interested in? The J-180 and the J-185.

That’s a fact. That’s what they were talking about. That’s what they wanted. I remember that vividly. It was the J-185 that all the artists were talking about, saying, ‘It was off the market for so long. Thank you for building it again, Gibson.’ That’s what I heard on the phone.

And that wasn’t just coming from the Brits. There were American artists contacting me, too. I remember Jackson Browne calling me up because he’d heard a rumour that we were building the J-185 again.

Are there more Century Collection models coming down the line?

We have a few models prototyped, but what’s really happening is that our historic models – which started 100 years ago – are a part of our Custom Historic line-up in our Custom Shop, where we replicate as much as possible the sound, the feel and the look of those models back when they were first released. So what you’re really seeing is an extension of our historic revival of these models, going back to 1920.

You know, we have a 1942 J-45, a pre-war Super Jumbo 200 like the original, a 1942 Southern Jumbo, a 1960 Hummingbird – which is when that model appeared. And that was made popular from The Rolling Stones playing a Hummingbird back in the day. So when people ask me, ‘Why did these models become famous?’ I always like to say – it’s your fault! It was [because of] the popularity of British music in the ’60s onward and the love that the British artists had for American blues and jazz. And, therefore, the interpretation of that coming from England is indelible.

But, yes, we are going to continue this resurgence of the historic models. The Century Collection is limited to the models that reflect more of what was happening during what is typically called the Depression era.

We wanted to capture the love of those old original models that came out closer to the beginning of the broadcast industry. Gibson grew out of that – which is why those models became so famous.

• “The lower mids and bass vibrate through your body – it’s tone you can feel”: Gibson J-185 Century 12-Fret and J-45 Century 12-Fret review
• This article first appeared in Guitarist. Subscribe and save.

Gibson and country rock singer-songwriter Eric Church have united for an Epiphone signature acoustic guitar – and it’s been launched with a whiskey.

The Epiphone Inspired by Gibson Eric Church Hummingbird Dark is a square-shouldered electric-acoustic based on his signature Gibson Hummingbird, bringing it down to a more affordable price point.

The Cobra Burst finish and custom Hummingbird Dark pickguard are pretty striking, and the black binding is also a lovely touch. As an instrument, it promises a “crisp articulation and dynamic headroom.”

Build wise there's a solid Sitka spruce top with layered mahogany back and sides, and a rounded C-profile mahogany neck with a tapered dovetail joint. Its rosewood fingerboard has grey pearloid parallelogram inlays.

It’s built to a 24.75” scale length with 20 frets, a 12” fingerboard radius, and a Graph Tech nut.

For hardware, there's a belly-down rosewood bridge, Grover Rotomatic tuners, and a Fishman Sonicore pickup, with a Fishman Presys VT preamp. It comes in at $799 and ships with a hardshell case.

What's most notable about this release, however, is what the guitar has been paired with: a signature blend Tonewood whiskey.

It comes from JYPSI, a distillery co-owned by Church, and is said to “bring together guitar craftsmanship and whiskey-making in an organic, innovative way.”

It’s certainly not every day that a guitar gets a signature brew. The catch is that maple tonewood offcuts sourced from Gibson guitar production were repurposed for the whiskey’s finishing.

Two whiskeys are being produced. Tonewood: Vol. 1 (109 proof) uses toasted Gibson maple offcuts for a whiskey with mature oak, vanilla, and honey-like flavors, while Tonewood: The Collective (103 proof) has a smokier, graham cracker taste.

“For me, a great guitar is about expression – finding something honest and putting it out into the world,” Church says of the guitar. “We’ve been working on this Epiphone Hummingbird Dark, and it’s been with me out on the road for the past two years. It’s where songs take shape, where ideas turn into something real.

“I’m excited for other players to get their hands on it and see where it leads them, because that’s what this is all about – finding your voice and having the right partner to help you say it.”

The Epiphone Eric Church Hummingbird Dark, Cobra Burst is available now for $799.

See Gibson for more.

Flat-top acoustic guitars weren’t really part of the plan for Gibson back in the pre-war years of the 20th century.

The Kalamazoo-based company was known for its archtops, and Martin, over in Nazareth, Pennsylvania, had a big head start on them by the time flat-top guitars were becoming really popular in the 1930s.

Yet when Gibson did embrace dreadnought and jumbo-style guitars in the 1930s, it led in time to the creation of some of the company’s most iconic instruments – from the expansive-sounding J-200 to the sweet-toned Hummingbird.

We join Gibson’s vice president of Product and de facto archivist Mat Koehler to explore how archtops literally gave shape to Gibson’s most influential acoustic guitars.

So where does the story begin with Gibson flat-top acoustics?

In the beginning, Gibson was consciously trying to avoid flat-tops because, obviously, Martin was present in the US, and flat-tops weren’t Gibson’s thing – archtops were Gibson’s thing. But clearly, the demand for more folk-style guitars and singing-cowboy movement shaped how Gibson grew. But even before that there was Robert Johnson playing Delta blues on the inaugural 1926 L-1 model acoustic.

But I think how the experimentation started involved the same principles that [archtop pioneer] Lloyd Loar employed: it was trying different things, like messing around with mandolins. You’ve probably seen the early ‘Army-Navy Special’ guitars [designed for WWI servicemen to buy affordably] that have those interesting cat-eye f-holes – but that was a flat-top guitar.

So there were lots of different types of flat-top guitars that they were experimenting with – and also flat backs, where they were putting flat backs on archtops. So they didn’t dive right into it straight away.

They definitely tried a bunch of different methods. And, to me, that’s also part of the reason why I think they got it right the first time, when they finally had their range of flat-top guitars.

The great luxury they had was to be able to use unique rim shapes that they originally developed for archtops. So, for example, the L-1 flat-top guitar had the same rim shape as the L-1 archtop guitar, and that has continued to this day. Likewise, our L-5 archtop and the J-200 flat-top use the same rim shape. That’s how we got our flat-top shapes, by and large.

What was the first Gibson flat-top acoustic model to really catch on?

Probably the Jumbo, which debuted in 1934 and was the predecessor to the J-35 and then the J-45 after. [There was a 1936 transitional model that featured in the company ledger known as] the Gibson Trojan, and then it became a J-35 and the price was $35. But whatever we call that model, that’s the one that really stuck – and we are still producing it today.

There’s a common misconception that [the price-based naming convention] continued into the 1950s, but it was pretty unique to the 20s and 30s – and actually maybe just the ’30s and possibly during wartime. I honestly don’t know! But I know that it wasn’t around in the ’50s. So it was a short period.

Tell us about the invention of the L-00. Its quaint parlour-style looks and sound strongly evoke pre-war musical styles and yet it’s still a pillar of Gibson’s acoustic line-up today.

Yeah, to me, that is the perfection of those very first flat-tops: the L-0 and the L-1. Those were a little bit more crude and less refined because they had deeper bodies. And so the proportions – like the scale length and the bridge location – were great, but the body depth was the place to improve. So, basically, an L-00 is an improved L-1 with a shallower body depth.

The other key move there was the introduction of X-bracing. Early L-1 models did not have X-bracing, but that one evolution made for a really solid guitar that held up well. I mean, it held up good enough for Woody Guthrie to use it all through his early career. I have a 1930 L-00 12-fret, which is my go-to guitar.

It’s great because it’s super lightweight. And I think there’s something about the feel of that guitar in your lap and its light weight. It’s so resonant and you feel that in your body. So if I had to guess why they’ve remained so popular, it’s not just because of the size, it’s because of the experience.

We tried a vintage L-00 at Vintage Instruments in Philadelphia a few years back that almost seemed to defy physics in terms of how loud and resonant it was for its small size and feather weight.

Was that a 12-fret or a 14-fret L-00? Because the 12-fret and the 14-fret versions are so vastly different in terms of sound that if you get the chance to compare the two, you should – because they’re both good for different reasons.

You can play bluegrass on the 14-fret version; it’s going to be more focused, it’s going to bark. The 12-fret is more of a fingerstyle player’s guitar, but it’s also such a balanced, warm sound. And that kind of gets us into how we’re celebrating [Gibson’s acoustic heritage] today, which is the Century Collection – and that’s a collection of solely 12-fret instruments at entry-level prices.

Honestly, I think anniversary celebrations by guitar companies can be a little contrived, when it’s like the 65th anniversary or something – it’s like, “Okay, yeah, but it’s not the 75th anniversary or the 100th.” So we’re always looking for those opportunities to celebrate the 50th, 75th and 100th because those are real milestones, in my opinion, that are really worth celebrating – these quarter-century increments.

So 100 years [of Gibson flat-tops] is definitely an occasion we’re celebrating. And we also wanted to reassert ourselves and remind people that we’re the second-oldest acoustic company that exists and we have more shapes, more styles, more diversity of acoustic platforms than anybody else.

We literally have something for everybody in our range. And 100 years ago, those very first guitars seemed to get it right and resonate with artists on the first try.

Moving from small to large guitars, the J-200 is undoubtedly one of the most iconic flat-tops Gibson has produced. It was originally rosewood-bodied but famously changed to maple back and sides for most of its production life. Why the switch?

I don’t have the ‘why’ very well sorted out, other than I know that at least one maple-bodied J-200 was made pre-war. I think, again, there were lots of experiments happening. I also think World War II definitely played a part in that evolution – that’s why we have the pre-war style in our line-up, which is rosewood-bodied, but also the post-war model, which is maple.

In terms of how the model itself came about, we were talking before about the rim shapes [that Gibson had originally devised for archtops]. So you have archtops getting larger and larger at the same time that flat-tops are getting larger and larger. Basically, once you had the L-5 archtop, that rim shape was available to use in a flat-top.

A lot of people think it was a case of, ‘Well, the singing cowboys [a genre of Western-inspired popular music popularised by Gene Autry and others] needed bigger guitars to go on the horses.’ Well, yeah, they definitely wanted that. But it was definitely the available rim shape influencing the guitar design more than it was the singing cowboys requesting it.

So I think the ability to try something was, again, the determining factor in how the model was created. You know, if we went through our ledgers and logbooks, we’d probably see some of the very first entries, certainly in 1938 and I think at least one in 1937. At that time, it was not described as a J-200, or anything like that; it was called an ‘Advanced’ body shape flat-top guitar or ‘Experimental’.

So usually there was a customer on the other side of that, whether it was a custom order, or they had an artist in mind, or it was borne of a dealer discussion, or they wanted to experiment with it, and then they wanted to pre-sell it. Because in that time, post-Depression, that was the other side of experimentation – they weren’t going to waste materials.

Again, the proportions evolved. The very first J-200s were 12-fret models and had the bridge placement in the centre of the body. And, unfortunately, on that big, giant body, a 12-fret is a little less [than ideally proportioned]. They sound amazing, but I think it was the right move to go to 14 frets with that big jumbo body. So that’s another evolution point of that model.

How did the J-200’s beautiful ‘moustache’ bridge design first evolve?

We have the original blueprints for the moustache bridge – there were a few different designs – but [country singer] Ray Whitley personally influenced that bridge. So there was definitely an artist element there where he had custom-ordered a smaller-body guitar that actually we own now.

You may have seen it at Carter Vintage years ago, it’s a really cool guitar. Then the next one that he ordered was on that big, giant [J-200 size] platform.

He got that first customer-order, small-body guitar, and then for a second guitar, he was like, “Can you do it with this [bridge]?” And so that wasn’t the very first SJ-200, but it was among the first three and that was really the one that set the stage – plus, Ray Whitley was the biggest singing cowboy of the day.

The original bridge design for the J-200, with its delicate pattern of interlacing curves, looks really ornate. How was it made, back in the day?

Today, obviously, we can scan an original and CNC it, but I would have to think that it was all hand-shaped. I mean, even a rectangle bridge was hand-shaped back then. It probably was a template and it was cut out and then it was hand-shaped.

The apertures in the original J-200 bridge were later replaced by a ‘solid’ design with pearl inlays. Why did that come about?

That occurred much later, into the 1960s, and definitely aligned with Ted McCarty’s exit.

Then, under Norlin ownership, those principles that were kind of in the ether as soon as Ted McCarty left in 1966 – simplification of processes and whatnot – those changes were well intentioned and some of those guitars are fantastic.

But I think that is one thing that you see in that period: those really time-consuming processes were sacrificed in order to get the guitar complete sooner because there was a huge order book. I mean, this is like during The Beatles era, so the people wanted guitars.

People often assume that the mid-60s shift away from the more labour-intensive aspects of production – which occurred at Fender, Gibson and other major makers – was about maximising profit. But they forget that demand went wild for guitars in the 60s and firms couldn’t make guitars fast enough to keep up.

Nobody wants back-orders. If you build up a year of back-orders… you’re hearing about it from all of your dealers and customers constantly. We’ve been there, in modern history, and you definitely want to find a way to fulfill those orders.

But cutting corners was not really the mentality – it was more like, “Let’s find processes that are maybe needless and just aesthetic-based.” I would say that was probably one consideration.

There’s probably also someone there like [Gibson president from 1968] Stan Rendell who’d argue there was more surface area to glue the bridge on [with the later, solid J-200 bridges].

The round-shouldered dreadnought shape is indelibly associated with the J-45. How did it evolve?

Again, it was directly influenced by archtop shapes. Certainly the Sears catalogue archtops [made for the giant US mail order goods company and its compendious catalogue] were a little bit different to other Gibson shapes on purpose, but those shapes lent themselves perfectly to flat‑top guitars.

At the same time, historically, Ditson was ordering similar shapes through Martin, so there was something about the slope-shoulder shape that was considered intriguing and interesting at that point in time. But, fortunately for Gibson, it was the brand that made it famous.

Gibson’s Dove and Hummingbird acoustics, with their ornately decorated pickguards, are among its best-loved acoustic designs. How did they come about?

There was a gentleman called Hartford Snider who was a pattern-maker at Gibson but also a keen birdwatcher, and eventually his [interest in sketching birds] came to the attention of Ted McCarty and John Huis, who was Ted McCarty’s right-hand man, and they said, “Well, hey, you know you’re making these patterns, but we can see you’re sketching all these birds and stuff. Why don’t you make a pickguard design?”

So the very first one was the Hummingbird, and the next one was the Dove, and then came the Excellente, in the same year as the Dove, which had an eagle on a pickguard.

He created all those pickguard designs, and I think the success of the Hummingbird in 1960 allowed Gibson to go back to the well and introduce a couple of more bird pickguards. Which was kind of a wild idea in 1960 – to call a guitar a Hummingbird. Back then, it was as wild as calling your band The Beatles, because in that era band names were usually something very conventional like ‘Marty and the something-or-others’.

And in the same way, guitar names were not typically words like ‘Hummingbird’, you know? So it was just such a cool move. And, again, it was testament to Ted McCarty and his team to empower the workforce and empower the talented folks within it, and they struck gold.

After 1957, Gibson also owned the Epiphone brand – and some great Epi flat-tops were produced, too. How did the Epiphone and Gibson flat-top ranges compare?

Now we’re getting to the fun stuff [laughs]. I love Epiphone history. Some of my absolute favourite flat-tops ever are really early wartime Epiphone flat-tops, like the FT-79, so before it was ever a Texan FT-110, which was a beautiful figured maple back-and-sides [design]. And those were dreadnought styles, so they were very early, late-30s Epiphone dreadnoughts. They are super-cool instruments.

But when Gibson purchased Epiphone in 1957, one of the first moves from Ted McCarty at the time was assembling a team – and we actually have the notes from the meeting – to create a whole unique line of instruments for Epiphone because they had all these parts, but they didn’t want to do the same thing [as Gibson models]. So they wanted to have this melding of Gibson forms and Epiphone parts to create a line of instruments.

One unique instrument to come about was, again, a dreadnought – a square-shoulder dreadnought – so that debuted with Epiphone as the Frontier, a continuation of the FT-110… The 1958 Frontier comes about immediately.

Ernest Tubb then popularised it and a lot of those Nashville and Bakersfield country artists were playing Epiphones, which is really a testament to a guy named Ward Arbanas really pushing the line at the time and helping to sell it.

Those acoustic guitars – those Epiphone flat-top guitars – were managed like a unique product line because they were in different stores from Gibson. That was the whole strategy. It’s like, if you put Gibson in the mom and pop store across the street from the other brand, then you’re not going to be competing for the same hook share in the store. So that was the thinking.

Other really cool models then developed. Another awesome square-shoulder dread was the Excellente, one of my absolute favourites. Again, that was kind of a collaboration between Andy Nelson, who was a salesman for Gibson and some artists. It was adopted by many artists, including Ernest Tubb. It was cool to see that Epiphone had its moment in the sun, especially in the 60s, with really influential folk and country players.

What lessons from Gibson’s acoustic heritage does Gibson take most to heart today, 100 years on?

How we think about innovation today is similar to how we developed the line over 100 years, but it’s become refined [to an understanding] that the success of those guitars in our past are what makes us great today. And that’s kind of true on the electric side as well.

We know we don’t need to try to reinvent the wheel, but we are still focused on using those familiar shapes and the same iconic sounds that you’ve heard in records for the last 100 years, and improving them aesthetically, ergonomically and sonically: so basically working with those parameters of the shape and the basic principles of creating a great acoustic guitar, X-bracing, forward-shifted bracing and so on.

And you could be experimenting with new materials, but if you’re keeping to those platforms and shapes and paying tribute to the originals in your experimentations, you’re usually on the right track to finding something cool.

• This article first appeared in Guitarist. Subscribe and save.

When we visited Furch’s guitar-making facility near Brno in the Czech Republic a couple of years ago, we were struck by how unapologetically progressive the brand’s approach was.

When we asked if its guitars were all about handmade tradition, the company’s CEO Petr Furch smiled and cheerfully shook his head. Plenty of artisan-quality handwork goes into every Furch guitar, but Petr prefers robots to do the lutherie processes that require total precision and consistency – such as making the company’s innovative neck joints.

Therefore, he dismisses the idea that acoustic lutherie is a technological cul-de-sac fenced in by immovable tradition, and instead views it as an open road towards ever-improving playability and tone.

This spirit finds its highest expression in the Red Series guitars. Furch’s ranges are categorised by colour, with Red being the highest-quality guitars made by Furch outside of the company’s custom-order department.

The Deluxe tier within this series is, therefore, intended to be a bit special – and this guitar doesn’t disappoint.

Among many features unique to Furch, the most recent innovation that appears on this model is the Booster Soundport on the shoulder of the upper bout. Soundports are nothing new, of course, but Furch has designed its own to be an attractively understated array of slots, rather than a yawning hole in the side of the guitar.

Turning to fundamentals, the guitar’s body is made of Malaysian blackwood, which somewhat resembles a rich rosewood, while the soundboard is made of Alpine spruce.

Furch analyses and individually voices each of its soundboards for optimum resonance – a high-end process it performs even on its cheaper lines. But on this Red Series guitar the back is tuned, too, a further mark of its top-tier grade.

Furch is a very detail- and engineering-oriented maker, so even the Full-Pore High-Gloss Finish lacquer that clads this guitar was developed in-house to optimise volume and resonance.

The finely sculpted armrest on the top edge of the guitar’s body is complemented, unusually, by a belly cut on the rear – a doubly ergonomic feature that Furch has dubbed the Bevel Duo.

Ornamentation is also top-notch here, with koa binding and soundhole rosette, the latter with abalone inlay, plus a decorative koa wedge at the tail of the guitar.

Figured ziricote is used, meanwhile, for the bridge, fingerboard and headstock face. It adds up to a seriously elegant, feature-rich and capable instrument.

• The Red Deluxe GC-LI a 2026 is priced €6,265 ($7,169) approx. See Furch Guitars for more details.
• This article first appeared in Guitarist. Subscribe and save.

What is it?

It was 1926 when acoustic flat-tops first entered the Gibson catalogue and so, to celebrate this really quite significant centenary, the company has released a trio of guitars, two of which we see here.

In order of original production dates, the Century models comprise an L-00, which was first introduced in the early 1930s, a J-45 from the 1940s and a J-185 from the 1950s. But these are not meant to be faithful recreations of those decades-old guitars, rather than a glance back at the past with feet firmly planted in the present.

Certain traditions have been observed, such as using hide glue in the construction, but modernity has crept in where the necks are concerned with Gibson opting to install its SlimTaper profiles on all three models.

But possibly the most obvious veer away from original spec is the fact that all three have necks that join the bodies at the 12th fret, rather than the 14th. This might seem to be a curious move to some, perhaps, but Gibson’s reasoning is that these are “fresh interpretations” of these legendary guitars.

Of the pair we’re reviewing here, the J-45 needs no real introduction from us, having reached the same workhorse status as Martin’s D-28 throughout its long life.

But, to recap, the J-45 was introduced in 1942 and, to quote Gibson itself: “Since the 1930s, Gibson’s full-size, round-shoulder acoustics have shaped the sound of American music, becoming the most frequently recorded acoustic guitars thanks to their rich warmth, expressive character, and remarkable balance across every note. Among these celebrated instruments, the J-45 has earned iconic status.”

It has been seen in the hands of artists like John Hammond, Bob Dylan, Vince Gill and, legend has it, that Monty Python’s Eric Idle used a J-45 to compose Always Look On the Bright Side of Life. And you can’t really get any more iconic than that.

The J-185 isn’t quite as well known, but since its introduction in 1951 it has gained a lot of fans and is regarded as a sort of best-kept secret among the acoustic cognoscenti. Its body profile harks back to another Gibson legend, the L-5 from the 1920s, and could be looked at as being a slightly smaller and more compact version of the SJ-200.

Like our J-45, this version of the J-185 has a 12th-fret body join, which Gibson tells us “shortens the neck and moves the bridge plate farther from the waist and closer to the body’s widest point, enhancing top movement and improving playing comfort. The result is a warm, lively, and responsive voice that especially suits fingerstyle players and anyone with a lighter, nuanced touch.”

Looking at specifics and turning our attention back to the J-45, we find that the build is pretty much standard fare for the model. But like everything that remains functional for decades, simplicity is the key here.

With a top of Sitka spruce – a very nice bookmatched piece with characteristic rippling in the grain – and backed with mahogany, both woods are enhanced by the satin nitrocellulose finish that has been applied so thinly that it’s almost possible to feel the grain under your fingers, especially on the guitar’s back. It certainly promotes the 45’s vintage ambience and actually feels very good under the fingers.

This isn’t the first time we’ve seen a 12th-fret neck join on a J-45, but Gibson tells us that such models have been limited to “artist collaborations or limited Gibson Custom runs”, and so it looks far from being in any way odd or out of place. In fact, it has the effect of making the guitar look (and feel) more compact and, as we’ll see later, it balances incredibly well, too.

Mahogany is used for the neck, with the aforementioned SlimTaper profile instead of the tree trunks of yore, and the fretboard is rosewood, as you’d suspect.

The older Gibson logo sits atop the guitar’s headstock, but without the banner found on originals that reads, “Only a Gibson is good enough”. Tuners are the vintage-inspired ‘Golden Age strap’ variety with simple white buttons, and both nut and saddle are made from bone.

We noticed that there was no second strap button on the guitar’s heel – an odd omission these days – but when we rifled through the glove compartment of the very nice purple-lined tweed case, we found that Gibson had provided one for the player to install if desired.

That won’t be anything other than a few minutes with a drill and a screwdriver for all the jolly modders out there, but if you’re a little squeamish about wielding sharp objects around $/£2k guitars, it’s probably best to have a professional do the deed for you.

Moving over to the J-185, construction details are very similar, with the same Sitka spruce and mahogany combo for the top, back and sides. The former is camouflaged in a very nicely applied vintage sunburst, which gives the guitar that extra dose of vintage chic and, looking at its outline, it’s possible to see that family resemblance to the revered L-5.

We’ll admit that we’re not as familiar with the J-185 as we are with the J-45, but concede that it’s a very attractive‑looking instrument without any of that bulbousness that jumbos can acquire. In fact, with that classic figure-eight profile, you wouldn’t really think you were looking at a jumbo. It just looks classic.

Neither guitar comes with any electronics onboard, and so it’s time to fire the guitars up and hear how they sound.

Specs

Gibson J-185 Century 12-Fret

• Price: $2,499 | £2,149 | €2,379
• Origin: USA
• Type: Jumbo
• Top: Sitka spruce
• Back/Sides: Mahogany
• Max Rim Depth: 123mm
• Max Body Width: 405mm
• Neck: Mahogany
• Scale Length: 629mm (24.75”)
• Tuners: Golden Age strap 
• Nut/Width: Bone/44mm
• Fingerboard: Rosewood
• Frets: 19
• Bridge/Spacing: Rosewood/56mm
• Weight (kg/lb): 1.63/3.6
• Options: Finish only – Vintage Amber or Ebony 
• Left-Handers: Yes, same price
• Finish: Vintage sunburst satin nitrocellulose lacquer

Gibson J-45 Century 12-Fret

• Price: $2,399 | £2,049 | €2,279 (inc hard case)
• Origin: USA
• Type: Round-shoulder dreadnought
• Top: Sitka spruce
• Back/Sides: Mahogany
• Max Rim Depth: 123mm
• Max Body Width: 407mm
• Neck: Mahogany
• Scale Length: 629mm (24.75”)
• Tuners: Three-on-a-plate with cream buttons
• Nut/Width: Bone/44mm
• Fingerboard: Rosewood
• Frets: 19
• Bridge/Spacing: Bone/56mm
• Weight (kg/lb): 1.57/3.48
• Options: Finish only – Vintage Sunburst or Ebony
• Left-Handers: Yes, same price
• Finish: Vintage Amber satin nitrocellulose lacquer
• Contact: Gibson

Build quality, usability and sounds

It’s a very strange thing, but when we were fumbling with freeing the J-45 from its case, we balanced the guitar on our knees and it didn’t budge.

It was perfectly balanced and not a shade heavy on either the body or neck side. In fact, both guitars seem really light and would almost disappear on a strap. So it might be time to consider installing that extra strap button, after all.

Strumming a few exploratory chords on the 45 was like putting on a pair of comfortable slippers. Everything we love about the model is present in spades. There’s bags of volume to that familiar J-45 woody growl and campfire chords ring out with complex harmonics and tons of sustain. Gibson certainly got it right the first time with the J-45, and it’s no wonder that the model is so revered among singer-songwriters and fingerstylists alike.

We particularly liked the way we could feel lower mids and bass vibrate through the body – tone you can feel. And the range of dynamics is very good, too: played quietly, all the subtleties you need are present, but let it rip and there’s all the toneful power you’ll ever need. We very nearly had a ‘Dear Santa’ moment with this instrument…

The J-185 is a contrast in that the bass isn’t quite so strident. It’s more refined, more demure, and would definitely suit a fingerstylist who doesn’t want the full-on bombast of a dread but still needs a reserve of power for those fortissimo moments in their set.

Don’t get us wrong, all the tone is there – it’s just slightly more ‘polished to a shine’ than its roguish stablemate. Once again, singer-songwriters would find a very workable companion in the J-185, and fingerstylists alike would possibly find a soulmate.

Did the SlimTaper necks interfere with our test drive? Not one whit. We didn’t even think about it.

Verdict

Verdict: ★★★★½

We thoroughly enjoyed the time we spent with them, and if we say that the J-45 just nudged past the winning post, be aware that it’s merely a subjective opinion, based on that familiar woof and grunt that has served acoustic players for over eight decades. We’d urge you to check out both models and decide for yourself. Happy 100th, Gibson!

Guitar World verdict: What can we say? Both these revisits to Gibson’s acoustic heritage have hit the mark in their individual ways, and those modern touches have enhanced playability and aligned two vintage models with a more contemporary mindset.

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What is it?

We recently looked at Taylor’s revised and updated 324ce Grand Auditorium acoustic and heard how the company is continually reviewing and tweaking its instruments in the search for sonic nirvana.

We saw that designer-in-chief Andy Powers had taken his innovative V-Class concept a step further, instigating scalloped bracing to reduce mass, but maintain strength. Then there was a new neck-adjustment system that sees simple tweaks to the angle of the neck in order to maintain a comfortable playing action. And we were also introduced to a new acoustic guitar pickup system, the Claria, aimed at producing the best possible plugged-in tone for live use.

We were impressed, concluding that the changes to the 324ce’s manifest has “paid dividends” and nodded in agreement in the direction of Taylor’s claim that the instrument is “its most plug-in-and-play version” of that particular model.

Naturally, when you’re a fast-moving, upwards-spiralling manufacturer such as Taylor, a practically continuous programme of re-evaluation of the catalogue is going to be whirring away in the background. And so it is no surprise that the 324ce doesn’t stand alone when it comes to the production of new and exciting twists from the Californian maker.

Enter the 710e, a deep-bodied square-shouldered dreadnought, which Taylor claims “offers a playing experience that combines traditional acoustic sound with modern innovation”.

It’s part of Taylor’s Gold Label Series, introduced around a year ago, which draws inspiration from past eras of traditional, non-cutaway acoustic guitars; hence a ‘new’ body shape in the company’s range. And you can’t really get any more traditional than a dreadnought, can you?

But what’s all this ‘deep-bodied’ designation about? Obviously it’s there to add punch and heft to the guitar’s sound, but is it all that new? If you take Martin’s D-28 as an industry standard then we’d be looking at a body depth of 123mm, whereas the 710e comes in at a smidge under, at 122mm.

On the other hand, a D-28 has a lower bout of 397mm and the Taylor comes in at 403mm. So deep and wide seems to be the order of the day with the 710e, promising a robust volume level with good bass and singing mids.

But let’s not skip ahead too far; if the 710e is a nod of the head towards celebrated acoustic designs of yore, we’d better have a quick look in the builder’s yard to see exactly how traditional things are.

To begin with, we have a torrefied Sitka spruce top, backed with East Indian rosewood and so we are spot on, as far as tradition is concerned as this mimics, again, the D-28’s winning formula. While we’re here, it’s worth noting that the 710e’s top wood is very attractive with plenty of shimmering chatoyance that dances when the light hits it.

Currently, of course, the colour is a very pale amber, but is sure to darken to that more familiar hue as the years pass. The Indian rosewood is no slouch in the looks department, either, with a nice straight grain pattern and that distinctive chocolatey bloom.

The body is bound, front and back, in black and white, the pattern reflected in the rosette. The pickguard is a ‘firestripe’ pattern and the bridge and string pins are Honduran rosewood.

Moving on to the neck, we have tropical mahogany, with an incredibly subtle scarf joint below the headstock. Turning the guitar over, we find a West African Crelicam ebony fingerboard with what Taylor refers to as “cream dot” inlays in all the accustomed places.

The headstock has Taylor’s own tuners and the new-old Taylor logo – we’re used to seeing the distinctive ‘block’ logo from Taylor, but more recently we’re seeing this new cursive variation, which looks ‘old’ in the manner of Gibson’s earlier acoustics.

Other highlights include the aforementioned Action Control Neck mentioned earlier, whereby your action is kept stable via a simple adjustment through the guitar’s soundhole.

A simple bolt on the neck block will tilt the neck to compensate for climate irregularities – think Fender’s neck-tilt idea. Add to this another variation on Andy Powers’ V-Class bracing – here it’s fanned to “increase volume and sustain”.

The final piece of the puzzle is the LR Baggs VTC pickup and preamp system, with controls secreted within the upper arc of the guitar’s soundhole. So the guitar is all set and ready for the stage, but first we’d better explore its unplugged voice and find out how it handles.

Specs

• PRICE: $2,999 | £3,275 | €3,199 (inc hard case)
• ORIGIN: USA
• Type: Dreadnought
• Top: Torrefied Sitka spruce
• Back/Sides: Indian rosewood
• Max Rim Depth: 122mm
• Max Body Width: 403mm
• neck: Tropical mahogany
• SCALE LENGTH: 648mm (25.5 inches)
• TUNERS: Taylor Nickel with nickel buttons
• NUT/WIDTH: White Tusq/44.5mm
• FINGERBOARD: West African Crelicam ebony
• FRETS: 20
• STRING SPACING, BRIDGE: Honduran rosewood with Micarta saddle/56mm
• ELECTRICS: LR Baggs Element VTC
• WEIGHT (kg/lb): 2.08/4.6
• LEFT-HANDERS: Made to order only
• FINISHES: Gloss
• CONTACT: Taylor Guitars

Build quality, usability and sounds

We’ll never tire of saying how user-friendly Taylor acoustic necks are. It really is like shaking hands with an old friend every time. And it’s good to note that Taylor has decided not to go ‘full vintage’ and change the profile to one of the more vintage-inspired chunky variations. In any case, the neck here is that familiar C-shape, the satin finish adding that essential finishing touch for neck excursions.

We should mention the 45mm nut width, too, as just a couple of millimetres here makes an enormous difference to fingerstyle players. Needless to say, sitting down with a dreadnought is not to everyone’s taste as they do tend to be a bit of an armful, but we’re happy to report that the 710e is very well balanced and comfy either sitting or standing.

With everything shipshape in the feel department, it’s time for those first exploratory chords. Now, it’s very hard to sum up the sound of a dreadnought. We’d even question whether there is a definitive dreadnought sound. Is there that much of a similarity between Gibson’s J-45 and Martin’s D-28, for instance?

The characteristics they share would be a robust midrange with plenty of volume and a good amount of bass – and that’s virtually what we find here, give or take. If you take the aforementioned models as a reference, we’d say that the 710e lacks some of the ‘woodiness’ of the J-45 and leans more towards the sing-song musicality of the Martin.

There’s certainly a lot of volume to hand and without that dreadnought muddiness that you sometimes find in the lower midrange. Plenty of sparkle at the top end as well. We tried a range of campfire chords, a bit of fingerstyle, a smidge of blues and the only bluegrass licks we could remember and everything passed muster with panache.

Plugged into our Boss Katana-50 EX on the Acoustic setting, the 710e came to life. This writer’s acid test for plugged-in acoustics is the intro and verse to Pink Floyd’s Wish You Were Here. If that particular combo of plectrum-fuelled blues and lusty chords sounds stadium rock-worthy, then you’re on to a winner. And let’s just say the Taylor shone like a crazy diamond…

Verdict

Verdict: ★★★★½

Guitar World verdict: Naturally, this level of build quality and sound performance doesn’t come cheap and $2,999/£3.2k might be a determining factor in one’s prospective purchase stakes.

If you did decide to go down the deep-bodied Taylor dread route then you’d be getting a fine, gig-ready instrument with a very good array of sounds on tap as well as premium build quality. And you can’t really say fairer than that.

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• "Crisply built and shines like a gem on the live stage": Taylor 314ce Studio review
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Epiphone is continuing its hot streak of producing affordable beauties in 2026 with the $229 Hummingbird Tribute.

In Gibson’s own humble words, the Hummingbird acoustic guitar is “one of the most celebrated models in music history.” A guitar that has been played by everyone from Jimmy Page and Mark Knopfler, to Keith Richards and Chris Cornell, Gibson’s ultra-successful square shoulder dreadnought is getting a low-budget, but highly stylized revamp here.

It has a layered spruce top with layered mahogany back and sides for those warm, classic tones, with antique ivory‑colored binding and tortoiseshell pickguards.

The 24.75” scale guitar also features a glued-in mahogany neck, with a rounded C profile and 12” radius for its laurel fingerboard. The reverse belly bridge is also laurel to help keep the price down while still looking the business. Beauty has always been a big part of the Hummingbird lore, and this sub-$250 certainly isn't lacking.

The eagle-eyed will also spot that it features a Kalamazoo-style headstock, a lovely nod to the guitar’s illustrious history. It is heartily bestowed with Epiphone Deluxe die-cast tuners and an engraved Tribute truss rod cover.

To complete the look, choose from Heritage Cherry Sunburst, Antique Natural, and Ebony finishes.

Speaking to Guitar World at NAMM 2026, Gibson laid out its grand plans to redefine its Epiphone guitars this year, with stainless-steel frets and wild finishes empowering its Futura Series of electric guitars.

Here, it’s bringing a lot of acoustic to a tiny price range, making a strong case for it becoming the most desirable sub-$250 acoustic out there.

As Gibsons says, this is “an acoustic legacy once reserved for the world’s biggest stages, now within reach of every player.”

The Epiphone Hummingbird Tribute is available now for $229/£229/€249.

Visit Epiphone for more.

Hot off the heels of the Memorial Day sales, Guitar Center has followed up with an awesome acoustic guitar sale, seeing up to 30% knocked off a huge range of acoustic instruments. There’s big money off acoustic guitars, acoustic electric guitars, classical guitars, and even some ukuleles, resonators, and banjos.

The sale runs until June 24th, so you’ve got almost a full month to take advantage of the offers. All the mega brands like Taylor, Martin, Gibson, Yamaha, Fender, Epiphone and many more are represented in the sale, making it one of the best opportunities to pick up a quality acoustic I’ve seen this year.

Keeping an eye on the best deals and sales in the world of guitar is part of my job here at Guitar World, so I’ve looked through the whole sale this morning to see what’s what. One of the first deals to catch my eye was this Recording King RPH-R2-E Dirty 30s Minnie Bucker Resonator, which is down to just $399.99 thanks to a $100 reduction.

Great for slide work and delta blues, resonators offer a gritty acoustic tone that’s super punchy and cuts through a mix well. A mini humbucker in the guitar means it works great for live players, adding an extra layer of versatility for those players who need it.

I covered this in the Memorial Day sale, where it had a bit more off the price, but I still think $200 off a Gibson J-45 Studio is super value for money if you want a pro-level acoustic guitar for performing or recording. The Sitka spruce top and mahogany back and sides offer a time-tested tonewood combination, LR Baggs electronics ensure it delivers for gigging, and it comes with a hardshell case to keep it protected no matter where you go.

The Taylor 414ce is one of our top-rated acoustic guitars, and this Sunset Blvd edition is available exclusively at Guitar Center. It offers an exclusive sunburst top, gold Taylor tuners, and Italian acrylic diamond inlays, which help separate it from the more typical guitars in the Taylor lineup. We reckon the 414ce is one of the best acoustic electric guitars out there at the moment, so with a $200 discount this limited edition version is super value for money.

What is it?

If you’re a musician on the move, you aren’t exactly short on options these days when it comes to a well-spec’d traveling companion. It seems every brand now has a pint-sized 3/4 acoustic in its lineup, with more effort than ever going into making them top-tier instruments in their own right. Joining the fold is the new Nomad Mini-Neptune Trembesi from Faith. Built in West Java, Indonesia, these guitars benefit from the expert touch of Patrick James Eggle, who continues to leave his mark on Faith’s ever-growing lineup.

Faith has taken its acclaimed Neptune Baby-Jumbo blueprint and miniaturized it for the road. The Nomad boasts a compact 590mm (23.2-inch) scale length and a body that’s been slimmed down without sacrificing the guitar’s signature silhouette. To maximize portability, the neck meets the body at the 12th fret. The bracing is hand-scalloped quarter-sawn spruce, and the model is coated in a very light Satin finish.

​Now, if you know anything about Faith, it's probably its commitment to all-solid wood construction, and the Nomad is no exception. The star of the show here is Trembesi, a tonewood Faith praises as “sought after by furniture manufacturers for its magnificent beauty and stunning variety of patterns.” Visually, it’s a stunner, reminiscent of Hawaiian Koa. Sonically, it channels a mahogany-like warmth, with Faith claiming it offers enhanced balance across the strings and a little extra sparkle up top.

​Up the neck, you’ll find an ebony fingerboard with a comfortable 16-inch radius, 18 medium frets, and Faith’s signature ‘F’ inlaid at the 12th. Ebony accents also grace the headplate and bridge, while a NuBone nut snuggly holds your strings in place.

As for electronics, the Nomad comes loaded with a Fishman Presys 1 preamp and undersaddle piezo pickup, complete with built-in tuner, contour EQ, phase switch, and a conveniently placed volume knob. The output jack is tucked neatly into the strap button at the base, keeping everything sleek and stage-ready.

And yes, Faith knows you’ll be hitting the road with the guitar, so the Nomad ships with a padded, Faith-branded gigbag to keep your new companion safe between shows.

Specs

• Launch price: $909/£715/€836
• Made: Indonesia
• Body shape: Mini-Neptune
• Body top: Solid Trembesi
• Top bracing: Hand-Scalloped Quarter-Sawn Spruce
• Back & sides: Solid Trembesi
• Neck: Mahogany
• Scale/length: 23.23 inches
• Nut/width: NuBone
• String spacing at bridge: 55mm
• Fingerboard/Radius: 16"
• Finish: Satin
• Bridge/pins: Plastic
• Tuning Machines: Faith Precision Chrome
• Electronics: Fishman Sonicore Pickup and Isys T preamp
• Weight: 3.9Ibs
• Case: Faith Padded Gigbag
• Left-handed options: No
• Contact: Faith Guitars

Build quality

Build quality rating: ★★★★★

Okay, so first things first, Faith’s Nomad Mini-Neptune Trembesi is a stunner right out of the gigbag. The first thing I notice is that gorgeous Trembesi figuring. The stripes and swirling patterns catch the light nicely, and I can see why this wood species gets compared to Koa.

This wood hails from Indonesia, where it thrives in the rich volcanic soil of Java. It’s a handsome specimen for sure, and it's obvious to me why Faith uses this wood on the higher-end Blood Moon models. It’s exotic, but not over the top, like mahogany’s more sophisticated cousin.

Still, it’s not just about the looks. The Nomad is all-solid wood, setting it apart from competitors like Taylor’s GS Mini Koa, which, while it sits in a similar price bracket, leans on layered back and sides. To me, that “all-solid” tag is a real feather in Faith’s cap at this price point. This guitar doesn’t really feel like a travel guitar in hand; it feels like a great mid-priced acoustic, just, well, smaller.

The construction is neat and tidy throughout. Taking a look in the soundhole, the joints are clean, and there’s no sign of glue runs or sloppy craftsmanship hidden away inside. The fretwork is on point, too. Every fret is perfectly set and polished to a mirror shine, so no sharp ends or rough spots to be found.

All told, there’s really nothing to nitpick here. The Nomad feels dialed-in and gig-ready right from the start, and certainly lives up to Faith’s reputation for quality and attention to detail.

Playability

Playability rating: ★★★★☆

When it comes to playability, the Nomad Mini-Neptune Trembesi punches above its weight. Out of the box, the action hovers around a super-comfortable 1.5mm on both E strings, which makes for a fast, inviting feel whether you’re strumming or fingerpicking.

The neck is slim and compact, definitely on the smaller side when compared again to the GS Mini, but it never feels cramped or claustrophobic, thanks in part to the 43mm nut width and generous 55mm string spacing for a guitar of this stature. Even players with bigger hands won’t feel too boxed in, and that smooth ebony fingerboard makes moving around a breeze.

That said, the one caveat here is the Nomad’s tendency toward neck-heaviness. The featherweight body means that if you let go, the headstock will dip downward. It’s a classic quirk for travel guitars, but it’s something to be aware of if you spend a lot of time playing seated without a strap. Still, the overall ergonomics are impressive, and the Nomad feels like a guitar that’s eager to be played for hours.

Sounds

Sounds rating: ★★★★☆

Sonically, the Nomad Mini-Neptune Trembesi delivers more than you’d expect from a guitar this size. Bright, lively, and surprisingly loud, it projects with a clarity and presence that belies its compact footprint. The midrange really pops, adding a punchy, articulate character that’s perfect for both strummy rhythm work and subtle picking.

While there are lows in the mix, don’t expect the thump of a full-sized Neptune; there’s a touch of that small-body thinness, but it never veers into boxy or nasal territory, which is a positive.

Faith says that tonally, Trembesi is “full-bodied and resonant, with a rich low end and a sweet, chiming top that helps it cut through a mix without sounding harsh.” Now, while I certainly hear the top-end response they detail, I think the low end is lost when the guitar is shrunken down to this size. That said, the Nomad does offer an airy, sweet top end and a pleasing shimmer that keeps things interesting whether you’re strumming hard or picking softly.

Plugged in, the Fishman Presys 1 system gets the job done. It’s a classic piezo setup that’s reliable, budget-friendly, and more than capable of handling local gigs, open mics, or even casual recording sessions. You get a bit of that familiar piezo scratchiness, but the tone remains serviceable and clear, and there are no major complaints for a guitar in this bracket, from me. The electronics are exactly what most traveling or casual players are after: dependable, easy to use, and versatile enough to suit a variety of playing situations.

Verdict

I must say, the Faith Nomad Mini-Neptune Trembesi is a pretty attractive little package. After spending some real time with it, I can see why Faith is starting to get more attention from players who would’ve normally just gone straight for the Taylor GS Mini or a Martin LX1. There’s a unique vibe to the Nomad, and that’s most definitely down to the all-solid Trembesi construction, and the care that’s gone into every little detail – there’s no question, it stands out in a sea of travel guitars.

Compared to other options on the market, the Nomad really brings something special to the table. A lot of travel guitars feel like budget instruments, but here you’re getting a guitar that feels like a shrunken-down pro-level instrument; it’s most certainly not a toy or a stopgap. It’s a given that an all-solid build is a big win, especially at this price point, but it needs to be pointed out that the finish work is incredibly clean right down to the last fret.

Of course, it’s not flawless. The neck-heaviness is a thing, and the plugged-in sound is good, not mind-blowing. But in terms of playability, looks, and that bright, clear sound, the Nomad hits the sweet spot. It’s perfect for throwing in the car for a road trip, bringing to a jam at a friend’s place, or even just noodling around the living room.

I honestly think if you’re looking at a GS Mini, Baby Taylor, or a Little Martin, you’d be doing yourself a favor by giving the Nomad a serious look first. It’s a guitar with character, built to travel, and ready for just about anything you can throw at it.

Guitar World verdict: If you’re scouting for a travel guitar that feels like the real deal, the Faith Nomad Mini-Neptune Trembesi absolutely deserves a spot on your shortlist. With its eye-catching all-solid Trembesi build, flawless fretwork, and punchy, lively voice, this little powerhouse is way more than just a “throw it in the back of the car” guitar. Sure, it’s not immune to the classic neck-dip that comes with a featherweight body, and the pickup system plays it safe rather than being spectacular, but the overall playability, looks, and sound are a cut above most rivals in the travel category.

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Faith Guitars

• Best 3/4 acoustic guitars: small-bodied, short scale sensations from Taylor, Martin, Faith and more

Epiphone has teamed up with Korean superstar singer-songwriter Lee Seung Yoon on his first signature guitar, the Epiphone Lee Seung Yoon LSY-200 Studio EC acoustic-electric guitar. The signature also marks a historic milestone, as Lee becomes the brand’s first Korean signature artist.

Built on the foundation of the J-200 Studio EC Super Jumbo cutaway, the LSY-200 Studio EC pairs “a legendary silhouette associated with room-filling acoustic tone with an artist-led aesthetic.”

Specs-wise, it features a Super Jumbo body with a cutaway for expanded upper-fret access, a solid spruce top with a layered maple body – finished in Antique Natural gloss – as well as a mahogany neck carved to a 1960s SlimTaper D-profile for “comfortable playability.”

Signature appointments include the artist’s signature graphic on the rear end of the Kalamazoo headstock, and a custom artist-designed pickguard with gold artwork and a matching custom truss rod cover.

This is topped off with a rosewood fingerboard with J-200 pearloid crown inlays, gold Grover Rotomatic tuners and gold hardware, plus Fishman S-Core pickup and Presys II electronics.

“I’m someone who writes songs, so I thought a lot about why I’d ever get a signature guitar,” comments Lee.

“But with the Epiphone EJ-200 [the budget-friendly Super Jumbo acoustic-electric guitar inspired by the Gibson J-200], I wrote hundreds of songs… I was an Epiphone user, and I thought all those songs I made with the Epiphone EJ-200 over the years, they’re being preserved in the form of a guitar.”

After being part of the indie rock group Dda Band and debuting as a solo artist in 2013, Lee became globally recognized for his genre-blending songwriting and reached mainstream appeal in 2021 after placing first in the South Korean singing competition, Sing Again.

Since then, he’s released three studio albums, Even If Things Fall Apart (2021), Shelter of Dreams (2022), and Yeok Seong (2024). His recent single, PunKanon, a punk-styled reimagining of his recent album era, won Best Rock Song at the this year's Korea Music Awards.

The Epiphone Lee Seung Yoon LSY-200 Studio EC is currently available at authorized Epiphone dealers across Asia, with initial distribution throughout Korea, Japan, Taiwan, and Thailand.

For more information, visit Epiphone.

Korean guitarists are continuing to make waves internationally, with Fender launching its first-ever signature guitar with a South Korean artist, JUKJAE, last December.

What is it?

Having a small body acoustic guitar around the house can be a real boon to your guitar playing, particularly if you position it somewhere in sight of your sofa. The easy pick up and playability of these instruments has made them incredibly popular over the past few decades, with nearly every major acoustic guitar manufacturer offering one. The Taylor BT1 Baby Taylor was one of the originals, though, and has been popular for going on 30 years now.

Much like the early successes of guitars in the 50s and 60s, the recipe for the BT1e hasn’t changed at all in the three decades since it launched as one of the world’s first mass-produced travel guitars. It’s got the same arched back in lieu of back bracing, those unsightly screws in the fretboard at the 16th fret, and the same 3/4 acoustic guitar scale length that makes it cosily appointed. The only thing that’s changed really is the competition, with a huge number of guitars available in a similar format.

It’s a dreadnought body shape with layered walnut back and sides and a torrefied, solid spruce top with X-bracing underneath. The neck wood is tropical mahogany with an ebony (or eucalyptus, depending on availability) fretboard, and the fret markers are 4mm dots made composed of acrylic. It’s got a Tusq nut and micarta saddle material, and the bridge is made from ebony. Die-cast tuning machines and Taylor ES-B onboard electronics complete the specifications lineup.

Specs

• Launch price: $549 | £399 | €359
• Made: Mexico
• Body shape: Dreadnought
• Body top: Solid torrefied spruce
• Top bracing: X-bracing
• Back & sides: Layered walnut
• Neck/shape: Tropical mahogany
• Scale/length: 22.75" (577mm)
• Nut/width: TUSQ nut / 43mm
• String spacing at bridge: 52mm
• Fingerboard/Radius: Ebony
• Body depth: 85.7mm
• Finish: Natural, varnished
• Bridge/pins: Ebony, plastic
• Tuning Machines: Die-cast chrome
• Electronics: Taylor ES-B
• Weight: 1.5kg
• Case: Taylor structured gig bag, tan
• Left-handed options: Yes
• Contact: Taylor

Build quality

Build quality rating: ★★★★★

The Taylor BT1e comes in a semi-solid gig bag similar to what you get with the GS Mini, which is a nice touch considering the price of the instrument. Pulling it out, I’m reminded of how absolutely tiny it is compared to a regular dreadnought. It’s super lightweight at just 1.5kg, and feels not that much heavier than the case it comes in.

Doing a close visual inspection of the body, I can find little out of place in terms of aesthetics. The solid top wood is well joined to the body with a clean line separating the two, and there’s also a lighter colored wood visible where the back meets the sides, showing what is presumably a poplar layer between the two pieces of layered walnut. The back is arched outwards, although it’s a very slight hump that’s not all that noticeable when playing.

Sitting the guitar on my lap, I can see gaps where the frets have been hammered in, which on more expensive models would usually be filled or covered with a binding. The frets themselves are very well installed, though, and everything is even up and down the dark wood of the fretboard.

The neck sits at an angle against the body near the soundhole, ever so slightly proud of the spruce top, so you can see a tiny sliver of the mahogany showing. This is part of the bolt-on neck design rather than a flaw, however, as this guitar can be easily shimmed instead of having to completely reset the neck as you would with a joint that’s glued in.

It’s that typical Taylor build quality I’ve experienced on basically every model I’ve played, and the tuners and bridge are similarly well-appointed. Interestingly, the finger joint that glues together the neck and headstock is quite visible, with the headstock wood being significantly darker than the one used for the neck, but the grain of the two woods is very well matched. The joint itself is very smoothly done, though, and when looking down at the neck side-on, you can barely see it.

Playability

Playability rating: ★★★★½

Sitting down in front of my TV with the BT1e on my lap, I proceed to start testing it with some gently fingerpicked melodies to get a feel for the fretboard. Despite the small dimensions, it doesn’t feel overtly cramped near the nut. Coming from a 3/4 classical guitar that I normally play in this position, it’s a very comfortable neck profile, and I’m able to play everything from melancholic Radiohead-inspired arpeggios to classical standards with ease.

Its neck-heavy nature does make itself immediately noticeable every time I sit up to pause playing, however, and the guitar naturally wants to fall out of my lap when I do this. With my right arm over the body in the typical playing position, it’s not all that noticeable, though, so just something to be mindful of if you decide to quickly reach for your phone or the TV remote.

An Eb major barre chord at the 11th fret is as comfortable as I can reach with my picking hand touching the body, but for single notes, I can get all the way to the 15th fret for some pentatonic scale runs. I can even hit the notes on the 16th fret above the screws for the neck joint, and they ring out just as clearly as those around it, but to be honest, I can’t see many players ever needing to go higher than this when playing this style of guitar.

Taylor doesn’t list the neck profile of this guitar on its official website, but to my hand it feels like a very soft ‘V’ profile. This is most likely due to the narrower-than-usual nut width, which means there’s less wood from which to carve a ‘C’ profile while still keeping the neck slim and playable. It’s noticeable coming from a guitar with a more usual ‘C’ profile, but it doesn’t stop it from feeling very comfortable with a variety of different playing styles.

Getting my ruler out and placing my finger on the 1st fret, I measure the action at 2mm at the 12th fret, and it certainly feels comfortable for the more fleet-fingered stuff. The short scale means it feels very quick, and full tone bends are nowhere near as difficult as they are on a full-size dreadnought. This is partially aided by the light, 12-gauge acoustic guitar strings that come with it from the factory.

Sounds

Sounds rating: ★★★★½

When played fingerstyle, the tone of the Taylor BT1e is absolutely gorgeous. It’s quite a bright-sounding guitar overall, so it responds really nicely to more gentle touch of fingerpicking. The notes sustain really well, ringing out with some lush overtones as I pick a mixture of chords with open drone notes.

Switching to a pick for some hard strumming, it’s pretty easy to get it to compress with a good whack of an open E major. My current strum tester track is the opening of ‘Master Exploder’ by Tenacious D, and when attacking the BT1e with a guitar pick, it’s a very bright sound, with heavy strumming leading to a slight harshness in the upper frequencies.

It’s not designed to be a hard strummer, of course, you’ll need a full-size dreadnought or jumbo acoustic for that, and with a more measured pick attack, it’s a lovely-sounding guitar. There’s not a huge amount of low end, but it’s balanced across the spectrum, with plenty of clarity across all the notes, whether I play barre chords, open chords, or single note licks.

Plugging it into my audio interface to test out the onboard pickup and electronics, I find a surprisingly lifelike sound. It’s not as good as it sounds in the room, and there’s that very present ‘plink’ sound you get from most acoustic guitar pickups, but overall, I’d be more than happy to put it into a PA system for live playing.

I did find it needed a significant gain boost even with the onboard electronics at max volume, adding around 15dB to get it peaking at -6dB in my DAW meters, so if you are planning on playing this guitar live, it’d definitely be worth adding an acoustic guitar pedal to help shape and boost the sound.

Verdict

Despite its toy-like dimensions, the Taylor BT1e Baby Taylor comes across as a very grown-up acoustic indeed. The unplugged sound is phenomenal for everything shy of the hardest strumming, and sitting on the sofa playing fingerstyle is a joyous experience with this excellent acoustic. With a surprisingly usable onboard electronics system, it can also do the job for live playing, should you wish to take it out of the house.

Those with very large dimensions might struggle at the upper registers, and it is very neck-heavy, but these are two flaws small enough to forgive when the overall playing experience is so comfortable and sounds this good. It doesn’t respond particularly well to really hard strumming, but then that is the nature of small body acoustics as they compress more easily due to their size.

Guitar World verdict: As far as 3/4 size acoustics go, there’s a reason the Taylor BT1e Baby Taylor has been at the top of the game for the past 30 years. The combination of excellent tone, fantastic playability, and rock-solid build quality makes it a brilliant addition for any player, whether you’re looking for your very first instrument or you’re an experienced guitarist who wants something comfortable for songwriting sessions and sofa noodling.

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Hands-on videos

Marty5150

Matthew Finch

Rimmers Music

Harmony Guitars has announced the return of the iconic Stella brand, unveiling an all-new lineup of parlor-sized acoustic guitars that have a lot of vibe for a very small price tag.

Throughout music history, Stella guitars have been played by the likes of Kurt Cobain, Leon Bridges, Elvis Presley, Lead Belly, and Woody Guthrie – and of course, B.B. King.

The King of the Blues cut his teeth on a Stella, and Meng Ru Kuok, CEO of Harmony and Stella Guitars’ parent company, Vista Musical Instruments, hopes that Stella’s second act will make a similar contribution to popular culture.

“B.B. King’s first guitar was a red Stella acoustic,” he says. “That’s the kind of impact we want this brand to continue to have, being the guitar that starts someone’s story.”

Well, we might have to wait a few years to see this impact, but in the here and now these are very impressive looking instruments. We’ve got solid spruce tops, layered mahogany on the back and sides, bone nuts and matching saddles, off-white binding tying them all together – and yes, there is a quartet of sweet finish options but, first, what about that slotted headstock? Too cool. It wears that Stella logo well. The rosettes are very nice, too

Now, finish options, we have Moonstone Blue, Backwoods Green, and Ivory solid-color tops, with natural high-gloss stain on the back and sides. There is also a Sunburst model that looks like the kind of thing you’d play when visiting Woody Guthrie in hospital and want to throw a few folk chords over a verse. These parlor guitars would absolutely work for folk.

But they’ll do blues, and all different strains of Americana – if there’s one thing a compact little couch buddy with mojo does well, it's fingerstyle.

And they also record well. Those small-bodied acoustics always seem to treat a ribbon mic with the respect it deserves.

Those aforementioned solid spruce tops are buttressed with a contemporary X pattern bracing, but tone-wise, Harmony/Stella is promising a more vintage voicing.

The Stella brand was founded in 1899 by Oscar Schmidt, and made instruments aimed at the beginner and intermediate price points. Affordability was a big part of the appeal, hence how one found its way into the hands of a young Riley B. King. At $349, with a gig bag included in the price, it’s continuing on in that vein.

To paraphrase the King of the Blues, the thrill was gone – but now it’s back. And you can check out this range of Stella guitars over at Harmony, where, incidentally, they are listed at just $299. The press release says $349.

Inflation is in the news a lot this weather, so just imagine our surprise when a news alert pinged to say that an Epiphone acoustic guitar just sold for $96,000 – but lo, false alarm, this was no ordinary Epiphone guitar.

No, this EJ-200, the Epiphone version of the storied Gibson SJ-200 jumbo, belonged to Noel Gallagher, and the Oasis guitarist not only used it during the writing sessions for the Manchester, England rock superstars' über-smash debut album, Definitely Maybe, but played it in the video for Wonderwall, too. And the guitar has been signed by the Chief himself.

It was sold at auction via Sotheby’s. Guitar World brought you the news when the auction first came online. The initial estimates had this big-lunged acoustic pegged somewhere between $60,000 and $80,000.

It is being called the Wonderwall acoustic because of the video, but the guitar that Gallagher recorded the actual track with met a different fate. If you cast your mind back to the pre-reunion days (well, actually to the pre-breakup days) you might remember Oasis being one of the more volatile beat combos on the indie scene.

The brothers Noel and frontman Liam Gallagher would often have it out. During one ruckus, an acoustic got turned into kindling and it didn’t even belong to them – it was the engineer Nick Brine’s.

“It was the morning after a heavy night and Liam was worse for wear,” said Brine, speaking to the BBC last year. “Noel had said something about him in the papers and Liam kicked off.

“I’m in Abbey Road’s famous Studio Two setting up equipment and hungover myself, then looking up I saw a guitar come flying over from the control room. It was Noel’s Fender Jag and it smashed to bits. I ran to the control room and Liam also made a big dent in Abbey Road’s mixing desk.”

Brine took cover. What was coming next.

“Then I see another acoustic guitar flying over the top and in a thousand pieces on the floor,” he says, “and realize that’s my guitar.”

Brine was well recompensed. The brothers gifted him the actual acoustic that tracked Wonderwall as compensation.

As for this one, well, it’s a pretty sweet Epiphone build. Epiphone doesn’t carry that model in the 2026 catalog, but the Inspired By Gibson Custom 1957 SJ-200, all-solid wood build, with figured maple to impress your gran, could be yours for $1,499. And that is a pretty sweet deal.

This Martin is very much a product of the folk era, with its slope-shouldered dreadnought body and 12th-fret neck join. The model designation is D-35S, with the S designating the slotted headstock that differentiates it from a regular D-35 dreadnought.

The defining feature of both D-35 models is a rosewood back made from three pieces, rather than Martin’s usual two.

By the late 1960s, harvesting and export bans on Brazilian rosewood were making it increasingly expensive and hard to source, so Martin devised the three-piece back so they could use up remaining scraps of Brazilian rosewood that were too small for OM, 000 and dreadnought bodies. This one is fairly typical because the centre section is darker than the bookmatched sides.

Based on the visual appearance and the lines per inch, I would say this top is Sitka spruce, rather than red Adirondack. Another thing I find interesting about this model is that the neck is wider than a regular D-28 or D-35. It’s a very large neck with a rounded profile that hits the sweet spot between typical nylon- and steel-string necks.

The design is fairly basic with five-ply plastic binding, a very simple rosette, dotted white plastic pins and unbranded three-on-a-tree tuners that are probably Grovers. At some point it went back to Martin for a neck reset, refret and a new black pickguard, and we have all the paperwork from the previous owner.

A lot of people aren’t crazy about Martin guitars of this era, but there are good and bad ones and this D-35S happens to be an exceptional playing and sounding instrument. It takes a few minutes to get used to the wider string spacing, but you can play light fingerstyle or hit it really hard with a pick and it responds equally well.

I think that around the mid-1960s the quality of materials available to guitar companies was going downhill and most of the major guitar companies were struggling to meet demand. They were also facing tough competition from overseas guitar manufacturers and they had to cut costs and corners.

Martin always had a way of introducing new models to make them more affordable. Examples might include the mahogany-topped guitars of the Depression era and the Style 21s that were less expensive to make than the herringbone-bound Style 28s and could therefore be sold to less affluent customers who really couldn’t afford an extra 10 bucks.

You can see differences in the thickness of Martin tops as the 60s progressed, and the grain wasn’t as tight on the later ones. Of course, players could hear the differences, too, and they didn’t feel the newer guitars sounded as good as those Martin made during its heyday. Everybody has their own ideas about when that heyday actually was, but nobody would argue that it was the mid-1960s onwards.

The D-35S actually harked back to the very earliest dreadnoughts that Martin first made for the Ditson music stores back in 1916. The model was also revived as a limited-run custom order for Wurlitzer between 1962 and 1968 and it was called the D-28W. Martin began offering 12-fret dreadnoughts, in Styles 18, 28 and 35, during 1967 and produced them for seven years.

Despite the retro looks, the D-35S doesn’t have pre-war style forward bracing and the construction doesn’t really differ from the regular D-35. I can’t say for sure, but I have a feeling the slot-headed models were reintroduced to use up Martin’s stocks of classical necks because the nylon-string guitars were no longer selling.

They would have shaved them down to make them more suitable for steel-string players, but they’re basically the same necks.

I don’t usually like regular D-35 guitars, probably because the backs are dampened by the additional bracing and they don’t hold a candle to D-28s. But this one is huge sounding with almost piano-esque undertones coming from the back, and it sounds better than any other late-60s Martin I’ve ever played.

It’s a little bit of an odd duck, but it is cool and I would love to use it for recording. It would be a monster in the studio and I think it would come across really well.

I’m surprised it has stayed in the shop as long as it has because it is priced very fairly. I think people are maybe put off by the 12th-fret body join, when in reality most acoustic players don’t really need those two extra frets anyway.

• Vintage guitar veteran David Davidson owns Well Strung Guitars in Farmingdale, New York / 001 (516) 221-0563
• This article first appeared in Guitarist. Subscribe and save.

The acoustic guitar that Noel Gallagher used during the writing sessions of (What’s The Story) Morning Glory? is mooted to sell for £60,000 (approx. $81,000) as its online auction goes live.

Released in June 1995, Oasis’ second album continued the Manchester band’s huge rise, after 1994’s Definitely Maybe, and Noel’s Epiphone EJ-200 was central to its creation.

The guitar is one of three Oasis auction items being sold by Sotheby’s, with the guitarist’s 12-string Rickenbacker, his loyal servant for a decade, and a handwritten lyric sheet for Don’t Look Back In Anger rounding out the power trio.

As its name suggests, the Epiphone EJ-200 is a wallet-friendly take on Gibson's esteemed SJ-200 acoustic, which has been adopted by seminal artists like Brian May (he dropped a signature model with a touching tribute to Freddie Mercury last year), Mark Knopfler, and the Beatles duo George Harrison and John Lennon.

Speaking to the Guardian ahead of its auction, Sotheby’s New York-based pop culture specialist Craig Inciardi sees the acoustic guitar as a symbol of the band's inspired mid-‘90s period.

“It was quite extraordinary how they managed to record it in such a short period of time,” he says. “He [Noel Gallagher] was just so prolific at the time, with the amount of songs that were coming out of him, it’s almost unprecedented. And if you look at that album and you look at the track listing, it looks like a greatest hits album.”

The guitar’s lucky new owner will also receive an all-important letter of authenticity that confirms the guitar’s prominence in the making of Oasis’ UK chart-topping sophomore.

It's quite the looker too, boasting a decorative vines and flowers inlay on its pickguard, and crown inlays across its fingerboard. It's said to be in excellent condition.

While the guitar was one of the select few featured in the Wonderwall music video, the guitar used to record the track was gifted to one of their engineers after his acoustic was smashed to smithereens during a Gallagher brothers row.

See Sotheby's for more.

What is it?

Jacob Collier has become an unlikely guitar hero over the past few years, but true to the Grammy-winning, multi-instrumentalist's own unique style, he hasn’t done it the ol’ fashioned way. Indeed, he hasn’t sought to go toe-to-toe with the contemporary greats who are reinventing conventional technique. He’s found a way to borderline reinvent the acoustic guitar itself.

Some of you will be familiar with Collier’s exploits in the guitar world. He has signatures with Strandberg and Taylor (the latest of which I have in front of me here), and they’re all linked by one quirky specification: they only have five strings.

The five-string approach has informed Collier’s guitar playing for some time now, after the multi-instrumentalist cut his teeth on a four-string tenor that served as his formal introduction into the world of guitars.

Collier also devised his own unique way to approach the instrument, settling on a five-string setup and a mirrored open tuning (D, A, E, A, D) that opens up a whole new avenue for guitar playing. Open chord shapes, easy arpeggios - a reimagined vocabulary at your fingertips…the world of five-string guitar is an enticing prospect indeed.

And it’s not a gimmick at all. This writer spent an hour with Collier in 2025, learning the ins and outs of his unique playing style and getting to grips with the five-string guitar. Having it come across my desk for review purposes was particularly thrilling because –since I'd played this exact model during a guitar lesson with Jacob – I was already well-versed in its sound and style. Getting the chance to spend a little extra time with it and put it under the microscope, allowed me to confirm what I was already beginning to suspect about this guitar…

Specs

• Launch price: $999 | £1,099 | €1,199
• Made: Mexico
• Body shape: Grand Concert
• Body top: Walnut
• Top bracing: X-bracing
• Back & sides: Layered walnut
• Neck/shape: Neo-tropical mahogany, C profile
• Scale/length: 24.875" (631mm)
• Nut/width: White TUSQ nut / 43mm
• String spacing at bridge: 54mm
• Fingerboard/Radius: Smoked eucalyptus
• Body depth: At deepest point 10cm
• Finish: Natural walnut
• Bridge/pins: Smoked eucalyptus/black plastic
• Tuning Machines: Paddle, standard
• Electronics: Fishman Presys VT
• Weight: 4.1lb/1.9kg
• Case: Academy Series Gig Case
• Left-handed options: No
• Contact: Taylor

Build quality

Build quality rating: ★★★★½

I’m yet to play a Taylor that isn’t built to near-perfection, and I’ve played plenty of the affordable models, too. My early-edition GS Mini is still going strong, and has fared wear and tear far better than some of the other models I’ve had in my collection over the years. The Academy 22e version of Collier’s signature model, while by no means cheap for a five-string guitar, is certainly no different, and a testament to Taylor’s expert quality control and craftsmanship.

Arriving in a sturdy, padded gig bag that oozes with premium charm – and that would give me complete peace of mind if I were to travel with this – the Jacob Collier Academy 22e features an interesting tonewood combination of a walnut top, with layered walnut back and sides. It also has a mahogany neck and smoked eucalyptus fingerboard, all of which are adjoined in a very expert manner.

The slightly porous, tactical grain of the mahogany and walnut is really inviting and is delightfully presented, with the top curve benefitting from a subtle bevel that you can’t really see at a distance, but one you can definitely feel. The layered walnut offers a really rich aesthetic that doesn’t feel cheap, and the top has a stunning, earthy hue to it that offers something a bit different from your regular spruce – both visually and sonically. The wood examples chosen here are exquisite.

Interestingly, this is proportioned exactly like a six-string, meaning it has a regular fretboard size and a nut width of 43mm. An excellent design choice, because not only does it avoid the potential issue of this feeling like a novelty instrument, it gives the five-string setup the space and respect it deserves.

As we’ll find out, this is a guitar well-suited for fingerpicking, so the regular string spacing of 54mm is beautifully primed, and the super-smooth fret ends are wonderfully finished. The three-plus-two tuner configuration looks a bit odd, but it works, and tuning stability is worth noting.

Let’s not forget this is a $999 acoustic, so by no means cheap, but there really is no cause for concern here. There is a separate Jacob Collier Taylor for $2,799 – a sizable sum for a five-string, let’s be honest – so what you get here for just shy of $999 is really nice.

Playability

Playability rating: ★★★★½

Because this is proportioned like your standard six-string, the form of the guitar itself feels completely ordinary, in the best way possible. The Grand Concert body hasn’t been downsized so has a nice silhouette that feels comfortable and translates nicely into playing. The neck is a modest C that’s well-shouldered but doesn’t feel too hefty in the hands. The smoked eucalyptus fingerboard is a nice touch, and though it’s not quite my thing (I think ebony would’ve looked killer here) it certainly plays into the Collier style of doing things a bit differently.

All that is to say, if this had six strings, you wouldn’t have any problem with it whatsoever. That aforementioned bevel really is a nice touch, and although I’m not usually the biggest fan of beveled guitars, the contouring here is so minimal that you really can only feel it once it’s under your strumming arm.

Things change when you start playing, of course, and the whole five-string setup can take a while to get used to. Taylor and Collier’s decision to put five strings on a six-string-sized guitar, rather than try and fashion a downsized instrument to accommodate the lesser string count, is a wise choice.

Not only is this approach probably much cheaper (we can’t imagine Taylor would gear production for such a complex and niche instrument in that way) but it also makes it way more accessible for the average guitar player.

Because of this, there is so much room between strings, to the extent where the fingerpicking hand has ample room to rest a digit on each string and have space to flex and pick. Coming from someone who has tried to do Collier’s five-string thing on a regular acoustic, this really is the best and only way to really explore its potential.

The tension across the strings is also nicely dialed in, especially given the D, A, E, A, D open tuning this thing ships in. Again, I’ve previously tried to force my own acoustic into that tuning, and I’ll tell you this for free: the B string absolutely hates being put up to D.

Here, because it’s been specifically set up for the five-string tuning, the strings have a slinky, tactile, bendable feel to them at a 24.8” scale, meaning you do not have to fight to get a tune out it. That goes for the fretting hand, too. A tiny bit more distance and stretch is required for certain things – most notably flourishing hammer-on runs that span two or three strings – but nothing major.

This really is a fingerpicking instrument, and the tuning – through which open chord shapes and arpeggios can be really easily formed – is an excellent access point to exploring some interesting shapes and intervals. Barring across, with one finger placed two frets up on the middle string, forms a major chord. Knock that finger down a fret for a minor chord.

In other words, it’s seems it would be easier to learn a D major chord on a Collier guitar than it is on a regular acoustic, which is why I can see this being a good option for beginners.

Yes, barring can be tricky at the best of times, especially for beginners, but because at a basic level you need only one finger to make this work, you remove the necessity to form additional shapes with your ring, pinky and middle fingers underneath. Plus, regular chord shapes (D in particular) can be a bit of a challenge for un-trained fingers.

Will that chain beginners to this tuning? Possibly, but in my mind it can only help build confidence on the guitar. The quicker aspiring guitarists can start strumming a tune with minimal ease – and start exploring their own voice and shapes right from the off – is only a good thing.

For example, 1-5-6-4 progressions are so easy, and there are no radical shape changes required. And, because the tuning is mirrored, everything you do on the top two strings, you can do on the bottom ones. Already that encourages experimentation, and forces you to think outside the box.

Sounds

Sounds rating: ★★★★

There’s a lot of ‘different’ about this acoustic, from the string configuration to the setup, so it’s nice to see the reliable Fishman Presys VT system present to give this some sonic familiarity. With the benefit of soundhole-mounted volume and tone controls, the Presys performs as reliably as usual, and transforms this experimental instrument into a genuinely giggable workhorse.

It’s not extraordinary by any means, and there are acoustic pickup systems out there that would perform better than this one, but for an Academy guitar it’s a solid option.

With that in mind, I much prefer this as an unplugged acoustic. When I played it with Jacob, we mic’d it up and it sounded really nice, and a large part of that is down to the tonewoods used. The walnut/layered walnut combo really does offer something a bit different to your usual maple, spruce or rosewood combinations, and when fashioned in a Grand Concert size you get really good output and a surprising amount of depth.

There isn’t an abundance of low-end, and there’s definitely more of a pronounced mid and high-end to this, but not overly so, and there’s a nice balance that positions this well as a strummer for chordal accompaniment and presence for fingerpicking melodies.

It’s a good all-rounder, no-nonsense acoustic tone that might not blow your socks off that way a more premium Taylor might, but there’s enough there to give a versatile and usable voice that doesn’t get in the way of the nicely layered voices and unusual inversions that the tuning requires.

Verdict

Jacob Collier’s five-string guitar is an enlightening instrument, and I had much joy getting to grips with it and re-familiarising myself with the oddball setup. Speaking from experience, it can force you to think about new ways to play the guitar, but it serves a very specific purpose that might not be for everyone.

Could it replace your six-string? No. Is it a useful tool to have in your collection? Possibly. Should you prioritise spending $999 on this over something else? It depends on your goals and priorities. If you already have a few acoustics in your arsenal, and need something that will light a fire under your creative tendencies, this will certainly do that for you. I know it did that for me.

This isn’t primed just for Jacob Collier fans, and I’d advise against assigning the artist connection too much value in this case. Similar to how the Silver Sky is a great electric guitar, regardless of the John Mayer association, the JC Academy 22e is an excellent tool if you need something different.

I’d liken this somewhat to the rubber bridge guitar. It might not be a go-to for the vast majority of players, but it serves a purpose, and can give a whole new palette that no other guitar can give you.

Guitar World verdict: Jacob Collier’s Taylor Academy 22e guitar is a fascinating entry point into a whole new world of guitar playing. A solid option for beginners, as well as those looking to push their voice into new directions, this is an enlightening creative tool that will help you rethink your relationship with the instrument – and perhaps make you a better player for it.

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Taylor

A guitar designed and thematically crafted around Palestine and its rich cultural history has just been put up for auction to raise funds for the non-profit organization, Medical Aid for Palestinians.

Built by UK-based luthier Gary Leddington, the acoustic guitar serves as a nod to Palestinian heritage and aims to be a symbol of the unity that's brought about by the power of music.

“Like many around the world, I have been profoundly moved and deeply shaken by the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza,” asserts Leddington. “The scale of suffering, especially among innocent children, has left me heartbroken and searching for a meaningful way to help.​

“As someone in a relatively privileged position in the ‘west’, I often feel powerless, but after some thinking, in response to this tragedy, I decided to use my craft to take action.”

The back and sides are made of olive wood, the national tree of Palestine, and a powerful symbol of peace. Further trimmings include a dyed burl ‘end graft’ and ‘heel cap’ that represent the watermelon, “a symbol of resistance and cultural unity”; brass tuner buttons, referencing the Dome of the Rock, a place of spiritual significance for the Palestinian people; and a sterling silver ‘Key of Return’ at the 12th fret.

Leddington also reveals that building the guitar itself served as a community project, with many people “donating wood, materials, inlay designs, ribbon, embroidery, prints, portraits, strings, merch, and more” to make it happen.

Aside from the one-of-a-kind acoustic, the auction winner will also receive a custom handmade hard case, covered in black gator faux-leather and lined with black crushed velvet, with custom jacquard silk ‘freedom’ ribbons and a hand embroidered lid that reads in Arabic, ‘Where words fail, music speaks.’

To learn more about this initiative, visit Gary Leddington's official website.

What is it?

Faith’s latest entry in its PJE Legacy range is, we’re told, an all-rounder: “Big enough to perform well unplugged but small enough to be used on stage for long periods by players of any stature,” states the website.

It certainly sounds like a good proposition to us, but dig a little deeper and we find that designer Patrick James Eggle has taken the renowned OM body shape and tweaked it to his own taste, based on his own Linville model from his acoustic-building era.

In essence, the body width of 400mm (15 inches) is the same as Faith’s Venus model, but, to quote the company once again, “its overall contour is somewhat more refined”.

In case you’re unfamiliar with the brand, Faith acoustic guitars first appeared in the marketplace around the turn of this century.

The design team is helmed by Mr Eggle, and they have won a shelfload of awards for best in breed ever since launch. The FG4 Earth we have before us inhabits Faith’s slightly higher tier of Legacy models, but it still retails at the £1.5k mark and includes a rather posh-looking ABS hard case to protect your investment.

Add to that the fact the instrument is stage-ready with a Fishman Flex Blend system, combining an under-saddle piezo with an internal condenser microphone, and the FG4 would appear to be a one-stop shop for your mid-priced acoustic needs – whether you’re looking for a sofa buddy or a get-up-and-go open-mic companion. But that’s enough of an introduction from us; time to zoom in for a close-up on the finer details.

Faith guitars have always had kerb appeal. And, opening the FG4’s case, it’s apparent that a lot of creative thought has passed its way – not just from the general design point of view, but also the aesthetics of the fixtures and fittings, which have a definite ‘pick me up’ lure.

As you’ll have gathered from the guitar’s full name, its finish is satin throughout and this is not only for purely artistic reasons, there’s a function here, too. Faith tells us that the finish allows the tonewoods present to work at a premium level.

And if you’re curious as to what those woods are, the top is torrefied Sitka spruce. In other words, it’s gone through a drying and heating process whereby the wood dries out more thoroughly in order to ‘age’ the wood and deliver a more vintage-inspired tone.

It’s not a new process, for sure, but one that has had the nodding approval of builders big and small across the globe, and who have universally claimed that, yes, there is a difference in tone.

The spruce is supported by mahogany for the back and sides, set off with the contrasting flamed-maple binding. Add in the multi-hued abalone rosette and a scratchplate of unspecified wood (that looks like figured ebony to us) and there’s no doubt that the FG4 is dressed to impress. The neck is mahogany, with an Indonesian ebony ’board that is bare of the usual position markers on top, save for Faith’s signature mother-of-pearl ‘F’ at the 12th fret.

In all, there are 20 very nicely polished and well-seated medium frets that have been smartly finished with no discernible sharp edges. Both the 45mm nut and saddle are unbleached bone, the former expertly cut, the latter sitting in a Macassan figured ebony bridge. The tuners are Grover Rotomatics featuring very subtle matte-black buttons.

All well and good, of course, and acoustic players everywhere will agree that the sum of the FG4’s parts should add up to an extremely capable instrument. But the fun doesn’t end there: if your acoustic world extends to playing in a band or being a regular at open mic spots, then you’ll definitely be interested in the Fishman Flex Blend acoustic guitar pickup and preamp system.

This entails not only an under-saddle piezo but an under-bridge-mounted condenser microphone with its own blend control set into the upper bout, too, along with the regular volume and tone rotaries. There’s also an onboard tuner that mutes the output when activated to ensure that keeping everything harmonious remains a strictly private player experience.

Everything about the general build quality is typically fine and dandy as we would expect, having seen some very good instruments coming out of Indonesian workshops recently. So the next thing to do is strum a few chords and see how everything sounds.

Specs

• PRICE: $1,979 | £1,565 | €1,831 (inc hard case)
• ORIGIN: Indonesia
• TYPE: OM cutaway
• TOP: Torrefied Sitka spruce
• Back/Sides: African mahogany
• MAX RIM DEPTH: 111mm
• MAX BODY WIDTH: 400mm
• NECK: Mahogany
• SCALE LENGTH: 650mm
• TUNERS: Grover Rotomatic 18:1 nickel
• NUT/WIDTH: Bone/45mm
• FINGERBOARD: Indonesian ebony
• FRETS: 20
• BRIDGE/SPACING: Macassan figured ebony/55mm
• ELECTRICS: Fishman Flex Blend with condenser mic
• WEIGHT (kg/lb): 1.95/4.3
• LEFT-HANDERS: Not for this model
• FINISHES: Satin
• CONTACT: PJE Guitars

Playability and sounds

Not only is the FG4’s satin finish pleasing to the eye, it’s also a very pleasant tactile experience, inasmuch as the guitar feels very nice in the hand.

Naturally, the finish extends to the back of the neck, which will help with those rapid barre-chord changes by presenting a minimal drag factor for the left hand. The neck itself is a fairly slim and shallow C profile, which sits at that precise point where it’s neither too skinny nor too chunky.

A lowish action means there is little resistance for the fingers while playing chords or single notes, and both give a good account of themselves with chords sounding full and single notes singing out exactly as they should.

There’s a good amount of snarl to the bass register, sitting beneath a full midrange and sweet trebles. We tried a variety of different styles – a bit of bluesy fingerstyle, chordal strumming with and without a pick and so on – and the FG4 dealt with everything we threw at it like an absolute pro.

Plugged in, the Fishman Flex Blend was a new pickup system to us. There are three rotary controls that deal with volume, tone and condenser mic blend.

The tone control gives a flat EQ when fully anti-clockwise, whereas in the middle of its travel it thickens up the midrange, and at the top (fully clockwise) it scoops some of the mids out for those busy strumming sessions. Furthermore, press and hold the volume control and it activates the onboard tuner; do the same to the tone control and it reverses the phase. Very neat and compact.

In practice, the controls work precisely as described, and we discovered that we had a whole range of sounds available to us with the guitar plugged into our Boss Katana-50 EX Gen 3’s acoustic preset. The mic adds some necessary ‘air’ to the audio signal, complementing the under-saddle piezo perfectly.

In short, what Faith said about this instrument being something of an all-rounder is shaping up to be bang on the button.

Verdict

Verdict: ★★★★

Faith’s PJE Legacy FG4 Earth sits at that price point where it’s well above and beyond the budget range and, at the same time, well below the boutique and bespoke world.

And it fits in that midrange niche very well, ticking all the musical boxes necessary for a workmanlike, no-fuss instrument that is particularly able for both living room and gig duty, as well as giving a very good account of itself through an amp or PA.

Guitar World verdict: For any singer-songwriter, busker or open-mic-night trooper it really has everything going for it. Or if you’re in a band where you cover a couple of acoustic songs per gig, it has all bases covered.

Hands-on videos

Faith Guitars

• “The tuning did not need tweaking for the entire time we spent trying to avoid playing Stairway To Heaven”: Faith Eclipse Venus E/Cutaway & Neptune E/Cutaway 12-String review
• This article first appeared in Guitarist. Subscribe and save.

Cardboard has become a weirdly talked-about tone-material in recent years, and now the brains behind the viral cardboard electric guitars has returned for its latest wood-less creation – the world’s first acoustic electric guitar made of cardboard.

In the past, we’ve seen Cardboard Chaos – the joint venture between Ernest Packaging and Signal – partner with the likes of Fender on Telecaster and Stratocaster-style guitars, as well as a bass, which have been played by everyone from Robby Krieger and Billy Gibbons to Keanu Reeves to Dweezil Zappa.

Now, the cardboard enthusiasts have unveiled the result of their latest collaboration with famed guitar builder Gabriel Currie – the world’s first archtop acoustic electric jazz guitar to be made almost entirely from cardboard.

The project has been a long time coming. The idea of an archtop of this ilk has been in the minds of the Cardboard Chaos team for “over a decade”.

To bring it to life, the jazz guitar began life at the Ernest Packaging innovation lab in Southern California, carving bodies, backs, sides and necks out of poly and paper. The lab’s leader, Mike Martinez, had to “push cardboard to its absolute limits” so he could pass the production baton onto Currie.

From there, Currie of Echopark Guitars – who has built instruments for Josh Homme and Steven Tyler – took it past the finishing line, but not before rethinking his approach to guitar-making: “Everything I thought I knew, I put aside,” Currie says of the build.

The guitar was inspired by a vintage Benedetto jazz box, of which the team had schematics and blueprints to study going into the process.

It’s something of an engineering marvel, built from countless resin-coated molds, a delicate archtop construction, lattice-style reinforcement and a neck made from mostly solid resin with paper as a binder. Throw in some electronics and you have a fully playable, fully functioning archtop made from cardboard.

“Chaos is an understatement when you set out to make an arch-top acoustic guitar out of cardboard,” a press release says.

“What comes out the other side is the world’s first Cardboard Acoustic Guitar that actually slays,” adds Signal, one of the driving forces behind the project.

“Not a prop. Not a joke. A real deal, jazz-style cardboard guitar that rings, sings, and proves what a small crew of friends with ridiculous ideas can pull off when they decide to bend the rules on purpose.”

Like the cardboard guitars to come before it, the Echopark Cardboard jazzbox will be put to use in an upcoming Cardboard Session.

Keep your eyes peeled on the Cardboard Sessions YouTube series for when it drops.

We always knew Jason Isbell could play. But even longstanding fans who remember the Alabama country star’s twisty fingerstyle on 2013’s Southeastern were stopped in their tracks by last year’s Foxes In The Snow.

Inspired by his divorce from former bandmate Amanda Shires and new relationship with artist Anna Weyant, this 10th album found Isbell relieving his trusty backing band, The 400 Unit, in favour of a virtuoso man-and-guitar format.

And as the 47-year-old tells us today, the model he chose proved pivotal, with Isbell not only tracking every song on a 1940 Martin 0-17 at Electric Lady Studios, but using that example as the jump-off for his two new signature acoustic guitars designed alongside the Pennsylvania luthier.

What can you tell us about the pre-war 0-17 you used on Foxes in the Snow?

I was spending a lot of time in New York, staying in my girlfriend’s apartment. Down here in Nashville, I’ve got a bunch of guitars. But up there, I just had space for something small. The shop that I love in Brooklyn – RetroFret – had this 1940 0-17. So I got that just to write and practise and have something to sit around and play.

When I went in to make the record, I took a few different acoustics – a pre-war D-18 and a couple other things – but pretty quickly figured out that the 0-17 did a better job than anything else.

I think it was partially because of the sonic space that guitar takes up. Y’know, it’s not big or boomy, and in a mix when it’s just guitar and vocal, I think sometimes that works better. The D-18 just sorta overpowered everything.

What was it about the 0-style shape – as opposed to a dreadnought – that you wanted to pursue for your signature model?

Well, I’m a pretty big guy – I’m 6ft 1in. And honestly, just from a logistical standpoint, playing a dreadnought on a recording while I’m singing is pretty difficult because that guitar takes up a whole lot of room.

If you’re making a guitar-focused record and doing a lot of instrumental stuff, the single-0 size works really well for me. I think this new signature guitar will be really good for singer-songwriters who go out and perform unaccompanied because it’s not dwarfing the vocal.

Let’s talk about your premium 0-17 signature model. The body is solid sinker mahogany, isn’t it?

Yeah. The wood was underwater for a long time – we’re talking thousands of years – and then I guess they pull the log out of whatever river bed it’s in and dry it over a period of time. It’s pretty shocking that it works as well as it does.

I’ve got a lot of old acoustics, but I don’t tour with them, so if I can find a new guitar that resembles them sonically, it’s very convenient. This 0-17 doesn’t have the harsh, brittle upper midrange of a new guitar; it retains the volume and punch of a newer piece of wood, but it sounds warmer.

Despite the compact size, it seems like your 0-17 has punchy projection.

Yeah, they scalloped the bracing on this one. It’s plenty loud enough. I mean, it’s one of those things where you look at the guitar and think, ‘This doesn’t look big enough to put out that much sound.’

But you can do pretty much anything with it. I’m sorta obsessed with guitars, so I try to have at least one really good example of every different type of tool I need. But if I was just going out by myself and playing solo acoustic shows, this would be a perfect guitar to take.

And the 0-17 neck is sinker mahogany, too?

Yeah, with the Brazilian rosewood ’board and bridge. The tough thing about the neck for Martin was getting the shape because on those pre-war guitars they were all hand-shaped.

My original 0-17 has a really interesting shape – the ‘V’ is more intense as you go further down the neck. So it took some work on the part of the folks at Martin to get that just right. But they got it. They nailed it.

That’s some pretty fluid fingerstyle on the Foxes in the Snow album. Do you think this acoustic will deal with more advanced picking?

Well, there’s enough space. The nut width is wide enough to where I can get my fingers in between. And it’s balanced. To me, that’s so important because if you’re strumming, you’re not hearing individual notes like when you’re playing fingerstyle, obviously.

So you don’t want the B to be quiet compared with the D. You need everything to have a uniform volume and intensity coming out of the instrument, almost like a piano.

Are there any differences between the original 1940 0-17 and your signature guitar?

The pickguard on my pre-war 0-17, apparently, somewhere within the first few years of that guitar’s life, somebody switched it out for one that was just a tiny bit larger. And so when they went to make this one, Fred Greene from Martin called and asked if I wanted my signature model to have the ‘proper’ pickguard. But I said, ‘No, let’s use the one that’s on the 0-17 that I own because I want it to be as close a replica as we can possibly get.’

The only other difference that I know of is the finish. It’s super-close, but it’s impossible to exactly replicate the lustre of a guitar that old. It’ll get there in time.

Was it important to you to offer a cheaper version of your signature in the form of the 0-10E Retro?

Yeah. I’ve played both of them a whole lot since they got finished and, truthfully, the less expensive model is a really great guitar and I’m not missing anything when I’m playing it. It intonates well. It plays well. The neck is a little bit smaller and faster – I think that’s probably because it was factory-made, rather than handmade.

When I put out my signature D-18 a few years ago, that was a really expensive guitar and made for a very limited run. And with these guitars, I don’t want to split the difference. I’d rather have one that’s more collectible and made in smaller numbers, then another that’s accessible to everybody, rather than just do something in the middle that doesn’t quite capture either of those categories.

So I’m very happy about the 0-10E Retro, too. Actually, I was shocked when I got it, at just how good it sounded acoustically. But it’s got the tuner and electronics, too, and sounds really good plugged in. It’s very, very usable.

Did it take a lot of meetings and prototypes to get these guitars over the line?

No, with just a handful of conversations, we were able to narrow it down. A lot of that is due to Fred. We’ve worked together on a lot of guitars in the past and he knows where the line is for me.

Y’know, if we’re going to replicate something, then I like it to be done as closely as possible. And he knows my preferences, as far as vintage guitars. He knows I like things that feel and sound old. So it didn’t take a whole lot of back and forth. Maybe part of it is also due to the fact that Martin’s just doing really, really good work right now.

You have a slightly quirky tradition of blasting your new acoustics with loud music. Does that actually help bed in the tone?

I mean, I don’t have any real way of quantifying it, but when I take a new acoustic guitar out of the case for the first time, it sounds new to me. So I leave it in front of the speakers and play some music – something with a lot of bass, like OutKast – just to keep the wood moving.

I think there are devices that do it now, where you can put them in the soundhole and they’ll just constantly keep the vibrations going. I used to set the guitar out on a table and prop an EBow up on either the D or G string and just leave it there until the battery ran out. I’ve done no scientific testing, but I think it helps to bring it in a little quicker.

Alongside the two acoustics, you’re releasing signature acoustic guitar strings in Martin’s new Era range.

The thing with acoustic strings is that they sound so different when they’re new on the guitar. That has sorta driven me crazy over the years. I hate that brand-new out-of-the-box sound. To me, it’s kind of like an avocado – you have five minutes when it’s perfect and then you’re either too early or you’re too late…

With the silk wrap on these strings, it helped make them sound a bit broken in. And that window – where the strings don’t sound too new and they’re not dead yet – has been extended because they’re treated.

You’ve also specified your usual 0.012 to 0.054 gauge.

Yeah. I do a bit of bending and I don’t hit it quite as hard as a real flatpicker, but I’m also not a soft-touch player. So 12s have just always worked for me on an acoustic, and I use 10s on electric. And it’s, like, the least exciting gauge because everybody wants to say, ‘Well, I use 13s,’ or if you’re a Billy Gibbons fan, then 7s or 8s or something. But I’m right in the middle of the road as far as the gauge goes.

Do you have a particular personal history with Martin guitars?

I’ve always held Martin in the highest regard. When I was a kid, I had a lawsuit guitar – y’know, one of those from the late ’70s when everybody was ripping Martin off. And then there was an uncle of mine who had a herringbone D-28 he would bring by, and everybody would pass it around and play it. I just remember feeling, like, ‘Oh, this is as good as it gets. This is the best possible guitar you could play.’

Do you remember the first Martin you actually owned yourself?

I sure do. Our van had gotten broken into in Dallas and my acoustic guitar was in the gear that got stolen. So I contacted Martin to see if they would send me a loaner, and they suggested we do an artist deal.

So the first Martin I had was a D-41 that I used on the road for a long time. It was just a little too much inlay for me. I’ve gone to D-18s since then because I like it to look a little more simple. But that was the first one. I think I paid half price for it – because I wasn’t helping Martin sell any guitars back then!

• For more on Martin’s Jason Isbell signature guitars and strings, see Martin Guitar.
• This article first appeared in Guitarist. Subscribe and save.

Gibson has brought back its Songwriter Recording Artist series of acoustic guitars with two hand-crafted instruments that “elevate one of Gibson’s most beloved modern designs”.

These square-shouldered modern dreadnoughts were first introduced in the 1990s and have been in and out of the fray since. Here, the Songwriter Recording Artist and Songwriter Recording Artist EC pick up the torch where their predecessors left off.

The vintage-modern balance is present and correct. Hand-built at Gibson’s Bozeman, Montana facility, these instruments are said to deliver “exceptional studio clarity, stage-ready reliability, and the unmistakable depth and richness of Gibson acoustic tone”.

In terms of their DNA, thermally aged Sitka spruce tops take the headlines. They’re paired with rosewood backs and sides, long-scale mahogany necks, and L.R. Baggs HiFi acoustic guitar pickup systems for high responsiveness and true-to-life amplification.

Partnered with those aforementioned tonewoods, which nod to Gibson’s 1936 Advanced Jumbo acoustic design, the guitars deliver a “warm, balanced” sound full of “rich overtones”.

They’re built to a 25.5” scale length, and share smooth, bound ebony fretboards, mother-of-pearl diamond eye inlays, and a compound dovetail neck joint. These are secured with hot hide glue for a bold resonance.

Premium appointments are shared across the range, with bone nuts, gold Grover open back tuners, TUSQ bridge pins, and wide abalone rosettes. For the finishing touch, each guitar's headstock features a rosewood veneer and a mother-of-pearl Gibson logo and Crown.

Gibson is offering two versions. The Songwriter Recording Artist features a 1930s scalloped Advanced X-braced top with the traditional non-cutaway design. The EC's Venetian cutaway is crafted to appeal to lead players thanks to its improved upper-fret access.

Both models are available in Rosewood Burst and Antique Natural finishes, and are priced at $4,999 apiece.

Head over to Gibson for more.

It follows a busy year for Gibson in acoustics in 2025. A downsized, single-cut take on the SJ-200, its hand-crafted but affordable Acoustic Specials, and the return of its Les Paul acoustic hybrid were among the highlights.

As the CEO and president of Taylor Guitars, which has been in the upper echelon of acoustic guitar-making since 1974, Andy Powers has a lot on his plate. And while the business side of things is paramount, Powers’ passion is forever centered around the making of the instruments.

“It stems around trying to create an instrument that feels inspiring to a player,” Powers says. “It could be inspiring in familiar, fresh and new ways. But I want somebody to feel joy when they pick up the instrument.”

Taylor’s lines range from high-quality, budget-friendly instruments to ornate guitars that’ll make your jaw drop – but the approach never changes.

“The trick is to try and take that one individual instrument and then scale that up in a way where you don’t lose the magic of the first one,” Powers says.

“That’s difficult to do, so most of what we spend our time working on is eliminating the accidental customization that might happen on a shop floor. You’re trying to create a method where every single guitar you build comes out exactly the way you intended it to – even when your own hands weren’t the ones touching it.”

At over a half-century old, Taylor is still a new kid on the block, which means Taylor lives in a gray area, straddling the line between classic design and modern innovation. With this in mind, as far as Powers is concerned, the sky is the limit.

To that end, he says, “One of the things that makes us unique is that our history is defined by changing what we see fit to change.”

You come from a guitar-building background, so how would you describe your role at Taylor?

I come from a guitar-making and playing background, not really so much of a business background. But I started building and playing guitars from a young age, so all I’d ever really done was build. A lot of my focus was on actually building the instrument itself.

I still think about an instrument that might be interesting to a player – maybe an adaptation of a guitar we’re making now, maybe something totally new or something that might be an improvement to an existing guitar. I’ll go build those instruments by hand.

So you’ve still got a hand in that aspect of the company?

I maintain a shop here at our Taylor campus as well as a shop at my home. I’m working like Geppetto. [Laughs] It’s like a lot of old hand tools and a very traditional, craft-oriented kind of construction. That gives me a lot of flexibility to create what might be interesting for us to make next.

Is it a challenge to match and raise the bar on Taylor’s well-known standards?

It depends on which way we look at it. You’re right; Taylor, as a guitar manufacturer, is known for building a very consistent, high-quality guitar. Now, coming from the guitar-making world, that’s not really hard to achieve.

It would be expected for a high-end instrument to be built at a very high level – the fit and finish, the way the parts work, the way it feels. I’d expect it to be working at a high level. And really, a lot of the credit I would give to Bob Taylor, a designer who’s trying to design something for a manufacturing scale.

Of note with Taylor is that your budget models sometimes outpace other companies’ higher-end models.

A lot of it comes down to the process you use, the way you’re gonna build the instrument. So if we’re gonna build a high-end instrument, we’re going to create a process to result in a really great guitar every time. We’re gonna go through that same process, even for a more modest instrument where it might not have lavish trimmings, the rarest woods or something like that.

But that doesn’t simply mean we’re going to import loads of low-end guitars, slap our name on them and sell them. That’s not how we do it. We actually design a thing to go, “This guitar is for a musician of modest means, so we’re going to use more commonly available materials – but I want the musical experience to be a great one.”

What’s it been like trying to source materials these days, where tariffs have hampered companies and there are far more restrictions on the harvesting of certain woods?

It is a challenge. But I would say that at no point was it ever not a challenge, right? Let’s say I went back a couple of hundred years and worked in Stradivari’s day; it’d be a real challenge to get great material. [Laughs] Not so much because the materials aren’t there to be had, but just the logistics and transportation mean you’re gonna be working really close to home to get that piece of ebony for a fretboard.

Man, that is really gonna be hard. So there’s a challenge there as you come into a more modern era where you face depleting resources.

One of the challenges in procurement is actually sourcing the material and how it is harvested. So we’re working a lot closer, a lot deeper into the forest, and oftentimes looking at alternate structures for the future.

What do those alternate structures look like?

Whether that’s plantation-grown wood, whether that’s deliberately planting trees for future generations of instrument use, or whether it’s different forestry models altogether, like using reclaimed urban-harvested wood. There are all kinds of different ways we approach it, and they have their own unique challenges.

One of them is a design challenge, which is to work with what options you have available. As an example, we started pursuing what I describe as urban forest harvested wood – city trees, street trees – trees that cities plant to control soil erosion, create shade, wind barriers, noise barriers, things like that.

When those trees grow larger, because they’re in a more densely populated area, they become a liability. A storm might knock that tree over, and it could fall on buildings, cars or people. Those trees have a managed lifespan. We look at it and go, “Why are you chipping that up for mulch? There’s gotta be some end-of-life usage in that tree.”

With this, the age-old debate over tonewood arises, which is even more critical when discussing acoustic guitars. Do you think a street tree versus a forest-harvest tree would produce a very different-sounding guitar?

Oh, yeah – it’s been super-interesting. The most interesting part of it is that there are no direct comparisons. So what should I do with that to make an equally appealing sound musically on a guitar? It means you’ve gotta start changing the guitar a little bit.

You change your design, maybe you voice the bracing a little differently, you use it in a different spot, you cut it to a different thickness. There are all kinds of different things you could do as an instrument designer to create a musically appealing instrument.

It seems as if this particular challenge is an opportunity to unlock new tones and designs.

It absolutely is. It’s interesting to think about wood material over time and how the instrument world has constantly changed its appetite and developed new materials. It’s become common practice for guitar makers to like what we call Honduran mahogany for a neck, right? That’s pretty common. It’s been used for a lot over the last century.

Well, that was a substitute material for Spanish cedar. Spanish cedar was preferable for nylon-string or early classical guitars. A lot of classical makers still swear by it. But it was commonly used for necks well into the teens, Twenties and beyond.

But Honduran mahogany was more obtainable. It was easier to get in big pieces, and it had a similar enough character to Spanish cedar that it became popular. Instrument making is a slow evolution, influenced by the maker’s skill and the musician’s taste.

At NAMM 2024, Taylor launched the Action Control neck, which allows players to make micro-adjustments to string height without removing the neck.

One of the things we like to do is make a genuine improvement to the instruments we’re building when we can. I like to be able to work that idea into more places because what excites me as a builder and a player is having a wider variety of guitars. I like that we get to choose our voice.

We get to choose whether we wanna play a big-body strummer, powerhouse guitars, smaller finger-style instruments or more modern, heritage-based sounds. I like exploring different flavors. Now something like the Action Control neck is a feature or aspect I’d been working on for almost 10 years before those guitars came out – even before I was really happy with the design.

So we introduced that on the Gold Label guitars, and over the course of 2025, we introduced more iterations and variations of that into our Gold Label collection. We’ve added it to the Grand Pacific body shape guitars in that collection. We’ve done more Super Auditoriums and different wood combinations. That’s something I’ll start to spread into other models because of how well that serves the player.

What will you do to match that in the coming years?

There’s instrument development. It comes in kind of waves, but ideas come through different instruments so that all the different players can find what best suits their taste. There are going to be different voicings of the V-Class bracing architecture that we developed a number of years ago.

That’s a very adaptable kind of design that lets us manipulate the sound of the guitar in a lot of different ways. It brings out different nuances of the guitar’s voice, so you’ll see some different flavors there. And you’ll see some different amplification developments from us.

What’s on tap there?

As much as I love to play an acoustic guitar in front of a microphone, you’re gonna see that most players still take a guitar on a stage, grab a cord and plug it in.

We’ve used the Expression System, what we call the Expression System 2, for a number of years. That’s worked really well for a lot of players on a lot of stages. But our development didn’t stop there. So there are other developments coming into our amplification space that I think might serve players even better in an even wider variety of scenarios.

Taylor is as much about classic designs as it is innovation. How do you see the future shaking out?

We’re not afraid to change something. I like to think our best days are still ahead of us as guitar makers. We’re really not all that young anymore; five decades and counting is a pretty good run, and we’ve got a couple of miles on us. At the same time, amongst a lot of guitar makers, we’re still relatively young, so we have a lot of permission to continue developing our instruments.

I like to look ahead and go, “At this point, we have a history we can draw from as well as a still-unwritten future.” You can see designs that are influenced by our past designs, and we’ve got a library of things we’ve built and a body of work we can draw from, kind of a “greatest hits.” We have our modern benchmark guitars like the 814 Standard, the quintessential modern acoustic cutaway electric.

Then we have these other collections, and we’re still developing and pushing boundaries with our Builder’s Edition collection. We’re exploring ergonomics influenced by an electric guitar on an acoustic guitar.

Then we have our Gold Label collection that’s steeped in the tradition of instrument-making. There are all these varieties that we get to continue developing and exploring.

• This article first appeared in Guitar World. Subscribe and save.

What is it?

In recent times we’ve examined a host of Epiphone guitars, both acoustic and electric, many of which have exceeded the magical $/£1k barrier.

In the main, they’ve proved to be superb instruments that, in some cases, have caused us to question why we’d part with a load more cash for something with that ‘other’ name on the headstock.

Here, though, we find two unashamedly cheap acoustic guitars, neither of which busts even the $/£500 ceiling. It will be interesting to see how the degree of cost-cutting required to hit this price point affects the build, playability and sound.

Checking over the big-bodied J-200 Studio reveals that it’s very tidily built, both inside and out. While a five-ish grand Custom Shop Gibbo is constructed using solid, and often finely figured, maple for its back and sides, here we find what Epiphone calls ‘layered’ (we might say laminated) plain maple.

Solid spruce, however, is employed for the guitar’s top. It has to be said that the orangey ageing looks a little garish and unsubtle, but at this price point one can’t really expect hand-rubbed toner.

The neck – which on a ‘real’ J-200 would be flamed maple with a rosewood centre strip and a black ‘stinger’ painted on the rear of the headstock – here is some kind of unspecified mahogany. In order to save timber and therefore cost, the headstock has been scarfed on, and the heel is a two-piece affair.

Rosewood is the timber of choice for the bound fingerboard with its 20 fine to medium frets. It’s dark and nicely grained and the general fit and finish hereabouts is really very good.

Gibson’s super jumbo is recognised as one of the handsomest instruments around and Epiphone has had a pretty good stab at replicating that – the essence of it, at least.

The fingerboard carries one of the original model’s most famous trademarks, its graduated crown inlays, and while they’re not real mother-of-pearl here, they do offer a passable facsimile.

The flower-emblazoned scratchplate on the other hand, which is where these things often fall down by looking thin, cheap and poorly painted, is thick and smoothly bevelled, and looks particularly classy. The guitar’s moustache-style bridge, also from rosewood, bears four fake pearl inlays in a style that looks familiar but is not an authentic Gibson design.

Due to its ultra-simplicity, the J-45 manages to do a more convincing job of looking original than its sibling. The dotted rosewood fingerboard is dark and matches the solid spruce top’s tobacco sunburst finish perfectly. The ‘belly up’ bridge (again rosewood) looks dead right and, to be honest, from the 10th row the guitar – with its short Epi headstock – could easily be mistaken as the real thing.

The body’s back and rims, this time of layered mahogany, receive a dark stain that’s very convincing and does a better job than the J-200’s aged blonde polyester of hiding the neck’s heel and headstock splices.

Overall, the build quality of both guitars is very good indeed, and attention to detail excellent. Although it’s obvious they’ve been built to hit a certain price point, Epiphone has cleverly managed to avoid the instruments coming across as bargain-basement fodder.

Specs

Epiphone J-45 Studio

• PRICE: $449/£449/€499 (inc gigbag)
• ORIGIN: Indonesia
• TYPE: Round-shouldered steel-string flat-top acoustic with pickup
• TOP: Solid spruce
• BACK/SIDES: Layered mahogany
• MAX RIM DEPTH: 106mm (4.173”)
• MAX BODY WIDTH: 406mm (15.98”)
• NECK: Rounded C profile, mahogany
• SCALE LENGTH: 628.65mm (24.75”)
• TUNERS: Vintage ‘Kluson’ style with cream plastic buttons
• NUT/WIDTH: Plastic/43.815mm (1.725”)
• FINGERBOARD: Rosewood with pearloid dot inlays
• FRETS: 20 medium
• BRIDGE/SPACING: Belly-up rosewood with compensated plastic saddle/54mm (2.125”)
• ELECTRICS: Fishman S-Core under-saddle pickup  with Presys VT preamp and soundhole volume and tone controls
• WEIGHT (kg/lb): 2.1/4.629
• LEFT-HANDERS: Yes
• FINISHES: Vintage Sunburst (as reviewed), Epiphone Natural

J-200 Studio

• PRICE: $549/£499/€599 (inc gigbag)
• ORIGIN: Indonesia
• TYPE: Jumbo, non-cutaway acoustic with pickup
• TOP: Solid spruce with 4-ply binding and floral J-200 pickguard
• BACK/SIDES: Layered maple
• MAX RIM DEPTH: 114mm (4.48”)
• MAX BODY WIDTH: 431mm (17”)
• NECK: 1960s slim taper, D profile, mahogany
• SCALE LENGTH: 648mm (25.5”)
• TUNERS: Nickel Kluson style with plastic ‘keystone’ buttons
• NUT/WIDTH: Plastic/43mm (1.69”)
• FINGERBOARD: Bound rosewood with graduated crown inlays
• FRETS: 20 medium
• BRIDGE/SPACING: Rosewood ‘moustache’ style with pearloid inlays, compensated plastic saddle/54mm (2.125”)
• ELECTRICS: Fishman S-Core under-saddle pickup with Presys VT preamp and soundhole volume and tone controls
• WEIGHT (kg/lb): 2.2/4.85
• LEFT-HANDERS: Available
• FINISHES: Epiphone Natural (as reviewed), Vintage Sunburst
• CONTACT: Epiphone

Playability and sounds

In the bad old days, the playability and sound of cheap imported guitars was often questionable, to say the least. Today, however, American parent companies keep a close watch on their partner factories’ production and quality control. So we’re delighted to report that our Epiphone J-200’s action is spot on, right out of the box.

Around the nut area the strings are low and it’s easy to fret chords and single-note lines. Venture further up the neck and barre chords don’t fight back, while lead licks come out cleanly with absolutely no fretbuzz.

Epiphone calls the J-200’s neck’s shape a “1960s SlimTaper D profile”, but it isn’t particularly D-shaped, more like a shallowish C. Whatever you call it, it’s very comfy and a real pleasure to play.

With a slightly more vintage-profile “rounded C” neck, the J-45 Studio feels like an old pal. As with its stablemate, the action is perfectly set and, while neither guitar has the fingerpicker’s beloved 44.5mm nut width (both are typical Gibson fare at 43mm each), picking and strumming are equally well served.

The J-45’s shorter 629mm scale means it handles string bends – should you attempt them – a little better than the 648mm scale and slightly tauter feel of the J-200. But, frankly speaking, neither instrument could be faulted from a playability point of view, most especially at this price.

Sonically, while it didn’t match the similarly sized 1995 Taylor jumbo we had to hand as a comparator, our big Epiphone did a brave job of trying. There’s not the big, booming bottom-end you might expect from a guitar of this size, but it’s perfectly acceptable, and thankfully the treble side isn’t harsh or tinny.

In fact, overall the tone is balanced and pleasant, whether picking or strumming, and anyone buying this guitar would not be disappointed from either its playability or sound perspective.

Tonally, the J-45 seems to have a little less in the top and bottom than the J-200, making it a tad more focused but at the same time a little less open-sounding. It’s not half bad, though, and while it seems a little more ‘enclosed’ against a Martin OM-28, at $/£449 one would have to be the harshest of critics to complain.

This model was always the perfect all-rounder, and while the laminated bodies of both guitars are bound to restrict their sonic depth and openness, our J-45 kicked out a good level of well-balanced tone when strummed and a sweet if not overly rich and woody tone when fingerpicked. Its shorter scale length will also doubtless contribute to the less snappy sound.

We have to remember these instruments’ lower price tags. And with that in mind we can state that anyone starting out their acoustic journey on either model will enjoy a positive and rewarding experience. With their onboard Fishman S-Core under-saddle pickups plus soundhole-placed volume and tone controls, each of these guitars is ready to hit the stage when you are.

Verdict

Verdict: ★★★★☆

It’s easy to imagine that expensive US- or European-made acoustics are all individually craftsperson-made, while cheap East Asian ones are spat out of machines with never a hand touching them in the process.

Truth is, you can’t build an acoustic guitar at any price without a good degree of hands-on work. And from their setup alone, we can tell that these guitars – even with their sub-$/£500 tickets – have been built with some degree of care and expertise.

Guitar World verdict: They play extremely well, and while they won’t scare your Custom Shop Martin, Collings or Breedlove in the tone stakes, they’ll do a darned fine job of fulfilling the dreams of any aspiring acoustic guitarist. And if you’re a seasoned electric player seeking out a good-looking, playable and not-half-bad-sounding knockabout flat-top in either of these legendary Gibson styles, then look no further.

Hands-on videos

Long & McQuade Musical Instruments

The Canadian Flatpicker

• Epiphone Inspired By Gibson J-45 and J-200 review
• This article first appeared in Guitarist. Subscribe and save.

Police in Bel Air, Maryland are appealing for help identifying four suspects believed to have stolen a 1947 Martin D-28 acoustic guitar worth around $15,000 from a local music store.

Officers say that three women and a man entered the stop, Music Land, on February 3. Surveillance footage shows them taking the acoustic guitar from the display area, concealing it, and leaving the store.

“One of the female suspects was on lookout,” store owner Larry Noto tells via WMAR-2 News Baltimore. “The other two suspects took the guitar. She had a long black winter coat on, a very puffy coat. It was freezing out – you know how it was a couple of weeks ago – and had sort of a black bag that they slipped the guitar in.”

“This was a consignment piece from 1947, so a very rare, special piece that we just happened to have on sale as part of our consignment program.”

He continues, “You do feel violated, and it was really sad and disturbing to watch the video that had happened. We’re a local family-owned business, [and have] served the community for 55 years. You just don’t think something like that’s going to happen to you.”

Alongside its unique serial number, another key identifying feature is a distinct cracking on the back from a prior refinishing. Police shared a photo of the suspects who are being sought for identification and interrogation. No charges have been filed as of yet.

Anyone with information should contact the Bel Air Police Department at (410) 638-4500 or kmartin@belairmd.org.