Earlier this year Gibson announced the expansion of its famed acoustic factory in Bozeman, Montana, in response to increased demand for new guitars.
But in addition to more acoustics coming out of the Bozeman facility, we’re also seeing spectacular new designs. Gibson recently introduced the Nathaniel Rateliff LG-2 Western, a signature model built in conjunction with the genre-blending singer-songwriter, and now the legendary brand has unveiled a genuinely innovative new line of acoustics: the Gibson Generation Collection.
“The Generation Collection brings something new to our acoustic guitars while staying connected to all the techniques and philosophies that make the originals so great,” says Mat Koehler, Head of Product Development, Gibson Brands. “Each model offers artists and players of all levels an exciting new playing experience with the reliability, performance and iconic design you expect from Gibson.”
Comprised of four models – the parlor-sized G-00, the round-shouldered G-45, the cutaway G-Writer EC and the cutaway Jumbo G-200 EC – the Generation Collection offers up a fresh and unique playing and listening experience, with thinner bodies, flatter-than-standard neck radii and, in a revolutionary design move, the addition of the Gibson Player Port.
An original Gibson concept from the early ‘60s, the Player Port, which projects sound out toward the player via a side-mounted sound hole on the body's upper curve, allows musicians to hear the guitar the same way the audience hears it. The original Player Port has been refined by Gibson’s team of acoustic luthiers to add a new dimension to every player’s sound.
“It’s like having my own little built-in monitor,” country singer and guitarist Nikki Lane, who has been playing the G-00 model, tells Guitar World. “It gives me the opportunity to hear my sound front and center, just like the audience does.”
Lane isn’t the only artist currently using a new Generation acoustic. Contemporary pop singer-songwriter Alejandro Aranda, who performs under the moniker Scarypoolparty, has been playing a G-200 and, like Lane, points to the Gibson Player Port as a standout feature.
“I think it’s the main thing that attracted me to the guitar,” he says. “The Player Port puts you in this space where you can hear yourself really precisely and clearly. It makes for a more immersive instrument, and actually makes me want to practice more as well.”
According to genre-blending singer and fingerpicker Amythyst Kiah, the Player Port allows her to truly hear her own playing like never before.
"I started playing acoustic guitar when I was 13, and the sound hole is facing away from you," says Kiah, who has been playing a G-45. "So you get used to the sound not coming directly to your ear, but kind of going away from you. The only time you ever really hear everything, all the dynamics, is if you're monitoring through an audio interface with headphones or something like that.
"So to be able to play an acoustic and have the sound coming directly at me from that Player Port without having to plug in is really remarkable."
While professional artists in a variety of genres have gravitated toward the Generation Collection, the acoustics are designed first and foremost with the everyday enthusiast in mind – these are highly affordable, supremely comfortable models handmade in Bozeman for a new generation of player.
Features include thinner bodies constructed with Sitka spruce tops and walnut backs and sides, easy-playing Advanced Response utile necks and striped ebony fingerboards with comfortable, flatter radii.
The playability, Scarypoolparty says, is top-notch. “The board feels really, really fluid and just makes me want to play more.”
Regarding his predilection toward creating rhythm patterns that are highly percussive and make extensive use of hammer-ons and pull-offs to open strings, he continues, “I play on like the harder side, and this guitar can definitely handle all that. Some guitars can get a little muddy when you’re doing intricate hammer-ons and pull-offs. But the Generation just sounds so precise and I can hear everything clearly.”
Tone-wise, adds Lane, "The guitar just breathes. It has such an open sound, it resonates really well, and it picks up on all the little nuances in my style."
The combination of great sound and easy playability is also a conduit to sparking creativity. "It's a great guitar to write songs on," Kiah says. "That's what I've been using it for since I've had mine. And for anybody just starting out on guitar, the Player Port makes a huge difference in terms of being able to hear yourself without having to spend a lot of money on a whole bunch of other gear to get a similar effect. It's affordable and it sounds amazing."
Other features on the Generation models include super-stable Grover Mini Rotomatic tuners, TUSQ nuts and saddles and, on the G-Writer EC and G-200 EC, LR Baggs Element Bronze pickup systems. Additionally, all models come with an included gig bag and boast an elegant and sharp-looking Natural finish. “It looks so classic,” Lane says.
Classic looks, tone and feel, wrapped up in a distinctly cutting-edge package.
"The Generation acoustics almost have an extra layer of sensory ability," Kiah says. "They play great, I can hear everything better, and that propels me to want to make more music. It's an exciting experience."
"The commitment between you and your instrument is what defines a musician," Lane says. "My G-00 is going to do me right, so I'm going to ride with it.
For more information on the Generation Collection, head to Gibson.
