New Standard and Standard EC models have been updated with rosewood fretboards, high‐quality hardware and electronics, and improved body contours for a Gibson-inspired feel fit for today’s players
Epiphone has unveiled a newly refreshed and expanded Inspired by Gibson lineup for 2026, bringing elevated playability, upgraded hardware and electronics, and refined body contours across its suite of classic, Gibson-inspired instruments. The refreshed Epiphone lineup includes Standard and EC versions of the Hummingbird™ and J-45™, plus an L-00 Standard model.
“With the 2026 Inspired by Gibson Acoustic Collection, we set out to honor the soul of these iconic instruments while making them accessible to every kind of player,” says Aljon Go, Epiphone Product Manager. “This lineup captures the heritage, feel, and character people love—paired with the performance and reliability today’s musicians demand. These guitars were designed for real musicians, whether they’re writing their first song, stepping onto their first stage, or recording their next album. The Inspired by Gibson Acoustic Collection brings that unmistakable Gibson DNA to players everywhere, without compromise.”
Epiphone Hummingbird Standard
First released by Gibson in 1960, the Hummingbird Standard was its first square shoulder acoustic dreadnought model. The Epiphone Inspired by Gibson Hummingbird Standard follows the classic tonewood recipe of the original Hummingbird: the back and sides of the body on this model are made of solid mahogany, while the top is crafted from solid spruce. The neck is also made from one piece of solid mahogany and is now equipped with a genuine rosewood fretboard with 20 standard frets, and mother-of-pearl split parallelogram inlays.
The set neck has a comfortable Rounded C profile and is attached to the body with a tapered dovetail joint. The 60s Kalamazoo headstock is decorated with the Epiphone logo and Gibson crown inlaid in mother-of-pearl and equipped with a bone nut and Epiphone Deluxe tuners with a gold finish and keystone buttons. Other classic Hummingbird features include an epoxy-style tortoise Hummingbird pickguard, a reverse belly rosewood bridge with a bone saddle, and ivory plastic bridge pins.
The Hummingbird Standard comes with Fishman® electronics, including an S-Core under-saddle pickup and Fishman Presys™ VT preamp with soundhole-mounted volume and tone controls. It comes in Cherry Sunburst in right or left-handed versions and ships in a premium Epiphone gig bag.
Epiphone Hummingbird Standard EC
The Epiphone Hummingbird Standard EC shares many features with its non-cutaway sibling, including all solid wood construction and a mahogany neck with a rosewood fretboard. The key difference is its body cutaway, allowing for easier access to the upper regions of the fretboard. The belly-up bridge is also rosewood, and the saddle and nut are bone. It offers a newly redesigned epoxy-style pickguard and features the hallmark hummingbird, butterfly, and flower graphics. Quality Grover® Rotomatic® tuners ensure solid tuning stability, while the onboard Fishman electronics include a built-in tuner, as well as side-mounted controls for volume and EQ. A premium gig bag is also included and it comes in Cherry Sunburst and Natural finishes.
Epiphone J-45 Standard
The J-45 is the best-selling acoustic in Gibson history. Introduced in 1942, it went on to earn the reputation as “The Workhorse,” becoming the cornerstone of its round shoulder dreadnought line. The refined Epiphone Inspired by Gibson J-45 Standard also offers solid mahogany for the back and sides, and a solid spruce top, delivering the classic tonal recipe that made the J-45 a player favorite.
The one-piece mahogany neck has a comfortable Rounded C profile and is equipped with a rosewood fretboard with 20 standard frets and understated mother-of-pearl dot inlays. The headstock offers the popular 60s Kalamazoo shape and is fitted with a bone nut and smooth-functioning Grover Rotomatic tuners, while its belly-up bridge is also rosewood and is equipped with a bone saddle and ivory plastic bridge pins. The newly redesigned epoxy-style pickguard has a teardrop shape and tortoise shell coloring.
The Epiphone J-45 Standard is equipped with a Fishman Presys VT under-saddle pickup and preamp with volume and tone controls discretely hidden in the soundhole. Included is a premium gig bag. The guitar comes in Vintage Sunburst and left-handed models are available.
Epiphone J-45 Standard EC
The Epiphone J-45 Standard EC features all of the tonal utility of the J-45 Standard, as well as the advantages of a cutaway body for even more scope for expression and upper-fret accessibility. The J-45 Standard EC features a round-shoulder cutaway body with the same tonewood recipe. The neck has a Rounded C profile and is topped with a rosewood fretboard with 20 standard frets and mother-of-pearl dot inlays, while the 60s Kalamazoo shape headstock is equipped with Grover Rotomatic tuners and a bone nut, and is adorned with the Epiphone logo inlaid in mother-of-pearl.
The Epiphone J-45 Standard EC also comes with a Fishman S-Core under-saddle piezo pickup and Presys II preamp preinstalled, so it’s ready for live performance as well as studio recording. The preamp features side-mounted controls for volume, bass, treble, and a phase switch, while a combination battery box and endpin output jack make battery replacement easy. It even has an electronic tuner built in, and a premium gig bag is included. Vintage Sunburst and Honey Burst finishes are available.
Epiphone L-00 Standard
Gibson pioneered the development of small-body guitars at the beginning of the 1900s with its L-Series acoustics. The Gibson L-00 was developed in the early 1930s and has been an industry standard small-bodied guitar for decades. Developed from the ground up by the Epiphone team in partnership with Gibson Acoustic, the Epiphone L-00 Standard captures the heritage of those exemplary early Gibson models.
It offers the same tonewood combination, while its rosewood fretboard is equipped with 19 standard frets rather than 20 and features understated mother-of-pearl dot inlays. The L-00 Standard has the 60s Kalamazoo-shaped headstock, which is fitted with a bone nut and Grover Mini Rotomatic tuners. The rectangular rosewood bridge is outfitted with a bone saddle and ivory plastic bridge pins. This guitar comes with Fishman electronics, including an S-Core under-saddle pickup and Fishman Presys VT preamp with soundhole-mounted volume and tone controls. The model comes in Vintage Sunburst in right and left-handed orientation and you’ll get an Epiphone premium gig bag for protection.
Shop the Epiphone Inspired by Gibson acoustic collection today.
