Celebrating 100 Years of Flat-Tops with a limited-edition acoustic guitar inspired by century-old designs
Gibson Custom has released the L-1 Anniversary Limited Edition, a tribute to Gibson’s first flat-top acoustic guitars introduced a century ago. Only 100 units will be produced worldwide for this historic release, with each one finished in a glossy Cremona Burst nitrocellulose lacquer and accompanied by a certificate of authenticity and hardshell case.
The L-1 Anniversary Limited Edition stands as a testament to a century of innovation, artistry, and the enduring influence of Gibson flat-top guitars in every genre of music. As Gibson celebrates 100 Years of Flat-Tops, this limited-edition model honors the past while kicking off a year of anniversary celebrations designed to inspire the next generation of acoustic guitar players.
The L-1 Anniversary Limited Edition headstock features a vintage-style “The Gibson” logo inlaid in mother-of-pearl
When the original L-0 and L-1 models debuted, they set a new benchmark for acoustic design, influencing generations of musicians and shaping the Gibson sound. The L-1 has been embraced by artists like Jeff Buckley, Scrapper Blackwell, Norman Blake, Hubert Sumlin, and Keith Richards. It’s famously associated with blues legend Robert Johnson, who appears in one of his few verified photographs holding a sunburst L-1 with a 12-fret neck.
This anniversary model celebrates its legacy not only with historic detailing, but also a warm tone that harks back to the earliest Gibson flat-tops. Each one has been carefully handcrafted at the Gibson Custom Shop in Bozeman, Montana, and its design preserves the original model’s classic silhouette with the added flair of premium material upgrades.
This special acoustic has solid mahogany back and sides paired with a thermally aged red spruce top supported by scalloped X-bracing for resonance and projection. Cream binding outlines the top, back, fretboard, headstock, and sound hole. It has 19 frets, which join the body at the 12th, and features mother-of-pearl dot inlays. Its 25-inch scale mahogany neck is even carved in a Historic V profile.
The Gibson Custom L-1 Anniversary Limited Edition acoustic features a solid mahogany back and sides
In honor of this 100-year milestone, the guitar offers plenty of other vintage-inspired touches that pay tribute to early Gibson craft work, such as its three-on-a-plate open-back tuners with cream buttons, a bone nut, and a mother-of-pearl “The Gibson” headstock inlay. A two-ply truss rod cover engraved with “Anniversary,” along with a rectangular ebony bridge featuring carved pyramid wings, bone saddle, and bone bridge pins, complete its historically rooted design.
The Gibson Custom L-1 Anniversary Limited Edition acoustic is available now via Gibson Custom dealers, at Gibson Garage locations, and on Gibson.com.
