Since 1975, Gibson electric guitars have been handcrafted in the heart of Music City—Nashville, Tennessee, where wood and steel meet heart and soul
Gibson has launched “Handcrafted in Nashville, TN.” This year-long marquee campaign celebrates the craftsmanship and innovation that drives Gibson and Gibson Custom electric guitar making in the heart of Music City, where Gibson musical instruments begin a journey that will ultimately see them featured on the world’s biggest stages in addition to rehearsal rooms, recording studios, and homes all over the world.
For more than half a century, Gibson electric guitars have been handcrafted in Nashville, Tennessee, where wood and steel meet heart and soul. Through four chapters supported by exclusive video content and an exciting array of new products, Gibson is highlighting the people and processes at the company’s Nashville craftories, where passionate Gibson teams use time‑honored methods and premium materials alongside original tooling to create instruments built to provide a wellspring of inspiration for generations of musicians.
The Gibson approach draws on only the finest materials and premium parts and components, employing traditional processes such as rope‑binding in conjunction with original tooling from the Kalamazoo factory used during the company’s first Golden Era. This includes the ES™ laminate press that was used to make the instruments beloved by icons of popular music in the 1960s, and which is still an essential part of the process when crafting the Gibson ES guitars of today.
More than 130 years after company founder Orville Gibson began building musical instruments, the company continues to honor his legacy. The heart of Gibson is its people, and their artistry shows through in every contour of every guitar. Personal touches like hand‑sprayed sunburst finishes and figured maple tops make every Gibson guitar as unique as a fingerprint, while cutting-edge technology, such as 3D laser scanning, allows the DNA of beloved instruments of the past—some of which fetch millions on the vintage market—to live on in new guitars for the players and superstars of today and tomorrow. Crafted to be played, loved, and ultimately passed down, every Gibson is a future legacy instrument, connecting the players and superstars of today with those of tomorrow.
A sunburst finish being sprayed by hand at Gibson in Nashville, Tennessee
A Gibson guitar is a lifelong musical companion, built to sustain for generations. Long before it even reaches our craftories, the story of every Gibson guitar begins with a tree, and the company works closely with its suppliers to source the finest tonewoods responsibly, ensuring long-term stewardship of the forests on our fragile planet, safeguarding ecosystems and decades of guitar‑making to come.
Ultimately, the most important hands that touch a Gibson are the final ones, the hands belonging to the player who takes it home. That’s when you hear its soul. Look out for much more from Gibson in the coming months, including exciting new product launches that tie into the Handcrafted in Nashville story.
Shop Gibson and Gibson Custom electric guitars, handcrafted in Nashville, Tennessee.
