How Gibson flat-top acoustic guitars sparked a revolution and shaped the sound of popular music
It’s no exaggeration to state that 100 years ago, when Gibson handcrafted its first flat-top acoustic guitars in Kalamazoo, Michigan, the company sparked a revolution in sound that would see Gibson instruments take center stage during a century of trailblazing popular culture. From Delta blues and country to folk, bluegrass, pop, rock, and beyond, Gibson flat-tops have been a constant in an ever-changing world. Part of our yearlong celebration of Gibson flat-top acoustics, “A Century of Sound” is the latest video from Gibson TV, charting the inexorable rise of landmark guitar designs that can still be seen and heard in the hands of the pop icons of today and tomorrow.
The redesigned Gibson L-1 started it all—just ask Robert Johnson. In the 1930s, the spellbinding L-00 and show-stopping SJ-200™ were the perfect tools of the trade for traveling blues players and singing cowboys. In the 1940s, with much of the world at war, Gibson introduced the ultimate workhorse, the J-45™. In the decades since, everyone from folk singers to hard rock heroes have made it sing. Later, in London, while the sixties were in full swing, it was time for the Hummingbird™ to take flight. It soon became the guitar of choice for the rock ’n’ roll icons who ruled the airwaves, defining the shape of so much music to come.
As explained in “A Century of Sound” by our special guest narrator, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club singer/guitarist Peter Hayes, today’s Gibson acoustic guitars—from painstaking recreations of the classics to stage-ready electro-acoustics, and elegant new models like the Century 12-Fret Collection—are built to inspire for generations. They’re handcrafted in Bozeman, Montana, by a team of artisans who combine time-honored methods with cutting-edge technology and absolute dedication to their craft. All of which means that your Gibson flat-top—like all Gibson guitars—is born ready for whatever the next 100 years brings.
Shop Gibson acoustic guitars and find your lifelong musical companion today.
