Best Gibson Guitars of 2021 – Complete Review

| Last Updated: December 27, 2021

If we ask you to imagine an electric rock guitar most of you may imagine Gibson Les Paul without even knowing its name.

That’s how big was the impact that Gibson made on music history, so let’s check out what else they have to offer in general.

Who is Gibson?

Gibson is an American guitar company based in Nashville, Tennessee. 

What Kind of Warranty Does Gibson Offer?

Gibson warranty offers a lifetime warranty that covers both labor and materials on repair deemed necessary by their service. However, the warranty for electronic parts is limited to one year upon factory installation.

Who Owns Gibson Guitars?

The investment firm Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. (KKR) has the majority ownership control of Gibson. The chairman of the board is Nat Zilkha, former lead guitarist of the New York band Red Rooster.

Where Are Gibson Guitars Made?

All Gibson electric guitars are made in Tennessee, except that solid body guitars are made in Nashville, while semi-acoustic guitars are from Memphis. The acoustic models are made in Bozeman, Montana.

How Many Guitars Does Gibson Make a Year?

The latest reports from Gibson say they are selling 170,000 guitars on an annual basis in more than 80 countries. Currently, they have the capabilities of creating 700 guitars per day.

History of Gibson Guitars

While the company is now more than 120 years old, their real history starts somewhere around the 1950s and the legendary Les Paul guitar. Along with the Fender Telecaster and Stratocaster, these guitars changed everything we know today about guitars in general and have become a substitute for the terms electric guitar in general.

Who Invented Gibson Guitars?

Originally, Gibson company got its name from Orville Gibson who started out as a one-man workhouse. 

When Did Gibson Start Making Guitars?

Originally, Gibson started out in 1902, but the first Gibson string instrument was a mandolin made in 1894, in Michigan.

Did Gibson Guitars Go Bankrupt?

Back in 2018, Gibson filed for bankruptcy protection as they had a $500 million debt. But, they managed to pull out from it, build momentum, and announced several new guitars for this year.

Is Gibson Guitars Going Out of Business?

Due to bankruptcy issues, Gibson had to cut short some connections they had in other audio businesses they have enrolled with, but speaking of guitar business, it’s not just they have decided to stay into business, they are planning to invest even more effort to ensure instrument quality control.

What Makes Gibson Guitars Stand Out Against the Competition?

Nowadays, many guitars can offer about the same quality as the Gibson model, so let’s see what makes Gibson so different:

Resale Value

None of the instruments that may feel like a replacement has such a resale value as the real Gibson. Those guitars might be a winner as you can sell them at the price similar to the figure you placed upon initial shopping. 

Scale Length

The longer the scale is, the more effort you have to provide to perform. Luckily, Gibson has made all of their models 0.75 inches shorter than the regular size.

Comparison of the Best Gibson Guitars

IMAGEPRODUCT
  • All Les Paul features at lower price
  • Late 1950s neck profile
  • Chambered Body technology included
View Latest Price →
  • Double cutaway electric guitar with thin profile
  • Bright sound with improved sustain length
  • 490R and 490T HH pickup configuration
View Latest Price →
  • Most affordable Les Paul on the market
  • Dual single coil P-90 pickup with 3-way selector
  • Available in four colours
View Latest Price →
  • Best Gibson Acoustic Guitar
  • Fishman Sonitone with soundhole control
  • Extremely lightweight for acoustic guitar
View Latest Price →
  • Best Gibson Electric Guitar
  • HH Dirty Fingers pickup configuration
  • Ideal all-black design for metal music
View Latest Price →

Review of the Best Gibson Guitars

Let’s review the best available Gibson models on the market at the moment:

Best Overall:
 Gibson Les Paul Studio

Gibson Les Paul Studio, Wine Red, Chrome Hardware

PROS

  • Available in four colors
  • BurstBucker Pro Pickups installed
  • Emulation of late 1950s neck profile
  • All Les Paul sound features included at a lower price
  • Chambered Body improves tone and weight features 

CONS

  • Will be expensive for some users
  • Left-hand model would be a nice add-on

Gibson Les Paul Studio Specs 

  • Type of Guitar: Electric Guitar

  • Body Size and Type: Single cutaway solid body

  • Number of Strings: 6-string model

  • Tonewood: Satin Maple top with Mahogany on the sides and back

  • Orientation: Available only for right-hand players

  • Neck Profile: Mahogany SlimTaper neck profile with 43mm Nut width

  • Fretboard: Ebony or Rosewood fretboard with 22 Medium jumbo frets

  • Scale Length: 24.75 inches

  • Bridge: Fixed Tune-o-matic with Stopbar tailpiece

  • Color: Wine Red, Ebony, Tangerine Burst, and Smokehouse Burst

  • Pickup Type: HH configuration with 490R on the neck and 498T on the bridge

  • Weight: 8 lbs approx.

What Types of Music is the Gibson Les Paul Studio Best For?

As its name says, it’s made for studio recording first so it will fit any type of song that requires decent rhythm guitars - punk, hard rock, heavy metal, you name it. 

We believe it should fit both vintage and modern oriented genres just like any other premium Les Paul so the versatility shouldn’t be a problem and it will depend only on your ideas.

But, if you rely a lot on a clean sound, we may turn you away from this specific model.

What Ages and Skill Levels is the Gibson Les Paul Studio Suitable For?

It is made and designed for professional users who need a well-made instrument. They are going to appreciate how the intonation remains intact for a long while and the playability of the neck profile as well, so it will be a breeze to perform any kind of style on it.

What Are the Components of the Les Paul Studio? 

Les Paul Studio is a typical Les Paul. It’s made of the standard Maple top and Mahogany body along with Mahogany neck with SlimTaper neck profile with 22 medium jumbo frets. 

It is equipped with Burstbucker Pro humbucker pickups and a 3-way switch. But the most interesting component is the chambered Mahogany structure. This computer process diminishes the stress on a player's back while enhancing the overall loudness, sustain, and resonance of the guitar.

PROS

  • Vintage Deluxe Keystone tuners
  • Rounded Maple neck with 22 fretboard
  • 490R and 490T HH pickup configuration
  • Bright sound with improved sustain length
  • Satin Mahogany double cutaway electric guitar with a thin profile

CONS

  • Visual design might be hit and miss
  • 498T on the bridge would be a better solution

Gibson SG Tribute Specs 

  • Type of Guitar: Electric Guitar

  • Body Size and Type: Double cutaway solid body

  • Number of Strings: 6-string model

  • Tonewood: Satin All-Mahogany body

  • Orientation: Available only for right-hand players

  • Neck Profile: Satin Maple rounded neck profile with 43mm wide GraphTech nut

  • Fretboard: Rosewood fretboard with 22 Medium jumbo frets

  • Scale Length: 24.75 inches

  • Bridge: Fixed Nashville tune-o-matic bridge

  • Color: Natural Walnut and Vintage Cherry Satin

  • Pickup Type: HH configuration with 490T on the neck and 490R at the bridge

  • Weight: 7.03 lbs

What Types of Music is the Gibson SG Tribute Best For?

Gibson SG should be a nice example of all-around guitar, just like Les Paul and it will fit all rock-oriented genres pretty well, especially those retro-oriented like those AC/DC and Black Sabbath classics. 

But, any kind of blues or country should also sound great on this guitar, and thanks to HH pickup configuration we can’t tell you no if you plan to play modern metal as well.

What Ages and Skill Levels is the Gibson SG Tribute Suitable For?

Gibson SG Tribute will suit anyone. It’s a bit lighter than a Les Paul so it may be even suitable for the younger players as well. Speaking about skill playing, Maple is a bit softer than a Mahogany so it will provide you faster playing action in general.

What Are the Components of the Gibson SG Tribute? 

While the SG guitars share the Mahogany body tonewood and GraphTech nut with the Les Paul models, the neck is made from Maple and the tuning machines are nickel vintage-style Keystone models, while the bridge is Nashville fixed Tune-o-Matic.

The installed pickups are HH config with 490 models on both bridge (490R) and neck (490T) along with the typical 3-way pickup selector and individual tone and volume control for both pickups.

Gibson Les Paul Special Tribute Specs

  • Type of Guitar: Electric Guitar

  • Body Size and Type: Single cutaway solid body

  • Number of Strings: 6-string model

  • Tonewood: Satin All-Mahogany body with Black 5-ply pickguard

  • Orientation: Available only for right-hand players

  • Neck Profile: Mahogany Rounded neck profile with 43mm wide GraphTech Nut 

  • Fretboard: Ebony or Rosewood fretboard with 22 Medium jumbo frets 

  • Scale Length: 24.75 inches 

  • Bridge: Fixed Compensated Wraparound with Stopbar tailpiece

  • Color: Ebony, Worn White, Natural Walnut, Vintage Cherry

  • Pickup Type: HH configuration with 490R on the neck and 498T on the bridge

  • Weight: 8 lbs approx.

What Types of Music is the Gibson Les Paul Special Tribute Best For?

Gibson Les Paul Special Tribute Specs single-coil configuration and it will be much more suitable for playing clean guitar sounds, especially when compared to the typical HH setup Gibson provides. That’s why all kinds of vintage or indie rock music may benefit from such a solution.

But, it may lack a certain gain for modern rock music so we wouldn’t recommend it for heavy genres that much.

What Ages and Skill Levels is the Gibson Les Paul Special Tribute Suitable For?

This Gibson is definitely made for semi-pro users while the beginners may find it to be a good investment. It has a nice balanced price that preserves the essential Gibson sound while trading only those visual aspects such as burst finish and gloss layer.

What Are the Components of the Gibson Les Paul Special Tribute? 

Gibson Les Paul Special Tribute is made from an all-solid Mahogany body with Satin finish and it’s equipped with dual single-coil P-90 pickups at the bridge and neck position along with a 3-way pickup selector and individual pickup tone control. 

The neck profile is rounded and it has 22 medium jumbo frets with 24.75” scale length, 43mm wide GraphTech nut, and vintage-style tuning machines.

Best Gibson Acoustic Guitar:
Gibson G-45 Studio

PROS

  • Warm and full low-end sound
  • G-Series Hardshell case included 
  • Extremely lightweight for acoustic guitar
  • Sitka Spruce top with Walnut on the sides and back
  • Fishman Sonitone electronics with soundhole control

CONS

  • Cutaway design would be welcomed
  • Soundhole volume editing may not be ideal for all players

Gibson G-45 Studio Specs

  • Type of Guitar: Acoustic Guitar

  • Body Size and Type: No cutaway solid body

  • Number of Strings: 6-string model

  • Tonewood: Sitka Spruce top with Walnut on the sides and back

  • Orientation: Available only for right hand players

  • Neck Profile: Utile advanced response neck profile with 1.725 inches wide TUSQ nut

  • Fretboard: Walnut fretboard with 20 Medium jumbo frets

  • Scale Length: 24.75 inches

  • Bridge: Walnut bridge with traditional belly up design

  • Color: Ebony, Worn White, Vintage Cherry Satin and Natural Walnut

  • Pickup Type: Fishman Sonitone pickup with soundhole control

  • Weight: 2.5 lbs

What Types of Music is the Gibson G-45 Studio Best For?

Gibson G-45 is an ideal guitar for all kinds of music where fingerpicking is welcomed because of its tonal richness in the low-end spectrum. Country, blues, pop, these are all genres where G-45 will find its place as well as solo or duo acoustic performance.

However, it may be a bit too boomy for jazz, and without proper additional equalizing it may struggle in the band mix as well.

What Ages and Skill Levels is the Gibson G-45 Studio Suitable For?

Gibson G-45 seems to have a balanced price so both advanced players and newbies may consider having one. Its neck provides extra playability so you will enjoy playing it no matter what your skills currently are.

And because of its small weight, it will be suitable for anyone.

What Are the Components of the Gibson G-45 Studio? 

This Gibson acoustic-electric guitar is made from Sitka Spruce top with Walnut on the sides and back. Walnut is also used for the fingerboard and it provides you with 20 frets in total. On the other side of the neck, the tuners are handled by Mini Grovers machines.

Speaking of electronics it is equipped with the Fishman Sonitone pickup that comes with soundhole volume control, a convenient system that requires minimal drilling upon factory installation so that tonewood remains unharmed.

Best Gibson Electric Guitar:
Gibson Explorer B-2

PROS

  • Single volume and tone control
  • Unique Z-shape Mahogany body
  • Ideal all-black design for metal music
  • HH Dirty Fingers pickup configuration
  • SlimTaper neck profile - great for fast picking

CONS

  • Available only in black color
  • A bit too much genre-oriented appearance

Gibson Explorer B-2 Specs

  • Type of Guitar: Electric Guitar

  • Body Size and Type: Z-shape solid body

  • Number of Strings: 6-string model

  • Tonewood: Satin All-Mahogany body

  • Orientation: Available only for right hand players

  • Neck Profile: Mahogany SlimTaper neck profile with 43mm wide GraphTech Nut

  • Fretboard: Rosewood fretboard with 22 Medium jumbo frets

  • Scale Length: 24.75 inches

  • Bridge: Fixed Tune-o-matic with Stopbar tailpiece

  • Color: Ebony color option only

  • Pickup Type: HH configuration with Dirty Fingers pickups on bridge and the neck

  • Weight: 7.2 lbs approx.

What Types of Music is the Gibson Explorer B-2  Best For?

If you take a look at it, you will be 100% certain that this guitar wasn’t made for reggae. While it was designed before it even existed, it’s a pure heavy metal guitar, and that’s how it is supposed to play - loud and extreme. So, in general, all similar genres could work - punk, metalcore, thrash or death metal, you name it.

Afterall, you may probably remember James Hetfield playing one during the Metallica golden era.

What Ages and Skill Levels is the Gibson Explorer B-2  Suitable For?

Like other Gibson electric guitars, Explorer B-2 is suitable for all kinds of players, especially those who like to perform in standing positions. After all, it was designed to be used on the stage first.

However, due to the odd design, it may also feel large so we couldn’t recommend it to younger players.

What Are the Components of the Gibson Explorer B-2? 

Gibson Explorer B-2 is made in specific all-Mahogany Z-shaped body and SlimTaper neck profile with 22 medium jumbo frets. This model is also equipped with some of the hottest humbuckers Gibson ever made - Dirty Fingers. 

Unlike SG and Les Paul, tone and volume control is not individual so apart from two knobs that control volume and tone for both pickups, there is a 3-way pickup selector placed in between.

Best Gibson Semi-Acoustic Guitar:
Gibson ES-335

PROS

  • Hardshell case included
  • ABR-1 tune-o-matic bridge
  • Rounded C mahogany neck with acrylic dot inlays
  • Recreation of the Gibson most famous semi-hollow guitar
  • All-Mahogany semi-hollow guitar with calibrated T-Type pickups

CONS

  • Not so versatile like the other Gibson models
  • Will be considered as expensive for many users

Gibson ES-335 Specs 

  • Type of Guitar: Semi-Acoustic Guitar

  • Body Size and Type: Double cutaway semi-hollow body

  • Number of Strings: 6-string model

  • Tonewood: Satin All-Mahogany body

  • Orientation: Available only for right hand players

  • Neck Profile: Mahogany Rounded C neck profile with 1.695 inches wide GraphTech Nut
     
  • Fretboard: Rosewood fretboard with 22 Medium jumbo frets

  • Scale Length: 24.75 inches 

  • Bridge: Fixed ABR-1 Tune-o-matic system

  • Color: Satin Vintage Burst, Satin Cherry, and Vintage Natural

  • Pickup Type: Gibson calibrated T-type humbuckers

  • Weight: 9 lbs approx.

What Types of Music is the Gibson ES-335 Best For?

Vintage rock ‘n roll seems to feel at home with semi-hollowbody models. Same could be said for country and jazz music.

It may be odd to someone, but this guitar also has its interesting purpose in indie rock or many other alternative music genres as it hits the middle ground with its sound timbre right between the all-acoustic and electric sound of the solid body models.

But for anything modern related, it will be a real struggle to place it properly in the mix.

What Ages and Skill Levels is the Gibson ES-335 Suitable For?

Semi-hollow guitars are quite specific models and they are intended for people who know exactly what they are looking for. That’s why it will be an odd decision to buy it as a first guitar as it doesn’t provide you with all the options a solid body may provide.

What Are the Components of the Gibson ES-335? 

Gibson ES-335 has all-Mahogany tonewood and it’s equipped with Gibson calibrated T-type humbuckers which work marvelously in recreating classic vintage Gibson sound. It has a typical f-hole on the arched top

Best Gibson Bass Guitar:
Gibson SG Standard Bass

PROS

  • Rare Gibson bass guitar
  • 3-point adjustable bridge
  • HH SG pickup system on board
  • Individual volume control for both SG pickups
  • Rounded C neck profile with 1.6 inches wide nut

CONS

  • Low resale value
  • Odd decision to include master tone knob only

Gibson SG Standard Specs 

  • Type of Guitar: Electric Bass Guitar

  • Body Size and Type: Double cutaway semi-hollow body

  • Number of Strings: 6-string model

  • Tonewood: Satin All-Mahogany body

  • Orientation: Available only for right hand players

  • Neck Profile: Mahogany Rounded C neck profile with 1.6 inches wide nut

  • Fretboard: Rosewood fretboard with 22 Medium jumbo frets

  • Scale Length: 30.5 inches

  • Bridge: 3-point adjustable bridge

  • Color: Ebony and Heritage Cherry

  • Pickup Type: Lead SG (neck) and Rhythm SG (bridge) bass pickup

  • Weight: 6.5 lbs approx.

What Types of Music is the Gibson SG Standard Best For?

Gibson bass guitars don’t follow the same fate as their guitar companions, but they do share the overall impression of the SG series. They can be used anywhere, on probably every genre you may think of. 

There is nothing wrong with this model in general and once you find the strings that suit your playing the best you’re the only one who decides which type of music you should perform with it.

What Ages and Skill Levels is the Gibson SG Standard Suitable For?

This bass guitar was made for people who would like to have something different in their arsenal, so it’s oriented towards more experienced players while the newbies may lack the pickup that would provide more presence in their playing.

And, even though it shares the SG body design we still can’t recommend it to the kids.

What Are The Components of the Gibson SG Standard?

Gibson SG Standard comes with a typical SG body size and type but instead of tune-o-matic, it provides you with the 3-point adjustable bridge system instead. It’s also made of All-Mahogany tonewood and the pickups are branded under the name SG. Pickups have the individual volume knob control, but they share the tone setup.

The neck has a round C profile and it’s also made from a Mahogany while it’s scale length is 30.5 inches long.

Types of Gibson Guitars

Gibson has several guitar models so let’s break you down the usual characteristics of every model:

Les Paul

Les Paul is almost a synonym to the Gibson brand. They have been in production since 1952 and were originally coming with single coil P-90 pickups. But, once the humbuckers were installed and sunburst finish applied after 1957, history was made and it’s still one of the most wanted and best selling guitars in the whole world.

Single cutaway carved tops, push-pull pots made this guitar to cover almost all genres without any trouble. Nowadays, there are several models available, all offering about a similar sound with only finishing differences.

Gibson Les Paul Classic (Source)

SG Series

This is another solid-body guitar model from Gibson. Originally it was supposed to be a redesigned Les Paul, but because the Les Paul didn’t approve such a design, the guitar was named simply into Solid Guitar or SG.

They were made to be more affordable than the original Les Paul. It's best known for its comfort and fast neck action and it’s usually equipped with humbuckers or P-90 pickups and sometimes even vibrato tailpiece.

ES Series

Gibson ES is a semi-acoustic guitar derived from Electric Spanish description. Also, a fun trivia is that the model number was actually the price it was originally referring to in dollars while letters on the end, such as D, described the pickup configuration

Many models were coming with f-holes on the top and they even made hybrid models where ES series were combined with the features of the Les Paul series. 

Explorer

While Explorer was made in the late 1950s, this guitar became very popular in heavy metal music of the ‘80s because of its design. Needless to say, the sound was edgy just like the body corners. 

And in case you’re looking for an even more radical design, check out the Gibson Flying V guitar, probably the boldest guitar design ever made to mass-production status.

Firebird

Try imagining Explorer with more round body edges, invert a headstock, add neck-through concept and you’re very close to describing Gibson Firebird

Firebird was one of the first models that had a neck-through design. It was invented in 1961 and it used the same pickup configuration as Les Paul. Equipped with a slim taper neck it generated a full and warm tone with prolonged sustain so it was a real delight to play.

Comparison Overview 

We’ll now check out how Gibson stands against other brands. Please bear in mind that the differences are general and that it may vary based on the model you’re testing.

Martin vs Gibson Acoustic Guitar

Martin is one of the world’s most famous acoustic guitar brands. Martin D-18 was frequently used as a benchmark to compare how good acoustic guitar sounds. The punch and definition found in this particular guitar is unprecedented, so if you’re strumming and picking a lot, you have a clear winner.

On the other hand, Gibson is known for a larger low-end sound and a bit warmer tone so they may suit finger playing instead and that’s why we would recommend it for a solo or duo act first.

But, in general, both are terrific acoustic guitars and we’re talking about really fine line differences here, so the final verdict will be based on your taste.

Les Paul Guitar Epiphone vs Gibson

Epiphone is a sub-brand owned by Gibson. These guitars are simply made to be a budget version of Gibson models. They are aimed at beginners and semi-pro players and they should be regarded the same way Fender did with the Squier. 

And truth to be told, the differences between those two brands are getting shorter with every new model so for most semi-pro players it won’t really matter if they are playing Epiphone or Gibson.

So, while the majority of the sound is there, there is a significant difference in build quality, especially regarding hardware parts and pickups, finishing touches, and quality control.

Fender vs Gibson Guitar

These two brands have defined the guitar world history so the rivalry is pretty much in there. However, there are a lot of differences in the body shape, scale length, bridge system, and pickup configuration.

Fender is generally a lighter guitar and a bit more ergonomic neck profile but due to the longer scale, it puts more tension on the strings. It is usually equipped with either dual or triple single coil pickups. When you think about Gibson, a double humbucker setup is probably the first. That’s why Fender is much more convenient for clean sounds while Gibson will be much more prone to heavy rhythm sounds.

And while it’s not that often to find a Gibson with the tremolo, Fender Stratocaster has a tremolo bridge almost as a trademark.

Other Equipment Made By Gibson

Besides various acoustic and electric guitars, Gibson isn’t interested too much in creating additional equipment. The rest is pretty much focused on the guitar accessories such as straps, capos, various types of protective cases, and also guitar and bass strings

As they have an active custom shop, purchasing spare or replacement parts is a breeze and this includes pickups, covers, knobs, tailpieces, and pickguards among others.

The only exception is the line of bass guitar series with their Thunderbird and SG Standard bass available at the moment and Les Paul Junior Bass made for modern music.

How to String a Gibson Electric Guitar

If you need to string a Gibson Electric guitar, the whole process can be performed much faster if you have with you the set of wire clippers and string winder accessory. The strings can be changed by either one string at a time or all together which also may come in handy if you want to polish your fretboard.

First, loosen up the strings you need to change and then cut them with the wire clippers. Then unwind it from the tuner first and remove its parts through the tuner hole and the other part through the tailpiece. 

Next, align the hole of the tuner with the nut slot so the string can pass straight through it. Insert the corresponding string through the tailpiece towards the nut. Avoiding too many windings around the tuner will improve guitar tuning significantly. The best way to determine the ideal string length is to grab the string around the nut position and move it back a little bit more than one fret for thicker strings and more than two frets for the lighter strings.

Now, bend the string above the tuner and turn the tuner counter-clockwise as it will keep the string from slipping. Make sure that the string is seated well in the saddle and the nut slot and remove the extra content with the wire clippers.

Now that you have changed all the strings, the only thing remaining is to tune them up. This can be performed in many ways such as clip-on or pedal tuner or using a reference tone from the other instruments such as a keyboard or piano.

If you would like to watch the tutorial with the content described above, please check out the link provided below:

Conclusion 

Simply put, it’s hard to find a bad word about Gibson. If the budget is right and you do the research about what guitar type you need, you can’t get wrong with any Gibson guitar. The quality is definitely in there and those models are built to last.

People Also Ask

Stay with us to review some interesting trivia about Gibson guitars - how strong the link between musician and player can be, what’s the most expensive Gibson instrument, should you perhaps invest in used models and which one - all the answers are coming up right below:

Gibson Les Paul Studio

Who Plays Gibson Guitars?

The list may go on and on, but here are some of the most important names:

  • Chuck Berry
  • Jimi Hendrix
  • Jimmy Page
  • Eric Clapton
  • Keith Richards
  • George Benson
  • Angus Young
  • Tony Iommi
  • James Hetfield
  • Gary Moore
  • Slash
  • Lenny Kravitz
  • Jeff Beck
  • Mark Knopfler
  • Pete Townshend
  • Zack Wylde
  • Buckethead

How Much Does a Gibson Guitar Cost?

Speaking of new Gibson guitars, they can be found from $999 up to even five figures numbers for some hollow body models. If that’s a bit too much for you, check out the Epiphone guitars as well - they are owned by Gibson and provide more entry-level models.

Why Are Gibson Guitars so Expensive?

Because of its overall impact on the guitar sound throughout history, Gibson is often considered as a Holy Grail in the guitar world. Sure, it has the authentic sound, but it’s a bit more of prestige that makes the price so high. 

Are Gibson Guitars Good?

Definitely. Both acoustic and electric Gibson guitars are considered to be of top-notch quality regarding all aspects - the sound, build quality, features, visual aspect.

It may not be your personal favorite, but it’s hard to deny that they are simply the true example of a good guitar.

Do Gibson Guitars Increase in Value?

Not all Gibson guitars increase in values. Only, old models from the ‘50s and ‘60s have that amazing “investment” aura. But on the other hand, neither could we say that back in 1960 as well - those guitars were sold for about the same price as today.

Gibson G-45 Studio

How to Date a Gibson Guitar

Based on the serial number at the back of the headstock you can find out a bit more about the origin of your guitar, so the coding pattern is YDDDYRRR where 

YY - are referring from the year 1976 starting from 00

DDD - the day of the year and

RRR - the factory ranking/plant designation number

What is the Most Expensive Gibson Guitar in the World?

1959 Gibson Les Pauls are considered to be one of the most expensive guitars on the market because of all the rock songs recorded on it from that era. But, there is a Gibson even more expensive - Eric Clapton’s 1964 Gibson SG-335. It was sold at auction for around $850,000.

Who Was Buried With His Red Gibson Guitar?

One of the most influential American rock n’ roll legends from the 1950s Chuck Berry was buried with his own Gibson ES-355 guitar with a red finish in 2017 at the age of 90. He is probably best known for the legendary Johnny B Goode and Maybellene songs.

Gibson Guitar Buyer Guides

In the market for a new Gibson guitar? Luckily, we've compiled all of our buyer guides related to [hub] and related content. Feel free to review each guide and find the one that fits exactly what you're looking for. Be sure to check back soon as we'll be updating this page frequently. 




I'm a 35-year-old rock-oriented professional musician from Belgrade, Serbia with 20 years of field experience in various areas of the music industry. After graduating from elementary music school I joined my first band Alogia in 2001 which had incredible initial success with the debut album and became one of the greatest Balkan heavy metal acts ever. We have recorded several studio and live albums and played as an opening act for Whitesnake, Apocalyptica, and Paul Di’Anno. Meanwhile, I got a chance to collaborate with Roland Planet shop and get familiar with various music equipment for more than a decade. For the last eight years, I have done live audio mixing for numerous bands and other live and studio events, including some TV audio mixing for national television broadcast as well. Currently, I’m playing keyboards for one of the most authentic Serbian music rock legends - Dr. Nele Karajlić, also known for his work with Zabranjeno Pušenje and No Smoking Orchestra.