Gibson has announced the return of the Original Collection to celebrate 100 years of Gibson flat-tops
The year was 1926. The very first television system made its debut. The first liquid-fueled rocket was launched. And the first Gibson flat-top acoustic, the L-1, rolled off the line.
100 years later, Gibson is celebrating the debut of one of their most cherished products with a relaunch of the Original Collection. The collection includes the SJ-200 60s Original, LG-2 50s Original, and J-160E Original, all handcrafted at the Gibson factory in Bozeman, Montana.
Let's take a look at the collection.
Gibson J-160E Original
Most notable among this launch, for myself and my fellow Beatle fans, is the inclusion of a J-160E—the iconic electric-acoustic made famous by John Lennon in many, many Beatle recordings and performances. (It's the J-160E making the legendary feedback intro on "I Feel Fine," for example.)
Introduced in 1954, the J-160E was one of Gibson's earliest acoustic-electric hybrids. It's distinguished by its flat-top body style, as opposed to the much more common archtop acoustic-electrics. Lennon found the J-160E useful as both a miked-up acoustic and plugged in as a stand-in for a regular electric (as heard on "I Feel Fine").
Previous reissues had a laminated top, but this one is revamped for the new Original Series with a solid Sitka spruce top, plus scalloped X-bracing. A P90 DC pickup and gold Top Hat knobs complete the package.
SJ-200 60s Original
Less famously a "Beatle" guitar, but used by George Harrison nonetheless, the SJ-200 (A.K.A. "King of the Flat-Tops") was introduced in 1937 at the request of singing cowboy Ray Whitley.
But 1960s songwriters gave the SJ-200 a whole new cachet, with the likes of Bob Dylan and Jimmy Page appearing with the model. And so Gibson pays tribute to the era with a 1960s-spec SJ-200. It's got a AAA figured maple body, a solid AAA Sitka spruce top done up with vintage-correct 1960s nitrocellulose lacquer, and is fitted with the iconic no-border pickguard. And, of course, graduated mother-of-pearl crown inlays and a rosewood Moustache bridge.
LG-2 50s Original
The LG-2 was released in 1942 as a small-body option and quickly became one of Gibson's best-loved models. This one is 1950s-spec, with a rounded neck profile, rosewood fretboard, and "vintage-inspired aesthetic details," which I assume refer to tuning pegs, bridge pins, binding, and nitro finish.
What's not vintage-spec? The L.R. Baggs VTC pickup, which makes this re-release a useful tool for modern working pickers and songwriters.
All hand-crafted in Bozeman, the new Original Collection adds another chapter to the story of Gibson's continued pursuit of excellence through the lens of its rich design heritage.
Learn more at Gibson.com, or shop Gibson guitars at Sweetwater.
Image credit: Gibson
