NEW Gibson Byrdland

[m1austin]

I was visiting my local guitar store (in Colchester, UK) and they showed me a NEW Gibson Byrdland. I say new, but the label inside was signed in February 2022, even though the serial number was 22834001 indicating a 2004 build! The guitar itself was pretty much flawless and on a par with the Custom Crimson models of the 2010s. It was priced at GBP 10,000.00 with would probably equate to USD 10,000 in the States given the difference in taxes over here.

According to the store's manager the new Gibson owners have decided to return to archtop building which implies we will soon be seeing L5s, ES-175s etc again. Has anyone else seen other new Gibson archtops? I had though we had lost them forever and were doomed to an endless stream of Murphy Lab Les Pauls...

[Midnight Blues]

Beautiful! Congrats, HNATD and play her in good health!

All I've read about Gibson producing archtops again is that it's on their radar, but they won't commit to a date because of what they still have to do and the retooling of skill sets, etc. We'll see, but I hope they do fairly soon.

[nevershouldhavesoldit]

Hi, m1austin! I don’t see anything in your post that says you bought it, so I’m assuming you did not. If that’s correct, did you at least get to play it? If so, how was it?

[starjasmine]

... the serial number was 22834001 indicating a 2004 build...

So it's a 20-year-old NOS Byrd in unplayed condition? Or did you mean to say 2024?

[m1austin]

Whoops, yes I meant a 2024 build (as per the 2xxx4001 serial number), and no, I did not buy it. I played it, and it sounded very good, but rather bright, like other Byrdlands I have played. I was just surprised to see a newly built archtop from Gibson.

[Jimmy blue note]

If they are indeed building jazz boxes again, the production process for an L-5 involves a luthier working with a different and more refined skill set than the crafty tools needed to put together a 175.
I would find production of a 175 less surprising than new L-5 models. I've wondered: What do all those luthier/carvers do when Gibson stops producing luthier grade acoustic instruments? Do they move to screwing tuning machines to headstocks? Do they get laid off?
This would have some bearing on just what would be coming from Gibson if they did "resume" jazz box production, don't you think?

[m1austin]

If they are indeed building jazz boxes again, the production process for an L-5 involves a luthier working with a different and more refined skill set than the crafty tools needed to put together a 175.
I would find production of a 175 less surprising than new L-5 models. I've wondered: What do all those luthier/carvers do when Gibson stops producing luthier grade acoustic instruments? Do they move to screwing tuning machines to headstocks? Do they get laid off?
This would have some bearing on just what would be coming from Gibson if they did "resume" jazz box production, don't you think?

I agree. That’s why I found it so surprising to see a newly built fully carved guitar. The guitar shop owner was very vague about what to expect next. I assume there must be more examples of new Gibson archtops in the US if one has reached a provincial UK dealer. Has anybody seen one?

[Tal_175]

There are actually two types of carved archtops that Gibson produced in the past. Mounted pickup CES models and floating pickup models (La Grand, L4C etc).

It doesn't seem like building the CES models require significantly more craftsmanship than the laminate models. The tops and backs come out of CNC machines. Although the plates may require a further hands on attention, they are carved so thick that we are not talking about a delicate tuning and bracing work here.

The acoustic archtops that typically come with floaters are a different story. I am not sure if they are made by the same people who make the CES models.

[Gitterbug]

Very puzzling that a new Byrdland should show up in Colchester, UK of all places. Why would no other dealer be privy to such a treasure? Why would Gibson whisper psst wanna buy a Byrdland instead of announcing they're back into archtops, albeit on small scale. I'm not suggesting this is a fake, not knowing enough.

[Doug B]

Nothing to indicate archtops yet on the gibson.com website. Ten million Les Pauls though!

[Sleeko]

Les Pauls, yawn ...

[garybaldy]

Les Pauls, yawn ...

I have one Gibson LPS which I love and, of all my guitars, it's the one that the general public get to see the most. I'm not really interested in any other LPs other than a 90s limited edition fuchsia coloured standard, one of which I missed a few years ago at the Guitar Auctions in Bath, UK.

[nevershouldhavesoldit]

Very puzzling that a new Byrdland should show up in Colchester, UK of all places. Why would no other dealer be privy to such a treasure? Why would Gibson whisper psst wanna buy a Byrdland instead of announcing they're back into archtops, albeit on small scale. I'm not suggesting this is a fake, not knowing enough.

There's a Peach Guitars watermark on one of the pictures, so I'm assuming that Peach is m1austin's local shop. From what I've heard, Peach is one of the best dealers on the right side of the pond. They're big enough to command respect from even the mighty G, and I'm not surprised that they have a new CS Byrdland. I just checked their website, and that guitar is on it.

We've been surprised at the number of good guitar shops in the British Isles, and they're not limited to Denmark Street in London. There's a little place in Bath called Guitarbitz that's a Gibson dealer, and they had some wonderful instruments. Musicmaker in Dublin is an authorized dealer for Eastman, Gibson, Epiphone, and the usual others - it's a large store with a good stock and knowledgeable staff. They even had a few archtops when we visited last spring. So nothing surprises me any more.

[vinnyv1k]

I bought this brand new Byrdland from Sweetwater a year ago. They gave me a great deal. $7K + tax.

[Mick-7]

Lots of semi-hollow guitars but this is the only hollow-body currently on Gibson's custom shop page:

Chuck Berry 1955 ES-350T | Gibson

[Cavalier]

You don't need a luthier to carve tops, just a good CnC. Luthier could do the sanding, top tuning (if considered) and brace glueing. I couldn't see Gibson being able to pay for the hours of a hand carve and honestly for the most part the machine would be better.
Now what we need is a good carbon fiber acoustic arch top, heck I can get.a.cello.so.why not?

[Woody Sound]

Does it have the short scale? How about the narrow neck width?

[Danny W.]

The pickup spacing shows that it’s a short scale. All of the more modern Byrds I’ve played have had 1 & 11/16” nuts, but one never knows with Gibson.

Danny W.

[Woody Sound]

The pickup spacing shows that it’s a short scale. All of the more modern Byrds I’ve played have had 1 & 11/16” nuts, but one never knows with Gibson.

Danny W.

I've been fooling around with a 24" Squier Jaguar, and I'm kinda digging it.

[garybaldy]

There's a Peach Guitars watermark on one of the pictures, so I'm assuming that Peach is m1austin's local shop. From what I've heard, Peach is one of the best dealers on the right side of the pond. They're big enough to command respect from even the mighty G, and I'm not surprised that they have a new CS Byrdland. I just checked their website, and that guitar is on it.

We've been surprised at the number of good guitar shops in the British Isles, and they're not limited to Denmark Street in London. There's a little place in Bath called Guitarbitz that's a Gibson dealer, and they had some wonderful instruments. Musicmaker in Dublin is an authorized dealer for Eastman, Gibson, Epiphone, and the usual others - it's a large store with a good stock and knowledgeable staff. They even had a few archtops when we visited last spring. So nothing surprises me any more.

Probably old news but I just googled Vintage and Rare in Bath and it's permanently closed.

[Woody Sound]

I notice the wider binding in the cutaway, I always liked that look.

[Woody Sound]

I notice the wider binding in the cutaway, to keep it even with the side wood, I always liked that look.

[GuyBoden]

Lots of semi-hollow guitars but this is the only hollow-body currently on Gibson's custom shop page:

Chuck Berry 1955 ES-350T | Gibson

Yes, that ES-350T looks great.

It has P90 dog ears and a short 23.5 inch Scale.

"Gonny be good".

[Cunamara]

You don't need a luthier to carve tops, just a good CnC. Luthier could do the sanding, top tuning (if considered) and brace glueing. I couldn't see Gibson being able to pay for the hours of a hand carve and honestly for the most part the machine would be better.

That would hardly be a luthier if that's all they were doing.

Now what we need is a good carbon fiber acoustic arch top, heck I can get.a.cello.so.why not?

We used to have a forum member who made carbon fiber archtop guitars. I haven't seen a post from him in a long time. I've never heard one of his, but every carbon fiber flattop guitar I have ever heard sounds like plastic.

[GuyBoden]

every carbon fiber flattop guitar I have ever heard sounds like plastic.

I play my Enya Carbon fiber guitar a lot, mainly for practicing, but I've also played it live too. They don't sound like plastic to my ears, but they aren't the best sounding guitar either.