SeriesGibson Songwriter

The Gibson Songwriter Studio EC is a lot of guitar. The woods used are sitka spruce for the top and Indian rosewood for the back and sides. The 25 and a half inch scale neck is solid mahogany. The Songwriter studio EC has, of course, onboard electronics and a cutaway. It is equipped with a Fishman plus-T pickup system. The features are pretty much standard fare, but what really sets this guitar apart is the attention to detail with it's aesthetics. The top is adorned with an ebony mustache bridge, a brilliant abalone filled rosette, and a stylized pick guard that is boldly Gibson by design. The neck's classic paralellogram inlays lead up to a beautiful natural mahogany headstock, emblazoned with the Gibson crown. UTILIZATION The Songwriter EC's cutaway gives ample maneuverability to the higher registers. The neck feels ok, it can be a bit grippy at times and can hinder quick passages. I thoroughly enjoyed the large body shape, it projected extremely well and provided additional bass that I typically do not experience in other spruce topped guitars. The tuning stability was very strong, I never had to touch the tuning pegs unless I was intending to change to DADGAD, etc. SOUNDS I played the gibson both unplugged and amplified, alternating between finger style playing and using a plectrum. The particular guitar I played was very resonant. There was a definite feeling of satisfaction from just strumming simple chord progressions. Despite the neck being a little cumbersome, I found it very easy to adjust to and get through more complicated passages. The loud and boomy low end of this guitar lends itself very well to unaccompanied performance, easily filling a room with a warm, full bodied sound. I enjoyed the sound of the onboard Fishman system, It was not the best I've experienced, but certainly passable. OVERALL OPINION If you want a large dreadnought with plenty of warm low end and resonance, the Gibson Songwriter series is definitely for you. The sound quality and attention to detail, especially considering the hand scalloped bracing incorporated into it's design, justifies the $2500 new price alone. These are common on the used market, though prices vary greatly.

Vintage Sunburst finish AA Sitka spruce top Rosewood back and sides Ebony fingerboard Grover Rotomatic tuners Gold hardware Crown headstock logo Fishman Ellipse Aura System Abalone-filled double-ring rosette 1930s "X" bracing Handcrafted in Bozeman, MT UTILIZATION I feel like I should state a disclaimer about the particular Songwriter I am reviewing. Before I bought it I played 4 different guitars of the same model. The other 3 were honestly very dissapointing both in feel and sound. These guitars have a very "veenery" feel to them that most people either love or hate. If you like an acoustic to have a very natural raw feel, then don't even touch this or think about it. If you want something with a really finished look, this might be what you are looking for. The one I ultimately bought happened to play and feel a lot better than the others. It also kept its tuning a lot better for whatever reason. The neck plays pretty well and it's a pretty comfortable design overall. You can't help but like this guitar for the looks alone. It kind of begs to be played. SOUNDS The sound is very much traditional dreadnaught stuff. No big surprises. The other ones I played all sounded pretty dead or flat in a way that's hard to explain. If you play a lot of acoustics in store you know what I mean. This one sounded great compared to all the others. It has a pretty full body for strumming. It doesn't really possess the heavy, sometimes overpowering bass you find in some dreadnaughts. Plugged in it sounds good. It's overall a very traditionally voiced guitar. Its a very specific style of guitar that not everyone will go for. OVERALL OPINION Unfortunately Gibson just isn't putting out gem after gem these days. The vast majority of their acoustics I play are pretty terrible to be truthful. But truthfully this one is pretty great, and the price paid was fair. I would not dare order one of these sight unseen. You will more than likely not get a great one. From my experience, 1 out of 3 of these is good. 1 out of 5 or 6 is really great. If you do find one that plays and sounds solid it's a great instrument.

I bought this Guitar from Haworths at Kiama Downes NSW Aust. Retalis for $4200. I liked the appearance and the fact that I was buying what I thought was a top brand. It was ordered and I felt obligated to buy it when it came. I found the neck to be not conducive to extended playing in my case half an hour. This caused severe pain in my left wrist and thumb. The clear finish was patchy. I think the guitar was solid and probably well put together. I had this guitar for six months and was not playing it due to the discomfort I experienced. When I asked the original seller to trade it back he was very reluctant and eventually agreed to do so only as a trade on another Gibson (subject to me playing it) for a substantial cost above the original price of the Guitar. So as not to burden him with another Gibson he could not sell. I went to Jacksons Rare Guitars at Annandale NSW. Their offer was less than half the retail price even though they are supposed to be supporters of the Gibson Brand. Gibson have a very questionable resale value. I ultimately traded the guitar for a Martin. People should be aware of the Guitar sellers in Australia. They are to me equivalent of the OLD STYLE used car sales man. Buyer beware is quite relevent in this business. This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

Paid $1500 for Guitar Center, I played all of the top end acoustic guitars and really loved the sound of this Gibson. Excellent sound and apperance. Just a great guitar to play. Heavy strings effect the action. I quickly restringed this unit with light gauge strings and what a differance. Still delivers nice bass response and just sings. It is however a somewhat heavy guitar, as are all Gibsons. Top Quality. I cannnot find a single flaw in the design, finish, or anything. Looks great, sounds better. I played all the Martin guitars, Taylor guitars. Taylors have a better neck action, however I could not get the sound I wanted from the martins......and they were very dull sounding, taylors sounded just a bit better. However when I picked up the Gibson, That was it...evrything I wanted plus some. I reallt did not go into the store looking for a Gibson, but the sound sold me quick. This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com