THE GIBSON G-45 STUDIO ACOUSTIC, AMERICAN MADE UNDER $1000

Gibson has been making iconic acoustic guitars for decades. From the J-45 to the hummingbird and J-200, Gibson has a special place in Acoustic history. The only downside is that the price for these USA made Gibson acoustics can be a little bit of a stretch for the up and coming player, forcing them to look at an Epiphone or another non-USA made an acoustic guitar. Well, this year Gibson has shattered the mold with the G-45 Studio.

The G-45 Studio Acoustic Guitar is built by the same craftsmen making all the iconic acoustics in the Bozeman Montana factory, but come in at a street price of only $999! 

TRADITIONAL ACOUSTIC FEATURES AND BUILD QUALITY

At a price of $999 you would assume that Gibson would be cutting a lot of corners to get the price so low, but Gibson has committed to building a guitar that has the heart and soul of a Gibson, including all-solid tonewoods, hide-glued dovetail neck joints, and domed top braces along with modern features like slimmer body depths and Advanced Response neck profiles. 

But they didn't stop there, the G-45 Acoustic also includes a Fishman Sonitone pickup system, so it is ready to be plugged in live and ships with a hardshell case. 

MODERN TONEWOODS, BIG SOUND

 For the G-45 Studio, Gibson chose a Sitka Spruce top and locally sourced Walnut for the back and sides. Walnut is also used for the bridge, fretboard and the headstock overlay. The combo of Sitka Spruce and Walnut provides a crisp even tone that sits really well in a mix. 

While Walnut on acoustics is not extremely common, we are starting to see more manufacturers use locally sourced tonewoods on instruments as Rosewood and other international species are becoming harder to obtain and forcing builders to look at ethically and sustainably sourced woods. Walnut still provides great tone and can be sustainably sourced in the USA. 

THE BOTTOM LINE

It is hard to believe that Gibson has broken the $1000 with such a great guitar. For this price, you would assume that some of the traditional building techniques, such as hide glue, would not be used, but the G-45 Studio Acoustic has the features that make a Gibson Acoustic great. While it is refined in its appearance, without any flashy or fancy inlays, the foundation of the G-45 is all Gibson. If you need a solid workhorse guitar that won't break the bank, you will be hard-pressed to find a better American Made guitar with such great features than the Gibson G-45 Studio.