As it celebrates 130 years of making the most iconic guitars in the world, Gibson has been shaping the sound of music since 1894, when its founder Orville Gibson designed and built his earliest-known musical instrument in his workshop. The innovative and forward-thinking carved top design that revolutionized the mandolin and guitar world delivering a louder, more durable, more playable instrument, remains the DNA of every Gibson. Introducing the Gibson Custom J-45 Orville Artisan 130th Anniversary Limited Edition, which celebrates Gibson’s 130th anniversary. This guitar combines the classic J-45 “Workhorse” with aesthetic details inspired by Orville Gibson’s legendary craftsmanship; it is limited to 30 units, all produced in the 2024 130th Anniversary year.
“This Custom Anniversary model celebrates Orville Gibson’s history-making propensity to build instruments that are not only superior in performance, but also so magically ornate to ascend the instrument into the world of fine art.” --Robi Johns, Sr. Product Development Manager, Gibson Acoustic Guitars
Over the past 130 years, Gibson’s groundbreaking instruments have been the catalyst for some of the loudest and most powerful moments in pop culture. 130 years later, it sounds better than ever as Gibson Custom unveils the J-45™ Orville Artisan 130th Anniversary Limited Edition which honors 130 years of Gibson and showcases the high level of artistry from the craftspeople at the Gibson Custom Shop in Bozeman, Montana. More than 100 pieces of elegant shell inlay adorn the fretboard and peghead on this iconic Gibson acoustic guitar. These inlays were inspired by the early harp guitar designs made by Orville Gibson beginning in the late 1800s and commemorate a longstanding tradition of artistry that has existed since the beginning. This limited-edition J-45 features mother-of-pearl and abalone “Harp Lady” inlays throughout the fingerboard and headstock, and an abalone Gibson logo, and an abalone border around the bound headstock. The pickguard features an inlaid abalone border with a special “130” inlay displayed on the corner of the pickguard. A mother-of-pearl truss rod cover, engraved “Anniversary” in script font, covers the adjustable truss rod on the front of the headstock. To complete the anniversary details, a special 130th Anniversary label is placed in the sound hole which features each guitar’s individual number (1-30). Some of Orville Gibson’s early harp guitars were finished in a similar colorway with an Ebony finished top and a natural Unitone back and sides. Included with this guitar is a deluxe hardshell case with a Gibson 130th Anniversary Certificate of Authenticity.
The Gibson Custom J-45 Orville Artisan 130th Anniversary Limited Edition is available worldwide, only at the Gibson Garage Nashville and London, and online at https://www.gibson.com/en-US/page/gibson-custom-j-45-orville-artisan-13….
This limited-edition guitar is an elegant piece that represents one of the most legendary names in guitar design. The combination of these intricate inlays and the history of the J-45 makes the Orville Artisan a unique piece of Gibson’s history.
First released in 1942, the Gibson J-45 later became known as the “workhorse” of acoustic guitars due to its utilitarian approach. With its round-shoulder design and shorter scale length, the J-45 has since been used in everything from early country-western to modern pop music. The classic combination of a spruce top with mahogany back and sides makes for a well-balanced instrument that fits neatly underneath a singer’s voice. Throughout the years, the J-45 has had slight developments, but the ethos has remained the same. The J-45 is one of the most recorded acoustic guitars in the history of music, so it’s only fitting that 130 years of Gibson is celebrated with a landmark acoustic model that displays extremely complex inlay work inspired by some of Orville Gibson’s earliest harp guitars.
