Gibson Electric Guitar Models: Guide to Iconic Axes

It’s no exaggeration to say that Gibson is one of the most iconic brands of electric guitars. Their guitars have influenced culture as much as their unique technical specifications. Over the past few decades, the American brand has become known for several models.

Everyone knows the Les Paul, a true icon of rock. But Gibson has made several other models, which have helped shape the sound of blues, rock and metal. 

Let’s take a look at the various iconic models that Gibson has created over the decades.

Gibson Models Through Time

The Gibson Les Paul

The Gibson Les Paul is one of music’s most iconic and enduring guitar models. The company named it after famous guitarist Les Paul. It has become synonymous with rock and roll and has become a staple in the music industry.

The origins of the Les Paul date back to the early 1950s. Gibson was looking to compete with the emerging solid-body electric guitars from Fender. It collaborated with Les Paul to create a new guitar design. In 1952, Gibson introduced the first Les Paul model. It featured a solid mahogany body with a carved maple gold top, and a single-cutaway. The pickups were two P-90 single-coils.

Over the years, the Les Paul has gone through several design changes and iterations. The most significant change came in late 1956. In that year, Gibson’s Les Paul guitars were equipped with humbucker pickups designed by the company’s electronics engineer Seth Lover in 1955, called PAF (Patent Applied For).

It reduced the hum and noise that plagued earlier electric guitars. The ‘humbucker’ became a defining feature of the Les Paul.

The first Les Paul Standard in 1958 came with the now-iconic sunburst finish. It set the standard for what many consider the ‘golden era’ of Gibson guitars.

But sales during this period were less than expected. By 1961, a thinner, double-cutaway design replaced the original single-cutaway. This became the Gibson SG (Solid Guitar).

Despite this, the single-cutaway Les Paul returned to Gibson’s lineup in the late 1960s. Famous players such as Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page, and Peter Green had made the Les Paul popular after all. Since then, this model has been in continuous production.

Nowadays, there are many models and variations. They include the Les Paul Custom, Les Paul Junior, and Les Paul Studio.

Its set neck, mahogany body and maple body produce rich, warm tones, sustain, and make the guitar very easy to play. As a result, guitarists in various music genres, from blues and jazz to rock and metal, play a Les Paul.

The Gibson SG

The Gibson SG, a standout among Gibson electric guitars, with its distinctive double-cutaway, symbolizes rock ‘n’ roll rebellion. The company introduced the SG (Solid Guitar) in 1961 to combat declining sales of the Les Paul model.

The SG featured a thinner mahogany body without the maple cap of its predecessor. This made it a lighter and more accessible alternative to the Les Paul. Its beveled edges gave players better access to the higher frets. And the SG’s narrower neck joint helped.

The original SG models featured Patent Applied For (PAF) humbucking pickups. This contributed to a rich, warm and powerful sound. This made the SG a favorite of rock and blues musicians. Over the years, the SG was available with a variety of pickup configurations. These included the iconic P-90 and later iterations of Gibson’s humbuckers.

One of the most notable features of the SG is its devilish ‘horns‘. They give the guitar a bold and recognizable silhouette. Angus Young (AC/DC), Tony Iommi (Black Sabbath), Pete Townshend (The Who) and Frank Zappa have all played SGs.

The SG has seen many variations and special editions over the decades. These include the SG Standard, the SG Custom, and the SG Junior. It has become an icon in its own right in the Gibson lineup.

The Gibson Flying V

The Gibson Flying V was one of the most radical and innovative electric guitar designs of the 1950s. Released in 1958, the Flying V was part of Gibson’s ‘Modernistic’ series of guitars.

It was the company’s answer to the Fender Stratocaster. In the 1950s, this guitar was so ahead of its time that it made Gibson’s models look traditional.

The most distinctive feature of the Flying V is its angular, inverted ‘V’ body shape. It immediately caught people’s attention. Gibson engineer Seth Lover designed the Flying V’s unusual shape. Some have said the shape of the jutting tail fins on 1950s Cadillacs inspired the guitar’s design.

At its release, the Flying V was unique and well ahead of its time. It attracted excitement and high-profile users like Lonnie Mack and Albert King. But the radical shape did not catch on with more conservative guitar buyers. As a result, Gibson discontinued the Flying V in 1959. At that time, the Gibson’s Kalamazoo, Michigan factory, part of Gibson Brands, had only produced 98 instruments.

In 1966 Dave Davies of the Kinks picked up a Flying V after he had lost his only guitar when he came to America to tour. He appeared with it on American TV shows. As a result, the demand for the guitar increased and Gibson revived the model.

Over the years since its initial release, the Flying V has become one of Gibson’s most iconic models. Gibson produced several variations of the guitar, like the V2. It remains a bold, avant-garde choice for guitarists looking to make a statement.

The Gibson Firebird

Gibson introduced the Firebird in 1963. They craved a more futuristic design to compete with the popular Stratocaster. Automotive designer Ray Dietrich helped create the Firebird’s distinctive body shape. He drew inspiration from the tail fins and hoods of the era’s sports cars.

The original Firebird model featured an offset, asymmetrical body. It had pointed cutaways and short horn-like projections. This gave the guitar an angular, aggressive look and set it apart from Gibson’s famous Les Paul and SG models. The Firebird also sported Gibson’s first neck-through construction and ‘banjo’ tuners.

Gibson offered the early Firebirds in reverse (1963) and non-reverse (1965) body styles. Gibson called it ‘reverse’ because the upper (treble) horn was longer than the lower horn. This design looked backward in comparison to traditional designs of Gibson electric guitars.

Not the success as other Gibsons, the Firebird was popular with artists like Johnny Winter. Its thick, growling tone later appealed to hard rock guitarists. Famous Firebird players are Eric Clapton, Allen Collins (Lynyrd Skynyrd), and Dave Grohl (Foo Fighters).

Over the decades, Gibson Custom Shop has produced the Firebird in various configurations. It’s still coveted for its distinctive tone and look.

The Gibson ES-335

In 1958 Gibson introduced the ES-335 (Electric Spanish). It was the company’s first thinline semi-hollow body electric guitar. The ES-335 produced the warm tones of a traditional hollowbody jazz guitar while limiting feedback problems. This made it suitable for other genres as well, such as rock and blues.

The body of the ES-335 consists of a solid maple centre block through the length of the body. On either side it has hollow wings with violin-style F-holes. The construction adds resonance and sustain and makes the guitar lighter. Another important feature is that it also reduces feedback at higher volumes. The top is made of laminated maple.

Gibson installed their new ‘Dirty Fingers’ humbucker pickups in the guitar. They had a much higher output than standard pickups and gave the ES-335 a thick, rich voice that could sing or roar.

The ES-335 was an immediate success, appealing to many players. Over the years, guitarists like B.B. King and Larry Carlton picked it up. Guitarists like Chuck Berry, Dave Grohl and Noel Gallagher have also used ES-335s.

Since 1958, the ES-335 has become one of the most popular and iconic semi-hollow body guitars. Its versatile sound and comfortable playing make it a staple instrument.

The Gibson Explorer

The Explorer is an iconic electric guitar with a radical design. Gibson introduced it in 1958 alongside the Flying V.

Both guitars were part of the Modernist line, Gibson’s attempt to break away from traditional guitar shapes.

Gibson’s Moderne Explorer’s design was ahead of its time. It was derived from its 1957 prototype, the Futura, and the angular body shape was unlike anything in guitar design. But the Explorer, much like the Flying V, was not immediately successful. The radical shapes lead to poor sales and in 1963, Gibson discontinued the model.

The original Explorers are highly sought after as Gibson only made a small number of them. How many exactly is unknown, but fewer than 50. But in 1976, Gibson reintroduced the Explorer.

Its construction typically features a mahogany body and neck. The first guitars, however, had a korina body. The fretboard is made of rosewood or ebony fingerboard. It has humbucker pickups.

The Explorer’s influence can be seen in the number of top guitarists who have been using it for years.

The Gibson Nighthawk

Gibson introduced the Nighthawk in 1993. The guitar features a striking, streamlined body shape with a carved maple top and mahogany back.

An innovative pickup configuration was vital to the Nighthawk’s unique sound, which ventured into the realm of a Fender-style tone.

Depending on the version it had two or three pickups. Both the two- and three-pickup models featured an M-Series mini-humbucker in the neck and an M-Series angled humbucker in the bridge position. Both had coil-splitting. The three-pickup version also had an NSX single-coil pickup in the middle position.

Other features of the Nighthawk included its 25.5″ scale length, in stead of Gibson’s usual 24.75″ scale length. The Nighthawk also has a slim tapered neck profile.

Gibson revived the Nighthawk in 2009, until it the company discontinued it again in 2020.

Some famous Nighthawk players include Peter Frampton and Dave Davies of the Kinks.

The Gibson Blueshawk

Gibson designed the Blueshawk with a focus on the needs of blues musicians, hence the name. No longer available, Gibson introduced it in 1996.

The Blueshawk’s main characteristic was its body design, which is somewhat like that of a Les Paul. Compared to many other Gibson models, the Gibson electric guitars had a smaller, lighter body, constructed of poplar and capped with maple.

The Blueshawk came with a pair of Blues 90 pickups, sounding somewhat like the famous P-90 pickups. Additionally, the Blueshawk had a dummy coil. It’s hidden inside the body to provide noise cancellation.

Another innovative feature was the Varitone circuit. It gave the guitar an extensive tonal range. The Varitone is a rotary knob that allowed you to choose from different capacitors.

The Blueshawk also included through-body stringing and a tune-o-matic bridge. It came with a mahogany neck with a rosewood fingerboard.

Despite its design and versatility, the Blueshawk was not a major commercial success. As a result, Gibson discontinued the model in 2006.

GIBSON MODEL	RELEASE YEAR	DISCONTINUATION YEAR
Les Paul	1952	Still in production
ES-335	1958	Still in production
Flying V	1958	1959, revived later
Explorer	1958	1963, revived in 1976
SG	1961	Still in production
Firebird	1963	Still in production
Nighthawk	1993	1998, revived in 2009 until 2020
Blueshawk	1996	2006

Other Gibson Models

While the models mentioned above are the most well known and acclaimed, the American guitar company has produced several other instruments. These include lesser known solid body guitars like the GK-55, the Corvus, the L5-S, the L6-S and the EDS-1275 (double neck, still in production).

Gibson also produced several models in their hollowbody ES series, such as the ES-345, the ES-137 and the ES-165.

There are also several artist models, of which BB King’s Lucille is probably the best known.

Gibson Guitar Design

Gibson guitar models are known for their design features. Most models feature a mahogany body for a warm, resonant tone and a maple top, providing a bright, crisp sound. 

The fingerboard on a Gibson typically consists of rosewood or ebony.

One of the standout design features on many Gibson models is the inclusion of humbucker pickups. Fender, for instance, primarily uses single-coil pickups. 

Technical Specifications

Electronics and Pickups

Gibson guitars are known for their distinctive sound, attributed mainly to the type of pickups they use. In most models, Gibson utilizes humbucker pickups.

Sometimes, Gibson uses single-coil pickups, which are standard in Stratocaster-style guitars. Regardless of the pickup type, the controls on a Gibson guitar include a volume and tone knob. A three-way or five-way pickup selector switch lets you change the sound.

Woods and Materials

A typical combination in many Gibson models is a mahogany body with a maple top. Mahogany provides warmth and resonance, while the maple top adds brightness and sustain.

Their guitars often feature a rosewood or an ebony fretboard. It contributes to the guitar’s playability and adds a subtle warmth to the tone.

For the neck of the guitar, Gibson often uses mahogany. They come in various neck profiles. You may encounter slim-taper necks for faster playing or larger profiles.

About frets, Gibson guitars usually have between 22 and 24 frets.

Gibson’s guitar tuners come from companies like Grover or Kluson.

Frequently Asked Questions

What’s the best way to determine the year and model of a Gibson guitar?

To determine the year and model of your Gibson guitar, you can use the serial number on the back of the headstock. Serial numbers can tell you the date and sometimes the place of manufacture. It can help you identify the model of your guitar.

The process may take longer due to various changes in Gibson’s serial number systems. Check the Gibson website or consult a reputable Gibson dealer or an expert at Gibson Brands for advice on dating your Gibson.

Which Gibson guitar model is most renowned for its playability and tone?

The Gibson Les Paul is often regarded as one of the most renowned models for its playability and tone. Introduced in 1952, the Les Paul gained popularity for its warm and sustaining sound.

The guitar features a solid body construction, usually mahogany, and a set-in neck to enhance the guitar’s sustain.

Many famous players have used the Gibson Les Paul, including Jimmy Page, Slash, Gary Moore, Mark Knopfler and Eric Clapton.

How can I get an estimate of the value of a Gibson guitar?

To get an estimate of the value of a Gibson guitar, you can consult with reputable guitar dealers or appraisers. They can provide you with an expert assessment of the guitar’s current market value.

There are several factors that can influence the value of your Gibson. They include its age, condition, rarity, and historical significance.

The Vintage Guitar magazine’s Price Guide can help you get a rough idea of the value of your guitar.

Or contact an employee from the Gibson Custom Shop. They can help you get a rough idea of the value of your Les Pauls or other Gibson electric guitars.

Can you provide some insights on the history and progression of Gibson’s flagship models?

Gibson’s flagship models have evolved, incorporating new materials, techniques, and innovations. The Gibson Les Paul initially featured a gold-top finish, a trapeze-style bridge, and P-90 pickups.

In late 1956, Gibson introduced innovative PAF humbucker pickups. And in 1958 the now iconic sunburst finish was introduced.

Another prominent model, the Gibson SG, was introduced as the ‘Les Paul SG’ model in 1961 and renamed in 1963.