The Gibson Custom Historic Collection offers detailed replicas of the most famous models from the early days of the traditional company from Bozeman, Montana, which, due to a thermo treatment of the woods, give the impression as if they had already been played for decades. As a result, the Gibson 1952 J-185 AN produces a warm and balanced sound that unfolds quickly and across all frequencies, due to a Sitka spruce top and a curly maple body. Elaborate mother-of-pearl inlays, gold Gotoh keystone tuners and a razor-thin nitrocellulose finish complete the overall look in its authenticity and fully represent the craftsmanship and finesse of the Gibson custom store. The Gibson 1952 J-185 AN acoustic guitar comes with a brown case with a pink interior, a certificate and a Gibson accessory kit.
Back in the 1950s, the wood of the North American Sitka spruce was considered particularly suitable for making the finest musical instruments with maximum sound results. The fine-grained wood produces clear and balanced midrange and treble frequencies that resonate long in the overtones, so that each note fades smoothly into the next. Both the thermal treatment and a hand-crafted Scalloped-X bracing allow the top wood to vibrate very freely to unfold the tone quickly and defined. Framed by a fine multi-ply binding, the lightly flamed spruce wood comes out tastefully contrasted in a very successful way. Decorated with a tortoise pickguard and a multi-ply double-ring soundhole rosette, every millimeter of the guitar is perfectly coordinated. Especially the belly-up bridge made of rosewood provides a recognition value with its cross-shaped mother-of-pearl inlays and forms one of the highlights of the instrument, which was first released in 1951.
Similar to the flat-top giant SJ-200, the Gibson 1952 J-185 AV comes with a body made of flamed maple, which provides both a fast response and rich bass frequencies. Thus, the rather small design yet produces a wide-ranging sound that is endowed with a lot of warmth and dynamics. The thin nitrocellulose finish also plays a significant role in the vibration characteristics of the back and sides. As a result, the sound unfolds rapidly and drops off just as quickly, making the J-185 very versatile. In particular, fingerstyle fans should get their money's worth with this instrument, since even single notes are produced with ease and have an incomparable accuracy in all registers. The back is also limited with an elaborate multi-ply binding, so that the gross grain of the wood is perfectly emphasized in its symmetry and each flame reflects from every angle individually.
Matching the rest of the detailed replica, the manufacturer installs a mahogany neck with a palsander fingerboard marked with noble parallelogram mother-of-pearl inlays that showcase the instrument's value in a very tasteful way. A 43.8mm wide bone nut and perfectly matched bridge inlay guarantee clean intonation throughout the 629mm scale. The characteristic Gibson headstock features gold Gotoh keystone tuners, which guarantee precise tuning of the 6 steel strings and perfectly embody the glamour of the 1950s. In addition to the company logo, the headstock features an extensive mother-of-pearl inlay, halfway to the plain black trussrod cover. The Gibson 1952 J-185 AN acoustic guitar is completed by a brown case, an accessory kit and a custom store certificate.
Acoustic guitar from the Gibson Custom Historic Collection
Full solid construction in J-185 size
Thermo-treated Sitka spruce top with tortoise pickguard
Maple back and sides with multi-ply binding
Mahogany neck with rosewood fingerboard and MOP parallelogram inlays
Gold Gotoh keystone tuners
Bone nut and bone bridge inlay
Razor-thin nitrocellulose lacquer finish
Antique natural finish
Includes case, accessory kit and certificate