Epiphone has expanded its high-end collaboration with the Gibson Custom Shop with six top-tier acoustic guitars, all inspired by Gibson classics of yore, each presenting that vintage aesthetic without the vintage price tag.
Many of the acoustics in the latest Inspired By Gibson Custom drop will need little introduction.
These are replicas of some of the most famous – and most sought-after – Gibson guitars of all time. Guitars like the SJ-200, which we have two versions of, one a Pre-War Rosewood Reissue, the other a 1957 variant in Antique Natural and Vintage Sunburst.
There is a 1963 Dove Reissue, presented here in Natural finish, replete with all the decorative flourishes of the original model that was played in anger by the likes of Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash and Tom Petty.
Continuing with the avian theme, we have not one but two Hummingbirds; a Hummingbird Deluxe EC cutaway that looks the part in Autumn Burst and Natural finishes, and the classic 1960 Hummingbird Reissue that is finished in Heritage Cherry Sunburst and is a chip off the old block. The open-book headstocks on these Inspired By Gibson Custom models helps sell the illusion.
Those who want something more blue collar have got it in the Banner Era 1942 J-45 Reissue, which is presented in a hue of Vintage Sunburst that should be all but guaranteed to find favour among disciples of Bob Dylan.
The Inspired By Gibson models are a change for Epiphone to offer Gibson USA specs to a wider demographic, and these are no exception.
Across the board there are all-solid builds, with thermally aged tops to give you that vintage acoustic tone profile, LR Baggs acoustic guitar pickup and preamp systems, rosewood and ebony fingerboards and bridges (no laurel here, thank you very much), and they ship in commemorative hard-shell and Red Line-inspired guitar cases.
Let’s start with the King of the Flat-Tops, the SJ-200. The 1957 Reissue is the one that most of us will be more familiar with. This has thermally aged Sitka spruce on top, figured maple on the back and sides, and an abundance of detail.
Just look at those engraved celluloid pickguards, those two-bar moustache bridges, and the MOP graduated crown inlays. The neck is made from two pieces of flame maple with a walnut stringer up the middle. The gold Epiphone Deluxe tuners look the part.
Lesser spotted, and thus perhaps even cooler, the Pre-War version of the SJ-200 comes with ebony fingerboard and bridge – again, the latter is a moustache-style with MOP inlays – and a set of Grover Imperial tuners that make it look even more old-world.
The biggest differences here, however, is that the Sitka spruce top is complemented by solid rosewood on the back and sides, the neck is two piece maple with a rosewood stringer, and it has a Rounded D as opposed to a C profile.
The details on these Epiphone guitars are exquisite. Even the J-45, the supposed “workhorse” of the bunch, is full of them, from the banner-style logo on the headstock and the three-on-a-plate tuners with cream buttons, to the V profile mahogany neck, it is all mojo.
As for the fundamentals, it’s the time-honoured J-45 recipe, solid Sitka spruce on top, solid mahogany on the back and sides, single-ply binding because we’re not all fancy like the SJ-200s, or indeed the Dove.
Where do you start with the Dove? You’ve got the square-shouldered silhouette, the solid figured maple back and sides, thermally aged spruce top, multi-ply binding and the fireworks courtesy of that traditional pickguard – an “acrylic/celluloid sandwich with mother-of-pearl Dove inlays – and MOP-inlaid bridge.
This has been set up with some Kluson Waffleback tuners with metal Keystone buttons, and, like the Hummingbirds, here we have a rounded profile mahogany neck. Note, the Dove is a 25.5” scale instrument. The Hummingbirds measure up at 24.75”.
Ordinarily, those Hummingbirds would be the talk of the town but the Dove… Well, they are all brightly feathered. This collection features two Hummingbirds, one a cutaway electro, the other more typical of the species.
They share a lot of DNA. The LR Baggs Element Bronze VTC electronics ready them for the stage – controls, as with all of these, are secreted in the soundhole.
You’ve got thermally treated solid Sitka spruce on top, solid mahogany on the back and sides, multi-ply binding on the top and back of the body, single-ply on the fingerboard, and said fingerboard is inlaid with MOP split parallelograms. It’s quite stunning.
Under the hood, Epiphone has applied traditional scalloped X pattern bracing, comprised of quartersawn Sitka spruce.
Speaking to the Gibson Gazette, Epiphone brand manager, Lewis McKinney, said he couldn't be any more excited by the launch. This was a new chapter for Epiphone acoustics.
“In close collaboration with the Gibson Custom team, we’ve reissued a new wave of era-accurate acoustics,” said McKinney. “Rebuilt from the ground up with precision and care, these guitars embody our ongoing commitment to quality, accessibility, and innovation. This launch marks a fresh chapter for Epiphone acoustics, and we can’t wait for players to experience them. Happy playing.”
The prices are as follows. The 1942 Banner Reissue J-45 and the Hummingbirds are £1,099/$1,299, the Dove £1,099/$1,399, while the SJ-200s are £1,399/$1,499.
These new Inspired By Gibson Custom acoustics are available now. See Epiphone for more details.
