DISC Gibson Songwriter Deluxe Standard Electro-Acoustic Guitar

Full Description

The 2009 Songwriter Deluxe Standard sets a new benchmark for today's acoustic guitars by combining several time-honored production elements of the past with a number of modern, cutting-edge appointments. Using Gibson's popular Songwriter Deluxe Studio as its template, the Songwriter Deluxe Standard adds a new compound radius fingerboard for electric guitar-like playing action, and incorporates Gibson's renowned red spruce top bracing from the 1930's, bonded with traditional hide glue for maximum tone and volume.

Grover Rotomatic Tuners

Grover's original Rotomatic tuners are an engineering marvel, with abundant style and performance exactly suited for the Songwriter Deluxe Standard. With a gear ratio of 14:1, the Rotomatics deliver precision tuning in a durable housing that provides maximum protection for the gear and string post. All moving parts are cut for exact meshing, eliminating the possibility of slippage. A countersunk tension screw lets players regulate the tuning tension to any degree. A special lubricant inside the gear box provides smooth and accurate tuning stability.

Crown Peghead Logo

Gibson put the first crown peghead logo on an ES-300 back in 1940, and it has graced the headstocks of many legendary Gibson guitars ever since, including today's Songwriter Deluxe Standard. Over the years, it has also been called a 'thistle' because of the group of flowering plants with the sharp prickles, though Gibson has preferred to call it a 'crown.'

Pickguard

The pickguard on the Songwriter Deluxe Standard is a custom line design made from Tortec. As with all of Gibson's pickguards, the coloring, inlay, and binding are all done by hand.

Rosette

A rosette is the beautiful, hand-crafted circle around the soundhole, and can be one of the most ornamental elements of any acoustic guitar. It is also one of the most subtle and complicated woodworking decorations on any acoustic guitar. The rosette on the Songwriter Deluxe Standard is one of Gibson's finest. It is a double-ring rosette with an abalone-filled middle, with both outer rings consisting of six-ply binding, adding a stylish, understated elegance to the Songwriter line.

Ebony Fingerboard with Rolled Edges and New Deluxe Standard Inlays

The fingerboard of Gibson's Songwriter Deluxe Standard is constructed from the highest grade ebony on earth, which is personally inspected and qualified by Gibson's team of skilled experts before it enters the Gibson factories. The resilience of this durable wood makes the fingerboard extremely balanced and stable, and gives each chord and note unparalleled clarity and bite. The fingerboard inlays of the Songwriter Deluxe Standard are a completely new design made of genuine mother of pearl, and inserted into the fingerboard using a process that eliminates gaps and doesn't require the use of fillers. The fingerboard also sports a rolled edge instead of the usual right angle where the fingerboard surface meets the neck, Gibson Acoustic's rolled edges are slightly beveled for an extremely smooth and comfortable feel, enhancing the playability of the Songwriter Deluxe Standard.

Body Tonewoods

The body design of the Songwriter Deluxe Standard is known as a small dreadnought. The top is made from AA-grade Sitka spruce, while the back and sides are constructed from rosewood, giving the Songwriter a balanced, warm tone with clear lows and solid treble registers. Selecting the right wood, and the formula to dry it out, are two of the most central procedures to Gibson's guitar-building process. Beginning with its first catalog in 1903, Gibson has assured its customers that every guitar would be built using woods with 'the most durable, elastic, and sonorous qualities,' and today's guitars from Gibson Acoustic are no different.

Fishman Aura Pro Acoustic Pickup System

Gibson's Songwriter Deluxe Standard comes equipped with a built-in Fishman Ellipse Aura electronics package, which combines Fishman's most sophisticated onboard preamp design with the power of the popular Aura Acoustic Imaging Technology. The result is acoustic sound that is exceptionally accurate and true to life. Already loaded onto the system are four images that best match the instrument's natural tonal characteristics. You can make adjustments to any of them using the system's Pickup/Image Blend or Volume controls, or use the switchable Natural I and Natural II low frequencies for tone shaping. You can also control feedback with the Phase switch and automatic Anti-Feedback device control. The pickup's ergonomic soundhole-mounted design puts slider controls at your fingertips so you can maintain a natural playing position at all times. The Fishman Ellipse Aura is used by such noted musicians as Brad Paisley, Pete Townshend and Travis Tritt.

Bracing

Every acoustic guitar made by Gibson features hand-scalloped, radiused top bracing inside the body, a feature normally found only in limited run, hand-made guitars. By scalloping each brace by hand, the natural sound of the acoustic is focused more toward the center of the body, enhancing the instrument?s sound projection. The bracing pattern inside the Songwriter Deluxe Standard is based on the design used for Gibson's celebrated Advanced Jumbo models of the 1930s, consisting of a wider 'X' pattern that allows the top to vibrate more freely and push the sound toward the soundhole. The result is an instrument that delivers incredible response, and a superior dynamic range with balanced, warm tones, clear lows, and solid treble registers.

Nitrocellulose Finish

Applying a nitrocellulose finish to any Gibson acoustic guitar - including the Songmaker Deluxe Standard - is one of the most labor-intensive elements of the guitar-making process. Unlike the polyurethane finishes used by many guitar manufacturers, a nitrocellulose lacquer finish is porous when cured, allowing the wood to naturally 'breathe' and mature. Microscopically thin, the finish on a Gibson acoustic guitar first requires seven main coats of nitrocellulose lacquer. After drying overnight, the initial seven coats are then level sanded and given two additional coats. Left to dry for five additional days, the finish is then wet sanded and buffed to its final glass-like sheen. The time-consuming nature of applying a nitro finish has been employed ever since the first Gibson guitar was swathed with lacquer back in 1894. Why? For starters, a nitro finish means there is less interference with the natural vibration of the instrument, allowing for a purer tone. It's also a softer finish, making it easily repairable. You can touch up a scratch or ding on a nitro finish, but you can't do the same on a poly finish.