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Gibson revives The Everly Brothers J-180, “one of the most striking acoustic guitars in music history”
It features iconic double tortoise moustache pickguards, originally designed in co-operation with the Everly Brothers, and mother of pearl star inlays.
Image: Gibson
Gibson has announced the return of The Everly Brothers J-180 acoustic guitar to its Custom Shop Artist Collection lineup. Available in a striking Ebony finish, the model is regarded as one of the most “recognisable acoustic guitars in music history”.
Don and Phil Everly rose to prominence during the early rock era of the 1950s and early 1960s, with their matching Gibson acoustics in-hand. They released iconic hits such as Bye Bye Love and Wake Up Little Susie.
The newly revived model celebrates their legacy and features a maple body and a Sitka spruce top, plus all of the decorative details that make the Gibson Everly Brothers acoustic so renowned. It hosts an Ebony gloss nitrocellulose lacquer finish, double tortoise moustache pickguards originally designed in co-operation with the Everly Brothers, and mother of pearl star inlays on the headstock and neck.
The Everly Brothers J-180 also hosts a bone nut and saddle, TUSQ bridge pins, and Grover Rotomatic tuners with Keystone buttons. It comes with an L.R. Baggs VTC under-saddle pickup and preamp, and ships with a hardshell case.
Speaking to Gibson Gazette, Phil Everly’s son Jason says, “When my father and uncle [Phil and Don Everly] first started playing and singing, the idea they’d have a signature Gibson guitar with their name on it would be ludicrous in the extreme.
“The fact that The Everly Brothers were given such free reign to design such a radical acoustic guitar (for that time), was beyond amazing. In my opinion, the Gibson J-180 Everly Brothers model is the most beautiful acoustic guitar ever built. At a glance, in that first split second, before your brain takes in the whole image of the guitar, you have an emotional connection.”
He adds, “You are looking right at Rock ‘n’ Roll, in its original form and spirit. It’s different. It’s beautiful and it makes you feel like you can change the world. My family is so grateful and humbled by all the care and dedication Gibson has put into our new Everly Brothers J-180. All the details, all the spirit and all the artistic dedication. It’s something only Gibson could do, and we are so proud to be a part of it.”
The Everly Brothers J-180 acoustic is available now for £4,799. Find out more at Gibson.