The Gibson company is celebrating 100 years of building flat top guitars in 2026, marking the anniversary with a trio of new instruments that look back on their storied history.
Though their mandolins and banjos were crucial in defining the early history of bluegrass music in the 1940s and ’50s, their guitars never achieved the same prominence in bluegrass as their five and eight stringed cousins. Still, the classic Gibson acoustics are widely cherished, with many dreadnaught-playing flatpickers having a Gibby or two in their music room.
So this year they are adding three new models to their Original Collection, built as a tribute to guitars that helped make music history in the 20th century.
First up is the SJ-200 60s Original, a popular large-body guitar first introduced in 1937, and easily recognizable for its notorious mustache bridge. They are made with a AAA Sitka spruce top, AAA figured maple back and sides, period correct 1960s nitrocellulose lacquer, and a vine and flowers pick guard. It sells for $5,699.
Also new is the LG-2 50s Original, with its smaller body for a more balanced tone. It is made with a solid Sitka spruce top (scalloped X-bracing), and solid mahogany back and sides. You can get this one with L.R. Baggs VTC electronics installed for $2,999.
The J-160E Original is also back, a truly iconic guitar, famously played by John Lennon during the early days of The Beatles in the 1960s. It is also make with a Sitka spruce top and mahogany back and sides, using a coverless P90 DC pickup placed just below the fingerboard, with volume and tone knobs on the lower bout.
All three are available in a variety of finishes, built in the Gibson shop in Bozeman, MT.
Full details are available online.
