sparkospunky's Full Review: Gibson Songwriter Deluxe Acoustic Electric Guitars
I had been playing my Taylor 412 CE acoustic-electric guitar for almost two years, and for the most part I was satisfied with the guitar. After all, it was a well-constructed instrument made from quality materials, with good playability and a nice, mellow tone, but something was missing that I just couldn't put my finger on. After thinking it over for a while and replaying in my mind all the gigs I had used it on, it finally occurred to me that the Taylor 412 CE lacked the raw "edge" that I had become accustomed to throughout my career by exclusively using Gibson acoustic-electric guitars. Maybe the Taylor 412 CE was a little too mellow, because I sometimes had problems punching through the mix on my solos. In any event, when I get an idea I usually act pretty decisively on it, so I went in search of Gibson's latest offerings in the acoustic-electric guitar field.
And I found the Gibson Songwriter Deluxe
The Songwriter Deluxe is Gibson's latest addition to the Hummingbird Square Shoulder Line, a venerable series of guitars that have been around since the early sixties or so. As far as acoustic-electric guitars go, it's a cousin of the Gibson Songbird, which has been around a little longer than the Songwriter Deluxe. Before I give you my impressions about my latest purchase, let me tell you about its specifications.
The Songwriter Deluxe has a top made of solid Sitka spruce and back and sides made of solid rosewood. The mahogany neck has an ebony fingerboard with mother-of-pearl floret inlays. The soundhole rosette is made of shimmering abalone, and the tuners are of the gold kidney variety. The body is bound with triple-ply white and black binding, but the neck and headstock are not similarly adorned. The bridge is ebony, and a small, three-point tortoise shell pickguard protects the top along the strumming area. This guitar comes with an active Fishman transducer, and can be purchased with or without a cutaway at the treble bout.
How Does It Look?
In these days of stylin' and profilin', appearances really count with a lot of musicians, especially those in the country field. The Songwriter Deluxe fills the bill on this count--it's a beautiful guitar with a look of understated elegance. The inlay work is pretty simple, but it fits in well with the overall look of this guitar. The lack of binding on the neck and headstock contribute to the understated look, while the gold kidney tuners add a touch of extravagance that's a little inexplicable considering the simplicity of the cosmetics of the guitar. All of the woods used in this guitar are beautifully figured and grained, and the mahogany of the neck and headstock has a "blonde" tinge that compliments the Sitka spruce top nicely.
Is It Well Built?
Yes, with that typical Gibson attention to detail. This is one of the few guitars I've ever owned (and I've owned literally hundreds) that was flawless to my eye. I inspected it very closely before I bought it and could detect no defects. All the seams were tight and clean, all of the parts were snugly attached, and there were no rattles that I could discern upon playing the guitar.
How Does It Play?
Like butter. The factory set up was fine, but I had my guitar tech tweak it a little, and the result was unbelievable. The action was lightening fast (the ebony fingerboard has something to do with this), and the slim profile neck really felt comfortable in my hands. With the Songwriter Deluxe, I've experienced a degree of playability that I've never felt in an acoustic-electric guitar. It's so hot that it plays almost like an electric guitar, an attribute that you rarely find in an acoustic or acoustic-electric guitar.
What About The Sound?
Acoustically, the Songwriter Deluxe sounds a lot like my acoustic Hummingbird--it's not quite as rich and full (the cutaway results in a smaller body, probably affecting the acoustic sound a little), but it's a nice sound all the same, with good balance and nice tonal responses.
When used in the acoustic-electric application, this guitar really shines. It's mellow when need be, but the active Fishman transducer gives the sound a rawer "edge" when needed, the perfect sound for soloing. The four sliding controls (brilliance, treble, bass and middle) are easy to adjust, and you can get the sound that you're looking for with just a little bit of tweaking. The Songwriter Deluxe has given me what I've been seeking for a long time--good mellow tones, with the ability to punch through a mix with a rawer sound for soloing.
This guitar retails for right at $1,900.00, hardshell case included. I paid around $1,500.00 for mine, and you can probably get close to that figure if you bargain with your dealer.
You should really check the Songwriter Deluxe out--it's a rare combination of looks, playability and sound, an unusual commodity indeed in these days of mass-produced nightmares.
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