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Gibson Nick Lucas Grande

Gibson just unveiled their 2016 lineup of guitars, which includes the limited run Nick Lucas Grande with its English walnut back and sides.

Gibson Nick Lucas Grande

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For the 2016 edition of this guitar, Gibson focused on getting the playing feel of the neck just right, enhancing the finish and improving the guitar’s acoustic and plugged-in tone.

Known as the grandfather of jazz guitar, Nick Lucas was a famous guitarist and singer from the 1920s to the 1940s. So much so that Gibson approached him so that they could build him a signature acoustic. The result was the “Nick Lucas Special” which had a deeper body to accommodate his complex playing style which required more upfront lower frequencies.

This year, Gibson is bringing back this special acoustic in a limited edition model called the Nick Lucas Grande which they dub as a historic “once-in-a-lifetime” instrument. As expected Gibson went all out in designing, implementing premium materials and ensuring quality build.

This guitar comes with a more old school look and feel, having a traditional 12-fret neck joint design with a slightly smaller body. What truly separates it from other acoustics however is its deeper body, which gives it the same jazz friendly tone as the original. The top is crafted from sitka spruce with hide glue bracing, while the back and sides are made from English walnut ribs. The guitar’s unique shape, deep body and tonewood combination results in improved bass response and crisper treble tones that jazz players will appreciate.

The guitar’s mahogany neck joins the body at the 12th fret, and topped by a rosewood fingerboard with the same mother of pearl inlays found on the original. Gibson rolls the edges of the fingerboard into a curve following the neck profile for improved comfort. The company also implemented German-engineered Plek system for consistent set up right out of the box. Both the fingerboard and bridge are hand rubbed and oiled for a much smoother feel, and improved durability.

As expected from a limited run model, the aesthetic details are top notch, including the Gibson script logo, and Fleur De Lis. Following traditional builds, it comes with a slotted headstock which comes equipped with waverly nickel open-back tuners.

Bringing this old school instrument into the modern era is the L.R. Baggs Lyric pickup, which combines piezo electronics and a bridge plate mounted microphone for improved acoustic amplification.

Gibson is only making 50 of these handcrafted Nick Lucas Grande guitars, with each one having a Honey Burst finish and a hardshell case. The MSRP for this guitar is $3649, more information is available at Gibson.

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