https://www.thomannmusic.com/gibson_citation_hb.htm

That is one beautiful guitar, but well out of my price range.

I like thinner guitars anyway.

Notes

That is a beautiful guitar but it is $24,000 over my guitar purchasing limit!

You could always have a different colour for only $3500 more!

https://www.thomannmusic.com/gibson_citation_na.htm



Seriously though who are Gibson aiming these guitars at, Lottery winners, millionaires?

I would think that for either guitar they would have at least $20k profit and probably doesn't play any better than a Gibson costing $3k or less.

Yea I'd want one (if they were giving them away) but .... (and I like the big archtops - they have grown back on me in last decade or so)


But for that kind of money I could buy a new L-5 (don't want a new one, but could get one), another D'Angelico (love my Excel), Benadetto, Comins (Chester Ave, Classic, even Custom), etc. with money left over to build another precision long range rifle in 6.5mm (1/4" MOA) with glass (Nightforce, Vortex Razor, Kahles, Schmidt & Bender) with enough change left over from that to drive through Micky-D's for a cup of coffee (senior pricing of course - LOL)


Larry

That is my dream guitar!

I got close to it once or twice.

The first one was a 1975 Gibson Johnny Smith. It was essentially the same guitar with a solid carved body, a floating pickup and volume and tone controls mounted on the pickguard.

It was a work of art.

The second was an early 40's Gibson L-5 that was made for Roy Smeck. He was famous back then. It was a wonderful guitar.

If I spent that on a guitar it would have almost play itself!

Go to the luthier of your choice.

Stefan Sonntag will build your 18'' archtop for a third of that price. And that is including (some of) your personal specs...
http://www.sonntag-guitars.com/
The site is in German but has most pages in English if you choose to prefer that language.

Have a Happy New Year.

Guido

Although I'm sure it's been said before, I believe we have entered a golden age of guitar making.

There are better instruments being made now than ever before. While Gibson, Martin, Taylor, Fender and PRS continue to price themselves out of the reach of a working musician or serious hobbyist, importers have jumped ahead by building very decent copies of those instruments priced at just a fraction of what an American made instrument would cost.

Are the USA made instruments typically better? Yes.

Are they 10 times or 20 times better? Probably not.

There are also high end independent luthiers that are making amazing and extremely high priced instruments.

I'm just glad that an average musician can get a really decent guitar without having to sell his/her car to do it.

Bob is spot on.

He lead me to Harley Benton guitars and this $308 USD jazz guitar has that sweet jazz tone that I love:

https://www.thomannmusic.com/harley_benton_bigtone_vintage_orange.htm

I've bought 3 new guitars this year and I got a 4th one free because of a shipping mistake. They knowingly gave it to me because the error was theirs, not mine.


The first one was a Harley Benton Custom Line CLA-28VE WN

https://www.thomannmusic.com/harley_benton_custom_line_cla_28ve_wn.htm


The second one was a Harley Benton HB-35Plus Cherry

https://www.thomannmusic.com/harley_benton_hb_35plus_cherry_bundle.htm


The third one was a Harley Benton ST-90SA Swamp Ash DLX Series

https://www.thomannmusic.com/harley_benton_st_90sa_swamp_ash_dlx_series.htm


The fourth and final one of this year is the freebie! Not bad for a freebie!

Harley Benton Custom Line CLD-41SE WN

https://www.thomannmusic.com/harley_benton_custom_line_cld_41se_wn.htm


All of these guitars look great, sound great and play great! Not to mention that you couldn't even buy one single American made name brand guitar for what these cost.

American manufacturers need to wake up before they get overwhelmed.