| Yorkville Sound's Jeff Cowling, Rick Donmoyer
& Matt Coburn came by the store last week to give us a Gibson Guitar
Seminar ... keeping all of our staff up to speed on the latest & greatest
from this venerable company. They brought with them a dozen or so
unusual and interesting instruments, a few of which we just couldn't
resist. A case in point being this spectacularly gorgeous Gibson
Super 400 CES in sunburst finish!
The Super 400 has a rich and interesting
history. This model was introduced near the end of the Great Depression
at a whopping $400.00 sell price ... a bold marketing move if there ever
was one! As Gibson literature indicated at the time though, "Its
price is a criterion of its quality". The introduction of the first 18"
Gibson was in part thought to be a reaction to Epiphone's new "Masterbilt"
line of archtops which included nine models, one of which was 3/8"
wider than the L-5. Not to be outdone, the Gibson design team came
up with new "Advanced" 17 inch L-5 body shapes and released their secret
weapon, the 18 inch Super 400!
This model has evolved over the decades,
with a larger upper bout added in 1937 and updated tailpiece and top bracing
in 1939. This is also the year that ushered in the new Super 400
Premier or cutaway model. Eventually in 1951, Gibson added
the Super 400 CES electric cutaway model to their line which attracted
everyone from jazz to early rock & roll players!
The instrument that I'm featuring today is from
the Nashville Custom Shop and is a faithful reproduction of the Super 400
CES (Cutaway Electric Spanish) from the late '50s. It features a
true carved & graduated spruce top with tone bars, true carved
and graduated premium flamed maple back, 18" Venetian cutaway body
design, the proprietary Super 400 tailpiece and Gibson Classic
'57 pickups! |
