Gibson has unveiled the Acoustic Specials range, which offers fresh, lower-priced takes on three of the firm’s most beloved acoustic guitar shapes.
New for 2025, the Acoustic Specials series has been marketed as a new initiative from Gibson to bring USA-made, handcrafted acoustics to all-new accessible price points, and while they still weigh in at around the $2k mark, they notably represent the most affordable US-made acoustics that Gibson currently has on its books.
Indeed, before the $1,999 L-00 Special showed up, the nearest priced alternative was the L-00 Studio Rosewood, which is available for $2,299. It’s a similar story for the $1,999 J-45 – which was previously accessible for $2,399 – and, perhaps most intriguing, the $2,199 Hummingbird.
Hummingbirds are rather pricey instruments, and before this particular drop the most affordable example Gibson offered was the $3k Hummingbird Studio.
It’s a rather enticing move to say the least, and it all makes for rather interesting reading. These are by no means wallet-friendly prices for a lot of players, but the move to bring genuine hand-crafted USA Gibson acoustics – constructed direct from the Bozeman factory – to all-time-low price points is a nice strategy to see.
As mentioned, there are three models in the drop, all of which favor classic neck profiles, mahogany back and sides, satin nitro finishes in either Sunburst or Wine Red, and L.R. Baggs electronics.
Each model comes fitted with rosewood bridges, a Sitka spruce top, traditional scalloped X-bracing and 12” radius rosewood fingerboards, as well as Grover Rotomatic tuners, TUSQ nuts, bridge pins and saddles, and the aforementioned L.R. Baggs Element Bronze under-saddle piezo pickup.
Of course, there are also a number of model-specific specifications, such as the Hummingbird’s elegant extended pickguard design – a “simplified version of the world-famous Hummingbird graphics” – and pearloid parallelogram inlays.
“Handcrafted at Gibson Acoustic in Bozeman, Montana, by the expert luthiers at Gibson, these guitars offer premium, USA-made Gibson acoustic craftsmanship at an exceptional value,” Gibson writes.
Head over to Gibson to find out more.
