Gibson USA’s Guitar of the Month for November ’08, the Longhorn Double-cutaway has an appealing body design that incorporate slightly extended, asymmetrical cutaways on a solid chunk of mahogany topped with a beautiful AA figured maple top.
The level of detail continues with its white three-ply binding around the body and headstock, which not only adds beauty to the guitar, it adds bump protection as well. And the improvements don’t end there. The Longhorn is loaded with the legendary EMG-85 active humbuckers. The EMG-85 actives deliver tone, power, and performance for all styles of musicians. The innovation continues on with a special designed L.R. Baggs piezo pickup located underneath the Tune-o-matic bridge. This gives guitarists the option of either blending the two sounds together or using them separately, thus allowing players all types of sonic capabilities.
Gibson employing a pair of EMG 85 pickups and an LR Baggs piezo pickup shows the company isn’t afraid to think outside the box. Innovated ideas like the detailed unique-style flowerpot headstock inlay add to the beauty and definition of detail. The flowerpot inlay dates back to the early 1900s which several of Gibson’s rare historic mandolins and archtops employed. The Gibson USA Longhorn guitar is limited to just 1,000 instruments. Estimated price $1999 – $2299.
The neck is a solid-one-piece mahogany with Gibson’s established ’50s rounded profile, topped by an ebony fingerboard with white acrylic small-block fretboard inlays created specifically for the Longhorn. Also in keeping with tradition is the headstock’s flowerpot inlay.
Design
Gibson’s pioneering spirit has no boundaries, and nowhere is this more evident than in Gibson USA’s – Longhorn Double Cut. This soon-to-be-classic features Gibson’s newest body design, consisting of slightly extended, asymmetrical cutaways on a solid piece of mahogany, topped by a beautiful AA figured maple top. White three-ply binding around the body and traditional headstock adds both beauty and protection to the guitar. A special-design L.R. Baggs piezo pickup has been added beneath the Tune-o-matic bridge to deliver outstanding acoustic simulation capabilities. A pair of EMG’s legendary 85 active humbuckers deliver incredible tone, power, and performance at all levels, while a new two-jack input, also from L.R. Baggs, offers separate outputs for both the piezo and humbuckers.
Neck
The neck is a solid-one-piece mahogany with Gibson’s traditional ’50s rounded profile, topped by an ebony fingerboard with white acrylic small-block fretboard inlays created especially for the Longhorn. Also in keeping with tradition is the headstock’s Flowerpot inlay, which dates back to the early 1900s and several of Gibson’s historic mandolins and archtops. The fingerboard on the Longhorn is constructed from the highest grade ebony on the planet. The resilience of this dense and durable wood makes every fingerboard extremely balanced and stable, and gives each chord and note unparalleled clarity and bite. The fret wire on the Gibson models is a combination nickel and silver alloy (approximately 80 percent nickel and 20 percent silver) specifically designed for long life and superior wear. The small block inlays on the new Longhorn Double Cutaway are a new inlay design from Gibson. They are a variation of Gibson’s more traditional larger block inlays, and give the Longhorn’s fingerboard a distinctly smooth look.
Body
The joining together of a solid mahogany back and maple top is a time-honored tradition at Gibson, and a critical part of making the new Longhorn Double Cutaway. The formula employed to select the wood and dry it is just as important. On the Longhorn, the mahogany back is matched with a AA figured maple top, both of which are personally inspected and qualified by Gibson’s team of skilled wood experts.
Electronics
The EMG 85 is one of most popular active humbuckers in the world, and rightfully so. Equipped with a bar-shaped Alnico V magnet and coils with separate outputs, the EMG 85 yields a warmer and more natural tone, and delivers balanced and uniform string response. The wide aperture of the coils produces a beefier low end and fatter top end, with loads of output that doesn’t get muddy. They can be used to play everything from classic rhythm and blues to heavy metal. The new, special-design L.R. Baggs piezo pickup is located under the Tune-o-matic bridge and offers a wide range of outstanding acoustic simulation capabilities. The Longhorn also comes equipped with a new two-jack input, also from L.R. Baggs, that offers separate outputs for both the piezo and the humbuckers, allowing for plenty of options to blend the two distinct sounds, or playing them individually. www.gibson.com for more info.
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