Gibson Songwriter deluxe standard

[Ferd13]

I've got a 2012 Standard... It has rosewood as fretboard and bridge... Anyone have one like it? What year is yours? Anyone know which year they (Gibson) stopped it's production? Now they have have a Hummingbird Artist. Gibson and their hodgepodge of similar models is confusing...

[patocaster69]

I have a 2012 as well. I'm a newbie here too. I have the natural finish and its a beautiful looking guitar but I would have gone with the vintage burst if I could find one. It was kind of an impulse buy, I wasn't really looking for a new guitar, I just happen to be at my local Long & McQuade music store, saw this hanging on the wall among many other Gibsons and the lovely headstock and diamond inlays just called out to me. At least that's the story I told the wife. I had a Taylor 316ce and although I loved the tone of it unplugged, the first generation ES pickps just sounded awful. Really tinny, quacky, fingernails on chalkboard kind of sound. Didn't matter how it was eq'd or what it was plugged into, I could not get rid of the piezo quack. So the first thing I did when I saw the Songwriter was plug it into an acoustic amp and bam!! I was sold. This is what an acoustic should sound like when plugged into a PA. Traded in the Taylor and financed the balance at 0% interest. My friend bought a brand new Hummingbird at the same time. L&M has Gibson month with 0% financing every 6 months it seems. I believe these are still in production with same or similar specs. I've only had it for about 7 months now and I would describe the unplugged tone as somewhat dark, although very smooth, warm and balanced, bold in the midrange. Some describe the sound of the rosewood as "chocolatey". It is nice sounding but I like my tone just a little bit brighter. So I just put on a set of Martin Lifespan SP's Phosphor Bronze 12's and man, what a huge difference in sound these strings make. It's sounds like a totally different guitar now, very lively and bright yet still balanced across the tonal spectrum. Not overly bright, but its like the strings really made the guitar come alive and it seems to project and sustain so much better. I'm surprised by how much difference strings can make because the shop had put new strings on when I bought the guitar. I guess they were different strings and I was just complacent and happy to finally own a Gibson. Like I said, the tone was nice and warm, balanced, but now this guitar really sings. And plugged in, she still sounds wonderful with the Ellipse pick-up/pre-amp. My only complaint now is that the pre-amp just eats batteries, literally! Congrats on your new aquisition! Hope you enjoy your Songwriter as much as I do.

 

Cheers!!

[kidblast]

this is a double post, I answer in the first one. the Gibson Web Site still lists these as in production.