Comments about Gibson Blues King Acoustic Guitar:

Awesome Blues & Fingerpicking Machine - USA, June 6, 2013

Disclaimer: I have been married to Gibson for most of my guitar playing life.

NOTE: Know what you want before you buy this guitar!

If you are looking for a big, bass-full, loud strumming guitar then you might consider another fine model from Gibson.

This guitar is absolutely wonderful, fun to play and much lighter & more comfortable than the larger models.
If you are looking for a sweet vintage blues and fingerpicking parlor sized guitar, there are none finer in this price range.

Hand made in Bozeman, Montana USA this guitar delivers haunting blues as well classic country fingerpicking tone, full and even. This is not your big strumming concert guitar although it does very well just strumming away. The tone is well balanced all the way up the neck with no heavy overtones. Semi dry in resonance with pronounced mids that produce that classic tonal vibe hearkening back to the days of blues roots and country picking.

Gibson touts a "thinner body" but in actuality, they only shaved 1/4" making it a flat 4" width with a Sitka Spruce radius top soundboard and bracing.

Bubinga wood is sometimes called "African Rosewood" and is used for the back and sides. Very beautiful wood grain even deeper than mahogany. Mahogany neck and Rosewood fingerboard with the edges rolled and fret edges beveled for comfort.

Very nice and easy to play semi wide neck allows for fingerpicking without muting adjacent strings as easily. Very comfortable "C-shaped" and I noticed the low F barre chord rang out quite easily with minimal pressure compared to my other guitars.

Basic elegance understated with simple decorative appointments. Nothing fancy here folks -and the guitar looks great just the way it is.

Gibson does not provide a plush lined hard shell case with this model. Instead they give you a well padded gig bag. -and I mean WELL PADDED! Not as heavy-duty as one of those hard foam cases but should work fine. Most people think it's a shame that Gibson didn't include a nicer case and bought their own hard shell case...I am one of those people.
If you are looking for a case that protects as well as matches the quality of this fine guitar, I suggest the "SKB 000 Case" for a perfect fit. Much higher quality and protection than even the stock Gibson cases.

As of this review (June 2013) Gibson has ceased manufacturing these guitars, at least for the time being. They were made until the beginning of 2013. My guess is they are either backlogged or will be forced to make something very similar, as well as the existing L-00 sized parlor guitars that are almost the same.

The L-00 guitar necks are joined to the body at the 14th fret, whereas the L-1 guitars are joined at the 12th fret.

The body is a little smaller than the standard dreadnought, is ample loud, great for soloing and bending notes. You can really dig in to this guitar, strike it hard and it can take it. Contrary to my own review, I was having a great time strumming away...and whacking it quite hard. The low-end did get a little lost overall, but when played with precision the guitar has a very well balanced tone and killer vibe.

I am very happy that they used the chrome Grover tuners.

The L.R. Braggs undersaddle pickup is very simple with a cool little small volume wheel mounted inside under the top soundboard with a small amount of the wheel easily accessible by rolling the tip of your finger on the upper edge of the soundhole...but the sound of the pickup itself is mediocre at best. With a little tweaking of the EQ on an amp or tone pedal, it does just fine but nothing to write home about.

I think Gibson knows most buyers won't be dependent upon a full blown EQ and Preamp module mounted into a routed out hole in the side of your guitar.
They are saving money on the average pickup, using a gig bag instead of hard case, and leaving off fine appointments like MOP hand inlay fret markers and headstock logo. The guitar is bound on both the front and back and features a nice simple Rosette around the soundhole. Everything goes well together and overall the guitar looks great, making it affordable for more players to own a quality Gibson.

Gibson only does a basic setup from the factory, so as with most guitars, you will need to tweak it to your liking (if it isn't already) by a qualified tech. The action isn't super-low, but it isn't very high either until you start going up the neck past the 10th fret or so. I could have this adjusted, but I may leave it like it is and fiddle around with a little slide and the extra height will help notes ring out clearer and louder.

Once again, this guitar has that classic "vintage tone & feel" that many people aren't expecting. Although this guitar is fabulous, if you are just a beginner and want to learn to strum & play 'Eagles or Matchbox 20 songs', you might want to go for a Gibson J-45 at twice the price, or a Hummingbird, Songwriter Deluxe, or a big bodied sound machine.

For those of you who understand and are looking for a vintage blues or country picking machine...look no further. You will have more fun on this guitar than your big expensive favorite dream-come-true thing.

Get it while you still can!

Comments about Gibson Blues King Acoustic Guitar:

I tried out a martin 000-18 and loved it but i couldnt pass on the blues kings vintage sunburst finish. looks ten times better in person. The neck is not too wide and plays easy and the body is just right, not too big and not too small. Good buy i highly recommend this guitar.

Comments about Gibson Blues King Acoustic Guitar:

I lusted after this guitar for years before I had occasion to buy one. A friend of mine had a 1930s Nick Lucas guitar and that was the sweetest instrument I ever played. This guitar is a reissue of that model. I was disappoointed in it initially, until I put medium guauge strings on it.

Heavier strings really make it sing! I use it on stage fronting a trio with stand-up bass and drums. We frequently play totally acoustic - and this guitar really soars.

With a C-1000 mic I can (and have) played this guitar under every imaginable condition and it always delivers.

Comments about Gibson Blues King Acoustic Guitar:

Beautiful blues tone, seems to me much richer for blues than my Martin 000-15, although the Martin is more than adequate for the blues. The Blues King is the best guitar that I'll ever own. It makes me want to explore and learn.

Comments about Gibson Blues King Acoustic Guitar:

Build quality
Tone
Playability
The Gibson Blues King is an extremely high quality item that appears built to last a lifetime. A product-improved version of 1930s guitars linked to finger-style Blues musicians of that era, it’s just as good for any kind of acoustic guitar music. The depth of sound it produces is amazing for its size, which is perfect for people of medium to small stature. The neck, however, is slightly wider than typical mass-produced acoustics, making it very easy to play chords. As most potential buyers are probably aware, Gibson delivers the guitar with a padded gig bag in lieu of a hard case. This would appear to be a controversial move given comments I've read but it's worth a closer look. What better way to sell a guitar that is probably worth almost twice the price at the low price point? And, while a somewhat gaudy beige color, the gig bag will probably have additional value as a collector's item down the road. If you require a hard case for the Blues King, many cheap and expensive cases fit it well. When you receive your BK, it will need to be set up, as they ship it with the neck loose and saddle high, to prevent damage due to pressure and humidity changes. Have fun. You will like this guitar.

Comments about Gibson Blues King Acoustic Guitar:

I've been playing over 35 years. My main acoustic has been a '79 Guild F-40 that I bought new thirty years ago. And it is a beautiful and soulful instrument. BUT, there is no way around it, my Blues King is the greatest acoustic guitar I have ever played or owned. Its warm, even tone, light weight and striking appearance are unmatched by any guitar I have ever owned or played.

Comments about Gibson Blues King Acoustic Guitar:

I don't even play blues, but use this guitar with a pickup in the context of an acoustic folk quartet. This thing has been played and played and still sounds great and performs beautifully. Under even the harshest conditions it stays in tune for me and that's a quality I really appreciate. I've had mine (natural top, no sunburst) for about 10 years, played it to death, received many compliments on the sound, and it's worth more than I paid for it. A gem!

Comments about Gibson Blues King Acoustic Guitar:

WOW!!! you can feel the warmth from this guitar down to your toes. I'm saving up to get it. Its the most guitar to sit on your lap, and the best sounding acoustic for the price. I can't even play my martin without thinking of how much more i love this guitar.

Comments about Gibson Blues King Acoustic Guitar:

Two grand on a guitar and no hardshell case? Gibson, have you lost your mind. It's an excellent gig bag but still in all, that's a lot of guitar to be putting into a sack. Ok, that's my only complaint. Beyond that, this guitar is perfection. It's amazingly loud (but not harsh) for it's size. The trait that I like most about it is how even the sound is. Some guitars will be loud on the bass end, the middle or on the high side. This guitar is even all the up and back. I love that about this guitar. It's a pricey guitar but once you play it for a few minutes, you'll see where the extra money went. It's well worth the price and if mine got stolen I'd buy another tomorrow. Yeah, they're that good. If you're serious about getting a small bodied guitar you need to explore this one. And if you're really serious, the price won't bother you in the least. It didn't me. I played it for about an hour in the shop, put it up, walked around the block, went back and played it for about another 15 minutes, went and had lunch and then went back and bought it. You ever pick up a guitar and just know it was built for you? My Blues King was built for me. Good luck looking for yours.Oh, slide! I almost forgot. I'm the suckiest slide player this side of the Mississippi and even I sound "not so terrible" when I put a slide to it. I like ceramic or brass. And once you put the slide on you'll HAVE to explore alternate tunings so you'll learn some new stuff about playing so this guitar will make you a better player if you let it. Ton's of fun!!! Play Play Everyday!!

Comments about Gibson Blues King Acoustic Guitar:

I bought my Gibson L-OO new in 1994. At that time it came with a hardshell case. I own a Martin M36 but I play the Gibson 90% of the time. I love the comfortable playing small body and the tone it has.It also has plenty of volume for a guitar of its size. I use heavy mediums. No regrets on owning this guitar at all!