Beautiful blues tone — legendary craftsmanship.
Gibson Acoustic's Robert Johnson L-1 guitar captures the haunting, timeless sound of the man whose legacy and contributions to blues music are unmatched. Though he died tragically in 1938 at the age of 27, Johnson's historic blues recordings have inspired countless generations of blues artists and guitarists. The Gibson Robert Johnson L-1 guitar is tribute to his instrument of choice. It features Gibson's traditional L-1 body design, exactly as it was on the first L-1 in 1926.
Nickel Gotoh White Button Tuners
The Gibson Robert Johnson acoustic guitar features Gotoh's SD91 white button tuners. With a gear ratio of 15:1, the Gotoh's deliver precision tuning in a durable housing that provides maximum protection for the gear and string post. All moving parts are cut for exact meshing, eliminating the possibility of slippage, and a special lubricant inside the gear box provides smooth and accurate tuning stability.
Rosewood Fingerboard with Rolled Edges and Dot Inlays
The fingerboard of Gibson's Robert Johnson guitar is constructed from the highest grade rosewood on earth, which is personally inspected and qualified by Gibson's team of skilled experts before it enters the Gibson factories. The resilience of this durable wood makes the acoustic guitar's fingerboard extremely balanced and stable, and gives each chord and note unparalleled clarity and bite. The Gibson L-1 guitar's dot inlays, as well as the custom Robert Johnson signature inlay at the end of the fingerboard, are made of genuine mother of pearl, and are inserted using a process that eliminates gaps and doesn't require the use of fillers. The fingerboard also sports a rolled edge—instead of the usual right angle where the fingerboard surface meets the neck, Gibson Acoustic's rolled edges are slightly beveled for an extremely smooth and comfortable feel, enhancing the playability of the Robert Johnson L-1.
Rosette
A rosette is the beautiful, hand-crafted circle around the soundhole, and can be one of the most ornamental elements of any acoustic guitar. It is also one of the most subtle and complicated woodworking decorations on any acoustic guitar. The rosette on the Gibson Robert Johnson L-1 is a single-ring rosette consisting of three-ply binding, adding a stylish, understated elegance to the Robert Johnson L-1.
Body Tonewoods (back, sides and top)
The Gibson Robert Johnson acoustic guitar is based on the body design of their L-00 small body. The top is made from AA-grade Sitka spruce, while the back and sides are constructed from Honduran mahogany, giving the Robert Johnson L-1 a combination of tonewoods and features that produce a volume and clarity not expected from such a small guitar, and the rich, warm tone central to Johnson's unforgettable sound. Selecting the right wood, and the formula to dry it out, are two of the most central procedures to Gibson's guitar-building process. Beginning with its first catalog in 1903, Gibson has assured its customers that every guitar would be built using woods with "the most durable, elastic, and sonorous qualities," and today's guitars from Gibson Acoustic are no different.
Bracing
Every acoustic guitar made by Gibson features hand-scalloped, radiused top bracing inside the body, a feature normally found only in limited run, handmade guitars. By scalloping each brace by hand, the natural sound of the acoustic is focused more toward the center of the body, enhancing the instrument's sound projection. The inside of the Robert Johnson L-1 acoustic guitar features Gibson's traditional "X" bracing pattern from the early 1900s, which helps project a volume and clarity not expected from such a small guitar, and the rich, warm tone central to Johnson's unforgettable sound.
