Gibson's "thinline semi-hollow" ES models were an instant hit when they made the scene in 1958. The marriage of archtop and solidbody electric designs addressed the needs of countless players of the day, and created instant classics virtually overnight in the process. Gibson USA's Midtown Custom takes all of the legendary ES properties a step further, maximizing each design goal, while adding a rich, deep resonance all its own. With a trimmed-down and more player-friendly body size that still
 ...
emulates the lines of the ES models, but built with the chambered solid-wood construction (rather than a laminated top and back with solid center block), the Midtown Custom truly embodies the optimum marriage of solidbody and archtop. What's more, it dresses all these tonal advantages in a package worthy of the hallowed "Custom" name.
The Midtown Custom starts with premium tonewoods, using Grade-A timbers beneath the three translucent finish options. A solid mahogany body is strategically chambered for optimum resonance and capped with a solid maple top with traditional f-holes, which is finished in your choice of high-gloss Heritage Sunburst, Vintage Sunburst, Antique Natural or Ebony Black. Its solid mahogany neck is carved to a fast, comfortable '60s-style profile that measures .800" at the 1st fret and .875" at the 12th. The neck is topped with a smooth, hard fingerboard crafted from Richlite, a fabricated material composed of cellulose fiber and phenolic resin, which offers the constructional and resonant properties of fine hardwood, but with improved durability, for a superb playing feel. Tidy white binding accentuates the fingerboard, while multi-ply binding graces the body and headstock. The rich, dark fingerboard is enhanced with acrylic block inlays plus split-diamond inlays dress the headstock in the classic style of upmarket Gibson models.
Plugged in, this elegant hotrod runs the gamut of legendary Les Paul-to-ES tones, thanks to a pair of BurstBucker pickups, two of Gibson's finest vintage-PAF-style humbuckers, and classic four-knob wiring with three-way toggle selector. A BurstBucker 1 in the neck position yields warm, throaty blues and jazz tones with plenty of clarity, while a slightly hotter BurstBucker 2 in the bridge provides more growl and bite for anything from hot country to rock 'n' roll, while together the pair provides round, slinky, funky rhythm tones. These great humbuckers from Gibson USA are made with genuine unpolished Alnico II magnets and wound with 42 AWG wire, just like the legendary PAFs of the late '50s and early '60s. In the hardware department, the Midtown Custom carries the classic pairing of Tune-o-matic bridge with stopbar tailpiece, and a set of premium Grover kidney button tuners up top.
Each guitar comes protected in a plush-lined hardshell case with black exterior, and includes owner's manual and adjustment literature, along with Gibson's Limited Lifetime Warranty and 24/7/365 customer service.
Body:
- Top: Maple
- Back: Mahogany
- Body: Type Semi-Hollow, Chambered with F-holes
- Binding: White Multi-ply
- Adhesive: Franklin Titebond 50
Neck:
- Species: Mahogany
- Profile: '60s-style SlimTaper
- Truss Rod: Traditional Adjustable
- Joint Angle: 4° (+/- 15 seconds)
- Adhesive: Franklin Titebond 50
Neck Fit:
- Joint: Mortise & Tenon
- Adhesive: Franklin Titebond 50
- Joint Angle Tolerance: +/- .005"
Fingerboard:
- Species: Richlite
- Frets: 22
- Radius: 12"
- Binding: White
- Nut/E.O.B: 1.695/2.260
- Scale Length: 24.75"
- Inlays: White Acrylic Block
Nut:
- Material: Corian
- Width: 1.695
- Slots: Gibson PLEK System
Headstock:
- Type: SP2
- Logo: Mother of Pearl "Gibson" with Split Diamond Inlay
- Truss Rod Cover: Black and White Antique Bell
- Binding: White Multi-ply
- Angle: 17 Degrees
Tuners:
- Model: Grover Kidney
- Plating: Chrome
- Tuning Ratio: 14:01
Bridge:
- Type: Tune-O-Matic
- Plating: Chrome
Tailpiece:
- Type: Stopbar
- Plating: Chrome
Hardware:
- Knobs: Black Speed Knobs
- Pickguard: Black 5-Ply
- Pickup Mounting Rings: Black Plastic
- Control Plate Cover: Black Plastic
- Strings: .010 - .046, Genuine Gibson strings
- Strap Buttons: Aluminum End Pins
Pickups:
- Neck Position: Burstbucker 1 (Alnico II)
- Bridge Position: Burstbucker 2 (Alnico II)
Electronics:
- Potentiometers: 2 Volume Controls, 2 Tone Controls
- Type: 300k Linear Volume, 500k Non-linear Tone
- Coil Wiring: Machine Wound
- Toggle Switch: Three-way Switchcraft with Black Plastic Tip
- Output Jack: 1/4" Switchcraft
Finish:
- Sealer: Nitrocellulose
- Surface Texture: Smooth High Gloss
- Process: 1-1.5 mils
Case:
- Type: DSDC Hardshell
- Case Exterior: Black
- Case Interior: White Plush |
)
