CREATING A VINTAGE-QUALITY instrument with modern dependability at an affordable price is a lofty goal, and Gibson is shooting for the moon with the J-45 ’50s Faded, which features ’50s specs and a muted burst top with light finish. To make the mission possible, the Nashville-based manufacturer has doubled the size of its “craftory” in Bozeman, Montana, where the entire acoustic range is made using a whole lot of handiwork.
As Gibson president and C.E.O. James “J.C.” Curleigh explains, the expansion was the result of several converging factors. “There was a pent-up, consistent demand exceeding supply,” he says, “and then during the height of the pandemic, when people had extra time, the acoustic guitar became a thing. Orders went through the roof, so we’ve doubled down on capacity and modernization with the focus on quality and innovation.”
The budget Generation Collection, with
