Brand: Gibson
Instrument Categories: Archtop, Electric, Guitars, SOLD, Thinline
The Gibson Byrdland Venetian Cutaway model has been in production since 1955 though Gibson also offers the original sharp Florentine cutaway. It is based on a thinline version of the classic L5-CES body, but with a short scale length of 23.5 inches, two inches shorter than the L5.
The Byrdland was introduced as a custom model for two top Nashville session players, Billy Byrd and Hank Garland. They wanted the tonality of the carved Spruce top L5, but also needed a more compact body and the ability to reach complex extended chords – hence the short scale. This scale length has somewhat limited the appeal of this model, but aside from jazz and session players it has been used by many players including Ted Nugent and James Blood Ulmer.
Here we’re looking at a Gibson Byrdland Florentine cutaway, built voiced and signed on April 25, 1991 by Jim Triggs, one of the Gibson Nashville Custom Shop master builders. The top is hand-carved Sitka Spruce, paired with a hand-carved Flame Maple back and Flame Maple sides; the neck is three pieces of Flame Maple connected by two layers of Black Walnut. The fingerboard, bridge base and head plate are Ebony. The block position markers and headstock inlays are Mother of Pearl. The Byrdland has always been a top of the line model, so all the metal is gold plated, and multi-layer binding is applied to the top, back, neck and headstock. The F-holes get single-layer binding. The electronic layout is traditional Gibson, with a pair of humbucking pickups, 3-way Switchcraft toggle, and individual volume and tone controls.
This Gibson Byrdland Venetian is in very nice clean and original condition, with very little wear. These instruments are few and far between, and play really well.
The original Gibson hard shell case is included.
- Model: Byrdland
- Year: 1991
- Finish Sunburst
- Class: Used
- Serial Number: 91011373 April 25th, 1991
- Country of Origin: USA
- Condition: Very Good
- Date Posted: 09/10/2019
- This instrument has been sold
- Consignment Item
- Required CITES documentation
- Including original Hard case
- Instrument Weight: 7.7lbs 3.5kg
- Scale Length: 23.5in 597mm
- Nut Width: 1.692in 43mm
