Lustre For Glory

A trio of Gibson dreadnoughts with faded satin nitro finishes, vintage appointments and modern-day electronics. Serious players or mere novelty acts? Let the auditions begin...

- David Mead

GIBSON J-45 50S FADED, J-35 30S FADED & HUMMINGBIRD FADED £2,169, £1,909 & £3,039

What You Need To Know

1 Are these any relation to the Faded Gibsons in the last issue? Yes, there is a distinct family resemblance. Satin-finished ‘faded’ Gibsons have proved to be surprise bestsellers in the past, and so rather than ask ourselves, “why?”, we tend to think, “why not?” and judge them on the basis “do they stack up as good instruments?”

2 How can you ‘fade’ Sitka spruce? Well, quite. It’s more like Gibson hasn’t gone down the well-trodden route of staining the top to give the natural ageing process a kick start. If nature follows course, which it almost certainly will in time, the Sitka will amber up nicely and lose its current pale demeanour.

3 Satin nitro – what’s the appeal? It’s a tactile thing. Applying a very thin non-gloss nitro finish gives the guitar a worn-in feel – as opposed to a heavy relic’d worn-out texture – where it’s possible to feel the grain of the timber under the hands. A thin finish also allows the wood to ‘breathe’ and vibrate more freely, enhancing tone.