Take a load off and pick up this powerhouse Gibson AJ if you’re looking for a helluva time. You’ll need to hold on and keep up, because it’s got heaps of energy and it’s raring to go. This unique Custom Shop comes from 2001 and is so wide awake, it’s scary. Equally at home with fingers as with picks, and it plays great with both a light touch and a more aggressive attack. Kevin Kopp (of Kopp Guitars fame) was working in Gibson’s Custom Shop team when this order came down the line, so no surprise that this one’s got some extra heat in the sauce, so to speak. This beauty is dressed to the nines with Pearl trim, as well as engraved MOP position markers such as you’d otherwise only see on a Gibson banjo fretboard, and they went with a 30s-style sunburst in ultra thin Nitrocellulose Lacquer. As a result of said thinness, there are several finish checks, which we find only adds to the vintage vibes. Old growth Brazilian Rosewood back and sides—gorgeous stuff—plus Adirondack Spruce on top makes for an absolute beast of a guitar. Do yourself a favor, snag this one before it croons itself right out the door.
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