Gibson have announced a new semi-hollow guitar model: the Midtown Standard with Bigsby. The Midtown model appears to be sized similarly to the ES-339 model, which is smaller than an ES-335 but slightly larger than a Les Paul.
The Midtown Standard features a chambered mahogany body and a maple top. Unlike some of Gibson’s other semi-hollow guitars, the Midtown features all solid woods rather than laminated woods. The guitar also features two ’57 Classic pickups, which are some of my favorite pickups in Gibson semi-hollow body guitars. The neck is bound and has a thinner ’60s carve. A Bigsby vibrato tailpiece rounds out the features.
The USA-made Midtown Standard with Bigsby has a street price of about $1399 with a case. According to the online retail sites, the guitar will start shipping in September. It is available in Faded Red or Ebony.
Wow, that’s the first cool looking semi-affordable Gibson in a really long time!
This Gibson appeals to me a lot and has a nice “street” price. I agree with J. It is cool looking. One concern I have about semi-hollow body guitars is balance. The body can be so light, you have to hold the neck up while performing. Hopefully, that’s not the case here.
Hey Jim, I agree!
Ed, I wonder if the fact that it is solid woods helps balance the weight distribution. FWIW, the ES-339 feels really balanced to me, and I think it’s about the same size as the Midtown.
I also wonder if the solid wood helps balance the body and neck. I like the size of the 339 but it’s been a while since I’ve played one. I hope the midtown comes to a local music store soon.
The 339 was at the top of the list of semi-hollow body guitars when I was looking. I ended up going with a different guitar just because I got a better deal on it, but I think the 339 size is pretty much perfect. It’ll be interesting to see where the Midtown falls in size wise.