Gibson

Orville Gibson began building mandolins and archtop guitars in Kalamazoo, Michigan, in 1902, and the company that carries his name went on to define the electric guitar twice over: the Les Paul in 1952, then the semi-hollow ES-335 in 1958. Gibson filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2018, restructured within the year, and now builds from Nashville, Memphis and Bozeman under KKR ownership. On GuitarBomb it's the guitar we return to more than any other after Fender — Custom Shop reissues, Murphy Lab aging, Gibson Garage openings, and the odd Les Paul setup guide when readers ask how to keep one playing right. Here's everything we've covered.