A legendary body shape that echoes the look and sound of the early 1900s.
The Keb' Mo' Bluesmaster Acoustic Guitar has a classic Gibson L-00 body and custom herringbone top trim,
recalling the instruments played by some of the first blues artists in the Deep South of the United States. The custom neck
shape and wider nut width give the Bluesmaster guitar easy playability. Tonal enhancements are created by a customized thinner
top made of Adirondack red spruce for singing tone and sustain.
The Keb' Mo' acoustic guitar's carved French heel neck
shape means easy finger reaching up the neck for those high notes and vibrato.
The 12th fret is joined to the guitar
body for a warmer resonant tone and added playing comfort.
Gibson gives the Keb' Mo' Bluesmaster guitar a special darker
vintage antiquing of its authentic nitro-lacquer finish. Other embellishments include a
Keb' Mo' Signature truss cover and L.R. Baggs Element pickup with soundhole volume control.
Each of the 300 Limited
Edition guitars will bear an inside label signed by Keb' Mo' himself
Body Wood
The top of the Keb' Mo' Bluesmaster is made from 2 pieces of solid Adirondack red spruce, a rare and highly prized tonewood
that featured in the tops of many instruments from the golden age of the flattop acoustic guitar. The instrument's back and
sides are made from solid mahogany.
Design
The Keb' Mo' Bluesmaster is made in the image of Gibson's small-bodied L-series guitars, such as the L-00. Its solid spruce
top is sanded to a custom thickness and is supported by an X-brace pattern formed of scalloped spruce braces, all of which
optimize its resonance and tonal richness. In the tradition of many small-bodied finger-style guitars, the Keb' Mo' Bluesmaster
carries no pickguard, a feature which also further enhances the top's resonance.
Tonal Characteristics
Despite its small body dimensions, the Keb' Mo' Bluesmaster has a deep, rich, multidimensional tone, and a volume that belies
its size. Its thin, lightly braced top aids its superb projection, while its solid mahogany back and sides add excellent definition
and a velvety high-end shimmer to its tone.
Finish
The Keb' Mo' Bluesmaster is available in either antique natural or vintage sunburst.
Process
The Keb' Mo' Signature Bluesmaster is hand-finished in a process that demands several coats and many hours. Unlike many other
manufacturers who settle for a polyurethane finish, Gibson opts for a nitrocellulose finish that will encourage the natural
vibration of the instrument for a purer tone. In addition, a nitro finish is very porous and actually gets thinner over time.
That way your guitar's wood can breathe and age beautifully.
Neck Wood
The neck is made from quartersawn solid mahogany. The quartersawn grain orientation produces superior strength and resonance,
and is preferred in the necks of high-end acoustic guitars.
Truss Rod
Gibson's traditional truss rod, found in most all of their guitars, is highly responsive to the individual adjustments you'll
want to make to personalize and optimize string action and sustain.
Profile
The guitar's neck is carved to a custom Keb' Mo'-designed sculpted V profile.
Headstock Shape and Angle
The headstock is carved in the style of Gibson's Advanced Jumbo with tapered edge, and is pitched at the vintage-correct 17-degree
back angle.
Logo
The Gibson logo is inlaid in mother of pearl across the top of the Keb' Mo' Bluesmaster's headstock, which also carries the
traditional mother-of-pearl crown inlay. The truss rod cover is further engraved with Keb' Mo's signature.
Joint
The Keb' Mo' Bluesmaster's glued-in neck is attached with a compound dovetail joint, positioned at the 12th fret. This neck/body
joint results in a bridge placement further into the center of the guitar's rounded lower bout, which perfectly hits the top's
"sweet spot" for improved resonance and sustain.
Tonal Characteristics
The angled, classical-style peg head and mahogany neck work together to provide exceptional tonal richness and sustain from
the neck, while the deeper bridge placement—a result of the 12th fret neck/body joint—increases the guitar's overall
sonic depth.
Fingerboard Species
The neck carries a fingerboard of East Indian rosewood. Rosewood is both hard wearing and sonically superlative, adding sweetness
and depth to the guitar's overall sound.
Dimensions
The Keb' Mo' Bluesmaster is built to a 25" scale length, and its fingerboard has a 12" radius. Combined with
its 1.805" nut width, these dimensions offer plenty of room for popular traditional and contemporary blues styles with a string
spacing that finger-style players in particular will appreciate, and no "dead' or "choked" strings during blues bends.
Frets
The fingerboard carries 18 narrow, vintage-style frets in total, with 12 frets clear of the body.
Inlays
The fingerboard is inlaid with vintage-style 1/4" mother-of-pearl dot position markers.
Nut Material
The Keb' Mo' Bluesmaster has a genuine bone nut for optimum resonance and sustain.
Width
The width of the nut is approximately 1.805", the preferred width for flattop blues guitars.
Electronics
The Keb' Mo' Bluesmaster carries a built-in L.R. Baggs Element pickup with a single volume control mounted inconspicuously
in the edge of the sound hole and a standard 1/4" end-pin jack. The Element is an advanced unit from one of the world's leading
acoustic-guitar pickup manufacturers, and it offers a broad, natural projection of the guitar's natural tone without interfering
with the vibration of the top and bridge when it is played unplugged.
Tuning Keys
The headstock carries vintage-style, open-back nickel tuners with an efficient 14:1 ratio for excellent tuning stability.
Bridge
The Keb' Mo' Bluesmaster carries a traditional "belly down" bridge made from solid East Indian rosewood with traditional bridge
pins and a solid bone bridge for enhanced sustain and resonance.
Gibson Keb' Mo' Bluesmaster Acoustic-Electric Guitar Includes:
This signature guitar of a contemporary blues master is drenched in history and legend.
