Gibson Byrdland Electric Guitars

The Gibson Byrdland Electric Guitars were first introduced in 1955 and have been a major success ever since. Named after its creators Billy Byrd and Hank Garland, it is renowned as a fantastic jazz guitar. With a thin body and a short neck, Byrdland guitars allow the user to create the more unusual stretched chord voicing that other guitar styles are not able to provide the guitarist. While it has some of the same features as the Gibson L-5, such as a hand-carved spruce top and rims and backing made of solid maple, Gibson Byrdland electric guitars are thinner and make it easier for the guitarist to make single-note patterns that are too intricate for the Gibson L-5 to reproduce. This ability to make such chords and patterns is one of many reasons that Gibson Byrdland electric guitars are so revered by jazz guitarists and soloists, and why it is still around over 50 years after it was first created.

While it has undergone some changes over the years, such as moving to a deeper Florentine cutaway body to allow a guitarist to have the ability to play more notes in the upper register than before, the basics of Gibson Byrdland electric guitars have not changed. They still have a scale of 23 ½" and 22 frets. Although the neck changed from having three pieces to five around 1965, it still has an ebony fingerboard, block inlays made of beautiful pearl, and still joins with the body at the 14th fret. Gibson Byrdland electric guitars continue to have 2-toned, 2-volume gold hardware throughout the guitar, and come in Natural and Sunburst colours. Other colours, such as Wine Red, Ebony, and Vintage Cherry Sunburst, began to enter the scene of possible guitar colours in the late 1970s. Although these colours are no longer produced, others have taken their place.

With its thin-line arch-top, the Gibson Byrdland electric guitars have been truly loved for over half a century. Many people are willing to pay large sums of money to purchase a vintage Byrdland that is still in good condition. Easy to use, even for those with large hands, the Byrdland belts out beautiful notes and chords that are unique to this guitar. Perfect for country, jazz, or even rock, Gibson Byrdland electric guitars are an amazing addition to any guitarist collection.

You can see current listings for Gibson Byrdland Electric Guitars below: