Whoever thought parental advisory warnings and acoustic guitars don't mix never heard Aaron Lewis. The Grammy-nominated songwriter, frontman for hit rock band Staind, wrote some of the last decade's most enduring and gut-wrenching songs ("Outside," "It's Been Awhile") using his collection of vintage Gibson acoustics. Gibson Acoustic honors Lewis' continued artistry with the introduction of the Aaron Lewis Southern Jumbo Standard and the Aaron Lewis Aged Southern Jumbo. Both guitars are replicas of Lewis' prized 1951 acoustic and one has been aged and distressed to recreate the rugged look that occurred naturally as Lewis put his Southern Jumbo through the paces on-stage and in the studio. With the Aged model Gibson luthiers took the aging process several steps further, doing all distressing by hand. Thirty seven guitars were hand-aged in the Gibson Montana Art Shop and 13 more hand-aged guitars are personally autographed by the guitarist and have been played by him in live and studio performances.

The Gibson Acoustic Aaron Lewis Southern Jumbo guitar is an exact replica of Aaron's most treasured acoustic, his 1951 Gibson Southern Jumbo. As Aaron has said, "Those are the crown jewels. I don't think I could go out in front of audiences and do the intimate kind of show I do without those guitars. They provide the perfect accompaniment to my voice. The deep resonance from each of those guitars -- when you hear them ring out, with their sound bouncing off the walls of the theatres… read more -- it's just staggering. Sometimes I think I don't even have to sing. Let these guitars do the singing for me!"

The Aaron Lewis Southern Jumbo embraces all the premium elements that made the Southern Jumbo a classic upon its arrival in the 1940s -- solid premium Sitka spruce top, nitrocellulose Vintage Sunburst finish, 6-ply top binding and 4-ply back binding -- but with the modern updates that Lewis relies on, like a built-in L.R. Baggs Element pickup with soundhole-mounted volume control.

Beauty on the Outside

Gibson Acoustic will produce 413 of the Aaron Lewis Southern Jumbo Signature Acoustic guitars, which will be available in three different production models. The first 13 guitars produced will be hand aged in the Gibson Montana Art Shop, to look and feel in every way exactly like Aaron's original 1951 model. They will be personally played by Aaron Lewis himself, in live or studio performances, and the guitar body of these exclusive first 13 numbered instruments will be signed by Aaron Lewis.

The Aaron Lewis Southern Jumbo embraces all the premium elements that made the Southern Jumbo a classic upon its arrival in the 1940s -- solid premium Sitka spruce top, nitrocellulose Vintage Sunburst finish, 6-ply top binding and 4-ply back binding -- but with the modern updates that Lewis relies on, like a built-in L.R. Baggs Element pickup with soundhole-mounted volume control.

Body and Finish

Crafted with a mahogany back and sides and a premium Sitka spruce top -- durable yet lightweight tonewoods that are excellent at conducting sound. Gibson has created one standard model and one aged and distressed to appear exactly like Aaron Lewis' original guitar.

Body Neck and Headstock

The neck of the Aaron Lewis Southern Jumbo is made from one piece of solid mahogany and is graced with a Madagascar rosewood fingerboard. The traditional headstock is carved from the same piece of mahogany as the neck. Both neck and headstock are offset by single-ply white binding and the aged model has been hand-distressed to emulate the look and feel of Lewis' original guitar.

Hardware

The Aaron Lewis Southern Jumbo features custom aged Kluson Tuners and a built-in L.R. Baggs Element pickup that offers a broad, natural projection of the guitar's natural tone, without interfering with the vibration of the top and bridge when played unplugged.

Hardware Accessories

The Aaron Lewis Southern Jumbo is protected by a Gibson hardshell case. All guitars include an owner's manual and Gold Warranty. read less