Gibson Exclusive Moderne Electric Guitar (with Case)

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Gibson Exclusive Moderne Electric Guitar (with Case), Action Position Back
Gibson Exclusive Moderne Electric Guitar (with Case), Main
Gibson Exclusive Moderne Electric Guitar (with Case), Action Position Back
Gibson Exclusive Moderne Electric Guitar (with Case), Action Position Back Gibson Exclusive Moderne Electric Guitar (with Case), Main Gibson Exclusive Moderne Electric Guitar (with Case), Action Position Back
Rarely seen in the wild, the Gibson Moderne has classic humbucker tone, plus the sustain and resonance that you can only get from a large-body electric.

What's special about this item?

Feature: What it does:
'57 Classic and '57 Classic Plus pickups Rich, vintage tone that's warm, deep, and edgy
Mahogany neck Great sustain, strength, and warm tone
Rosewood fretboard Open, warm tone and smooth playing feel
Slim taper neck '60s style slim profile; Comfortable design

The Gibson Exclusive Moderne Electric Guitar captures the look, feel and sound of the original, and puts it in the hands of players today. Moderne A musical chimera, shrouded in the silvered mists of myth and legend, the Gibson Moderne has long been known as the enigmatic "guitar that never was" ...or, was it? Designed as the third member of a trio of guitars in the Modernist Series, prototypes of which were displayed at the 1957 NAMM show, the Moderne was originally intended to be the sibling of the Flying V and the Explorer, but never made it off the launch pad the way the other two then-futuristic classics did.

Although they are iconic symbols of rock guitar today, even the Flying V and Explorer were too far ahead of their time in the late '50s, and fewer than 200 units of both types were made in their original three-year run before deletion from the catalog in 1960. Perhaps Gibson foresaw that a third Modernist was pushing it just too far? Or did a poor early reaction to the guitar lead to its demise? Ted McCarty, president of Gibson at the time, has said a number of Modernes were made; other tales tell of prototypes and raw bodies being burned in a bonfire at Kalamazoo after early showings failed to set the guitar world alight. Whatever the real story -- and perhaps it is lost forever to the mists of time -- the Moderne is perhaps rarest and most elusive Gibson guitar ever created.

- Neck Material: Mahogany
- Neck Profile: Slim Taper
- Scale Length: 24.75"
- Fingerboard Material: Rosewood
- Fingerboard Radius: 12"
- Number of Frets: 22
- Frets: Medium - Cryogenically Treated
- Nut Material: Tektoid
- Nut Width: 1.695"
- End of Board Width: 2.26"
- Inlays: Acrylic Dots
- Body Material: Mahogany
- Finish: Gloss Nitrocellulose Lacquer
- Hardware: Gold
- Bridge: Aluminum Tune-O-Matic
- Tailpiece: Aluminum Stop Bar
- Tuning Machines: Vintage Style Keystone
- Pickguard: Black
- Control Knobs: Black Speed Knobs
- Switch Tip: Black
- Neck Pickup: 57 Classic
- Bridge Pickup: 57 Classic +
- Controls: 2 Volumes, 2 Tones & Toggle Switch

For support or warranty questions, please contact the manufacturer:
Phone: 800-444-2766

Reviewers gave this product an overall rating of 3.5 out of 5 stars. (4 ratings)
Submitted March 27, 2019 by Charles G in Tullahoma, TN

"A decent guitar after a setup"

Overall: 3.5 out of 5 stars
(see rating details)
Verified Customer zZounds has verified that this reviewer made a purchase from us.
I bought this guitar because I wanted it for the oddball factor. A very unique and unusual looking Gibson. For that reason I am not disappointed. Be advised, mine had absolutely no setup out of the box. Truss rod nut was completely loose, crazy high action, dry fret board, etc. Fit and finish were spot on otherwise though. A beautiful instrument. I was able to set it up nice myself with some fret board oil, a few turns of the truss rod but, bridge adjustments, etc. It plays very nice now and I did not have to do any filing on the nut. It was cut correctly from the factoryThe 57 classic and 57 classic+ sound like they should. They are not my favorite pickups, but I knew that when I purchased it. I've found the 57 classic in the neck to be too muddy for my tastes on other Gibsons, and this guitar is no exception in that respect., I prefer very open sounding bright low output neck humbuckers, so to each his own. I was able to compensate to acceptable degree by lowering it significantly. The bridge 57 Classic + pickup has a nice snarl with some gain and is well suited for classic rock tones.The frets on this guitar are smaller and lower than most modern Gibsons, giving you a very close to the fingerboard feel that can be good or bad depending on your preference. I wish they were a bit taller myself, but its not a deal breaker. The shape of the body and the limited access cutaway also make it a bit challenging to play across the neck up beyond the 20th fret. Also not a deal breaker… read more for me. Just passing the info. The guitar is very acoustically present and resonant when unplugged, so we have a nice properly dried piece of mahogany here. All in all a nice instrument and it met my expectations. I rated it a bit low on value, but that is subjective. Functionally, you can find other "normal" guitars with 2 buckers that play and sound as good or better for a lower price, even in the Gibson USA line. But some of what you are paying for here is the look, uniqueness, and obscurity of this particular design. That may or may not be worth the extra cost depending on your priorities. I'm not sorry I purchased it, and would do it again.

Musical Background:
40+ years, Semi-Pro, Guitar

Musical Style:
Classic Rock and Blues read less
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