Gibson Byrdland

• 2 x Single Coil (up to 1958)
• 2 x Humbucker (since 1958)

• 2 × volume
• 2 x tone
• 1 × 3- pick-up selection

The Gibson Byrdland is an electric guitar model with resonant body (hollow body, English hollowbody ) and with electromagnetic pickups, which is produced by the U.S. instrument company Gibson Guitar Corporation since 1955. Its special feature at launch was in the then new frames in flat design. This resulted in a guitar with a hollow body for the first time a body depth of just five centimeters; about four inches less than in the built up to the introduction of the Byrdland guitar with a hollow body. This property made ​​the Byrdland one of the first semi-hollow guitar models.

History and Significance

With the introduction of guitars that were able to create their sound, not only by the resonant fullness of the body but also by means of electromagnetic pickups and electric guitar amplifier - such as the models Gibson ES-150 (since 1936) and Gibson ES -175 (since 1949 ) - had declined in the sound structure of music groups and orchestras the importance of the structural characteristics of acoustic guitars.

While had been tried yet in the 1920s and 1930s by various manufacturers to increase the volume of acoustic guitars through a voluminous possible instrument body, this design property lost through the implementation and the growing success of electric guitar amplification in importance. In turn, the desire of guitarists rose by more convenient to handle and ergonomic to-play instruments.

The Gibson Byrdland was their design way to convince those guitarists who enjoyed the comforts of their instrument wished, before the heavier weight of a guitar in solid body construction ( as launched in 1950 Fender Telecaster and 1952, first published in Gibson Les Paul ) but shied away.

The naming scheme previously used by the Gibson "ES model number" different model name goes back to the two country musician Billy Byrd and Hank Garland, one of which is now suspected that they also had influence on the design of the instrument.

Simultaneously with the model Byrdland Gibson brought the two models with flat body on the market, the ES- 225T and ES- 350T. All three models ( but not in the selected woods ) are similar in appearance very able, taken as a benchmark for the electric guitar model introduced in 1958 Gibson ES -335; the desired model with flat sides for the first time on an inserted into the body solid block of wood possessed - in otherwise beibehaltener manner of construction of an acoustic archtop guitar ( curved cabinet ceiling and floors, separately made ​​and assembled ceiling, floor and body frames ).

Manner of construction

In the design, the Byrdland is similar to the 1923 first introduced by Gibson archtop model L-5 CES; However, it has a shorter neck ( 597 mm ) leads to a scale length of only 23.5 inches, and an independently designed, trapezoidal tailpiece (3- loop tailpiece ). The body cover all ranges carries two sound holes in typical curved "f " shape.

A typical design feature that makes the Byrdland next to her flat body easily executed by their similar looking sister models distinct, with the multiple coverages ( bindings ) equipped, swinging on the body end expiring fingerboard. This design element is used by Gibson exclusively with high-priced, lavishly produced models (such as, for example, in the L-5 and Super 400 ). Another sure sign of recognition Byrdland is a decorative inlay ( inlay ) in the front of the headstock of the instrument, which is a stylized flower pot with plant ( " flowerpot inlay "). Of the overall design establishes the Byrdland is identical to L- 5 CES, with the exception of the narrow body, the shorter and of the scale - specific Byrdland tailpieces.

Model series

The first production model of the Byrdland from the 1950s has a body Spruce top and back and sides made ​​of maple wood. The first model has two pickups in single coil design ( single coil ) with " alnico " magnets and a round shaped body cut ( cutaway ) at the neck base. All exposed metal parts of the instrument ( tuners, bridge and tailpiece ) with the exception of the pickup pole pieces of the first series are gold plated.

From 1957/1958 the Byrdland was the same in the models Les Paul and ES -335 twin-coil pickups introduced ( humbucker ), which should suppress disturbing noise bedding.

From 1960 to 1968, the Byrdland with pointed ( " Florentine " ) Cutaway was produced, which approximated the model in the outer appearance of the ES -175. In addition to this change was from mid-1962 until then three striped neck (maple / mahogany / maple ) with a fünfstreifigen (maple / mahogany / maple / mahogany / maple, walnut or later instead of mahogany ) replaced. A year later, in 1963, no longer all floors of Byrdlands of two parts solid maple were produced, but partly also from one-piece, laminated maple. Subsequently, the model was built up in the 1990s, again only with the original round-shaped body incision. Currently, the model is offered in two variants.