With its unique body shape and interesting "6-finger" tailpiece, the Howard Roberts Fusion III may be one of the more versatile Gibson electric models. The original Howard Roberts Custom was a straight up jazz box from the Epiphone line, but as Howard's musical direction changed, so did his need for an instrument that could go in many different directions.
In 1979, Gibson came up with a comfortable 14-7/8"-wide, 2-5/16"-deep semi-hollow design, which satisfied the need for smooth archtop sustain and modern playability that delivered woody cleans but could also push into higher-gain territory. Somewhere between a Les Paul and an ES-335 but also deeply rooted in the archtop tradition, the Howard Roberts Fusion III is unique, but it's also uniquely Gibson. Smooth 24-7/8" scale length, crisp semi-hollow snap, and it captures the feel and tone of a hollow-body archtop thanks to its extra depth and its trapeze tailpiece. Although its "6-finger" tailpiece offers individual fine-tuners for each string, it has never been used on other Gibson guitars. That's surprising because it's the perfect blend of form and function. Ultimately, it just adds to the unique vibe of this model. These guitars are under the radar of many players, which is hard to believe because they cover so much territory.
This 2004 Gibson Howard Roberts Fusion III is in excellent cosmetic condition. Its glitzy Gold hardware provides the perfect contrast against a glossy Ebony finish. Its ebony fingerboard plays nice clean all the way up the neck, and this guitar shows no signs of repairs, dings, or issues. We currently have it set up with .012-gauge flat-wound strings, but slap some .010 round-wounds on here and you've got a rock n roll machine. Original case included.