On paper, the Songwriter doesn't look much like a traditional Gibson. It's a dreadnought with a 25.5" scale, square shoulders, and Rosewood back and sides. These design components aren't exactly typical of Gibson dreadnoughts (which are usually slope-shouldered, short scale, and Mahogany). Nevertheless, the Songwriter captures the sweet subtlety and vibe that set Gibson apart from other brands.
This 2005 Gibson Songwriter Deluxe has an even, balanced voice. When you need power and drive, it handles that just fine, but it has sweet response that sounds just as good with a light tough. Under the hood, the X bracing is inspired by Gibson's "Advanced" bracing of the '30s. The result is wide-open dynamics and tone that covers a wide territory of sound.
Despite the more Martin-esuqe spec sheet, the double-parallelogram inlays, Mustache-bridge, and three-point pickgaurd are decidedly Gibson. There's a particular style and vibe to Gibson guitars, and the Songwriter Deluxe captures that in spades. It's a classy guitar, too, with an abalone rosette and pearl-inlaid Gibson logo on the peghead. Gold Grover Rotomatic tuners to boot!
This 2005 Songwriter Deluxe has been played and shows some general wear and tear (especially on the bass edge of the top where your arm goes across), but it's a great player with good tone and Gibson vibe. Around the shop, the pickguard is probably the most-talked-about detail. The three points and shape set it apart from plain old round pickguards.
This 2005 Gibson Songwriter Deluxe has two repaired back cracks, and an active Fishman under-saddle pickup has been installed. The bass edge of the bridge is lifting slightly, but it is not an issue at this time. When it came to us, we fit a new bone saddle for the bridge, and that greatly improved the setup and downward pressure on the bridge. Sound-wise, it's played in and certain to inspire new songs, as the model name suggests! It has a strap button installed on the heel, and it includes its original hardshell case.