Gibson Trini Lopez, Cherry 907909 (1968)

When it comes to artist model instruments, there might not be another that can top the Les Paul. However, Gibson has had quite the run of artist inclusivity over its legendary tenure as one of the forefathers of modern electric guitar. Perhaps one of the coolest artist model guitars to come out Kalamazoo is the Trini Lopez model.

Initially released in 1964 alongside a larger double florentine cutaway archtop electric a la the Barney Kessel model - known as the Trini Lopez Deluxe, the Trini Lopez Standard took its queues from the lauded ES-335 platform while adding distinctive features that clearly separated it from the more traditional stylings of the semi-hollow. Diamond holes replaced the F-holes, split diamond fingerboard inlays replaced the small block inlays of the period, and most noticeably the adaptation of the Firebird style 6-in-line headstock replaced the standard open-book configuration. The result? A progressively designed electric with a show-stopping aesthetic that would end up being one of the most identifiable Gibsons made to date.

This is a superb sounding and playing example of the Trini Lopez Standard that's survived in pretty amazing shape all these years. For starters, it has not suffered any breaks. Though the original Cherry finish has faded out on top, the finish condition is excellent. It bears the common features for a late 60s Gibson at the time - a narrow 1 9/16" nut and chrome plated parts along with some narrow bevel plastics. It features a super comfortable medium-fat C carve that transitions slightly into a bit of a C/D hybrid shape up the neck along with a nice meaty taper.

The original Patent # humbuckers are plenty punchy and still smooth and articulate. This is a surprisingly great "clean tone" guitar, but there's no denying it excels into a gained up amp or with your favorite overdrive pedal. Dave Grohl knew exactly what these Trinis could do!

The guitar had been converted to a Nashville tun-o-matic a some point, but the original ABR-1 was still in the case! We elected to revert it back to factory spec and reinstall the ABR-1 with some new posts. The famous rosewood tailpiece badge was also missing, but thanks to the great work of Santi from Sancheski Pickguards, a highly accurate replica has been installed in its place. The pickups and harness are untouched, as are the remaining plastics and hardware. Our repair staff reglued a small section of binding right at the very edge of the fingerboard as well.

Priced with its original hardshell case.