Gibson Introduces Four Acoustic Icons, now with Baggs HiFi DNA

The J-45 Original, J-45 60s Original Fixed Bridge, Southern Jumbo 40s Original, and Country Western 60s Original pair celebrated Gibson designs with natural, highly responsive amplified sound.

NASHVILLE, TN – Gibson announces four additions to its Original Collection of acoustic guitars: the J-45™ Original, J-45 60s Original Fixed Bridge, Southern Jumbo 40s Original, and Country Western 60s Original. Handcrafted at the Gibson Acoustic Craftory in Bozeman, Montana, each guitar combines time-honored Gibson construction, premium tonewoods, and period-inspired appointments with the new Gibson-exclusive, custom-voiced Baggs™ HiFi DNA™ pickup system. The Gibson J-45, J-45 60s, Southern Jumbo 40s, and Country Western 60s are available worldwide through authorized Gibson dealers, at Gibson Garage locations, and on Gibson.com.

Unlock the story behind HiFi DNA. Join acoustic legends Robi Johns, Sr. Product Development Manager at Gibson Acoustic and Lloyd R. Baggs, Founder of Baggs for an in-depth conversation filmed at the Gibson Acoustic craftory in Bozeman, Montana, where every Gibson acoustic guitar is handcrafted. Discover the innovation, craftsmanship, and collaboration that brought the Gibson x Baggs HiFi DNA to life. Watch the full interview below:

For generations, Gibson acoustic guitars have helped define the sound of popular music. These four Original Collection models celebrate that legacy while addressing the needs of today’s musicians, delivering the rich tone, responsiveness, and effortless playability players expect from a great Gibson flat-top, along with an amplified sound that faithfully preserves the individual voice of each instrument.

At the heart of the collection is the Gibson-exclusive Baggs HiFi DNA pickup system. Custom-voiced specifically for Gibson acoustic guitars, the active system uses two lightweight sensors mounted to the internal bridge plate, with each sensor paired with its own preamp. The result is a rich, natural amplified sound that captures the warmth, dynamic range, and subtle details of the guitar without affecting its unplugged voice.

The system offers feedback resistance and gain-before-feedback comparable to an under-saddle pickup, making it equally suited to recording sessions, intimate performances, and large stages. Discrete soundhole-mounted volume and tone controls provide convenient access to essential adjustments while remaining virtually hidden from the audience.

All four models share the traditional construction methods that have helped Gibson acoustic guitars earn the trust of generations of musicians. Each instrument features a solid Sitka spruce top, a dovetail neck joint secured with hot hide glue, a rosewood fretboard and bridge, and performance-oriented components, including a bone nut and bone saddle. Together, these elements promote resonance, tonal transfer, dependable performance, and a responsive feel that connects the player directly to the instrument.

Known as “The Workhorse,” the J-45 has earned a reputation as one of the most trusted and widely recorded acoustic guitars ever made. The new J-45 Original returns to the model’s Jumbo roots with distinctive 30s Jumbo-inspired appointments while preserving the iconic round-shoulder dreadnought body and the classic combination of mahogany back and sides with a solid Sitka spruce top.

J-45 Original

The J-45 Original features a mahogany neck with a fast, comfortable SlimTaper™ profile and a rosewood fretboard with 20 standard frets and mother-of-pearl dot inlays. A mother-of-pearl Gibson script logo, nickel-plated Grover® open-back tuners, and a bone nut complete the headstock. A rectangular, closed-slot, flat-top rosewood bridge, TUSQ® bridge pins, and a firestripe pickguard reinforce the guitar’s vintage-inspired character. Offered in Autumn Burst and Vintage Sunburst gloss nitrocellulose lacquer finishes, the J-45 Original includes a Gibson hardshell case.

The J-45 60s Original Fixed Bridge carries the Workhorse legacy forward with distinctive 60s-era styling and a fixed belly-up bridge designed for tuning stability, dependable performance, and reduced long-term upkeep. Its round-shoulder dreadnought body is constructed with mahogany back and sides and a solid Sitka spruce top, delivering the warm, woody, and balanced voice that has defined the J-45 since its introduction in 1942.

A 24.75-inch-scale mahogany neck with a comfortable Round profile joins the body using a dovetail joint and hot hide glue. The rosewood fretboard features 20 standard frets and mother-of-pearl dot inlays. Grover strap tuners with white buttons, a gold Gibson logo decal, a bone nut and saddle, and TUSQ bridge pins complete the instrument’s performance-oriented appointments.

J-45 60s Original, Fixed Bridge

The J-45 60s Original Fixed Bridge is available in Vintage Sunburst with a tortoise pickguard and Vintage Cherry Sunburst with a white pickguard. Both finishes are applied in gloss nitrocellulose lacquer, and each guitar includes a Gibson hardshell case.

First introduced in 1942 as part of Gibson’s celebrated wartime banner model lineup, the Southern Jumbo became the company’s flagship round-shoulder flat-top. The Southern Jumbo 40s Original honors that heritage while incorporating carefully considered modern refinements and the Gibson-exclusive Baggs HiFi DNA pickup system.

The Southern Jumbo 40s Original pairs solid rosewood back and sides with a solid Sitka spruce top, producing deep lows, sparkling highs, expansive projection, and a touch-sensitive response. Multi-ply binding on the top and back gives the guitar an elevated visual presentation that complements its rich tonal character.

Its mahogany neck features a comfortable SlimTaper profile designed for effortless chord work and fluid flatpicking. The rosewood fretboard is fitted with 20 standard frets and mother-of-pearl split parallelogram inlays. Nickel-plated Grover open-back tuners, a bone nut, and a vintage-inspired gold Gibson script logo decal complete the headstock.

A closed-slot, belly-down rosewood bridge features two mother-of-pearl dot inlays, a bone saddle, and TUSQ bridge pins, while a tortoise-colored teardrop pickguard completes the classic aesthetic. The Southern Jumbo 40s Original is offered in a Vintage Sunburst gloss nitrocellulose lacquer finish and includes a Gibson hardshell case.

Southern Jumbo 40s Original

Returning to the core Gibson Acoustic lineup in response to player demand, the Country Western 60s Original revives one of the most celebrated versions of this historic design. Its mahogany back and sides and solid Sitka spruce top produce a rich, lively, and exceptionally balanced voice across the bass, midrange, and treble frequencies.

That versatility allows the Country Western 60s Original to move naturally between country rhythm work, rock ’n’ roll single-note leads, intricate fingerstyle passages, songwriting sessions, studio recording, and live performance. The guitar is designed to respond to a wide variety of techniques while retaining the warmth and character associated with a classic Gibson acoustic.

The 24.75-inch-scale mahogany neck features a comfortable Round profile and joins the body with a compound dovetail joint secured using hot hide glue. Its rosewood fretboard has a 12-inch radius, 20 standard frets, and mother-of-pearl split parallelogram inlays. Sealed-back Gotoh® tuning machines with white buttons, a bone nut, and a mother-of-pearl Gibson logo and crown provide refined styling and dependable performance.

At the body, a rosewood belly-up bridge is fitted with a bone saddle and TUSQ bridge pins. A tortoise-colored pickguard without graphics provides a clean, classic finishing detail. The Country Western 60s Original is available in Natural and Vintage Sunburst gloss nitrocellulose lacquer finishes and includes a Gibson hardshell case.

Country Western 60s Original

Together, these Original Collection acoustics honor Gibson’s most celebrated flat-top traditions while delivering the distinctive tone, effortless playability, and dependable performance today’s musicians demand. Each is built not only to inspire wherever music is made, but to become a lifelong musical companion.

The Gibson x Baggs HiFi DNA pickup system is already making waves in the music community, earning praise from artists for its natural tone, responsiveness, and performance-ready reliability:

“This guitar and pickups are exceptional—clean, precise, and responsive to every intimate touch. The Hummingbird is unreal, and from the softest fingerpicking to full strumming, the pickups capture every bit of acoustic warmth and detail.” —Abraham Alexander

“I do know it sounds great! One really cool thing for me is that it’s got a feedback resistance system built into it, so when I play with the Old 97’s, my super-loud rock band, I’m able to get the same natural tone and quality that I would get at a solo gig—and it also keeps out all the other noise coming in from the band. It’s a great system. I’m a big fan. I love it.” —Rhett Miller, Old 97’s

“The difference I find in the HiFi DNA pickup compared to others is the intimacy of the sound, the coziness—you sound onstage like you do at home. It is better than other acoustic pickups, and I can’t wait to put them into all my acoustic guitars that I play onstage.” —Nico Bereciartua of The Black Crowes

“This is the truest acoustic guitar sound I’ve ever heard from a pickup. It actually sounds like the guitar I’m playing.” —Marty Schwartz

Explore all Gibson x Baggs guitars HERE and read more about the Gibson Original Collection acoustics on the Gibson Gazette HERE.