A Century of Flat-Tops

The first Gibson flat-tops arrived in the 1920s, and what followed was a springboard for some of the most famous, most-recorded acoustic guitars in history. To celebrate the anniversary, Gibson Custom has released five Anniversary Limited Edition models — the J-45, Hummingbird, SJ-200, Dove, and Advanced Jumbo — each finished in a special Cremona Burst created specifically for the occasion. Fittingly, only 100 units of each model exist worldwide, one guitar for every year of flat-top history.
The celebration extends beyond this five-model collection. Gibson has also expanded its Original Collection with three returning classics, released an Anniversary L-1 through Gibson Custom, and introduced three new 12-fret models as part of the Gibson Century Collection. But for players drawn to the square-shouldered dreadnought sound and the Dove's unmistakable look, this Anniversary edition is the one to know.

Built in Bozeman, Finished for the Occasion

Like the rest of the Anniversary Limited Edition series, this Dove is handcrafted at Gibson Custom's shop in Bozeman, Montana, and arrives with a Gibson Custom hardshell case and Certificate of Authenticity.

This particular Dove pairs AA figured maple back and sides with a select bear claw Sitka spruce top — a tonewood combination chosen for both its visual figure and its tonal clarity. The back is finished with multi-ply binding, while the top features multi-ply binding accented with abalone and an abalone rosette, giving the instrument the kind of detailed, layered look Gibson Custom instruments are known for.

The mahogany neck is carved to a comfortable Round profile and topped with a bound rosewood fretboard, home to 20 standard frets and Gibson's classic split parallelogram inlays in mother-of-pearl. The single-ply bound headstock carries "The Gibson" logo and is fitted with a bone nut and gold-plated Grover tuning machines with keystone buttons — a period-correct detail that nods to the model's vintage roots.
Then there's the Dove's signature artwork. The pickguard displays the model's classic imagery, centered on a mother-of-pearl dove inlay, and the rosewood bridge continues the theme with two additional mother-of-pearl dove inlays alongside a bone saddle and TUSQ bridge pins. It's a design detail unique to this model, and one that's carried faithfully into this Anniversary edition.

Across the whole five-model Anniversary series, Gibson Custom kept the specs consistent where it counts: rosewood fretboards, bone nuts and saddles, gold-plated Grover tuners, and L.R. Baggs VTC electronics for plugged-in performance. It's a build designed to hold up on stage as well as it does in a display case.