Gibson J-160E Original - Vintage Sunburst

Few guitars carry the cultural weight of the Gibson J-160E. When John Lennon and George Harrison walked onto stages and into studios in the early 1960s with these slope-shoulder dreadnoughts strapped on, they were shaping the sound of a generation — and the J-160E has been inseparable from that legacy ever since. We are genuinely thrilled to carry the 2026 reintroduction of this iconic instrument, meticulously recreated to honor the "Beatle-backed" guitar that helped define rock and roll at its most transformative moment. The slope-shoulder round body — Gibson's most graceful dreadnought silhouette — wears its Vintage Sunburst gloss nitrocellulose lacquer with the warmth and depth that only nitro can produce, the amber-to-brown burst framing a solid Sitka spruce top with a visual elegance that connects this 2026 instrument directly to the early 1960s originals. Mahogany back and sides, compound dovetail neck joint secured with hot hide glue, rosewood fingerboard with pearl trapezoid inlays, and Gotoh Keystone tuners complete a vintage specification that honors the original in every dimension. The multi-ply top binding and 2-ply black/white truss rod cover, the tortoise J-160E pickguard, and the Gibson crown and logo in MOP on the headstock tell the complete story without a word being spoken.

The defining feature of the J-160E has always been its coverless P-90 fingerboard pickup — mounted at the base of the fretboard rather than in the traditional soundhole position — a placement that gave the original guitars their characteristic feedback resistance at stage volumes and their distinctive electric voice that sits uniquely between acoustic warmth and electric presence. The top-mounted master volume and tone controls and side-mounted 1/4" output jack keep the playing surface clean and unobstructed, while the under-saddle system rounds out the acoustic-electric package for modern stage and studio use. A bone nut, bone saddle, TUSQ bridge pins, and rosewood belly-up bridge complete an instrument built with the reverence this model's history demands. For anyone who has ever felt the pull of that early 1960s sound — and we certainly have — the J-160E Original is the most direct connection available.

Model: J-160E Original 
Body Back/Sides: Mahogany
Body Top: Sitka Spruce
Body Shape: J-160 (Round Shoulder)
Bracing: Traditional Hand Scalloped X-Bracing
Body Finish: Gloss Nitrocellulose Lacquer
Body Binding: Multi-Ply Top, Single-Play Back and Fretboard
Neck: Mahogany
Fingerboard: Rosewood
Fingerboard Inlay: Pearled Trapezoid
Nut: Bone, 1.73" 
Neck Profile: Slim Taper
Scale: 24.75"
Radius: 12" 
Frets:  20 (Standard)
Truss Rod: Fully Adjustable
Neck Joint: Compound Dovetail to Body: Hot Hide Glue 
Headstock Inlay: Gibson Logo and Crown in MOP 
Bridge: Belly Up, Rosewood 
Pickguard: Tortoise J-160E
Truss Rod Cover: 2-Ply B/W
Tuner Plating: Nickel
Bridge Pins: Tusq
Saddle Material: Bone
Tuning Machines: Gotoh Keystone
Under Saddle Pickup: J-160E P-90 Fingerboard pickup
Controls: Top-Mounted Master Volume and Tone 
Output Jack: 1/4" Side-Mounted 
String Gauge: .012. .016, .024, .032, .042, .053
Case: Hardshell Case 
Accessories: Gibson Accessory Kit