Gibson J-160E 1968
Introduced 1954, discontinued in 1978, reintroduced in the 1991 and still produced today.
The J-160E was Gibson's second design for an electric flat-top guitar following the CF-100. It was basically a slope shoulder dreadnaught like a J-45 or Southerner Jumbo and designed for the country and western market. The appointments roughly followed the Southerner Jumbo but the design was primarily electric: it had a 3-ply top with ladder bracing to reduce the low-end response for the single coil pickup placed at the base of the fretboard. To accommodate the pickup, the standard production neck was pushed up to a neck-body joint at the 15th fret.
Changes over the years included:
- Knob changes - usually following other Gibson electrics.
- Mid 1960s: Cherry sunburst added.
- 1955: larger 20 fret fingerboards
- 1959: Larger crown frets and the adjustable bridge.
- 1968: Changed to a bottom belly bridge and 1960 style pickguard
- 1969: Changed to a square shoulder dreadnaught
- 1978: Production ceased
- 1980s: Reintroduced.
See "Identifying Vintage Instruments" in the "Research and History" section of this website for more information.
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