Gibson Byrdland

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Gibson Byrdland guitar, named after its designers Billy Byrd and Hank Garland, is one of the most distinctive acoustic-electric guitars in Gibson history.

1 Thinline series
2 Diversity of users
3 References
4 External Links

[edit] Thinline series

The Byrdland was launched in 1955 alongside the ES350T as the thinline series.^[1] While the Byrdland features the same hand-carved spruce top and solid maple rims and back as the elegant L-5, its overall depth of 2 1/4-in is thinner than the L-5's more traditional 3 3/8". In addition, its famous short scale neck (only 23 1/2") facilitates intricate single-note patterns and allows guitarists to employ unusual stretched chord voicings.

The ES350T has similar dimensions to the Byrdland but differs from it in having a laminated maple top and less ornate details. This model was discontinued in 1963.

[edit] Diversity of users

The Byrdland's thin body, light weight, and short scale have made it a favorite of master players as different as country-picker Roy Clark, hard rocker Ted Nugent, and free jazz innovator James "Blood" Ulmer.