Gibson Unveils “Handcrafted in Nashville, TN”

Since 1975, Gibson electric guitars have been handcrafted in the heart of Music City. Nashville, Tennessee, where wood and steel meet heart and soul.

Gibson launches Handcrafted in Nashville, TN. This year-long marquee campaign celebrates the craftsmanship and innovation that drives Gibson and Gibson Custom electric guitar making in the heart of Music City, where Gibson musical instruments begin a journey that will ultimately see them featured on the world’s biggest stages in addition to rehearsal rooms, recording studios, and homes all over the world.

Watch the Handcrafted in Nashville, TN video below showcasing the art and craftsmanship behind each and every Gibson electric guitar: HERE. Explore all Gibson and Gibson Custom electric guitars HERE.

Click on the image above to play the video.

For more than half a century, Gibson electric guitars have been handcrafted in Nashville, Tennessee, where wood and steel meet heart and soul. Through four chapters supported by exclusive video content and an exciting array of new products, Gibson is highlighting the people and processes at the company’s Nashville craftories, where passionate Gibson teams use time‑honored methods and premium materials alongside original tooling to create instruments built to provide a wellspring of inspiration for generations of musicians.

We don’t do things the easiest way or the fastest way. We do things the right way—the Gibson way. And that’s the Gibson difference.

A Gibson artisan uses traditional rope-binding.

The Gibson approach draws on only the finest materials and premium parts and components, employing traditional processes such as rope‑binding in conjunction with original tooling from the Kalamazoo factory used during the company’s first Golden Era. This includes the ES™ laminate press used to make the instruments beloved by icons of popular music in the 1960s, which is still an essential part of the process when crafting the Gibson ES guitars of today.

A Gibson artisan hand-sanding a guitar neck.

More than 130 years after company founder Orville Gibson began building musical instruments, the company continues to honor his legacy. The heart of Gibson is its people, and their artistry shows through in every contour of every guitar. Personal touches like hand‑sprayed sunburst finishes and figured maple tops make every Gibson guitar as unique as a fingerprint, while cutting‑edge technology such as 3D laser scanning allows the DNA of beloved instruments of the past—some of which fetch millions on the vintage market—to live on in new guitars. Crafted to be played, loved, and ultimately passed down, every Gibson is a future legacy instrument, connecting the players and superstars of today with those of tomorrow.

A Gibson artisan hand sprays a Sunburst finish on a Gibson Les Paul.

A lifelong musical companion, a Gibson guitar is built to sustain for generations. Long before it even reaches our craftories, the story of every Gibson guitar begins with a tree, and the company works closely with its suppliers to source the finest tonewoods responsibly, ensuring long-term stewardship of the forests on our fragile planet, safeguarding ecosystems and decades of guitar‑making to come. Ultimately, the most important hands that touch a Gibson are the final ones, the hands belonging to the player who takes it home. That’s when you hear its soul.

Your hands. Your Gibson. Your story.

Today sees the premiere of the first video in the Handcrafted in Nashville, TN, series on Gibson TV, HERE. The full narrative will continue to unfold throughout 2026 with chaptered storytelling and new products celebrating the past, present, and future of Gibson electric guitars. Gibson will tell this story across Gibson.com, the Gibson Gazette, and its social channels. We invite our global fanbase to share their own Gibson electric guitar stories for us to spotlight. Look for more from Gibson in the coming months, including exciting new product launches that tie into the Handcrafted in Nashville, TN campaign.

Explore all Gibson and Gibson Custom electric guitars HERE.

CHAPTER 1: “WOOD”

MAY-JUNE 2026

The journey of a Gibson guitar from the forest to the stage begins here. Chapter 1 turns the spotlight on the premium organic materials and the unique combinations of tonewoods that shape the character of iconic Gibson body shapes such as the Les Paul™, SG™, and ES-335, delivering the unmistakable signature tones that have provided the soundtrack to the past seven decades of popular music.

CHAPTER 2: “STEEL”

JULY-SEPTEMBER 2026

This chapter spotlights the hardware and electronics that bring a Gibson electric guitar’s voice to life, from the latest innovations at the Gibson Pickup Shop to time-honored tooling from Kalamazoo, from presses and jigs to fixtures and forms, equipment that shaped instruments that became iconic in the hands of artists, and carries a storied history of its own. Meet the builders who maintain and master these original tools and see how metal hardware and fretwork translate precision into playability, sustain, and tuning stability.

CHAPTER 3: “HEART”

OCTOBER-DECEMBER 2026

Chapter 3 runs from October through December and celebrates the people of Gibson, whose passion, skill, and care define every instrument. This chapter spotlights hand processes at the Gibson and Gibson Custom craftories in Nashville and showcases the people who bring your Gibson guitar to life. Their dedication, patience, and ear and eye for detail turn wood and steel into musical instruments with a unique voice and soul, forging a connection that begins in the workshop and continues in the hands of the player.

CHAPTER 4: “SOUL”

JANUARY–MARCH 2027

This chapter follows Gibson guitars as they leave the Nashville craftories and enter the hands of the players and artists all over the world. From couches and front porches to garages, dive bars, and the world’s biggest stages, hours of practice and miles on the road take wood and steel and forge a voice and a legacy, inspiring a whole new generation of players.