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Day in the Life at Gibson Guitar - John Dunn
FOX 17 News – By: John Dunn
Everyday music is being made right here in Nashville, and we’re not talking about songs.
This is about making instruments.
Gibson Guitar has been building an American icon for more than 100 years.
A finished Gibson Les Paul guitar with a Heritage Cherry sunburst is a thing of beauty.
It’s hard to believe it all starts with a block of wood.
Nashville’s Gibson USA factory uses some of the finest mahogany and maple wood money can buy.
Inside the rough mill, the wood is cut and glued into precise pieces.
A special router is used to create chambers in the body of the instrument.
The mahogany guitar necks are cut carefully on band saws.
"There are a lot of people that would love to sell us wood," says wood specialist Gene Nix.
Gene Nix has an eye for finding the hidden beauty in wood that will one day be a Gibson guitar.
"I'm not a player, but I certainly can appreciate the results," says Nix.
After the wood is cut out and shaped, it’s taken to the factory floor.
One of the first steps in making a Les Paul standard is fitting the signature plastic binding around its edge.
It’s an intense process…first the binding is dipped in glue, and then it’s secured with a single piece of cloth that is wrapped around the guitar dozens of time.
It’s then hung up to dry for 24 hours.
Once complete, the guitar is sanded smooth. A worker uses a delicate but firm touch to shape the guitar just right.
Meanwhile, more work is being done on the guitar’s fingerboard, including the meticulous process of hammering down 22 frets...a step done mostly by hand.
The neck and base of the guitar are joined together.
It’s another distinguishing feature of a Gibson. The glued neck joint is hand chiseled into a perfect fit.
The fitter will spend several minutes creating an air tight neck cavity, which ensures better tone.
Finally the guitar is ready for lacquer. The Heritage Cherry sunburst is applied by hand.
Gibson uses what’s known as a nitro finish, which involves six layers of clear lacquer.
But it’s the buffers who put the shine on the guitar.
Their movements are like a dance, but don’t be fooled, this is one of the most physically demanding jobs on the factory floor.
If they press too hard they’ll ruin the finish.
After buffing the guitar is ready for final assembly.
All of the electrical components are installed, and the six strings are put in place.
"Alright let's see if this thing works," says Jay Thompson.
Jay Thompson is one of the last people to handle the Les Paul Standard.
He checks the tension on the neck, files the nut into shape, and plays the guitar for the very first time.
Even Thompson is amazed at what a block of wood has become.
"I've been here for 12 years, and I wouldn't do anything else man. This is my dream job. There's nothing else I'd rather do in life than this," says Thompson.
Now that the guitar is complete, it’s ready for delivery.
The eventual owner will probably never realize all the work that went into the instrument, but they’ll surely admire the finished product.
Gibson USA here in Nashville builds several hundred guitars each day.
Just in case you’re wondering, a Les Paul Standard with a Heritage Cherry sunburst costs about $3,800.
Day in the Life at Gibson Guitar - John Dunn
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