Gibson Acoustic Songwriter Standard Rosewood Acoustic-electric Guitar - Antique Natural Reviews

This is my second Songwriter. The first one was purchased in 2014 but sold a few years later to fund my photography business. Foolish decision. I've had several guitars come and go since then but have always missed the Songwriter. This being my second Songwriter purchase I will never let this one go. Now, ten years later this second Songwriter is far superior to the first one. Like the first one, this one is still drop dead gorgeous. However, its easier to play and sounds awesome. I did have Sweetwater do a set up for finger style. That may be one reason for the easier play and great sound. I would suggest spending the extra $ for a set up. It will pay big dividends in the long run. My two other guitars, a Breedlove Oregon series and a Taylor 717e are excellent guitars. However, the Songwriter is hands-down superior in every way.
If you are considering a Songwriter or are on the fence with a decision, you will not be disappointed.
I spent several hours just today playing plugged-in. And it is wonderful plugged-in. I don't have to worry too much about running down the battery as the new pick-up battery will last around 1000 hours. What a bonus.

Martins and Taylors were my high end go to til I picked up this little beast.... natural scooped mid range tone, projects like a Martin with a smoother eq range.... has that rosewood sparkle and the neck is great. I love the mustache bridge look and this guitar is an inspiration to anyone who plays it.

I have always played Gibsons. When I decided to start playing acoustics, I landed on Martin's however, I always missed the feel of a Gibson. When this guitar arrived, I fell in love with it instantly. From the beauty of the guitar, the feel of the neck… it just fit. As I started to play the guitar, I could not believe how beautiful it sounded. It has such a beautiful Spruce & Rosewood tone. Brightness and depth that one would expect. It was what I was hoping for and what I expected from Gibson! I will be playing Gibsons from here on. J45 here I come!!! I have to round out my collection, you know;)

And once again, I cannot say enough about my Sales Engineer, Zack Davidson. He was there every step of the way from the ordering process to the shipping update to the follow up. He is one class act, and I appreciate everything about his Professionalism and overall human touch that he provides. I will be doing business with Sweetwater for years to come!

Bryan Tolbert
Hendersonville, NC

I've owned 3 of these. Got stupid and let the first 2 go, searching for something better. Bought the 3rd one that I have now. Bought it in 2017 from here..Sweetwater. This one is staying in my collection...it will be in my will when I pass on from this Earth.
I own many fine acoustics..this one ranks right up on top. Sounds better every time I play it, and it's a work of art. Pictures don't do it justice. The top on this guitar is indescribable..it has a flame affect to it. Move it around and it dances. I usually don't like Rosewood acoustics because they're lacking in midrange but Gibson voices the Songwriter in such a way to include that midrange I've never found in other brands. As far as I remember all 3 of them sounded pretty close. Love the neck profile...stays in tune for months. Sounds good with old strings and great with a capo. I would be happy if this were my only acoustic. Never had to do anything with it..it came setup perfect and I'm picky.

... and I did them all. I'd been playing since I was 9 - my older sister's huge dreadnaugt I could barely pick up; but when I strummed it, it *filled* the room. I never forgot that sound; I vowed that some day, I'd have my own up to that standard, or better. After high school I bought an Ovation, fascinated by Kaman Science's molded back. Fun to play, but not really my answer. Around then I began to save ... little by little, for years, while all along I'd play different guitars wherever I could find them. I bought a Fender aooustid 'cuz it was a blast to play, then bought a Stratocaster (electric) and a bass to match (oh, boy), but that's more recently. One weekend I met some friends at a large retailer and I started playing all the guitars there. When I took that Songwriter off the wall and headed into the booth with it, it was like my heart skipped a beat. Sure enough, when I started to play, I knew it: it felt like *home*U to my hands and body, and sounded like the auditorium-filler I wawnted .. that I recalled from so long ago. I still played more guitars, but kept coming back to that same Songwriter; and finally said, "Please, order me one and let me use this one 'till mine gets here@?!" That was fine - secretly, I was concernec it might be *different* - you know, if you've played enough guitars, that two of the same model can feel like night and day. I'd no reason to be concerned: my own perfect instrument came straight from the factory into my arms. She was with me until just recently: a family tragedy demanded I part with her. I've had a hole in my heart ever since, so now, I am looking to replace her. The prices have gone up consideravly since I bought her in 2005, but I'll figure it out. I *have* the Songwriter Deluxe is like nothing else in the western hemisphere, IMO. And I will not drop all the famous, pricey names of guitars I played and gave very fair consideration. THIS is the instrument of a lifetime ... of my lifetie.

This was my first Gibson and my first love. But alas, I sold her for an SJ200. While I love the SJ I still remember and miss my first love. You will love the songwriter. Great strummer, easy fingerpicker and awesome tone. You won't regret it, unless like me you let your first love walk away.

I have owned this guitar for about 10 years. It is a great guitar and I continue to play it regularly at home and at gigs. It looks great and sounds fantastic. I changed the strings yesterday after playing for awhile and was blown away by the beautiful sound. Very happy with this well made work horse.

I bought this guitar for my birthday, and it was the best investment I have ever made. It has a tone quality and pickup that no other acoustic has. I will be using this guitar for years to come.

I have wanted one of these since I played one that belonged to a lady in our church's music ministry. Once I had found myself in a situation where I could finally afford one, Gibson was having issues with quality and issues with production. I could not find a new Songwriter for sale any place I looked. I thought about getting a J45. J45's could be found, but I could not find one that did not have serious quality issues. I was told at this time that Gibson did not want to honor it's warranties, and blamed their customers for any warranty claims. I thought that the dream of a new Gibson would remain just a dream; so I bought another brand of acoustic guitar and I like it very much. As I was nearing the pay-off on the afore mentioned guitar, I looked on Sweetwater's website and found Songwriters for sale! I looked the pictures over and could not find any readily seen problems. I called my Sales Engineer, Ben Elder, and we talked about the quality issues Gibson had been plagued with in the recent past. Ben assured me that Sweetwater had my back if anything went wrong with the guitar, so I ordered one that day. Ben recommended that I have Sweetwater Plek the new Gibson. This is something that Gibson professes to do with all of their new guitars at the factory, before they ship to the retailers. I pointed this out to Ben, and he advised me to have Sweetwater Plek the guitar and set it up before shipping it to me. I don't know where the problem is; whether it is at Sweetwater or Gibson, but Gibson maintains that all of their guitars are Plek'd on their machine before they leave the factory. Sweetwater recommends that having Sweetwater Plek the guitars that they sell (before the guitar is shipped to the customer, obviously), will greatly reduce the chance that the customer will have any problems with their new guitar. This doesn't sound right at all. Since Sweetwater has been more up-front with their customers than Gibson has, I would start looking at Gibson first. It just doesn't make sense to pay over $200.00 to have something done, that the factory swears that they do to every guitar that they ship.

I received the guitar in great shape. I always perform a close visual inspection of everything I have shipped to me, and this was no different. I could not find any problems with this Songwriter. I tuned it up and started playing. It sounds great right out of the box, so I am looking forward to what it will sound like after it has been played-in. The more I play it, the better I like it. It takes a much softer touch than my Martin D28, or even my Taylor 224ce-DLX Koa. This Gibson resonates for days. It is almost as loud as my Martin, when played aggressively, and it responds better to a light strum than anything else I have. I didn't like the neck at first, but now I like it better than my other guitars. This Gibson Songwriter is easier for me to play than any of the other guitars I own. It just seems like it fits me better and I am not hitting the wrong strings anywhere near as much as I do on my other guitars. It feels like this is the guitar I should have bought a long time ago. I enjoy playing this guitar so much that I don't want to put it down. I find myself thinking about this guitar, when I am not playing it. If all of Gibson's products are like this Songwriter, the next guitar I get will also be a Gibson. Don't get me wrong, I still love my D-28 and my Taylor; and all of my other guitars to be truthful. They range from "Good Guitar" to "Awesome Guitar"! I will never part with my D-28 and the only way I will part with my Taylor is if I trade it in on a solid wood, Koa Taylor. I play just about all genre's of music, and this Songwriter fits them all very well indeed. If you are thinking about getting a Gibson Songwriter, and my experience is any indication of the over-all quality of the Songwriter, then I cannot recommend this guitar strongly enough.