Image: Francis pullen at en.wikipedia, Public domain — via Wikimedia Commons
Gibson Everly Brothers Flattop
| Category | Strings (acoustic flattop guitar, signature model) |
|---|---|
| Country of origin | USA |
| Classification | acoustic guitar |
| Wikipedia | en.wikipedia.org |
| Wikidata | Q5559333 |
Overview
The Gibson Everly Brothers Flattop is an acoustic guitar designed in the early 1960s for the American duo Don and Phil Everly. Built on a square-shouldered jumbo body, it is finished in solid black and decorated with two large star-shaped pickguards, giving it one of the most visually distinctive looks in the Gibson catalogue. Two guitars were typically used together by the Everlys, one for each brother.
Origin & History
Gibson and the Everly Brothers collaborated on the model at the height of the duo’s success. The guitars were used extensively by both brothers on stage and in promotional photography, and the model was offered as a signature instrument to the public. After being discontinued, the model has been reissued in different forms over the decades, and original examples have become collectible.
How It’s Played
The Everly Brothers Flattop is played as a standard steel-string acoustic guitar. The square-shouldered jumbo body provides a strong projection suited to vocal accompaniment and rhythm playing, the role for which the Everlys themselves used the instruments. The neck profile and fingerboard follow Gibson conventions of the period, with the visual flourishes — black finish, star pickguards, mustache bridge — being the main points of distinction.
Cultural Significance
The model is inseparable from the image of the Everly Brothers in the early 1960s, a period in which their close-harmony vocals were enormously influential on the Beatles, Simon and Garfunkel, and many other later artists. The two black guitars with white star pickguards became part of the duo’s visual identity and helped establish the convention of artist-signature acoustic guitars in popular music.
Related Instruments
- Gibson J-45 – the iconic round-shouldered Gibson workhorse
- – the larger jumbo flagship
- – the leading American dreadnought
- – another decorated Gibson signature acoustic
- – the broader instrument family
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is it black with star pickguards?
The black finish and large star pickguards were specified for the Everly Brothers’ signature look in the early 1960s.
Is it the same as a J-200?
No. They share a square-shouldered jumbo body shape but have different appointments, finishes, and tonal character.
Has it been reissued?
Yes. Gibson has reissued the model in various forms in subsequent decades.
Image: photograph by Francis pullen, public domain (Wikimedia Commons).