gibson les paul factory tour

Visit the Gibson Factory in Nashville

If you are a music enthusiast and love guitars, visiting the Gibson Factory in Nashville is a must. Gibson is a company passionate about manufacturing guitars, amps, and effects pedals. The company has two factories, one in Bozeman, Montana, and the other in Memphis, Tennessee, producing acoustic- and hollow-body guitars.

The new Gibson Garage is situated within Nashville’s iconic Cummins Station. It boasts an impressive stage for live performances, a Custom Shop where players can build their guitars, memorabilia displays, and an expansive retail area.

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Is gibson still giving tours in the gibson factory in nashville.

As of October 2023, it has been confirmed that Gibson is not currently offering factory tours in Nashville. To our knowledge, Gibson has not resumed offering these tours. However, if you wish to immerse yourself in the world of Gibson, you can pay a visit to The Gibson Garage.

Experience the Guitars

Are you a guitar player looking to improve your skills? Gibson recently opened the Gibson Garage, an educational center for musicians and professional guitarists, inside Cummins Station in Nashville.

The 8,000-square-foot Gibson Garage offers the premier guitar experience for professional musicians, casual guitarists, and music fans. It includes a state-of-the-art stage for live concerts and virtual live-streaming performances; a public retail sector stocked with electric guitars from Gibson, Epiphone, Kramer KRK, and Mesa Boogie brands; a repair & restoration center; as well as historical memorabilia displays.

Experience one of the many attractions at Gibson Garage with a tour of their guitar production plant. On this guided tour, guests witness guitar construction from start to finish and even get an up-close view of the wood shop where imported and domestic lumber is used in crafting guitars.

One of the more fascinating aspects of this factory tour is witnessing the chambering process that goes into creating a guitar’s body. While highly automated, it can also take an immense amount of time. That is why most Gibson guitars have lifetime warranties and are built to last.

On this tour, visitors are treated to the surprise of a room filled with vintage guitars that have lain dormant for years. Not just any old guitars, though – these are some of Gibson’s most prized and sought-after models from its history!

Finally, there is the Artist Lounge, designed as an Artist Relations Center, content creation space, and Green Room for performing artists. Here, Gibson Brand Ambassadors like Jared James Nichols and Lzzy Hale can work and perform in a comfortable atmosphere.

The Collections

One year after relaunching with new leadership, relevant guitars, a compelling vision, and widespread industry support, Gibson, the all-American-made instrument brand, still exceeds expectations. This includes historical accuracy, contemporary updates, signature collections, customized creations, award-winning guitars, improved quality control, and more incredible artist and fan engagement than ever before.

At just a 10-minute walk away from Broadway’s neon glow and lively nightlife, Gibson Garage provides players and fans with more than just an everyday retail experience. Featuring lessons, historical exhibits, and frequent live performances, this venue has quickly become one of Nashville’s must-visits.

On Thursday night, Gibson hosted an opening night party at Wildhorse Saloon with live performances by Jason Isbell, Nathaniel Rateliff, Jim James (My Morning Jacket), Chris Isaak, Lee Roy Parnell, Ray Wylie Hubbard Temecula Road Honey County Aaron Lee Tasjan Travis Denning Parmalee Cassadee Pope and Jayden Tatasciore Ben Goldsmith Reece Malone and Carter Wilkinson. With rocking sets alongside intimate performances of hits and fan favorites alike, everyone joined on stage for an electrifying finale that saw all guests join forces on stage for one last wild finale!

At the Gibson Factory, you can explore an expansive collection of electric and acoustic guitars from Gibson, Epiphone, Kramer, Mesa Boogie, and KRK, plus gain insight into their iconic 128-year history through captivating storytelling, interactive displays, and memorabilia. Plus, you can catch a taping of the award-winning Gibson TV network or explore more about its vibrant music culture at Murphy Lab.

At Gibson, we believe that artists are the cornerstone of our business. Through Gibson Gives, our philanthropic arm, we aim to empower artists and the global music community with youth-focused education, music in schools, health & wellness initiatives, and more. At Gibson, we want musicians everywhere to realize their aspirations by offering one-of-a-kind experiences, guitars, and chances to give back to the industry.

Experience Live Music in the Gibson Garage in Nashville

For an unforgettable music experience in Music City, don’t miss a visit to the iconic Gibson Factory in Nashville. This facility produces some of the world’s most legendary guitars.

Experience the Gibson Factory Tour for an up-close and personal look at how the legendary Les Paul Custom is made, plus gain insight into their history through exhibits of memorabilia. Additionally, you’ll have the chance to hear live performances and watch award-winning TV shows!

In addition to seeing how guitars are made, you’ll have the opportunity to shop for Gibson instruments, accessories, and apparel. Plus, you can try guitar playing or even build a guitar from scratch!

Experience an exclusive concert at the Gibson Garage featuring Warren Haynes, Margo Price, Kip Moore, James Bay (of Mana), Lzzy Hale (Halestorm), Marcus King, Orianthi (Sam Fish), Morgan Wade Sadler Vaden Tak Matsumoto Celisse Emily Wolfe Meghan Lindsey Tyler Cain Striking Matches Matt Heafy from Trivium.

The Gibson Garage is the ultimate guitar experience in Nashville and a must-see for guitar enthusiasts of all levels. Here, you can explore collections of Gibson, Epiphone, Kramer, and Mesa Boogie guitars and KRK studio equipment, play and shop for new gear, take lessons, or hang out in the backstage artist lounge. Additionally to live music performances, The Gibson Garage will host tapings of award-winning Gibson TV series and celebrate generations of Music City history through captivating installations and programming.

Kirk Hammett Greeny 1959 Les Paul Standard 2023

The Murphy Lab

Tom Murphy is the Master Artisan at Gibson who has been recreating the aesthetic and character of vintage guitars on new instruments for over 25 years. With his expertise in authentic instruments and a deep understanding of guitar aging, he has developed innovative techniques for greater accuracy and meticulous attention to detail.

Tom Murphy and his artisans have designed a line of Gibson-branded guitars tailored to different levels of age and wear. From Ultra-Light to Ultra-Heavy, each Murphy Lab guitar is expertly crafted using only the most modern tools and technology.

Tom’s unique aging techniques on these guitars draw on his skill and deep understanding of vintage instruments, combined with his creative vision to add natural wear and cracking that replicate how a guitar ages. The result is an instrument that captures the timeless vibe of classic Gibsons with an authentic look.

The Best Les Paul For Every Budget

This guitar is highly playable and easy to tune. The minimal lacquer checking, combined with Vintage Original Sheen (VOS) hardware and hand-rolled fingerboard binding, simulate fifty years of average playing wear.

This classic semi-hollow body guitar, featuring its sustain-enhancing center block and sustain-enhancing, feedback-fighting design, is both beautiful and playable. Plus, with its unique Murphy Lab-aged finish, you get all the feel and performance of a genuine relic guitar at a fraction of the cost.

Welcome to the Murphy Lab, Gibson Custom Shop’s first-ever guitar aging department designed and managed by master artisan Tom Murphy. This initiative is an integral part of their mission to restore their brand to what players desire in a guitar.

Mastering Gibson Guitar Finishes: A Complete Guide

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Inside the Gibson Guitar Factory

Tennessee is mostly known for its whisky, the country music hall of fame, and the Gibson Guitar factory. For any guitarist, the prospect of seeing how one of the oldest electric guitar manufacturers builds its instruments is probably pretty exciting. For a luthier, it could fuel your contempt for the company or give you some reaffirmation about your own position. It’s easy to think that a massive company like Gibson would just be a series of CNC machines, auto-sprayers, and a chain of underpaid peons whose knowledge of guitars does not extend beyond their tasks.

In reality, the construction and assembly line is a group of extremely knowledgeable and passionate people working hard to keep up with the demand – the Gibson Guitar Factory Tour gives you a chance to see how they manage to consistently create quality instruments with a human touch.

When I say “the Gibson Guitar Factory”, I’m actually referring to two separate factories – both in Tennessee. There seems to be a lot of confusion as to which factory does what – it’s pretty simple: the Gibson Memphis factory is where their hollow and semi-hollow bodied models are made (ES-XXX, Lucille, anything with a Bigsby). The Gibson USA factory in Nashville takes care of the solid-body builds (Les Paul, SG, Explorer, Firebird, etc).

Each offer a tour that’ll allow you to see their luthiers at work while giving you an interesting history lesson and some insight into their processes.

The Nashville Factory

The Gibson Showcase tour in Nashville includes a visit to the rough factory, which is where all of the raw wood is ripped down, book-matched, rough-cut, glued, and sanded.

Of particular interest here is the chambering process – this is a sort of controversial subject in the world of Gibson Guitars due to the company previously having made adjustments to their original boring pattern to achieve a lightweight body. Many enthusiasts complained about a significant decrease in sustain and tonal changes – if you ever sell a vintage Gibson, don’t be surprised if you have a stream of buyers questioning and obsessing over the weight of the guitar.

The rough factory tour shows that even in Gibson’s most mechanized manufacturing process, the care and innovation is still there – they listened to their players and made suitable compromises to the chambering pattern to keep the center of the body solid and retain its tonal qualities.

All of the wood for the necks is kiln-dried and thoroughly inspected, and there seems to be no oversight in the whole process – the entire factory’s climate is controlled by a monitoring system that uses water sprayers on the ceiling to keep the air-moisture at a constant.

Gibson also includes an RFID tag on each of their fretboards coming from the rough factory – this allows them to keep tabs on their inventory as well as verify authenticity (in newer models, at least).

Gibson’s Critics on the Factory Tour

Gibson is one of the earliest electric guitar companies and is responsible for a lot of the innovation that has made this instrument popular and playable (ex.; truss rods). While Gibson’s guitar factory tour is impressive, it’s also an example of what many critics of the company and of larger manufacturers in general despise.

“Not a single guitar passed through the hands of a luthier”

That’s a comment I found on a YouTube video about the factory that I found intriguing. I don’t know of the critics are just an extremely vocal minority or if the quality of the company’s manufacturing process has truly declined, but I have to assume that the shear volume of instruments being built there to fulfill orders worldwide is going to let a percentage of inferior ones slip through.

While the manufacturing process begins with a more mechanized approach, the human touch becomes more prominent as the guitars move along the assembly line – each guitar that’s built here has had many hands on it, but the number of people who are qualified to give it a passing grade before being shipped out is very few. Of course there’s human error that comes along with human touch, but that error has to get by some people who have been with the company for a long time and know what to look for.

Some of the rage against the company is very specific, focusing on pickup or bridge placement being off by millimeters, and virtually everyone with something negative to say is going to tell you that the company’s prices are not justified. I agree with the price points being quite high, but I have no criticism of the way they’re building them. I especially liked that they created a machine to analyze and level the frets.

See more about the Gibson Factory Tour this video from Premier Guitar

Joel Bennett

Joel is the owner and main contributor for Electric Herald. Originally from England, currently residing in Southern Mexico.

Gibson Factory Tours – Nashville and Memphis

On April 25th 2010, I flew to Nashville along with 13 other Canadians to visit Gibson Guitars. Our group was assembled and led by Jeff Cowling and Jeremy Berger of Yorkville Sound; the Canadian distributor for Gibson. Over the next 4 days, our group would visit Gibson USA, Epiphone USA, Gibson Custom in Nashville, and Gibson Custom in Memphis. We were treated to in-depth tours of the guitar building facilities, as well as some hands-on time with new prototypes and upcoming models. We also got to spend some time in two of the most important cities in music history.

Monday morning is when the real fun began. Our super cool driver Don picked us up in the super cool Gibson Bus. Inside, the bus was outfitted with padded leather seats, full screen TV and stereo system, mini fridge, and about a half dozen guitars and amplifiers plugged in and ready to go. We tried to convince Don to move to Canada and bring the bus with him. I’ll let you all know how that works out. A short drive later, we arrived at the Gibson USA headquarters.

Gibson USA is the main production facility for Gibson guitars. This is the factory that builds the majority of the Gibson product line: Les Paul Studios, Standards, Robots, Traditionals, Supremes, as well as several models of SG, Flying V’s, Explorers, Limited Editions, etc. Over 300 employees build 425 guitars per day in this facility. Our group was split up unto small teams of 4 or 5, then assigned to a Gibson employee who would act as our guide. My group’s guide Carlton has worked at Gibson USA for almost 25 years.

Over the next hour or so, Carlton walked us around the entire factory, stopping at every step in the process to explain what was being done. The first thing that really jumped out at me was just how much of the work on these guitars is done by hand. Once a body shape has been carved by the C&C machine, flesh and blood human beings take over. From pressing inlays, to rolling and setting the necks, binding the bodies, spray finishing, buffing, wiring and installing pickups, final assembly and quality control… every single guitar is held in someone’s hands at every step along the way. The first time Carlton pointed out one of his colleagues scraping finish off the body binding by hand with an exact-o blade, I almost fell over. Despite the high production, there is an incredible amount of old fashioned craftsmanship that goes into every single Gibson guitar.

The one big exception to Gibson’s rule of hand craftsmanship is the Plek machine. Picture a giant brushed chrome refrigerator with plexiglass doors attached to a super-computer, and you’ll have an idea of what it’s like to stand in front of a Plek machine. Better yet, just look at the picture below. Once a guitar is placed inside, the Plek puts tension on the neck equal to the amount of tension created by guitar strings when tuned to pitch. This pulls the neck to the angle it will hold once it has been strung and tuned up. Then a robotic sander glides up and down the fingerboard, sanding and crowning the frets. The Plek also measures and cuts the nut slots to ensure perfect string spacing. This means the frets and nut slots on each guitar are set up as consistently as physically possible. The entire process takes about 20 minutes. Gibson USA has 6 Plek machines running full time. Each machine cost roughly $250,000.

After our tour, we gathered in the meeting room above the factory floor. Our group was met by several people from various departments of Gibson USA, including their Lifestyle department, their woods and materials specialist, as well as the heads of product development and design. We were given a sneak peak of several very exciting new models. I can’t give away much detail yet, but I’ll give you a hint: what’s handmade in the US and will sell for less than $1000? You’ll find out next month! ***Note: The guitars I am reffering to here were in fact the Les Paul Studio 50’s Tribute model, now replaced by the 60’s Tribute model ***

With our time at Gibson USA at an end, we made our way down the road to Epiphone’s office and distribution center. There we were treated to a demonstration by Dr. Will Jones. Along with his impressively entertaining instructional video, Dr. Jones handed out samples of Epiphone’s proprietary hardware used across their product line. It was a pleasant surprise to find such high end components being used on such affordable guitars. We were then given a tour of Epiphone’s distribution center, where every single guitar is unpacked and thoroughly inspected before being repackaged and shipped out to stores across America. In Canada, Yorkville Sound duplicates this process exactly for each Epiphone guitar that comes through their doors.

Nashville Custom Shop

Tuesday morning. With a solid 3 hours of sleep under my belt, I packed my things and checked out of my hotel room in Nashville. We had more yet to do in town, but we would be in Memphis by dinner time. We loaded everything (except for my extra pair of shoes that I left in my room) onto the Gibson Bus and hit the road. Don quickly got us to the Gibson’s Nashville Custom Shop facility. Our host and guide for our time at Nashville Custom would be Thom Fowle. Thom got us settled in a small conference room so we could relax and look at a few display models hanging around the room. Jeremy had a rather strange staring contest with a poster of Jimi Hendrix. Seriously, how could he expect to win that stair down?

Nashville Custom is where Gibson builds all of their historical reissue solid body models (the VOS series, for example), carved arch top guitars, and of course the Les Paul Custom. While every Les Paul built in Gibson USA is chambered for weight relief, the Nashville Custom shop builds exclusively true solid body Les Paul guitars. Although smaller in size than the Gibson USA factory, much of the guitar building process in the Custom shop is fairly similar. There are of course some key design differences in the guitars themselves. Gibson USA places a focus on new and innovative designs, while the Nashville Custom Shop stays truer to history. Thom explained to us the constant struggle he and his facility face to maintain a balance between building guitars that are desirable to players and historically accurate. He picked up a stunning piece of raw flame maple as an example. To paraphrase: “You wouldn’t find many Les Paul guitars built in 1959 with a top that looked this good, but we do it today because it’s what people want”.

As I mentioned earlier, Nashville Custom is also where Gibson produces their solid carved wood Jazz Guitars, such as the L5, Super 400, and CS-336 models. Thom pointed out the original molded presses, some of which are more than 50 years old, still used to build these historic guitars. It was truly amazing to see these guitars being built by hand with the same tools used to create their predecessors. Yet more proof of Gibson’s awareness of their own historical significance, and their commitment to maintain the same standards of quality as time moves on.

One significant difference between Gibson USA and the Nashville Custom Shop slowly dawned on me as our tour continued. I became increasingly aware of a few Gibson employees in particular. More to the point, I realized I was seeing the same individuals at different stations as we moved around the factory. There was absolutely as system of assigned specialization: one team working the buffing wheels, another group rounding necks, etc. But every now and then I would spot a particular builder with the same guitar in his or her hands as they personally performed multiple steps of the building process. I watched one gentleman press an L5 body together, then install the binding himself, then walk across the facility with the guitar in his hands to the wrapping station and wrap the guitar. This is the kind of personal follow through that creates a truly wonderful handmade instrument.

At the end of our tour, Thom led us to the final assembly room where we found rows and rows of finished guitars on stands. Some were spoken for, others were not. Feeling particularly happy about memorizing Grant’s credit card number, I found a couple beautiful pieces for the shop: a VOS Les Paul Special in ebony and a charcoal Les Paul Axis with a stop tail bridge.

Memphis Custom Shop

Our final day of the trip was spent in Gibson’s Memphis Custom Shop facility; a beautiful building right in the middle of downtown. The Memphis Custom Shop has a very impressive public lobby with a full retail store. Greeting us at the front of the building was David Winters. David brought us up through the main offices which overlook the entire factory floor before handing us over to Randi Young for our tour.

Randi was an excellent guide; detailing every step of the process for us. The Memphis Custom Shop builds all of Gibson’s laminate semi hollow bodies, like the ES 335, ES 339, and ES 359. Randi showed us how the laminate boards were traced, pressed into shape, cut and assembled, then bound and wrapped. Just like the Nashville Custom Shop, the factory here in Memphis was using the same presses to form their body shapes that Gibson has used for the past 50 years.

We watched one of the builders carving a neck joint by hand and testing the fit. Similar to Nashville Custom and Gibson USA, the Memphis Custom Shop has recently been outfitted with a Plek machine of their own, allowing the same consistency of fret work and string spacing. Watching the final assembly teams install the pots through the pickup cavity was especially impressive… they made it look easy (trust me, it isn’t). Walking through the racks of finished guitars waiting for final inspection, I spotted a guitar on one particular rack and got very excited. “Is that what I think it is?” I mumbled to Jeremy. “Yes, it is.” He said. “It’s an ES 335 in Pelham Blue”. That’s right, the best looking guitar ever made is on the way!

At the end of our tour, Jeremy and Jeff presented us with a guitar rack covered by a large white bed sheet. Removing the sheet unveiled a row of roughly 15 of the nicest semi hollow bodies I’ve ever seen. Despite the wall of eye candy, 3 guitars jumped out at me instantly. 2 were ES 335s; one in a deep wine red, the other in a dark translucent blue. Both finishes were transparent, revealing incredible figured maple underneath. The 3rd guitar was the ever illusive ES 330L with a vintage sunburst finish. I bought them for the store on the spot.

At the entrance to the Memphis International Airport, we gathered our bags and said goodbye as a group. Thom was still with us, whom we thanked profusely for everything he had done for us over the past 4 days. We said a very heartfelt thanks to Don as well. We then made our way into the airport, and off to our respective homes. There were a few bumps along the way in the form of some canceled flights, but everyone got where they were going eventually. Except for James from Medicine Hat… from what I hear, he’s still at the airport.

Thanks again to everyone from Yorkville and Gibson for this incredible trip. You all put a lot of work into making this happen, and we appreciate it greatly. We’ll have to do it all again next year!

– Nevin Douglas

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Getting In Tune With Gibson: A Factory Tour

By OpEx Learning Team , Last Updated October 26, 2016

Gibson guitars go from raw product to one of the finest guitars in the world. This tour takes you step by step process on the production. The home of the best electric guitars today is Gibson USA. Built in 1974 in Nashville, specifically for the production of Les Paul guitars. The world headquarters moved to Nashville in 1984, with the closing of the Kalamazoo plant. The financially troubled company was rescued in January 1986 by Henry Juszkiewicz and David Berryman, and the new owners quickly restored the organization’s reputation for quality, as well as its profitability.

Gibson Brings Quality In Every Step

Join us for a fascinating tour of the factory and see how these historical American made guitars are produced with the highest quality standards, and a detailed focus on the end user.

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Get an in-depth tour of Gibson's former Kalamazoo, Michigan factory in this recently unearthed 1967 documentary

The never-before-seen film was discovered, untouched, deep in Gibson's archives in 2020

In the fall of 2020, Gibson employees were searching deep in the company's archives when they came across an unmarked reel of film.

Producers at the company's Gibson TV network got ahold of the film, and had it digitally remastered. What sat on the reel was a 1967 documentary called An Instrument of the People , a fascinating, time capsule-like look at how guitars were crafted in Gibson's former factory in Kalamazoo, Michigan.

Now, 55 years after it was shot, Gibson has finally released the footage to the public via its YouTube channel. You can see it for yourself above.

Over the course of 20 minutes, the film shows viewers just about every step of the guitar build process – from its beginning as a nondescript piece of wood to the final quality checks the finished instrument endured before leaving the factory.

Toward its end, the film also touches on Gibson's guitar amp and pickup divisions, and shows how the company made its acoustic and electric guitar strings at the time.

Interestingly, because it was shot in 1967, Instrument of the People doesn't feature a single Les Paul . It would be another year before the legendary model returned to the Gibson catalog, after its iconic single-cut design was axed in favor of the SG in 1961 and discontinued.

According to Gibson – which replied to a handful of comments and questions from viewers on YouTube – "not much has changed" in the 55 years since the film was made. Gibson also says that, amazingly, the company still uses some of the very same machines featured in the film.

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An Instrument of the People is also quite reminiscent of a slightly older mini-documentary on Fender's Fullerton, California facility from 1959 . Like the Gibson film, it had been mostly forgotten, before receiving a loving digital remaster and upload to YouTube for 21st century eyes. 

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Jackson is an Associate Editor at GuitarWorld.com. He’s been writing and editing stories about new gear, technique and guitar-driven music both old and new since 2014, and has also written extensively on the same topics for Guitar Player . Elsewhere, his album reviews and essays have appeared in Louder and Unrecorded . Though open to music of all kinds, his greatest love has always been indie, and everything that falls under its massive umbrella. To that end, you can find him on Twitter crowing about whatever great new guitar band you need to drop everything to hear right now.

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Where Are Gibson Guitars Made? (Their Factory Locations!)

The Gibson guitar company is one of the biggest, and most successful, instrument manufacturers in the world.

Although Gibson is probably most famous for their Les Paul and SG lines of electric guitar, Gibson’s acoustics are prized among guitar players for their unparalleled quality and sound.

Gibson is an American company, and historically, all of Gibson’s guitars were made at one of Gibson’s factories in the United States.

When Orville Gibson founded the company in 1902, he made his guitars in Kalamazoo, Michigan. In the intervening hundred and twenty years, however, guitars bearing the Gibson logo have come from other factories in the United States and abroad.

Gibson also acquired a few other guitar brands, such as Epiphone, to outsource some of their manufacturing.

While the top-line Gibson guitars are still made in the USA to this day, Gibson has a few factories across the country.

In this article, I’ll offer a virtual tour of Gibson’s various factories in the US and abroad. I’ll also explain why there is such variation in Gibson’s production locations, so if you’re eyeing a new guitar, you’re armed with all the facts.

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Gibson Guitar Factory Locations

Where are gibson acoustic guitars made, where are gibson les pauls made, other gibson brands.

As I mentioned earlier, all guitars bearing the Gibson logo are built in the USA. Gibson has called several American cities home over the years:

• Kalamazoo, Michigan
• Nashville, Tennessee
• Memphis, Tennessee
• Bozeman, Montana

The original Gibson guitar “factory” was actually Orville Gibson’s own home! He built his original guitars in his home until business boomed so much that he had to open up a real manufacturing plant.

Gibson built all guitars bearing the Gibson logo in Kalamazoo, Michigan, up until 1974. In 1974, Gibson moved most of their guitar production to Nashville. Gibson made acoustics and some semi-acoustic models at their Kalamazoo factory up until 1984.

That means that if you own a Gibson guitar from any time up until 1974, it was made in Kalamazoo, most likely in the main factory by the railway line.

From around 1974 onwards, Gibson’s main lines of solid-bodied electric guitars, such as the Les Paul and SG, were produced in the Nashville factory.

In fact, almost all of Gibson’s guitars were produced in this factory. Gibson moved acoustic guitar production to Bozeman, Montana, in 1989.

In 2000, Gibson opened a facility in Memphis, Tennessee, devoted to the production of Gibson’s semi-hollowbody guitars like the ES-335 . Some of Gibson’s Custom Shop line were produced in this factory, too.

The Gibson factory in Memphis was also home to the Beale Street showroom.

The Memphis facility shut down in 2018, moving all electric guitar production to the Nashville factory.

To sum it up, most Gibson electric guitars made from 1974 onwards were produced in the Nashville factory, with the exception of semi-hollowbody guitars made from 2000 to 2018.

Although the Gibson guitar company is probably best known for their iconic electric guitars, Orville Gibson originally made acoustic instruments, including mandolins.

Gibson’s acoustic guitars are highly prized among acoustic players for their phenomenal sound quality and excellent construction.

The Gibson J-45, for example, is their flagship acoustic, wielded by the likes of Elvis Presley, Bruce Springsteen, and Bob Dylan.

Today, all of Gibson’s acoustic guitars are made in their Bozeman, Montana factory. However, pre-1989 Gibson acoustic guitars were made in the company’s factory in Kalamazoo, Michigan.

It’s curious that the Gibson Les Paul became an icon of American engineering in the hands of British guitarists like Eric Clapton and Jimmy Page.

Regardless, the Les Paul is as iconic a feature of the golden era of American manufacturing as the Harley-Davidson motorcycle or the Singer sewing machine.

Appropriately, Gibson Les Pauls are made in the USA to this day.

Pre-1974 Gibson Les Pauls were made in the Kalamazoo factory, but from 1974 production moved to Nashville, Tennessee. This accounts for some of the inconsistent production in the mid to late 1970s.

However, most modern players (including me) agree that by the late 1980s, the Nashville factory was producing Les Pauls that rivaled Gibson’s classic 50s and 60s era in quality.

I proudly play a 1990 Les Paul Standard made in Nashville.

However, Gibson does license its subsidiaries such as Epiphone to make more affordable copies of the Gibson Les Paul in other factories.

The most famous Gibson subsidiary producing Gibson-like guitars is Epiphone.

Virtually all of Epiphone’s production comes from a factory in Qingdao, China. This includes their Gibson-like guitars, such as the Les Paul.

For a time, Gibson also licensed factories in Japan to produce high-quality copies of Gibson guitars for the Japanese market.

This began in the late ‘80s, and included the Orville, Orville By Gibson, and Epiphone Japan brands, with Epiphone Japan dating back to the 1970s.

Fortunately, all Gibson guitars are still built in the United States of America. These days, Gibson guitars are made either in Nashville or Bozeman.

Epiphone guitars today are made in Qingdao, China, and offer an affordable alternative to the full-priced Gibson range.

About Liam Whelan

Liam Whelan was raised in Sydney, Australia, where he went to university for long enough to realize he strongly prefers playing guitar in a rock band to writing essays. Liam spends most of his life sipping strong coffee, playing guitar, and driving from one gig to the next. He still nurses a deep conviction that Eddie Van Halen is the greatest of all time, and that Liverpool FC will reclaim the English Premier League title.

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Introducing the Gibson Slash “Jessica” Les Paul Standard

The gibson global ambassador’s number-one touring guitar for guns n’ roses and beyond—welcome to the collaboration.

In tandem with the iconic guitarist Slash, Gibson introduces a welcome addition to its line of Les Paul™ guitars: the Slash “Jessica” Les Paul Standard in Honey Burst with Red Back . This guitar is a piece of rock ’n’ roll history reborn—a new model based on Slash’s battle-worn favorite.

At its core, the new “Jessica” features a non-weight-relieved mahogany body topped with a three-piece plain maple top, mirroring the original’s construction for authentic Les Paul mojo. The guitar’s neck is crafted from mahogany, shaped into the 50s Vintage profile, offering comfort and playability reminiscent of the golden era of rock.

Its sonic signature, powered by a pair of Custom Burstbucker ™ pickups with Alnico 2 magnets, truly sets this guitar apart. The electronics, including Orange Drop® capacitors, are meticulously hand-wired and deliver a range of tones, from clean, articulate sounds to the gritty, overdriven tones Slash is known for: “Welcome To The Jungle,” “Paradise City,” and “Sweet Child O’ Mine,” just to name a few.

For new tracks from Slash featuring Myles Kennedy & the Conspirators, check out Gibson TV’s documentary on the making “4,” their latest album. As a vibrant rock album fueled by memorable guitar hooks and compelling melodies, “4” is full of big choruses and even bigger riffs—recorded at the iconic RCA Studio A in Nashville. The first release on  Gibson Records , the work is Slash’s fifth solo album and fourth with this band, featuring Myles Kennedy (vocals), Brent Fitz (drums), Todd Kerns (bass & vocals), and Frank Sidoris (guitar & vocals).

Slash is currently in the midst of a global tour with his group Slash Ft. Myles Kennedy & the Conspirators in support of “4.” Last month, Slash announced he would officially release his sixth solo album, a star-studded blues record titled Orgy of the Damned , on May 17, 2024, via Gibson Records (Firebird Music distribution).

The legacy of “Jessica”

Since 1988, “Jessica” has been more than just a guitar; it has symbolized Slash’s dynamic presence on stage with Guns N’ Roses, Velvet Revolver, and Myles Kennedy & The Conspirators. The original “Jessica” was one of the two Les Pauls Gibson sent to Slash in the late 1980s, quickly becoming his main stage guitar. Its story and transformation from a factory second to a rock icon are testaments to the magic that happens when an instrument truly becomes part of an artist’s persona.

The Gibson Slash “Jessica” Les Paul Standard faithfully recreates this storied guitar—check out Gibson TV’s episode with Slash as he opens case after case of iconic instruments, including the original “Jessica,” revealing the wear and tear that comes from prolonged love for a guitar. Developed in close cooperation with Slash himself, this new model is designed to replicate the feel and sound of the legendary guitar with modern craftsmanship and quality—the gigging scars are up to you.

An excerpt from the book, The Collection: Slash , available in three editions from Gibson Publishing , tells us more:

“This guitar has been with me since 1988,” says Slash when asked about the Les Paul Standard that’s been his number-one live guitar for more than three decades. “It’s faded, I fucking dropped a cigarette on it … I named it when I was drunk, but I don’t remember what the catalyst for that was!”

On the road with Guns in the late 1980s, Slash decided to retire his Kris Derrig and Max Baranet Les Paul replicas. He called Gibson and they sent two guitars with three-piece tops that were factory seconds.

“Both of ’em were pretty identical, with a bright Cherry Sunburst,” he recalls. “I started using those on the road for a while, then I had them refinished so that they were a little duller. And that became my main stage guitar and the backup all the way through Guns N’ Roses and on through Velvet Revolver, and now with Guns again.”

Mostly used live for Appetite For Destruction songs and a handful from the Use Your Illusion era, Slash says Jessica is a great and unique-sounding instrument: “I take a lot of guitars out on the road but this still has a very specific sound compared to all the other Les Pauls I have out there.”

Playability and details

The 50s Vintage neck profile is a nod to the classic Les Pauls Slash admired and played throughout his career. It is designed for players who prefer a more substantial neck, providing a comfortable and inspiring experience.

Slash’s signature is reproduced on the truss rod cover, Schaller Strap Locks are preinstalled for secure performance, and the included hardshell case houses a collection of extras, such as a Slash pick set, a USA leather strap, a multi-tool, and a blank truss rod cover.

Beyond its specifications, the Slash “Jessica” Les Paul Standard is a bridge between the past and present. Its Honey Burst with Red Back finish, a nod to Slash’s refinishing of the original, adds a unique visual element that sets it apart from other Les Paul models.

Shop the entire Slash Collection from Gibson and Epiphone .

Shane Sanders

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Gibson / Epiphone and other brands factory tours....

• Thread starter rbraad68
• Start date Jun 29, 2023

Senior Member

• Jun 29, 2023

Juan Tumani

Rough Mill gives you wiings!  

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noodlingguitars

• Jun 30, 2023

Someone posted one of the Epiphone factory from this year - it's the one where you could see the Mustaine products before they were officially announced. Let me dig it up.  

Wants to know about how to build an Epiphone Les Paul?

Yeah that video seems like they have come along way since the one i posted above. See the the one asian lady whacking those frets in with the wooden mallet? Watching them paint those things makes me wounder if a change over to Nitro or something other than Poly would cost much more? Thx man hopefully more videos get posted in here of the China factory's interesting to watch for sure....  

I toured the Gibson USA shop right before the start of the Pandemic. I wanted my then 17 year old to see it. My wife demanded that she come along. Turned out to be one of the smartest things I have ever done. At one point (specifically in the PLEK room) she turned to me and said, "No WONDER they cost so much." Since then, although she still gives me grief, she is far more understanding of my little obsession.  

Interesting, thanks for sharing. I did the Gibson factory tour in Memphis in 2015. The Chinese factories seem to have more automation but my USA tour was 8 years ago. I bought my three Epi LPs earlier this year - quality guitars.  

Junior Member

rbraad68 said: I came across this video giving you a tour of the Gibson factory. I would love to find one over in China with them making the new Epiphone " Insipred by " line. I am going to post this Gibson one i found. If any of you guys are interested in what is involved making these things? Also feel free to post any links to factory tours you might have links to for the Epiphone made models? Very interesting to see this process.... Click to expand...

• Jul 2, 2023

rbraad68 said: Yeah that video seems like they have come along way since the one i posted above. See the the one asian lady whacking those frets in with the wooden mallet? Watching them paint those things makes me wounder if a change over to Nitro or something other than Poly would cost much more? Thx man hopefully more videos get posted in here of the China factory's interesting to watch for sure.... Click to expand...

Maggot_Brain

• Jul 8, 2023

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