Gibson Formula 1S Acoustic

This guitar was made in an intended run of about 100 in Bozeman in 1996. I don't know if 100 were actually made. I purchased it 3 years ago in 2005 used in a pawn shop for $500.
It has grover tuners which seem to be holding well and has the old gibson logo inlaid on the headstock. It has a slightly arched back with no internal bracing on the back.
The finish on this guitar I feel was its biggest distraction. I wouldn't even call it a satin but more of a "flat". Knowing that old satin finished guitars would often show a shine in worn areas, I immediatly jumped on it with 0000 steel wool and danish oil and it really came out nice with a finish somewhere between a satin and a shine. Only because of the original finish I will rate this an 8

The sound of this guitar is what really sold me. Gibson really blew it by not continuing production on this guitar. I have played many j45's and in my opinion this is a much boomer and better sounding guitar. I don't know whether its because of the arched back or what but the is the best sounding acoustic I have ever heard and I've had many good comments from other players at jams and the few good friends I have allowed to play this guitar have really been impressed. After starting to show the typical Gibson "belly up" I added a bridge truss similar to those on Breedlove guitars and now the top end really sparkles as well as the booming lower end. I play mostly country and it sounds great for my fingerpicking style.

The action was good on this guitar when I bought it but since I like to work on guitars I replaced the tusq with a bone saddle and nut and set the action to my preference.
Other than the original "flat" finish I have found no flaws in this guitar.

I have played this guitar from the humidity of the gulf in Texas to the heat in Kansas and have never had any problems except for the slight "belly up" I have mentioned.
Its a solid guitar as you would expect from gibson.

Since this was a used guitar I have had no service experience. However Gibson was very helpful in supplying production data and specifications on this guitar.

I started playing again about 3 years ago after about a 30 year layoff and this was the first guitar I bought to get started again and its the one I keep at my side to pick up and play at any time. I use it at jams all of the time. I use an epiphone casino for individual public performance but would sure use the formula 1 if I could find a pickup which would give good acoustic response.
I usually say I love people and not "things" but this guitar comes close. I know if I ever lost this guitar, after an apropriate period of mourning, I would keep looking until I could find another like it. I fully expect to have this guitar on the day I die and it will be passed on to my oldest son.

From what the salesman told me, this guitar was made in 1996, Bozeman, Montana. It has a mahogany back and sides. I e-mailed George Gruhn to inquire about it, and learned these were apparently short-lived, relatively inexpensive J-45-like guitars with relatively fast necks, featuring a laminated slightly arched back. Only about 100 were made. It has a natural top, breathes nicely.....old-style head with the old cursive Gibson logo. As mentioned, the neck is unusual in that it is sort of D-shaped in cross section...unusually thin for an acoustic guitar. I rated this an '8' for its unusual features.....a pickup woulda given it a 10.

The sound is what 'forced' me to buy this instrument. I was at a music store to buy my son some rosin for his viola. While standing in line I glanced over and thought I was reading the word 'Gibson' on a lonely guitar. I asked my son to check it out and he said "GIBSON." I went over and tried it out. The sound just BOOMED out. That beloved deep J45 Gibson sound....my favorite acoustic guitar tone....dark, bassy, and boomy, with plenty of pretty sounds up high.

Later in the week I went back to the store with a co-worker, and did a comparison to a real J45, and a Martin D28. We were actually left with the impression that this one was boomier than the other two. That was the last straw....I bought it. I give it a 9 because it does not have the crystal clarity at the top end, but wow...that bottom end is something to behold.

Action is just a tad bit high, but I'm leaving it alone for now. Its intonation is nice, and it's so voluminous that I'd hate to wreck a good thing. The D-shaped neck is my biggest complaint. If it only had a more traditional C-shape I think I would sleep with this guitar. The D-shape makes it a little hard on the fingers...and it's slim profile doesn't seem to urge me on into Jimmy Page territory.

This is a solid instrument. It's holding tuning very well. I chose this one to take to a pre-Neil Young concert acoustic jam session in 106-degree weather and it held up like a champ. The top is unfinished, and I think of this one as a workhorse. I'll take good care of it, but dings won't make me cry too badly.

I bought this 1996 instrument 'new' in 2002. The story I've been told is that it just wouldn't move....and sat in a warehouse for years. I have no experience with Gibson's customer support.

Definitely a fantastic value. This is apparently a 'freak' Gibson, that booms out with rich tones like a J45, at a much much reduced cost. I attained the Gibson tone at a bargain price that left me with absolutely no 'buyer's remorse.' I hope to purchase a better instrument sometime down the road, and it'll likely be another Gibson. Those Martins and Taylors especially sound and play wonderfully, but Gibsons always seem to have a special resonant tone that I love. This guitar is my entry into the glorious world of Gibson! I'd love to put a good pickup on this one somewhere down the road. Right now I'll just love it like it is. By the way, I bought this one about a year ago, so I'm over 'the honeymoon', and I still love it.