GIBSON G-00

Finger pickin’ good

The most affordable guitar in the range is the parlour-ish G-00, because, well, there’s less of it. Clocking-in with the shorter of the two scale lengths at 24.75”, and attached to the smaller proportioned body measuring 260mm between the upper and lower bouts, 375mm between the lower bouts and 490 in total length. At 101mm deep at the thickest part of the waist, it’s also the slimmest model in the range with its smaller proportions making it the best choice for smaller players, and fans of this type of guitar. It’s also one of the two ‘unplugged’ models in the G-series, so amplifying it will require a mic.

Our review model has a noticeably lighter colour to its walnut sides, but only in context with the other three guitars we have on test. The Gibson Advance Response neck profile sits comfortably in our hands here too like a flatter C-shape, and it’s worth noting that while this is the shorter of the two scale lengths on offer, it’s not a ‘short-scale’ guitar, merely echoing the classic length of the Gibson L-00 it’s derived from.

Sound-wise, there’s an obvious trade-off here. What you lose in size you also lose in the tonal range, but then you were already prepared for that, weren’t you? The good news is that with a narrowed frequency range, the G-00 comes out with its fists up: all plucky attack and a slight boxy honk to the tone that instantly lends itself to fingerpicking and melodic lines. The shortened sustain means that notes get out of the way of each other quickly, so if your grass is blue, you’ll have no trouble being heard. It’s a natural choice for those wanting something less unwieldy for folk, blues or country playing.