GIBSON HOWARD ROBERTS 1978 USED

Description

USED GIBSON HOWARD ROBERTS 1978

The Gibson Howard Roberts Custom (1978) is a guitar designed in collaboration with the renowned jazz guitarist Howard Roberts, intended to combine the warmth of traditional archtops with greater feedback resistance and versatility.

The most distinctive feature of this model is the central oval soundhole on the top, an innovative solution for its time that helps to control unwanted resonances, making it more manageable even at high volumes compared to classic hollow bodies.

The design is elegant yet modern by 1970s Gibson standards: a semi-hollow body with a central block, soft lines, and a refined aesthetic that is less “traditional” than models like the L-5 or the ES-175.

Sonically, it offers:

warm and round tones for jazz
good single-note definition
greater feedback control
versatility also in fusion or pop contexts

Specifications

Model: Gibson Howard Roberts Custom
Year: 1978
Production: USA

Body
Type: Semi-hollow (thinline)
Construction: laminated (top, back, and sides)
Shape: single cutaway
Soundholes: central oval
Center block: yes (to reduce feedback)
Neck
Material: mahogany
Construction: set neck
Profile: medium (typical 1970s Gibson)
Fretboard: ebony
Radius: approximately 12"
Inlays: block inlays
Scale and frets
Scale: 24.75" (628 mm)
Number of frets: 22
Electronics
Pickups: 2 Gibson humbuckers (often “tarback” in the 70s)
Controls:
2 volumes
2 tones
3-way selector switch
Hardware
Bridge: Tune-o-Matic
Tailpiece: stopbar or trapeze (depending on the version)
Tuners: Gibson Deluxe
Finish: Sunburst