Gibson Dove 2018 Review

The Gibson Dove is an iconic flattop acoustic guitar which was first released in 1962. It was the second square-shouldered dreadnought of Gibson which was based on Martin’s D-style dreadnought. In 2018, Gibson reintroduced the historic model. It’s considered to be one of the best Gibson acoustic guitars in the market.

Looking at the 2018 edition of the Gibson Dove acoustic guitar, nothing really has changed. So, you might be baffled why Gibson would release the same models from decades ago and why not just release a new solid line. Well, your confusion is valid. While we do not have the answer, we thought the introduction of the new edition could well be geared towards collectors and hardcore traditionalists.

Regardless, let’s take a look at how an acoustic guitar that is over half a century old perform in today’s age.

Gibson Dove 2018 Edition Features

The newest Gibson Dove has a construction that is the same as it was 57 years ago. It has a solid spruce top and solid maple back and sides. This guitar features a signature Gibson engraved pickguard, double parallelogram inlays on the fretboard, two doves on the bridge, and a mother of pearl dove on the pickguard. It can’t get any classier than that.

The original Gibson Dove had flaws. In this iteration, these flaws had been addressed and improved for the better. The metal tune-o-matic bridge in particular no longer cause negative effects on tone and volume. The LR Baggs active electronics and 9-volt battery are still there. The internal bracing is now lighter than ever before. And it is worth mentioning that this bracing has improved the tone and volume positively.

In terms of sound, the signature Gibson Dove tone is there. The maple back and sides give it a lot of presence and projection. The full-size dreadnought body shape complements that with warmth and rounded sound. Compared to the Hummingbird, which is Gibson’s first square-shouldered dreadnought, the Gibson Dove is louder and brighter due to the choice of tonewood.

This guitar is so versatile that no matter your acoustic playing style is, it makes it easier and more convenient for you to play.

Gibson seems to be banking on urgency tactics as it only released 100 white Doves, which resembles exactly the same as the original, all over the world.

The Verdict: Should You Buy Gibson Dove?

The Gibson Dove is the kind of acoustic guitar that you would want to take home after testing at the guitar shop, but you just can’t because, well, it is not cheap. No custom acoustic guitar comes with a cheap price tag anyway.

Overall, nothing really has changed about the Gibson Dove. It has the same quality tonewood and traditional dove design that folks back in the day loved so well. The dove design is not something that the new generation of guitarists would fully understand, but it has become a signature of the historical lineup that classic players would pay for. The only difference you would notice is in the sound. It just keeps getting better than it already is.