The Gibson Custom Line (CL) Series was an acoustic guitar range introduced in the 1990s and made in Bozeman, Montana. The CLs had a longer scale length than the typical Gibson acoustic guitar and were designed by Ren Ferguson to compete with Martin D28 style acoustics which were hugely popular with guitarists. There were 5 tiers of CL guitars ranging from the CL-10 to CL-50. All had abalone rosettes (not really used by Gibson before on a production model), custom pickguard shapes and the more expensive models had mother of pearl snowflake or special leaf fingerboard inlays. The Country Line series became Gibson's best selling acoustic at the time (to the annoyance of CEO Henry Juszkiewicz) but was discontinued in 1999 to be replaced by the Songbird Series and later Songwriter Series, which had similar features. The decision to discontinue the Country Line series came from Juszkiewicz, who felt that the CLs were a move away from Gibson's traditional market of J45, Hummingbird & J200 type guitars and were not "Gibsonesque" enough. Juszkiewicz changed the special inlays to standard Gibson parallelograms and cut the number of tiers to 3 and it became the Songbird Series. In 2019 a limited run of 30 CL-50s was released to celebrate the 30th anniversary of guitar production at Bozeman.
Source: Ren Ferguson interview "Why I left Gibson". Acoustic Letter. October 17, 2014.
GIBSON CL-10 STANDARDThe Gibson CL-10 Standard had Sitka spruce top and mahogany backs/sides with black binding, nickel tuners and dot inlays. Some of the early models had laminated sides/backs. | |
GIBSON CL-20 STANDARD PLUSGIBSON manufactured the CL-20 STANDARD PLUS (CL20) between 1997 and 1998. The CL-20 Standard Plus had Sitka spruce tops and mahogany backs/sides with black bindings, gold tuners and snowflake inlays. Some of the early CL20s had laminated sides/backs. | |
GIBSON CL-30 DELUXEGIBSON made the CL-30 DELUXE (CL30) between 1997 and 1998. The Gibson CL-30 Deluxe was a solid spruce topped dreadnought acoustic with bubinga back and sides. The body has multi-ply binding, the sound-hole rosette was mother-of-peal and abalone and the fingerboard had distinctive abalone floret inlays. The CL-30 Deluxe was made in the Gibson Bozeman Montana factory - and was a pre-cursor to the Songwriter Series. | |
GIBSON CL-35 Deluxe (Cutaway)GIBSON made the CL-35 Deluxe Cutaway between 1997 and 1998. It was the single cutaway version of the CL30. | |
GIBSON CL-40 ARTISTThe Gibson CL-40 Artist was made between 1997 and 1998 | |
GIBSON CL-45 Artist (Cutaway)GIBSON made the CL-45 Artist Cutaway between 1997 and 1998 | |
Gibson CL-50 (30th Anniversary)Gibson released a limited edition of 30 CL-50 guitars, made by the Custom Shop, to celebrate the 30th anniversary of guitar making in Bozeman, Montana. The 30th Anniversary CL-50 2019 has a bearclaw englemann spruce top and rosewood sides and back. The fingerboard has mother-of-pearl autumn leaf inlays. Other appointments include: abalone rosette and binding, and engraved and inlaid 30th Anniversary headstock, as well as an LR Baggs VTC pickup system. | |
GIBSON CL-50 SUPREMEProduction of the Gibson CL-50 SUPREME (CL50) began in 1997 and ended in 1998. It was the top of the Country Line range and was also available with a tree-of-life inlay at extra cost. |
Specifications:
Model | Image | Finish colors | Made in | Binding | Number of strings | Scale length | Finish effects |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
GIBSON CL-10 STANDARD 1997 to 1998 | natural finish | USA | black binding | 6 strings | 25.5 inches scale-length | - | |
GIBSON CL-20 STANDARD PLUS 1997 to 1998 | natural finish | USA | black binding | 6 strings | 25.5 inches scale-length | - | |
GIBSON CL-30 DELUXE 1997 to 1998 | - | USA | multi-ply binding | 6 strings | 25.5 inches scale-length | antique finish | |
GIBSON CL-35 Deluxe (Cutaway) 1997 to 1998 | - | USA | - | 6 strings | - | antique finish | |
GIBSON CL-40 ARTIST 1997 to 1998 | - | USA | multi-ply binding | 6 strings | - | antique finish | |
GIBSON CL-45 Artist (Cutaway) 1997 to 1998 | - | USA | - | 6 strings | 25.5 inches scale-length | antique finish | |
Gibson CL-50 (30th Anniversary) 2019 | - | USA | abalone binding | 6 strings | - | antique finish | |
GIBSON CL-50 SUPREME 1997 to 1998 | - | USA | abalone binding | 6 strings | - | antique finish |
Model | Body back material | Body sides material | Body top material | Pickguard shape | Soundhole | Body style | Body shape features | Soundhole rosette |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
GIBSON CL-10 STANDARD 1997 to 1998 | mahogany body back | mahogany body sides | spruce body top | batwing shaped pickguard | round soundhole | - | - | - |
GIBSON CL-20 STANDARD PLUS 1997 to 1998 | mahogany body back | mahogany body sides | spruce body top | batwing shaped pickguard | round soundhole | - | - | - |
GIBSON CL-30 DELUXE 1997 to 1998 | bubinga body back | bubinga body sides | spruce body top | batwing shaped pickguard | round soundhole | dreadnought-size body | - | - |
GIBSON CL-35 Deluxe (Cutaway) 1997 to 1998 | - | - | - | - | - | - | single cutaway | - |
GIBSON CL-40 ARTIST 1997 to 1998 | rosewood body back | rosewood body sides | sitka spruce body top | batwing shaped pickguard | round soundhole | - | - | abalone rosette |
GIBSON CL-45 Artist (Cutaway) 1997 to 1998 | - | - | - | - | - | dreadnought-size body | single cutaway | - |
Gibson CL-50 (30th Anniversary) 2019 | rosewood body back | rosewood body sides | sitka spruce body top | batwing shaped pickguard | round soundhole | dreadnought-size body | - | abalone rosette |
GIBSON CL-50 SUPREME 1997 to 1998 | rosewood body back | rosewood body sides | sitka spruce body top | batwing shaped pickguard | round soundhole | - | - | abalone rosette |
Model | Body fret | Number of frets | Tuner layout | Headstock inlays or logos | Neck width | Peghead (headstock) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
GIBSON CL-10 STANDARD 1997 to 1998 | Neck joins body at 14th fret | 20 fret | three-each-side | - | - | - |
GIBSON CL-20 STANDARD PLUS 1997 to 1998 | Neck joins body at 14th fret | 20 fret | three-each-side | - | - | - |
GIBSON CL-30 DELUXE 1997 to 1998 | Neck joins body at 14th fret | 20 fret | three-each-side | pearl headstock inlay/logo | 1.72 inches wide neck | veneer headstock |
GIBSON CL-35 Deluxe (Cutaway) 1997 to 1998 | - | - | - | - | - | - |
GIBSON CL-40 ARTIST 1997 to 1998 | Neck joins body at 14th fret | 20 fret | three-each-side | pearl headstock inlay/logo | - | - |
GIBSON CL-45 Artist (Cutaway) 1997 to 1998 | - | - | - | - | - | - |
Gibson CL-50 (30th Anniversary) 2019 | Neck joins body at 14th fret | 20 fret | three-each-side | pearl headstock inlay/logo | - | bound headstock |
GIBSON CL-50 SUPREME 1997 to 1998 | Neck joins body at 14th fret | 20 fret | three-each-side | pearl headstock inlay/logo | - | bound headstock |
Model | Bridge | Tuners |
---|---|---|
GIBSON CL-10 STANDARD 1997 to 1998 | moustache bridge | - |
GIBSON CL-20 STANDARD PLUS 1997 to 1998 | moustache bridge | - |
GIBSON CL-30 DELUXE 1997 to 1998 | moustache bridge | Grover tuners |
GIBSON CL-35 Deluxe (Cutaway) 1997 to 1998 | - | - |
GIBSON CL-40 ARTIST 1997 to 1998 | moustache bridge | - |
GIBSON CL-45 Artist (Cutaway) 1997 to 1998 | - | - |
Gibson CL-50 (30th Anniversary) 2019 | moustache bridge | - |
GIBSON CL-50 SUPREME 1997 to 1998 | moustache bridge | - |
Model | Fingerboard inlay material | Fingerboard material | Fingerboard position markers |
---|---|---|---|
GIBSON CL-10 STANDARD 1997 to 1998 | abalone fingerboard inlay material | rosewood fingerboard | snowflake fingerboard position markers |
GIBSON CL-20 STANDARD PLUS 1997 to 1998 | abalone fingerboard inlay material | rosewood fingerboard | snowflake fingerboard position markers |
GIBSON CL-30 DELUXE 1997 to 1998 | abalone fingerboard inlay material | rosewood fingerboard | floret fingerboard position markers |
GIBSON CL-35 Deluxe (Cutaway) 1997 to 1998 | - | - | - |
GIBSON CL-40 ARTIST 1997 to 1998 | abalone fingerboard inlay material | ebony fingerboard | wing fingerboard position markers |
GIBSON CL-45 Artist (Cutaway) 1997 to 1998 | - | - | - |
Gibson CL-50 (30th Anniversary) 2019 | abalone fingerboard inlay material | ebony fingerboard | leaf fingerboard position markers |
GIBSON CL-50 SUPREME 1997 to 1998 | abalone fingerboard inlay material | ebony fingerboard | leaf fingerboard position markers, tree of life fingerboard position markers |