GIBSON CL SERIES

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 STANDARD

The 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.

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GIBSON CL-20 STANDARD PLUS

GIBSON 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.
 

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GIBSON CL-30 DELUXE

GIBSON 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.

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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.

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GIBSON CL-40 ARTIST

The Gibson CL-40 Artist was made between 1997 and 1998

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GIBSON CL-45 Artist (Cutaway)

GIBSON made the CL-45 Artist Cutaway between 1997 and 1998

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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.

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GIBSON CL-50 SUPREME

Production 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.

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Specifications:

ModelImageFinish colorsMade inBindingNumber of stringsScale lengthFinish effects
GIBSON CL-10 STANDARD
1997 to 1998
natural finishUSAblack binding6 strings25.5 inches scale-length-
GIBSON CL-20 STANDARD PLUS
1997 to 1998
natural finishUSAblack binding6 strings25.5 inches scale-length-
GIBSON CL-30 DELUXE
1997 to 1998
-USAmulti-ply binding6 strings25.5 inches scale-lengthantique finish
GIBSON CL-35 Deluxe (Cutaway)
1997 to 1998
-USA-6 strings-antique finish
GIBSON CL-40 ARTIST
1997 to 1998
-USAmulti-ply binding6 strings-antique finish
GIBSON CL-45 Artist (Cutaway)
1997 to 1998
-USA-6 strings25.5 inches scale-lengthantique finish
Gibson CL-50 (30th Anniversary)
2019
-USAabalone binding6 strings-antique finish
GIBSON CL-50 SUPREME
1997 to 1998
-USAabalone binding6 strings-antique finish
ModelBody back materialBody sides materialBody top materialPickguard shapeSoundholeBody styleBody shape featuresSoundhole rosette
GIBSON CL-10 STANDARD
1997 to 1998
mahogany body backmahogany body sidesspruce body topbatwing shaped pickguardround soundhole---
GIBSON CL-20 STANDARD PLUS
1997 to 1998
mahogany body backmahogany body sidesspruce body topbatwing shaped pickguardround soundhole---
GIBSON CL-30 DELUXE
1997 to 1998
bubinga body backbubinga body sidesspruce body topbatwing shaped pickguardround soundholedreadnought-size body--
GIBSON CL-35 Deluxe (Cutaway)
1997 to 1998
------single cutaway-
GIBSON CL-40 ARTIST
1997 to 1998
rosewood body backrosewood body sidessitka spruce body topbatwing shaped pickguardround soundhole--abalone rosette
GIBSON CL-45 Artist (Cutaway)
1997 to 1998
-----dreadnought-size bodysingle cutaway-
Gibson CL-50 (30th Anniversary)
2019
rosewood body backrosewood body sidessitka spruce body topbatwing shaped pickguardround soundholedreadnought-size body-abalone rosette
GIBSON CL-50 SUPREME
1997 to 1998
rosewood body backrosewood body sidessitka spruce body topbatwing shaped pickguardround soundhole--abalone rosette
ModelBody fretNumber of fretsTuner layoutHeadstock inlays or logosNeck widthPeghead (headstock)
GIBSON CL-10 STANDARD
1997 to 1998
Neck joins body at 14th fret20 fretthree-each-side---
GIBSON CL-20 STANDARD PLUS
1997 to 1998
Neck joins body at 14th fret20 fretthree-each-side---
GIBSON CL-30 DELUXE
1997 to 1998
Neck joins body at 14th fret20 fretthree-each-sidepearl headstock inlay/logo1.72 inches wide neckveneer headstock
GIBSON CL-35 Deluxe (Cutaway)
1997 to 1998
------
GIBSON CL-40 ARTIST
1997 to 1998
Neck joins body at 14th fret20 fretthree-each-sidepearl headstock inlay/logo--
GIBSON CL-45 Artist (Cutaway)
1997 to 1998
------
Gibson CL-50 (30th Anniversary)
2019
Neck joins body at 14th fret20 fretthree-each-sidepearl headstock inlay/logo-bound headstock
GIBSON CL-50 SUPREME
1997 to 1998
Neck joins body at 14th fret20 fretthree-each-sidepearl headstock inlay/logo-bound headstock
ModelBridgeTuners
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 bridgeGrover 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-
ModelFingerboard inlay materialFingerboard materialFingerboard position markers
GIBSON CL-10 STANDARD
1997 to 1998
abalone fingerboard inlay materialrosewood fingerboardsnowflake fingerboard position markers
GIBSON CL-20 STANDARD PLUS
1997 to 1998
abalone fingerboard inlay materialrosewood fingerboardsnowflake fingerboard position markers
GIBSON CL-30 DELUXE
1997 to 1998
abalone fingerboard inlay materialrosewood fingerboardfloret fingerboard position markers
GIBSON CL-35 Deluxe (Cutaway)
1997 to 1998
---
GIBSON CL-40 ARTIST
1997 to 1998
abalone fingerboard inlay materialebony fingerboardwing fingerboard position markers
GIBSON CL-45 Artist (Cutaway)
1997 to 1998
---
Gibson CL-50 (30th Anniversary)
2019
abalone fingerboard inlay materialebony fingerboardleaf fingerboard position markers
GIBSON CL-50 SUPREME
1997 to 1998
abalone fingerboard inlay materialebony fingerboardleaf fingerboard position markers, tree of life fingerboard position markers