Overview
Brand name:
Product:
- acoustic guitars
Series name:
Dates of manufacture:
Production of the Gibson SUPER 400 began in 1934 and ended in 1955. It was an archtop guitar, "the biggest, fanciest, and most expensive archtop ever built," and a highly influential model guitar which inspired many other guitar makers (including Elmber Stromberg and John D'Angelico).It was first sold in 1934 and named for its $400 price.
The Super 400 was the largest guitar that the Gibson Guitar Corporation had produced. Until 1939, it had a hand-engraved tailpiece and a hand-engraved finger rest support. During the very early production stock the truss rod cover had engraved "L5 Super"; on later guitars this was changed to "Super 400".
In 1939 the guitar was changed. The upper bout was enlarged, and the hand-engraved tailpiece was replaced with the one fitted to the current Super 400s. The f-holes were enlarged, and a cutaway option was available. This was called the Super 400P (for Premiere), later changed to C for Cutaway.
Around 1955, Gibson replaced the Super 400 with the Super 400 CES. This had a thicker top to reduce feedback, two P-90 pickups, and individual tone and volume controls, along with a three-way toggle switch. Later the P-90 pickups were replaced with Alnico V pickups, then in 1957, humbucking pickups.
The Super 400 was reissued as part of the Gibson Historic Collection Series (for example the 1939 Super 400 in Natural or Cremona Brown).
Specifications (24)
General
Binding | multi-ply binding |
Finish colors | brown finish, natural finish |
Finish effects | sunburst finish |
Number of strings | 6 strings |
Scale length | 25.5 inches scale-length |
Body
Body back material | maple body back |
Body shape features | carved top, single cutaway |
Body sides material | maple body sides |
Body top material | spruce body top |
Pickguard material | tortoiseshell pickguard |
Pickguard shape | raised pickguard |
Soundhole | 2 f-holes |
Neck
Body fret | Neck joins body at 13th fret |
Headstock inlays or logos | pearl headstock inlay/logo |
Neck heel | engraved heel |
Neck material | maple neck |
Number of frets | 20 fret |
Peghead (headstock) | bound headstock |
Tuner layout | three-each-side |
Hardware
Bridge | adjustable rosewood bridge, rosewood bridge |
Tailpiece | Varitone tailpiece, trapeze tailpiece |
Tuners | Grover Imperial tuners, Kluson Sealfast tuners, engraved tuners |
Fretboard
Fingerboard material | ebony fingerboard |
Fingerboard position markers | split block fingerboard position markers |