GIBSON MONTANA - Exclusive Robi Johns Interview - BEHIND THE SCENES!
Published on 02 September 2024
What’s your favourite Gibson acoustic? The stunning Hummingbird? The gorgeous EJ-200? Maybe something more understated, like the J-45? It’s hard to choose, isn’t it? They are all pretty excellent, and equally so, in their own ways.
Gibson are one of those rare brands whose acoustic guitars are as famous and as beloved as their electrics. As a company, they’ve been able to lay down some of the defining blueprints for just what it means to create an iconic acoustic guitar, bringing the world several designs that have not only beauty but also longevity built into their DNA.
From the association with legends like Elvis Presley to their preeminence on today’s stages with superstars like Taylor Swift, Sheryl Crow and Madonna, Gibson acoustics are always around the most influential musicians. It seems that performers who can choose to play whatever they want, often go for Gibson.
This got my thinking about the brand’s acoustic output. I love Gibson acoustics - as I kind of expect you do too - but it’s always been in quite a superficial way. I’m a fan of Gibson guitars in general, and their acoustics are very cool and very pretty. They sound great and they play great: what’s not to like? But I haven’t taken much of a deep dive into that world, beyond those surface observations at least…
Robi Johns Interview
Whenever I get thinking about a particular subject, I inevitably go down a thought process of: ‘who can I hassle about this for more info?’ Whilst I inevitably get my fair share of knock-backs and slammed doors in my path, there are occasions when my ever-questing nature is rewarded by an affirmative response.
I also figure that if something interests me enough to pursue, then it’ll interest others, too. In this case, it’s a subject that I think most of us guitar-lovers will be fascinated by, but one that we maybe don’t always hear enough about.
Sure, we all know the models, and we’d all love to own one - I take that all for granted, to be honest - but how much do we actually know about these guitars? For instance, I can bore the hind legs off a donkey talking about PAF pickups, but it wasn’t until I had the conversation below that I learned about the top radius of Gibson acoustic guitars. ‘Top radius?’ Radius is a fingerboard thing, isn’t it? Well, no, and you’ll learn about this - and a bunch more - by listening to what Robi Johns has to say.
Robi is one of the high-ups at Gibson Montana, the facility in Bozeman that creates all of the company’s acoustic guitars. Robi’s been at Gibson for decades and is a pretty incredible guy to speak to: very friendly and open, with a love for the subject that is as obvious as it is encouraging. Robi kindly made time for me a few months back, and we chatted on Zoom about the subject of Gibson acoustics in general. Nothing was off the table in terms of discussion, and I think he was refreshingly honest about numerous facets of the interview.
It’s one of those subjects that is intrinsically interesting, but often is sidelined in favour of SGs and 335s. Not today! Please take a break from what you’re doing, boil up a brew and get comfy, because you and I are going on a trip to Montana…
