Pricing and availability
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Average Price: $34,850
High-end/Boutique
$200
$601+
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High-end
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Description
The Gibson Nick Lucas is a timeless piece that pays homage to the golden age of acoustic guitars. Known for its rich history, this steel-string acoustic guitar is crafted with meticulous attention to detail, blending classic design with modern precision. The guitar’s unique body shape and construction provide a warm, resonant sound that is favored by musicians who appreciate both vintage charm and contemporary playability. With its deeper body, it offers enhanced projection and a full-bodied tonal range, making it suitable for a variety of playing styles, from fingerpicking to strumming.
The Gibson Nick Lucas features a select spruce top paired with mahogany back and sides, delivering a balanced sound with clear highs and defined lows. The rosewood fingerboard offers smooth playability, while the signature Nick Lucas inlays add a touch of elegance. This guitar is more than an instrument; it's a bridge between eras of music, offering players the chance to explore the depths of acoustic sound with a piece of history in their hands.
Key Features:
- Classic Nick Lucas body shape for enhanced projection
- Select spruce top with mahogany back and sides
- Rosewood fingerboard with signature Nick Lucas inlays
- Ideal for both fingerpicking and strumming styles
Product specs
| Brand | Gibson |
| Model | Nick Lucas (Gibson Special) |
| Year | 1926 - 1928 |
| Made In | United States |
| Categories | Parlor Guitars |
| Active Preamp | No |
| Artist | Nick Lucas |
| Back Material | Maple |
| Body Shape | Parlor |
| Color Family | Brown |
| Finish Pattern | Sunburst |
| Finish Style | Gloss |
| Fretboard Material | Ebony |
| Model Family | Gibson Nick Lucas |
| Neck Material | Mahogany |
| Number of Frets | 19 |
| Number of Strings | 6-String |
| Pickup | None |
| Right / Left Handed | Right Handed |
| Series | Gibson Pre-War Era |
| Sides Material | Mahogany |
| String Type | Steel |
| Top Material | Spruce |
FAQs
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What is the body shape of the Gibson Nick Lucas guitar, and how does it affect the sound?
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The Gibson Nick Lucas features a parlor body shape, which typically offers a focused, intimate sound with pronounced midrange frequencies, making it ideal for fingerstyle playing and smaller acoustic settings.
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What materials are used in the construction of the Gibson Nick Lucas guitar?
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The Gibson Nick Lucas is crafted with a spruce top, maple back, and mahogany sides, providing a balanced tone with clarity and warmth. The neck is made from mahogany, and the fretboard is ebony, contributing to its durability and smooth playability.
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Does the Gibson Nick Lucas guitar have a built-in pickup or preamp?
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No, the Gibson Nick Lucas does not have a built-in pickup or preamp, making it a purely acoustic instrument designed for traditional acoustic sound without electronic amplification.
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How many frets does the Gibson Nick Lucas guitar have?
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The Gibson Nick Lucas guitar features 19 frets, allowing for a wide range of notes suitable for various playing styles.
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Is the Gibson Nick Lucas guitar suitable for beginners?
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While the Gibson Nick Lucas offers rich sound and quality craftsmanship, its historical significance and specific design might be better appreciated by experienced players or collectors. Beginners might find it less forgiving than modern entry-level guitars.
Videos
Acoustic Letter
Gibson Custom Nick Lucas Review - How does it sound?
Reviews
Owner Insights
We analyzed real musician discussions from forums and Reddit to find what players love, question, and tweak about Gibson Nick Lucas.
Build quality
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Some Nick Lucas guitars have a body depth of 4 1/4 inches compared to the typical 4 5/8 inches, affecting the tonal depth.
Source
Setup and maintenance
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Replacing decades-old strings with Martin strings can instantly restore the guitar's recognizable sound.
Source
Comparisons
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The Gibson Nick Lucas is often compared to the Santa Cruz H13 as a desirable alternative due to its elusive availability.
Source
Critic Reviews
Based on 0 Reviews and 0 Ratings
Artist usage
Add artist"Before he went electric in 1965 — and drew jeers from legions of (arguably small-minded) fans in the process — Bob Dylan epitomized the hard-traveling folk troubadour, and he established this image largely on a vintage Gibson Nick Lucas model flat-top guitar. The young Dylan had played other Martin and Gibson models in the late ’50s and early ’60s, but in those final years of his acoustic era, before a “blonde on blonde” Fender Telecaster ushered in a whole new folk-rock sound, the Nick Lucas was his instrument of choice. He played this guitar in the studio and on tour from 1963 to ’66, and used it for the legendary albums Another Side of Bob Dylan and Bringing it All Back Home. And, although it didn’t appear on the covers of either of these, it is frequently seen in the many live performance tapes from the day, including broadcasts of the Newport Folk Festival in 1964 and ’65, and Dylan’s famous appearances on BBC TV in England in 1965. While, in hindsight, this Gibson Nick Lucas seems “just right” for the young Dylan, and has become an iconic folk guitar as a result, the model’s origins show that it is perhaps an unlikely choice for a scruffy young folky."
In this photo, which can be found on Summers' website, the Gibson Nick Lucas acoustic guitar can be seen.
In this 2017 photo, Sufjan Stevens can be seen using a Gibson Nick Lucas acoustic guitar.
Les owned a 2003 Gibson Nick Lucas re-issue, according to his 2012 estate auction results.
"Then I played a bunch of T Bone’s old Gibsons. There were a couple of Nick Lucas models and an old Roy Smeck from the ’30s. T Bone has a stable of guitars, so I got to experiment a bit on the record. Changing instruments can really bring a different vibe and voice to a song. In the past I might have played a part on my D-18 and we would have tried mixing it differently to get a certain sound, whereas T Bone goes straight to the source and suggests just the right guitar." - Chris Eldridge of the Punch Brothers when talking about their album "The Phosphorescent Blues" which was produced by Burnett in 2015.
"Then I played a bunch of T Bone’s old Gibsons. There were a couple of Nick Lucas models and an old Roy Smeck from the ’30s. T Bone has a stable of guitars, so I got to experiment a bit on the record. Changing instruments can really bring a different vibe and voice to a song. In the past I might have played a part on my D-18 and we would have tried mixing it differently to get a certain sound, whereas T Bone goes straight to the source and suggests just the right guitar."
"Book Binder plays a Tony Klassen-built replica of a Montgomery Ward version of a 1930 Gibson Nick Lucas Special. (The original is owned by Norman Blake.)" (http://acousticguitar.com/acoustic-guitar-sessions-presents-roy-book-binder/)
Album Usage
The Gibson Nick Lucas has been featured on the following albums:
The Coward Brothers
Elvis Costello & The Coward Brothers & Elvis Costello (2024)
Always
Elvis Costello & The Coward Brothers & Elvis Costello (2024)
Lost On The River
The New Basement Tapes (2014)
The Hillbilly Blues Cats
Roy Book Binder (1992)
Bookeroo!
Roy Book Binder (1988)
Bringing It All Back Home
Bob Dylan & Robert Zimmerman (1965)
Another Side Of Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan & Robert Zimmerman (1964)
Genre Usage
Based on how artists on Equipboard use this gear, it is most commonly found in the following genres.
Used With
Based on how musicians on Equipboard use Gibson Nick Lucas, it is most commonly used with the following gear.
Community setups
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