“Inspired by original drawings from 1957”: Gibson announces the Theodore Standard – bringing the unearthed archive design to the firm’s core USA line for the first time ever
The release of the original model was one of ‘22’s most intriguing guitar stories. Not only did it introduce a brand new body shape to the Gibson lineup for the first time in quite some time, it did so by bringing to life a sketch that had been unearthed in the firm’s archives.
That sketch, dated March 18, 1957, had been penned by Gibson’s Golden-era president Ted McCarty, and its rediscovery was so notable that the brand’s Senior Director of Product Development Mat Koehler went as far as to label it the guitar equivalent of “discovering King Tut’s tomb”.
Notably, the brand built the original Custom Shop model as close to McCarty’s original sketch as was possible, fitting it with a pair of P-90s and a wraparound bridge.
The Standard USA, though, takes a different approach, giving the guitar a more conventional Gibson flair courtesy of its dual humbucker configuration (‘57 Classic and ‘57 Classic Plus) and the presence of a Stopbar tailpiece and ABR-1 Tune-O-Matic bridge.
Trapezoid inlays have also been drafted in to replace the dot alternatives of the original, while binding has been added to the Indian rosewood fingerboard.
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(Image credit: Gibson)
Its control layout has also been significantly streamlined, with the Standard version offering only master volume and tone knobs, as opposed to the orthodox four-knob circuit of regular Gibson guitars. For further differentiation, the three-way toggle switch no longer comes with a poker chip washer.
Functionally speaking, the guitar introduces some other choice specs that weren’t used for its Custom Shop sibling. Mahogany, for example, is used as the foundation of the dual reverse-Florentine cutaway-style body (rather than alder), and the mahogany neck this time is sculpted to a SlimTaper profile (as opposed to a C-shape).
(Image credit: Gibson)
It also swaps out the nylon nut for a Graph Tech piece, and relegates the Kluson tuners in favor of Grover Mini Rotomatics. It is, effectively, everything you’d expect a Gibson Standard version of the Theodore template to look like.
The 24.75” scale length is familiar, as is the 12” ‘board radius and 22 frets. The finishes are also the same here (Ebony, Cherry and Antique Natural), though this time the central racing stripe is nowhere to be found.
As mentioned above, the arrival of the Theodore Standard comes as no surprise, but not just because of the Gibson sneak peek we received earlier this year.
After the arrival of the original model, Koehler discussed its origin story with Guitar World, and teased: “If there’s demand and excitement for this model, then it’s very likely to spill over into Gibson USA.”
What is also notable about this release, aside from the numerous functional tweaks, is the way in which Gibson is marketing its new Theodore Standard. Specifically, there’s no mention of McCarty himself in the provenance of the design.
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(Image credit: Gibson)
(Image credit: Gibson)
(Image credit: Gibson)
(Image credit: Gibson)
“Developed from original drawings discovered in the Gibson Archives, the Gibson Theodore Standard is based on a design from 1957 that was only previously available as a limited edition 2022 Gibson Custom mode,” Gibson writes.
That could well have something to do with the ongoing legal dispute between Gibson, and PRS and Ted McCarty’s estate, the latter of whom are reportedly seeking to cancel Gibson’s trademark for “Theodore”.
The Theodore Standard is available now for $1,999, making it far more affordable than the now-discontinued $4,999 Custom Shop model.
Matt is a Senior Staff Writer, writing for Guitar World, Guitarist and Total Guitar. He has a Masters in the guitar, a degree in history, and has spent the last 16 years playing everything from blues and jazz to indie and pop. When he’s not combining his passion for writing and music during his day job, Matt records for a number of UK-based bands and songwriters as a session musician.
