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Gibson Custom Shop

Tal Farlow Hollowbody Electric - Viceroy Brown Sunburst

SKU: # 67265   |   Model: # HSTFVBNH   |    Product Reviews1 Reviews  Write a Review

Tal Farlow Hollowbody Electric - Viceroy Brown Sunburst
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History
Gibson has always recognized the value of working with leading artists of the day, and Tal Farlow has been both a first-call sideman and a popular solo artist of the 1950s and 60s. His performance credits read like a whos who of the jazz world: he joined Margarie Hyams band in 1948, was a member of the Red Norvo Trio (originally with Charles Mingus) from 1949-53, when he joined Artie Shaws Gramercy Five for a spell, before forming his own notable trio.

The Tal Farlow model, first released in 1962, has a body that is outwardly reminiscent of the popular ES-5 in its basic dimensions, but from there it departs in its own unique model form as dictated by this gifted guitarist. Its trademark faux-scroll rounded cutaway (Farlows own design), upside-down J-200 fingerboard inlays, double-crown headstock inlays, and Tal Farlow trapeze tailpiece with inlaid rosewood block set it apart from any other archtop Gibson had ever created. This unusual signature model has always been a rare bird, and only 215 examples were produced between 1962-69.

Body and Neck
Gibsons Custom Shop makes the Tal Farlow today in the exact image of the original, down to the enlarged five-point pickguard and the Farlow scroll cutaway, creatednow as thenby curling the binding into the body at the cutaway to create the impression of a mandolin-like scroll. Its a full-sized archtop at 17 wide and, more comfortable than other models of its day, 3 deep. As preferred by many professional jazz guitarists, including Farlow, the ES rounded neck profile is made to a 25 1/2 scale length, with a 1 11/16 nut width. The model also features multi-ply binding on the bodys top and back, single-ply white binding on the fingerboard, headstock, and f-holes, and is available in vintage sunburst and viceroy brown.

Hardware
Fully acoustic, it is also a fully electric model, with two set-in humbucking pickups with individual volume and tone controls, and a three-way selector switch. Its floating rosewood bridge base carries an ABR-1 tune-o-matic bridge for full adjustment of individual string intonation and excellent sustain. Outfitted with L-5 Electric .012 strings, the Tal Farlow model comes with the standard Gibson Custom case and certificate of authenticity.

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Reviews


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One of the best Gibson Archtop value ever 2 of 2 customers found this review helpful
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Product Experience   I own it
Closest Store   Montréal, Quebec
The Gibson Tal Farlow is truly one of the under appreciated instrument. Probably because it has unusual appointments like the reverse J200 crown MOP inlays, the strange shaped pickguard and the scroll inlays. Thing is, its exactly what makes it unique. Very few artists having a signature guitar actually played it. After playing his modified ES250, then his ES350, Tal never played anything after 1961 but either his prototypes or a production Tal Farlow. He even played Gibson Tal Farlow reissues from the '90s until his unfortunate death in 1998; its how good they are! A custom shop ES 350 like inspired instrument with binding, 25.5 scale, laminated maple top for that assertive attack, reminding of an ES 175 on steroids. They say tone is in the fingers and usually guitars don't sound so different from one another, in the case of the Tal Farlow its different. It has that unmistakable Tal Farlow thing going on. A very focussed and little bit compressed tone. If you get the chance to play one you might get hooked. However they are quite rare nowadays. Had to buy mine from USA in 2015 for an extremely god price from an American has they are so scarce up here. When they are in production, they are only in very small batches so not many end up in Canada. Now with Gibson financial struggles they might be even rarer if they completely abandon the production. Its my only Arch top and the only one I will ever need!
Posted by JS on Mar 10, 2018
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