Gibson Custom Shop Nick Lucas Elite 'Tobacco Sunburst' Preowned 2004

The Gibson Custom Shop Nick Lucas Elite is a faithful recreation of the guitar built for Nick Lucas, one of the earliest guitar heroes of the recording era and one of the first artists to have a signature model produced in his name. Originally introduced by Gibson in 1926, the Nick Lucas was distinguished by its deep-body parlour format, shorter scale length and rich, full-bodied acoustic voice that made it a favourite of early jazz, vaudeville and popular music performers, and this 2004 Custom Shop example honours that legacy with careful attention to vintage specification and appointments.

A solid spruce top with maple back and sides and hand-scalloped X-bracing delivers a warm, resonant and dynamically articulate acoustic voice, its 24.75" scale length and vintage-style neck profile offering a comfortable, familiar feel ideal for traditionalists and contemporary players alike. This 2004-built example is a genuinely rare find, most Elite models were built with Koa back and sides or a Honeyburst finish, but this one carries Big Leaf Maple back and sides and a classic dark Tobacco Sunburst, complete with mother-of-pearl inlays and nickel hardware. It shows some genuine wear from years of play, including a few deep pick scratches and lacquer crazing, the nut and saddle have been replaced with bone, and a passive K&K pickup has been professionally installed, delivering the dry, woody, fundamental tone this deep-bodied small guitar is loved for.

Features

• Solid spruce top with maple back and sides and hand-scalloped X-bracing produces a warm, resonant, dynamically articulate acoustic voice.
• Deep-body parlour format enhances projection and low-end warmth beyond what a standard parlour body typically delivers.
• Faithful recreation of the historic 1926 Nick Lucas specification, one of the earliest artist signature guitars ever produced by Gibson.
• Mother-of-pearl inlays and nickel hardware over a rich Tobacco Sunburst finish reflect the Custom Shop's attention to vintage-correct appointments.
• A passive K&K pickup has been professionally installed, adding amplified versatility to this genuinely rare Big Leaf Maple example.

Specs

• Model: Gibson Custom Shop Nick Lucas Elite
• Year: 2004
• Body: Deep parlour
• Top: Solid spruce
• Back & sides: Maple
• Bracing: Hand-scalloped X-brace
• Neck: Mahogany, vintage-style profile
• Fingerboard: Rosewood
• Frets: 19
• Scale length: 24.75"
• Inlays: Mother of pearl
• Hardware: Nickel
• Electronics: Passive K&K pickup (professionally installed)
• Finish: Tobacco Sunburst
• Includes: Original hardshell case
• Made in: USA (Gibson Custom Shop)