The Gibson Howard Roberts Fusion III is a guitar player's guitar. First developed in 1980 as a collaboration between Gibson and legendary jazz guitarist Howard Roberts, the Howard Roberts Fusion III is specifically designed to offer the utmost in playability and tone. During his career, Roberts did it all: he recorded a diverse set of solo material, sat in with Dean Martin, Peggy Lee, Chet Atkins and many others, and even played guitar on the theme songs for The Munsters and The Twilight Zone. Roberts needed a guitar capable of spanning the many genres covered in his diverse musical output. The Gibson Howard Roberts Fusion III is that guitar.

A Diverse Jazz Guitar

For a guitarist with a career as varied as Howard Roberts', it's only fitting that his signature Gibson be one of the more diverse semi-hollowbodies ever produced. Both the body and the neck are maple which -- combined with the chromyte centerblock -- gives a ringing brightness to the entire instrument. The pickups are 490R and 490T humbuckers which cover the entire tonal spectrum. Fully capable of rich jazz textures, the 490 humbuckers are hot enough for the crunchier rock tones Roberts used in some of his session work. Yet for all his varied recorded output, Roberts was at root a jazz guitarist in the mold of Herb Ellis and Barney Kessel. As such, the Howard Roberts Fusion III really soars when playing jazz. Whether driving a steady rhythm style or soloing with a high-end wail, the Howard Roberts Fusion… read more III delivers all the bold jazz tone expected from a Gibson semi-hollowbody.

Smooth Playability and Style

The Howard Roberts Fusion III includes a refined set of custom features which give this guitar its serious style and seamless playability. The single cutaway is more open than most, allowing a greater degree of extension up the fretboard. The control knobs are customized for easier access while playing, and the finger-style tailpiece includes detailed fine-tuning knobs for precise control over the tension and angle of each string. The maple neck is capped with a comfortable ebony fretboard and built with the medium profile design preferred by many jazz players. With Schaller tuners, pearloid dot inlays, and gold-played hardware, the Howard Roberts Fusion three strikes a vintage look worthy of the playing style of its namesake.

Features:

- Semi-hollowbody design with chromyte centerblock to reduce feedback
- Humbucking 490R and 490T pickups for diverse set of tones
- Extended single cutaway for maximum playability
- Fine-tuning finger tailpiece for extreme control over tension and angle of strings
- Sturdy Schaller keystone tuners
- Gold-played hardware with tune-o-matic bridge
- Included Gibson hardshell case

Like Howard Roberts himself, the Howard Roberts Fusion III is a guitar that can do it all. Whether on stage or in the studio, this beautiful guitar is excellent for jazz, rock, fusion, and even theme songs from classic American television shows. read less