The Best Musicians Play Beautiful Made in Montana Guitars

The most famous musicians on the planet like to play in Montana because if they have time, they'll get to see where their guitars are made. The craftmanship that goes into a Gibson acoustic guitar is world famous - and their sound has made careers.

The Gibson J-45 is an iconic acoustic guitar and is loved by many. Musicians dead and alive have depended on this 'workhorse' to write some of the most famous songs ever created.

Without going into too much company history, the mid-80s saw Gibson open two new guitar building plants. One in Memphis and one in Bozeman, Montana. "The Memphis facility is used for semi-hollow and custom shop instruments, while the Bozeman facility is dedicated to acoustic instruments." (wikipedia)

So let's get to the good stuff. What musicians have used Gibson acoustic guitars that (at least more recently) have been made in Bozeman, Montana? The list is long and diverse. Certainly the oldest musician/guitar pairings may not have had their guitars made in Montana, but the Gibson brand is now intimately tied to Bozeman.

You can find lists of Gibson acoustic artists all over the place. Coleman's Music put together a decent list that includes:

• Bruce Springsteen
• Tom Petty
• Pete Townsend
• Bob Dylan (his own signature Gibson SJ-200)
• James Taylor
• Noel Gallagher J-150

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You can find lists of Gibson acoustic artists all over the place. Coleman's Music put together a decent list that includes:

• Woody Guthrie played a Gibson J-45 acoustic guitar and is known for using the instrument to write many of his famous protest songs.
• Paul McCartney played a Gibson J-45 acoustic guitar during the recording of The Beatles' White Album.
• Sheryl Crow plays a Gibson Country Western acoustic guitar.
• Emmylou Harris plays a Gibson Hummingbird acoustic guitar.
• Keith Richards played a Gibson J-200 acoustic guitar during many of The Rolling Stones' live performances.
• Jimmy Page played a variety of Gibson acoustic guitars throughout his career, including the J-200 and the Hummingbird.

Grace Potter was given a Gibson Hummingbird years ago at one of her shows in Livingston, Montana. It was early on in her career and I was lucky enough to be at a dinner with her before the show.

• John Hiatt
• Lenny Kravitz
• Lightnin' Hopkins
• Gillian Welch
• Dave Grohl
• Buddy Holly
• Elvis Presley

"Full acoustic guitars such as the Gibson J Series are made in Bozeman, Montana. In 2021–2022, Gibson expanded the Bozeman facility from 23,000 square feet to 48,000 square feet." (wikipedia)