Up for sale, a 1977 Gibson Howard Roberts Artist model archtop electric guitar in excellent condition and in perfect working order, complete with the original hardshell case. An extremely prolific jazz guitarist, Howard Roberts was a sideman and featured performer on various soundtracks and a mind-boggling number of major studio records. One of Gibson's more unique archtop offerings owing its roots to both Robert's previous Epiphone model and also some of Orville Gibson's earliest instrument designs, the oval soundhole Howard Roberts Artist is the more upscale and uncommon of the two Roberts instruments offered in the era, featuring an ebony fretboard, carved bridge, and tailpiece insert.

Distinctive both visually and sonically with its full-size floating humbucker (unique to this model), the upscale Artist iteration of the Howard Roberts model was produced in sparingly small numbers over a limited four year production run. With its 16” wide florentine cutaway figured maple body and oval soundhole design, the Howard Roberts Artist delivers a refined tone that’s dynamic, smooth, and warm. With more tonal breadth than a typical humbucker, the Roberts model features individual Treble and Bass knobs to dial in the perfect balance of warmth and treble detail. This Howard Roberts Artist benefits from a professional setup here at Mike & Mike’s Guitar Bar, with fresh roundwound 11-49 strings, low action, and accurate intonation.

Neck Specs:

• Neck: Flame maple
• Shape: Slender C, measuring .800” at 1st fret, .930” at 9th fret
• Fretboard: Ebony, pearl notched small block inlays
• Frets: Medium jumbo (refret),no wear
• Scale Length: 25 1/2”
• Nut width: 1 11/16” (replacement)
• Tuners: Gibson-branded, Schaller-made
• Headstock: Bound with vine inlay, ‘Second’ stamp on back of headstock

Body Specs:

• Body: Curly maple
• Pickups: Floating humbucker
• Controls: Volume, Treble, Bass
• Hardware: Floating ebony bridge, trapeze tailpiece with engraved ebony insert
• Plastics: Brown leopard tortoise pickguard (custom replacement), black speed knobs

The nitro lacquer Sunburst body finish is original, highlighting ripples of flame figuring extending evenly across the top, while the neck has been fully oversprayed. There’s some fairly prominent checking at the bass-side waist on top and subtle texturing in the clear coat in this area, along with a couple areas of minor finish loss adjacent to the feet of the bridge, and a few touched-up chips in the black of the burst along the rims. Wear is otherwise limited to a few minor scuffs and nicks from handling. The guitar also has a smokey odor (think “campfire,” and not cigarette smoke). The gloss finish on the neck profile is smooth and clean, and while the original serial number was lost when the neck was oversprayed, the 06-prefix number was recorded for posterity.

The original black hardshell case is included.