Gibson Billie Joe Armstrong J 180 Acoustic-Electric Guitar Antique Ebony

With the cooperative effort of this talented artist and the master acoustic builders in Montana, Gibson introduces the Billie Joe Armstrong J-180, crafted by the acclaimed luthiers of Bozeman, Montana, and now available in a first initial run that will be limited to 100 guitars for 2011.

The instrument is styled after the J-180 œJumbo, a guitar designed as a scaled-down version of the big, rounded SJ-200 œSuper Jumbo (played by Elvis, Johnny Cash, and others). Legendary in its own right, the J-180 formed the basis for the distinctive Everly Brothers model of the ™60s, and remains one of Gibson™s most popular flat-tops.

With its big 16-wide body, the Billie Joe Armstrong J-180 can bang out the rhythm with gusto and fury “ as countless country, blues, and rock and roll frontmen have discovered for five decades “ but it™s also a sultry performer for mellower moments, purring with a tone that only premium solid tonewoods and uncompromising Gibson construction can achieve.

And when you need to take it up on stage, a built-in Fishman VT pickup system makes it a snap, providing an easy plug-n-play solution through any amplification or PA rig, without impeding the guitar™s natural acoustic tone. Being the main squeeze of a guy who™s still a punk at heart, though, the Billie Joe Armstrong J-180 is dressed to impress, in a hand-sprayed Ebony nitrocellulose finish with custom double tortoiseshell J-180 pickguards, graduated mother-of-pearl star inlays on its Indian Rosewood fingerboard, and a black truss-rod cover with Billie Joe Armstrong signature.

Whether you'e looking to drive the band through the home stretch, or accompany your solo singer/songwriter moments with deep, rich acoustic tone that™s classic Gibson, the Billie Joe Armstrong J-180 is one to check out.