Gibson’s new Nathaniel Rateliff LG-2 Western guitar melds tradition with tech
New signature model to retail for $3300
5,0 / 5,0 | 
Gibson’s new Nathaniel Rateliff signature LG-2 Western acoustic guitar is a cross between the Gibson LG-2 and Country Western acoustics, with a mahogany body and LR Baggs electronics onboard. And oh yes, this is aimed squarely in the well-off buyer, so be prepared to pay top dollar.
Gibson Nathaniel Rateliff LG-2 Western
This Gibson Nathaniel Rateliff signature LG-2 Western has a nice mix of classic style with modern technology. It’s handmade by Gibson luthiers in Bozeman, MT, and is based around a traditional compact acoustic body style. But don’t let its smaller size fool you, as it’s designed to sound pretty big, especially when amplified.
Vintage Style
The core construction is pretty traditional. It’s based around a smaller-sized mahogany body, with traditional hand scalloped X-bracing. This guitar features an Adirondack red spruce top and a historic V-shaped mahogany neck with a 24.45″ scale length and an Indian Rosewood fretboard. Gibson has used a compound dovetail neck-to-body joint and hot hide glue throughout the construction.
Gibson Nathaniel Rateliff signature LG-2 Western · Source: Gibson
The guitar’s fretboard is fitted with 20 standard frets and has a neat set of split parallelogram inlays. You also have the mother of pearl Gibson block logo and a Crown inlay on the headstock, a nod to the Country Western models. Other hardware includes nickel Gotoh Keystone tuners and a teardrop pickguard. This model comes in a very nice-looking nitrocellulose Vintage Sunburst finish, which suits the vintage styling well.
Modern Technology
Now let’s bring in the tech. The guitar incorporates an LR Baggs VTC preamp and an LR Baggs VTC pickup, a modern pickup system that will no doubt enhance your playing experience. It should make life much easier when you’re amplifying and recording this compact acoustic model.
I expect this will be a sweet-sounding compact acoustic. Having the LR Baggs system included is a no-brainer, as you can use it anywhere with no hassle. It is also a very pretty guitar, perfect for all sorts of applications. You can hear the new Gibson Nathaniel Rateliff signature LG-2 Western in action in the official Gibson demo video below.
RRP – USD 3299 inc hard case
More on Gibson and the Nathaniel Rateliff LG-2
Nathaniel Rateliff LG-2 Demo Video
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