Up for sale, a 2000 Gibson Custom Shop Doves in Flight in exceptional condition and in perfect working order, complete with the original hardshell case. One of Gibson’s most ornate dreadnoughts, this iteration of the classic square shoulder Dove platform features 28 individually engraved dove inlays (seven on the headstock, 16 on the fingerboard, three on the pickguard, and two on the bridge), with hand-engraved dove tuner buttons and premium tonewoods.
This Dove boasts hand-scalloped X-bracing on the Sitka spruce top, with deeply figured flame maple back and sides, and a three-piece flame maple neck capped with a bound ebony fingerboard. Freshly serviced by our team here at Mike & Mike's Guitar Bar, this Dove benefits from a neck reset, fitted with a tall carved and compensated bone saddle, ensuring decades of future trouble-free playability.
The sound is bright yet full with exquisite projection and plenty of muscle. Clear and detailed with an overarching string-to-string balance, the trebles have a round, punchy quality with plenty of cut, and the wound strings have a boldness and a high volume ceiling when strummed with authority. This Doves in Flight weighs 5lbs 5oz, professionally setup with 12-53 bronze strings and easy-playing action.
Neck Specs:
-Wood: Flame maple (three-piece, walnut stringers)
-Shape: Slender C, full shoulders, measuring .815” 1st fret, .880” 9th fret
-Fretboard: Ebony, multi-ply binding, mother of pearl dove inlay
-Frets: Slender, faint wear beneath B and High E strings on frets 1-4
-Scale Length: 25 1/2”
-Nut: 1.650”
-Tuners: Grover Rotomatics, hand-engraved doves on keystone buttons
-Serialization: Gibson Custom Shop decal, inked serial
Body Specs:
-Wood: Sitka spruce, flame maple
-Bracing: X, hand-scalloped
-Bridge: Ebony, dove inlay, compensated bone saddle (new)
-Plastics: Tortoise pickguard with pearl dove inlay
-Marquetry: Abalone purfling/rosette
The gloss Antique Natural nitro lacquer finish exhibits broad lacquer checking across the top in particular, and the Cherry finish on the back and sides highlights dynamic figuring in the flame maple. Cosmetic wear is limited to very faint buckle rash central to the back and just a few faint marks on the body as a whole. The flame maple neck retains its smooth nitro gloss, with no wear save for notable finish crazing on the heel and along the walnut stringers separating the three pieces of maple.
The original black tolex hardshell case with blue plush interior is included.