Gibson Chet Atkins SST
Encyclopedia
The Gibson Chet Atkins SST was a revolutionary design that combined the best of Gibson
's acoustic
and electric guitar
technology. The SST was a solid body
acoustic-electric
designed by the late legendary country artist Chet Atkins
. The steel-string model was introduced in 1987 and was discontinued for 2006. The SST had a solid spruce or cedar top and a mahogony body. Unlike most acoustic-electrics the SST had no resonating chamber or soundhole. The acoustic sound came from a bridge mounted transducer. The SST quickly became popular among rock and country players because high volume levels could be reached without any feedback (most traditional acoustic electrics will emit moderate to high levels of feedback when they come near amplifiers, speakers or microphones). This ability made the SST the perfect acoustic guitar for live music. The SST was offered in three finishes: natural, ebony, and cherry sunburst. It had mother of pearl
inlays in a star pattern on the fretboard, headstock
, and bridge
and features gold plated hardware. It also sports Chet Atkins's signature above the fretboard. The SST had controls for volume as well as boost and cut for both treble and bass signals.
Gibson Guitar Corporation
The Gibson Guitar Corporation, formerly of Kalamazoo, Michigan and currently of Nashville, Tennessee, manufactures guitars and other instruments which sell under a variety of brand names...
's acoustic
Steel-string acoustic guitar
A steel-string acoustic guitar is a modern form of guitar descended from the classical guitar, but strung with steel strings for a brighter, louder sound...
and electric guitar
Electric guitar
An electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
technology. The SST was a solid body
Solid body
A solid-body instrument is a string instrument such as a guitar, bass or violin built without its normal sound box and relying on an electric pickup system to directly receive the vibrations of the strings....
acoustic-electric
Semi-acoustic guitar
A semi-acoustic guitar or hollow-body electric is a type of electric guitar with both a sound box and one or more electric pickups. This is not the same as an electric acoustic guitar, which is an acoustic guitar with the addition of pickups or other means of amplification, either added by the...
designed by the late legendary country artist Chet Atkins
Chet Atkins
Chester Burton Atkins , known as Chet Atkins, was an American guitarist and record producer who, along with Owen Bradley, created the smoother country music style known as the Nashville sound, which expanded country's appeal to adult pop music fans as well.Atkins's picking style, inspired by Merle...
. The steel-string model was introduced in 1987 and was discontinued for 2006. The SST had a solid spruce or cedar top and a mahogony body. Unlike most acoustic-electrics the SST had no resonating chamber or soundhole. The acoustic sound came from a bridge mounted transducer. The SST quickly became popular among rock and country players because high volume levels could be reached without any feedback (most traditional acoustic electrics will emit moderate to high levels of feedback when they come near amplifiers, speakers or microphones). This ability made the SST the perfect acoustic guitar for live music. The SST was offered in three finishes: natural, ebony, and cherry sunburst. It had mother of pearl
Nacre
Nacre , also known as mother of pearl, is an organic-inorganic composite material produced by some mollusks as an inner shell layer; it is also what makes up pearls. It is very strong, resilient, and iridescent....
inlays in a star pattern on the fretboard, headstock
Headstock
Headstock or peghead is a part of guitar or similar stringed instrument. The main function of a headstock is holding the instrument's strings. Strings go from the bridge past the nut and are usually fixed on machine heads on headstock...
, and bridge
Bridge (instrument)
A bridge is a device for supporting the strings on a stringed instrument and transmitting the vibration of those strings to some other structural component of the instrument in order to transfer the sound to the surrounding air.- Explanation :...
and features gold plated hardware. It also sports Chet Atkins's signature above the fretboard. The SST had controls for volume as well as boost and cut for both treble and bass signals.