Gibson Chet Atkins CEC Fleur de Lis
1992 Gibson Chet Atkins CEC Fleur de Lis
Perhaps one of the rarer Gibson guitars in general, this is a Chet Atkins CEC “Fleur de Lis” model. As I understand it, Mr. Atkins became interested in guitars made by Kirk Sand at one point, but his contractual obligation to Gibson forbade it. Instead, Mike Voltz designed this guitar for Gibson based on a Sand design, which is indeed familiar. It is made from a single piece of mahogany that is carved and hollowed out, with a classically-braced top. This is not only a very rare guitar, it’s a very nice instrument that feels worthy to meet the needs of a top guitar player like Chet Atkins.
Specs / Measurements
1992
Spruce top / carved out single-piece mahogany back
Rosewood top binding
Three-piece neck
~1.97” / 50mm nut
~25.88” / 657mm string length
~2.32” / 59mm string spacing at saddle
Abalone trim around top
Abalone tieblock
Fleur-de-Lis inlays on top and headstock, old style logo
CGP inlay on neck
Schaller tuners
Original Gibson-branded hard case with shroud
Condition / Setup Notes
The guitar remains in quite excellent shape, especially considering its age and rarity. It shows regular signs of age, and minimal surface wear and lacquer checking, the latter of which can be difficult to discern in regular room lighting. The string path looks great, the frets shine and are well-dressed, and the fretboard of jet-black ebony is also clean. The string height is a comfortable ~2.5mm-2mm from bass to treble, with light/moderate relief.
***
This guitar has so much personality and charm. Aside from the Fleur-de-Lis theme, the “CGP” (Certified Guitar Player) inlay is a nice touch. My eye is also drawn to the tie block with its abalone face, which ties together all the shell on the instrument beautifully. It’s the case sometimes that the rarity of an instrument overshadows its musical qualities, but there is so much satisfaction from playing this guitar. The acoustic voice is so present in a way that’s almost unexpected for this type of design, and expands its utility as both a fine acoustic and electric guitar. Most notably for me, I find the trebles to pop beautifully, with an ease to bring out melodies. One of those guitars that has it all, rarity, beauty, and a fine musical quality.
$18525
Thanks for looking, any questions please feel free to get in touch.
This instrument ships for free via UPS Ground.