Serial Number: SF150005Barely used, near mint condition Gibson Custom 17" Venetian Cutaway Archtop.  Only played twice, once by me and once before me, by Greg Koch from Wildwood Guitars (where it was purchased), for the video which still resides online.Gibson brings the traditional archtop into the 21st century with the Solid Formed 17" Venetian Cutaway acoustic-electric guitar. This guitar's magic lies in its continuous grain - by using an innovative proprietary process to form its wood rather than carve it, Gibson was able to create a guitar with an unbepronounced tone. Armed with a Johnny Smith mini humbucker, you can expect sweet, yet defined tone every time you plug this archtop acoustic-electric into your favorite amplifier. You'll also love this guitar's open tonal qualities, as all of its electronics are attached to its pickguard, effectively eliminating acoustic dampening. The Gibson Solid Formed 17" Venetian Cutaway is one of the finest archtop acoustic-electric guitars we've seen here at Sweetwater. Check it out!Gibson Solid Formed 17" Venetian Cutaway Archtop Acoustic-electric Guitar at a Glance:Continuous grain delivers full, open toneEco-friendly, forward-thinking designInnovative neck design - less wood, stronger joint, and enhanced toneDampening-free design lets your tone live and breatheContinuous grain delivers full, open toneThe Gibson Solid Formed 17" Venetian Cutaway was crafted through a proprietary process in which its bookmatched pieces of wood (two for the top and two for the back) were formed, rather than carved, into an arched top and back. Unlike a traditional carved top, this guitar features a continuous grain, which provides you with more "broadcast" and richer tone.Eco-friendly, forward-thinking designNot only does the process utilized to build the Gibson Solid Formed 17" Venetian Cutaway make for a stellar-sounding archtop acoustic-electric guitar, it's also good for the environment. By using their eco-friendly proprietary construction process, Gibson was able to build an instrument requiring only 1/3 of the amount of wood needed to build a traditional carved-top guitar's top and back and 1/2 of the wood for its neck.Innovative neck design - less wood, stronger joint, and enhanced toneAlthough the Gibson Solid Formed 17" Venetian Cutaway's neck utilizes less wood than its carved counterpart, its ingenious continuous grain design is actually stronger, all while enhancing the guitar's sustain. The guitar's heel block is precision-glued where its neck and body meet and features a precision dovetail joint. Its neck shaft is then glued into a matching dovetail joint in its body. If that wasn't enough, you also get a dual-action truss rod for complete flexibility in adjustment.Dampening-free design lets your tone live and breatheIn order to prevent dampening of its acoustic properties, the Gibson Solid Formed 17" Venetian Cutaway's Johnny Smith mini humbucker is attached directly to the guitar's pickguard. This design works so well that it essentially creates an amplified acoustic instrument. The guitar's tone and volume controls are also mounted on its pickguard, and its input is run through its endpin, ensuring that no electronics interfere with the instrument's natural tone. On top of that, this guitar's pickguard and electronics can be removed, creating a completely acoustic archtop guitar.Gibson Solid Formed 17" Venetian Cutaway Archtop Acoustic-electric Guitar Features:Continuous grain delivers an unbelievably rich, pronounced toneEco-friendly proprietary construction process uses less wood than a carved instrumentJohnny Smith mini humbucker serves up sweet, yet defined toneInnovative neck design uses less wood, has a stronger joint, and enhanced toneDampening-free design essentially creates an amplified acoustic instrumentThe Gibson Solid Formed 17" Venetian Cutaway is a remarkably innovative archtop acoustic-electric guitar!