It is amazing to me that a small guitar like the Gibson LC-3 Caldera can sound like a big guitar. The LC-3, a cutaway acoustic-electric guitar, will surprise you with the quality and volume of its sound, which is easily as good as premium dreadnaughts I have played.
With a solid cedar top and sides made from solid koa wood grown on the slopes below the Hawaiian calderas (volcanoes), the Gibson LC-3 Caldera exudes a classy warmth and brightness, in an easy-to-hold package.
Features
The LC-3, retail priced at $4,100, is a size that Gibson calls the "advanced L-00" body, which is smaller than a dreadnaught. The 20-fret neck has the typical Gibson scale 24.75-inch scale, about 3/4-inch shorter than many dreadnaughts.
The guitar's body is made from koa wood, which is a better quality of mahogany with a more striking grain. Gibson's special bracing is forward shifted and scalloped, which helps the smaller size get the big sound.
The two-piece back has a colorful inlay down the center and the entire guitar is trimmed in an ivory-plastic binding. A ring of abalone is used to trim the sound hole.
The bridge and fretboard are made of ebony, and the one-piece mahogany neck has "autumn leaf" abalone inlays at the typical frets. (There is also an inlay on the first fret.) The bridge has a sort of mustache shape that Gibson calls "sculpted."
Under the saddle of the LC-3 is a Schertler Bluestick piezo pickup, which is then connected to a small pre-amp mounted inside the guitar. The pickup's volume is controlled from a knob that is cleverly mounted at the edge of the sound hole. The strap button at the bottom of the guitar doubles as the 1/4-inch jack for the electronics.
The internally mounted pre-amp has two button-style batteries that can only be replaced by removing the strings; there are no equalization adjustments with this pickup.
It seems that a lot of expensive guitars use open tuners and the Gibson LC-3 is no exception. The gold-plated Gotoh tuners work smoothly. The headstock is Gibson's standard 17-degree angle, which makes for superb sustain.
The guitar's one-piece mahogany neck has the 1.69-inch width typical of dreadnaughts, and the neck's truss rod is adjusted from under a removable plastic plate on the headstock. Gibson refers to the neck as "easy action," and it is certainly a neck that is very easy to play.
All the details on this guitar are beautifully done. Inside the guitar, the construction is a perfect example of the luthier's craft, with no visible glue globs an no excessive gaps in the kerfing.
The guitar ships with Gibson "Hydrophobic" light gauge bronze strings (which resist corrosion better than non-coated strings) and a very sturdy, plush-lined TKL case. The guitar is covered by a lifetime warranty.
The Audition
I'm an average-size guy, and I really appreciate a guitar that is
smaller than a dreadnaught, especially if I'm standing and playing for 90 minutes. The LC-3 is a very comfortable guitar to hold and play, with its light weight, small, well-shaped body and perfectly setup neck.
The 24.75-inch scale makes it just a little bit easier for me to reach certain notes ù on finger-picked bass runs, for example. The flip side of this is that the distance between frets is a tad shorter than I'm used to, and it is sometimes a little tough to cram all my fat fingers into the space provided. If you are a small person with slim fingers (a woman, perhaps?), this guitar is exactly the right size for you.
The cutaway let me get at chords beyond the 12th fret. I have a calypso riff that I'm play. It involves playing a D chord at the 14th fret. This is no problem with the Gibson LC-3; the fast motion that I have to do up and down its neck is easier with the guitar's short scale and excellent action.
Although the size is smaller than a standard dreadnaught, the sound of the LC-3 would make you think otherwise. I played it side-by-side with a
full-bodied premium dreadnaught guitar and, while they sounded different, they were well-matched in terms of volume and bass.
The LC-3 also had the edge in the treble, with a clarity that makes this guitar perfect for finger picking and lead playing. In particular, the high strings had a pleasing, present, chiming quality that I associate with the best acoustic guitars.
The LC-3 also sounded pretty good plugged in, but with the brightness of cedar, it would be nice to have a little EQ on-board to tame the high end that gets enhanced by electrification.
In terms of ergonomics, the volume control tucked behind the edge of the sound hold is quite convenient, yet unobtrusive. You would hardly know this is an electric-acoustic.
Summary
The Gibson LC-3 Caldera's construction quality and materials are immaculate, and it plays and sounds like the premium guitar that it is.
In particular, the LC-3 is an excellent performance guitar, with a small size and comfortable feel that
you can play for hours without fatigue. The combination of koa and cedar make for a present, yet warm sound that makes the LC-3 versatile for almost any kind of playing. Look for this acoustic in our 2003 "Best Of" nominations.