Gibson has a long history in the instrument business. Started in the late 1800's by Orville Gibson (officially in 1902) in Kalamazoo, Michigan. They make electric and acoustic guitar instruments, pianos and drums under various companies such as Epiphone, Kramer, Steinberger, Baldwin and Slingerland, to name a few.
Of all the Gibson musical instruments, the most famous in my opinion is the Les Paul and one of the most fantastic Gibson guitars ever made. A solid piece of mahogany with a maple cap is the prime construction of the Les Paul with either a rosewood or ebony fretboard which bring out distinct and different tones. Equipped with various pick-ups over the years, my favorite stock ones were the P-90 style. I've also replaced the stock pick-ups with aftermarket ones such as several combos from Dimarzio and Seymour Duncan. Most Seymours have a classic bluesy tone while the Dimarzios display a more modern sound. My Gibson Les Paul equipped with the SH-1 and TB59 from SD is by far my favorite setup with such a beautiful classic blues overdriven sound.
Another one of the many fine musical instruments Gibson has to offer is the SG. A solid-body made of mahogany; a little thinner and lighter than the Les Paul with a totally different tone. More of a crisp and screaming sound that is great for heavy metal and harder rock and roll. My preferred pick-ups for this guitar are powered EMGs. A great balance of low end thump and high end scream. My setup of choice for these pickups are the 81 and 85 combo. The Gibson SG was made famous by two of my all-time favorite guitarists: Tony Iommi of Black Sabbath and Angus Young of AC/DC. The Gibson SG faded is a popular entry level guitar with some stripped down features that makes it a little more affordable.
We don't want to forget another famous instrument from the lineup: the Gibson acoustic guitar. The J-35, J-45, Hummingbird and J-200, not exactly in that order, are the best acoustics that Gibson makes. The J-45 was the replacement for the aging J-35. A great mid-range model with solid mahogany construction and a solid spruce top for a beautiful look and finish. The Hummingbird and the J-200 are very close in sound and tonal qualities but the J-200 has the edge in looks, quality finishes and hardware.
Gibson musical instruments have a long history in my household. I've owned 3 different Les Pauls (1 was an Epiphone), 4 different SGs (2 were Epiphones) and 1 Gibson ES-335 with tremolo. There have been a few other brands that have come and gone and a few that I've kept but I'll always go back to my first love. The Gibson Les Paul standard for life.
Gibson pianos have their mark in the ivory key genre as well under the prestigious name of Baldwin. They range in class from upright to baby grand to grand and available wood finishes range from mahogany to basswood to ebony to name a few.