Resembling its larger Les Paul cousin but with more defined curves, the Nighthawk has become a cult favorite since it was discontinued in 1999, after only six years in production. The original Nighthawk was conceived of in response to the demand for a more modern silhouette and a multitude of tone options.

The 2010 version is still all about a guitarist keeping his options open as exemplified by a new pickup configuration consisting of Gibson BurstBucker 1 in the neck and BurstBucker 2 in the bridge position with a blade single-coil middle pickup. With this HSH pickup array, a master tone control with bridge pickup coil-splitting, and master volume control with neck pickup coil-splitting, guitarists can experiment with endless sounds. If tone alone weren™t enough to carry this instrument, Gibson luthiers have labored to create an exquisite-looking guitar. A quilted maple top with a light black stain to make the grain pop, poplar body, '60s Slim Taper neck, rosewood fingerboard, and deluxe details such as gold hardware combine to once again make the Nighthawk a true collector' item.