Comparing the 2022 Gibson Dove to the 1963 Dove is not fair. I mean, the 1963 Dove is almost 60 years old at this point. It's made from wood that has time to age and, by all measure, should be better wood. Brazilian Rosewood fretboard, Sitka spruce top, maple back and sides from a time when all these woods were still in widespread use and commercially available. The 2022 Dove comes in with Sitka spruce top, flamed maple back and sides and a "rosewood" fretboard. But the 2022 Dove does have some nice additions, too. LR Baggs VTC undersaddle pickup, scalloped X-bracing and Grover tuners (that are, arguably, better than the waffle back Gibson tuners from 1963) are all on the 2022 model and give it a sound of it's own, while paying homage to the historic Doves of the past.
What I experienced, in the room, was that the 2022 Dove rings out with ease whereas the 1963 Dove needed a little more effort to make it loud. That could be because of the 13 gage strings or it could be that Gibson learned a few things over the last 60 years. Take a listen and let us know what you would choose in the comments.
Enjoy!
