Exceptional original condition. Owned and enjoyed but never mistreated - "Clean as a Whistle".

     Choice Mahogany back, sides and neck with Adirondack Red Spruce top. Beautiful early '40's style sunburst. 5-ply top bindings with 3-ply back bindings. Bindings are antique'd. The finish is very light and finely applied to give an older feel to the guitar. This instrument was constructed faithfully to the early J-45's, using old style glues and bracing patterns, etc. In other words, hide glue was used wherever it was used in about 1940-1943. Neck width at nut is 1 3/4", with big full profile. Pin spacing at bridge is ~2 3/16". Tuners are 3-on-a-plate pre-war style openback, with beautiful small antique cream buttons. Rosewood fingerboard and straight bridge. 'Cut-thru' bone saddle. Ebony bridge pins and endpin. Traditional firestripe pickguard.
     This is a very nice guitar. If you like J-45's and are a fan of the big full necks, then here is the guitar for you. Great sound along with great workmanship. This is Gibson's counterpart to the Martin D-18 Authentic, and it holds up well in comparison.

     The sound is very, very good. It is clearly better than most newer J-45's and is truly reminiscent of the old original Banner J-45's. Big sound!

    

     Exc(-) condition.  1 11/16" width of fingerboard at nut. This is a great 'working' J-50 that has spent quite a few years in our area being played by accomplished musicians. Cosmetically, there is only one thing you have to get used to - pickup control knobs were previously mounted into the Spruce top below the pickguard and a jack hole was cut into the side. The two top holes were professionally filled about 15 - 20 years ago, and the guitar is currently in the lutherie shop to have the side jack hole repaired.

     As far as sound goes, this one is a 'good one'. Some J-50's tend to favor the treble. This guitar is warm and well-balanced. It is suited for playing quite a few styles of music.

     A really good professional pickup by Michael Heiden is mounted on the bridge plate. It works great and sounds like one of the best pickups you'll hear anywhere - lots of output and very natural sound.

     Currently in shop for repairing jack hole and touching up frets.

     Exceptional original condition. 14-fret neck joint. NO cracks, no repairs! Beautiful sunburst. All original. Original finish still vibrant, but has normal finish checking. Tuners work well. Original Ebony nut and Rosewood bridge. Frets are in fine playing condition, showing only a little wear.
     Mahogany back, sides and neck, with Spruce top. Straight bridge with cut-thru saddle. Original firestripe pickguard.

     This guitar is as clean inside as it is outside. Someone did write 2 letters onto the inside spruce backing strip with a pen, but other than that the inside is so clean it looks like a 5-year old guitar.

     This is a wonderful guitar. It is light as a feather and sounds great with lots of immediate resonance.

     Exceptional condition. Sunburst. 14-fret neck joint. It is rare to find these old original guitars that are in such nice original condition. Mahogany back, sides and neck, with Spruce top. Original Rosewood fingerboard and bridge. Original tuners. Original finish. One repaired pickguard crack that is unseen from the top.

     This guitar has good set-up, with nice low action and full tone. Its great for fingerstyle playing, but also for playing with a pick. It has that old dry wood sound that so many players love.

     Good(+) condition. *Excellent "player's" guitar. 12-fret neck joint. 1 3/4" width of fingerboard at nut. 24 3/4" scale length. Appears to be Adirondack Red Spruce top. Mahogany back, sides and neck. Brazilian Rosewood fingerboard and bridge. Original bridge and tuners. D-string tuner post is bent, but works fine. Black body with white pickguard. Dot inlays in fingerboard. Gibson silkscreen script logo.
     Four repaired top cracks, three repaired back cracks. Two repaired side cracks. Ridge down center of back of neck shows wear from leaning against rough surface. Two small holes in top below pickguard from former volume and tone knob installation. Jack hole in bottom side.

     Guitar currently has endpin jack professionally installed with cable inside with 1/8" jack for soundhole pickups to plug into.

    Recently set-up professionally with very clean neck reset, new bone saddle, milled fingerboard and recent full fret job.

     This guitar is a serious machine for playing. It's all set-up and ready to go and it sounds great. Quick response and good balance. The wear along center of back of neck doesn't seem to affect playability at all.

     Excellent condition. Sunburst. Comes with factory installed active pickup. Minor evidence of player wear - mostly just light surface scratches, with one ding on top. Some normal fret wear, but no big "v" dents in frets. Overall it is in nice shape.

     1 11/16" width at nut. 25 1/2" scale length. Body is deeper than standard L-00. Upper bout is 4 3/8" depth and lower bout is 4 3/4" depth. Newer bone saddle and nut.

     This guitar is set with light strings and low action. It plays real easy.

     Extremely Early Gibson Flattop Guitar - Earliest we've seen...

     Excellent condition. This is one for the museums! Earliest example of a flat top, flat back guitar we've ever seen from Gibson. Example of the earliest "A-frame" bracing that Gibson employed until around 1926/27.

     24 1/4" Scale Length. Shellac finish. BIRCH back and sides, with Red Spruce top. Pumpkin color. 1 13/16" width of fingerboard at nut. Dyed Pearwood fingerboard and peghead overlay. The Gibson silkscreen silver logo. Original Ebony nut. Original small frets. Tuners appear to be original 3 on a plate, with original buttons in good shape. Bridge is Ebony and appears to be original. Who knows - this guitar is early enough that it may be that Gibson just bought a bridge for this early guitar because they hadn't designed a flat top bridge before this time.

     Back and sides may have been refinished at some point... but looks to be also a Shellac finish. Top seems to be original finish with typical "leather dye" sienna color under the shellac finish.

     *We are publishing this guitar to our website at this time to establish awareness of it. The historical record of the early days of Gibson evolving their L-1 from an arched top and back, to a flat top with arched back, to these first flat top AND back A-frame braced examples is rather murky and incomplete. Hopefully this guitar will stand as a useful piece to this ongoing puzzle... Hence, it is not for sale at this time.

Fine condition. Typical Gibson crackle finish. Parallelograms fret markers. Very rare wartime model. Has truss rod in neck. Includes custom Lindy Frailin floating pickup mounted on the pickguard.

     VG+ condition. All Mahogany. 1 3/4" width at nut. Big full neck profile. This guitar has had some various work performed on it, but is in very good shape for playing and has real good sound.

     Repaired grain crack in neck heel. Several back cracks repaired. Side repair "football" patch - probably where a jack had been installed. Center-seam in top has been re-glued from bridge down to binding. Another long top crack on bass side of top was repaired. Original bridge has been radically thinned. Top shows history of "bellying" around and below bridge, but has been stabilized with extra brace under the top. Mahogany bridgeplate. Tuners replaced. Neck reset. Overspray finish on sides and back. Some marring of finish around fingerboard extension from heating fingerboard.

     Ok, I know this sounds like a shopping list of things that have been done on this guitar... But all-in-all, its pretty nice to look at and very nice to play.

     The belly in the top seems to be quite stable and the finish on the top is pretty nice. It plays fine and sounds great, with lots of character and expression.

     Exc(-) condition. One small triangular patch in Mahogany back, in lower bout, against binding. Frets appear to be original and have been milled once. There are some "V" dents in the frets in first position. Guitar has some normal lacquer checking, and has some random dings here and there. Schaller tuners were on the guitar for a period of time, but now it has vintage re-issue 3-on-a-plate Kluson copy tuners professionally installed.

     Solid Mahogany back, sides and neck with blonde Spruce top. Rosewood fingerboard with dot inlays. Original Rosewood bridge and tortoise pickguard. 1 11/16" width at nut.

     Exceptional original condition. Rare handmade short scale prototype. Highly figured Maple with Adirondack Red Spruce top. Short scale - 24 3/4". Width at nut 1 23/32". Vintage rounded "V" neck profile.

     Highly figured Maple back and sides. Mahogany neck. Brazilian Rosewood fingerboard and bridge. Waverly pre-war style open-back tuners. Firestriped pickguard. Bone saddle and nut. Beautiful vivid traditional sunburst.

     In about 1992, Gibson announced that it would re-issue the famous Nick Lucas guitar model. These were designed around an L-00, but with deeper upper and lower bouts, multiple bindings and unique inlays in headstock and fingerboard. Eldon Whitford, Dave Vinopal and Dan Erlewine were at this time working on the "Gibson's Fabulous Flattop Guitars" book that showcased not only the original vintage Gibson models, but also dedicated lots of information about the new factory in Montana and their re-issuing of these classics as well as spotlighting their handmade custom shop. These 3 men were very excited to get early examples of these Nick Lucas guitars, but had heard that the factory intended to build them as long scale versions. They booked several of the first guitars to be handbuilt by John Walker - Gibson Master Luthier and head of the Custom Shop, and to be made with 24 3/4" short scale, like the original Nick Lucas guitars.

     So... while the Gibson factory was manufacturing their run of long scale Nick Lucas guitars, there were several examples handmade by John Walker in the newly-formed Custom Shop. Some of these were made to the even earlier L-1 shaped Nick Lucas, while most were made to the L-00 shape. Only about 4 were handmade with short scale. This guitar is numbered #004/100.

     This is a great guitar with nice full, open sound. The set-up is great. It is clearly heads above the factory Nick Lucas models.

    

     VG+ condition. Sunburst. No Repairs. Guitar shows lots of lacquer checking and has some lacquer chipped off of binding along fingerboard.

     14-fret neck joint. 25 1/2" scale length. Figured Maple back and sides. Mahogany neck Rosewood fingerboard and bridge. Gibson logo and Fleur d' Lis inlaid in MOP in peghead. "Nick Lucas" inlay pattern in fingerboard.
     This very guitar is really and truly "Prototype A", as it is the first Gibson Nick Lucas guitar built since about 1939. John Walker, who was head of Gibson Custom shop built this guitar entirely by hand. John handbuilt the first NINE re-issued Nick Lucas guitars from Gibson in 1992. Almost all of them were varying versions of the Nick Lucas, with some having Rosewood or Mahogany backs and sides, some having 12-fret neck joints,some with short scale, and some built with the earlier "L-1" body size. * Gibson collectors take note of the above information. This may be the only place you'll ever see this specific information.
     This guitar was awarded to a noted musician in Montana for his work in encouraging Gibson to re-issue the Nick Lucas model. It was used at festivals, jams, and other performances. This very guitar is seen and recorded in the picnic scene in "A River Runs Through It".
     This is quite a rare piece, and would be priced around $5,000+, except that it has heavy finish checking.