tcl19506 Posted March 10, 2014 Share Posted March 10, 2014 My mother has an old guitar that she received from her uncle many years ago. It has been sitting in a closet for a long time. The time has come for her to leave her home and move closer to one of her sons (that would be me). She is downsizing from a 4 bedroom house to a 2 bedroom apartment and since she is on a fixed income, she is try to sell some things. Anyway, that's the back story which brings me back to the old guitar. The label inside the guitar says it is a gibson and the serial number is 5091. I read on the web that that serial number was made in 1905. At the base of the neck inside the guitar is a stamp that says "The Gibson Order No 248". The guitar is in need of repair (see pics below for the major problems) I will most likely sell the guitar if I can find an interested party. Would I be better off selling as is, or trying to have the guitar restored? Can anyone recommend a luthier who would be interested (I live very near Raleigh, NC)? Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jedzep Posted March 10, 2014 Share Posted March 10, 2014 No clue, but I can't wait for those in the know to chime in. I'd bet it's a custom request for the oval soundhole before the cutaway was done on a style 0 top. That's some lower bout! I am confident, however, that it's not a financial bonanza. A few hundredbucks, as is, for a guy who can fix. A few hundred to repair. For all the history, these aren't known for their tone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
retrorod Posted March 10, 2014 Share Posted March 10, 2014 Looks to be a nice restoration piece for someone, 'so-inclined'....Without looking it up, I am not familiar with this era of Gibson however. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slimt Posted March 11, 2014 Share Posted March 11, 2014 Thats cool.... Chances are it would cost a few grand to fix it.. But keep in mind it would still be a broken neck guitar.. Still very cool though.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jedzep Posted March 11, 2014 Share Posted March 11, 2014 I had a guy, 20 minutes away, who could perform miracles for a reasonable price. An hour and a half away, Albany NY, is a noted luthier who's priced out of sight. You'll have to schlepp it around and get a repair cost idea. Keep in mind that it isn't a prized player model. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimR56 Posted March 11, 2014 Share Posted March 11, 2014 I am not an expert on Gibson instruments of that era, but I think this is pretty special even though it's not considered to be highly desirable as a player. It's still a piece of history, and this kind of thing gets me fairly excited. I don't know what it's worth, but I suspect it could be worth more than a few hundred dollars. I think it's a Style O model, and your 1905 date appears to be just about right. Here is an interesting website with some examples of early Gibson instruments (there are a couple of Style O's that are very similar to yours): http://www.oldgibson.com/ If that were handed down to me, I would begin by contacting someone like George Gruhn (gruhn.com) and getting as much info and advice as I could. If I could afford it, I would have it professionally restored (by a specialist, not by my local shop or whoever was conveniently located). Personally, I would probably keep it in my family. If you were going to sell it, you should definitely do some research, and not just throw it up on ebay or Craigslist. To me this is a museum piece, and deserves to be restored and protected for future generations to appreciate. Just my opinions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tcl19506 Posted March 12, 2014 Author Share Posted March 12, 2014 I am not an expert on Gibson instruments of that era, but I think this is pretty special even though it's not considered to be highly desirable as a player. It's still a piece of history, and this kind of thing gets me fairly excited. I don't know what it's worth, but I suspect it could be worth more than a few hundred dollars. I think it's a Style O model, and your 1905 date appears to be just about right. Here is an interesting website with some examples of early Gibson instruments (there are a couple of Style O's that are very similar to yours): http://www.oldgibson.com/ If that were handed down to me, I would begin by contacting someone like George Gruhn (gruhn.com) and getting as much info and advice as I could. If I could afford it, I would have it professionally restored (by a specialist, not by my local shop or whoever was conveniently located). Personally, I would probably keep it in my family. If you were going to sell it, you should definitely do some research, and not just throw it up on ebay or Craigslist. To me this is a museum piece, and deserves to be restored and protected for future generations to appreciate. Just my opinions. Thanks for the advice JimR56. After reading the comments thus far and more research, I think I will do as you suggest. I hate to let it go, and given that it will never be the best sounding instrument, restoring it for future generations sounds like the best way forward. If I can afford it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jedzep Posted March 12, 2014 Share Posted March 12, 2014 I'd love to know what happens with your git, tcl, if you have the time to keep us updated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tcl19506 Posted March 22, 2014 Author Share Posted March 22, 2014 I did some research and found out the guitar is a Style O and one of the larger guitars made (18" bout). Several sources suggested more than $3000 to fix. I got it appraised as is, but as most have said appraisals don't count for much if you can't find a buyer. My post on this forum put me in touch with a guy from PA who collect this era guitar and he came and got it yesterday. I think both of us are happy with the deal! He plans to restore it and add it to his collection which includes a smaller version of this guitar. Thanks to everyone for their help and advice. If a cool old guitar ever drops in my lap again, I will know where to get info! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimR56 Posted March 22, 2014 Share Posted March 22, 2014 Congrats on selling it, and thank you for putting the effort into finding it a good home, where it will be properly preserved. The 18" lower bout info was a surprise to me. Never knew they made any guitars that large before the introduction of the Super 400 in the 30's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jedzep Posted March 22, 2014 Share Posted March 22, 2014 Glad you could pass it on to a 'caregiver'. Ridiculous repair/restore estimates, however. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest GarrettH Posted March 22, 2014 Share Posted March 22, 2014 Very cool! I'm sure the new owner is happy! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slimt Posted March 23, 2014 Share Posted March 23, 2014 Congrats on selling it, and thank you for putting the effort into finding it a good home, where it will be properly preserved. The 18" lower bout info was a surprise to me. Never knew they made any guitars that large before the introduction of the Super 400 in the 30's. Yup... 19" bodys as well... I just bought a earlier version with Rope Binding and , Inlayed Guard,Tree of life fingerboard inlay.. will be picking it up in a month or so... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bo huggabee Posted April 11, 2014 Share Posted April 11, 2014 O.O AWESOME! MAKE THAT BABY PLAY AGAIN! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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