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Is 5 piece neck(3 maple + 2 hog) a big undesirable thing for a Banner SJ ?


gotomsdos

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Hi, folks out there...

I bumped a 1944 Gibson SJ for 7000 USD(offer considered, so 6500 USD should be no problem. it seems to be very very inexpensive)on UMGF. I read the info, saw the pics, Spruce top, mahogany back and sides. very normal condition. Seems that the only undesirable thing is neck stuff (3 piece maple + 2 piece mahogany) with two black lines on it. But a bit strange thing, to me, is that the sell thread has received no single reply with a buying intention in about half a year. Seems not sold yet now. Puzzled. Is it just because of that 5 piece neck ?

 

Instead, I read of the benefit of 5 piece neck, e.g. "A 5-piece neck is more resistant to warping than a one-piece neck"

 

A 1944 Gibson SJ

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Alls I can say... WillySunday is a standup guy and knows his guitars. I've emailed with him, and he and I share a lot of musical tastes. He is not sort of chap to mispreresent something he is selling.

Good luck.

If things don't pan out with him, I humbly suggest you deal with a very reputable dealer. These things are pricy. At least buy a good one. Gruhn or Elderly.

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It was wartime. Gibson, like many other manufacturing concerns, did what they could with what was available. Though perhaps an oddity on an SJ, a laminated maple neck is generally very stable. I wouldn't let that discourage me if it was otherwise up to snuff.

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Wartime J-45s tend to be siblings, not clones. A part of that comes from available materials at that time. I strongly suspect that another part is due to the fine artistic sensibilities of the lovely ladies who built them. Any of us who is fortunate enough to own a wartime J-45 will likely tell you it's a good'n. To me, the laminated neck just makes the guitar more special in its own way. So you're considering an SJ - even better!

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I'm with Cowboy and Buc on this one. If I could afford an original Banner SJ, I'd not be put of by the 5-piece neck, and would see it as a unique feature of a survivor. Plus, I like maple necks. Love the hog neck on my Woody Guthrie, but the maple neck on my Howard Roberts Fusion is just the best neck I've ever played. Many top archtops have 5-piece maple necks and some jazzers sniff at anything else.

 

I know you can't play before you buy, Goto, but in this hunt you are not going to be able to find enough comparable data to narrow down scientifically even to the limited extent that you might manage with new guitars. You're probably best taking the plunge on a Banner from a reputable seller. If you like the feel and sound, perfect. If not, you won't really have trouble selling it for a good price.

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....But a bit strange thing, to me, is that the sell thread has received no single reply with a buying intention in about half a year. Seems not sold yet now. Still for sale on GBase(for 9995 USD, URL offered in the following URL). Puzzled. Is it just because of that 5 piece neck ?.....

 

I'd say it's the $7,000 price tag. I don't hang in this market, but I wouldn't consider $7K for a guitar "inexpensive."

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Thank you all !

But not that I'm buying SJ,,just curious of the possible tie between neck material and the undesirable. Yet if I bump a good Banner J-45, I'll consider it, but issue is whether I'm able to handle that "baseball bat" or the like neck, which is why I started another thread.

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Thank you all !

But not that I'm buying SJ,,just curious of the possible tie between neck material and the undesirable. Yet if I bump a good Banner J-45, I'll consider it, but issue is whether I'm able to handle that "baseball bat" or the like neck, which is why I started another thread.

 

Of all the guitars you have asked about so far, I think this is by far the best J-45/SJ candidate. Personally, I would not worry one second about the neck material or its construction. All Banners are different. It's kind of part of their charm. If this guitar sells for $6500, I think that is a very good price. A lot of money, yes, but also a very desireable guitar.

 

The best thing is that Sal just gave you a solid reference for the seller, which is extremely valuable. If I were you, and had the money in hand, I would investigate this guitar further. Ask for close-up pictures and measurements. Move with caution and don't take anything for granted, but also don't expect perfection. This guitar seem to have just the "right" issues for a player grade guitar.

 

Lars

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Of all the guitars you have asked about so far, I think this is by far the best J-45/SJ candidate. Personally, I would not worry one second about the neck material or its construction. All Banners are different. It's kind of part of their charm. If this guitar sells for $6500, I think that is a very good price. A lot of money, yes, but also a very desireable guitar.

 

The best thing is that Sal just gave you a solid reference for the seller, which is extremely valuable. If I were you, and had the money in hand, I would investigate this guitar further. Ask for close-up pictures and measurements. Move with caution and don't take anything for granted, but also don't expect perfection. This guitar seem to have just the "right" issues for a player grade guitar.

 

Lars

Thank you Lars so much !

I saw the pics carefully, it received a bump impact between rim and back, a bit serious. To be honest, a bit hard to accept.

.

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Thank you Lars so much !

I saw the pics carefully, it received a bump impact between rim and back, a bit serious. To be honest, a bit hard to accept.

.

 

I would not worry too much about that bump if repaired well. Ask for some close-up pictues, inside as well. A guitar at that price will have a few scares.

 

Lars

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I would not worry too much about that bump if repaired well. Ask for some close-up pictues, inside as well. A guitar at that price will have a few scares.

 

Lars

Thank you Lars !

I saw those pics enough clear again. That bump impact caused the quite a few breaks of wood (even binding !). Even though repaied, this area will be easily damaged again if somebody bumps it carelessly. Bump damage is different from dings, scuff scars, scratches,etc(I can accept very much of these). which probably can stand one unheavy bump impact, but the former can hardly.

 

Besides bump damage of wood, the guitar has quite a few very long cracks, even go through inside wood and braces, which is far beyond my acceptable range.

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Thank you Lars !

I saw those pics enough clear again. That bump impact caused the quite a few breaks of wood (even binding !). Even though repaied, this area will be easily damaged again if somebody bumps it carelessly. Bump damage is different from dings, scuff scars, scratches,etc(I can accept very much of these). which probably can stand one unheavy bump impact, but the former can hardly.

 

Besides bump damage of wood, the guitar has quite a few very long cracks, even go through inside wood and braces, which is far beyond my acceptable range.

 

It isn't perfectly clear from the photos, but there look to be several poorly-done repairs on the guitar, some of which are pretty unacceptable. The cracks around the soundhole and the rim/top repairs where the guitar was probably dropped look like amateur repairs that need to be re-done.

 

I would keep looking, particularly since you don't seem to have access to an experienced vintage guitar repair person in China. If you could get someone like Willi Henkes to take the guitar on as a project, that would be different, but probably fairly costly.

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It isn't perfectly clear from the photos, but there look to be several poorly-done repairs on the guitar, some of which are pretty unacceptable. The cracks around the soundhole and the rim/top repairs where the guitar was probably dropped look like amateur repairs that need to be re-done.

 

I would keep looking, particularly since you don't seem to have access to an experienced vintage guitar repair person in China. If you could get someone like Willi Henkes to take the guitar on as a project, that would be different, but probably fairly costly.

Thank you nick !

Yep, I hope get a "NO NEED FOR FURTHER REPAIR" guitar. Just play it right away...

All I need to do is to change strings, turn truss rod, and sand saddle down a bit.

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