1944 J-45 double rescue

[tpbiii]

After seeing the thread about the 1954 J-45 restoration, I thought I might tell a story about one of our guitars that has had a rough life. It is a 1944 J-45.

 

We acquired it about 20 years ago, and when we got it it was already very messed up. We bought it from a old guy while waiting in line to enter the Galax Fiddler's Convention. For those of you not familiar with this event, it nominally starts on Wednesday, but in those days its gates opened the previous Sunday morning. As a result hundreds of RVs started lining up on the roads on Saturday spreading out for miles in all directions. Saturday night is a giant party, with jam sessions all up and down the roads with temporary neighbors.

 

There we met an old man on a motorized wheel chair who wanted to sell his guitar -- he had decided his lifelong days as a musician were over, and he was planning to spend his time now fishing. The guitar was a c. 1944 J-45 that had an old, cosmetically bad refinish, a replaced belly bridge, and a number of repaired cracks. It was not a collector piece at all, but it sounded fine and his price was quite reasonable -- so we bought it as a player.

 

Here is an old picture:

 

So for ten years we just used it -- a fine sounding and sad looking player. But then in 2006 we had a disaster -- a pipe broke in our kitchen. The guitar was stored well away from the kitchen, but as bad luck would have it the water ran along a beam and made a waterfall on the guitar -- for three days!

 

Well the guitar was total toast -- it wrinkled up and fell apart.

 

 

 

Well it was insured for $1500. After it dried out, we took it to Randy Wood and said "we have $1500 -- can you do anything with this?" Here is the result.

 

 

 

Not perfect but hey -- what do you expect. A great player.

 

Here a video from a jam show at the Osprey Theater in Shelburne NS five years later -2011. The guitar is being played by (Dr.) Kelly Moore, who is in the wheelchair because of MD and who with my daughter (also Dr.) Tracy make up the folk duo "Dead Girl Songs." Both teach at the University of Houston.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C1eekhERxBs&list=PLcW5cMhdfomvlRT-k1ZQPXwJcOTtfAE_c&index=2

 

This is what you get when you mix wonderful instruments with wonderful people. You can't make this stuff up -- no one would believe you.

 

Let's pick,

 

-Tom

[Mafy31]

Nice story :)

Worth an american movie. Dramatic with an happy ending. These old axes went thru so many things, places, players... All the things that make them old guitars so special i guess.

[fortyearspickn]

Like Rescue Dogs, I think there's a special place in heaven for folks who rescue (and love) old guitars.

[OldCowboy]

Like Rescue Dogs, I think there's a special place in heaven for folks who rescue (and love) old guitars.

Amen!

[zombywoof]

Great story. I can certainly relate. There really is something about taking a basket case guitar and returning it to a place where it can do what is was built to do and look good in the process.

 

A reminder what my 1942 J-50 looked like when I first stumbled on it.

 

[j45nick]

Great story. I can certainly relate. There really is something about taking a basket case guitar and returning it to a place where it can do what is was built to do and look good in the process.

 

A reminder what my 1942 J-50 looked like when I first stumbled on it.

 

 

 

And I can't remember you ever posting an "after" picture on that one. Is it time for that?

[OldCowboy]

That would be truly kind - and the closest I've been to actually seeing a wartime J-50😐