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NOGD barn guitar


scriv58

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Circa 1953 gibson southern jumbo 20 years in a shed somewhere in canada, rescued and repaired (neck reset, bridge reglue, brace glue, refret, new tuners- the usual suspects)

just received it friday plays like a dream super comfy neck not as full as my 46 sj neck but just right.

 

Since i am an unrepentant lefty all i did was file the first two nut slots to allow for thicker 5th and 6th strings flipped the saddle and that's it. There a couple of small cracks to repair but i had them checked by my luthier terry whipple this morning, he said they are safe for now but he will glue them when he has more time. Only thing is that shiny greven pickguard, would like to have seen the old one (however roached it may have been). Terry also said the top is definitely red spruce, which matters not to me at all, but ok, cool. No other plans but play it all the frickin' time!

 

Here are pics and the soundclip, which as i say: a picture is worth a 1000 words, but a soundclip is worth a 1000 pictures... https://soundcloud.com/scriv58/53-sj

 

 

a_1.jpg

 

 

b_1.jpg

 

c.jpg

 

d%202.jpg

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You're gonna need some scratch repair on that lower bout.

 

Almost didn't know it was your playing without your signature bluesman sound at the end. Fine country blues pickin' by you, as always . . . Sure, you could have the guitar re-braced for a lefty, but I doubt there would be as much improvement as 60+ years of aged woods and cured glues.

 

How did you come across it? A classified, or just cleaning out the barn? That guitar is happy to make sounds once again. Well done.

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Road Warrior, and the road won.

 

Seriously funky, and some serious first-position fretboard wear.

 

Is there an FON in there somewhere? Judging from your other photos, you seem to have a soft spot for rode-hard SJ's. That's not a bad thing to have.

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The bracing is symmetrical i would think since it's 50's.

 

 

Besutiful sound and congrats !!

 

 

JC

 

JC, what do you mean by symmetrical bracing? I've never seen what I would call symmetrical bracing on a J-45.

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JC, what do you mean by symmetrical bracing? I've never seen what I would call symmetrical bracing on a J-45.

Very good question - look forward to X-ray this, , , , and to hear the guit of course.

On goes the cans, NOW

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No other plans but play it all the frickin' time!

Who can blame you - the old SJ sounds fantastic. It has everything one could desire from a seriously vintage slope.

Dryness, smoke, dust plus that timbre only time can provide.

No matter what kind of pattern we find inside, the turn around hasn't harmed the slightest.

Plenty of bass-authority, present, but not dominant mids and trebs all clear and defined without bein' brittle or tinny.

 

One can hear how at ease the box is. Bet the cracked lacquer plays in here.

 

The look is beyond words. So anti it becomes pro. And the whole non-thing almost screams in silence from the 'headstock-coal'.

 

Listen to that E-downstrum at 2:02 - says it all.

 

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Very, very cool example of my favorite Gibson model.

Quick question, shouldn't the angle of the saddle be reversed? I.E. shouldn't the low E contact point be further rear than the high E contact point? As it's not on your guitar, I would have expected intonation issues.

Regardless, big score and best of luck with her!

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Very, very cool example of my favorite Gibson model.

Quick question, shouldn't the angle of the saddle be reversed? I.E. shouldn't the low E contact point be further rear than the high E contact point? As it's not on your guitar, I would have expected intonation issues.

Regardless, big score and best of luck with her!

 

 

Maybe he's willing to tolerate that in the short run to avoid modifying the bridge for lefty.

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Would have commented sooner, but have been at a loss for words. 20 years through all seasons in a shed - I've seen one or two that went through just one Michigan winter in a car trunk and didn't hold up that well! It was just waitin' for ya, man😎

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Thanks for the looks and listens- i bought the guitar from Reverb. If i keep it, i will have the saddle slot re-angled, in answer to the other question. It may be going to a new home, so i'm not doing any mods.

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