trextroy Posted December 28, 2017 Share Posted December 28, 2017 I have an opportunity to buy a 1978 J50 Deluxe and wanted some opinions on a late 70s J50. Some seem to say these are not that desirable. I have not played it yet. Owner wants $800 and is in very good condition but no case. That seems like a great price to me. What should I look for when I go play it other than obvious cosmetic issues and straight neck? Thanks for your help! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zombywoof Posted December 29, 2017 Share Posted December 29, 2017 Other than the things you would look for with any guitar - how the action is, how much saddle is left, lifting bridge, loose braces and such there are no inherent design flaws that I know to look for other than the ridiculously heavy bracing which they all have. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jvi Posted December 29, 2017 Share Posted December 29, 2017 straight neck that lines up with the top of the bridge and saddle bottom correctly - happy new gear ( I mean year) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jalex Posted December 29, 2017 Share Posted December 29, 2017 Play it and see what you think. 70's Gibson's get a bad rap, but that not to say there aren't some good sounding ones out there. If you like it I would offer $700 because it doesn't have the original case. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trextroy Posted December 29, 2017 Author Share Posted December 29, 2017 Do you think $800 ish is a decent price. It appears to be in very very good condition. I see prices all over the place from 700 to 1500. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jalex Posted December 29, 2017 Share Posted December 29, 2017 Do you think $800 ish is a decent price. It appears to be in very very good condition. I see prices all over the place from 700 to 1500. I've seen them on reverb for more and yes your right they seem all over the place. My local store had one for $1299 a while back it wasn't in the best condition though. $800 would seem fair. But doesn't hurt to go a little lower and work up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aliasphobias Posted December 30, 2017 Share Posted December 30, 2017 Let your ears be your guide. I would have to really want a Gibson flattop, to buy a late 70's one. I have heard early to mid 70s that were good but nothing breathtaking. When they are in very good condition that's usually a tip off, nobody played it, and for a reason. G'luck though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jinder Posted January 1, 2018 Share Posted January 1, 2018 Some of the ‘70s “Norlin era” guitars are poor, some are great. One of the best sounding guitars I ever laid my hands on was a ‘77 Gospel. These were all built with shallow neck angles, so expect a short saddle and not much wiggle room action wise. A neck reset can really being these guitars to life, giving them more saddle break angle and more volume. They’re often still very playable as is though, and providing the action is okay and the tone pleases you, it’s certainly a great price. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gibson Artist Posted January 2, 2018 Share Posted January 2, 2018 I have an opportunity to buy a 1978 J50 Deluxe and wanted some opinions on a late 70s J50. Some seem to say these are not that desirable. I have not played it yet. Owner wants $800 and is in very good condition but no case. That seems like a great price to me. What should I look for when I go play it other than obvious cosmetic issues and straight neck? Thanks for your help! J-50 are very underrated and very cheaply acquired for what they are. A vintage 70s Gibson for 800 and its not the junk student models, this is a 50, if i had the cash i would buy mine back in two seconds. Mahoganys have a nice warm, punchy midrange tone. The case doesnt have to be original and if you are a person whom occasionally likes to trade you will have no problem trading it. Sure, there are some gibson purists who hate the model, but try it for yourself and the only things to be wary of are the same for any other acoustic, bridge coming up, repaired cracks, etc. Mine had a giant repaired crack on the top and i still sold it for 1100 so these things hold their value. What i loved best about my old j-50 when i had it was it had a slim neck but the big 70s headstock. Being only 5'8 my smaller hands dont like the baseball bat necks that some gibsons have, so slim necks on a gibby acoustic was kind of rare. if you didnt already know, the j-50 is essentially just a j-45 with a plain top instead of the burst. So if you like a 45, odds are you will like the 50. My case wasnt original either, but i found a vintage case that didnt smell (hard to do sometimes haha) and it was all good. Go try it out and decide for yourself if the warm tones of mahogany are for you. Btw, i believe johnny cash and bob dylan both had a j-50 :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zombywoof Posted January 2, 2018 Share Posted January 2, 2018 Some of the ‘70s “Norlin era” guitars are poor, some are great. One of the best sounding guitars I ever laid my hands on was a ‘77 Gospel. I always considered the Gospel the best of the Norlin-era Gibsons. The reason is easy to figure out - that arched back which was unique to that model. The feature gave the Gospel some of the punch and volume that the heavy bracing and bridge plates large enough to classify as a piece of furniture robbed from the others. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldCowboy Posted January 3, 2018 Share Posted January 3, 2018 I always considered the Gospel the best of the Norlin-era Gibsons. The reason is easy to figure out - that arched back which was unique to that model. The feature gave the Gospel some of the punch and volume that the heavy bracing and bridge plates large enough to classify as a piece of furniture robbed from the others. Gospel is one of the better 70's offerings. Some Heritage models are pretty decent, too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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