BC Mike 118 Posted April 1, 2018 Share Posted April 1, 2018 I'm looking at an EBay J-45. Hope it's ok to post a link and ask for opinions on whether I should bid at the minimum..... there are a few issues but are they deal breakers? Not sure if the back is cracked al the way through or just part way. https://www.ebay.ca/...1?ul_noapp=true Thanks, Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jalex Posted April 1, 2018 Share Posted April 1, 2018 I guess it would depend on how much the repairs would cost. Not sure I would bid on it personally. There's plenty of other 60's Gibson's out there in better shape. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zombywoof Posted April 1, 2018 Share Posted April 1, 2018 The guitars has square shoulders so dates from 1969. Replaced bridge and tuners. Heavy top bracing on these makes it tougher to find a good sounding one. Standard Gibson skinny butt neck carve. The cracks in the back are not that big of a deal and would not be a deal killer for me. I have bought guitars is a lot worse shape than that. Looks like somebody was having fun trying to figure out where to place a strap lock. Price where it stands is pretty good though considering the modifications and condition. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BC Mike 118 Posted April 1, 2018 Author Share Posted April 1, 2018 The guitars has square shoulders so dates from 1969. Replaced bridge and tuners. Heavy top bracing on these makes it tougher to find a good sounding one. The cracks in the back are not that big of a deal and would not be a deal killer. Looks like somebody was having fun trying to figure out where to place a strap lock. Price is pretty good though considering the modifications and condition. Great input - thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j45nick Posted April 1, 2018 Share Posted April 1, 2018 The guitars has square shoulders so dates from 1969. Replaced bridge and tuners. Heavy top bracing on these makes it tougher to find a good sounding one. Standard Gibson skinny butt neck carve. The cracks in the back are not that big of a deal and would not be a deal killer for me. I have bought guitars is a lot worse shape than that. Looks like somebody was having fun trying to figure out where to place a strap lock. Price where it stands is pretty good though considering the modifications and condition. ZW, that's a round-shoulder J45 (not a square), probably '67 or '68 by the serial number. Since it's not a screw-on pickguard, I'd go for 1967. The original bridge would probably have been an adj, so it may be a replacement bridge. It is likely to have a 1 9/16" nut, which can be tough for folks with big hands. Those tuners are uncommon, but I've seen them before in this period. The damage doesn't look that bad to me, so if you can get it at a good price, it's worth taking the chance, IMHO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BC Mike 118 Posted April 2, 2018 Author Share Posted April 2, 2018 ZW, that's a round-shoulder J45 (not a square), probably '67 or '68 by the serial number. Since it's not a screw-on pickguard, I'd go for 1967. The original bridge would probably have been an adj, so it may be a replacement bridge. It is likely to have a 1 9/16" nut, which can be tough for folks with big hands. Those tuners are uncommon, but I've seen them before in this period. The damage doesn't look that bad to me, so if you can get it at a good price, it's worth taking the chance, IMHO. Again this is excellent input as the J's are new to me, Thanks, Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j45nick Posted April 2, 2018 Share Posted April 2, 2018 Even though the tuners are unusual for that period, there are no extra screw holes or indentations from the three-on-a-plate Klusons you would expect on the guitar, so they may well be original. The bridge?....I dunno. No pearl dots means no bolts, but there is no evidence of another bridge style on the top. Many of the bridges on the square dreads around 1970 didn't have pearl dots, but many of those were also belly-down rather than belly-up like this one. I'm not sure what bridge and tuners Gibson used in 1969 when they switch was made to the square dread shape. This is pure conjecture, but it's possible that this is one of the last round-shoulder J-45's, using some parts that became standard on the squares later in that year. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BC Mike 118 Posted April 2, 2018 Author Share Posted April 2, 2018 Even though the tuners are unusual for that period, there are no extra screw holes or indentations from the three-on-a-plate Klusons you would expect on the guitar, so they may well be original. The bridge?....I dunno. No pearl dots means no bolts, but there is no evidence of another bridge style on the top. Many of the bridges on the square dreads around 1970 didn't have pearl dots, but many of those were also belly-down rather than belly-up like this one. I'm not sure what bridge and tuners Gibson used in 1969 when they switch was made to the square dread shape. This is pure conjecture, but it's possible that this is one of the last round-shoulder J-45's, using some parts that became standard on the squares later in that year. One of the pictures on ebay clearly shows inside the soundhole the following "J-45 ADJ" which I am assuming means adjustable (bridge) The tuners do look interesting. Can't see anyone wanting to "upgrade" to them from strip tuners but that's part of the fun and mystery I guess. My deciphering of the serial number makes it look like either 1967 OR 1969. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aliasphobias Posted April 2, 2018 Share Posted April 2, 2018 1967 is the only year that I have seen the chrome Japanese tuners. They are correct and original but not very good tuners. Looks to be a changed out bridge. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leonard McCoy Posted April 2, 2018 Share Posted April 2, 2018 While the serial number, if correct, checks out dating this guitar back to 1967 or 1969, if you look closely at the images posted in the offer, you'll notice that the guitar has been tampered with in various ways (mostly for the worse). Whether that's a deal breaker for you, only you can tell. If you're but concerned about the rips in the back, it's not that bad by the looks of it—not a particularly difficult fix for a competent luthier. The collectibility rating of those 1960's models is rather low, but I doubt that's what you're after anyways. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zombywoof Posted April 2, 2018 Share Posted April 2, 2018 ZW, that's a round-shoulder J45 (not a square), probably '67 or '68 by the serial number. Since it's not a screw-on pickguard, I'd go for 1967. The original bridge would probably have been an adj, so it may be a replacement bridge. It is likely to have a 1 9/16" nut, which can be tough for folks with big hands. Those tuners are uncommon, but I've seen them before in this period. The damage doesn't look that bad to me, so if you can get it at a good price, it's worth taking the chance, IMHO. You are right. Maybe I should have put my glasses on. I do tend to avoid 1960s Gibsons primarily because of the neck carve which is a deal killer for me and rarely give them more than passing glance when I run across one. I know '69 was a transitional year with pickguards so you still see the large pointy ones on some guitars. Never seen anything but the enclosed Klusons on 1960s J45s but I do not see any ghost footprint. I agree the price where it sits is a good deal. Nothing visible that cannot be fixed easily at not a great expense. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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