targetpractice2 Posted June 20, 2008 Share Posted June 20, 2008 I have a old Gibson that I'm looking for info. I know its old and thats about all. Anyone think they can help? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ksdaddy Posted June 20, 2008 Share Posted June 20, 2008 If you're looking for model identification and a general date, then you've come to the right place. If you're looking for an appraisal, you should spend the $50 to have George Gruhn appraise it. It's been my experience he appraises them high for insurance purposes and the true street value is about 60% of what he puts on the paper. Ditto for Mandolin Brothers. If you want us to peek at it, we need decent photos and any numbers found either on the back of the headstock, on a label inside, or inked onto the headblock inside the guitar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
targetpractice2 Posted June 20, 2008 Author Share Posted June 20, 2008 I got a few pics here. This had been refinished i'm sure, and there is some cracks in the wood. I showed it to a coworker today who played it and loved it. I can't play and I don't know much about them. I'm not interested in a $$$ value really. Is it a $25 giveaway or is it something to have looked at? The pick guard is gone as well so I know its in rough shape. It was my grandmothers and it was given to me recently along with a old mandolin. Let me know what you think, im just curious really. On the inside the only #'s I can see are 3761 they are right where the neck mets the base. here are the links, let me know if they dont work. http://www2.snapfish.com/thumbnailshare/AlbumID=229747945/a=126008880_126008880/t_=126008880 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pohatu771 Posted June 20, 2008 Share Posted June 20, 2008 It looks very similar to my LG-0... body-wise, that is. The pickguard is a different shape, and appears to have been glued on, rather than screwed on, like my LG-0. B-25N, perhaps? With a replaced bridge? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
targetpractice2 Posted June 20, 2008 Author Share Posted June 20, 2008 This is on Ebay and has the same style to it. Had the Bolt at the top and almost the same #'s Is the about right? http://cgi.ebay.com/VINTAGE-1946-ACOUSTIC-GIBSON-GUITAR-MODEL-J-45_W0QQitemZ180255827836QQihZ008QQcategoryZ33025QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rscott4079 Posted June 21, 2008 Share Posted June 21, 2008 This is on Ebay and has the same style to it. Well, one thing right off is that the guitar on Ebay isn't a J-45 as they say it is. It looks to be an LG1. Your guitar certainly seems to be shaped like a 60's LG-0, but I'm suspicious of the carved-in logo on the headstock. If it is a Gibson, I'll go with Pohatu and say its either a LG-0 or a B-25. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ksdaddy Posted June 21, 2008 Share Posted June 21, 2008 It's an LG-something. It was made in 1955 or before because of the 19 frets. The LG0 didn't come out until '58 and the B series around '62. The straight bridge supports that. It looks like someone carved or routed the word 'Gibson' on the headstock after the decal was stripped in the refinishing process. The 4 digit number is the Factory Order Number which would very nicely nail own the date of manufacture if any of us had access to those numbers. Sometimes they are prefixed with a letter that will indicate the year but this isn't the case here. I think since it has a four digit FON with no letter prefix that would fit in with what I've read about the period of 1949 to 1952, which of course goes right along with the physical attributes. So it's definitely not a $25 junker but it also doesn't fit well with a clean $1500 1950 LG-1 (made that up guys, don't shoot me for being high or low). The refinishing really knocks the bejaysus out of the street value. If you're a player, play hell out of it, it will outlast you. If you're not a player, sell it to some Gibson freak for a few hundred bucks and you'll both walk away without feeling raped. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rambler Posted June 21, 2008 Share Posted June 21, 2008 What KSD said, but straight bridge puts it around 48-49. Look inside at the braces with a mirror. If the top struts cross and form an X, it's an LG2; if they go straight across (ladder brace) its an LG1. The X-braced LG2 has a more rounded sound and is at least half again as much. A more direct dry sounds points to it being an LG1. A clean playable LG2 goes for 2k+, Lg1s for 1.2-1.5. Subtract at least 1/3, maybe 1/2 for the refin, carved logo, open cracks, pickguard. That's if its playable. Can you fret a note without buzzing? action too high? neck straight? top bellying? A good guitar shop should be able to tell you that. Good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
L5Larry Posted June 21, 2008 Share Posted June 21, 2008 I think since it has a four digit FON with no letter prefix that would fit in with what I've read about the period of 1949 to 1952' date=' which of course goes right along with the physical attributes.[/quote'] I can't tell from the photo if the FON has any dashes or spaces, but here;s some info from a book by Ian. C. Bishop called "The Gibson Guitar from 1950", published in 1977 by New Musical Services LTD, London. It states on page 93, "Most non solid guitars built during this period.... will be found to have a three or four digit number, then a hyphen (-) followed by a further one or two digits. The very last digit of the second group is the last digit of the year of manufacture (eg. 817-92, the date would be 1952)." Maybe a '51? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
targetpractice2 Posted June 22, 2008 Author Share Posted June 22, 2008 I had a guy I work with play it, he makes guitars as a hobby. He said it was very playable, once the bridge was adjusted. He said after that it would be great. He played it and it sounded awesome. There wasn't any buzzing or anything. There are the 4 #'s in there and then something else but I can't tell what it is. Looks like a - then kinda like a horn emblem. I looking inside with a mirror and I don't see anything like a X anywhere. I am not a guitar person so this is news to me. The only reason I'm here is that another guy I work with handed me $25 and said he wanted it. I told him no of course, I wanted to see what the heck it was. Thanks for the Help. Also I have a Mandolin that was given too me as well. Anyone here know about them? I know its old.....and in better shape then the guitar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ksdaddy Posted June 22, 2008 Share Posted June 22, 2008 Yes, definitely post the mandolin, or links to it.... whatever works. I don't know how much help I can be but let's try anyway. If you see another character AFTER the four digit number it won't necessarily help anyway, at least not definite like a letter BEFORE it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
targetpractice2 Posted June 22, 2008 Author Share Posted June 22, 2008 Ok, the Mandolin has #'s inside it. K95-7525 and on the other side P4 Again I believe it to have been refinished as well. I think my grandparents had a think with that. The Electric was added too I think. Prob killed it in the meantime. This this is in awesome overall shape and the same guy at work played the heck out ok it. He didn't know anything about it as far as identity. http://www2.snapfish.com/thumbnailshare/AlbumID=236774725/a=126008880_126008880/t_=126008880 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jefleppard Posted June 22, 2008 Share Posted June 22, 2008 beautiful piece w/great character. i'm interested in hearing what KSD has to say. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
targetpractice2 Posted June 22, 2008 Author Share Posted June 22, 2008 Me too!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ksdaddy Posted June 22, 2008 Share Posted June 22, 2008 Definitely a Kay. The pickup is stock. The tuners have been changed but that wouldn't kill the value much. I'm going to guess it's about a 1955. If you remove the four screws holding the volume/tone plate in place, ease the assembly out and write down any number(s) you see on the back of the controls. Chances are (not guaranteed) they will start with 137 or 304. The next digit will be the last of the year, and the remaining two will be the week of that year. That only works in the 40s and 50s though... beginning in the 60s they went to two digits for the year. So if you find 304612 304 = manufacturer (Stackpole?) 6 = 1946 or 1956 (trust me, it's 50s) 12 = 12th week of the year. The same rules apply on newer stuff: 1377452 137 = CTS? 74 = 1974 52 = 52nd week All that wil give you a date of when the pot was made and you can guesstimate that the instrument was put together within the next few months. If you see obvious solder joint repair OR there is a complete disparity between an educated guess of the instrument and the age of the pots, if this mandolin had 1983 pots for example, then the whole thing goes out the window. Let us know what you find out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ksdaddy Posted June 22, 2008 Share Posted June 22, 2008 P.S. The lack of headstock logo means nothing; it's a Kay. They made them for anyone with a checkbook: Airline for Montgomery Ward, Penn for Penneys.... the list is long. If they went to a smaller store chain or jobber, they might not have any name at all like this one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jefleppard Posted June 22, 2008 Share Posted June 22, 2008 KSD, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
targetpractice2 Posted June 22, 2008 Author Share Posted June 22, 2008 I took it apart, on the back of the volume controls, it has a piece on it that has 86119 on it. under that it says 10 MFD then 100 V.D.C. off to the side is 178 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ksdaddy Posted June 22, 2008 Share Posted June 22, 2008 Yep, that's the capacitor, what actually cuts the highs as you roll the tone control down. What you need to look for are any numbers on the metal covers of the pots themselves. Her's one from the 23rd week of 1989. The numbers on yours may be on the very back or they may be along the outer rim but they will be there. You may even have to scrape a little white fuzz off it, but it's there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
targetpractice2 Posted June 22, 2008 Author Share Posted June 22, 2008 on the back of the Volume there is a 44 but the rest is covered my soldier. Can't see anything on the other. There is a 8 above the first 4. they are in the middle of the volume. thats all I can see of it. I can pick it apart but will likely hurt it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ksdaddy Posted June 22, 2008 Share Posted June 22, 2008 Yeah, no sense digging too deep. Maybe it's a '54! That sure would fit with everything else. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
targetpractice2 Posted June 22, 2008 Author Share Posted June 22, 2008 Thanks for all your help!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted June 22, 2008 Share Posted June 22, 2008 Yep' date=' that's the capacitor, what actually cuts the highs as you roll the tone control down. [img']http://i25.tinypic.com/e969uh.jpg[/img] Just be sure not to mess with the flux capacitor, otherwise you could find yourself back in 1978! Mind you, think of all the old guitars you could pick up that would be worth something now...... Fred (always thinking ahead.... or was that behind?) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ksdaddy Posted June 22, 2008 Share Posted June 22, 2008 If I could go back to 1978 I would do a lot of things differently. Buying guitars would be on the list but low on it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ballcorner Posted June 22, 2008 Share Posted June 22, 2008 If I went back to '78, I would have to be a drug dealer. Under my country's laws, at 15, they could only have kept me in kid prison until the age of 16 (Alberta) at which time I would have been released. Small risk, given the potential reward from selling weed during an oil boom. I would hit a home run with Kim F. as well. Scrap the bases. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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