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Someone offering a 1962 Gibson B-45 in trade???


onewilyfool

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Which configuuration, trap tail or pin bridge? 12-fret or 14-fret? Slope or Dread? Natural or cherryburst?

 

Apparently, the B-45-12 went through an astonishing number of changes in a short period of time, but all Gibsons were changing rapidly in the 60's.

 

Some people swear by them (Leo Kottke, Ian Tyson, Gordon Lightfoot). An equal number of people swear at them. It is certainly not a low-maintenance guitar, but if you find a good one it, sounds like it might be a real treat.

 

A '62 in particular might be one of the good ones, if it's still in one piece.

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I played a 1963 B-45 (natural) that was hanging on the wall of a local music shop the other day. This one had the trapeze tailpiece and still had its original wood saddle.

 

I also got to compare it with a 1975 Guild F-212. While I am a Gibson guy down to the bone if I was in a buying mood it probably would have been the Guild that came home with me.(it did not hurt that the Guild also cost several hundred dollars less than the Gibson). So I would say you really need to play the Gibson before you part with either your hard earned scatch or something you might regret giving up down the road.

 

The Gibson was in absolutely beautiful condition and the price on the tag was $1400 but I could have walked out with it for probably around $1250.

 

I am still waiting to play the burst B-45 (not sure of the year of this one) with the fixed bridge which is still sitting a few hours away at the repair guy's place.

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I see lots of these B45's for sale and the seller misrepresents the year all the time.

If it's a 62 it should have an upper belly pin bridge.

I've owned a few of these and they are my favorite 12 string.

 

I don't think it is misrepresentation as much as Gibson serial numbers from the 1960s on can resemble a rat's nest. Confusing the matter more is that Gibson seems to have arbitrarily switched back and forth between various bridges so it is hard to say with any certainty early guitars had only this kind of bridge and later ones had that kind. I believe, however, a '62, had rounded shoulders so should be easy to identify.

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I don't think it is misrepresentation as much as Gibson serial numbers from the 1960s on can resemble a rat's nest. Confusing the matter more is that Gibson seems to have arbitrarily switched back and forth between various bridges so it is hard to say with any certainty early guitars had only this kind of bridge and later ones had that kind. I believe, however, a '62, had rounded shoulders so should be easy to identify.

 

 

Apparently, they went to the dread-style box in late '62, according to "Fabulous Flat-tops", but we all know that Gibson never wasted any parts, so you could easily see slopes later than that.

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I don't think it is misrepresentation as much as Gibson serial numbers from the 1960s on can resemble a rat's nest. Confusing the matter more is that Gibson seems to have arbitrarily switched back and forth between various bridges so it is hard to say with any certainty early guitars had only this kind of bridge and later ones had that kind. I believe, however, a '62, had rounded shoulders so should be easy to identify.

 

There aren't a whole lot of 62 slope shoulder B45's, may be a few but most are 61's with a trapeeze tail piece.

Gibsons from the 60's really aren't that tough to date even with confusing serial numbers.

They all have tell tale features pertinent to their year.

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I have a 1964 B45-12 that is square shoulder like a hummingbird and has the upper belly pin bridge... this is apparently the last year of the thinly braced tops for the B45's... its beat to hell and the top has caved in but sounds like its from another planet... has a bridge doctor keeping top from sinking further... nothing sounds like it.. but with that big thick neck and big frets its hard to play complex chords on... good for using a capo and playing droning riffs that are mesmerizing... I also have a 2011 hummingbird 12 string that has a similar quality to its tone but is more balanced and modern... these square gibson 12 strings with short scale are by far my favorite 12 strings.. such a unique quality to the tone.

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