ann

Wow again - I'm so impressed with the generosity of all you folks out here - good to know stuff for sure! I feel very lucky that my B20 (we think) - was made in about 1970 hopefully before the worst of the cost cutting took effect... and even more fortunate that my only other Gibson is one I actually played at a gig tonight - my ebony Gibson Invader that I purchased in 1985 - Now I much more fully understand why the nice fellow at the guitar shop where I purchased it new as my first electric - told me that Gibson USA (as it was newly dubbed then) - had really gotten their act together again as far as quality went. --- The Invader is not fancy - I call it my poor man's Les Paul - no arched top - but it's been a very solid guitar which is now nearly 30 years old (OMG!) - and still looks spanking brand new in it's sturdy case. I now hope to find a quality hard shell case for my little B20 as the chip board case it's in doesn't protect it as well as I'd like - - - I'm hoping to find one that will fit online from Musician's Friend ... I'll report back on how it fits for anyone who might benefit from that info. --- Thanks again for all the really cool historic info - most appreciated! Cheers for now - Ann

WOW! Thanks Jazzman Jeff! --- I was beginning to think I had lost my mind as references to the B-20 and pics of ones offered for sale in various states of health online were difficult to find and some even seemed to disappear when I tried to look for links to reference. Some pics I found were of guitars so neglected that it made me sad - I think this one spent untold ages under someone's bed forgotten - hence its relatively good condition... and I am thankful that it's rather strong musty smell is finally dissipating (sorry if that's TMI!) :-) - I too found a very brief mention in the Gibson Blue Book - stating only that records show 500 B-20 guitars made in the B series - but nothing else about them. - the precious few images of B-20 guitars I was able to find online matched mine perfectly in size, shape, bracing, and even the odd string-through bridge. It is a small and delicate guitar but it sustains like a dream. It's narrow neck took some getting used to - but now I wouldn't trade it. For anyone considering installing a pickup ... I had to have the frets re-done and a "Pure Western" guitar pickup installed which is just wonderful. So - I guess we'll consider the pics I've submitted here pictures of a Gibson B-20 guitar unless someone else can come up with more information from a forgotten pile somewhere. Thanks again for the sanity check! - I was starting to wonder if I somehow got a Japanese copy of a Gibson --- but hey - it's ultimately the SOUND that counts eh? p.s. I am also learning a lot from all of the kind responses to this thread - so thank you so much - and I still am not sure what the "Norlin" period was, nor exactly what a "neck volute" is... is that the part of the neck where it joins the body at the back, or where the neck joins the headstock at the top? - If at the top, on the back - the headstock and the neck are shaped out of one piece of wood, (well actually 3 long pieces of wood laminated together lengthwise to form the entire neck and head). Whew - sorry to have written a small novel out here - but hopefully the topic is of some interest if not at least slightly entertaining. We love talking about our guitars out here don't we??? :-) PEACE and thanks again to all! Keep those cards and letters a-coming :-)

Nope - not a nylon string :-)

hello again - and thanks so much for all the knowledgeable help - - it does indeed have x bracing - as I try to show in one of the pictures... no especially large "hump" at the back of the neck where it meets the head stock - but upon close inspection of the wood grain - it looks like the neck was constructed with 3 long thin pieces of wood excellently matched - rather than the neck made of one piece. Hmmm. Accounts of Gibson documents I've seen reference that 500 "B-20" guitars were made... but not much else about them. The B20 guitars that look identical to mine that I've seen online are stamped with a simple B20 on a vertical piece you can see when looking in the sound hole - which I assume helped seal where the 2 back pieces were joined. Mine however is perfectly blank there - with no evidence of any stamp or label ever having been there. So all I have to go on is the serial number, size and the look of the guitar. I wonder if there are any records of the basic dimensions of B-20 guitars, as surely that would help! :-)

Wow - thanks for the informative reply - - I'll give it an even more careful read - meanwhile I just double checked and the binding shown in the picture - is black, and not painted on. Also the fellow who sold me the guitar seemed to be guessing about the bridge, as he thought it was a B25. I think it is original after more careful inspection. Also I've seen pics of one or 2 guitars offered as B20's for sale.... this one looks like my guitar's twin - have a look.... http://www.guitar-museum.com/guitar-19652-Vintage-1971-72-Gibson-B-20-Guitar-W-Orig-Case-HagTag Did the LGs have x bracing? The neck is rather narrow too as you can probably see in the photo's in case that's a clue.

Thanks for the pointer to the image loading tip - knew I was missing something there... Here are more pics... starting with a nicer one of the front... I believe it has mahogany back and sides, spruce top... Body is 19.5 inches tall, avg 4.5 inches deep, Lower bout 14.5 inches wide, middle 9.75, top, 11.25, neck 20.5 (from top of body to top of head stock). Total length just under 40 inches (the neck is really 20 and 3/8's) The fellow I purchased it from told me that the original owner he bought her from had the adjustable bridge replaced with the solid wooden one - but that is foggy. As mentioned, I just replaced the original gibson deluxe tuners with the metal butter beans of the exact same size (thank god they fit with a little coaxing and the new rings were too fat so I re-used the originals). So - what do you guys think? a 3/4 sized B25? a B20? other? --- Thanks in advance I sure appreciate knowing what I have here sn is embossed black ink under varnish 965567 with Made in U.S.A below the sn. Notice the Gibson logo which is faux mother of pearl is missing the dot over the i as well.... but this seems common for a few years according to research. Thanks in advance for any thoughts - - SO GLAD I found this cool forum by the way! A

AOK - - Here we have what I *think* may be a Gibson B20 from all I've read online. It has x bracing, is smaller than a full sized B25 - yet not quite as small as a "student" guitar, and the body isn't the student guitar shape. I don't know what the exact sizing of a B20 is - and there is no clue on the guitar itself besides the serial number which indicates it was made in Kalamazoo in the right date range for a B20. I LOVE the sound of this Gibson! OK since I can only upload one image - even at 72 dpi - here are a few more clues. - I recently had to replace the tuning pegs with metal Klusons as one of the metal posts got bent and broke on the original the cream colored "butter bean style" nobs it had. Also the Gibson logo on the head stock is mother of pearl colored rather than gold or black which seems rare/odd. In case it's another clue - these original tuners had GIBSON DELUXE engraved on the back of each tuner which were 3 in a line style. Pictures follow (if I can figure out how to upload more than one at a time) --- Anyone out there have a guitar like this one? - Thanks in advance!