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It was 2015.

Love the video. Thanks for sharing it. An an anecdote about those CSN D-45s. At the second Fretboard Summit hosted by Fretboard Journal, David Crosby brought his D-45. He left it in a room for everyone attending to play. A very cool experience.

Thanks, Tom! Fabulous stuff, as always. And please do keep pickin'

Oh, I don't know. We talked about it a couple of times when we met. He really like my LG-1. But then Bill got sick and I simply wished him well when we spoke.

Bill and I talked about it. He was definitely interested. Sadly, he ran our of time.

I love the sound of that 1944, all-mahogany LG-2! Makes me miss my 1943 LG-1, which is the same guitar, but with fancier trim (fancy rosette, multiple purflings top and back). My LG-1 is on long-term loan to Jennifer Nettles, with whom I'm working on a project.

Yes, a batch 910 rosewood SJ! In truth, I would complete my Banner collection. I've got a first year SJ and a first year LG-1, and an only year Banner L-50. Were I blessed with a windfall, I'd complete my collection with first year examples of the J-45, J-50, LG-2, and LG-3.

The spec sheets list "black ebonized strip" for J-45, J-50, LG-1, LG-2, and LG-3. The sheet specifies "inlaid purfling in center line" for the SJ. So, maybe the center line was different for the SJ.

10 minutes with Willi would provide you more information than a week with me.

Beautiful guitar! Congratulations. It's interesting to see Gibson put fingerboard binding on a guitar with a banner logo. The first SJs did have fingerboard binding, but had the 1930s, banner-less logo. Willi Henkes and I think of them as prototypes (well, Willi's characterization and, as always, I defer to him and his vast knowledge about all things vintage guitar). As for the dates of the earliest SJs, Gibson shipped the first SJ on August 11, 1943.

Consistently inconsistent! Those "skunk stripes" on the backs are, according to the original spec sheets, a "black ebonized strip"--a dyed piece of hardwood, probably maple. I've lucked upon the original Banner specification sheets. Cause for a second edition ... some day. 🙂

A beautiful guitar! Thanks for sharing it with us.

Thanks!

😁

Beautiful guitar. Congratulations. I'm curious about the designation, "original," because the originals had neither the belly up bridge nor the bound fingerboard. But, again, a beautiful guitar.

Sometime in 1943. You can scroll down my Banner Registry and see the simpler rosette appear right around FON 916.

A lovely 1946 J-45, with replaced bridge and tuners, that is well worth some luthier's attention. Alas, I do not offer evaluations.

Very cool! I'd love to see photos. I'm in the slow process of working on a second edition of Kalamazoo Gals. (I owe books to other publishers first, so this will take a while, likely a year, or so). As others have pointed out, all known 1942 J-45s have the Banner. Before your revelation, I believed that of the "Banner" models, only a few prototype SJs did not have the Banner. So, again, very cool.

Wonderful photo. Thanks for sharing it with us. As best I know, soldiers did not need permission to bring a musical instrument to the battlefront. I'll research the question. Thanks for asking it!

Agreed!

Lars, great question! I'd also like a copy. I'll ask!

Thanks, gents!

Thanks! It's been a privilege to have the guitar. It's not the SJ I loaned to Dale. I'm fortunate to have 2 Banner SJs. The other is minty and was reinspected by its original inspector. I loaned that one to Dale. On edit: here's the SJ that I loaned to Dale:

Hello, all. Yesterday Guitar, the UK's most popular guitar magazine, posted this story about WWII-era Gibson flattops: Gibson in the 1940s: Kalamazoo Gals and Banner Headstocks. The story features 2, imho, nicely produced videos. The first is of my interview at the old Gibson factory of the last surviving woman, who turned 98 in January, who worked at Gibson during WWII (the producer wisely kept me off camera), (I asked my good friend to play one of my favorites of his compositions on my 1943 SJ for this video): The second is my interview/performance on my went-to-WWII 1943 SJ, recorded at Gibson headquarters in London:

I have copies of the original specification sheets for all of the Banner models (yes, they will appear in the second edition of Kalamazoo Gals ... in a year or two). The specifications for the J-45 and SJ are identical, but for trim. The bracing is the same, the plate thicknesses are the same. Note to 12moreguitars: I'm glad to learn of your recovery and your well-deserved gift to yourself. I've also struggled recently with health issues. Having all the guitars a Gibson lover will ever need, I rewarded myself with a bicycle, instead. 🙂