jt
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Days Won
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Posts posted by jt
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12 hours ago, Sgt. Pepper said:
Nice. Was this before or after he gave up doing bad things?
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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.
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Thanks, Tom! Fabulous stuff, as always.
And please do keep pickin'
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4 hours ago, BluesKing777 said:
Close but no cigar, eh? ...
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.
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13 hours ago, BluesKing777 said:
... Strange that Bill Collings nailed the Kalamazoo KG-14 sounds but in a modern playability setup, but doesn't seem to have attempted a Banner LG2. Maybe it was on his long list of to do guitars? ...
Bill and I talked about it. He was definitely interested. Sadly, he ran our of time.
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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.
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9 hours ago, Lars68 said:
Easy and without the shadow of a doubt, one just like this:
http://www.bannergibsons.com/910-41SJWilliHenkes.html
Coolest guitar ever made, in my book at least!
Lars
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.
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On 11/3/2020 at 7:36 AM, j45nick said:
That's pretty much what the back skunk stripe on my '43 SJ re-issue looks like. It might be ebony, but it could be any near-black wood.
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.
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8 hours ago, zombywoof said:
I figure if I could spend an just hour with you or Willi I might actually learn something.
10 minutes with Willi would provide you more information than a week with me.
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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.
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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. 🙂
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A beautiful guitar! Thanks for sharing it with us.
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16 hours ago, cunningham26 said:
Bumping this thread to see if anyone would like my copy of Kalamazoo Gals. It was a great read and John did a really wonderful job telling the story- would love to drop it in the mail and pass it along to someone stateside that may be interested in it. DM me if that may be you!
Thanks!
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8 hours ago, Dave F said:
... Sounds like lawyer talk 😉...
😁
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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.
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26 minutes ago, zombywoof said:
My '42 J50 has a seven ply rosette although it lacks the outer ring you see on early J45s. When did Gibson shift to the simpler purfling?
Sometime in 1943. You can scroll down my Banner Registry and see the simpler rosette appear right around FON 916.
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A lovely 1946 J-45, with replaced bridge and tuners, that is well worth some luthier's attention. Alas, I do not offer evaluations.
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8 hours ago, kooch said:
R U sure U have a "42. I have the original receipt from Huprich's music store which my father bought the guitar from. Dad was in a country music group here in Dover. Oh. He was a life long friend of the Huprich family. The store is still open and has been Roselyn's music for decades. The owner just passed but her husband Ralph (now 91 and a personal friend) and his sister-in-law still run it now. Gibson was inconsistent in those days and there is some research from old records in Kalamazoo that indicate the banner was not put on early '42s . All the features of a '42 R on this guitar . The logo, rosewood, Madagascar mahogany back (and sides), bracing, fret board, etc, etc. My father was meticulous about his things and I think some time before I was born, he had the tuners replaced but he kept the old ones in a box in the cedar chest. Lots of people think the banner and fon# R the ultimate truth in ID but they R wrong.
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.
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9 hours ago, E-minor7 said:
Wonder what qualifications/specifications it took for ordinary infantry-men to be allowed to bring a guitar to the front. Did you just walk in and told the draft-officer, "I'm a good entertainer which would keep the spirit up over there" and then once in a while someone got thumbs up. Like "I'm an aquaralist and would like to bring a set of watercolours" or "I'm a magician and believe the coming situation would benefit from a wand, , , this silk top-hat and a dove." Eeehh, wait the a minute, , , the Dove wasn't introduced until 1962 ! But still. .
Very nice films. Tried to find a WW2-shot of a guitar at the front that I posted long time ago - in vain. Well, , , the one above is gentler. .
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!
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18 minutes ago, PatriotsBiker said:
A new top-10 quote. Irene - "I hated it so bad I don't even remember what I did." (before Gibson)
Agreed!
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45 minutes ago, Lars68 said:
John, those videos were great! Very professional looking. Do you know if the story will run in the print issue as well? If so, I'd like to get my hands on a copy.
Also, sorry to hear about your health issues. I hope you are recovering well.
Lars
Lars, great question! I'd also like a copy. I'll ask!
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Thanks, gents!
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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:
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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:
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Let's See Those Firestripes
in Gibson Acoustic
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A pair of 1936 firestripes. OK, you can only see the one pickguard, but I like the photo. 🙂