jt

Hmm. Haven't seen this program. But, alas, Rev. Tim seems not to have a direct line to the Diety: his guitar is but a reissue. 🙂

A beautiful guitar! Thanks for sharing it with us. As others have indicated, it's very likely more recent than 1947. As best I know, the late 40s-early 50s shipping ledgers are still with Gibson at its Nashville headquarters. Thanks, again.

I'm not one to claim that vintage is always better. I do prefer vintage guitars, but that's because I like cool, old stuff. And, with Banners, having tracked the story and met the Gals, I can't pretend to be objective. I think that we all, and know that I respond to instruments not objectively, but personally and emotionally. And, well, again, I like cool, old stuff. As for legends ... I've played several and thought that they were all excellent!

I like your thinking!

🙂 The lead has been cast. A rather well known musician. You'll be pleased.

We've chatted and I've been favorably impressed by the new management. The company has a lot going on right now, but I'm confident that something will happen on this front. In addition, Kalamazoo Gals appears destined for a dramatic adaptation for the silver screen. So, there will be opportunity for coordinated projects. 🙂

Gibson built replicas of my SJ, J-45, and LG-1 (which Gibson dubbed an LG-2). I have no idea of how many of each model Gibson built. Original specs called for a precise replication of WWII specs, including hide glue. I've no idea if the company followed through on that commitment, though.

Heritage has all of the equipment that was at 225 Parsons Street when Gibson moved out in the mid-1980s. The oldest is a 1908 clamping device, still in use today. All of the equipment from the 1920s through the 1980s is still there. I spent last weekend in the building (a French TV crew met me there to record a short documentary about the Gals and me). Renovation plans continue. Eventually, the old building will house the guitar manufacturing (now in a connected building), performance space, and museum. I had the pleasure of playing for the TV crew my went-to-WWII SJ in the original building:

Hmm, Zomby. I resemble your experience. I've passed on far too many Banners. 😞 Especially given that a dramatic adaptation is headed to movie theaters. I'll provide more info .. when I can.

Lovely! Thanks so much for sharing this with us.

My ears were ringing! Yes, the maple banners have laminated backs and sides (at least every one I have encountered, but Gibson being Gibson ...). I think it most likely that deep into the War, and given the materials shortages and the rationing orders that the War Production Board issued, Gibson began using for flattops backs and sides originally destined for archtops. The maple banners can be fantastic. You can hear one in the first tune of "C Medley," Going Down the Road Feeling Bad," on the Kalamazoo Gals companion CD, clips of which you can access here. The guitar is a 1944 J-45, FON 2944-18, with laminated maple backhand sides and Sitka spruce top.

Thank you, kind sir.

Thanks!

A few years back, I got a gig at Ronnie Scott's, the great jazz club in London. One of my all-time favorite guitar performances occurred on that stage: Jeff beck's "Performing this week ... Live at Ronnie Scott's." When I walked into the club, the manager said, "Jeff's coming to see you tonight." "Jeff who?" Jeff Beck." Gulp! He sat in the front row. I played OK and afterwards Jeff complimented me. Maybe just being nice, but I have witnesses! We also hung out and jammed.

In truth, because Gibson did not record the FONs of shipped guitars in the shipping ledgers, dating Banners, or any vintage Gibson without a serial numbers (only awarded to high-end flattops like the Nick Lucas and to archtops) is guesswork. I love the truss rod-less Banners! They are lighter and a bit more resonant, I think. Here's the video I also posted in Dan's "Powder, 2 guitars, and a trailer" thread of Dan and me playing my two truss rod-less Banner SJs:

The Powder express reached Connecticut today!

... or 1944 🙂 US regulators introduced the metal restrictions mid-1943. The truss rod-less guitars span 1943 and 1944.

10 years ago, at a club in Liverpool. 1943 LG.

I'm really looking forward to your visit!

A fun question. If not limited to flattop guitars, I'd agree with the Loar F5 suggestion. Other acoustic, but not flattop, contenders could be 1930s Mastertone banjos, pre-war flathead banjos, and Loar signed L-5s. Presuming flattops, there have been a lot of great suggestions. I can think of only one context in which Gibson flattops dominate a musical genre like Martin D-28s and D-18s dominate in bluegrass: fiddle backup. If you want to play fiddle backup, you have to have a Banner J-45/50/SJ. Those are the iconic guitars in that context. Thanks for the question and all of the insightful answers.

Thanks for sharing your guitar with us! I love these guitars, which I call Bannerless Banners. I've seen the old logo on the new wartime models in both the SJ and J-45. I presume that these were from the very first run, before Gibson made the decision on the new logo and Banner. But, because Gibson did not identify flattops by Factory Order Number in its shipping ledgers, we will never know whether a guitar like yours shipped as a J-35 or J-45. But, given the adoption of the new headstock shape, purflings, and, in the case of the Bannerless SJ, the fingerboard inlays, I agree that it's safe to assume that this is a J-45. In any event, a very cool guitar! Since the publication of Kalamazoo Gals, I've also obtained copies of the original specification sheets for the Banner flattop models. I now know details down to top thickness, bracing thickness, and screws used for the tuners and truss rod cover. Alas, no mention of the logo or Banner. Thanks, again, for sharing your guitar with us. On edit: I also know of a Bannerless Banner LG-2. Again, probably first run "Banners."

Cool, isn't it? Ginger Minner, wife of my good friend Bob Minner, Tim McGraw's longtime acoustic guitar player, colorized the photo. One Gal, now 97 years old, survives. I'll visit her again, soon. Alas, as far as I know, none of the Gals played guitar or built one for themselves. Thanks! As fate would have it, I recently optioned the film rights to some very interesting folks. Mum's the word now. Details soon. Thanks, again, all, for caring about the Kalamazoo Gals!

I was an early member of this forum. I love so many people here, from whom I've learned a lot. But, alas, because this is the guitar forum that turns to ugliness and politics more quickly than any other, I've often taken long sabbaticals. I returned recently after several months away. I wish you all the best. I've a lot to discuss re the positive vibes from the new management. PM me to discuss. Because, I'll not be back.

This. It's stunning that this fellow knew so little about his craft that he would post the evidence of 1) his lack of knowledge of this instrument, 2) his "experimentation" regarding repairs for which there is a lot of available information about proper techniques, and 3) trashing a valuable, historical guitar in real time. There are so many great repair folks - Mamie Minch, Mark Stutman, TJ Thompson, Willi Henkes, etc. - who could have worked wonders on this lovely instrument. Sadly, way too late now. Its distressing to witness carnage.

Gibson radiused the tops, from the soundhole down (not the upper bouts). This is very common knowledge in the vintage guitar community. Something else common in the vintage guitar community is valuing original bridgeplates. Replacing that plate, alone, depreciated this guitar by 10% to 20% Again, horrific work (that significantly devalued the guitar).