Jump to content
Gibson Brands Forums

Am I crazy to buy this!?


kevbo82

Recommended Posts

OH THE DRAMA! So today i take it to my local guitar center to return it. Played a new J45, J35, and a used (i think it was 2007?) advanced jumbo. All nice guitars, none like this J50...

I call the store i purchased it from over the phone, they won't give me any money off the price of the J50. I try to return it at my local store. 4 guys including the manger come around and play the guitar and go "you're nuts to not keep this" a few minutes later the manger comes back to me and says "I'm calling the vintage people, i can get you $400 back on that guitar. I would rather you take it home and fix it then we have to fix it and then sell it" so here we are, i'm home with the J50, the price is now going to be $1200 after he gets through all the red tape and at that price i'm going to keep it and have the headstock redone. I've honestly never played a guitar i was this comfortable with, and that sounds this good to my ear. I swear i even sing better when i'm playing it!? [rolleyes] the luthier i use does nice work at VERY fair prices, so i'm thinking this should be properly fixed and i'll have around $1500 into it. If i sell my Dove for around the same price (which i only paid $300 for) I feel very happy with what i've eventually end up with for $300.

Great Drama-story, kevbo [thumbup] I feel that you and this guitar have 'bonded'. For $1200, WTF? Get a cosmetic job on the repair and I wish you a long and healthy life together!

 

Don't worry....Be happy!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I do not like using the word "better." Different is more accurate. Those mid- to late 1950s Gibsons have a sound of their own. Again, if you like it you are pretty much stuck with owning an original. I played a 1956 SJ for alot of years and in all that time never laid hands on a Gibson I preferred over it.

 

Not sure I see much difference between "preferred" and "I like them better," but in any case, I'm glad the OP got a guitar he likes at a price he's comfortable with.

 

P

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm also gonna get a quote from another shop, right up the street from martin's factory (the guy and his dad were both employee's and trained at martin) I've heard legends that these dudes make cracks in necks literally disappear. see how much that costs...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

As a collectible? Haven't a clue. As a player? IMO, Gibson is consistently making better guitars now than they did in the late 50s. For that money, I'd go pick a brand new J-35 off the wall and call it a day. Or if you believe in the open-up mojo, find a 10 tear old J-45 that floats your boat.

 

P

In fact, there is one on the trading post right now

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm glad to see you were able to get a price reduction, and I bet that amount will nicely cover the headstock repairs and replacing those Grovers with something more appropriate looking. Speaking as someone who foolishly replaced the original Klusons on a vintage Gibson with Rotomatics back in the mid-80s, I can tell you it really messes with the balance of the guitar!

 

I always thought the round-shoulder Gibsons from '55-65 had a special sound, one with a little more articulation than the immediate postwar ones. My blues mentor played a J-50 he bought new in '62, and that is one of the select few instruments that changed how I hear guitars. Good luck!

 

You ARE gonna share photos when it's done, right?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

There is enough nice older (vintage) guitars out there. Let this one pass

 

I wouldn't pay more than $500. I'd offer that and explain your rational so the guy doesn't think you're a low-balling a-hole!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Some of these prices are obscenely low. Which is fantastic for the buyer. But that's gotta hurt if you're the seller. Especially when you see Fenders, Martins, Les Pauls... on the market for rarefied sums of money. A 1953 Gibson for less than 3K? Yikes. The book says closer to 4-5.5K.

 

Buyer's market! So buy!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm glad to see you were able to get a price reduction, and I bet that amount will nicely cover the headstock repairs and replacing those Grovers with something more appropriate looking. Speaking as someone who foolishly replaced the original Klusons on a vintage Gibson with Rotomatics back in the mid-80s, I can tell you it really messes with the balance of the guitar!

 

I always thought the round-shoulder Gibsons from '55-65 had a special sound, one with a little more articulation than the immediate postwar ones. My blues mentor played a J-50 he bought new in '62, and that is one of the select few instruments that changed how I hear guitars. Good luck!

 

You ARE gonna share photos when it's done, right?

I will indeed post some photos when it gets fixed/cleaned up. There seems to be 50 years of funk on this thing too, hope cleaning it up doesn't effect the tone! lol

 

The guitar market is a crazy *** thing. It all comes down to what it's worth to any given person. Now everyone uses ebay to track the value of things, if one guy goes nuts and buys a guitar for way more than it's value all of the sudden the standard changes. Same goes if someone sells something dirt cheap. Another part is can you wait around to find the right buyer at the price you want. Eventually someone might come along willing to pay what your asking if you can wait. I also find it hilarious how much more the J-45's bring than the J-50's. I'm a sucker for sunbursts too, but i'll take the same guitar in natural if it's a better deal.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

As a collectible? Haven't a clue. As a player? IMO, Gibson is consistently making better guitars now than they did in the late 50s. For that money, I'd go pick a brand new J-35 off the wall and call it a day. Or if you believe in the open-up mojo, find a 10 tear old J-45 that floats your boat.

 

P

Man I couldn't agree more. I think the new J-35's are fantastic guitars built to a very high quality standard using some of the classic old world construction methods (hot hide glue). And all of the dings and broken necks (hopefully not on that one!) would be your own.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm happy to report that after finding many a dud, I played a J-35 at a GC that was the real deal.

 

If you want to make it vintage, you could always play the hell out of it and take less care of it. (No polishing. No being too careful about returning it to its case. No wiping it down after playing.) Within a few years, it will look just like those old guitars that drip Mojo.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

×
×
  • Create New...