ksdaddy Posted April 27, 2017 Share Posted April 27, 2017 This pic was taken in 1949. My father is in the foreground with the handgun (no shock there). My uncle Willie is at the piano and my uncle Harold has my father's J-45. As the story goes, he drove to Viner's Music in Bangor, ME and asked for the "cheapest Gibson you've got". I have no idea what ever became of it or what he owned over the next few years. My earliest recollection was the 1963 Southern Jumbo he bought new and kept until about 1970. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pippy Posted April 27, 2017 Share Posted April 27, 2017 I just LOVE this kind of thing. Absolutely fascinating. A casually-taken snapshot showing a split-second's worth of family life nigh-on 70 years gone. Pip. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duluthdan Posted April 27, 2017 Share Posted April 27, 2017 Splendid shot! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OldCowboy Posted April 27, 2017 Share Posted April 27, 2017 Outstanding! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MissouriPicker Posted April 27, 2017 Share Posted April 27, 2017 [thumbup] Absolutely great photo. A "slice of life" caught in that very moment it happened. That old adage about "a picture speaks a thousand words" is proven in this photo. This kind of thing is real inspiring to me. I enjoy looking at old photos...... Lots of story and songs in that pic. Your dad, his gun, the guitar, your two uncles, even the piano....and the picture on the wall of a pretty woman...Mom? Grandma? Aunt? Another song in that. And below that pic is a photo of a couple. That's another song. And then there's even a song about all the good memories about that house. Ksdaddy, you've got a treasure chest in front of you. Thanks for sharing the gold. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flatbaroque Posted April 27, 2017 Share Posted April 27, 2017 Wonderful! Dont shoot the piano player! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pippy Posted April 27, 2017 Share Posted April 27, 2017 ...Lots of story and songs in that pic. Your dad, his gun, the guitar, your two uncles, even the piano....and the picture on the wall of a pretty woman...Mom? Grandma? Aunt? Another song in that. And below that pic is a photo of a couple. That's another song. And then there's even a song about all the good memories about that house. Ksdaddy, you've got a treasure chest in front of you. Thanks for sharing the gold. Pip. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j45nick Posted April 27, 2017 Share Posted April 27, 2017 Cool picture. J-45 is a 1946: script logo, no banner, rectangular bridge. Bloody big handgun your father is holding. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boyd Posted April 27, 2017 Share Posted April 27, 2017 As the story goes, he drove to Viner's Music in Bangor, ME and asked for the "cheapest Gibson you've got". That's funny. I purchased my 1974 J-50 new at a music store in Bangor (can't remember the name). I chose it because it was the cheapest Gibson they had. Very cool picture! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
milod Posted April 27, 2017 Share Posted April 27, 2017 Curious... is that an early Ruger .22? Can't see much of it. Neat pix... Truly. m Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ksdaddy Posted April 28, 2017 Author Share Posted April 28, 2017 Curious... is that an early Ruger .22? Can't see much of it. It's very likely. I was going to guess that but I didn't know when they came out. Dad had a gazillion guns. Only a few at a time, but he traded every couple weeks just for fun. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ksdaddy Posted April 28, 2017 Author Share Posted April 28, 2017 That's funny. I purchased my 1974 J-50 new at a music store in Bangor (can't remember the name). I chose it because it was the cheapest Gibson they had. I'm betting it was Viner's. Huge store. The main store was on the first floor, pianos and organs on the second floor, and Sam Viner had a little junk shop on the third floor where he tinkered. I remember seeing a Mosrite Ventures hanging in Sam's junk shop for $150, every Teisco tulip body ever made for $29 a pop, and more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ksdaddy Posted April 28, 2017 Author Share Posted April 28, 2017 ..and the picture on the wall of a pretty woman...Mom? Grandma? Aunt? Another song in that. And below that pic is a photo of a couple. Yep, that's Mom, still vibrant, active, and sassy at 88. She mows 2.4 acres. That couple was mom and dad's wedding, August 29, 1947. My grandfather was an entrepreneur with varied interests and money here and there, a nice house in the 'good' section of town, right up the street from Sen. Susan Collins' family, plus a big farm in New Sweden. (Dad and Susan's father used to stand on the street corner in long "car coats" in the winter and pass a pint back and forth...picture a couple young Frank Sinatras looking for trouble). After my grandfather died, the 'nice' house got sold, as did the farm, and they had a small house built on the outskirts of town...more or less a shotgun shack. They started popping babies out and shortly after I came along in 1960, they sold the house for the insane price of $4500. I don't really remember it. I think we moved out in 1962. I think it got torn down in the early 80s. Sorry, I ramble. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
E-minor7 Posted April 28, 2017 Share Posted April 28, 2017 As authentic as it gets ^ look at the checkered photo-paper lacquer also. Dont shoot the piano player! With that timeless A-minor fixed and ready probably : House of the Rising Gun (could it be of them long barreled Mausers) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BluesKing777 Posted April 28, 2017 Share Posted April 28, 2017 This pic was taken in 1949. My father is in the foreground with the handgun (no shock there). My uncle Willie is at the piano and my uncle Harold has my father's J-45. As the story goes, he drove to Viner's Music in Bangor, ME and asked for the "cheapest Gibson you've got". I have no idea what ever became of it or what he owned over the next few years. My earliest recollection was the 1963 Southern Jumbo he bought new and kept until about 1970. Great shot.... err photo! It looks like your dad is about to make your uncle 'dance' like in the old cowboy movies! BluesKing777. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Proclaimer888 Posted April 28, 2017 Share Posted April 28, 2017 What a lucky find! So many thoughts on what was going on at that moment, music for sure.....cool stuff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blindboygrunt Posted April 28, 2017 Share Posted April 28, 2017 I had a big horse pistol like that I wouldn't be scared of no boogerman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MorrisrownSal Posted April 28, 2017 Share Posted April 28, 2017 Wonderful! Dont shoot the piano player! thats for the bass player! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j45nick Posted April 28, 2017 Share Posted April 28, 2017 With that timeless A-minor fixed and ready probably : House of the Rising Gun I still play it almost every day at some point. Fond memories attached to that sad song. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rustystrings Posted April 28, 2017 Share Posted April 28, 2017 I think the pistol is a Hi Standard HD .22, and I seriously dig it and the J-45 and the whole vibe of the photo! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hall Posted April 28, 2017 Share Posted April 28, 2017 Long as it's not a comment on the music he is hearing behind him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr. Gibson Posted April 28, 2017 Share Posted April 28, 2017 1493385345[/url]' post='1852053']I think the pistol is a Hi Standard HD .22, and I seriously dig it and the J-45 and the whole vibe of the photo! I think it's a hi standard HD military 22 too,looks like the one I have. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chasAK Posted April 28, 2017 Share Posted April 28, 2017 My first thought was the Ruger but I agree with the HighStandard. Ruger did not come out with a bull barrel until 1963. But I'll take the 46 Gibson over the 22 any day! "The cheapest Gibson" the evolution of thevintage guitar market is amazing. I have never played a 40s or 50s J45 or Southern Jumbo and probably never will. I still have not played the cooked top J45, as we no longer have a Gibson dealer in AK. I have two 45s, one war time and the other modern. Unfortunately the Gibson is not the war time one. Though I would not trade the war time Colt for a war time Gibson. It was my Dad's and there are too many memories. Chas PS Thanks for the great picture and the walkdown memory lane Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j45nick Posted April 28, 2017 Share Posted April 28, 2017 My first thought was the Ruger but I agree with the HighStandard. Ruger did not come out with a bull barrel until 1963. But I'll take the 46 Gibson over the 22 any day! "The cheapest Gibson" the evolution of thevintage guitar market is amazing. I have never played a 40s or 50s J45 or Southern Jumbo and probably never will. I still have not played the cooked top J45, as we no longer have a Gibson dealer in AK. I have two 45s, one war time and the other modern. Unfortunately the Gibson is not the war time one. Chas PS Thanks for the great picture and the walkdown memory lane Hey Chas, can you play "House of the Rising Sun" on an M1911? Don't give up on finding an old J-45 at a rational price. Thousands were built, and there are people here who have found them at estate sales and flea markets for decent prices. It's just luck of the draw. Retrorod's late 1940's SJ from a few years ago comes to mind. I found a late 1940's SJ on Craigslist for pretty cheap about five years ago, but it needed a fair amount of work to be made right. It had been the guy's father's guitar, and he knew only vaguely what it was. I made a fair but slightly lowball offer, but another guy paid full asking price. I'm kicking myself for trying to save $200 on that one. Purely as musical instruments, modern J-45's can be a match to old ones, even if they lack the vintage vibe and road wear. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chasAK Posted April 28, 2017 Share Posted April 28, 2017 J45nick, thanks for the encouragement. Concerning the M1911 I could try different powders to see if I can get some different pitches, or maybe I could just hold down the bottom line. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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