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1942 Gibson HG-00


fullmer105

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Hi folks:

 

I'm new here and am looking for some guidance. I have a what I believe to be a 1942 Gibson HG-00. The FON is 6035H. It had a cracked bridge and the buttons were dust. It is in it's original case which is in exceptional shape. I took it to a local guitar shop and he made a new bridge and put on new buttons. Everything else was kept original. I am sure this wasn't out of the case since the 50's, I found a 1957 Greyhound Bus schedule in the case for Scranton, which makes sense since that is where my father-in-law was from originally. It has his initials up on the truss guard cover. He would have been about 12 when he got this. I knew him for 35 years and he never mentioned he had this in his attic. This guitar does not have any cracks, just some dings and overall I'd say this one is in very good to near mint condition.

 

I have no idea what to do with it now that it's back in shape. Any ideas about value? I don't play slide guitar and we really want this to go to a good home. Thanks.

Dave

 

post-84169-024901400 1493949422_thumb.jpg

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Hi folks:

 

I'm new here and am looking for some guidance. I have a what I believe to be a 1942 Gibson HG-00. The FON is 6035H. It had a cracked bridge and the buttons were dust. It is in it's original case which is in exceptional shape. I took it to a local guitar shop and he made a new bridge and put on new buttons. Everything else was kept original. I am sure this wasn't out of the case since the 50's, I found a 1957 Greyhound Bus schedule in the case for Scranton, which makes sense since that is where my father-in-law was from originally. It has his initials up on the truss guard cover. He would have been about 12 when he got this. I knew him for 35 years and he never mentioned he had this in his attic. This guitar does not have any cracks, just some dings and overall I'd say this one is in very good to near mint condition.

 

I have no idea what to do with it now that it's back in shape. Any ideas about value? I don't play slide guitar and we really want this to go to a good home. Thanks.

Dave

 

post-84169-024901400 1493949422_thumb.jpg

 

Is it original Hawaiian setup or has it been converted?

 

Best,

-Tom

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Is it original Hawaiian setup or has it been converted?

 

Best,

-Tom

 

Hi Tom:

 

Still in the original setup, only things that were worked on were the buttons and the bridge. I thought I'd let the next guy set it up anyway they wanted to.

Dave

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The guitar looks to be in great condition, and properly identified by year and model.

 

Despite the relative rarity of the guitar, it is probably worth substantially less than an L-OO from the same period in the same condition. There simply isn't that much demand for vintage Gibson Hawaiian-style guitars in general, except maybe the large-bodied Smeck models. Converting one for Spanish style play (rather than lap-style) is not necessarily cheap, and requires great skill to do properly, including re-shaping the heavier braces and neck and re-setting the neck to the proper angle.

 

You are right to leave this to the next owner to deal with, since you may find the one person who wants this guitar in its original configuration. It would be a mistake for you to convert it.

 

For a relatively small fee, Gruhn may give you a written appraisal. It would be money well spent, since there is no real established and predictable market value for the guitar, as beautiful and rare as it is.

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The guitar looks to be in great condition, and properly identified by year and model.

 

Despite the relative rarity of the guitar, it is probably worth substantially less than an L-OO from the same period in the same condition. There simply isn't that much demand for vintage Gibson Hawaiian-style guitars in general, except maybe the large-bodied Smeck models. Converting one for Spanish style play (rather than lap-style) is not necessarily cheap, and requires great skill to do properly, including re-shaping the heavier braces and neck and re-setting the neck to the proper angle.

 

You are right to leave this to the next owner to deal with, since you may find the one person who wants this guitar in its original configuration. It would be a mistake for you to convert it.

 

For a relatively small fee, Gruhn may give you a written appraisal. It would be money well spent, since there is no real established and predictable market value for the guitar, as beautiful and rare as it is.

 

Thanks for that, might be worth the bucks to have someone tell me exactly what we have here.

Dave

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Hi folks:

 

I'm new here and am looking for some guidance. I have a what I believe to be a 1942 Gibson HG-00. The FON is 6035H. It had a cracked bridge and the buttons were dust. It is in it's original case which is in exceptional shape. I took it to a local guitar shop and he made a new bridge and put on new buttons. Everything else was kept original. I am sure this wasn't out of the case since the 50's, I found a 1957 Greyhound Bus schedule in the case for Scranton, which makes sense since that is where my father-in-law was from originally. It has his initials up on the truss guard cover. He would have been about 12 when he got this. I knew him for 35 years and he never mentioned he had this in his attic. This guitar does not have any cracks, just some dings and overall I'd say this one is in very good to near mint condition.

 

I have no idea what to do with it now that it's back in shape. Any ideas about value? I don't play slide guitar and we really want this to go to a good home. Thanks.

Dave

 

post-84169-024901400 1493949422_thumb.jpg

 

Great guitar and story, thanks for sharing. The FON's from this period can be hard to pin down exactly; the 'H' doesn't always indicate '42. Your FON does not appear in the Spann book but he states the FON's from '42-'45 are incomplete. You found another missing one.

 

I've researched this model lately and value depends on the usual--condition, conversion, etc. Most on the market are converted. I recently came across an unconverted '42 HG-OO in similar condition as yours for $4450 and another in less pristine shape for $2895, both from music stores. For another couple grains of salt the new Vintage Guitar price guide lists the value as $3300-4300 in EXC whereas the Blue Book value is $3000-3750 in EXC. A private party sale would be a little less and most people are going to want to get it converted, but I agree on letting her stay as is for now. If the buyer wants it converted I feel the price should reflect that. As pointed out it can be costly although I'm a fan of the least invasive conversion as possible. Getting a paid appraisal is another option. Although some debate getting them it can add credibility to the sale and is good for insurance purposes.

 

In my opinion the Vintage Guitar price range is a realistic range for one in your condition. A private sale for less may result in a quicker sale, so it depends on how long you're willing to wait.

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