Gibson B45-12N 12 String (1966)

[merseybeat1963 25]

Hi..Long time not here as I sold my Gibson acoustic and only have Gibson 3 Electrics and an L5CES Archtop..

but over a year ago I bought a very good sounding B45-12N (1966) and I really dont play a lot and I just pulled it out today and

I see there is a crack at sound hole next to fingerboard..

yecchs.

Whats commonly going on here..Pickguard shrinking causing crack..? Other reason?

Repair requires what..a cleat or strip of wood glued under there..maybe lifting pick guard?

Am, in Jersey..How much do you think such a repair will be..my repair guy if still there in NY will

be 95 about now so Im scared to call cause I really loved that guy.. : (

Thanks

 

Oh man..

File too big to upload for one picture..and "Try switching to basic uploader"

brings up some other odd unrecognizable stuff.

I just dont remember how I used to do it.Anyway crack is directly inline with fingerboard edge of treble side to the sound hole

[zombywoof 251]

Are you talking about a crack running down from the side of the fingerboard to the soundhole? Is it just a crack in the finish or is in in the wood? Also look to see if the top on other side of the crack is lining up with the soundhole - does the edge of the soundhole stick out further on one side of the crack than the other? Anyway, could be nothing. Could also be the fingerboard shrinking or the worse case scenario the neck block is rotating. Best thing to do would be take the guitar to a qualified repair guy for an opinion.

[QuestionMark 131]

Somewhere on the Gibson website is a listing of authorized Gibson repairpersons. Locate the list and one in your area and schedule an appointment to bring your instrument to him/her. I've done this in my area (Chicagoland) on numerous occasions. You can also likely arrange for the repairperson to pick up the instrument at an authorized seller of Gibsons, also.

 

The authorized reparirpersons do warranty work on originally owned instruments, but also do repairs not covered by warranty at a charge. Either way you get a repair fixed by an authorized Gibson repairperson. (Keep the receipt, it can help the guitar's resale value to show it was properly fixed by an approved Gibson repairperson.)

 

Hope this helps.

 

QM aka Jazzman Jeff

[Cougar 198]

I see there is a crack at sound hole next to fingerboard..

yecchs.

Whats commonly going on here..Pickguard shrinking causing crack..? Other reason?

 

Huh. I thought those were typically caused by some sort of trauma to the neck - a short drop or something - but that doesn't seem to be the case here. I guess there is a lot of stress there from the 12 strings in tension. I shouldn't think a repair would be that big of a deal - there's not that much to be done. Some guys tune their 12ers down a half step. Best of luck!

[zombywoof 251]

Huh. I thought those were typically caused by some sort of trauma to the neck - a short drop or something - but that doesn't seem to be the case here.

 

 

As I said, it could be caused by the neck block rotating. Not saying that is the case here. I would not, however, suspect this problem with a 1966 B45-12. These were far heavier braced than guitars made prior to late 1964 which were built so lightly that many literally twisted themselves apart.

[drathbun 91]

You have any photos of the guitar and/or the crack?

 

This is my favourite 60's B45-12:

 

[merseybeat1963 25]

File too big to upload..what ever that means..I load pictures from my computer all the time but here..not working.

The crack at the sound hole is one side of crack higher than the other..and goes up side of the treble side of fingerboard.

Sorry for late reply..I dont get notifications and high PSA level(prostate) has deflected me.

I decided to put it for sale (CrLst)..I really dont have a repair guy any more and one I do know amounts to a day to take it in (90 miles away)

and a day to pick up...

Not to mention the last time I went down to take a guitar to him it was a Masterbuilt Fender Stratocaster I custom ordered

which I was overly babying..he takes it down to his bench and comes up to tell me sorry,while balancing the guitar and other things on his bench

he dropped a pile of things on the guitar..only one dent luckily which instantly devalued the thing.

[Salfromchatham 235]

You are in NJ?

Take it to RUSSO's in Asbury Park. Eric.

Or take it to Brothers Music in WindGap PA if you are on the other side of NJ.

Brothers will be cheaper. They both do excellent work.

It could be a dry humidity crack if it lines up with the batwing guard. That happened to my LG2 copy... and it was new.

Inexpensive repair.

 

 

[OldCowboy 124]

If it were mine, I'd have a luthier check it out. Doubt that it's a severe issue, but if that kind of thing is ignored, it could be a problem that could have been easily resolved earlier.

[mojoworking 4]

You have any photos of the guitar and/or the crack?

 

This is my favourite 60's B45-12:

 

 

Possibly the best example of a B45-12 on an LP sleeve. Gordon has a few of these guitars, as can be seen by the belly up/down bridges in these two pictures.

 

[theflyingturtle 15]

Sorry about your guitar. You've gotten a lot of good advice so far. Cool guitar by the way. I tried a B-25 12 string last month and loved it! Super cool guitars.

[drathbun 91]

Possibly the best example of a B45-12 on an LP sleeve. Gordon has a few of these guitars, as can be seen by the belly up/down bridges in these two pictures.

 

 

Yes. I saw Lightfoot a couple years ago here in Calgary and he had two B45-12's onstage with him in addition to the Martin.

[theflyingturtle 15]

Yes. I saw Lightfoot a couple years ago here in Calgary and he had two B45-12's onstage with him in addition to the Martin.

 

That's so cool. I've had that CD for years and I never noticed the guitar.

[Johnny3j 17]

At some stage, I'd love to snag me a B45-12 just like Gordon's, e.g. sunburst with a pinned bridge.

I keep seeing natural finished examples or ones with trapeze tailpieces for sale.

 

Anyone know the timeline on these details?

[mojoworking 4]

When the B-45-12 was launched in 1961 it was a slope shoulder guitar. Apparently less than 100 were produced like this before it was given the familiar square shoulder "Hummingbird" body the following year.

 

Some great pics here:

 

http://www.littletobywalker.com/1961-gibson-b-45.html