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Gibson J-50 1959 ADJ


MorrisrownSal

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My 1965 J-50 ADJ is a nice contrast with my 2008 J-50, very different guitars. Mine has the skinny neck, which is arguably what I like best about it. I suppose a 1959 is a different beast. and that one does look very nice. But it costs twice what I paid for the '65. :)

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What isn't clear is whether or not this guitar originally was an ADJ, or if they converted it when the new bridge was made.

 

I'm guessing that would be a great rock 'n roll guitar, with the bite of the ceramic saddle.

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That saddle looks to be screwed all the way down? Shallow break angle on the strings - headed for a neck reset soon? Sal, you will be okay avoiding this one.

 

 

The saddle looks pretty much down, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. Some of the original ADJ's had grossly over-set necks, so that the saddle had to be cranked up so much that it tilted forward, sometimes splitting the rosewood saddles. ADJ saddle mostly down and tight in the slot is ok, provided you still have the action height and adjustment you might want.

 

String break angle looks fine to me, but there's no way to tell how low the action is set.

 

I wouldn't kick it out of the guitar rack.

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That saddle looks to be screwed all the way down? Shallow break angle on the strings - headed for a neck reset soon? Sal, you will be okay avoiding this one.

Actually, that's frequently where a lot of these seem to sit, and the break angle looks fine. The saddle on the adjustable bridges sits at a more radical angle than most, and it puts the treble strings quite far away from the pins. Therefore, the break on the treble side is less pronounced - similar to the effect of a four-ribbon jumbo mustache bridge.

 

I would think that being a '59, the neck profile would be rather fat. Like Boyd, I prefer the skinnier profiles - and luckily, the J-50 I have is very satisfying, so I can comfortably pass this one by without losing too much sleep.

 

But it sure looks nice!

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What isn't clear is whether or not this guitar originally was an ADJ, or if they converted it when the new bridge was made.

 

I'm guessing that would be a great rock 'n roll guitar, with the bite of the ceramic saddle.

Almost 100 this had an adjustable, which for some reason had to be replaced. Probably a crack.

The updated bridge is not quite sized like the original and the screws are obviously new breed.

The ceramic insert is of a different sort than my 3 and the majority out there. But something tells me Kalamazoo launched an early version, which is what we see.

 

Eeehhh, I'm actually after one of these. A rosewood bridge ceramic saddled slope, , , and a plastic bridge ceramic saddled pre-65 square - that's whats' on my list.

 

You may say I'm a dreamer. .

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Been keeping an eye on that one since it showed up in new arrivals. My thought is that it's pretty much original. The earliest adj saddles were a bit different from the '60s variety that most of us are accustomed to - and I can see where they had a try at getting it as close as possible. The neck could be pleasantly full, but they ran some with a bit more shallow profile - similar to early '60s - that would be equally likely. If I felt at the top of my game just now, I'd take a run up there and check it out, but probably won't. By now, the neck set's probably settled in just about right, too, as some have said. Hope one of you breaks down and makes the purchase!!

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It is interesting that Gibson did not add any upcharge for the ADJ saddle option.

 

The one guitar that got me sweating was a Gibson I found on eBay. A much abused Banner J-45. It had lost its finish, bridge, pickguard, and tuners and had a piece of mahogany spliced into the side. Seemed to be structurally sound though and had the one piece flatsawn back you run into on guitars made in 1944 and 1945. I stumbled on it just before the auction closed. It ended up going for just over $1900. Had I had more time to think about it I might have thrown my hat in the ring on this one.

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It is interesting that Gibson did not add any upcharge for the ADJ saddle option.

 

The one guitar that got me sweating was a Gibson I found on eBay. A much abused Banner J-45. It had lost its finish, bridge, pickguard, and tuners and had a piece of mahogany spliced into the side. Seemed to be structurally sound though and had the one piece flatsawn back you run into on guitars made in 1944 and 1945. I stumbled on it just before the auction closed. It ended up going for just over $1900. Had I had more time to think about it I might have thrown my hat in the ring on this one.

 

 

The way things are going at Gibson.. that could be a extra cost.. and a optional screwdriver at 39.95 for making it work.. :D.. think of all the warrenty costs saved..

 

 

 

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The way things are going at Gibson.. that could be a extra cost.. and a optional screwdriver at 39.95 for making it work.. :D.. think of all the warrenty costs saved..

And they'll toss in a free instruction sheet on how to use the screwdriver.

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And they'll toss in a free instruction sheet on how to use the screwdriver.

And I can reveal what it says :

 

Though the difference isn't that noticeable, try to keep the saddle in contact with the top.

In case you want to fine-adjust fx by raising either the treb- or the bass-side, perhaps both, go gently.

The old porcelain is fragile and must be handled with care.

The end-tips can crack and these items are rare therefor expensive. And you wouldn't want a tusq replacement.

 

Enjoy your adjustable concept - and be aware it's something else

 

P.S. - Don't forget to experiment with the rectangular metal plate under the ceramic insert. (if it's still there)

There might be a sonic difference, but that will be more due to the type of contact than the actual weight.

Same counts for the 2 under-top nuts - remove or don't. Listen your way forward. It's a matter of sound, not theory.

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And I can reveal what it says :

 

Though the difference isn't that noticeable, try to keep the saddle in contact with the top.

In case you want to fine-adjust fx by raising either the treb- or the bass-side, perhaps both, go gently.

The old porcelain is fragile and must be handled with care.

The end-tips can crack and these items are rare therefor expensive. And you wouldn't want a tusq replacement.

 

Enjoy your adjustable concept - and be aware it's something else

 

P.S. - Don't forget to experiment with the rectangular metal plate under the ceramic insert. (if it's still there)

There might be a sonic difference, but that will be more due to the type of contact than the actual weight.

Same counts for the 2 under-top nuts - remove or don't. Listen your way forward. It's a matter of sound, not theory.

Good stuff! Much better than usually available for free. 👍👍

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