Jump to content
Gibson Brands Forums

Intended to acquire a 1950 SJ


duluthdan

Recommended Posts

Traveled to Nashville just for kicks, never having been there, and I have been hankering after a late 40s early 50s SJ and there was one listed at Carters Vintage Guitars.Played it and was not at all impressed. I don't use a pick, and I could just not coax any life out of the thing. Grabbed a ride to Gruhn's and oh my what a great legendary store. Not much in the way of vintage Gibsons hanging on the wall, so I wandered a bit, played couple of Martin Authentics, and oh my what mistake. Anyway, the 1937 Martin D-28 Authentic "Aged" is now on the little brown truck headed to my Colorado mountains. It will replace two other Martins I now have no reason to keep. Still itching to find me that magic vintage SJ as well. Sorry gents, but this was just to fabulous a six-string to walk away from.

hXZ79iL.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You would have loved Gruhns when it was downtown.

 

They were a Gibson dealer back in the day, too.

 

I like the new store, parking is a he11uva lot better.

 

Nice find, George don't have no junk, I got my mandolin from him (old location) and then let them dress the frets a few years ago at the new store.

 

I even have a t-shirt !

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Nice find. I've been eyeballing those as well, after looking at a lot of vintage ones that they want a lot more money for.

 

I didn't know "Martians" made Martin guitars. (check the tagline on your thread title)

 

Vintage slope-J Gibsons are individuals. Some are awesome, some less so. I'm lucky that the one I bought recently falls into the "awesome" category, but I've played plenty that aren't. I've also found they are really string-sensitive, and you need to find the right strings to get what you want out of them. If you're a finger-picker, you might need 80/20's or similar to brighten them, but if you flat-pick, they respond well to PB's.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Congrats!

 

I went to a music shop in the city here to buy strings last year and the guy lined up a half dozen or so guitars to try...a Collings C35, a new Bird, Maton Custom Shop, Taylor 12 fret GC Custom, 46 Gibson Southern Jumbo and your Martin Aged...all twice the price here. But, but, but I just came in for strings, I said in a squeaky voice. All great!

 

The 46 was like an old glove, warm and cosy and, and...while the Martin Aged was very warm and cosy too....pretty convincing aging.......someone else is happily playing them now!

 

Enjoy!

 

 

BluesKing777.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The best laid plans . . . Martians, Venusians - it is all good. While generalizations are dangerous as there are always exceptions to the rule, I find that Martins do tend to respond better to the touch of fingers than many. So anyway, play the heck out of it and enjoy every note.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Nice find. I've been eyeballing those as well, after looking at a lot of vintage ones that they want a lot more money for.

 

I didn't know "Martians" made Martin guitars. (check the tagline on your thread title)

 

Vintage slope-J Gibsons are individuals. Some are awesome, some less so. I'm lucky that the one I bought recently falls into the "awesome" category, but I've played plenty that aren't. I've also found they are really string-sensitive, and you need to find the right strings to get what you want out of them. If you're a finger-picker, you might need 80/20's or similar to brighten them, but if you flat-pick, they respond well to PB's.

I, too, have noticed variations among vintage slope J's. Most I've really liked favor light strings, and those I haven't were usually strung with mediums. I have tried mediums on all my slopes, and found them dull and thuddy, while lights have brought their potential to the foreground. PB lights kind of help me switch back and forth from flat and finger picking without losing the 'right' sound for each. Then, again, I'm not exactly a virtuoso😂

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That's a beauty Dan

 

Am still in love with my reimagined 28 , look forward to a sound clip of yours

 

Is it kind of an HD28 ? 🤔

 

 

It's Martin's equivalent of Gibson's Legend series: all hide glue, exact reproduction, etc. Madagascar rosewood, Adi top (new ones are VTS).

 

They don't give them away, but it's as close to a vintage D-28 as you can get without vintage headaches. And a "real '37 'bone in decent condition would set you back about $75k minimum, with the sky the limit at the top end.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Congratulations!

We always believed in balance. Good/evil, right/wrong/ sweet/salty, Ford/Chevrolet, Evinrude/Mercury, Gibson/Martin ... We always had both in our lives. Last year I did a set of posts on the Vintage Martin Facebook page based on our guitars. These were guitars of the same era that competed in their day and subsequently changed the musical world. This was the one from 1935/36 -- in the worst depression in US history, two of the most consequential guitar models ever. They still are.

p1gJmBA.jpg

 

Let's pick,

-Tom

 

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Congratulations!

We always believed in balance. Good/evil, right/wrong/ sweet/salty, Ford/Chevrolet, Evinrude/Mercury, Gibson/Martin ... We always had both in our lives. Last year I did a set of posts on the Vintage Martin Facebook page based on our guitars. These were guitars of the same era that competed in their day and subsequently changed the musical world. This was the one from 1935/36 -- in the worst depression in US history, two of the most consequential guitar models ever. They still are.

p1gJmBA.jpg

 

Let's pick,

-Tom

 

 

Be still, my heart.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

For a few years now, I usually pick up a Gibson when I play but for a couple months, I have had my D28 standard (1937 sunburst) and each time I play this, I am reminded what a fab guitar it is. It's different from a Gibson but just amazingly good. Incredibly balanced and in tune string to string and rings out so beautifully.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Congratulations!

We always believed in balance. Good/evil, right/wrong/ sweet/salty, Ford/Chevrolet, Evinrude/Mercury, Gibson/Martin ... We always had both in our lives. Last year I did a set of posts on the Vintage Martin Facebook page based on our guitars. These were guitars of the same era that competed in their day and subsequently changed the musical world. This was the one from 1935/36 -- in the worst depression in US history, two of the most consequential guitar models ever. They still are.

p1gJmBA.jpg

 

Let's pick,

-Tom

 

 

Hey Tom, is that an original jumbo? Do you ever put any time into playing that one, and thoughts on it?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

To have a light braced even forward shifted Martin dread within ones 4 walls is a highly reassuring feeling.

I found that my HD-28V (basically the same as yours) has its majik 2 steps down then capoed on second. Ordinary bronze or ph. ditto lights.

Not a recommendation, just an information based on ultra-subjective preferences.

 

I will not let that guitar go, , , but play the Gibsons more. May sound silly, don't know, but they are still more fun. .

Edited by E-minor7
Link to comment
Share on other sites

To have a light braced even forward shifted Martin dread within ones 4 walls is a highly reassuring feeling.

I found that my HD-28V (basically the same as yours) has its majik 2 steps down then capoed on second. Ordinary bronze or ph. ditto lights.

Not a recommendation, just an information based on ultra-subjective preferences.

 

I will not let that guitar go, , , but play the Gibsons more. May sound silly, don't know, but they are still more fun. .

 

 

The more I hear you talk, the more convinced I am that it makes sense for me to buy a modern repro like the D-28 Authentic than a mediocre vintage D-28 from the late 1950's. At some point I have to get my D-28 fix over with. But not right now. I'm still in thrall to my new 1950 J-45.

 

Maybe next year on the D-28.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The more I hear you talk, the more convinced I am that it makes sense for me to buy a modern repro like the D-28 Authentic than a mediocre vintage D-28 from the late 1950's. At some point I have to get my D-28 fix over with. But not right now. I'm still in thrall to my new 1950 J-45.

 

Maybe next year on the D-28.

Not a bad idea to try out the array of modern or contemporary 28s with vintage reference. There is a handful to choose from and some of them are stellar.

Fx a Custom series was made a couple of years ago - A-B-C maybe even D - and the one I played blew me backwards.

Actually had to go home and fetch my 28V and return to the store for an A/B.

Have to say I liked the wide spacing on the new one a lot - but the sounds were quite equal and mine was/is more broken in.

Besides I carved it a new wider spaced nut in '14 and dig its overall mojo a good deal. So no switch made, , , but wow that newbie was something. .

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The more I hear you talk, the more convinced I am that it makes sense for me to buy a modern repro like the D-28 Authentic than a mediocre vintage D-28 from the late 1950's. At some point I have to get my D-28 fix over with. But not right now. I'm still in thrall to my new 1950 J-45.

 

Maybe next year on the D-28.

 

 

I have the Martin OM18 Authentic and preferred it to the D28A - the 37 has a strange neck that a lot (UMGF) complain about....

 

 

The other one they ditched the Authentics for en masse is the PreWar Guitar Co:

 

 

https://www.pre-warguitars.com/herringbone

 

 

 

 

BluesKing777.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I recommend going to the 40 series. They’re different animals.

 

Yeah, I'd sort of like that 1937 D-45 I played a couple of months ago.....

 

But I seem to be lacking a half million bucks in my guitar fund, for some reason.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...