BluesKing777 Posted December 15, 2019 Share Posted December 15, 2019 (edited) Rescued a 2002 Gibson J50 from the pawn shop! Sounds absolutely great - worn in nicely since 2002.....somebody melted the nitro badly on the back of the neck with a guitar stand rubber problem. Urgently needs new strings and other help, but here are some first photos..... BluesKing777. Edited December 15, 2019 by BluesKing777 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
E-minor7 Posted December 15, 2019 Share Posted December 15, 2019 1 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobouz Posted December 15, 2019 Share Posted December 15, 2019 I've owned quite a few Gibsons from the early 2000s (including a J-50), and they can be extremely good. Congrats and Enjoy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BluesKing777 Posted December 15, 2019 Author Share Posted December 15, 2019 It is really good! Tuned it up in the shop and fingerpicked a few faves and as I was thinking: “Yep!”, this other customer came over and said “That sounds great!” I just gave them the asking price as I was in a hurry to get moving as the traffic was truly horrid and the shop has to wait for the consignor to reply by email to an offer.....a blues, a rag and some melody notes on the first string that just cry....well, it is just a musical beauty and the rest can get repaired, maybe. Currently, I don’t know whether to play Lightnin’, Bob or James T.....😎 The Better Half said the damage on the back of the neck looked like Wilson..... So ...”Wilson” is probably its new name. BluesKing777. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jedzep Posted December 15, 2019 Share Posted December 15, 2019 Sweet! Waddya' mean it's not a J45? A rose is a rose is a rose. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BluesKing777 Posted December 15, 2019 Author Share Posted December 15, 2019 (edited) It was a bit late in the afternoon when I returned with the goods, so played a few tunes for the Boss and then grabbed the camera for a few shots for proof of possession stuff.....but the light was ‘over there’ and it has highlighted the grain (runout?) way more than in real life. The close up of Wilson makes it look worse too...I may give him some red eyes! And for people who wonder why my outside chairs are always leaning on the table, highly tech reply - I have a family of (rather ironically) wild doves living above the table in the veranda rafters. And blackbirds and others....why live in the wilds when you can make a happy life at my place, except for the little dog nuisance? Anyway, if I leave the chairs down, the doves sit on the back rests and poop on the seats. They don’t like the seats leaning so then they poop on the table! At least I can see it there without sitting on it! Dog regularly clears the birds off but a doggy has to snooze sometime.😶 J50 now lives in a Hiscox....it came in a gig bag, so I have shuffled cases around the storage, made myself hot..... BluesKing777. Edited December 15, 2019 by BluesKing777 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uncle fester Posted December 15, 2019 Share Posted December 15, 2019 Very nice BK - looks like pawn shops are good to you! Any plans to do anything with the neck dings - or just learn to co-exist? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BluesKing777 Posted December 15, 2019 Author Share Posted December 15, 2019 I have had great luck with the pawn shop - this guitar sounds older than my 59 LG3! I don’t know why - I don’t think it has been played that hard for 17 years old. My guess is the heavy finish check is from leaving it overnight in a car. Guitar is dry as a bone, sharp fret ends etc. But like my dog, it has probably come to the right home😋. My tech could probably splash a bit of nitro in the damage....if I can pin him down to look at it at this time of year. Unlikely. I was told that the previous owner swore it was still the factory setup, got his receipt in the bag. So next year, a repair, a nice setup and a Baggs Anthem to replace the currently non working Element pickup. I don’t think I will have time this week to change the strings so I will leave all ‘as is’ for a while. BluesKing777. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murph Posted December 15, 2019 Share Posted December 15, 2019 Very nice find. Love it when I can pick up something and not have to pamper it. The early 2000's was a time when the entire crew at Bozeman were building more than just guitars. They were building a reputation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boyd Posted December 15, 2019 Share Posted December 15, 2019 Very nice! And it doesn't have the ugly Rotomatics like my 2006 J-50 had. 🙂 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j45nick Posted December 15, 2019 Share Posted December 15, 2019 That really is nice! It has the complete late 1950's look, with the correct soundhole purfling, pickguard, tuners, bridge, etc. If you just looked at it without looking at the label, you would say it was a 1957 J-50. What's the nut width (we know you are particular) and neck profile? Looks pretty chunky. Are the top braces scalloped or tapered? What does the label call it ? Some of the tone may come from it being dry as a bone. Often a dried-out guitar sounds its best just before it is ready to explode from drying out, so you might work a bit on humidification. So many questions... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zombywoof Posted December 15, 2019 Share Posted December 15, 2019 My first thought also when looking at the shot of the neck joint was somebody is watching you. Congrats! I do have a soft spot for J50s. The big pointy pickguard versions always bring Jorma and Lightnin' to mind. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BluesKing777 Posted December 15, 2019 Author Share Posted December 15, 2019 1 hour ago, Murph said: Very nice find. Love it when I can pick up something and not have to pamper it. The early 2000's was a time when the entire crew at Bozeman were building more than just guitars. They were building a reputation. And Ren may have.....walked past and waved! But yes, this is a NICE build, not just because I bought it. Awful strings and it rang out all over the shop. The neck damage was a step too far for most buyers, I guess. BluesKing777. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BluesKing777 Posted December 15, 2019 Author Share Posted December 15, 2019 46 minutes ago, Boyd said: Very nice! And it doesn't have the ugly Rotomatics like my 2006 J-50 had. 🙂 And they work so far...new stringing will show some truth! BluesKing777. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zombywoof Posted December 15, 2019 Share Posted December 15, 2019 (edited) 3 hours ago, j45nick said: That really is nice! It has the complete late 1950's look, with the correct soundhole purfling, pickguard, tuners, bridge, etc. If you just looked at it without looking at the label, you would say it was a 1957 J-50. What's the nut width (we know you are particular) and neck profile? Looks pretty chunky. Are the top braces scalloped or tapered? Good questions though. Up to last month I would have assumed the J50 would have the standard Bozeman scalloped bracing. But then I got he WM-00 which is only one year older than BK's guitar. And the top bracing is tapered,. As my guitar was part of a budget series I just assumed it was a labor saving/cost cutting measure. But it does beg the question did Bozeman use another bracing carve other than scalloped on their stock guitars. Edited December 15, 2019 by zombywoof Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j45nick Posted December 15, 2019 Share Posted December 15, 2019 9 minutes ago, BluesKing777 said: And they work so far...new stringing will show some truth! BluesKing777. Vintage Klusons get a bad rap. I've restored a number of them to perfect working order. As my luthier says with a shrug, "the only function of the tuner is to hold the strings at pitch. You don't need $200 18:1 tuners for that." Modern electronic tuners have made actually getting to the right pitch dramatically easier. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BluesKing777 Posted December 15, 2019 Author Share Posted December 15, 2019 22 minutes ago, j45nick said: That really is nice! It has the complete late 1950's look, with the correct soundhole purfling, pickguard, tuners, bridge, etc. If you just looked at it without looking at the label, you would say it was a 1957 J-50. What's the nut width (we know you are particular) and neck profile? Looks pretty chunky. Are the top braces scalloped or tapered? What does the label call it ? Some of the tone may come from it being dry as a bone. Often a dried-out guitar sounds its best just before it is ready to explode from drying out, so you might work a bit on humidification. So many questions... It is a lot of questions! Don’t care, Nick, it is the first night of the ...honeymoon! Nut (and neck) is pretty standard Gibson modern 1,725, scalloped brace, element pickup, probably a ‘Historic’ label...will look tomorrow as I am getting dagger looks currently, but Historic was around about the time.... the top has been broken in! And sounds older, to me, than a 59. Inexplicable. Now playing fingerstyle....diversion for a mo....I played a used 2017 Bird first but it had a ‘custom shop 1960 ri label and a 1 11/16 nut! And a bent D tuner. And another $1000 bucks. And all kinds of things and people were walking in and out of the shop and I couldn’t get a handle on anything really but the nut said “No!” The fella went to find the J50 for me and ...da dah, the sky opened and all went quiet and I asked for a tuner and a capo and set to test driving it...the nut said “Yes! I will let you play raggy, I will let you play Davis and then I will let an E chord ring out!” And everyone gasped. ( made that up). “Wrap that thing up, it is mine!” Humidity....now in a Hiscox and tomorrow I will find that box of Oasis I bought but didn’t like, but that will be better than putting a hose in it until shops buy more Humidipaks. BluesKing777. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fortyearspickn Posted December 15, 2019 Share Posted December 15, 2019 A Christmas Story ! What a great find... you never know what's just around the corner. Neck looks fine to me, as long as it's sealed. Part of its story. Who wouldn't love a pawn shop find like that. Enjoy ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BluesKing777 Posted December 15, 2019 Author Share Posted December 15, 2019 (edited) 13 minutes ago, fortyearspickn said: A Christmas Story ! What a great find... you never know what's just around the corner. Neck looks fine to me, as long as it's sealed. Part of its story. Who wouldn't love a pawn shop find like that. Enjoy ! I am thinking the shop photo was put up by somebody who wanted to keep the J50! Fair to poor! You really couldn’t see anything except that is was...Gibson shaped. Guitar has been there for a couple of months! There is a big Uni nearby, so all those broke hopefuls have been playing MY guitar for 2 months. And the strings say they have been eating lunch first! The damage is not sealed - I think I saw 2 eyes of bare wood. A bit of gaffa tape will fix.☹️ Kidding! Anything this guitar wants, this guitar will get...one day. BluesKing777. Edited December 15, 2019 by BluesKing777 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jedzep Posted December 15, 2019 Share Posted December 15, 2019 Lunch on the strings? What a picture! Glad to see a fixed bridge/saddle on that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fortyearspickn Posted December 15, 2019 Share Posted December 15, 2019 Lunch On The Strings .... need some 0000 steel wool to clean off that fretboard. Saw a sign in the luthier's shop a decade ago - "Save a fretboard, wash your hands before you pick up your guitar." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BluesKing777 Posted December 15, 2019 Author Share Posted December 15, 2019 Yuk, might have to wash my hands after every time I touch it, or zap it in the microwave, or disinfect. Or brave it. For the sounds, you know. Jedzep will be glad to hear my last expresso coffee bag has gone in the soundhole as a pre-emptive strike sort of thing....there was a whiff of ‘wine in a glass on the sink after getting back from 3 weeks on holiday’. A splash of eau de old sock. Now it is very strong expresso wafting out the soundhole....very strong, must be because the guitar is so dry. Of course I exaggerate but maybe Niles wouldn’t touch it. BluesKing777. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jedzep Posted December 15, 2019 Share Posted December 15, 2019 Unfortunately, the smelly Martin has barely lost any 'manfume'. I would have gone to the coffee if the problem was internal, but the way it seems to have been absorbed into the lacquer on the 'armpit' side is a special problem that apparently only time will diminish. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zombywoof Posted December 15, 2019 Share Posted December 15, 2019 (edited) I only play with my fingers and my one gripe with Gibson is the 2 3/16"" string spacing at the bridge. Kinda skimpy guys. Once upon a time a time they gave you somewhere in the 2 5/16" range although Gibson being Gibson nothing was ever spot on. Not an insurmountable problem only one that gets a bit of getting used to when going between guitars and is more of an issue in winter months when my old hands start acting up. If only the darn things did not sound so good. Edited December 15, 2019 by zombywoof Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
62burst Posted December 15, 2019 Share Posted December 15, 2019 Who plays "up there", anyway? . . . Maybe have your luth inlay two eyes of MOP, or rubies in there under some deep clear, & just go with the flow. With it's aged/darkened lacquer checking, that top could easily be mistaken for something from the late forties. And as Boyd pointed out, with those tuners, the headstock just looks right. Congrats on another Gibson rescue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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