SkipT2043 Posted February 13, 2021 Author Share Posted February 13, 2021 18 minutes ago, fortyearspickn said: Yep - you are doing exactly what most of us here would do. To expand on J45Nickers comment - if your guitar IS solid Brazilian Rosewood - it's value is significantly higher than any other ty[e of back/side tone wood on a similar model. You'd need a real luthier to tell you if it is. G'Luck. It's definitely Braz Rosewood which makes it a '65. I had checked the serial number against the infamous Gibson serial number lists and it showed up in both the 1965 and 1968 lists, but the '68's were Indian Rosewood. I sent the serial number and pictures to George Gruhn and he confirmed it's a '65. It's not worth as much as it could be because it doesn't have the original finish and the bridge, pickguard, and tuners aren't original. But it's a wonderful sounding and playing instrument, and of course it's invaluable to me! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j45nick Posted February 13, 2021 Share Posted February 13, 2021 1 hour ago, SkipT2043 said: It's definitely Braz Rosewood which makes it a '65. I had checked the serial number against the infamous Gibson serial number lists and it showed up in both the 1965 and 1968 lists, but the '68's were Indian Rosewood. I sent the serial number and pictures to George Gruhn and he confirmed it's a '65. It's not worth as much as it could be because it doesn't have the original finish and the bridge, pickguard, and tuners aren't original. But it's a wonderful sounding and playing instrument, and of course it's invaluable to me! With that back grain pattern, it would be dead simple to verify that it is solid rather than laminate. All you have to do is look in the inside corners of the lower bout for matches to that transition to a plain-sawn grain pattern. Even the patterns on either side of the centerline are pretty distinctive. This is a sweet guitar. I actually really like the bridge and pickguard, compared to what would have been original. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SkipT2043 Posted February 14, 2021 Author Share Posted February 14, 2021 23 hours ago, j45nick said: With that back grain pattern, it would be dead simple to verify that it is solid rather than laminate. All you have to do is look in the inside corners of the lower bout for matches to that transition to a plain-sawn grain pattern. Even the patterns on either side of the centerline are pretty distinctive. This is a sweet guitar. I actually really like the bridge and pickguard, compared to what would have been original. Definitely solid Braz, not laminated. All of the documentation I have says it is and poking around with a lighted inspection mirror proved it. I agree about the look of the pickguard and the bridge. The pickguard has a more interesting shape than the original and it has the same mock-tortoiseshell pattern. The bridge is Ebony like the original and it looks identical to what they used on those guitars starting in '68. I think both the pickguard and bridge fit the overall look of the instrument quite well. I just wish the bridge had an adjustable saddle like the original did. My guitar tech has gotten the intonation *almost* perfect, but it's still just a tad sharp around the 12th fret. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SkipT2043 Posted March 1, 2021 Author Share Posted March 1, 2021 I just got the case back and it's gorgeous. I'm blown away - I knew the restoration would be incredible, but my exceedingly high expectations were completely blown out of the water. This guy is a master craftsman - the attention to detail, the quality of the workmanship, and everything else about this job were beyond belief. I could not be happier. He is semi-retired now but he's still taking on some a few jobs if they don't require too many hours. If anyone has a vintage case that needs repair or restoration, I highly recommend him. Shoot me a PM and I can give you his contact info. I couldn't upload all the pictures, so I copied them to Google Photos. Hopefully this link works: https://photos.app.goo.gl/fMg8UM32Ji6f6QzQA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobouz Posted March 1, 2021 Share Posted March 1, 2021 The pickguard is rather Guild-ish & looks good on there, imho. Hopefully you got a written appraisal from Gruhn. If not, it would be well worth the cost on this guitar since it’s not the easiest to identify, and his confirmation of the model & solid Brazilian will remain key to it’s value. Congrats on a neat guitar! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
olie Posted March 1, 2021 Share Posted March 1, 2021 Congratulations on so many levels!The guitar, the case and the family story make this a feel-good story. I'm sure you'll be happy with the outcome. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SkipT2043 Posted March 2, 2021 Author Share Posted March 2, 2021 17 hours ago, bobouz said: The pickguard is rather Guild-ish & looks good on there, imho. Hopefully you got a written appraisal from Gruhn. If not, it would be well worth the cost on this guitar since it’s not the easiest to identify, and his confirmation of the model & solid Brazilian will remain key to it’s value. Congrats on a neat guitar! Thank you! Yeah, I like the pickguard too. It definitely has a nice period look that fits the overall vibe of the instrument, and I think the shape is a little more interesting than the original. And, yes, I have a written appraisal from Gruhn. It's framed and hanging in the music room. 🙂 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SkipT2043 Posted March 2, 2021 Author Share Posted March 2, 2021 16 hours ago, olie said: Congratulations on so many levels!The guitar, the case and the family story make this a feel-good story. I'm sure you'll be happy with the outcome. Yup, I couldn't be happier. Thanks olie! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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