Need help authenticating a guitar

[pn8830]

My friend gave me this guitar as a restoration project. I'm trying to identify the model of the guitar. He thinks it's from 1960s. The serial number on the back says 818620.

It looks like a B-25 to me but I'm a little puzzled by the upside down bridge and the rosette with two circles. This wasn't a common thing from what I could find in the catalogs and on Reverb.

 

[DanvillRob]

Looks like a late 60's Country Western to me...I've seen them with "Belly-Down" bridges......but I'm no expert, (there are plenty of them on here).

[pn8830]

30 minutes ago, DanvillRob said:

Looks like a late 60's Country Western to me...I've seen them with "Belly-Down" bridges......but I'm no expert, (there are plenty of them on here).

Well, Wikipedia says early versions came with round shoulders. It looks like Country Western had parallelogram inlays though. It's never easy.

[slimt]

B25.  Small body.   Should be a 14” lower bout.  Belly bottom bridge.    

Edited June 24, 2022 by slimt

[zombywoof]

C'mon.  Somebody with a blindfold could tell this is not a SJ or C&W whether it be built before or after 1963. Looks to be a '69 B25 with a rosette you would not expect to be there.  I believe the following year though Gibson started going with a more elaborate rosette so possibly this guitar was built late enough in '69 to have some crossover features.  While it is hard to tell without a better photo it looks like there may be something particularly nasty going on with the neck block on this guitar.

Here is a link to a 1970 B25 with the more elaborate rosette.  This one though shows three separate multi-ply rings.  As I do not have a ton of experience with Gibsons built this late in the game I will shut up and wait for those who do to chime in.

1970 Gibson B-25 | Reverb

[DanvillRob]

1 hour ago, zombywoof said:

C'mon.  Somebody with a blindfold could tell this is not a SJ or C&W whether it be built before or after 1963. Looks to be a '69 B25 with a rosette you would not expect to be there.  I believe the following year though Gibson started going with a more elaborate rosette so possibly this guitar was built late enough in '69 to have some crossover features.  While it is hard to tell without a better photo it looks like there may be something particularly nasty going on with the neck block on this guitar.

Here is a link to a 1970 B25 with the more elaborate rosette.  This one though shows three separate multi-ply rings.  As I do not have a ton of experience with Gibsons built this late in the game I will shut up and wait for those who do to chime in.

1970 Gibson B-25 | Reverb

I may not have a blindfold on, but I am nearly blind!

[pn8830]

3 hours ago, zombywoof said:

C'mon.  Somebody with a blindfold could tell this is not a SJ or C&W whether it be built before or after 1963. Looks to be a '69 B25 with a rosette you would not expect to be there.  I believe the following year though Gibson started going with a more elaborate rosette so possibly this guitar was built late enough in '69 to have some crossover features.  While it is hard to tell without a better photo it looks like there may be something particularly nasty going on with the neck block on this guitar.

Here is a link to a 1970 B25 with the more elaborate rosette.  This one though shows three separate multi-ply rings.  As I do not have a ton of experience with Gibsons built this late in the game I will shut up and wait for those who do to chime in.

1970 Gibson B-25 | Reverb

Thank you!

Yes, the neck is completely off. I just put it in place so the guitar would look like a whole piece.

This guitar will need some work.

[Murph]

Man, you need to continue to update this thread with your progress.

Best of luck.