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Hey ksdaddy - found your next project


zombywoof

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For all of you who have asked - this beauty is for sale over at Gruhn Guitars. Gotta warn ya though - it ain't cheap.

 

But this might be one of those head to your favorite local bank for a loan kinda guitars.

 

$10,000.00 I'll take 2 please. [-o<

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Restorations are great, but in this case the guitar is so bad it isn't worth what they are asking for it - not even close.

 

The tuners are gone, part of the fingerboard is gone. The bridge is gone. The nut is gone - saddle, obviously, and no original pins.

 

Less than ten years ago I got an original AJ that had a refinished top (purple burst, don't ask) but had all its original parts for $6500 CDN - approximately $4800 US at the time. It cost less than $2000 to get it in tip top shape including a neck reset and fret job and it sold for a good profit without being unreasonable.

 

This guitar would require about $4000 worth of work, I think, including trying to source some parts from the right era and it will never be worth more than $10-12K as a restored piece with so many changed parts.

 

If there was profit to be had in such a guitar, you can rest assured that Gruhn wouldn't have it up for grabs. You don't find original AJs every day, but a basket case like this shouldn't be on offer for a dime over $5,ooo.

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If I may pick brians?

 

BC - you say an original AJ. Does that mean they started making them in the 30s? Are they as sought after as say an original 1957(?) strat. I always read with interest articles on these legendary guitars from 30s/40s/50s and tend to get the impression that they have great mojo but actually Gibson, Fender etc are making better quality guitars today that you can play rather than look at.

 

Would a fully restored 30s AJ sound as magical as it should?

 

......runs for cover...............

 

I know I'm a philastine when it comes to vintage stuff but I really have nothing at all against it as a concept. I love old buildings, especially walking around London. They were built to last, despite the efforts of the Luftwaffe.

 

I have no intention of starting any collections but I am genuinely keen to understand the attraction.

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Would a fully restored 30s AJ sound as magical as it should?

 

Can't answer your question because I have only ever played one and that was a long time ago. Don't really recall what it sounded or played like. Plus, I had not yet had the decades of playing this and that Gibson so I had little to compare it with.

 

There are plenty of folks you see slamming this guitar or that and, you know the closest they ever got to that instrument was looking at a back issue of Vintage Guitar magazine. On the other hand. there will always be someone talking about their $300 made in Korea guitar claiming they would put this up against a 1930s Advanced Jumbo and their guitar sounds and plays better.

 

But if I paid $30,000 for a guitar I can guarantee you I would, with my last dying gasp, be proclaiming it had no equal on the face of this earth. Funny how that works, ain't it.

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had a hard time finding it. Here is the stock number if'n you're interested.

 

Look up under the GIbson / Epiphone flat tops link, then click on:

AG5659 Gibson Advanced Jumbo

 

$10K. That's the thing about them boys in Naishville, they got access to the good stuff. 'cause apparently they've been smokin' a bunch of it. :-&

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