Gibson J-45 purchased 1970

[lrc]

Hi,

 

Newbie here. Looking for advice.

 

Original owner of a Gibson J-45, serial no. 896266 purchased new June 1970. Hasn't been played for over 30 years but I'm getting back into it now.

 

Sent back to Gibson (Nashville TN) last week for assesment and repair of cracked bridge (pulled up from body). Gibson has received it but not yet called me with an estimate.

 

Looking for advice as to value and repair options. While the cracked bridge is the priority, the finish has also cracked over the years. This seems to be not uncommon.

 

I'm thinking of asking them to restore to original by refinishing. The guitar has been well taken care of and there are no dings, minor rash on the back.

 

Would finish restoration take away from the value? I can't imagine that they could replace the bridge without impacting the exisitng finish in that area.

 

Thanks in advance for your advice.

 

LRC

[ksdaddy]

Don't refinish it. To paraphrase what Gruhn said, "The only instruments I would recommend to be refinished are ones that have already been poorly refinished." A guitar with a rough original finish typically has more value than one with a shiny new refinish.

 

Miracles can happen when touching up old finishes, like the situation you refer to. Don't sweat it. I've seen photos of some of their restoration work and it is fantastic.

[gearbasher]

I agree with ksd. Don't have it refinished. Bridge replacement/reglue, if done right, does not cause damage to the original finish.

[Johnt]

Hi' date='

 

Newbie here. Looking for advice.

 

Original owner of a Gibson J-45, serial no. 896266 purchased new June 1970. Hasn't been played for over 30 years but I'm getting back into it now.

 

Sent back to Gibson (Nashville TN) last week for assesment and repair of cracked bridge (pulled up from body). Gibson has received it but not yet called me with an estimate.

 

Looking for advice as to value and repair options. While the cracked bridge is the priority, the finish has also cracked over the years. This seems to be not uncommon.

 

I'm thinking of asking them to restore to original by refinishing. The guitar has been well taken care of and there are no dings, minor rash on the back.

 

Would finish restoration take away from the value? I can't imagine that they could replace the bridge without impacting the exisitng finish in that area.

 

Thanks in advance for your advice.

 

LRC[/quote']

 

Nice! I have a slightly younger 79 Norlin built,...... very underated.( I'd better add IMHO)

 

Piece of advice listen to Ksdaddy, if you follow his link to his site, you will see his credentials ( pardon the expression)

 

I would imagine that if you ask the forum someone will advise you of a man who can help you sort out the present challenges.

 

Very best of luck

 

John

[lrc]

Thanks folks. I did a little more research on the Gibson site, regarding their repair and restoration and in the FAQ's session was the answer I missed the first time around.

 

Here's Gibson's answer and it matches yours:

 

"My vintage Gibson has cracks in the finish, will you refinish the guitar for me?

Laquer checking is a natural phenomenon that occurs as a result of changes in temperature, humidity, and the curing process of the lacquer. Even if we make the guitar look brand new, it is likely that the lacquer will check again over time. In addition to that, often times a guitar's value can be decreased up to 50% if we replace the original finish. We typically don't refinish work on older guitars unless absolutely necessary."

 

Thanks again to those that responded to my question.