TM Posted August 8, 2008 Share Posted August 8, 2008 I've never placed a tip like this, but this guitar looks like a bargain. I already have a couple. Looks like you could make money on a resell. 51 ebay SJ Maybe I'm missing something, even with what looks like a center seam repair this guitar is clean. Terry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zombywoof Posted August 8, 2008 Share Posted August 8, 2008 I am going to preface this by saying it is really hard to tell much of anything from pictures. You would have to eyeball the guitar to know what you are getting. To me, the pictures make it look like the guitar was possibly refinished. Nitrocellolose lacquer tends to craze under the best of conditions and there is no crazing or checking evident in the photos nor is there anything in the description about it. Storing a guitar away for decades will save it from getting scratched and nicked but it will not stop it from expanding and contracting some which puts stress on the lacquer finish. Ain't a bad thing - it is normal. The seller does mention something about some overspray. To me this means a new lacquer topcoat. But whether this was just done over a repaired area or the whole guitar I don't have a clue. Also hard to tell how much yellowing has occured (the finish turns darker due to the yellowing to the lacquer coats). Every 1950s Gibson burst I have owned (with the exception of a refinished J-200) has had a deep reddish/mahagony color towards the center which is a result of the lacquer yellowing. Nothing will stop this from happening. In my opnion, if the guitar was in fact refinished - the seller is still asking a fair price as you would deduct a certain percentage off the value of the guitar for the replaced tuners and refinish (depending on the quality of the refinish and repairs). If the guitar has its original finish, then it is an outright steal at that price, even with the replaced tuners. Round here, if you scored '56-'59 SJ for that price you would have done OK. Again, this is just an opinion based on the photos which is not a full proof way to determine these kinds of things. If you are interested in the guitar, I would contact the seller for more information. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rscott4079 Posted August 8, 2008 Share Posted August 8, 2008 I concur - the guitar's been offered a few times now on Ebay and I think the price is fair. But I have a hard time getting past what appears to be a highly visible and very ugly center seam repair. I can't believe that the luthier, whoever he/she was, couldn't do a better job than that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TM Posted August 9, 2008 Author Share Posted August 9, 2008 Refin? So that is why it has lasted so long. Well, that should keep people away. I hadn't seen this guitar before. When it was listed in the past did they use the same pics? I noticed they are not open on Saturday. terry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rscott4079 Posted August 9, 2008 Share Posted August 9, 2008 I hadn't seen this guitar before. When it was listed in the past did they use the same pics? Yeah, it's been listed twice before with the same pics. It started at $3500, then was offered for $3250. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zeebee Posted August 9, 2008 Share Posted August 9, 2008 Yup, should be a ton of visible weather cracking. May sound great tho and it is priced fairly IMHO. Just goes to show the resale market appetite for all things original. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zombywoof Posted August 9, 2008 Share Posted August 9, 2008 Yup' date=' should be a ton of visible weather cracking. May sound great tho and it is priced fairly IMHO. Just goes to show the resale market appetite for all things original.[/quote'] If you are a player and not a collector, a refinished guitar with replaced tuners is often the way to go. I was only able to afford an old J-200 cuz it had been refinished and had a second pickguard added (by the Gibson Custom Shop). The work was well done and it knocked the value of the guitar down about 40% putting it within reach. After a number of years now, this one remains the best I have ever played - and yeah, even the newer finish is showing some crazing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TM Posted August 9, 2008 Author Share Posted August 9, 2008 I keep looking at this guitar. I looked at their hours again and noticed they are open on saturday, but I just called and they must have gone home early. Also noticed they have a store in Rhinelander where a friend of mine lives and no doubt knows this store. I will give him a call and ask if he has seen it or will look at it. He knows guitars. The guitar may have overspray, but I'm not convinced of that. Not a strip and refin, it would be the best Gibson refin I have ever seen. It has the right through saddle bridge, the right reddish colored pickguard that show up in 51, 52. The tuners sure look right to me, I guess they have rerpos of the single Klusons? I agree finish crazing is something to look for on a Gibson, but that doesn't always photograph that well and their photos are not the best. Here is the same year SJ, looks like the same finish to me. This one is from Charle Johnson site Vintage Mandolins. This guitar is priced at $7200. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rscott4079 Posted August 9, 2008 Share Posted August 9, 2008 I keep looking at this guitar. I looked at their hours again and noticed they are open on saturday, but I just called and they must have gone home early. Also noticed they have a store in Rhinelander where a friend of mine lives and no doubt knows this store. I will give him a call and ask if he has seen it or will look at it. He knows guitars. Oh, this is gonna be a good day. I love it when an old guitar finds a new home. I doubt it's refinished - from this angle everything looks good, including the rosette: Recently I had a large crack fixed on the back of one of my own guitars. When I got it back, I noticed the luthier had oversprayed the entire back to blend the finish and hide the cracks. (Arrgh!) I bet that's what happened in this case too. Let us know how it sounds after you buy it.......you know you're gonna...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rscott4079 Posted August 14, 2008 Share Posted August 14, 2008 Someone over at the UMGF claims to have purchased this guitar. We should hear the real deal about it in a few weeks. R Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TM Posted August 14, 2008 Author Share Posted August 14, 2008 Someone over at the UMGF claims to have purchased this guitar. We should hear the real deal about it in a few weeks. I just noticed that. Someone probably got a great deal. Too many guitars for me to follow up on. I posted it here for others looking for something older. Terry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zombywoof Posted August 15, 2008 Share Posted August 15, 2008 Someone over at the UMGF claims to have purchased this guitar. We should hear the real deal about it in a few weeks. R Real deal? Not likely. In the guitar universe there is a law which says that nobody ever buys a not so great guitar - it is always the next guy's guitar that is a dog. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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