CTempleton Posted October 2, 2011 Share Posted October 2, 2011 Please help me appraise this guitar. My grandpa left it to me when he passed away, and while I'm not interested in selling it I would just like to know what it is I have. He played in a country/bluegrass band in Missouri back in the day and kept it in pristine condition. Im interested in the year and the ballpark value. There is a serial number stamped into the back of the head stock that reads : 934065 On the inside of the guitar, it says "J-50ADJ"attatched are some pictures.Thanks so much in advance! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
E-minor7 Posted October 2, 2011 Share Posted October 2, 2011 Could the Members of the Board see some pictures please, Mr. Templeton. . . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigKahune Posted October 2, 2011 Share Posted October 2, 2011 . There aren't any pics attached - here's some help posting pics - http://forum.gibson.com/index.php?/topic/11005-sticky-how-to-post-photos/ With this bit - J-50ADJ - I'm guessing (not much of a strech B) ) a 50s/60s J-50 with an adjustable bridge. In pristine condition it could be worth a tidy sum depending on the year. If you can get a couple of pics posted - nice straight (no angles) overhead shot and maybe the front and back of the stock, the members here could get you a year of manufacture. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j45nick Posted October 2, 2011 Share Posted October 2, 2011 That serial number says either 1968, or 1970-'72. Big differences in the instrument depending on which generation it actually is. In either case, we need pictures to tell you anything. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CTempleton Posted October 2, 2011 Author Share Posted October 2, 2011 Here are some pics, sorry! If I need to upload any more pics to get the date and ballpark estimate, let me know. Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sjl200 Posted October 2, 2011 Share Posted October 2, 2011 1969 VG price guide sez:$1300-1600 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CTempleton Posted October 2, 2011 Author Share Posted October 2, 2011 some more pics Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
E-minor7 Posted October 2, 2011 Share Posted October 2, 2011 Whaw – This old slope shoulder is in excellent shape - even the white logo on the pick-guard remains unharmed. It has a fixed bridge and saddle, which probably improved the sound. Apart from that, everything looks original. I see why you would want to keep this vintage guitar. Happy hours to both of you. . . . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j45nick Posted October 3, 2011 Share Posted October 3, 2011 Whaw – This old slope shoulder is in excellent shape - even the white logo on the pick-guard remains unharmed. It has a fixed bridge and saddle, which probably improved the sound. Apart from that, everything looks original. I see why you would want to keep this vintage guitar. Happy hours to both of you. . . . Looks to me like someone removed the adjustable saddle, and replaced it with a drop-in, filling the adjustable slot. That's a good call, and you see it done a lot. Its net effect depends a lot on whether or not they removed the massive adjustment bolts, and whether ot not the drop-in is glued to the top. That can be a pretty good fix of the well-known adjustable bridge muffling effect. Very nice guitar in lovely condition. I'd place it at the upper end of the price range for that period. Some of these are very nice instruments, although the tops tend to be over-thick and a bit less responsive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fp Posted October 3, 2011 Share Posted October 3, 2011 It's a 68 ! Search on E-Bay for existing and completed auctions to see what people are pricing these at and to see what they are actually selling for. Yours is real clean, though the removal of the adjustable saddle is good from a playing and sounding standpoint it may hurt the value just a bit but not much. I'd say it's in the $1500-$2000 range. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rar Posted October 3, 2011 Share Posted October 3, 2011 It's a 68 ! According to the FON, that's right. But feature-wise, this is a '66-67 (belly-up bridge, tortoise "Gibson" pickguard) and should be priced accordingly. The conversion to a fixed-bridge hurts collectiblity, but most people buy these as players and that would make the conversion a plus. (If the person who did the conversion had bothered to choose rosewood for the insert that matched the bridge, it would be an even bigger plus.) I'd guess that the asking-price in a shop would be in the $2500-$3000 range, so that would be an estimated value for insurance purposes. Selling on eBay, you might get $2K+ -- but, then again, you might get a lot less. On average, recent J-45/50s out of Bozeman are better than '66-67s in the opinion of many (including me), which tends to hold the price down on these. -- Bob R Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigKahune Posted October 3, 2011 Share Posted October 3, 2011 . Your grandpa did take very good care of his guitar. Looks in great shape. For insurance purposes, I would value it at $2500 to $3000. Selling it you'll probably get less, maybe $2000 to $2500. It certainly is a wonderful legacy left to you by your grandpa. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fp Posted October 3, 2011 Share Posted October 3, 2011 According to the FON, that's right. But feature-wise, this is a '66-67 (belly-up bridge, tortoise "Gibson" pickguard) and should be priced accordingly. The conversion to a fixed-bridge hurts collectiblity, but most people buy these as players and that would make the conversion a plus. (If the person who did the conversion had bothered to choose rosewood for the insert that matched the bridge, it would be an even bigger plus.) I'd guess that the asking-price in a shop would be in the $2500-$3000 range, so that would be an estimated value for insurance purposes. Selling on eBay, you might get $2K+ -- but, then again, you might get a lot less. On average, recent J-45/50s out of Bozeman are better than '66-67s in the opinion of many (including me), which tends to hold the price down on these. -- Bob R I've never seen the "Gibson " pick guard on a 66 or 67 only on 68's. I've owned a few 68's and they all had the upper belly bridge like this one, with Gibson written on the guard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rar Posted October 3, 2011 Share Posted October 3, 2011 I've never seen the "Gibson " pick guard on a 66 or 67 only on 68's. I've owned a few 68's and they all had the upper belly bridge like this one, with Gibson written on the guard. Gibson went to a white, screwed-on pickguard and belly-down bridge in '68 -- necessarily at the beginning of the year, of course -- according to both the Vintage Guitars Info website and Fabulous Flat-Tops (p. 61). And the "Gibson"-logo 'guards were introduced in '66, according to the same two sources. Typically, when these two agree, they're right (even in cases where some other sources, such as Gruhn's Guide, differ). Be that as it may, the important thing is that this should have the '67-like braces and bridge plate (and a 1-11/16" wide neck, from the looks of it), rather than the much heavier braces and large bridge plate that immediately preceded the switch to square shoulders in '69. -- Bob R Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fp Posted October 3, 2011 Share Posted October 3, 2011 Gibson went to a white, screwed-on pickguard and belly-down bridge in '68 -- necessarily at the beginning of the year, of course -- according to both the Vintage Guitars Info website and Fabulous Flat-Tops (p. 61). And the "Gibson"-logo 'guards were introduced in '66, according to the same two sources. Typically, when these two agree, they're right (even in cases where some other sources, such as Gruhn's Guide, differ). Be that as it may, the important thing is that this should have the '67-like braces and bridge plate (and a 1-11/16" wide neck, from the looks of it), rather than the much heavier braces and large bridge plate that immediately preceded the switch to square shoulders in '69. -- Bob R I've only seen white guards used on the solid black and solid red finished Gibson's J45's and LG2's. I still hold fast and hard that the logo guards didn't appear until late 67 and were exclusively used on 68's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdd707 Posted October 3, 2011 Share Posted October 3, 2011 Mr. Templeton, are you a picker? If so enjoy playing this instrument. If not, consider learning to play to honor your grandfather. If it is unlikely that you will learn to use the J50, research the proper method to store and perserve unused guitars. This needs to be preserved in the way your grandfather did in his life. What a great gift! A toast to Mr. Templeton's grandfather! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
E-minor7 Posted October 3, 2011 Share Posted October 3, 2011 What a great gift! A toast to Mr. Templeton's grandfather! Couldn't agree more, , , may his spirit chime on. . . . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j45nick Posted October 3, 2011 Share Posted October 3, 2011 Gibson went to a white, screwed-on pickguard and belly-down bridge in '68 -- necessarily at the beginning of the year, of course -- according to both the Vintage Guitars Info website and Fabulous Flat-Tops (p. 61). And the "Gibson"-logo 'guards were introduced in '66, according to the same two sources. Typically, when these two agree, they're right (even in cases where some other sources, such as Gruhn's Guide, differ). Be that as it may, the important thing is that this should have the '67-like braces and bridge plate (and a 1-11/16" wide neck, from the looks of it), rather than the much heavier braces and large bridge plate that immediately preceded the switch to square shoulders in '69. -- Bob R It's really difficult to judge the nut width from this photograph. When Gibson put a new top and fretboard on my '48 J-45 in August of 1968, they also thinned the neck down to the then-standard 1 9/16" nut width. The top seemed to be straight off the 1968 production line, with belly-down adjustable bridge, plywood bridge plate, cherry burst, and big, thick pickguard. I can't remember if it had the Gibson logo on the faux-tortoise pickguard, however. As always, remember that features don't necessarily all change at once, and it is not unusual to see inconsistent feature combinations. And they don't necessarily change on January 1 of any given year. In any case, it's a nice-looking guitar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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