identity crisis

[blindboygrunt]

thought this might be interesting enough to show u all

 

http://item.mobileweb.ebay.co.uk/viewitem?itemId=230711984801&index=0&nav=SEARCH&nid=67277071352

 

anyone else see an unmentioned crack from the saddle ? or trick of the light ?

[Del Nilppeznaf]

Looks like definite crack in bridge, you can see it in other photo also. Also some type damage to body infront of bridge?

And the neck join looks kind of suspicious to me also??? I ain't no expert though.... would this worry anyone else (the neck join and cracks in binding)?

Love the look of the burst though, and overall looks in good condition, be interesting to see what it ends up going for.

[StijnV]

The crack in the bridge looks to me as a trick of the light, although I'm not 100% sure.

 

The neck joint could be an issue also, although it is normal that around the neck joint the finish does let go many times, because it's the most difficult spot to finish the guitar, because of the difficult corners.

[stein]

I am not an expert on this era of Gibby acoustics, so I can't say what it is supposed to have in regards to shading/paint or bridge, but I noticed that the only part that is black or dark is the neck joint.

 

To me it looks like a crack in the bridge, and I don't see where it could be a shadow.

 

But, the bridge and the neck joint add up to neck set issues. Bridges tend to be weaker when they are thin or have been shaved down, and it also seems from the pics (hard to tell) that the finish everywhere looks pretty good except for the neck joint.

[BigKahune]

.

 

Interesting companion story - sounds a bit wacky - and a bit on the far side of right.

 

I would would want an in-person inspection of that one. As mentioned previously, the bridge looks cracked, the finish has popped off along the front edge of the bridge and the neck joint is dicey.

 

.

[TommyK]

When I open it, i get a feature-less Ebay page. Click on "Classic Site". You can blow up the pics. Bridge definitely cracked with a leaning forward saddle and concomitant uplifting of the finish above the bridge as it is shoved forward. There are some binding cracks, from age, near the heel and along the top edge. The headstock has brush marks ?!?!?! Possibly from trying to spruce up the HS with either varnish or black paint. Might be finish crazing.. but it looks brushed on.

 

Note back of HS. "B G N" or "D G N" stamped above the serial number. Anyone know what this means?

 

Dark 'burst' around heel is not unusual, but sometimes employed to finish over heel work when matching OEM color is difficult.

 

Is it me or is there an especially heavy set of wires on this 'Bird?

 

Mahogany back and sides mean Hummingbird.

[j45nick]

I would say this has probably been retrofitted with a Dove pickguard at some point. Except for the pickguard, everything else says "Hummingbird". There appears to be little wear on the pickguard.

 

The bridge is cracked at the saddle: pure and simple. It looks to me like the saddle is leaning forward slightly as a result. This will only get worse. It means the bridge should be replaced, at the very least. The owner's story doesn't hold water in my book.

 

I don't like the binding cracking at the neck heel, or the finish popping off at the foward side of the bridge. I'm betting this guitar is a candidate for a neck re-set, if it hasn't already been done. The bridge crack would/should have been addressed at the same time.

 

Don't but this without a first-hand inspection, IMHO.

[stein]

I did as TOMMYK suggested and blew up the pics.

 

They are very good pics, and close ups of the heel too. I don't think the seller is trying to be dishonest because he has such good pics of the problem areas, but the bird/dove story does not sound right.

 

It looks to me like this guitar has had some work in the past. I believe I see some filler of some sort at the heel, and I believe I see a split at the soundhole where the pickgaurd and fretboard meet.

 

I am going to GUESS that this guitar was restored at some point, and a neck issue fixed. It might have been done well, but the bridge was not replaced. The Dove conversion may have been because there was a Dove guard handy and it needed a new one.