J-30

[CAL]

Anybody know anything about the Gibson J-30? I bought one last year - made in 1991 - it's a great, dark-burst square-shoulder D with a chubby neck. As far as I know, there's no such thing as a vintage J-30. I'm curious if there's a story - is it an approximation of something else? how does it differ internally from a J-45, AJ, etc?

 

Thanks.

[QuestionMark]

According to the book Gibson's Fabulous Flat Top Guitars, the J-30 was originally produced in Nashville as a 24 2/4 scale, single X bracing spruce top guitar with a mahogany back...basically a Hummingbird with no ornamentation or trim and a simple teardrop pickgard. When production moved to Montana the J-30 was redesigned by Ren Fergusen to be a 25 1/2 scale. The book doesn't reference what year production shifted from Nashville to Montana and all other references to the Nashville to Montana transition shift seem to indicate it would have been anywhere between 1989 and 1992 as all the models were shifting to Montana (as well as that some guitar models were being made at both places early in the transition period.) Sounds like a keeper!

 

QM

[ksdaddy]

Mine translates to May 14, 1991 and if it has more than a few hours of play on it, I'll eat it. It's 25.5" scale as noted. The warranty papers were never filled out even.

 

My J-30

[CAL]

Thanks for that - mine's from Montana, sounds very alive. Good for flatpicking, good for for rhythm strumming, good for everything. Certainly beats the Hummingbirds I have known, so I'd have to say the redesign was the right move. Best $500 I've spent in recent memory.