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A 1957 Gibson J50.


StLucifer

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I bought this 1957 Gibson J50 in damn good shape despite the age. It sounds so nice but the strings are a little high past the 5th fret. I had the exact same problem with my bamboo Yamaha FG-B1 but sanded down the bridge saddle about 1/8th an inch and its okay. The old J50 originally had an adjustable bridge...that was changed into a fixed bridge. Truss rod adjustment is an idea, but I don't think it's a good idea to start that first time on this old gem. Would a luthier charge much to adjust it up? Just tweak it a little. Over the winter it got a bit high. Humidity and heat variations I'm guessing caused that. Any suggestions for the old J50? I just received a 2011 Gibson Southern Jumbo Special Edition today, so the J50 can be "doctored" up a bit and I won't be Jumboless. Any help from a person who knows cuz I sure don't. A luthier I ain't. Thanks all.

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I bought this 1957 Gibson J50 in damn good shape despite the age. It sounds so nice but the strings are a little high past the 5th fret. I had the exact same problem with my bamboo Yamaha FG-B1 but sanded down the bridge saddle about 1/8th an inch and its okay. The old J50 originally had an adjustable bridge...that was changed into a fixed bridge. Truss rod adjustment is an idea, but I don't think it's a good idea to start that first time on this old gem. Would a luthier charge much to adjust it up? Just tweak it a little. Over the winter it got a bit high. Humidity and heat variations I'm guessing caused that. Any suggestions for the old J50? I just received a 2011 Gibson Southern Jumbo Special Edition today, so the J50 can be "doctored" up a bit and I won't be Jumboless. Any help from a person who knows cuz I sure don't. A luthier I ain't. Thanks all.

 

I would take it to a qualified guitar tech for an assessment and a setup. All the guitar might require is a simple adjustment. However, a guitar of that age might be exhibiting signs of needing a neck reset. A quick way to check neck angle is to get a long straight edge and run it on edge down the center of the fretboard towards the bridge. If the straight edge slides nicely across the top of the bridge (bridge not saddle) then your neck angle is perfect. Below the bridge; neck reset territory. Again a tech would be able to tell you pretty quickly.

 

DSCF1495.jpg

 

If you still have some saddle protruding above the bridge, you can have the tech set up the guitar by lowering the bridge and adjusting the truss rod (if necessary).

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Stewart MacDonald has a string action gauge which Guitarstrummer recommended long ago. Particularly good if you do some saddle and truss rod work yourself but invaluable either way. I sometimes take one when I'm shopping for guitars. The 'Progressive string height scale' at the bottom is easy to read, takes all the guesswork out and turns it into science.

 

String_Action_Gauge_sm.jpg

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