J-160 Non Electric

[petes]

I own non electric Gibson J-160. It got FON W976 24 so it is 1955?

15th fret neck/body joint. 19-fret fingerbody. No holes for electronic.

I havent found anything about these guitars except article in Guitar Player Feb 2000 by Tom Wheeler.

This guitar have gone through some repairs. Bridge is probably changed. Some lacquer over spraying and some black paint on upper left part of body.

It's a lot played instrument and it sound very well. It have solid spruce top , mahogany back and laminated mahogany sides , ladder bracing.

It have 19 frets, teardrop pre war style pickguard , crown peghead inlays.

1955 they changed it to 20-frets but mine is still 19?

Have anyone seen these before?

 

 

Phtos: http://s184.photobuc...n%20J-160%20NE/

 

Sound clip: http://www.youtube.c...eature=youtu.be

[Red 333]

Wow, petes, what a cool guitar! I didn't know Gibson made any J-160's without electronics. Gibson is always consistent in its inconsistency!

 

Sorry I don't have any info for you. I suspect yours is the first non-"E" J-160 many of us on the forum seen or heard of, but be patient; I'm sure someone will show up with more information eventually.

 

THANKS for posting your pictures and the guitar's specs.

 

Red 333

 

PS--The links at the bottom of your post don't seem to work. It would be great if you could re-post them. I'd really like to see and hear more of your J-160.

[BigKahune]

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^ Ditto

 

Welcome to the forum.

 

 

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[zombywoof]

If I had to guess I would think it was a left over not fully finished 1954 guitar that Gibson rolled out as a J-45 in 1955 after they started making the J-160Es out of laminate. As noted above - Gibson has been known to have done some strange things - stuff like some of the first Gibson-made Epis built with a 1940s J-50 body and a leftover mid-1950s Epiphone french heel neck.

 

All in all though - a very cool guitar.