bobby b Posted January 10, 2013 Posted January 10, 2013 As the title say's . I have been checkin out a couple of guitars at a a local shop. A 1968 J45 and a 1968 J50. Both sound great and play well, but.... they both have huge ( albeit repaired ) cracks on the top. Both are priced at $1800CND. The J45 is a great sunburst and and has two cracks below the bridge one beside the fretboard ext. The J50 has one big crack below the bridge and is pretty beat up looking...it also has a pickguard with the Gibson logo on it that I have not seen before. I really love the look of the J45 but am thinking I should hold out for a better condition guitar. I am not prepared to go the ebay route, being able to see and play it is a big plus. They sure don't come up much i these parts though.....hmmmm...... Oh yeah both have the bridges replaced. I'm thinkin' 1200-1500 tops but the shop wont budge on the prices ....seems high?...whattaya think? http://www.rufusguitarshop.com/gibson_j50_1968.JPG http://www.rufusguitarshop.com/gibson_j45_1968.JPG
j45nick Posted January 10, 2013 Posted January 10, 2013 The Gibson logo on the pickguard on the J-50 is a 1968 characteristic. The J-45 has a belly-down bridge because the original there would have been a belly-down adjustable, and it's hard to go with a more traditional belly-up bridge during a change due to the sunburst. I believe the J-45 has a replaced pickguard. Both also have replaced tuners, and one has been Grovered. Both should be narrow-nut (1 9/16") guitars, which some people find uncomfortable. I don't mind them--I have two--but I wouldn't seek them out. Prices are a bit high--$1500 might be better, at least in the US--but not completely outrageous depending on what the rest of the guitar looks like and how they play and sound. For a reference, check out the numerous late-60's J-45's on the vintage website at Guitar Center.
zombywoof Posted January 10, 2013 Posted January 10, 2013 I would also say $1800 is a bit high but not what I would call outrageous. I would also recommend trying out a guitar as close in age as a 1967. Gibson began adding more mass to their top bracing in 1968. While not as heavy as it would get in later years the lighter bracing in the pre-1968 guitars is the same as Gibson started using in 1955.
merseybeat1963 Posted January 10, 2013 Posted January 10, 2013 I got rid of my early 60's Dove in favor of a new 1982/83' Martin D35 back then.. the Dove sounded like a toy compared to the Martin...and Martins are just pretty average in my opinion.. With 2-3 cracks at $1800 why bother.Pass on em in my opinion. If I lived in the middle of nowhere ..Id bet a J45 TV Bozeman (used) would sound much better than those 60's things .. I would take a chance & blindly buying one.
j45nick Posted January 10, 2013 Posted January 10, 2013 If I lived in the middle of nowhere ..Id bet a J45 TV Bozeman (used) would sound much better than those 60's things .. I would take a chance & blindly buying one. That's a pretty reasonable assumption, actually. I would bet that the average J-45 TV is as good as or better than the average 60's J-45. Now I'll stand back and wait for the flack.
Rambler Posted January 10, 2013 Posted January 10, 2013 Would think twice abut laying down that kind of coin for Norlin-era Gibsons. Not the nadir, but not great. As Rambler has said, there is a difference between 'old' and 'vintage.' Especially when you can get a recent issue box of better quality for the same price. Make sure you hear it with your ears and dont conceive it in your mind.
bobby b Posted January 10, 2013 Author Posted January 10, 2013 Would think twice abut laying down that kind of coin for Norlin-era Gibsons. Not the nadir, but not great. As Rambler has said, there is a difference between 'old' and 'vintage.' Especially when you can get a recent issue box of better quality for the same price. Make sure you hear it with your ears and dont conceive it in your mind. Fair enuf'. I'll have to just be patient and wait till an earlier year comes up. I have played both and liked the J45, but yeah cant justify the condition/$$$price. Used TV's dont come around much, plus used prices in Canada seem quite a bit higher than in the US. Gasssin' for a slope though.....
cunningham26 Posted January 10, 2013 Posted January 10, 2013 The norlin era didn't begin in truth until 1969 when things went to square shoulder hell. zombywoof's reply was the first i'd heard of the added mass on them, but the gibson book backs up the claim. They also say in there that this was a period of putting oddball parts together, so you can come across some strange variations and not everything is as uniform as we assume based on todays standards. I have a 68 J45 with adj belly up bridge. I love the sound of it and got it lower than your asking prices from a guy itching to sell. I gotta agree with merseybeat though, a TV sounds as good. only problem is, you gotta pay for it. having just clunked mine against another guitar and nicking it a bit...im glad i didn't get a new guitar free of bumps and bruises- id never forgive myself! here's mine. you can see it has the same logo guard, which someone didn't like and scratched off.
j45nick Posted January 10, 2013 Posted January 10, 2013 here's mine. you can see it has the same logo guard, which someone didn't like and scratched off. A bit unusual to see a conventional 'burst and a belly-up on a '68 J45, but it's a nice-looking guitar. I have a 1968 Gibson top on a much older J-45. The top bracing pattern is virtually identical to that of the plans I have that were taken off a 1957 (non-scalloped) J-45, but the cross-sectional shape is somewhat different. The mass of the braces is similar, however. I think the really heavy bracing must not have come in until the shift to square-shoulder "slope J's" in 1969/70.
zombywoof Posted January 10, 2013 Posted January 10, 2013 I would say that if you can deal with the thinner necks and do not mind swapping out the occasional bridge that the guitars Gibson made from 1960-1964 are as good as any. Those made in '63 and '64 actually have a bit beefier neck than earlier instruments but still not near as nice as the 1950s roundback D necks.
onewilyfool Posted January 10, 2013 Posted January 10, 2013 Here's some local late 60's-70's: http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sfc/msg/3504964220.html http://sfbay.craigslist.org/nby/msg/3529373596.html http://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/msg/3534705920.html http://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/msg/3515521029.html Again, no affiliation...just FYI (they seem high to me)
bobby b Posted January 11, 2013 Author Posted January 11, 2013 Here's some local late 60's-70's: http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sfc/msg/3504964220.html http://sfbay.craigslist.org/nby/msg/3529373596.html http://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/msg/3534705920.html http://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/msg/3515521029.html Again, no affiliation...just FYI (they seem high to me) Cheers. That '66 J50 looks sweet. Hmmmmmm.... maybe should visit San Fran sometime soon....
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