Made a great trade tonight

[larryplatz]

Was at my vintage guitar dealer friend's house tonight. I took my 65 J50 over for him to do some setup work on. Last time I was there he was working on a basketcase 53 J50. So tonight I played that guitar for the first time. I had mentioned to him before that I was interested when it was done because that's the year I was born.It was instant love. The guitar is not all original so it turns out the value is actually slightly less than my 65. He offered to trade me the 53 plus all the repair and setup work he's doing for me for the 65 because he needs to bring in some money and it will be easier to sell. So, I now own a 1953 J50 and I am stoked. When I get it from him next week {he has some finish work to do on it) I'll try to post some pics.

[j45nick]

Cool! Oh, yes, pictures are needed.....

[Jon S.]

Congrats!! Nothin' better than an old J-45/50!!

[livemusic]

Was at my vintage guitar dealer friend's house tonight. I took my 65 J50 over for him to do some setup work on. Last time I was there he was working on a basketcase 53 J50. So tonight I played that guitar for the first time. I had mentioned to him before that I was interested when it was done because that's the year I was born.It was instant love. The guitar is not all original so it turns out the value is actually slightly less than my 65. He offered to trade me the 53 plus all the repair and setup work he's doing for me for the 65 because he needs to bring in some money and it will be easier to sell. So, I now own a 1953 J50 and I am stoked. When I get it from him next week {he has some finish work to do on it) I'll try to post some pics.

 

Please, if you ever want to sell it, contact me, that is my birth year, too! I have a '68 J50. I read a post on the internet where a guy was just gaga over this particular guitar, said it was easily the best sounding guitar he'd ever heard. I contacted him and found the owner and ended up buying it. I'm going to put new strings on tomorrow and play it, that's a good idea!

[geeterpicker]

Sounds like a cool deal for you. Basketcase? Please explain.

[vacamartin]

A birthyear guitar is always a great find. This is a sweet deal! J.D.

[Rambler]

Score. Birth year is random but 65 for a 53? Doggies!

[Stubee]

I had a beater early '50s J-50 for about 10 years and no matter what, hope you have as much fun with yours as I did with mine. I replaced it when it needed a neck reset with another player guitar, an early 50's J-45 that is at least as good but still miss the J-50. They are good guitars.

[J-1854Me]

Way cool! A nice birth year guitar is always cool.

 

My first Gibson was a '53 J-50 -- also a basket case. More like a "study in crack", since some former owner / repairer decided to sand down the top and, in the process, thinned the top too much. Hence it cracked easily and my luthier chased cracks on the poor thing for 1/2 a year. Sounded great, but was 'delicate', shall we say.

 

Fred

[merseybeat1963]

Good trade.

[EuroAussie]

A birthyear guitar is always a great find. This is a sweet deal! J.D.

 

Not if your birthday is 1972 like mine. Means Im a Norlin baby ..

 

Excellent trade, hope he doesnt change his mind by next week.

[Del Nilppeznaf]

Not if your birthday is 1972 like mine. Means Im a Norlin baby ..

 

Excellent trade, hope he doesnt change his mind by next week.

 

Same here EA

 

we could start collecting Birth Day guitars maybe..40..41..42 heheheh

[blindboygrunt]

theres me thinkin that you two were WAY older than me !!

 

is there no decent '72 gibsons we could look for ?

 

well done on the trade , as you can see , i think every man wants a guitar same age as he is ... classic car from the same year be nice too

[j45nick]

I've got a birthyear L-7 (1947), but would love to have an SJ or J-45 from the same year. My J-45 is a year younger than me, but I've owned it for almost 47 years, which counts for something.

[jannusguy2]

I'm just glad someone here is older than me.

[j45nick]

I'm just glad someone here is older than me.

You really didn't have to say that, Rob.

[larryplatz]

Great replies guys. Nice to know I'm not weird for wanting the '53. When I say basketcase (for lack of a better term)the guitar was full of cracks mostly (if I remember right, some of it may have been in pieces) and quite a few other issues.The guy he got it from gave him the repair quote from Elderly-$1800, which is what my friend believes he'd get for the guitar. My friend had gotten it pretty cheap because of the condition (he didn't say, but I suspect around a grand). He and I have been good friends for over 40 years and he has shared so much with me about the values and structural issues with vintage guitars. He (along with listening to Son Volt LOL) is the one who got me into Gibson slope shoulders and they are my passion.I bought the '65 from him around 4 years ago and it was my first Gibson acoustic ever. Now, here is the irony of it all. I had gotten to the point where I had just given up on ever regaining the love I once had for the '65. I don't know what happened but in all honesty my recent AJ (remember me now Euro?)and my Jackson Browne are the only 2 guitars I have been playing.I took it over to him for a setup and to be checked for cracks so that I could sell it. That's not about the money (I do pretty well income wise). I'm just purging myself of everything I don't need, most of which was aquired during a period of self indulgence. And we will be moving to a new house by June, so it's time to do this. Anyway, I guess it was a great deal for both of us. He needs money and will quickly have 2 grand and I get a dream guitar. He is the dealer and I am the player.Good for both of us which makes it feel even better.I love the recent Bozeman stuff and the mid 60's guitars but, as so many here already know,a good one from the early fifties (even if not all original cosmetically)is like a dream soundwise in comparison. Sorry for such a long post but I am just so stoked.

[zombywoof]

Sounds like a good swap all the way around. I love guitars that are something less than 100% original because that makes them affordable. I never could have come up with the scratch for my 1942 J-50 if it had not lost its original tuners, pickguard and bridge and did not have a bunch of cracks in the back.

 

You will notice one heck of a difference between the two guitars right off the bat. The roundback D neck profile and 1 11/16" nut on the '53 is a country mile from the skinnny neck narrow butt nut on the '65.

 

Congrats - I think ya done real well on this one.

[Dreamline]

Hi...Sounds great to have a birthday guitar...I'm a 65 baby so your friend there already has my year :) Don't know how much a 65 J 50 would be here in the UK.

 

Kevin

[onewilyfool]

Hi Larry....great find.....what is the nut width on that one???

[larryplatz]

Oddly enough I didn't check it. It's definitely between 1 11/16 and 1 3/4 so it will be fine for me. Regarding the '65, it's the standard 1 11/16. I believe it was 1967 when Gibson went to the 1 5/8 nut. The biggest difference is in the neck profile, but it's not enough for me to be concerned about. Another interesting thing that happened was he gave me a gift of a 1970 Yamaha FG140 that is of significant sentimental value to me.This is the first time I've been able to get over to see him since being diagnosed with lung cancer 6 weeks ago. Talk about karma, especially regarding the '53. I know he really wanted me to have it. My first decent (read playable) acoustic was the same year and model. When I go to pick up the '53 next Wednesday my friend Doug will recieve 2 gifts that I've been trying for a long time to figure out what to do with. He should make out good financially. One is a mid 70's Ibanez dreadnaught (solid spruce top, rosewood back and sides, needs a new nut and saddle) and a 1977 Alvarez Yairi DY45 that needs a bit of work. Nice gifts both ways. Love is definitely the gift that keeps on giving.