1990 j100

[jefleppard]

was this one from the sycamore era? looks yummy.

http://cgi.ebay.com/1990-Gibson-J-100-Acoustic-Guitar_W0QQitemZ150315479644QQcmdZViewItemQQptZGuitar?hash=item150315479644&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=66%3A2%7C65%3A10%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1318

[ksdaddy]

Quite likely. I think they used sycamore up to '91 or '92.

[Jayla]

Could be a sycamore. The guitar looks in really good shape, too. There was another black J-100 on ebay recently that was not as nice. It was an earlier pre-production model, from '84. Interestingly enough, the seller was also located in Henderson, NV. Here's a link.

 

Here are a couple of the sources I used in the little history of the J-100 that I posted a couple of weeks ago. I found 'em trolling the net. Both talk about the J-100s of the late '80s-early '90s:

 

 

The J-100 originated in the 1930s at the Kalamazoo factory. Info at the Gruhn website. I called the Bozeman plant and mined usenet for more information. Bozeman customer service was very helpful, and brought my questions directly to Ren Ferguson.

 

The J-100 was reintroduced in 1987, with a few examples produced in Nashville. Production of the J-100 then moved to the new Bozeman plant in 1988. The tonewood used for many of those late 80's early 90's J-100s was not domestic maple but, in fact, imported European sycamore. This was old stock wood imported years before by Nashville and transferred to the acoustic division in Bozeman in 1988. When that sycamore supply ran out, according to Bozeman customer service, Gibson found it "economically unfeasible" to replenish the supply and moved to other tonewoods for this model. Initially mahogany, then maple.

from:

http://www.gibsontalk.com/message-board-forum/about1124.html&highlight=j100

 

 

From: Mike <mstan...@onewest.net>

Date: Mon, 23 Apr 2001 12:24:53 -0600

Local: Mon, Apr 23 2001 2:24 pm

Subject: Re: Gibson J-100

 

The J-100's were re-introduced into the line about 1987. The Nashville

factory built a few, but the production cranked up when the Bozeman

factory was built in 1989. When I worked there, 89-90, the 100's were

really the best buy for tone vs. price of anything they made. The 100's

were initially built from a large stock of European sycamore (like Wade

mentioned) that was inherited from a huge purchase of the wood that had

been done 20 years earlier. It was great sounding tone wood, but was

very plain in figure. This wood was intended to be used in J-200's, but

buyers wanted flamey looking curly maple, so the 100 was a way for the

company to use up the wood inventory. All these guitars were painted

black, partly for economy's sake, and partly to cover the plain wood.

 

After the initial wood stocks ran out, the mahogany version Wade

mentioned was made for a short time, and they weren't as good as the

earlier ones. The J-100 reissues made around 1995 went back to maple

bodies, and featured the stairstep pegheads, mustache bridges, and

uniquely-shaped pickguards that were used on the originals, which were

made in the late 30's. These were also great sounding guitars.

 

These days, the J-100 looks much like a J-200... plainer maple with less

flame is used, a 200 pickguard without the engraving, unbound

fingerboard and peghead but (I think) the crown inlays in the

fingerboard, and a mustache bridge again. My faves of all, though are

the black 89-91 models with the top belly bridge, dot neck, and teardrop

pickguard. They really deliver the goods! The Dirt Band loves them- they

must own at least a dozen of 'em, and I also see a lot of Nashville guys

using them.

from:

http://groups.google.com/group/rec.music.makers.guitar.acoustic/msg/ab70d4c18c265c91