Gibson SJ Southern Jumbo Flat Top Acoustic Guitar (1946)
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Item # 10999
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Gibson SJ Southern Jumbo Model Flat Top Acoustic Guitar (1946), made in Kalamazoo, Michigan, sunburst top, natural back and sides finish, mahogany back, sides and neck; spruce top, rosewood fingerboard, black tolex hard shell case.
This is a REALLY well-used but still extremely fine playing and sounding Gibson Southern Jumbo from the *just*-post-WW II period. In this era of faux Relics this is a genuine example, showing signs of an epic amount of use but still a truly excellent guitar. These 1940s SJ's are fairly rare, made in far smaller numbers than their plain-Jane sibling the J-45. We're always pleased to have another one in stock no matter how worn in!
As is typical for the early postwar era this guitar has no stamped identification numbers but shows features specific to the 1946-7 period. These include the early style gold script Gibson logo without the "Only a Gibson is Good Enough" banner underneath and an unbound rosewood fingerboard with pearloid double parallelogram inlay. The sunburst top with a small tortoise celluloid pickguard has a lovely shaded dark look; the top edge is seven-ply bound while the back is five-ply.
This guitar has a chunky neck profile but it is still slimmer than the wartime "Louisville sluggers". By this point Gibson had figured out that with the truss rod back as a standard feature, they could slim the necks again. This one is still fairly close to wartime spec. but a bit less deep and round, with more dress-away at the sides. The nut is wide at a just shy of 1 3/4". This is a very powerful sounding and comfortable playing guitar, carrying a great vibe and at home with either vintage or modern musical stylings.
Overall length is 40 3/4 in. (103.5 cm.), 16 1/4 in. (41.3 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 4 7/8 in. (12.4 cm.) in depth at side, taken at the end block. Scale length is 24 3/4 in. (629 mm.). Width of nut is 1 3/4 in. (44 mm.). This 75+ year old SJ is a true relic, having been heavily played for decades. The instrument has extensive finish checking (most heavily on the top) and a lot of general wear, although it shows less pick wear to the top than many. The back of the neck has numerous small capo dents from the first to fifth fret areas and a lot of finish worn away on the spine and edges. There are dings, dents and scuffs just about everywhere.
There are a number of repaired top cracks. One long and particularly noticeable grain split behind the bridge (running from the low E zone to the back edge) had a prominent splice added long ago. There is a much shorter tight split behind the D pin, and a typical pickguard edge crack under the high E. Another old spruce grain split runs from the front edge of the top to the very tip of the pickguard about 1/4" below the fingerboard extension. All these are solidly sealed and except for the large ancient splice neatly done.
The back and sides have some crack repairs as well. The back shows three fairly conspicuous old cracks in the area of the heelblock, and a couple of smaller ones nearer the upper waist. All are solidly sealed, if not as neatly as we might prefer. The rims have a series of mostly small grain splits, the largest around the curve of the lower bass bout, at the curve of the upper treble bout and a short but deep impact mark at the curve of the upper bass bout.
There is a lot of finish disruption in front of the bridge, which appears to be a later correct-style repro. The small maple bridge plate is almost certainly a repro as well, again to the original spec. The guitar has been neatly refretted with nicely appropriate wire, the fingerboard shows a lot of old wear, with some fairly deep divoting which extends well beyond the usual "Cowboy Chord' position. The neck does not appear to have ever been reset and the angle is fine.
The tuners are vintage Waverly strips from the '50s in place of the original Klusons; they appear to have been in place for many decades. This guitar is all about the sound; it is nor recommended for those who are squeamish about well worn and heavily repaired instruments. In the words of Jimmy Soul "Man, she's ugly but she sure can cook!". Actually, we think this guitar is beautiful and has earned its scars and wears them well. It offers a very powerful and well-balanced sound, plays excellent and is housed in a later HSC. Very Good + Condition.
This is a REALLY well-used but still extremely fine playing and sounding Gibson Southern Jumbo from the *just*-post-WW II period. In this era of faux Relics this is a genuine example, showing signs of an epic amount of use but still a truly excellent guitar. These 1940s SJ's are fairly rare, made in far smaller numbers than their plain-Jane sibling the J-45. We're always pleased to have another one in stock no matter how worn in!
As is typical for the early postwar era this guitar has no stamped identification numbers but shows features specific to the 1946-7 period. These include the early style gold script Gibson logo without the "Only a Gibson is Good Enough" banner underneath and an unbound rosewood fingerboard with pearloid double parallelogram inlay. The sunburst top with a small tortoise celluloid pickguard has a lovely shaded dark look; the top edge is seven-ply bound while the back is five-ply.
This guitar has a chunky neck profile but it is still slimmer than the wartime "Louisville sluggers". By this point Gibson had figured out that with the truss rod back as a standard feature, they could slim the necks again. This one is still fairly close to wartime spec. but a bit less deep and round, with more dress-away at the sides. The nut is wide at a just shy of 1 3/4". This is a very powerful sounding and comfortable playing guitar, carrying a great vibe and at home with either vintage or modern musical stylings.
Overall length is 40 3/4 in. (103.5 cm.), 16 1/4 in. (41.3 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 4 7/8 in. (12.4 cm.) in depth at side, taken at the end block. Scale length is 24 3/4 in. (629 mm.). Width of nut is 1 3/4 in. (44 mm.). This 75+ year old SJ is a true relic, having been heavily played for decades. The instrument has extensive finish checking (most heavily on the top) and a lot of general wear, although it shows less pick wear to the top than many. The back of the neck has numerous small capo dents from the first to fifth fret areas and a lot of finish worn away on the spine and edges. There are dings, dents and scuffs just about everywhere.
There are a number of repaired top cracks. One long and particularly noticeable grain split behind the bridge (running from the low E zone to the back edge) had a prominent splice added long ago. There is a much shorter tight split behind the D pin, and a typical pickguard edge crack under the high E. Another old spruce grain split runs from the front edge of the top to the very tip of the pickguard about 1/4" below the fingerboard extension. All these are solidly sealed and except for the large ancient splice neatly done.
The back and sides have some crack repairs as well. The back shows three fairly conspicuous old cracks in the area of the heelblock, and a couple of smaller ones nearer the upper waist. All are solidly sealed, if not as neatly as we might prefer. The rims have a series of mostly small grain splits, the largest around the curve of the lower bass bout, at the curve of the upper treble bout and a short but deep impact mark at the curve of the upper bass bout.
There is a lot of finish disruption in front of the bridge, which appears to be a later correct-style repro. The small maple bridge plate is almost certainly a repro as well, again to the original spec. The guitar has been neatly refretted with nicely appropriate wire, the fingerboard shows a lot of old wear, with some fairly deep divoting which extends well beyond the usual "Cowboy Chord' position. The neck does not appear to have ever been reset and the angle is fine.
The tuners are vintage Waverly strips from the '50s in place of the original Klusons; they appear to have been in place for many decades. This guitar is all about the sound; it is nor recommended for those who are squeamish about well worn and heavily repaired instruments. In the words of Jimmy Soul "Man, she's ugly but she sure can cook!". Actually, we think this guitar is beautiful and has earned its scars and wears them well. It offers a very powerful and well-balanced sound, plays excellent and is housed in a later HSC. Very Good + Condition.