Recording King Model M-5 Owned by Jeff Tweedy Arch Top Acoustic Guitar, made by Gibson (1938)
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Recording King Model M-5 Owned by Jeff Tweedy Model Arch Top Acoustic Guitar, made by Gibson (1938), made in Kalamazoo, Michigan, serial # DW-2505, sunburst lacquer finish, maple back and sides, spruce top; laminated maple neck with rosewood fingerboard, brown tolex hard shell case.
This striking looking Recording King M-5 is the about nicest Gibson-made arch-top guitar ever offered in the Montgomery Ward catalogs. It sat at the top of Ward's archtop line and was the sole model built with an actual carved, not pressed spruce top. This version of the model was only available from 1938-1940 at the amazingly reasonable price of $39.95.
The entire guitar is finished in a nicely shaded sunburst. The 16 1/4" maple body is trimmed around the top with checked-pattern celluloid, also used to adorn the pickguard edge; the back is single bound. The wide-banded multi-laminate maple neck is unusual for Gibson, and now more familiar from the large stock of leftover blanks used to construct many "Banner" flat tops during the 1940s. The bound rosewood fingerboard and headstock are adorned with flashy dot-and-rectangle pearl patterns, another unique touch. The pointed-top headstock has the "Recording King" logo decal over a pearl block, with a crown emblem at the top and a small banner at the base reading "Model M-5".
The hardware is better grade as well, with individual Grover openback tuners and a nickel plated tailpiece with decorative lines on the crossbar. In many ways this is a much nicer guitar than any of Gibson's own Kalamazoo-brand instruments, and really a much better bargain than the likes of Gibson's own 450 L-50. With a fully carved top and fancy trim this was a very high quality instrument for the price, and remains an excellent-playing and sounding budget carved top guitar at a relative bargain price even today.
Overall length is 41 in. (104.1 cm.), 16 1/4 in. (41.3 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 4 1/16 in. (10.3 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 24 3/4 in. (629 mm.). Width of nut is 1 3/4 in. (44 mm.).
This M-5 is a very nice all-original example, showing some wear but complete including all the oft-missing components like the pickguard, tuners, and bridge. The finish shows dings, scrapes and dents and some pick marks to the top but nothing too severe. The back of the neck has a small area of wear to the wood in the first position and a few feelable capo dinks along the spine.
There is a small repair to a spruce grain split along the top center seam under the tailpiece, solid and not finished over; there are no other noticeable repairs. The shadow of the (wrong) position where the bridge sat for decades is visible on the top. The original frets still play well, the neck is in good shape and overall this is a nice playing and very attractive guitar with a sweeter sound than the common similar "off brand" archtop guitars with pressed, not carved tops. It lives in a later Gibson dreadnought case, not well fitted and very battered with the Wilco loft markings in the standard spot along the tail end. Overall Excellent - Condition.
This striking looking Recording King M-5 is the about nicest Gibson-made arch-top guitar ever offered in the Montgomery Ward catalogs. It sat at the top of Ward's archtop line and was the sole model built with an actual carved, not pressed spruce top. This version of the model was only available from 1938-1940 at the amazingly reasonable price of $39.95.
The entire guitar is finished in a nicely shaded sunburst. The 16 1/4" maple body is trimmed around the top with checked-pattern celluloid, also used to adorn the pickguard edge; the back is single bound. The wide-banded multi-laminate maple neck is unusual for Gibson, and now more familiar from the large stock of leftover blanks used to construct many "Banner" flat tops during the 1940s. The bound rosewood fingerboard and headstock are adorned with flashy dot-and-rectangle pearl patterns, another unique touch. The pointed-top headstock has the "Recording King" logo decal over a pearl block, with a crown emblem at the top and a small banner at the base reading "Model M-5".
The hardware is better grade as well, with individual Grover openback tuners and a nickel plated tailpiece with decorative lines on the crossbar. In many ways this is a much nicer guitar than any of Gibson's own Kalamazoo-brand instruments, and really a much better bargain than the likes of Gibson's own 450 L-50. With a fully carved top and fancy trim this was a very high quality instrument for the price, and remains an excellent-playing and sounding budget carved top guitar at a relative bargain price even today.
Overall length is 41 in. (104.1 cm.), 16 1/4 in. (41.3 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 4 1/16 in. (10.3 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 24 3/4 in. (629 mm.). Width of nut is 1 3/4 in. (44 mm.).
This M-5 is a very nice all-original example, showing some wear but complete including all the oft-missing components like the pickguard, tuners, and bridge. The finish shows dings, scrapes and dents and some pick marks to the top but nothing too severe. The back of the neck has a small area of wear to the wood in the first position and a few feelable capo dinks along the spine.
There is a small repair to a spruce grain split along the top center seam under the tailpiece, solid and not finished over; there are no other noticeable repairs. The shadow of the (wrong) position where the bridge sat for decades is visible on the top. The original frets still play well, the neck is in good shape and overall this is a nice playing and very attractive guitar with a sweeter sound than the common similar "off brand" archtop guitars with pressed, not carved tops. It lives in a later Gibson dreadnought case, not well fitted and very battered with the Wilco loft markings in the standard spot along the tail end. Overall Excellent - Condition.