Gibson J-45 Flat Top Acoustic Guitar (1968)
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Gibson J-45 Model Flat Top Acoustic Guitar (1968), made in Kalamazoo, Michigan, serial # 506280, sunburst top, natural mahogany back and sides finish, mahogany back and sides, spruce top; mahogany neck with rosewood fingerboard, original black chipboard case.
By the late 1960's Gibson's slope-shouldered Jumbo guitars had been very popular with Folk, Blues and Pop players for 35 years and picking this one up it's easy to see why. This is a very comfortable guitar to play with a sleek, slim round backed neck and a warm sound. This J-45 is from the period where these were all the "ADJ" model, fitted with the company's adjustable bridge system with a wooden saddle. The top finish by this point has reverted to a darker sunburst, replacing the earlier '60s bright cherry sunburst, a return to the company's earlier dark and moody 'bursts of the '40s and '50s.
This guitar's serial number is in a series run in both 1965 and 1968; based on the bottom belly bridge design we gauge this to be a '68 model but the other differences are actually fairly minor, mostly the slimmer 1 9/16" nut width on the neck. The J-45 is built with mahogany back, sides and neck with a spruce top and dot-inlaid rosewood fingerboard. The top is actually made up from four pieces of spruce, a fairly unusual feature in this era; perhaps Gibson ran short of that wood for a spell.
This example otherwise shows features typical for the later '60s including the new more Martin-like "belly down" rosewood bridge still with the adjustable wood saddle, a large tortoise celluloid pickguard and "double line" Kluson Deluxe strip tuners. This one does not have the Gibson logo on the pickguard as many '68s do and most likely dates to late in the year, as the newer bridge is generally considered a 1969 feature.
1968 saw 3390 of these J-45 ADJ's ship out of Kalamazoo, down substantially from the model's 1967 all-time over 5000 unit peak but still a considerable number. Still, not too many will have survived as neatly as this apparently little-used guitar. This all-original survivor is also a superb playing example; a super friendly, comfortable guitar you just don't want to put down.
Overall length is 41 in. (104.1 cm.), 16 in. (40.6 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 5 in. (12.7 cm.) in depth at side, taken at the end block. Scale length is 24 3/4 in. (629 mm.). Width of nut is 1 9/16 in. (40 mm.).
This guitar remains in relatively clean condition overall, with a finish that still shines like it did in '68. There is light play and handling wear scattered around, some scuffs, small dings and scratches with a few scattered noticeable dings to the top. It is also completely original including the wooden adjustable saddle fitting that has often been removed in the decades since. Of late we have found many folks like the sound of these as Gibson built them, and converting them to a standard non-adjustable bridge is no longer de rigeur.
The only notable repair is a one sealed split on the upper bass bout where the upper piece of spruce on the 4-piece top was joined to the center section. Internally the guitar remains original and undisturbed except for a plugged endpin jack hole for a removed pickup, and a small clip for retaining the wire stuck under the top. It has never had a neck reset (the idea of the adjustable bridge in the first place!) and is an excellent player with a fairly bright, midrangey sound typical of later '60s Gibsons. This is nice find in a '60s J-45, complete in the original chipboard case with a receipt indicating it was bought in 1971 from the Queensboro Institute of Music, a familiar name to old-timers from the area. Overall Excellent Condition.
By the late 1960's Gibson's slope-shouldered Jumbo guitars had been very popular with Folk, Blues and Pop players for 35 years and picking this one up it's easy to see why. This is a very comfortable guitar to play with a sleek, slim round backed neck and a warm sound. This J-45 is from the period where these were all the "ADJ" model, fitted with the company's adjustable bridge system with a wooden saddle. The top finish by this point has reverted to a darker sunburst, replacing the earlier '60s bright cherry sunburst, a return to the company's earlier dark and moody 'bursts of the '40s and '50s.
This guitar's serial number is in a series run in both 1965 and 1968; based on the bottom belly bridge design we gauge this to be a '68 model but the other differences are actually fairly minor, mostly the slimmer 1 9/16" nut width on the neck. The J-45 is built with mahogany back, sides and neck with a spruce top and dot-inlaid rosewood fingerboard. The top is actually made up from four pieces of spruce, a fairly unusual feature in this era; perhaps Gibson ran short of that wood for a spell.
This example otherwise shows features typical for the later '60s including the new more Martin-like "belly down" rosewood bridge still with the adjustable wood saddle, a large tortoise celluloid pickguard and "double line" Kluson Deluxe strip tuners. This one does not have the Gibson logo on the pickguard as many '68s do and most likely dates to late in the year, as the newer bridge is generally considered a 1969 feature.
1968 saw 3390 of these J-45 ADJ's ship out of Kalamazoo, down substantially from the model's 1967 all-time over 5000 unit peak but still a considerable number. Still, not too many will have survived as neatly as this apparently little-used guitar. This all-original survivor is also a superb playing example; a super friendly, comfortable guitar you just don't want to put down.
Overall length is 41 in. (104.1 cm.), 16 in. (40.6 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 5 in. (12.7 cm.) in depth at side, taken at the end block. Scale length is 24 3/4 in. (629 mm.). Width of nut is 1 9/16 in. (40 mm.).
This guitar remains in relatively clean condition overall, with a finish that still shines like it did in '68. There is light play and handling wear scattered around, some scuffs, small dings and scratches with a few scattered noticeable dings to the top. It is also completely original including the wooden adjustable saddle fitting that has often been removed in the decades since. Of late we have found many folks like the sound of these as Gibson built them, and converting them to a standard non-adjustable bridge is no longer de rigeur.
The only notable repair is a one sealed split on the upper bass bout where the upper piece of spruce on the 4-piece top was joined to the center section. Internally the guitar remains original and undisturbed except for a plugged endpin jack hole for a removed pickup, and a small clip for retaining the wire stuck under the top. It has never had a neck reset (the idea of the adjustable bridge in the first place!) and is an excellent player with a fairly bright, midrangey sound typical of later '60s Gibsons. This is nice find in a '60s J-45, complete in the original chipboard case with a receipt indicating it was bought in 1971 from the Queensboro Institute of Music, a familiar name to old-timers from the area. Overall Excellent Condition.