A stunning Gibson J-50 from 1952, in very good original and preserved condition.
Here is a model that you don’t come across every day – equivalent to the legendary J-45, the two guitars are structurally identical with the exception of one major aesthetic element: the natural finish on the top of the J-50 versus the sunburst finish of the J-45. This difference justified Gibson establishing a separate model, for a slightly higher price of course to be able to appreciate the superior quality of the spruce on the soundboard the top!
The J-50 was first launched in 1942, alongside two other models (the J-45 and the LG-2) introduced by Gibson in an attempt to survive the blows inflicted by wartime restrictions. In this context, both labor and materials (exotic woods including mahogany and rosewood, metal parts including truss rods or tuners, electronics, etc.) were in short supply since they were requisitioned by the American government. Gibson was thus forced to withdraw from production almost all electric models, banjos, and the most expensive acoustic models including the J-55, SJ-100 and SJ-200, reducing the range of flat-top guitars to five models by 1942: L-00, LG-2, Southern Jumbo, J-45 and J-50. However, supplies of spruce used to make the bookmatch joined soundboards also began to run out, forcing luthiers to join two mismatched pieces or even four smaller pieces. Since the natural finish was not able to hide these unflattering joints, Gibson withdrew the J-50 almost as soon as it was introduced and concentrated on the other two Jumbo models with a Sunburst finish – thereby reducing the variety of tasks that the varnishers had to perform. As a result, only 144 Banner J-50s were produced during the war, sold over the years 1942 and 1943, and the model would not reappear until the end of the war.
The model presented here is essentially identical to the J-50s of the late 1940s, the only notable difference being the style of the bridge called a reverse belly bridge, which replaced the traditional rectangular bridge to offer a little more strength to the soundboard and slow its bellying under string tension. With a powerful and confident voice with a particularly flattering low end, the J-50 (like its sister model) has always been favored by bluegrass musicians, like Doc Watson, and blues musicians – even a young Bob Dylan, one of whose first known instruments was precisely a J-50… This guitar has clearly been played a lot, bearing the marks of countless hours of picking, and aside a few stable restorations it comes to us in very beautiful condition, complete with all its original elements including its teardrop pickguard, its rosewood bridge, its Kluson tuners… We only note modifying of varnish on the back of the instrument. This instrument is a regular in our workshop, where we have refretted it, completely adjusted it and made a new set of bone nuts. Stringed up and tuned, ready to play!
Sold in a fitted Boblen hardshell case.
