1965 Gibson J-50, Sitka Spruce, Mahogany, Excellent Player! – SOLD Other Acoustics

(SOLD)

ON CONSIGNMENT, NO TRADE OFFERS PLEASE!

(USED) Who doesn’t like a little vintage??  This awesome Gibson J-50 just had its 55th birthday, and thanks to some studious upkeep, it shows no sign of slowing down, at least not in the next 55 years.  

It’s always fun to find an older guitar that is wanting for nothing, in terms of playability and sound.  This one has had all of the necessary tending to over the years, including the important conversion from adjustable saddle to drop in, a major tonal improvement that rectifies Gibson’s original questionable design.  This conversion was executed perfectly, with a nice tall compensated saddle that leaves plenty of room for action adjustment without losing break angle or power.  That said, the action on this guitar is perfectly enjoyable as-is, measuring just over 3/32″ and 2/32″ at the 12th fret, on the low and high E strings, respectively.  

This J-50 has a Sitka spruce top with a perfect vintage patina, sporting finish checking and dings commensurate with the age of the instrument.  There is a good bit of honest play wear around the sound hole, and there is a small gap in the rosette where the laminated binding has shrunk back.  There are longer finish cracks near the edges on both sides of the waist, and though these have absorbed a little bit of dirt over the years, they look worse than they are and do not extend through the top.  

Under the hood, the bridge plate has been replaced with a new maple one, and there is no ball end wear.  There is a center seam cleat, even though the finish on the top doesn’t indicate that there was ever a serious separation… perhaps this was a preventative measure.  There are no loose braces.  

The back and sides feature unusually pretty mahogany for a guitar of this era!  The back has a couple of deep scratches, and a long finish crack that does not go through the wood.  Dings and normal finish checking all over.  

The neck is of the thin and fast variety, and many who grew up playing Gibsons will recognize the shape.  Just over 1 5/8″ wide at the nut (1 21/32″ to be exact) with a string spacing at the saddle of 2 1/8″.  The fingerboard is in excellent shape, with only a few finger imprints in the first position.  The frets are new and show no signs of wear.  There are a few dings in the shaft of the neck, and some light finish wear near the position markers in the first position.  

The peghead has some nicks, chips and winder marks, but the original tuners are functioning perfectly.  The original logo and serial number are well in tact.  

Importantly, this guitar has the sound and vibe that Gibby fans are always after.  The warm voice sounds great strummed, and this is the *perfect* singer songwriter guitar, in both tone and vibe.  Includes non-original chipboard case, or talk to us about possible case upgrades. 

Serial #316650 (1965) 
AMW Price: $3,695 (ONLINE CHECKOUT… CALL FOR CASH PRICE!)