Official Luthiers Forum!

Hello all,
I am putting this here because the it says discussion on design etc......but if it needs to be moved then please feel free!

My wife's grandmother purchased this guitar for her husband (her grandfather) in Baton Rouge, LA 1964....so far as she can remember. She paid $220 for it at the time because the store manager said it had a scratch and he gave her a discount. His first guitar was from Montgomery Ward and he did not like it at all. This gibson has been his very special love all this time and he has probably played it every day since he got it. I have gotten to play it and it sounds very warm. Indeed it is a very comfortable guitar. The only issues with it are a few scratches and the fretboard had indents where his fingers have played many thousands of songs......but the thing still plays wondful. I love to watch him play it. You can see his appreciation for the instrument.

I am going to try to put together a history of this guitar for him for Christmass this year with pictures in a leather bound book for him to have. I was wondering if you guys can point me in the right direction as to where to find really detailed info about the guitar and its history. I have Gibson's Fabulous Flat-top Guitars book I purchased lately to help me out and I also have Dan Erlewine's bood Guitar Player Repir guide to help as well. Do you have any speciality sites that I can get some good info? Do you know if Gibson would be willing to help out here? The details that I am looking for revolve around its contruction, woods, finishes, bracing.....and how this guitar, and its parts, came to be from its ancestors

I will attach a link to the photobucket album for you to look at to see if you guys can give me some help.....I am sorry in advance for my poor picture taking. The serial number on the back of the headstock is : 224874 The picture is upsiide down and the last number is faded but looking at it close the numbers are correct. The bride has what looks to be a bone saddle that is adjustable. I can not tell what type of wood it is made out of though. The picture of the sound hole had an SJ stamped on the inside of it as well. He would not let me take pictures of the inside to get a view of of the guts. I will have to find that out elsewhere. I have other pictures of binding and other details of you need them.

http://s800.photobucket.com/albums/yy28 ... bb%20accu/


Thanks in advance for all you help. I know he will enjoy it.
Matthew

It looks like you have the right year and model. The SJ became a square shoulder in late 1962, which is when the pointed pickguard came along.
The Fabulous Flat Top book has many of the details. It has mahogany back, sides, and neck. The fingerboard and bridge are Brazilian rosewood. The adjustable saddle is a ceramic material. The inlays on the fingerboard and peghead are 'pearloid', a celluloid imitation of mother-of-pearl.

_________________
John

John A. : Nice to see you here John. Drop in more often.
Tom

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A person who has never made a mistake has never made anything!!!

Thank you for the info. This is the exact kind of stuff I was looking for. I appreciate any info I can get. I emailed Gibson yesterday but I have not gotten anything in return yet.

Matthew

I have a SJ I have owned since 1972. It was made in the mid 60's, when Gibson was sticking adjustable bridges on their guitars,after the bodies were finished. A friend of mine has a SJ which looks just like mine and it also had an adjustable bridge put on after the finish. Even worse my bridge was not wood, and since I bought mine from the original owner, and I have had a very experienced repairman tell me the same thing, I know gibson sold SJ"s with these cheesy bridges in an effort to save a buck. If you are a stickler for keeping things original, leave the bridge alone, but if you want to improve the sound dramatically, then replace that bridge. When the bridge is removed, I will bet there is finish under bridge just like on the top, and under those MOP dots on each end of the bridge there may be bolts that are thru the top and the bridge plate. You can check the latter with a mirror or feeling under the bridge for the nuts.
This SJ is the one guitar I have kept all these years, after buying and selling quite a few others, because it is one of the best sounded guitars I have ever played. But is wasnt before I replaced the bridge. My friend who also replaced his SJ bridge feels the same as I do.

Thanks WWC. I also wondered about that bridge. It seems like they were searching for something with that adjustability....I guess it was cost and not flexability. I agree about changing it to improve the tone as well. Although to my novice ears it sounds really good now. I do not think I could not say anything at all to make him even think about changing it though. This is truly his love and woud not even think of it.

Thanks for the info.