1956 Gibson J-185
$24,995.00 CAD
(USD $18,746.25)
For more details contact us at info@folkwaymusic.com or 855-772-0424.
One of only 65 J-185s that Gibson shipped in 1956, this example came to Folkway with the family of the gentleman who played it for the better part of 50 years. It’s a perfectly beautiful guitar, with the perfect amount of playwear and finish crazing, some very sensitive repairs by Mark Stutman here at Folkway, excellent playability, and that quintessential J-185 tone.
The J-185 is a rare model of Gibson acoustic, considered by many to be the company’s best post-war flat-top. Produced only between 1951 and 1959, less than 1000 of this model were shipped, including both sunburst and natural variants, which makes it significantly rarer than a 1958-60 sunburst Les Paul Standard!
With a 16” small jumbo body of the same shape as all the 16” archtop models and ES-335 variants, the J-185 was built with an X braced spruce top and maple back and sides. It was trimmed similarly to the popular Southerner Jumbo, L-7, and ES-300 models but featured a sunburst-on-all-sides finish, gold Kluson tuners, pearl Maltese Cross bridge wing inlays, and a tortoise-pattern pickguard which was finished clear, rather than sunburst. This model is famous for its incredible string balance, strong and rounded treble-string response, volume, and comfort, in addition to its great looks and classic 50’s neck carve. This example is certainly all that and then some.
Repairs by our shop include neck reset, refret, bone saddle and new pins, a few cleanly reglued brace ends, and reinforcement of the old top crack repair below the bridge. The real repair magic you won’t be able to spot in these photos or in person. The guitar came to us with large Schaller tuners installed, large peg-head washers, and extra screw-holes on the back of the headstock that wouldn’t be covered up with the original Kluson tuner set that we sourced for this guitar. We’ve repaired and levelled the holes and washer imprints, oversprayed the front and back of the headstock (but not the sides or top of it) and aged the overspray to blend in with the rest of the guitar. The chips in the headstock edge finish are exactly where they were before the repairs. Without the use of a blacklight you’d more than likely never notice or suspect anything out of the ordinary. We’ve invisibly repaired a crack between the pickguard and fretboard extension, as well. The quality of the repairwork on this guitar is the stuff of legend.
The guitar plays perfectly thanks to recent frets and set-up. We have set the action at 5-6 64ths. The saddle is full height, and the nut is original to the guitar. During the refret we chose to leave the fretboard original and unsanded, as you would with a ’50s maple board Fender Strat or Tele. The fretboard shows all the fingernail divots and playwear of the last 70 or so years but plays like a new guitar. Don’t buy this guitar if you don’t appreciate that kind of playwear!
The neck has a deep and full rounded carve with a depth of .906” at the 1st fret and a nut width of 1-11/16”. Scale length is 24.75” and bridge pin spacing is 2-1/8”. A K&K Pure pickup has been professionally installed.
With Canadian-made Mainstage Flight Case
The J-185 is a rare model of Gibson acoustic, considered by many to be the company’s best post-war flat-top. Produced only between 1951 and 1959, less than 1000 of this model were shipped, including both sunburst and natural variants, which makes it significantly rarer than a 1958-60 sunburst Les Paul Standard!
With a 16” small jumbo body of the same shape as all the 16” archtop models and ES-335 variants, the J-185 was built with an X braced spruce top and maple back and sides. It was trimmed similarly to the popular Southerner Jumbo, L-7, and ES-300 models but featured a sunburst-on-all-sides finish, gold Kluson tuners, pearl Maltese Cross bridge wing inlays, and a tortoise-pattern pickguard which was finished clear, rather than sunburst. This model is famous for its incredible string balance, strong and rounded treble-string response, volume, and comfort, in addition to its great looks and classic 50’s neck carve. This example is certainly all that and then some.
Repairs by our shop include neck reset, refret, bone saddle and new pins, a few cleanly reglued brace ends, and reinforcement of the old top crack repair below the bridge. The real repair magic you won’t be able to spot in these photos or in person. The guitar came to us with large Schaller tuners installed, large peg-head washers, and extra screw-holes on the back of the headstock that wouldn’t be covered up with the original Kluson tuner set that we sourced for this guitar. We’ve repaired and levelled the holes and washer imprints, oversprayed the front and back of the headstock (but not the sides or top of it) and aged the overspray to blend in with the rest of the guitar. The chips in the headstock edge finish are exactly where they were before the repairs. Without the use of a blacklight you’d more than likely never notice or suspect anything out of the ordinary. We’ve invisibly repaired a crack between the pickguard and fretboard extension, as well. The quality of the repairwork on this guitar is the stuff of legend.
The guitar plays perfectly thanks to recent frets and set-up. We have set the action at 5-6 64ths. The saddle is full height, and the nut is original to the guitar. During the refret we chose to leave the fretboard original and unsanded, as you would with a ’50s maple board Fender Strat or Tele. The fretboard shows all the fingernail divots and playwear of the last 70 or so years but plays like a new guitar. Don’t buy this guitar if you don’t appreciate that kind of playwear!
The neck has a deep and full rounded carve with a depth of .906” at the 1st fret and a nut width of 1-11/16”. Scale length is 24.75” and bridge pin spacing is 2-1/8”. A K&K Pure pickup has been professionally installed.
With Canadian-made Mainstage Flight Case