ARCHIVED • SOLD

1939 Recording King M-5

FON EW-1577. Funny to think that some of the fanciest guitars that Gibson was building in the late 1930's weren't branded Gibson! Similar to the Ray Whitley Jumbo we posted a little while back, the M-5 was the king of Ward's archtop lineup. Step aside L-12, the Recording King has got you beat! The M-5 is the rarest, fanciest, and most expensive of all Recording King archtops, and not a heck different in build than the L-10 or L-12 models. 17" wide body, parallel braced carved spruce top, maple back and bird's eye figured maple sides. Multi-ply bindings on the top, back, sides, and neck. Gorgeous sunburst finish, notched D'A'esque headstock with pearl block and silk-screened ornaments; 5-piece maple and mahogany neck with bound Brazilian rosewood fingerboard and pearl diamond inlays; matching rosewood bridge. Nickel tailpiece, bound firestripe celluloid pickguard, and Kluson tuners. C-shaped neck has a nut width of 1-3/4", 24.75" scale length, and a non-adjustable truss rod. Finishwear on the back of the neck, and uniform light fret wear - this guitar was clearly used for jazz. In excellent condition, crack-free, and completely original, this is both an interesting collector's guitar, and a great player. Set up in-shop, it plays as nicely as it looks.
With original hard shell case
$2995 (US $2399)

1939 Recording King M-5

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