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1957 Gibson J-160E

FON U9754-31. The J-160E was introduced in 1954, and was the company's first Jumbo bodied pick-up equipped acoustic guitar. Designed for the stage, the instrument featured a three-ply top and ladder bracing in conjunction with its P-90 pickup mounted below the fingerboard. The Beatles made the model famous, but that fame was inevitable thanks to the instrument's smart design. The music industry was ripe for a pickup-equipped flat-top, and the J-160E set the stage for the Martin electric acoustics introduced a few years later, as well as the Ovations that ruled the 1970's.

This 1957 example is completely original, and but for regular playwear is in excellent condition. The pickup sounds dynamite, and the guitar plays beautifully thanks to our in-shop set-up. Original tuners are in good working order, a few have slightly bent button shafts, nut has never been out, electronics are factory-stock and unmodified. Braces are all tightly attached, and none have ever been reglued, there are no cracks anywhere on the instrument, and finish is unaltered.

Round carved neck, 1-11/16" wide at the nut, 24.75" scale.

With later 1960's Gibson Hardshell case
1957 Gibson J-160E

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Folkway Music in Guelph, Ontario Canada

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Three decades of industry experience

We've spent thirty years building relationships with musicians, collectors, and fellow dealers across Canada and the US. Every guitar we sell has been inspected, played, and approved by hands that know the difference.

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