Folkway Music is popping-up in Toronto! With a curated selection of our VERY BEST vintage and new instruments, plus our full staff on hand, we’ll be buying, selling, consigning and appraising guitars and gear on the Ossington strip! Our world-famous luthiers will also be there to answer questions about your guitars and our restoration services. […]
Read moreShop Talk
Toronto Pop-Up Shop
A Look at Gibson’s First Jumbo Flat Top
The Jumbo was Gibson’s first ‘Dreadnought’ 14 fret flat top model. It was introduced in 1934, sold poorly, and was replaced by the J-35 in 1936; with a small number of transitional variants in between. With an incredibly clean 1935 Gibson Jumbo and a 1938 Gibson J-35 on hand, Mark discusses the Jumbo model in detail and compares it to the later J-35. Enjoy!
Folkway’s 25th Anniversary Customer Appreciation Event
You’re invited to Folkway’s 25th Anniversary Customer Appreciation Event!
Saturday, May 11th, 11am-3pm
- Barbecue
- Musical Performances
- Instrument & Garage Sale
- Lots of special giveaways, including two guitar raffles!
Live music schedule:
- 11:00-11:45 ….. Ever Lovin’ Jug Band
- 12:00-12:45 ….. Jason Fowler
- 1:00-1-45 ….. Danny Michel
- 2:00-2:45 ….. The Two Timers (Mike Elliott & Chris Malleck)
- 2:45 ….. Guitar Raffle Draw
Please join us as we celebrate Folkway’s 25th Anniversary!
Radiused Top Crack Repair Hack
In order to properly fix an open crack, or center-seam that stubbornly doesn’t close up enough when humidified (as was the case with this 1930 Gibson L2) I like to use a modified version of TJ_Thompson’s Top Crack Corrector Kit. The kit is designed for Martin guitars, which are built with flat tops; but Gibsons […]
Read more1941 Gibson J-35
1940-1942 were transitional years for Gibson’s Jumbos, with specs changing rapidly. These J-35s are very unique, and come in many variants. They each have their own sound and are therefore difficult to compare on equal ground. I had this wonderfully clean and original 1941 Gibson J-35 on the bench that is an excellent example of […]
Read moreComparing Kel Kroydon and Gibson Guitars from 1930
Folkway Music’s Mark Stutman, AKA ‘The Gibson Guy’, tours us through the differences and similarities between two Gibson L-size acoustic guitars, both built in 1930. The guitars in the video are a 1930 Gibson L-1 and a 1930 Gibson-made Kel Kroydon KK1 that was branded ‘Bauer’.
Watch the video: https://youtu.be/yPNavtRixeg
1940 Gibson L-00 Restoration
We’ve had a number of requests for more photos of the black 1940 L-00, so here is a little photo-essay for you. All told, this was a “normal” old Gibson restoration… but with a twist. There’s been no finish repair, no cleaning of the original finish, and the neck set was done with the original […]
Read moreMeet Author Greig Hutton – November 26 “Hutton’s Guide to Martin Guitars: 1833-1969”
Folkway Music is proud to present an in-person book signing with Greig Hutton, Martin Guitar Historian and author of “Hutton’s Guide to Martin Guitars: 1833-1969.” Saturday, November 26th, from 10:30AM until 1:00PM at Folkway Music We have a limited number of copies available for purchase. If you already have your own copy of the book […]
Read more1959 Gibson Les Paul Neck Joint Flaw and Fix
Gibson’s first double-cut Les Paul Specials suffer from a design flaw that makes them badly susceptible to cracking through the body at the end of the fingerboard. Here, Mark talks about how to go about fixing it permanently.
1960 Gretsch 6119 Trifecta
Q: What do you get when you put three 6119s together? A: 18,357 #badjoke But, yeah, this is pretty cool. The single pickup Gretsch 6119 Chet Atkins Tennessean was introduced in 1958 and existed for about a year before the model was revamped into the Tennessean we’re more familiar with (ie George Harrison’s guitar). The […]
Read moreMark’s 1933 Gibson L-00
Brace Reglue on a ’37 Gibson J-35
A structural issue we often discover on instruments that have had a bridge reglue in the past is a separation of the X brace and top directly under the bridge wing. This can happen as a result of the heat that’s used to remove a bridge, or can happen from improper clamping when the bridge is […]
Read more1962 Gibson EM-150
Gibson’s EM-150 is an electric mandolin that was introduced at the outset of Gibson’s Electric instrument production, back in 1936. It was offered alongside the ES-150 guitar, EH-150 Steel, and ERB-150 banjos and was originally fitted with a “Charlie Christian” style pickup. The design of the EM-150 evolved similarly to the ES-150 guitar, and by the late 1940s was built with a P-90 pickup and plywood maple body.
This example is one of 51 built in 1962. The EM-150’s highest production years were 1953 and 1954, when 158 were built in each year. In total, about 1950 EM-150s were built during the model’s post-WWII production run.
This particular instrument has sold.
Limited Edition Collings 002H Custom T, with Joe Henry specs
Designed by Folkway’s Mark Stutman and released as a 24 guitar limited production model, the 0002H Custom Traditional is Collings’ first Traditional Series 12-fret 000, and an exact recreation of the guitar Mark spec’d for 3-time Grammy winner Joe Henry.
Check out our listing for the right-handed version here.
Check out our listing for the left-handed version here.
Lefty Vintage Gibsons? They’re out there!
Pre-WWII left-handed Gibsons are phenomenally rare, but they do exist! Here’s a look at a few that are currently at Folkway.