Ever wonder what those plastic bridges that Gibson used in the early 60s were all about? Most Gibson flat top acoustics built in 1962 and 1963 had this style of injection-moulded plastic bridge with adjustable ceramic insert, but perhaps you’ve not seen one of them up close and personal…
Shop Talk
Anatomy of a Gibson Plastic Adjustable Bridge
1940 Gibson J-35
I love it when a plan comes together. This 1940 Gibson J-35 needed the usual repairs to get it up and running perfectly – reset, refret, pickguard reglue, new nut, saddle, pins, etc. It’s unique feature is that the bridge and fingerboard are made of what looks to be Cuban mahogany rather than rosewood, and […]
Read morePrewar Gibson Lefty Matched Set
No, it’s not a reversed photo. It’s a pair of Left-Handed Gibsons that were both built in 1935 and originally sold through Beare & Son in Toronto. Prewar Gibson lefties are exceptionally rare, as you might imagine. This is the only lefty F-Style Mandolin we’ve ever seen, and the L-00 is one of two we’ve […]
Read moreJoseph Yanuziello Spruce Viceroy
This very gently used Yanuziello Spruce Viceroy sold before it got a chance to hit our website, but we thought you’d like to see it anyway. (You can also check out some of our previously archived Yanuziello listings HERE)
Spruce over mahogany, chambered body, Frailin single coil pickups with series/parallel switching, Waverly tuners, rosewood and bone adjustable bridge, hand-made hardware, knobs, pickguard and switch tip. Tortoise bound and finished in high-gloss sunburst Nitro lacquer.
Joe Yanuziello’s craftsmanship and design sense are the stuff of legend. He proves time and time again that he’s one of this generation’s most skilled and original luthiers.
1930s B&J Serenader Romeo and Juliet
Hanging on the walls of our repair shop, you’ll find some of our favourite decorative vintage instruments. We love the decals of this 1930s B&J Serenader Romeo and Juliet! Notice the convenient hole through its peghead for you to hang it by!
This item is not for sale.
1958 Gibson ES-225TD
A spectacular instrument that was recently brought to us by the local widow of its original owner, this 225TD is completely original but for the first 5 frets and is in incredible condition. Great neck angle, perfect set up, almost no playwear and killer double P-90 tone.
The ES-225T was Gibson’s first thinline electric model upon its introduction in 1955. The double pickup version was released in 1956. Both models were discontinued at the end of 1959, which corresponded with the introduction of the ES-330 that same year.
SOLD
Registration now open for the FBJ Vintage Guitar Masterclass with Mark & TJ
Presented by the Old Town School of Folk Music
Join Fretboard Journal‘s Jason Verlinde and acclaimed luthiers TJ Thompson (Pro Luthier Tools) and Mark Stutman (Folkway Music) for this informative class on the care, feeding and collecting of vintage acoustic guitars.
Over the course of this discussion, Mark and TJ will discuss variations between pre-war and collectible Martins and Gibsons, some of the most common issues they find on their repair benches and how to avoid them. We’ll talk about restoration work, neck resets, proper storage and shipping. At the end of the class, we’ll field questions from the audience on the buying, selling and preserving of these unique instruments.
$10
08/12/2021 (1 meeting)
Thursday · 7:00 PM – 8:30 PM (Central)
Comparing four early-1940’s Gibson J-35s
Mark guides us on a casual and impromptu tour of four 1940’s Gibson J-35s that are all at the shop at the same time. The differences and the similarities between these four guitars are pointed out and discussed. The guitars were all built by Gibson in 1940, 1941, and 1942.
A Gibson-made 1930 Recording King Model 807 Nick Lucas Special
Mark tours us through an incredibly rare Gibson-made Recording King 807 from 1930.
Built for Montgomery-Ward, the 807 is essentially a Gibson Nick Lucas Special with different appointments. This model wasn’t produced in significant numbers and very few remain in existence today.
Mark has just finished an interesting restoration to this guitar and describes the steps involved in detail.
Jackson Cunningham 1933 L-00 played by Jason Fowler
Jackson Cunningham is among the most quickly up-and-coming guitar builders of this decade. Hailing from Southwest Virginia, Jackson draws obvious inspiration from the vintage Gibson guitars that are and were played by his musical heroes. His own creations are exquisitely crafted recreations of some of the most iconic designs of the 1930s.
His L-00 – played here by Jason Fowler – is a faithful reproduction of a 1933 L-00, complete with solid linings, thinner top construction, firestripe pickguard, and lightly built body; but unlike a ’33, this one was built with a rounded neck carve more similar to the 12-fret 1932 shape. Just like an original L-00, the guitar features an unbound back and one-ply top biding, a simple 3-ply rosette, and a light non-scalloped bracing.
The guitar captures the tone and quick response of a great L-00 – the characteristically warm and supportive midrange, the thick and meaty trebles and the flowering overtones. It doesn’t have 85 years under its belt, but as it was blueprinted quite accurately, it’s about as close in tone as a new guitar can get.
Sorry, this guitar has sold but you can still see our listing details here.
Gluing & Cleating Back Cracks
Mark shows the process of gluing a hard-to-reach back crack in a ‘32 Gibson L-00 using a cleat system designed and marketed by TJ Thompson.
Top deflection due to a loose X brace on a 12 fret Gibson
Your guitar’s X brace is a crucial part of the top’s support system. An X that is loose in front of the lap-joint can promote a spectacular top failure, so it’s best to check on it every now and then, particularly on a 12 fret Gibson flat-top from the 1930s like this 1932 L-00.
1940’s Regal X-Brace Conversion
Here’s the 1940s Regal X brace conversion that I finished up earlier this winter. I’ve finally managed to convince my daughter to let me take it back! The guitar started as a ladder-braced instrument with Regal’s ‘Small Jumbo’ body that measures 15.5″ at the lower bout and has a fairly deep body depth. It’s a […]
Read moreAn L-00 isn’t just an L-00…
In this video Mark discusses some of the unique construction details of an early sunburst 14 fret L-00 from 1933. An L-00 isn’t just an L-00… there’s always more than meets the eye!
Regluing Gibson Braces
A clean brace reglue is all about taking the time to set things up precisely. Gibson brace ends are notorious for popping loose, and getting them back down again can take some real coaxing.
In the case of this early ’50s J-45, the shrinking pickguard had cupped the top so badly that the upper soundhole brace, X brace, and a finger brace were all loose from the top and tightly sprung. The pickguard was removed, the top ‘ironed’ flat, and the braces are now getting reglued one-by-one.
It’s not uncommon to need to make custom brace-end gluing cauls that are specific to the guitar being worked on. It’s a lot of extra work, but a well-fit caul is critical to a clean end-result and a repair that will hold in the long run.
Custom brace-end caul