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Description

INTERNATIONAL BUYERS WELCOME!!!

In 1958 Gibson acquired the Epiphone trademark and equipment, lock, stock, and barrel, and as the Blue Book of Acoustic Guitars says, “It was decided that Epiphone would be re-established as a first-rate guitar manufacturer, so that Gibson’s parent company, CMI, could offer a product comparable in every way to Gibson....Gibson was (in effect) competing with itself,” selling virtually identical models of guitar. All were built at the Gibson plant in Kalamazoo to the same high standards, in many cases by the same designers and craftsmen, dated with the same serial number “system,” but with different labels and model numbers. While this situation only lasted until 1969, when most Epiphone production was shifted abroad, the Epiphone guitars produced during this period look and perform almost exactly like their Gibson counterparts, and are therefore highly prized by players and collectors alike.

The Gibson B-45-12 guitars were created in 1961 as a response to the boom in acoustic bands of the 1960s and discontinued in 1979 during one of Gibson's ownership changes. It’s not a small, cheap version of the Gibson J series; it’s an X-braced Jumbo body reinforced for the stress of 12 strings, and has a fancier headstock design than either the J-45 or J-50. The general description in The Blue Book of Acoustic Guitars of the 1967 B-45-12 indicates a solid spruce top, large tortoise pick guard, mahogany back/sides/neck, 14/20-fret rosewood fingerboard with pearl dot inlays, and (starting in 1965) a rectangular rosewood bridge with a trapeze tailpiece. The blackface peghead has a pearl-inlaid logo with pearl triangles and the Kluson Deluxe six-per-side nickel tuners, and the beautiful body binding and rosette are all set off by the high gloss finish. As with many of Gibson’s models, there are variations in the specs over the 18 years of production, but the bottom line remained the same: it was a big guitar designed to hold its own and more against the banjo and fiddle players of the world.

The Epiphone/Gibson Kalamazoo era is when this particular guitar was made: the label designates it as an Epiphone FT-112 “Bard,” but in most respects it is the spitting image of the Gibson B-45-12 described above. While the unreliability of Gibson’s serial numbers as dating indicators is notorious, the serial number of this guitar (865928) suggests that it was produced in 1967, and given the adjustable saddle, bridge, and tailpiece I believe this is correct. Regardless, you can tell at a glance—as well as with a chord or two—that the DNA of this guitar is 98% Gibson; it looks like a B-45-12 (except with a natural finish), plays and sounds like a B-45-12, and is a truly cool instrument—to me, much cooler (and rarer) than its Gibson step-brother. This wonderful veteran of the bluegrass and folk wars is ready to fight the good fight once again.

I hope that you’re still with me—perhaps thinking that if it’s really like a 1967 Gibson, this thing’s worth serious consideration, and you’re right. The aged and seasoned woods are thoroughly opened up, and it sounds great, stronger than my Guild D-25-12, for example. Structurally, it is in very good condition, while the several cosmetic issues have been professionally resolved as far as is possible: there are several glued cracks in the beautifully aged binding, a jagged scratch in the end above the tailpiece, two deep scratches in the back, and some curious black overspray at the edge of the back lower bout. However, the figured spruce top is excellent, as is the neck; the sides are in very good shape; the headstock has only a few dings, and the original six-on-a-strip Kluson Deluxe tuners work fine.

The action has been set up at a very comfortable level (a hair under 3/32” at the 12th fret low E—lower than specs for a 12-string), and of course what really matters is the wood, which has seasoned and opened up after almost five decades of making music. The FT-112 is a large-bodied dreadnought guitar, easier to handle than a 17-inch jumbo, but with terrific resonance and a big sound which will overwhelm the rather tinny sound of most modern jumbos. So: this is your chance to own a great-sounding Epiphone/Gibson 12-string guitar with tons of character and jam cred with a few scars to prove its experience. It’s not a museum piece, but it’s a great player’s guitar, embodying everything that the name Gibson has stood for over the last century or so.

The vintage case is not original, but it is a hard shell case in good serviceable shape. The handle and two of the latches have been “repaired,” but everything works, the bright yellow interior is soft, and the exterior has only minor dings, tears, and bruises around the edges. The guitar fits perfectly, and the case offers this classic instrument more than adequate protection.

Buyer pays a flat rate of $55 for insurance and shipping to the lower 48 states; shipping costs elsewhere will be negotiated as necessary. Payment by Paypal is preferred; cashiers and personal checks are acceptable, but checks must clear before the guitar will be shipped.

I have tried to be perfectly clear and accurate in describing this vintage instrument, so its return will not be accepted unless it can be shown that it was egregiously misrepresented in this listing. Please check out the pictures and ask any questions you might have before buying.

Thanks for your interest in this cool guitar.

ALUMPSTER'S GUITARS

ALUMPSTER'S GUITARS

1967
Gibson/Epiphone
Very Good
Hard
9 Years
ALUMPSTER'S GUITARS
ARTHUR H LUMPKIN
803-731-0515
Online Only
1:37 PM
24/7 by e-mail: akmgj@bellsouth.net. I'm old; I don't sleep much.

Payments by Paypal, cashier’s checks, money orders, or personal checks are acceptable, but all payments must clear my bank before the guitar will be shipped. I will CONSIDER reasonable offers, even including installment payments and trade-ins, but generally since I already attempt to price my guitars very competitively, unusual deals must be unusually sweet.

From henceforth [that's how retired English teachers talk], insurance and shipping to the lower 48 states is $55 due to constantly rising shipping costs unless a specific listing says otherwise; shipping costs elsewhere will be negotiated as necessary. I have sold guitars to Russia, Japan, Australia, and over 50 other countries, as well as almost every state in the USA. Since some of my guitars travel thousands of miles, I take care to use lots of packing materials, protect the neck inside the case, and of course de-tune the strings.

I make every effort to describe and illustrate each guitar and case with scrupulous accuracy. However, many of my instruments are well-played vintage items which are many years old, and I am not a luthier. One should assume that any guitar will require some set-up to satisfy your personal requirements, and that not every flaw or ding will be seen/recognized/described in the listing. Thus the return of an instrument will not be accepted unless it can be shown that it was egregiously misrepresented in this listing. Please read the listing carefully, check out the pictures, and ask any questions you might have before offering to buy.