1965 Epiphone/Gibson FT-30 "Caballero" Good, Hard, $695.00

I apologize in advance for telling you folks what some of you already know and others of you don’t want to know, but it’s stuff which anybody who is considering bidding on this guitar ought to know, so here goes:

Gibson introduced the LG-1 in April of 1943 as a kind of junior partner to the famous J-45, with the same solid spruce top and solid mahogany back, sides, and neck. Its smaller dimensions (14 1/8” lower bout, with a 24 ¾” scale) allowed Gibson to use straight-across ladder bracing on the top as well as the back, and to use a single piece mahogany back with no center seam. In 1958 Gibson introduced the LG-0, with similar specs but with a solid mahogany top and certain economies (such as the infamous plastic bridge used on both models from 1962 to 1966).

However, in 1958 Gibson also 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, 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 Kalamazoo era is when this particular guitar was made: the label designates it as an Epiphone FT30 Caballero, but it is the spitting image of the Gibson LG-0. The serial number (357824) suggests that in the Gibson “system” it was produced in 1965, although it has the original tortoise pickguard rather than one with the “E” logo which the Blue Book says was introduced for the Epiphone in 1961. The only part which I am sure is not original is the professionally replaced rosewood bridge, which eliminated the horrible Gibson plastic bridge of the mid-60s; this is an important upgrade.

Given the notorious inconsistency in the Gibson serial numbering for their own models, and given that this number was assigned “across the aisle” to an Epiphone, I believe that the specs still give a probable date of 1965, concurring in most respects with the “1965” serial number. Either way, 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 an LG-0, plays and sounds like an LG-0, and is a truly fine little instrument.

I hope that you’re still with me—perhaps thinking that if it’s really like a 1960s 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, for example. This particular FT-30 is in very good structural condition, with no cracks, a flat top, straight neck, and so forth. The original 3-on-a-strip open tuners work fine, there is very little wear on the frets or fretboard, and the action is set up at a fast and comfortable bit under 3/32" at the 12th fret low E.

It also looks just like a vintage Gibson/Epiphone should: the original binding and pickguard are intact, and as I hope the pictures indicate, the thoroughly “crazed” finish is more beautiful than ever, with of course a few dings and bruises. There is a bit of pick wear around the sound hole and there is a bit of “buckle rash” on the back—just the right touches to impress with its mojo but not enough to detract from its overall appearance. It’s really a remarkable example of 1960s American guitar-making at its best, and the aged resonance of the solid mahogany tonewoods is terrific for most situations and venues.

The case is a funky non-original dreadnought hard shell case with amateurishly "fixed" latches; it's a little too large, but it's structurally solid as a rock. The purple plush interior is clean, and it certainly provides outstanding temporary protection for this valuable instrument.

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; cashier’s 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 guitar, 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 offering to buy it.

Thank you for your interest in this cool instrument.