1990 Gibson J-185 SB Sunburst
The Gibson J-185 is an absolutely perfect instrument for either the professional musician or an amateur who wants to "take it to the next level"! Similar to the classic Everly Brothers J-185 in quality and style, all it lacks is the tacky stars and huge double pick guards—which of course you can always add. This is truly a delightful instrument: beautiful and hypnotic tone to listen to, stylish and elegant to look at, and simply a pleasure to play.
The Gibson J-185 acoustic-electric guitar has been called “arguably among the best-sounding, highest-quality acoustic-electrics ever made.” It's spectacular to behold, and the onboard pickup and controls make its sweet sound easy to enhance. The official specifications are given at the end of this listing. This specific guitar is the 19th of the first re-issues of the acclaimed slightly smaller version of the SJ-200, made in Bozeman, Montana, on November 12, 1990 (serial number 93160019). It features a solid Sitka spruce top, solid AAA maple back and sides, a mahogany neck, and a sculpted rosewood bridge (full specifications are listed below). It is truly as beautiful to look at as it is to listen to. If you are looking for the best in an acoustic guitar, you have found what you are looking for.
This guitar is in excellent thirty-one-year-old condition. The only flaws I see are some cracking of the binding along the fingerboard and some crazing of the finish all over. The neck is straight, with the action set up at a hair over 3/32” at the 12th fret low E. The top is flat, the bridge is tight, and I see no cracks anywhere, repaired or otherwise. If the huge sound isn’t big enough for you, there’s an under-saddle pickup accessed through a factory end pin jack, with volume and tone controls in the sound hole.
The case is the original Gibson deluxe arched-top hard shell case, complete with the “Gibson” logo on the top, the combination lock, and full pink shroud matching the pink fuzzy interior. It is in very good condition, with nice shiny brass latches and spotless interior but a few dings around the edges for jam cred. Naturally, it fits the instrument like a glove, and promises great protection for this classic Gibson.
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 made every effort to describe and illustrate this guitar and case with scrupulous accuracy. 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 purchase it.
Thank you for your interest in this great Gibson guitar.
Finish: Original Sunburst
Hardware: A strap button has been installed on the neck heel
Top: Sitka spruce
Back: AAA Flamed Maple
Side: AAA Flamed Maple
Bracing: Traditional hand scalloped X-bracing
Binding: Multi-ply top, multi-ply back
Finish: Nitrocellulose
Fingerboard Radius: 12″
Neck: One piece mahogany set neck with bound rosewood fingerboard
Neck Profile: C shape
Neck Thickness (IN): 1st .84" 9th .88"
Scale Length: 24-3/4"
Number Of Frets: 20
Nut Material: Bone
Nut Width: 1-11/16"
Inlays: Mother-of-pearl Parallelograms
Joint: Compound Dovetail Neck-to-body
Tuners: Gold Gibson Deluxe
Bridge: Traditional belly up
Saddle Material: Bone
Pickguard: Tortoise
Truss Rod Cover: Black and White
Bridge Pins: Tusq
Country of Origin: USA
Case Details: Original hardshell case
Electronics: Fishman ? acoustic-electric system with end pin jack
Pick-up: Under-saddle
Controls: Volume and Tone controls in sound hole.
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.