1971 Gibson J-40 Very Good, Original Hard, $895.00
The Gibson J-40 is a jumbo-style guitar with a solid spruce top and mahogany back, sides, and neck. Gibson introduced the line in 1971 as a "no frills," stripped-down, more economically friendly version of Gibson's famed J-45—something like the “Working Man” series which replaced the J-40 in the 1980s. This particular instrument was made in Kalamazoo, Michigan: its serial number (615137) indicates it was probably one of the first ones produced.
Most of the earlier J-40s had rosewood strings-through bridges that were pinless like this one, but later versions featured pins on the bridge. It has a 14/20-fret rosewood finger board with pearl dot inlay, the early black pick guard, and full black body binding. It has three-per-side “Gibson Deluxe” nickel tuners, and a screened logo on the mahogany headstock. It is clearly designed to represent a working man’s guitar, with no frills and no fuss—nothing but the huge sound for which vintage Gibsons have been famous for decades.
Cosmetically, this 32-year-old veteran has more than its share of nicks and dings: there is some pick wear around the sound hole, and a filled-in dent centered behind the bridge, probably dating from a long-ago bridge re-set. It also has a single repaired 3” crack from the top binding down the back, considerable finish crazing, and a number of dents, scratches, and gouges, and buckle rash on the back—in other words, it looks like what it is: a hard-driving Gibson Jumbo which has been played hard and often, and there ain’t no shame in that. The one actual small crack has been professionally glued and cleated, a couple of braces have been re-glued, and this ol’ boy sounds and plays great and is ready to go.
The case is (I assume) the original Gibson hard shell case—kind of a deluxe version with an arched top and a burgundy plush interior. It is in very good shape, inside and out. The hardware all works perfectly, and there are no significant tears in the exterior. It offers great protection and is an excellent complement to this fine collectible guitar.
Buyer pays a flat rate of $45 for insurance and shipping to the lower forty-eight 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 unique instrument and its case, 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 bidding.
Thank you for your interest in this fine vintage instrument.
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.