1956 Gibson J-45 Sunburst, Excellent, Original Hard, $3,850.00

Gibson hit a home run when it introduced the J-45 (J = jumbo, 45 = original cost) in the 1940s. Through the years the J-45 has evolved into an iconic, workhorse American flat top guitar. The 40s through the 50s produced some of the best of the bunch, and this one is a stellar example. It's all original, in excellent condition in its original case. The only flaw is a jack hole in the lower bout near the end pin, otherwise, the guitar sparkles.

The specs are what you'd expect on a 50s J-45, and as a bonus, this one luckily avoided the 'adjustable' saddle, and instead has a typical 'drop-in' saddle. The bridge and fingerboard are a beautiful dark Brazilian rosewood. The top is spruce, and the back, sides and neck are mahogany. The top is bound in wbw, and the back in white (celluloid). The heel block is stamped with an FON and a 'V' indicating the year of production, 1956.

The truss rod functions, and the neck was never off the guitar. Plenty of saddle with action set at 6 & 8/64". Frets, fingerboard and back of neck show only the slightest hint of any play wear. No belt rash on the back, and no strum wear on the top. One has to really look closely to see any nicks/scratches from use and wear. There is a thin finish crack emanating from the base of the bridge to the bottom of the bout. We've left the original owners initials (a Gibson factory option) on the pick guard . This is one of the cleanest Gibsons we've handled.

The guitar plays easily and produces the coveted jumbo Gibson sound, dry, woody, with jumbo strength in each tonal range. Comes with its original, blue-lined, hard case. Check the sound clip, and view more pics on our website!