This vintage 1944 Gibson J-45 model acoustic guitar came through the shop a few years ago. It's an excellent example of one of very few guitars that Gibson made during some of the darkest days of World War II. I'm always a vintage Gibson guitar buyer but I especially love the J-45 guitars with Only A Gibson Is Good Enough banner on the headstock. Please contact me here to sell a vintage Gibson guitar.
Gibson introduced the J-45 in the summer of 1942 as the newest version in its Jumbo line preceded by the Jumbo-35. In Gibson nomenclature, “Jumbo” refers to a 16″ wide lower bout while the 17″ lower bout is known as the Super Jumbo. The J-45 featured a Spruce top, Mahogany back and sides a 24 3/4″ scale length. The first version of the J-45 included a golden banner that read, "Only a Gibson is Good Enough."
This banner era Gibson J-45 has just come out of obscurity after four or five decades of neglect. While a factory order number is not visible on the neck block, it does have a two piece Sitka Spruce top and a truss rod. We're guessing that this one was manufactured in 1944 or 1945 based on those post-CMI (1944) buyout features. Repairs include: neck reset, replacement bridge, touch up from a prior oversized bridge, many braces reglued, center seam repair, a few crack repairs, refret. There's a tiny hairline on the treble side of the heel and a rim crack near the back of the guitar also next to the heel that have both been glued and are structurally sound. The tuners, bushings, and nut are original to the guitar. It's now a lovely playing and sounding instrument and piece of history.
