It’s not everyday that I come across a 1940s Gibson jumbo flat-top that hasn’t been ragged out from two life time’s worth of playing. The Gibson J-50 was introduced in 1942 as the next iteration of the J-35. The J-50 was actually the first Gibson to receive the ever popular golden banner stating that  “Only a Gibson is good enough” in June of 1942. The model was discontinued in 1943 because aesthetically passable Spruce became so scarce that a majority of the Gibson guitars were finished in Sunburst. In 1947, Gibson reintroduced the natural finished J-50 with their new block style logo. You may remember a certain natural finished Gibson jumbo with the script logo that was played by Bob Dylan during his glory days. That guitar was actually a J-45 with a sunburst finish but was structurally identical to this guitar. With the classic slope shoulder body shape and Spruce over Mahogany materials, the J-50 has become one of those blue chip vintage standards that every collector and player needs to have in the arsenal.

This 1947 Gibson J-50 was lovingly played for all of the original owner’s life until that came to an end about a decade ago. The guitar passed to a family member that was not a player so this guitar was stored away. It recently rejoined society in fine original condition and with a classic slope shoulder tone for the ages. The setup is absolutely perfect with comfortable action all across the fret board. The frets have plenty of life and aid in the excellent intonation and playing comfort this guitar displays. The original nut and saddle are in excellent condition as well and maintain a perfect setup. The finish is all original and shows moderate wear that is evidence that the good ones get played. The original tuners function well and have had the plastic buttons replaced so they won’t crumble in your hands.  The only work that was required on this guitar was a bridge reglue, a few braces reglued and one short finger brace replaced. The pickguard was reglued and a small spot of alcohol soluble varnish was removed from the small spot of bare wood on the back of the guitar. You can tell this guitar was played with a western style shirt because of the wear marks on the back matching a pocket but on the side and five vertical buttons. The guitar is currently in excellent playing condition and requires no repair or setup to be played.

The tone of this J-50 is everything that a slope shoulder Gibson is known for. It has a very authoritative low E string and a mid range that is loud, full and dry. This guitar would be perfectly at home in a picker’s circle or a long writing session. The nut width is a full 1 11/16 that feels more like a banner era neck. It comes with a new hard shell case to protect this fine instrument from the elements.