New Vintage: Gibson's 2013 J-35

The Gibson J-35 was the precursor to the J-45 from 1936 to 1942.  It had a couple of variations in bracing patterns but was cosmetically a 14 fret jumbo, sunburst or natural with a firestripe pickguard.  This combination made for an absolutely gorgeous instrument.  Gibson has reintroduced the instrument for their 2013 line of Gibson Acoustics from Bozeman, MT.

Then (1939)

Now (2013)

The J-35 has was discontinued in 1942 but was reintroduced in this configuration sometime in the 2000s by Gibson through Fullers Guitar in sunburst.  It closer resembled the Gibson Jumbo (1934) because of its small pearl inlaid Gibson logo.  These are very nice guitars but the 2013 production version is a bit different.

Cosmetically the only differences between old and new are the natural finish, Kluson repro tuners, unfortunate banner headstock and the addition of the LR Baggs Element pickup.  I questioned Gibson's decision to put a gold banner logo on the headstock but I think I know what really happened.  These guitars are largely designed in Bozeman, MT however sometimes the Nashville guys sink their claws into the design, hence the banner.  One Nashville guy in particular thought this would be a good idea and had the unfortunate superiority for it to stick.  This is purely hypothetical of course.  Don't get me wrong, I love banner headstocks on wartime period Gibsons however the J-35 was decidedly prewar and never had a banner.  The Bozeman guys almost got away without putting the banner on there as you can see from the NAMM prototype:

But the production version's headstock had this logo:

Why would you do this HJ?

The original J-35 had 4 main bracing patterns: 3 tone bar scalloped, 3 tone bar unscalloped, 2 tone bar scalloped and 2 tone bar unscalloped.  "Scalloping" refers to the careful shaving of mass away from the parts of the brace where extra mass is less needed, such as the very center.  It appears that Gibson scalloped seemingly at will during this time period.  Some say that it depended on whether or not the builder though it was necessary on a certain top.  If they felt the top was too strong and would inhibit tone then they scalloped the braces.  This is just hearsay though, I was not there in 1939.  The 3 tone bar versions are largely seen from '36 to '39 and 2 tone bars until '42.

Gibson's new production version uses a 2 scalloped tone bar style bracing closely resembling what would have been in a '39-'42 J-35.  They call this their "1930s Advanced X Bracing."  This is the same bracing used in the current Advanced Jumbo and the J-45 TV with the only difference being that they use different glue.  The AJ and J-45 TV use hot hide glue to brace the top while Titebond is used to brace the top on the J-35.  Titebond is easier to work with and still provides a great bond.  Hide glue dries very hard and brittle.  This seems to transfer energy better than a Titebond joint.  Guitar nerds such as myself will swear that hide glue sounds better but the difference is marginal at best.  Hide glue is still used on the neck joint of all Gibson acoustics because is it much easier to reset the neck in the future.

I have played two 2013 J-35s and both were phenomenal instruments.  The J-35 was positioned (price wise) to compete with the Taylor range of prices so they can be had for much cheaper than the J-45 standard.  I have heard a lot of people say that they just weren't as good as the 45 standard but I must disagree.  Don't be fooled by the price point.  These guitars were priced and built by two different sections of the company.  The price is basically a marketing trick.  

In my opinion, the J-35 is a "better" guitar and not just because of the price.  The only structural difference between the 45 standard and the 35 is the bracing.  The 30s advanced bracing in my opinion results in a more resonant guitar.  I liked the sound of the 35s better than the 45 standard.  What do you think?  Which model did you like better?  Keep in mind that the J-35s will probably have fresher strings than the 45 standards.

I do not work for Gibson and have no affiliation with anyone in that company.  I don't care if Henry sells guitars or not.  I normally would not consider new guitars because they usually don't do it for me but for some reason this one does!  I was pumped about their reintroduction and I think Gibson did a great job with the exception of the banner.  If finances permit then I may get one!

TVG

1931 Gibson L-1 with the original plush green case... Gorgeous

I hear a lot of folks talk about how it isn't like "the good ole days" anymore in the vintage guitar world.  They are referring to when you could run across great guitars that were undiscovered.  I was too busy soiling myself and eating creamed broccoli and carrots during the good ol' days but I have a feeling that they were somewhat similar to now.  Great guitars are everywhere and here is one of them.

The owner lives in California and was kind enough to send me some pictures.  She was wondering what it was, when it was made and about what it was worth.  This is a 1931 Gibson L-1 in the original case.  It features 12 frets to the X braced body made of Honduran Mahogany back and sides with an Adirondack Spruce top

The bridge and banjo tuners on this one kind of threw me off.  I hadn't seen either of these on a small body L-1.  After a quick research session I saw that banjo tuners were fairly common but this is the only example I could find with the large body L-1 style bridge.  That's Gibson for you I guess.  

I'd love to have one of these L-1s someday.  They are incredibly light builds resulting in great fingerpicking tone.  It doesn't take much to drive a lightly braced top so there is no need for picks.  Plus, just look at thing!  Gorgeous.

TVG

1934 Gibson L-00 from Instagram

I like to post pictures of guitars on Instagram and sometimes I will search hash tags for other old guitars.  Today I found this one, a 1934 Gibson L-00.  Neither the guitar or the pictures belong to me (unfortunately!).

This guitar, bearing the batch number 1212 - 31 was manufactured in 1934 according to Spann's Guide to Gibson: 1902-1941.  It features the smaller sunburst typical of the early 30s.  Supposedly the sunburst was small because wood supplies were not very good during the depression.  The black part of the sunburst served to cover up imperfections in the wood.

Structurally, this guitar is very similar to my '33 L-00.  One way that it differs is in the lining used to join the sides to the top and bottom of the guitar.  You can see from the photo above that this guitar has the modern, kerfed lining.  My guitar has the solid, steam bent lining.  See below:

There was a soldier overseas during World War II that wanted to someday be a touring Country Western musician.  He bought this guitar used upon his return from the war.  He followed his dream for a while but soon opted for the life of a family man instead of that of a touring musician.  He still played every once in a while with some other musicians.  He played this guitar until his death.  It was then passed on to his granddaughter where she displays it proudly on her wall.

The tuners have been changed but they look very similar to what would have been on there.  I think that these are the cheaper tuners that Harmony used on their guitars in the 60s.  Everything else on the guitar looks to be original.  I don't see any bad repairs but I don't have any shots of the underside of the top.

What a stunning little Gibson!  After I wrote this I took mine out of its case and played Mississippi John Hurt's version of "Make Me a Pallet on the Floor" and remembered why these are so popular for fingerstyle blues.

TVG

1943 Gibson J-45: All Mahogany, All blues

This banner Gibson J-45 was made in the lowest of low time period during World War II.  It is made from all solid Mahogany and features no steel truss rod but a solid Ebony insert down the neck for stability.  Stock piles were at there lowest point because everything was going to the war effort.  While this guitar may not be as desirable as a Spruce/Hog with truss rod guitar, it is a very cool part of Gibson history.  The neck is straight and the tone is unique and warm.  I love playing this guitar!!

When I saw this guitar and its combination of features and probably original case, I had to have it.  It was a great compliment to my Spruce banner J-45 and just looked so interesting.  I met the seller outside of a Cracker Barrel in Chattanooga and fell in love a first strum.  Something about the color of the burst just grabbed me.  I am currently waiting to get it back from my luthier after some set up work and reglue some loose braces.

As evidenced from the wear around this soundhole, this guitar has been played.  I am still trying to figure out what kind of playing style would make that!  I don't mind it though.  The rest of the guitar is pretty clean when you consider what it has been through.

This guitar did have 2 large cracks down the back of the guitar that were repaired.  They sanded and buffed this area but luckily did not overspray it.  It was tastefully done but I would rather them have just left the finish alone.  It still has the original tuners which is quite rare.  It is ever rarer that they function!

The elephant in the room has got to be the tone of this instrument so pardon my delay.  It still has the lapping thump of a banner guitar.  The highs are more rounded off and pleasant.  Sometimes the highs can be shrill on a Spruce top but not with this one.  There may be a slight decrease in volume from my Spruce banner but that could also be a variance from guitar to guitar.  The lows are warm and comfortable but don't overpower.  The mids are equally warm and present.

I should also mention the girth of this neck.  With a nut width of 1 7/8" it can be quite a handful.  It did take a couple of minutes to get used to even after playing my other banner J-45.  Since this guitar did not receive a truss rod but a big v shaped Ebony inlay down the neck, Gibson made the neck with more girth in an attempt to give the it some stability.  It seems to be working because the neck is dead straight.  This was probably not the case before they did the refret.  There is significant playing wear on the back of the neck so I'm not sure that it was because the neck was warped or because of the fret wear.  Either way it is a joy to play now and I am glad to have it in my collection.  When the maple banner gets back from the luthier I'll have to complete banner J-45 line up.

TVG

1944 Gibson J-45 "Only a Gibson is good enough"

The banner on Gibson's wartime flat-tops appeared around June of 1942 and disappeared sometime in 1946.  It is still a but unclear why but we may know more about the banner after this book comes out: Kalamazoo Gals.  Maybe it had something to do with national pride during the war years since the Martin guitar company was still family owned and the original CF Martin was in fact, a German immigrant.  This is solely speculation though, It may have had nothing to do with Martin.

This guitar was probably made in 1944 but again, that is just a guess.  It bears no visible factory order number and may have never received one which is common for the late war years.  It was constructed of a two piece Spruce top and a solid, one piece flat-sawn Mahogany back.  The one piece back is of note because it is evidence that wood stock piles were low so "lower quality" wood was used.  The Mahogany should have been quarter sawn for appearance and strength however this process wastes more wood than the flat sawing method.  Also of note, the Kalamazoo Gals that built this guitar were told to put "back strips" on the interior of the guitar to help the two joined quarter sawn pieces of Mahogany.  Yet this guitar has a one piece back.

I mention this because the people that built this guitar were probably not men who had worked in the factory for many years.  More than likely they were "Rosie the Riveters" that filled the empty positions of men who had gone to support the war effort.  In John Thomas' book, "Kalamazoo Gals," an argument is made that these guitars were somewhat superior to other Gibsons because of the nature of the women who made them.  These women had been working with their hands all of their lives.  They may not have been making guitars but they were very skilled nonetheless.  Since the book is not out yet I cannot say that this is the exact point or argument made.  I am very excited about the book as you can imagine!

One thing that I have noticed as a pattern of the banner Gibsons is that they have a distinctive percussive "thump" that vibrates throughout the entire instrument when a string is struck.  My experience is limited since I have played only as many banners as you can count on two hands but it is certainly a pattern.  A friend once described the thump of this exact instrument to be akin to a "lapping", as if from the tongue.  I thought that was a great way to describe it since thump would indicate a bit bass heavy, which these guitars are not.  I am worthless when it comes to describing tone with words so just bear with me.

I have three banner J-45s: one spruce and mahogany, one all mahogany and one in the mail that is spruce and flame maple.  The maple banner is still in the mail and should arrive in a couple of days.  I'll be doing two more posts on the other two banners later this month.  Do you have a banner Gibson?  Send some pictures to my email at tvguit at gmail.  I don't want to post the actual email for fear of bots.

TVG

1939 Gibson J-35, 3 tone bars of blues.

The model designation "J-35" showed up in the ledgers in late 1936.  It was a no frills jumbo featuring a Spruce top and Mahogany back and sides.  It was originally named the "Trojan" but not for very long.  It is my understanding that the word Trojan only shows up one time.  The Trojan guitar differs very little from the J-35, if at all.

-Edit-  As our friend mentioned in the comments section, the "Trojan" model appears 39 times in the surviving shipping ledgers from 1936.  Only one had an attached FON: 960-12 which shipped to Ridders Music Store in Atlanta.  This guitar still lives in Atlanta and while I do not know the owner personally I have interacted with him on the Gibson forum.  He is a well respected collector and I hope to one day be able check out the collection in person.  I live only 2 hours west of Atlanta!  There is a lot of TVG material there.  Thanks, Anonymous!



The J-35 was produced up until 1942 when Gibson introduced the next and more common J-45.  This J-35 was made in 1939 which was the first year that the natural finish was offered.  It was also the last year of the 3 tone bar bracing.  That makes this one a bit easier to date since Spann's Guide to Gibson does not have very many factory order numbers from 1939.



This guitar was being sold locally and was described as a "1939 Gibson L-00."  I am still trying to figure out how they nailed the year perfectly but were terribly mistaken on the model.  I tried to tell the seller what it actually was but, as is common with sellers, they don't want you to tell them what they should already know.


When I opened the case for the first time I was very surprised at how good of condition it was in.  This guitar survived in a chipboard case in someone's basement for many, many years.  The seller told me it had some water damage but he repaired it.  That was not what I wanted to hear but upon inspection, he did a pretty good job.  I was expecting sloppy glue work and half-assed overspray but was pleasantly surprised to find neither.  There was plenty of evidence of water damage but it was on the bottom near the end pin.  It wasn't a perfect repair but it was done well.  I wouldn't have expected much better from my own luthier.  He then told me he was a wood worker so it made a little more sense.

I bought this guitar 5 days before the Orlando Guitar Expo and had already bought a booth to show some guitars.  I took this one because I just couldn't resist.  It sold the morning of the first day to a very happy buyer.  I was sad, yes, but it had to be done.  I had spent the last bit of our savings including my wife's last couple of paychecks!  Not a great way to buy a guitar but I had a pretty good feeling about this one.  It seemed to work out but now there is a big J-35 shaped hole in my heart.  I guess that is one of the things that keep me going.

TVG

1967 Harmony H59 Rocket... Version 2

If you have followed this blog for a while you might remember my first Rocket (Rocket Version 1).  If you read through that post then you might have seen the comment by a guy about his Harmony Rocket.  Well, here it is!

This Harmony Rocket was built in 1967 in Chicago.  Harmony made this version of the Rocket from '66 to '67.  Sometime between '67 and '68 they discontinued the single cutaway and produced instead the double cutaway version which I am not a very big fan of.

I am a huge fan of the second incarnation of the gold foil pickups though.  Some call these "double mustache" pickups.  They are very similar to the gold foils except these have adjustable poles and aren't quite as hot.  I played this guitar back to back with my Harmony Bobkat (Gold Foils).  It seems like the Double Mustaches wouldn't give me all the tube saturated goodness that I have been getting out of the Gold Foils.  It still needs a bit more set up so I'll have to keep working on it.

Let's mention the elephant in the room, as it were.  This guitar is so clean that you might think someone sold me a reissue.  This is not a reissue.  This is the real deal down to the date stamp on the back of the pickups:

I was skeptical at first too.  The finish is shiny and shows no checking.  The frets are tarnished a bit but have almost no playing wear.  The only thing that was wrong with this guitar when I got it was that the rivets in the bridge pup were loose.  I tweaked them a bit and popped them back in and it is good to go now.  I might clean up the pots a bit when I get the chance.

One unique thing about these Harmony guitars is that the necks don't taper towards the headstock but are one uniform width the whole way.  If you are used to a Fender or Gibson neck then the first 3 frets might feel a bit wide and the 12th fret area might feel a bit skinny.  It really doesn't feel that different to my hands unless you have just put down another guitar.

My previous Rocket had a rather serious design flaw: no adjustable truss rod.  By 1965 Harmony realized that wouldn't fly any more especially with their weaker Poplar necks.  This one is lucky to have one but really doesn't need any adjustment.  In fact, I don't think any of the screws/nuts had been turned before I took the pickups off for cleaning.  Unfortunately there is really not a good way to tell if that is true until you try to turn the screws!

Here is Brittany Howard of the Alabama Shakes with her favorite guitar:  1966 Harmony Rocket H54/1.  It is very similar to the H59 except it has only two pickups and is the double cutaway version.  Have you heard the Shakes yet?  Go check them out.  Here is what Brittany says about her Harmony Rocket in an interview for innocentwords.com: 

"I have a '66 Harmony Rocket that I am in love with.  It's cherry red.  I play it out of a '66 Silvertone 1483 with an intact Jensen 12" speaker.  It can glitter, it can growl, it can rock, it can lull you to sleep.  So far, it's the perfect rig."

I have GOT to get me a Silvertone 1483.  I have been looking for a good 60s Silvertone amp for a while.  I think it is safe to say that Brittany is a fan of her rig.  What do you think about her tone?  Leave a comment and let me know what you think.