c.1973 Gibson J-40 Guitar
Update! I read the serial wrong. This is more likely a c.1973 J-40.
This is a customer's guitar that was in for a bridge reglue, hairline crack repair on the top (and stabilization) and setup and will eventually get a pickup installed at some point (its old Barcus Berry p/u is just about dead). This guitar was pretty much Gibson's answer to the Martin D-18... solid mahogany back, sides, and neck, spruce top, standard 14-fret D shape with squared shoulders... but with that slick Gibson thinner neck, back-loaded rosewood bridge, and much more fun faux-tortoise big pickguard.
This is a customer's guitar that was in for a bridge reglue, hairline crack repair on the top (and stabilization) and setup and will eventually get a pickup installed at some point (its old Barcus Berry p/u is just about dead). This guitar was pretty much Gibson's answer to the Martin D-18... solid mahogany back, sides, and neck, spruce top, standard 14-fret D shape with squared shoulders... but with that slick Gibson thinner neck, back-loaded rosewood bridge, and much more fun faux-tortoise big pickguard.
Like I said, I reglued the bridge and set the fellow up... new Tusq saddle gives it waaaay more punch, clarity and boom than the old random plastic one it had.
...in addition to regluing the bridge I also installed three bolts to keep the bridge under control in the future. A lot of the top was damaged underneath due to some wacky KrazyGlue fixes that had torn the spruce as it came up... so the bolts are a little extra insurance and don't add much more weight than a set of bridge pins would if this were a pin bridge. Note a little finish disturbance in front of the bridge: this was where the bridge was incorrectly glued previously.
Missing its Kluson 3-on-a-plate tuners, but these probably work better, anyhow!
Cool tortoise binding and golden mahogany.
This guitar is a roarer, no doubt, and compares favorably against many old Martin Ds I've played.
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