1939 Gibson TG-50 Carved-Top Archtop Tenor Guitar

This old Gibson carved-top tenor is quite the ticket -- it's loud, full, warm on the lows, "poppy" in the highs, and has a lot of good cut. It'd suit trad jazz chord-slapping or single-note noodling, no problem. The only situation I might not put it in if I had the choice is "lazy-hands folk-strummer." It wants more energy to be at its best.

After a little mild work it's now playing bang-on and is ready to go. This earlier-model TG-50 is a bit lighter-built than the '50s-on-up versions I've encountered and it definitely has a little more "spread" to its sound. It's fuller in the bass while still having an Epiphone-like "bark" in the mids and highs. It's a tempting box!

Repairs included: a fret level/dress and setup.

Weight: 4 lbs 2 oz

Scale length: 22 3/4"

Nut width: 1 1/8"

Neck shape: medium V

Board radius: flat

Body width: 16 1/8"

Body depth: 3 1/4" + arching

Top wood: solid spruce

Back & sides wood: solid curly maple

Bracing type: tonebar

Bridge: rosewood

Fretboard: rosewood

Neck wood: mahogany

Action height at 12th fret: 1/16" overall (fast, spot-on)
String gauges: 42w, 30w, 20w, 12 for GDAE tuning (can restring/retune as desired)

Truss rod: adjustable

Neck relief: straight

Fret style: medium-smaller

Condition notes: there's pickwear near the fretboard extension and a plethora of small scratches and nicks here and there throughout the body and back of the neck. The finish has weather-checked throughout as well and there's minor discoloration to the finish here and there, too. The top of the headstock has some chipping-out of the veneer above the "Gibson" logo in pearl. The nut is replaced and someone refretted this at some point in recent memory. All of the hardware appears original to the guitar. Its only "crack" is a lightly-reglued tiny portion of the center seam on the top under the tailpiece.

It comes with: an old chip case fit for storage or light use.