The Gibson J-45 was first introduced in 1942 as the companies flagship, affordable dreadnought guitar, and remained so for many decades to follow. This 1942 Gibson J-45 is a fantastic first year model from Gibsons pre war manufacturing period, often considered the companies golden era for build quality and sound. This so called 'banner' model features the "Only a Gibson is good enough" headstock banner logo, and is constructed from a Spruce top with Mahogany back and sides. These guitars featured scalloped X bracing, and are very lightly built, making for a tone that is extremely open and resonant, with this particular guitar having the kind of responsive sound that you only find on vintage acoustics that have been played and enjoyed for many years. The neck profile is a comfortable, more rounded 'baseball bat' style profile, as opposed to the 'V' profile found on earlier Gibson instruments. The J-45 is unquestionably one of the most iconic acoustic guitars ever made, with this first year model being one of the most impressive examples we have been lucky enough to have.
This guitar is in very good condition, and sports many years of play wear commensurate with its age. This guitar has had some work over the years to keep it in top playing condition, with some upper bout crack repairs present. The finish is original, although one of the crack repairs has also had some finish touch up. There is also a patch of extensive play wear below the pick guard, which has been patched on the underside. Other than that, this instrument is in all original condition.
This guitar has been given a full service by our luthiers at the Vintage Instrument Workshop, and includes a 3 year warranty.
