1944 Gibson J-45 Banner - Maple

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 1944 Gibson J-45 is a fantastic example from Gibson's war time production period. This so called 'banner' model features the "Only a Gibson is good enough" headstock banner logo, and is a particularly unusual and rare wartime example, featuring Maple back and sides as opposed to the standard Mahogany.

This change came to be due to a shortage of different woods at different times during the war time period, meaning certain FON number batches can feature some unusual timber adjustments. As such, this particular guitar sounds unique among J-45s, with a brighter top end sparkle, and less of the rootsy bass resonance that the model tends to have during this time. The maple back and sides are laminate, with a subtly grained veneer to the back of the body that shows some faint tiger striping. 

The neck profile is a comfortable, more rounded 'baseball bat' style profile, as opposed to the 'V' profile found on earlier Gibson instruments. The fretboard and bridge are both made from rosewood, and the original celluloid pickguard and tuners are present and correct.

This guitar is in very good condition cosmetic condition, and sports the kind of play wear and patina you would expect from an 80 year old instrument. It is free of any serious repairs or alterations, although a loose brace we re-glued by our in house luthiers. 

This guitar has been given a full service by our luthiers at the Vintage Instrument Workshop, and includes a 3 year warranty.