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Up for sale, a 1957 Gibson J-45 in excellent, crack-free condition, complete with a vintage hardshell case. A golden age example of Gibson's quintessential dreadnought model, this guitar features a late '50s "baseball bat" C-shaped neck profile carve.
Tonewoods include a solid spruce top and solid mahogany back and sides paired with a one-piece mahogany neck capped with a Brazilian rosewood fingerboard. Bold and punchy with an overarching warmth, this dreadnought offers plenty of detail and woody cut, with the sweetness and soft growl of mahogany when you dig in hard with a flatpick. The midrange is balanced and textured with a certain bell-like quality that records very well, while the trebles are full-sounding and bouncy with just enough sparkle and articulation. The guitar weighs 4lbs 6oz, professionally setup here at Mike & Mike's Guitar Bar with fresh 12-53 bronze strings, easy-playing action, and accurate intonation.
The one-piece Honduran mahogany neck has a round "baseball bat" C-shaped profile carve with ample shoulder, measuring .910" deep at the 1st fret and .999" at the 9th. The Brazilian rosewood fretboard retains the original slender "banjo" fretwire which has decent meat remaining given the fret size, exhibiting only light wear beneath the plain strings on the crowns of frets 1-3. The guitar plays cleanly in every register up the 24 3/4" scale with a straight neck and responsive, optimally adjusted truss rod. The original nylon nut measures 1 11/16" in width. On the headstock, the original nickel-plated Kluson Deluxe single line strip tuners are intact with original white buttons. These tuners turn smoothly and hold pitch as they should, and the original gold "Gibson" silkscreen logo is present on the headstock face as well.
The U-prefix factory order number is stamped on the heel block and visible through the soundhole, translating to a 1957 build date. The Brazilian rosewood bridge sits flush with the top, fitted with a new tall carved bone saddle. This J-45 also benefits from a fresh professional neck reset, ensuring the neck meets the body at the ideal angle for decades of future viability. The original pickguard is an extremely dark piece of tortoise, sitting flat on the top and notably thinner than later "syrupy" Gibson guards, allowing the top to have a more dynamic, responsive sound.
The original Sunburst nitro lacquer finish is 100% original with no touch-up or overspray, and the instrument is crack-free. There is broad lacquer checking on top and light pick scuffing on the bass-side upper bout. Cosmetic wear is otherwise limited to a small area of light texturing in the clear coat on the back adjacent to the neck heel, and various small dings and finish scuffs on the body as a whole, largely on the back and rims. The gloss on the neck profile is extremely smooth and free of palm wear, with just a couple shallow marks central to the carve behind frets 7-9
A vintage circa 1960s black tolex Gibson hardshell case with gold plush interior is included. The small "Gibson" badge is intact on the case exterior and the original handle is intact, as are the stock latches.
Tonewoods include a solid spruce top and solid mahogany back and sides paired with a one-piece mahogany neck capped with a Brazilian rosewood fingerboard. Bold and punchy with an overarching warmth, this dreadnought offers plenty of detail and woody cut, with the sweetness and soft growl of mahogany when you dig in hard with a flatpick. The midrange is balanced and textured with a certain bell-like quality that records very well, while the trebles are full-sounding and bouncy with just enough sparkle and articulation. The guitar weighs 4lbs 6oz, professionally setup here at Mike & Mike's Guitar Bar with fresh 12-53 bronze strings, easy-playing action, and accurate intonation.
The one-piece Honduran mahogany neck has a round "baseball bat" C-shaped profile carve with ample shoulder, measuring .910" deep at the 1st fret and .999" at the 9th. The Brazilian rosewood fretboard retains the original slender "banjo" fretwire which has decent meat remaining given the fret size, exhibiting only light wear beneath the plain strings on the crowns of frets 1-3. The guitar plays cleanly in every register up the 24 3/4" scale with a straight neck and responsive, optimally adjusted truss rod. The original nylon nut measures 1 11/16" in width. On the headstock, the original nickel-plated Kluson Deluxe single line strip tuners are intact with original white buttons. These tuners turn smoothly and hold pitch as they should, and the original gold "Gibson" silkscreen logo is present on the headstock face as well.
The U-prefix factory order number is stamped on the heel block and visible through the soundhole, translating to a 1957 build date. The Brazilian rosewood bridge sits flush with the top, fitted with a new tall carved bone saddle. This J-45 also benefits from a fresh professional neck reset, ensuring the neck meets the body at the ideal angle for decades of future viability. The original pickguard is an extremely dark piece of tortoise, sitting flat on the top and notably thinner than later "syrupy" Gibson guards, allowing the top to have a more dynamic, responsive sound.
The original Sunburst nitro lacquer finish is 100% original with no touch-up or overspray, and the instrument is crack-free. There is broad lacquer checking on top and light pick scuffing on the bass-side upper bout. Cosmetic wear is otherwise limited to a small area of light texturing in the clear coat on the back adjacent to the neck heel, and various small dings and finish scuffs on the body as a whole, largely on the back and rims. The gloss on the neck profile is extremely smooth and free of palm wear, with just a couple shallow marks central to the carve behind frets 7-9
A vintage circa 1960s black tolex Gibson hardshell case with gold plush interior is included. The small "Gibson" badge is intact on the case exterior and the original handle is intact, as are the stock latches.
