1963 Gibson Country Western Vintage Dreadnought, Southern Jumbo SJN, Mint Condition w/ Case

Up for sale, a 1963 Gibson Country Western in time capsule-clean condition and in perfect working order, complete with the original chipboard case. As pristine as they come, this Gibson features the new feature set rolled out for the Country Western model in 1963, with a square shoulder dreadnought body and three-point tortoise pickguard.Featuring an X-braced spruce soundboard, mahogany back and sides, and a one-piece mahogany neck capped with a Brazilian rosewood fingerboard, this Country Western delivers a clear, smooth tone with plenty of bass register muscle, midrange warmth and treble sparkle. As a square shoulder dreadnought should, the low frequencies hold together particularly well, with a high volume ceiling and a bit of growl when really digging in. Sweet-sounding when fingerpicked, and offering ample projection with a flatpick, the guitar is a rewarding strummer that cuts through with a strong percussive chop. The guitar weighs 4lbs 5oz, professionally setup here at Mike & Mike's Guitar Bar with fresh 12-53 bronze strings, comfortable action, and accurate intonation.The one-piece mahogany neck has a slender C-shaped profile carve at the nut with appreciable roundness and heft further up the fingerboard while still feeling effortless and easily navigable, measuring .820" deep at the 1st fret, graduating to .960" at the 9th. The extremely dark Brazilian rosewood fretboard features pearloid split trapezoid inlay and flawless medium jumbo fretwire. The guitar plays cleanly up the 24 3/4" scale length with a straight neck and responsive, optimally adjusted truss rod. The nylon nut measures a full 1 11/16" in width, notable as this iteration of the Country Western would have its nut width narrowed (as with most Gibson models) by '65. On the headstock, the original Kluson Deluxe single line tuners are intact and flawless in their presentation, turning smoothly with the original white buttons.The original plastic bridge is flush with the top on all edges and also bolted to the top, as was the factory practice in the era. The bridge has a couple small stress fractures on the back edge that are purely aesthetic. The ceramic saddle has plenty of height, and the neck set is original. The original three-point tortoise pickguard sits flush with the top on all edges, thinner than many '60s Gibson guards, allowing the top to resonate optimally. The "Country Western" label is mostly intact, visible through the soundhole.The original gloss nitro lacquer Natural finish is paired with particularly ruddy Cherry-finished back and sides, and the guitar is crack-free. A truly remarkable, collector-grade instrument, cosmetic wear is limited to some light pick scuffing across the tortoise pickguard, and a faint finish scratch or two in the clear coat on the back. The gloss finish on the neck profile is flawless, and there is some common aniline dye bleed from the lacquer onto the neck binding.The original brown faux alligator chipboard case is included and as clean as the guitar. This relatively lightly built case retains its original handle, functional latches, and small Gibson badge on the case pocket.