We present an original 1953 Gibson Southern Jumbo in Sunburst. This flat-top guitar is made in Kalamazoo, Michigan.
This Gibson’s postwar flat-top line is not as simple a working man’s guitar as the more austere J-45 but not as fancy as the big 17″ SJ-200 or J-185. The Southern Jumbo features the same basic construction as the more familiar J-45 with a sunburst spruce top on a 16″ slope-shouldered mahogany jumbo body, with a mahogany neck and rosewood fingerboard. The cosmetics of the Southern Jumbo are fancier than the J-45 all around. There are multiple layers of binding around the body and sound hole, and the fingerboard is bound with pearloid double parallelogram inlays. The rosewood bridge is a top-belly design. This 1953 model has some general play wear but still sports a very sharp look without any crack repairs. The original finish on the back has nicks and dings. This guitar is a great-sounding survivor, superbly light and resonant and a joy to play. This guitar has wear around the soundhole and general wear all over but it looks and shows very well.
Here are the exact measurements on the SJ set up:
Nut width: 1.7270.
Just past nut at fretboard: 1.6920.
Repairs done by a professional Luthier:
- Visible through the sound hole there is old glue work to back center seam and braces.
- Neck reset, requiring on Gibson’s some tiny touch up work at neck heel both sides, new frets, new nut and new saddle.
- Original bridge plate had string holes repaired using Stew-Mac repair tool.
- Original pickguard relieved.
- Various inside brace ends have been reglued.
- Rear center seam at butt (last three inches) glued and the inside strip in this area added.
English
Danish