NEW ARRIVAL In the 1930’s Gibson produced four dreadnought models, which were the forerunners of the famous Gibson dreadnoughts that have become household names. They were the Original Jumbo in 1934, the Advanced Jumbo and J35 in 1936, and the J55 in 1939. All these models were discontinued by 1943, and have become highly sought after in the vintage market. Every now and then Gibson Custom Shop reissue one of these models, to give normal guitar buyers the chance of owning a modern recreation of such historically important guitars. This 1939 J55 is a particularly fine example of possibly the most unusual of the famous four. It’s a traditional slope shoulder dreadnought with a thermally aged Adirondack Red Spruce top and Mahogany back and sides, but the moustache bridge and stair step pickguard are what make it stand out from the crowd. When you pick the guitar up you notice how lightly it’s been built, meaning the resonance and sustain are particularly impressive. The bass has a real thump to it, the mids sit nicely in the mix, and the trebles sing. The neck has a full feeling C profile and a wide nut, giving greater string spacing, staying true to the original 30’s build spec. The faded sunburst finish with thin nitro finish give the guitar an aged look, while the Abalone script headstock logo and open back tuners are classy touches. As you’d expect there’s an Ebony bound fingerboard plus bone nut, saddle and bridge pins. Altogether it’s a beautifully crafted guitar that sounds as good as it looks, and comes in a historically accurate Custom Shop hard case.
