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December 2005
Posts: 247
Location: Seacoast NH | Anyone have any experience with Gibson acoustics? I just found a beat up J40 in my wife's spepfather's pile of junk in his basement, looks to be a 1979 model. He can't remember anything about it. It is incredibly dried out, has several small cracks in the back and the bookmatch joint, and almost looks like it was sawn from the soundhole along the treble side of the fingerboard overlap though it doesn't penetrate the bracing, so could just be a massive crack). That last might explain why its stamped with "Second" right below the serial number on the neck. Initially I'm going to try to get some humidity into it and see it that helps some. I don't think these are very valuable from what I've seen, but I'm going to try to salvage it anyways. Strings were detuned (thankfully), and I'll be damned if the thing didn't tune right up and play straight. Big booming sound too! I'll try to get some pictures up when I have the time to jump into this project. Any advice is welcome. Already planning on bringing to my local luthier for an evaluation... Thanks!
Mark |
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March 2008
Posts: 2683
Location: Hot Springs, S.D. | If it were in good shape it'd probably be worth about $1,000. But if it sounds good and plays good, it is priceless. |
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Joined:
December 2005
Posts: 247
Location: Seacoast NH | Here's a few pics, hoping I can salvage this, but that's one nasty crack (cat hair courtesy of Kuma). 
Cleaned up nice though. 
Edited by mbedard 2012-05-01 9:09 PM
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December 2009
Posts: 686
Location: Route 66, just east of the Cadillac Ranch | Very nice found guitar and you don't have to worry about putting the first scratch on it. |
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Joined:
December 2005
Posts: 247
Location: Seacoast NH | Good point Nick! Yeah, not bad for a garage find.
Bringing it to Mouradian Guitars in Winchester, MA today to see what can be done. |
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January 2009
Posts: 4535
Location: Flahdaw | I like the color, hate the pickguard. All in all, probably a nice strummer. I've never liked Gibsons in the upper ranges...no brightness to them at all. |
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April 2012
Posts: 37
Location: Raleigh, NC | Looks like it could be fixed, and as far as cosmetics - you see much worse looking guitars on stage. Tift Merritt finally picked such a big hole in her old red small body Gibson that she had to add a much larger pick guard that looks like an afterthought. A local shop does all her work, and said she won't give it up - got a Grammy with "Little Red". |
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Joined:
December 2005
Posts: 247
Location: Seacoast NH | Just got back from Mouradian Guitars, what a shop!
Jon Mouradian said it looks as if the neck alignment was probably off right from the factory (hence the "SECOND" stamp on the neck), just a touch off base, and that most likely led to the crack and not from the pickguard shrinking which is what I thought. He said the neck actually looks excellent otherwise, but he could easily correct the crack and stabilize it (or it will be fine if left alone as well -- shouldn't get any worse). To get the action more playable up higher, he recommended removing the bridge, filling in the pinless holes, shaving it down, and then drilling through to turn it into a pinned bridge. He also said you could do nothing and it will be a great strummer up to the 5th fret, just like BobG said above. To do all the above he said would be under $300. Jon suggested I play it for a while before deciding what to do. He also commented on what great condition it looks to be in otherwise.
Great shop, he even gave it a 3 minute setup while we were talking -- no charge. I think I found my new luthier...
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September 2011
Posts: 402
Location: New Hartford CT | "To do all the above he said would be under $300."
A friend of mine just bought a '69 Balladeer 1111-4 for $299 on ebay that was freshly factory serviced. Plays and sounds like a dream. It's in great condition with just 2 minor laquer cracks. He has absolutley fallen in love with that old Balladeer.
You can never have enough vintage Ovations. Sell the Gibson heh - just kidding, nice find. |
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Joined:
December 2005
Posts: 247
Location: Seacoast NH | Wow George, $299, and freshly serviced, what a deal! I need to get my brother a new guitar, I should start trolling for deals like this...
I actually was scared he was gonna say something much higher, which is would be more than the guitar is probably worth. I really have no experience with repairs and such other than the occasional setup. My Elite has never really needed anything and has really been my primary plucker for the last 20 years, but could probably use a factory service about now to be honest.
Although I would love to add another Ovation, the wife thinks I'm developing issues after adding my third one - the Millennium. I try the "But Honey, some of these guys have like 5, 10, 15 of them!" argument on her, but it generally goes nowhere  And it will be nice to fix up her Stepdad's old guitar -- sentimental value and all that. |
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May 2009
Posts: 1433
Location: Right now? | Nice find, Mark. I like the way it looks, and I don't mind the pick guard ... it goes with the guitar. So cool that you have found a luthier you like, also. Lucky you!
Willa |
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Gibson J40