1949 Gibson J-45

[Canada310]

Hi, I've got a 1949 j-45 that my grandfather gave me. He is still alive but wanted to give it to me before he passed. He has a martin d-40 to keep him busy anyway. Unfortunatly, he bought it new in 1949 and didn't know a thing about proper care. Its been beaten, used and then some. Exposed to the elements etc. Now, it has a crack starting and the bottom and going straight up to the soundhole pretty much. Its also collapsing in all around the pickguard. It has too many scars to name as well. Scars dont bother me though. Anyway if I want to keep it in one peice it needs work. Is it possible to have someone fix this, and would it be worth it money wise?

[RustyAxe]

Originally Posted by Canada310

Hi, I've got a 1949 j-45 that my grandfather gave me. He is still alive but wanted to give it to me before he passed. He has a martin d-40 to keep him busy anyway. Unfortunatly, he bought it new in 1949 and didn't know a thing about proper care. Its been beaten, used and then some. Exposed to the elements etc. Now, it has a crack starting and the bottom and going straight up to the soundhole pretty much. Its also collapsing in all around the pickguard. It has too many scars to name as well. Scars dont bother me though. Anyway if I want to keep it in one peice it needs work. Is it possible to have someone fix this, and would it be worth it money wise?

Yes, and yes. Even if it can't be restored "as new" (and it shouldn't be!) if it is playable in the end it'll be worth it. It'll need a neck reset, the crack cleated, maybe some bridge work and who knows what else. Find a QUALIFIED LUTHIER, don't let the tech down at the music store mangle it.

We'd love to see a picture of it!

[surfoxy]

Sounds like an unbelievable project if nothing else! You're (probably, depending on HOW bad) a lucky guy! If nothing else, it's totally cool that your grandpa plays, and has this great old Gibby.

Love to see some pics!

[plunderpot]

A '49 J-45 - I think that may be my dream acoustic...
Best of luck with it!

J

[StringShack]

I have a '48 J-45 that was passed down from my uncle. He bought it (and a '35 Gibson mandolin) at a garage sale in 1970 for $25.00. My cousin got the mandolin and I got the J-45. Needless to say, I think I got he better deal!

It's an awesome sounding guitar and I play it every day. It's big and deep and records wonderfully - I've used it on several albums.

Mine has needed repair over the years (the high-desert climate of Nevada is not kind to acoustics). By all means, find a QUALIFIED luthier. Someone who doesn't know what they're doing can wreak havoc on your guitar. I've since learned to keep a humidifier in my J-45 and havn't had any more cracking or glue separation problems.

Have fun with your J-45!

[rmyAddison]

'49 is my birth year, if it was a Martin I would be PM'ing you right now with an offer.

However, Gibby's are great too, especially 45's! Get that puppy properly fixed by a qualified luthier and you have an amazing guitar.

You are a lucky person!

[billgennaro]

Originally Posted by Canada310

Is it possible to have someone fix this, and would it be worth it money wise?

yes and yes.

[weatherford]

from the Guild of American Luthiers website (I know you are in Canada - you definitely do NOT want to hassle with the border these days from all reports!)

You certainly should be able to find a Luthier through the Montreal Show, which is coming up!

It sounds wonderful, good luck!!

How to find a competent repair person

We get lots of e-mails and calls asking for repair referrals for all kinds of stringed instruments. It's hard to know how to handle these requests. Yes, we may know of a luthier in the area, but we don't feel comfortable as a referral service. What we can do is point our readers and web visitors in the right direction, and with a little effort and application of some detecting skills, anyone should be able to find a competent instrument repair person, even if the instrument has to be shipped.
Please keep in mind that being a member of the Guild of American Luthiers or being linked to the GAL website does not in any way imply repair or building competence. Membership in the Guild of American Luthiers is open to all. Like the National Geographic Society, we are a nonprofit membership organization. There are no requirements for membership other than payment of dues. Our quarterly journal is the main benefit of membership. Furthermore, we are unaware of any membership organization for stringed instrument makers or repairers that can offer assurance of the competency of its members, with the possible exception of the AFVBM, the American Federation of Violin and Bow Makers (www.afvbm.com), which has strict criteria for membership. At the AFVBM website you can locate members by state, which will at least give you a starting place. Keep in mind that the AFVBM is a small organization of only about 100 members, by no means the only competent violin builders and repairers.
Searching for competence becomes your job, and I hope this short article will help you with it. If you have a new instrument with a problem, take it back where you bought it. Most instruments have some kind of warranty and the store will honor it if you are persistent and have not abused the instrument. The large manufacturers have authorized independent dealers or repair shops to do warranty repairs. If you have, say, a Martin, you can easily access their network of luthiers who are authorized by them to do warranty repairs. Go to www.martinguitar.com and select "Services," then "Service Center Warranty Repair." Repair shops that are the warranty shops are generally good places to take an instrument for repairs that are not warranty, since they are likely to be familiar with the particular brand and have had training or been through some certification process by the manufacturer.
If your instrument is by a individual hand maker who is still making instruments your options are slightly different. As a rule of thumb, it's always best for the maker to be given the option of doing repairs, whether they are warranty or not. If you need help locating him or her, a simple internet search should help. If you cannot find him or her by searching for the name, check some of the musical instrument maker lists. There are a variety of websites that can help including: www.13thfret.com/shops.shtml; www.acousticguitar.com, www.stringsmagazine.com. On this site, check our "Links and Resources" page.

[weatherford]

Here is a list of repairpeople in Canada who are members of the The Association of Stringed Instrument Artisans (A.S.I.A.)


Canadian members who do repairs


Hope this helps!!

[MJH]

Originally Posted by rmyAddison

'49 is my birth year, if it was a Martin I would be PM'ing you right now with an offer.

However, Gibby's are great too, especially 45's! Get that puppy properly fixed by a qualified luthier and you have an amazing guitar.

You are a lucky person!

My birth year, too! There is a '49 O-15 on eBay right now. Item #230234559239. Not a bad price. I wish I had the extra money and the room to store it. I'd buy it in a second.

[jlkitch]

I have a 1954 J-45 that's a dream to play. It was my father-in-laws main instrument for most of those years and was in good shape until his brother stored it in an outside wall closet in an uninsulated mountain house. By the time I got it it had a lifted pickguard and a seam separation. These were mended by Marguerite at Fret Not in due order. She didn't even have to cleat the separation. Other than the normal crazing everything is AOK. (Actually, the crazing gives it character.) It plays great, has excellent tone and everytime I pick it up I remember seeing Willard play it at the BlueRidge Parkway jam.

[jackiebrown]

Definitely not worth it to fix, probably not fixable. Tell you what, send it to me at this address ....

[NateDog16]

Great year for a J-45.

Yes it's most likely fixable, and by all means it is worth it. Keep that guitar.