1957 Gibson J-50

1957 Gibson J-50 – Player Grade

This guitar has had some work done, which is reflected in the low price.

The good news is that it sounds great as it is. It has wonderful sustain and deep resonance. The action is good, and the neck angle is right.

It's eminently playable as is but would benefit from a setup or refret to make it a perfect player. This isn’t necessary to play and enjoy the guitar, but it would improve playability.

The low price comes with some condition notes. I don’t have a detailed history of the guitar, but here is what I see. The top has been oversprayed. The bridge has been re-glued, and a new bridge plate installed. The saddle has been replaced. It has decent height but isn’t very tall. There is some missing material between the fifth and seventh fret markers on the side, though it’s not noticeable to the touch and could be filled in. The top of the fretboard is still fully intact. The frets show some wear. They were originally small from the factory, and those on the tongue have been leveled down quite a bit. A refret isn't required for playability, but it would make the guitar feel its best. The guard looks old, but is probably a replacement given the overspray on the top…

The tuners have been replaced with Schallers. Some material was removed from the truss rod nut cavity, perhaps to allow easier access to the nut (?), which is slightly visible on the left side of the cover. The truss rod nut itself has also been replaced.

There are repaired cracks on the back, but I don't know who did the work or when. One crack on the left side may need to be redone.

This is a project/player guitar, and I’ve described everything I can see. If you need more photos, let me know.

This is a project guitar so there are no returns

Ships in an older chipboard case with plush padding inside.