Kalamazoo

Gibson TB4 Snakehead Trap Door Tenor Banjo, 1924

On May 17, 2020 /

Here’s a lovely older instrument, built around 1924 – The Gibson TB4 Snakehead, trap door tenor banjo, with Maple for the neck, rim and folding ‘trap door’ resonator. This fine instrument has its original parts, though the case is long gone, and was built at the end of the Lloyd Loar era (1911 to end of 1924), which produced many historic innovations. The Gibson TB4 was part of the TB or Tenor Banjo series introduced in 1921 as Gibson attempted to stabilize its place in the banjo market.

Vintage

This instrument has sold

Gibson ES175 Single Pickup Archtop Electric Sunburst, 1966

On May 12, 2020 /

One of the classic musical workhorses, the Gibson ES175 single pickup guitar made its debut in 1949 with a P-90 at the neck, with the pickup updated to the all-new humbucker in 1957. In 1952, the ES175D (for Double pickup) appeared, with a second pickup in the bridge position. These guitars were immediate hits with professional players and serious amateurs in many genres – Jazz, Pop, and Country were the most common and the ES-175 was a standard for jazz players from its introduction until being recently discontinued.

Vintage

This instrument has sold

Gibson Sheryl Crow Southern Jumbo Sunburst, 2012

On May 2, 2020 /

The Gibson Sheryl Crow Southern Jumbo is based on the original 1942 version of the SJ, introduced as an upmarket version of the J-45 slope shouldered dreadnought. The Gibson Southern Jumbo or SJ is based very closely on the classic J-45, but with more decoration. It was launched with the J-45 in 1942, but marketed, as the name suggests, to musicians in the American South – south of the Mason-Dixon line. The key differences are in fingerboard binding and position markers.

Used

This instrument has sold

SOLD‼ Gibson PB3 Plectrum Banjo, 1927

On April 22, 2020 /

Built largely with Maple, the Gibson PB3 used solid Maple for the neck and pot, and Laminate Maple, stained Mahogany, for the Resonator. The fingerboard is Rosewood – and at the time, even though this was an ‘entry level’ instrument, that meant Brazilian Rosewood. The classic inlay set is executed in Mother of Pearl, with the engraved MASTERTONE block at the next to last fret. All the original hardware is present, including the Grover pancake tuners.

Vintage

This instrument has sold

Gibson ES345 1964 Reissue Frost Blue, 2019

On April 16, 2020 /

This is a treat – one of the last pieces from the now-closed Memphis plant, a Gibson ES345 1964 Reissue in Frost Blue with nickel plated hardware. Gibson hit the mark squarely in 1958 with the introduction of the groundbreaking thinline semi-hollow concept, coupled with their new humbucking pickups. The ES-335 and upscale ES-355 were an immediate hit, and in 1959 the line was filled out with the mid-range ES-345, which also sported Split Parallelogram position markers and a six-position Varitone circuit, but not the Stereo outputs or extra binding of the ES-355.

New

This instrument has sold

Gibson Advanced Jumbo Historic Collection Vintage Burst, 2005

On April 15, 2020 /

Here’s a lovely and unusual piece – a Gibson Advanced Jumbo Historic Collection model, patterned after the original 1936 round shouldered, Rosewood dreadnought. While this looks rather like other Gibson round shoulder models – particularly the venerable J-45 – the Advanced Jumbo has a longer scale length, the X brace is moved closer to the soundhole, and the sides and back are Rosewood instead of Mahogany. Gibson launched the Advanced Jumbo in 1936 but discontinued it in 1939. The original models used a mix of Brazilian and Indian Rosewood – both are documented.

Used

This instrument has sold

Kalamazoo

Gibson TB4 Snakehead Trap Door Tenor Banjo, 1924

Gibson ES175 Single Pickup Archtop Electric Sunburst, 1966

Gibson Sheryl Crow Southern Jumbo Sunburst, 2012

SOLD‼ Gibson PB3 Plectrum Banjo, 1927

Gibson ES345 1964 Reissue Frost Blue, 2019

Gibson Advanced Jumbo Historic Collection Vintage Burst, 2005

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