Inherited Gibson needs work, seeking suggestions...

[jfgesquire]

A 1946 J-45 has come into my possession and it has issues:

1. It was re-finished about 35 years ago.
2. Bridge replaced with oversized belly bridge, although it originally had straight bridge with bolts. It is now lifting.
3. Bridge base plate was NOT replaced (probably the cause of #'s 6 and 7 below)
4. Tuners replaced with PAF Grovers, Original tuners swiped.
5. Cracks on sides, back and end block.
6. Body in front of bridge collapsing.
7. Belly body bulge and cracking off bass side of bridge on top.

It probably already has significant diminished value because of the refinish and bridge issues... But it is a family piece and wouldn't be sold anyway. It probably should have the fingerboard planed and re fretted, too. Yes, I know it needs a nut... the original was cracked and fell out when the strings were removed. It had been shimmed with paper that appears to have been soaked in glue. A new unbleached bone nut will need to be cut, but that is the least of the issues.


How much work would you have done? By whom? Where would you draw the line?

[thegreatgumbino]

Beautiful guitar! Congrats on your new baby. My dad was born in 1946, and I've always dreamed of owning a J45 from that year.

Since it's already been refinished, I would have all the necessary work done to make it playable and as new and not worry about it. It's a family heirloom, fix it right once more and it will last forever. You can find period correct used tuners, but since it's refinished why not just upgrade to Waverly's or similar? I don't see anything that isn't fixable or is a major repair, though I'm not expert.

[sdelsolray]

For a complete world-class restoration, contact Kerry Char in Portland, OR.

[mcduffnw]

Hi jfgesquire...

Wonderful guitar...congrats!!!

Where do you live? Let us know, and this group of folks can recommend a great repair/restoration expert that will be close to you.

duff

[Jim Owen]

[QUOTE=jfgesquire;5486876]A 1946 J-45 has come into my possession and it has issues:

1. It was re-finished about 35 years ago.
2. Bridge replaced with oversized belly bridge, although it originally had straight bridge with bolts. It is now lifting.
3. Bridge base plate was NOT replaced (probably the cause of #'s 6 and 7 below)
4. Tuners replaced with PAF Grovers, Original tuners swiped.
5. Cracks on sides, back and end block.
6. Body in front of bridge collapsing.
7. Belly body bulge and cracking off bass side of bridge on top.

It probably already has significant diminished value because of the refinish and bridge issues... But it is a family piece and wouldn't be sold anyway. It probably should have the fingerboard planed and re fretted, too. Yes, I know it needs a nut... the original was cracked and fell out when the strings were removed. It had been shimmed with paper that appears to have been soaked in glue. A new unbleached bone nut will need to be cut, but that is the least of the issues.


How much work would you have done? By whom? Where would you draw the line?





Hi jfgesquire,
That's a beauty.

Welcome to the forum.

[guitar george]

There's nothing that a lot of money can't fix. There are a lot of J-45's for sale on Ebay and the prices are all over the map. Some of the older J-45's are priced very high, so, spending a fair bit of money on it would be justified. A lot of the Ebay listings might not sell, so, those high prices may not be an indication of realistic value, however.

I would take the guitar to a luthier and get quotes for each of the items in your list and then start another thread on the AGF and include the same list with the cost of each repair and ask the same questions again.

[jfgesquire]

I live in the Western New York area, but don't mind shipping it for the right luthier.

What concerns me most is the depression in front of the bridge.

[Athens]

First, welcome to the forums!

******Yes, please let us know where you live. Lot's of good folks out there and someone can recommend a good luthier if we know what area you live in.*********
Our posts crossed. You answered just as i asked..


Looks as if she's going to need some TLC though.

[jfgesquire]

Originally Posted by Athens

First, welcome to the forums!

Thank you.

[roylor4]

I have no idea. I do know this - you need to share where you live.

There are a LOT of guys here that can and will help you here. Without giving your location you will get info and suggestions that may or may not be helpful.

Give more info and i suspect the vintage and Gibson lovers will come out of the woodwork to help.

[jfgesquire]

Originally Posted by roylor4

I have no idea. I do know this - you need to share where you live.

There are a LOT of guys here that can and will help you here. Without giving your location you will get info and suggestions that may or may not be helpful.

Give more info and i suspect the vintage and Gibson lovers will come out of the woodwork to help.

Western New York...

But really, any suggestions help. Someone recommended a luthier in Seattle, and if I thought he was the best for the job I'd ship it across the country.

[Earl49]

There are two levels of repair: make it playable and deal with any long-term structural issues, or the far more expensive "full restoration" where everything is made as new and original as possible. I don't have any good luthier suggestions for you.

You can go to User Control Panel (User CP on the blue bar) and edit your location down at the bottom. We don't need a street address -- a general idea would avoid the spate of "where are you" responses.

[Jim Owen]

[QUOTE=jfgesquire;5486876]A 1946 J-45 has come into my possession and it has issues:

1. It was re-finished about 35 years ago.
2. Bridge replaced with oversized belly bridge, although it originally had straight bridge with bolts. It is now lifting.
3. Bridge base plate was NOT replaced (probably the cause of #'s 6 and 7 below)
4. Tuners replaced with PAF Grovers, Original tuners swiped.
5. Cracks on sides, back and end block.
6. Body in front of bridge collapsing.
7. Belly body bulge and cracking off bass side of bridge on top.

It probably already has significant diminished value because of the refinish and bridge issues... But it is a family piece and wouldn't be sold anyway. It probably should have the fingerboard planed and re fretted, too. Yes, I know it needs a nut... the original was cracked and fell out when the strings were removed. It had been shimmed with paper that appears to have been soaked in glue. A new unbleached bone nut will need to be cut, but that is the least of the issues.


How much work would you have done? By whom? Where would you draw the line?





Hi jfgesquire,
That's a beauty.

Welcome to the forum.

In your general area, Steve Kovacik or Dave Strunk and Rich Eckhart come to mind. They are well versed in vintage repairs and can help you make the right choices for this guitar.

http://www.guitar-repair.com/

http://brothersmusicshop.com/

[HarryQ]

I would be cautious about having the fretboard planed unless it's actually warped. I've refretted guitars with significant divots or wear in the fingerboard and found that the divots don't bother me. Since the fret wire protects the actual area where the fret sits, the divots shouldn't affect the fret level itself. I like to save as much of the original fingerboard as possible. Alternatively the divots can be filled with super glue or epoxy mixed with matching wood dust, then leveled. Others may feel differently.