The Gibson J-45 is—despite Martin’s claim—America’s guitar, the signature instrument of the serious player in jams, gigs, hoedowns, hootenannies, parties, and front porches since the 1940’s. The original J-45 has a slope-shouldered jumbo body (until 1969) with a solid spruce top and mahogany back,...

According to The Blue Book of Acoustic Guitars, the Gibson B series of acoustic guitars was the successor to the LG series phased out in the early to mid-1960s. Generally speaking, the B-15 replaced the LG-0, the B-20 replaced the LG-1, the B-25 replaced the X-braced LG-2, and the B-25N replaced...

According to The Blue Book of Acoustic Guitars, the Gibson B series of acoustic guitars was the successor to the LG series largely phased out in the early 1960s. Generally speaking, the B-15 replaced the LG-0, the B-20 replaced the LG-1, and the B-25 replaced the LG-2 and LG-3. Thus, this B-25-12N...

According to The Blue Book of Acoustic Guitars, the Gibson MK-53 was made in very limited quantities: “Approx. 1,425 mfg. 1975-78” (p. 254. Gruhn’s Guide and Vintage Guitar Price Guide basically agree). George Gruhn adds that the MK models were custom designed by Michael Kasha and Richard Schneider...

According to The Blue Book of Acoustic Guitars, the Gibson B series of acoustic guitars was the direct successor to the LG series largely phased out in the mid-1960s. Generally speaking, the B-15 replaced the LG-0, the B-20 replaced the LG-1, the B-25 replaced the X-braced LG-2, and the larger B-45...

According to The Blue Book of Acoustic Guitars, the Gibson C-1 classical guitar was manufactured in various forms from 1951 to 1971. Gruhn’s Guide and Vintage Guitar Price Guide basically agree, although there is some disagreement as to specific features. Like most classical guitars, it’s smaller...

According to The Blue Book of Acoustic Guitars, the Gibson C-1 classical guitar was manufactured in various forms from 1957 to 1971. Gruhn’s Guide and Vintage Guitar Price Guide basically agree, although there is some disagreement as to specific features. Like most classical guitars, it’s smaller...

According to The Blue Book of Acoustic Guitars, the Gibson B series of acoustic guitars was the direct successor to the LG series largely phased out in the mid-1960s. Generally speaking, the B-15 replaced the LG-0, the B-20 replaced the LG-1, the B-25 replaced the X-braced LG-2, and the larger B-45...

The Gibson Heritage dreadnought was manufactured at the famed Kalamazoo plant from 1965-1982, significantly featuring spectacular Brazilian rosewood backs and sides on the 1965-1967 models. In many respects, the Heritage was a rosewood clone of the mahogany Hummingbird of the time, except for the...

I apologize in advance for telling you folks what some of you already know and others of you don’t want to know, but it’s stuff which anybody who is considering bidding on this guitar ought to know, so here goes: Gibson introduced the LG-1 in April of 1943 as a kind of junior partner to the...

I apologize in advance for telling you folks what some of you already know and others of you don’t want to know, but it’s stuff which anybody who is considering bidding on this guitar ought to know, so here goes: Gibson introduced the C-0 classical or folk guitar in 1962 as a kind of junior...

Many companies sprang up in Japan and other Asian countries starting in the late '60s making quality copies of popular American guitars for the folk/rock music market of the time, frequently the same models under a number of different names. However, most of these companies were Asian...

Hokay, folks, this is a guitar which you may never see again outside of serious collections and museums—and the even rarer intact label gives it an absolutely reliable date and provenance. Pre-War and War-time Gibsons and Martins are readily available—for exorbitant prices--and 1950s and even 1960s...

Luthier Dieter Hopf’s family has been building classical musical instruments in Germany for over 300 years. Dieter Hopf himself was born in 1936 and has lived since 1949 in Taunusstein, Germany. Hopf is now a world renowned guitar maker, and is a great innovator of classical guitars. His...