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2002 Gibson Southern Jumbo 60th Anniversary
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SN#: 03242025, orange oval label. Signed: Ren Ferguson, head luthier, Gibson Montana
Body size at lower bout: 15 3/4" Scale length: 24 3/4" Nut width: 1 3/4" Neck depth, 1st/10th frets: .81/.87 S
Materials: Bookmatched, quartersawn fine-grained solid spruce top; solid Honduras mahogany back, sides and neck; solid rosewood fingerboard and bridge, with compensated bone saddle; 7-ply top binding, 5-ply back binding, contoured swirl tortoise pickguard.
Hardware: All original hardware includes gold Grover Stat-Tite tuners, adjustable truss rod with engraved cover, pearl dot bridge pins.
Notes: What is it with songwriters and the Gibson Southern Jumbo? Woody Guthrie. Hank Williams. Bob Dylan, Kris Kristofferson and Sheryl Crow: all found a captivating muse in this slope-shouldered siren.
Gibson lore has it that a sales rep from Dixie wanted a new guitar specifically targeted to pickers of the Old South. Thus in 1942 was born the Southerner Jumbo, a deluxe version of the company's popular flat top jumbos. With its twin parallelogram inlays and multi-ply binding, the SJ had a bound fingerboard by 1947, further distinguishing the model from the plain-Jane J-45.
The SJs close-grained Honduras mahogany body and neck makes for an exceptionally lightweight and resonant instrument, and its finely voiced spruce soundboard is X-braced with high, narrow struts for added stiffness. Renamed the Country Western in 1955, the Southern Jumbo has remained an iconic offering in the Gibson catalog, on and off, to this very day.
This gleaming guitar is one of a signed, limited edition commemorating the 60th anniversary of this legendary model. A faithful tribute to the original, the instrument was hand crafted in Gibson's Bozeman, Montana Custom Shop, and bears a label with the signature of Ren Ferguson, famed head luthier during this era.
Tipping the scales at barely 4 lb 3oz., the instrument is phenomenally lightweight and well balanced, with a voice that simply explodes out of the box. Lovingly maintained, the guitar has been kept free of cracks, pick, buckle, thumb and fingerboard wear, and shows 100% original Cremona sunburst finish and hardware, right down to the pearl inlaid bridge pins. Apart from a few incidental lacquer nicks and some wisps of light checking, the instrument shows few signs of play altogether.
The action is smooth and low with a fresh high-precision setup, over vintage correct narrow fretwork and a generous 1 3/4" nut, on a comfy C profile neck just a bit shallower in depth than examples from the postwar era. The tall, compensated bone saddle shows fine high clearance from the face of the vintage style reverse belly rosewood bridge. The voice is open, clear and strong as a mule team, with deep, vibrant bass and a brilliant, sparkling high register. All nestled snugly in its gorgeous Gibson deluxe plush lined hardshell case.
A rare homage to a classic model, and an outstanding performer in any setting. One only: call now.
Setup: This instrument is strung with medium gauge bronze strings (.013-.056). The guitar will accommodate lighter or heavier gauge strings, according to preference. String action is set at 4/64" to 5/64" at the 12th fret, with moderate relief for acoustic playing with medium strings.
