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c.1938 Recording King M-4

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FON #: 392-16 Body size at lower bout: 16" Body Depth: 3 1/4" Scale length: 24 3/4" Nut Width: 1 3/4" Neck depth, 1st/10th frets: 1.00/1.13

Materials: Handcarved bookmatched solid spruce top; arched curly maple back and sides; solid Honduran mahogany neck; solid Brazilian rosewood fingerboard with mother of pearl inlay; ornate crown peghead inlay; triple bound body, and bound fingerboard.

Hardware: 100% original nickel hardware includes open-back Grover Stat-Tite tuners, Grover trapeze tailpiece, adjustable compensated Brazilian rosewood bridge, bound firestripe tortoise pickguard.

Notes: Like Epiphone, Martin and other premium instrument builders, the Gibson company produced instruments on contract for distributors, music store chains, and sometimes even prominent regional music teachers. Bearing names like Cromwell, National, Washburn, and many more, these instruments were often produced by a variety of manufacturers, but none exceeded Gibson itself in quality of construction. By far the best known and most widely distributed OEM Gibson instruments were marketed by mail order behemoth Montgomery Ward under their trade name 'Recording King'.

Recording King instruments were marketed by Ward as early as 1929, and by 1938 the brand was produced exclusively by Gibson, an arrangement that lasted until mid-1940. Instruments built during this period use Gibson factory order numbers as well. Recording King endorsers included country pioneer Carson Robison, as well as Ray Whitley, later the father of the legendary Gibson J-200.

The M-4 was cataloged as the model 1123, and positioned as Ward's answer to Gibson's popular L-4 archtop. With a solid carved bookmatched spruce soundboard and highly figured maple body, the M-4 displays top-flight craftsmanship throughout, including unique ornate fan inlay in both peghead and fingerboard. (To show how closely the M-4 and L-4 were related, check the identical fan inlay pattern on the '39 L-4 here.) Signature Gibson touches abound, from the classic Cremona sunburst finish, to the 'Charlie Christian' style bound firestripe tortoise pickguard. Finally, the generous 1 3/4" nut, now so popular among contemporary players, harkens back to the earliest Gibson archtops of the 20's.

The differences are equally intriguing. The soundholes are somewhat larger, and the curly maple sides are finished in a distinctive lateral sunburst, seen only rarely on a few obscure Gibson models like the prewar L-75. Bridge and tailpiece are like those found on various prewar Gibson archtops, but the Grover tuners are an extremely rare and attractive variant, sporting stylish art-deco baseplates.

This stunning example has been preserved in museum quality condition, with all original hardware, and is notably free of playwear, with only a few incidental nicks in the original sunburst finish. Action is smooth and low over a classic full prewar neck with a traditional V profile. At a scant 4ln 2oz, the instrument is phenomenally light in weight and well balanced, with a voice that is clear, open and well balanced, with excellent projection. And finally, the guitar remains ensconced in its original black Geib deluxe plush lined hardshell case.

A rare and stylish instrument, the M-4 is one of the best kept secrets of the archtop world, and an outstanding value in a true prewar Gibson built acoustic archtop. One only: call now.

Setup: The frets have been precision leveled, recrowned and polished; bridge height adjusted; bridge compensation set; string slots at nut and bridge inspected and recut as necessary; bridge foot contour inspected and fit to top as necessary; bridge radius inspected and recurved as necessary; bridgewheels and tuners lubricated; fingerboard and bridge oiled; body and neck cleaned and hand polished.

This instrument is strung with medium gauge nickel roundwound strings. The guitar will accommodate lighter or heavier gauge strings, according to preference. String action is set at 5/64" to 6/64" at the 12th fret, with moderate relief for acoustic playing with medium strings. The action may be lowered or raised to your requirements with the adjustable bridge.

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