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1951 Gibson Southern Jumbo

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FON#: 9600-14

Body size at lower bout: 15 3/4" Scale length: 24 3/4" Nut width: 1 11/16"

Materials: Bookmatched, quartersawn fine-grained solid spruce top; solid Honduras mahogany back, sides and neck; solid Brazilian rosewood fingerboard and bridge, with compensated bone saddle; 7-ply top binding, 5-ply back binding, small contoured swirl tortoise pickguard.

Hardware: 100% original hardware includes Kluson Deluxe tuners and buttons, adjustable truss rod and cover, original bridge and end 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 postwar guitar has been kept by a single family since new, and is one of the most outstanding examples we've seen to date. Tipping the scales at barely 4 lb., 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 bridge pins. She's collected a few scattered dings over the years, and a light lacquer line along the top center seam, but no separation of the soundboard.

The action is smooth and low over immaculate recent fretwork, over a classic full C profile neck. The tall, compensated bone saddle shows fine high clearance from the face of the Brazilian rosewood reverse belly 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 Lifton deluxe brown hardshell case. This southern belle could be playing your song. But you gotta 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 5/64" to 6/64" at the 12th fret, with moderate relief for acoustic playing with medium strings.

Case: Gibson Lifton deluxe brown hardshell case.

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