• 1974 Vintage Gibson J-55
• Gibson J 55 Value
• Youtube 1941 Gibson J-55 Guitar

I am trying to date a Gibson J 50 Adj that belongs to my father 'n law. Not selling it or anything. Just having fun.

Advice on a gibson j-55 General Acoustic Guitar Discussion. Gibson Jumbo 55 (J-55. See the Gibson Serial Number Info web page for help determining the exact year. J.Spann's book on FON numbers shows us some pre-war. The J-35 is handcrafted with solid tone woods and all the acclaimed skill of Gibson.

It has a serial number on the back of the headstock: 306327. The guitar looks basically like the others out there: natural finish, large pick guard. The saddle appears to be rosewood, if that means anything. Any help would be appreciated. Dating Gibson's from the serial numbers can be tricky since Gibson didn't have a consistent numbering system until 1977, and at times reused numbers. The number you gave could be either the period 1965-67, or 1974-75.

1974 Vintage Gibson J-55

If it has 'Made In The USA' stamped on the back of the headstock along with the number, it's likely the latter, if not, the former. The 1970's model would be square shouldered and not the more typical round shoulders of the earlier model. The 70's model will also have a longer scale length (251/2'), and double X bracing. I suspect yours is the earlier 60's model though, since Gibson eliminated the adjustable bridge in 1971, though given Gibson's tendency to use 'floor sweeps' from time to time, that's not definitive. Better to put it in context with the rest of the guitar. It might help if you can post some pics.

Hope that helps, Dennis.

Hey everybody, Just wanted to toss this out and see if anyone had any input. This seems like a good deal, but it's still a lot of money. I found a used mid-70's Gibson J-55. It's got a lot of visible wear: a little in the fretboard, lots of tortoise binding cracked, a couple spots missing, lots of finish checking. In short, it has a lot of cosmetic 'character' but structurally it seems like it is solid. No separation at the neck or bridge, no cracks.

It plays great. The action is low and the intonation is perfect. The guy says he hasn't touched it in about 7 years, and I believe him; the strings appear to be that old. I'm really curious to know what new strings would sound like on it. Anyway, it's a rarer model, so I can't find as much info on it. Prices on the internet are all over the place.

Anybody know about these guitars? Email about price if you know anything.

Thanks in advance for your input. Yeah, that's what I heard about early 70s gibsons. Can anyone put a finer point on it? What exactly was bad about them? Should I have a luthier look at it? Many of them were built with a double X brace on the underside of the top, which was a change Gibson made in order to cut down on warranty claims. Which it did, but it also substantially cut down on the tone.

Overall, the quality and tone of the acoustic Gibson guitars made during the Norlin years was not inspiring. But some fine-sounding guitars DID manage to escape despite Norlin's best (worst?) efforts, so if you like the guitar and can afford it, snag it. I play music with a guy up here who's got a square-shouldered Norlin-era J-45, and it's his baby. It's not the loudest or most projective dreadnought I've ever heard, but it's got a sweet tone, and it's got a great neck.

So if you like the sound and playability of this J-55, that's all you really need to measure. Hope this helps. Wade Hampton Miller. There are some nice Gibsons from that time period, but they are in the minority.

Gibson J 55 Value

Youtube 1941 Gibson J-55 Guitar

If it speaks to you, I would consider it. However, don't pay too much on the assumption that it's 'vintage'- that guitar will have very limited collector value. Consider it 'used'- and it sounds like it has a lot of wear too. I'm not sure what the policy is on posting used prices- I'm sure the mods will correct if I'm in the wrong. Recently I had a chance to pick up a 1964 Southern Jumbo in similar condition for $1100.