This item is preowned / used, but tested in shop to be fully functional unless otherwise noted in the description. Any case, box, manuals, or accessories included will be either shown in the photos or mentioned specifically in the description. Otherwise, you can assume they are not included.
Descripton:
Up for sale is a very special 1968 Gibson J-45 ADJ (adjustable bridge model) that we took in from a local seller not long ago. It is a time capsule guitar, and an absolute joy to play. The seller's father purchased this guitar and a matching 1968 Gibson B-25-12 in 1968 but life got in the way and they spent most of their time under the bed in the cases. The B-25-12 sold quickly, but this magnificent J-45 is still available for now.
Gotta love that 1968 Gibson "radar" logo on the pickguard. Allegedly only seen on a brief run of 1968 models.
We recently finished cleaning this up and doing a deluxe setup with a set of D'Addario XS 12's and it almost qualifies as mint condition by vintage guitar standards. But, if you look closely you can find some impressions here and there. The finish is glossy and deep, no cracks anywhere, the frets are in great shape and the truss rod works freely in each direction. The neck angle is good, and the action is right in the sweet spot by our standards ... just about 6/64" on the bass side and 5/64" on the treble side.
The binding has shrunk a little but you have to feel it to tell ... the egdes dip in a tiny bit, but it has not broken anywhere. The top and back are crack free, but as you can see in the pictures there are a couple of seams in the top that are visibile after the finish has adjusted around them over the years. The original tuners are intact and included, but they are stiff to operate and didn't loosen up much with oiling, so they have been replaced with a set of Kluson replica tuners. Lastly, the original case is just OK, and was never all that nice to begin with. The red interior is separating in a few spots. So, we have thrown in a really nice super padded Roadrunner gig back with ample neck support.
NOTE: If you want both cases (which we recommend) and are having the guitar shipped, you will need to add an additional $40 for shipping the extra case in its own box.
As always, this guitar has been treated to a brand new set of strings and a deluxe setup here in the shop. That includes a full fret polish, setting neck relief / truss rod, dialing in nut slot height and string action, setting the pickup height (if applicable) and more! So, you can rest assured that it is playing its absolute best!
