Vintage 1944 Gibson Banner Southern Jumbo Sunburst with OHSC

In the world of vintage acoustic guitars, not many are as revered as a Gibson Southern Jumbo.  It's a rare occasion when one comes through the door here, and it's even more rare when it's in primo condition.  Such was the case one recent day when this 1944 Southern Jumbo presented itself.  One look, and we knew we had to make it part of our offering.  One strum, and we started thinking about keeping it for ourselves!  But alas, we are here to offer it to you.

During WWII, Gibson produced guitars on a very high level in Kalamazoo, Michigan.  Handmade with the best materials available and in small batches, war time guitars are a part of history.  To those that know, this is likely a "Kalamazoo Gals" build – while many of the men were at war, a group of young Michigan women became expert guitar builders at Gibson.  Legendary WWII era Gibson guitars became known as “Banners” because of the decal on the headstocks. Now recognized as among the finest acoustic guitars ever produced, an interesting tidbit is that according to “official” accounts, no instruments were made because the company was producing war goods. These guitars have become highly sought after.  The Banner period is legendary for Gibson, and we have a fine example of one here.

Right off the bat, you'll notice how good the condition is.  Typically, guitars from this era look heavily used, have a ton of wear, cracks, headstock repairs, etc.  This one has none of that.  It has no issues, has not had a neck rest, and is all original.  There are some scratches on the guitar (see photos) and nothing major.  There's one ding on the back of the neck, up high, but that's it.  Of course there is finish checking and the guitar has a beautiful patina.  We thought it might have been refinished due to how clean the finish is, but after a thorough inspection by our vintage expert/luthier, it was determined that this guitar is all original, all the way.  It comes with the original case as well.  

The guitar has been vetted and setup to play great as well.  It's a big neck, and the action is not super low - just no way to do that, and we didn't want to alter the guitar.  It has the powerful yet sweet tone with strong projection - the signature sound that has made Banner era guitars so sought after.  It has the dry woody tone that is desired on a vintage Gibson acoustic.  The woods resonate with a lively response, making this an extremely expressive guitar.  It's a very full, "big" sound - exactly what you want out of a Southern Jumbo!  

We feel lucky to have a guitar like this here - it's a piece of history, and sounds amazing at the same time.  We haven't seen many with such a vibrant Sunburst finish, and definitely none in such good condition.   For any vintage collector, it would be a great addition.  Come to Truetone Music to experience it, or order right here, to have it expertly packed, fully insured and sent straight to your home.

• Mahogany back and sides
• Adirondack Red Spruce top
• Honduran Mahogany neck
• Mahogany square neck block
• Rosewood fretboard (unbound)
• Bound top and soundhole
• Bound back, neck heel caped with white celluloid
• Tortoise pickguard, 
• Double parallelogram pearl inlays
• "Only a Gibson is Good Enough" silk-screened gold banner logo
• C shaped neck
• Nut width: 1.75"
• 1st fret depth: 1.059"
• 10th fret depth: 1.160"
• 19 frets