Here is a unusual example of one of my favorite Gibson models from my favorite Gibson year. For starters, this 1946 (or early 47) Southern Jumbo has a very light box with two scalloped tone bars inside and a big solid feeling neck. It projects that open, dried out, woody tone that we love about the old Gibsons--lots of punch and midrange "bark" but no slouch on the extreme ends either.

It has an exact repro of the original belly-down bridge, tortoise teardrop pickguard, parallelogram fret inlays, script logo, adjustable truss rod, multi-bound top, and other characteristics of the period. The unusual features of the guitar are the top, which is finished to a lovely light tobacco burst, the painted center stripe on the one-piece mahogany back, and the sides which are greenish hue ala the J-45. The top is somewhat reminiscent of the amber topped Martins from a decade earlier. The fretboard inlays have some pinkish hue to them complete this picture of loveliness. It hardly can be an accident that the guitar came together this way. Was it a special order or a labor of love in the assembly process? No matter.

The overall condition is excellent, as the pictures show. The only maladies to report are a b-string crack which is tightly repaired and an old crack emanating from the endpin, also capably repaired. The tuners have been changed and there is a bit of capo wear. It has the classic Gibson weather checking though not as drastically as some I've seen, and an unusual circle on the treble side where the finish is worn through to the wood. It is set up beautifully and quite addictive to play.

If you like SJs as much as I do, you'll want to add this to your collection.

$7,995