Can anyone help?

[PAPPY]

A good friend of mine just bought a Gibson J54 from an older gentleman who purchased it new in 1942 and I would like some info on the guitar and approx. value. It is in real good condition for a guitar of that age and the fact it was used by the gentleman for a number of years in a band and is still in good shape is remarkable. Thanks for any info any of you can give me.

 

[markb]

OK, so is that a J45 or a Jumbo 55? Both models existed in 1942. They were both 16" wide round shouldered dreadnoughts but the J45 is much more common. A 1942 J45 will look something like the guitar below (the one at bottom, of course) but with the Gibson banner headstock ("only a Gibson is good enough") and a narrower bridge. Some wartime J45s had no truss rod and some had maple back and sides instead of the usual mahogany. The Jumbo 55 had the fancy bridge of a J200 but a bit smaller and was discontinued in 1943. Both came in sunburst only.

ref: Gruhn's Guide to Vintage Guitars, 1991

 

[PAPPY]

markb, thanks for the responce. I will have to do some more research on the guitar as I haven't seen it yet. It's at a luthiers getting a clean up and new strings that haven't been changed since the 50s. It is supposed to be mahogany sides and back with a spruce top but I will check it out. Did they not make a J54 back in that time era? He said that was the model number but could have been confusing it with a J45. Thanks.