DESCRIPTION:
Excellent condition. Yes, this is the truly handmade prototype of the Gibson "J-60" model. The marking on label states "J-60 #1". Beautiful square-shouldered Rosewood dreadnaut guitar from Gibson, with hand-scalloped, hand-tuned advanced bracing. In 1990 and 1991 Gibson Purchasing Agent and noted Montana guitarist, John Lowell, paid some attention to the fact that Martin Co was beating Gibson Co with sales of Martin's HD-28 series. John Lowell knew that Gibson had just as powerful (or even more powerful), a guitar in their "Advanced Jumbo", but it had always enjoyed only moderate popularity among players. John thought that if the guitar was re-designed into a "Square-Shoulder" dreadnaut guitar that still retained the advanced, scalloped, hand-tuned bracing, that players would get excited about it. Gibson, however, didn't seem to want to devote any time to the project. John Lowell already had the right to build a personal guitar a year at Gibson, so he decided to build this concept model on his "off" time at Gibson for his own. He completed the guitar late in 1991. Gibson examined the guitar closely and decided to start producing them in the factory... and thats how the J-60 model was born. Rosewood back and sides. High-grade Sitka Spruce top. Rosewood peghead overlay and bridge. Gabon Ebony fingerboard with no inlays. Bone nut and bone cut-thru saddle. Antique'd white bindings around top and back of body and along fingerboard. Multiple blk/iv/blk purflings inside binding on top and back edges. Firestripe pickguard. Originally had Kluson Copy tuners. Those were replaced with nickel Waverly open-back tuners. This guitar is a fine flatpicking guitar. It is a "proven" guitar, having travelled and performed and recorded and practiced with John Lowell in the "Kane's River" band and other music endeavors. It sounds very good with a full voice. It comes with a DeLuxe Calton flight case that was built for this guitar. - See more at: http://gregboyd.com/instruments.html?family=Guitars#sthash.X3zd4N4b.dpuf