For your consideration, a 1947 Gibson J-50 with a newer hardshell case. This one has had a rough life, but we all know the ones that got played the most are often the ones that sound the best. There is a lot going right here.

First, it is a real 1947 J-50, from the brief period when the model still carried the old script Gibson logo before the newer logo began appearing later that year. Thankfully, even through everything this guitar has been through, that script logo survived.

And most importantly, it plays and sounds fantastic.

The neck is straight, the truss rod works in both directions, fretwear is minimal, the action is low, the neck angle is correct, and there is plenty of saddle height remaining. Intonation is excellent. The guitar has an immediacy to the notes and a lively, responsive feel that makes it hard to put down. Good volume, good punch, not overly boomy, not jangly — just a great textbook early J-series sound.

Condition-wise, this one has a long story. The entire guitar was stripped and refinished at some point. The body now wears a very thin lacquer overspray that almost feels raw in places. It is definitely not a thick modern refinish. The headstock refinish is not especially pretty, but again, the original script logo was preserved.

The tuners have been changed, along with the truss rod cover and bone nut. The original tuners are included. The fingerboard and frets have also been replaced. The fingerboard looks appropriately old overall, aside from a single square inlay at the 12th fret.

The guitar has had a neck reset, replacement bridge, replacement pickguard, and multiple crack repairs over the years. None of the repair work would win any beauty contests, but it is structurally solid and appears to have held up well for decades. The replacement bridge itself was split and reglued a long time ago and is holding fine.

There are repaired top cracks and some repaired side cracks, all pretty typical territory for a guitar of this age and history. The braces are intact and securely attached. There is no excessive belly, no loose bracing, and no obvious signs of pending structural trouble.

Someone also painted a small section of the inside back black, visible through the soundhole. We have no idea why. It is not especially thick and does not appear to be hiding anything sinister, but it is there.

This one has plenty of condition excuses, but it is also a survivor, a workhorse, and a genuinely great-playing old Gibson with songs left in it. If you care more about feel, sound, and history than cosmetic perfection, this one makes a lot of sense.

A newer hardshell case is included.

Available for a test drive in our Jamestown, Kentucky showroom, and we ship worldwide. Let us know if you have any questions.

Weight: 3lbs 9oz