Here we have the Gibson J-45 Elvis NAMM showpiece from 1990!
The Bozeman Gibson Acoustic factory began production in 1989. In an effort to rekindle the public's love for Gibson guitars, and to display the abilities of the new Bozeman craftsmen, Gibson produced some fine pieces of art on some of their guitars to display at NAMM. This was one of those early showcase guitars!
This masterpiece is a painted work of art on a Gibson J-45 canvas. The guitar features flowers, a beach, two Hawaiian beauties, and Elvis the King himself in the sky.
The guitar features a spruce top with mahogany back and sides, along with a rosewood fretboard and bridge.
The guitar is in very good condition. It does show signs of its age: the top shows extensive finish checking throughout, and has two small cracks near the soundhole/fretboard area. These cracks are superficial and very common as a guitar ages. No negative structural effects here. The white paint has become more of a cream color as its aged, as you can see in the photos. That actually looks quite nice. Overall, this is a very cool piece!
