A Remarkable Recreation of the Mid-50s Era Workhorse - The Gibson 1955 J-45 Mahogany/Sitka Spruce Light Aged Acoustic Guitar in Vintage Sunburst

The Gibson J-45™ was first introduced in 1942 and quickly earned its nickname, “The Workhorse,” due to its wide acceptance, no-nonsense simplicity, and understated elegance. It’s one of the most recorded acoustic guitars in history and Gibson’s best-selling acoustic model of all time. 1955 was a significant year in the history of the J-45 model. It was when Gibson lengthened the fretboard and added a 20th fret to the J-45. Around the same time, the teardrop pickguard used on the earlier models was dropped in favor of a larger 50-styled pickguard.

Handcrafted with care in Bozeman, Montana, by Gibson Custom’s expert acoustic luthiers, the 1955 J-45 Light Aged is a stunning recreation of the 1955 J-45. It features vintage-accurate appointments and features. The round shoulder mahogany body has a thermally aged Sitka spruce top to give it the sweet tone of a long-cherished, well-seasoned vintage guitar. The X-bracing is fitted with hide glue, and the body is adorned with multi-ply top and single-ply back binding. The mahogany neck has a Round profile and is attached to the body with a compound dovetail neck-to-body joint that is also fitted with hide glue. The neck is capped with a rosewood fretboard that is equipped with 20 standard frets and decorated with simple mother-of-pearl dot inlays. Vintage-style Grover® strap tuners with cream buttons are installed on the headstock, and the nut, saddle, and bridge pins are all bone. The 1955 J-45 Light Aged features Light Aging by the skilled artisans of the Murphy Lab. The Murphy Lab Light Aged finish treatment, paired with lightly aged hardware, simulates decades of light play wear, giving it the unique character, vibe, and feel of an original example from the Gibson Golden Era. It comes packaged in a 50s-style Lifton™ hardshell case to complete the authentic vintage playing and ownership experience that only Gibson Custom and the Murphy Lab can deliver.


SPECIFICATIONS

Body

  • Back: Mahogany
  • Side: Mahogany
  • Top: Thermally Aged Sitka Spruce
  • Binding: Multi-ply Top, Single-ply Back
  • Body Finish: Murphy Lab Aged Nitrocellulose Lacquer
  • Body Material: Mahogany
  • Body Shape: J-45
  • Body Styles: Round Shoulder
  • Bracing: Traditional Scalloped X-bracing

Neck

  • Fingerboard Material: Rosewood
  • Fingerboard Radius: 304.8 mm / 12.0 in
  • Fret Count: 20
  • Frets: Standard
  • Inlays: Mother of Pearl Dot
  • Joint: Compound Dovetail Neck to Body Joint
  • Neck Material: Mahogany
  • Nut Material: Bone
  • Nut Width: 43.82 mm / 1.73 in
  • Profile: Rounded
  • Scale Length: 628.65 mm / 24.75 in

Hardware

  • Bridge: Traditional Belly-up; Rosewood
  • Bridge Pins: Bone
  • Pickguard: 50s-style J-45; Tortoise
  • Saddle Material: Bone
  • Strap Buttons: Cream Endpin
  • Truss Rod: Adjustable
  • Tuner Plating: Nickel
  • Tuning Machines: Grover Strap with Cream Button

Miscellaneous

  • Case: Lifton Hardshell
  • Headstock Inlay: Gibson Logo Gold Silkscreen
  • Strings Gauge: .012, .016, .024, .032, .042, .053

Manufacturer: Gibson
Model: CSRS4555VSLA
SKU: I808454-N-2-WHXD
UPC: 711106167541

We are Chuck Levin's Washington Music Center

Maryland, Virginia, and Washington DC's legendary music shop. Family-owned and operated since 1958. Buy gear the way it was meant to be bought, from a store that's been there through it all and has the vibe to prove it. We're staffed with musicians and industry experts, people that live and breathe music gear. Our mission is to help you find the right gear for your project, that thing that will bring you the most joy out of what you do. We're an authorized dealer for almost every brand, we stock items the other stores don't, so you can try before you buy. Stop by our Wheaton, MD showroom and see for yourself.

Contact us if you have questions about one of our listings or if you need help finding the right piece of gear.

ConditionBrand New (New)
Brand New items are sold by an authorized dealer or original builder and include all original packaging.Learn more
Brand
Model
  • Custom Shop Murphy Lab '55 J-45 Reissue Light Aged
Categories
Pickup
  • None
Fretboard Material
  • Rosewood
Fretboard Radius
  • 12"
Color Family
  • Brown
String Type
  • Steel
Right / Left Handed
  • Right Handed
Number of Strings
  • 6-String
Neck Material
  • Mahogany
Offset Body
  • Non-Offset Body
Wood Top Style
  • Plain
Body Shape
  • Dreadnought
Finish Pattern
  • Sunburst
Finish Style
  • Gloss
Top Material
  • Spruce
Model Family
Series
Finish Features
  • Relic
Back Material
  • Mahogany
Scale Length
  • 24.75"
Sides Material
  • Mahogany
Active Preamp
  • No
Nut Width
  • 1.73"
Number of Frets
  • 20

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Chuck Levin's Washington Music Center

Wheaton, MD, United States
Joined Reverb:2014

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