Some of Our Guitars (:This is an incomplete list of guitars we currently own or have owned:)
1931 OM-18 - This guitar is actually a converted plectrum; in other words its body is a 1931 OM-18p (plectrum) converted with a 1932 OM-18 six string neck with bar frets. The conversion was done by Dave Sheppard some 20 years ago and I bought this from him back in the mid-1990s and have used it very much. Finish is all original so are all the interior parts. The tuners are newer Waverly machines that work great. It has one repaired trebele side crack. It always gets complements on the sound it projects and how light the body is every time I take it out to play it. Now I have had some folks ask me why I do not have that chewed out area around the rosette repaired and have the finish touched up or sealed, the answer is it's not really broke so I will not have it fixed and It does not bother me at all, as a matter of fact I like the way it looks and as with all my guitars I never let any repair man touch up, buff or clean any of my guitars because I never do, (with exception of cleaning the fingerboard a few times a year). It's a very fun guitar to play and I do not see that I would ever sale it. I know that the originals are very hard to come by and are worth way more, I have played a few of the original OM-18s and I'll tell you, (not just because I own this one either) this one beat them all in tone, projection and feel.
1943 Maple J-45
- If I was forced to keep only one guitar out of the lot it would be this one. I love the sound of maple, never knew maple would be the sound I would be the most satisfied with in guitars, I always preferred Brazilian rosewood until I picked this one up. This guitar has that certain tone and sound I've always looked for all my guitar playing life, over 30 years now, nice warm lows, crisp mids and bell tone highs, and it cuts nice, it sounds a lot like the guitar Bill Napier used with the Stanley Brothers in 1959 and 1960. The 1945 J-45 Maple we have in the collection sounds great too and may be a little more complex in its overtones, but this one just has a sound that I've always desired and the character is nice too with lots of play wear,, aint nobody touching up what little finish that's left on it either!
1945 Maple J-45
- We have feel in love with these Banner Maple J-45s. The tone is just amazing, probably the best one in our collection. It has a modern sound that works well with a flatpick but for me suits country finger style picking best. It's in better condition than the earlier Maple J-45 in our collection and has a different tone, maybe better. The maple gives a hint of a J-200 tone and makes the J-45 body more robust sounding. A really amazing guitar.
1946 Southern Jumbo
- A postwar Southern Jumbo with a beautiful "amber", "tobacco" "tea" or whatever burst it is called. I think some of the guitars Gibson built just post World War II are some of their finest. To me there is no other SJ that looks as good as this one with that beautiful top, and the sound is marvelous as well.
1954 D-28
- We purchased this one from a dealer in Nashville while we were in town just a few weeks before the 2010 flood. Just a sweet D-28 that sounds as good as it looks. It's not just your average 28. The finish has an unusual patina that gives it such a beautiful vintage look, the kind we all look for in vintage guitars but is really quite hard to find. The bridge and plate are both original. The sound is all anyone would need for a Bluegrass guitar, but we don't just limit it to driving a Bluegrass band, over the years this one has earned a license to drive in any style of music.
1989 HD-28P -This was my first new Martin guitar. I think that the H stands for Herringbone and the P stands for low Profile neck. I bought this guitar new in 1990 from a local music/jewelry store in Asheboro, NC. The first custom thing I had done was have Dave Sheppard install a strap pin at the heel of the neck around 1992. I played it in my band from 1990-1994 when I had the following repairs done by Dave Sheppard, repaired 4" treble side crack near top bought, replaced cracked original bridge with a perfect replica, replaced lost heel cap cover. At that time I replaced the original tuners with 1960 vintage Grover rotomatics, which at the time I thought looked cool, (?) and also at that time I had to reglue part of the back binding that was coming loose. I played the guitar on and off from 1994-2003 in studio and road shows. In 2003 the guitar was in need of an intonation set up so I sent it to Bryan Kimsey and he did the following work, replaced Grover rotomatics with Waverly tuners with vintage knobs, filled and recut saddle slot to a traditional through saddle and compensated it, slotted bridge pin holes and installed solid bone bridge pins, replaced original black plastic pick guard with a Greven turtle with 1930s style swirls, replaced nut and saddle material with bone material. Guitar sounded fantastic with big volume and tone. There are a few dings on the top from playing it out on stage over the years and a little bit of wear at the sound hole and between the pickguard and bridge, the back of the neck has some capo wear and usage wear that are normal for a guitar that has been played so much. I replaced the worn out original thermal plastic case, (which I never liked) with a custom Martin gieb style denim case, which fits the guitar beautifully and is a much better design, for one thing the case pocket is bigger so to store strap, strings, tuning fork, capo etc. that I couldn't do in the original case, and the gieb style has more of a retro design that is much better looking than the original. I played it for a couple of years and recently it needed attention with the frets and a few more cracks need to be repaired so I am sending it off for some fret work as well as a few cosmetic changes that I’ve been wanting done for years, I will add photos of all the modifications and to the description details as soon as they are done.
2002 Advanced Jumbo
Brazilian Luthier's Choice Here is a Luthier's Choice Gibson Advanced Jumbo built in 2002.
These Luthier’s Choice AJs were Master Built in every way!
Each hand made with a dovetail neck-to-body joint, a violin-like
lacquer finish and carved and scalloped top bracing. Materials include Brazilian Rosewood, fossilized bridge and nut material, Adirondack spruce top. In original excellent condition, as seen in the photos, this AJ is full of expression, character and classic beauty. The only modification is a strap button
installed at the neck heel. The setup is factory, with fossilized nut, saddle and bridgepin material, it plays well and has the very big tone and volume. No repairs ever done, no cracks anywhere. The finish looks great. Anything that looks like a blemish in the photos is a reflection. There is 1 small insignificant
ding that is hardly noticeable but I think should be mentioned near the strap button, doesn't show up in photograph even in the sunlight and some minor finish hazing, (not crazing) on the lower bout where the arm rests, couldn't get it to show in photos. The frets are in excellent shape. The original custom shop case is in nice condition too. These Brazilian / Adirondack AJs seem to be pretty rare and Gibson
will no longer use any Brazilian Rosewood on any instruments they build, that option ceased after 2003.
Materials: Twenty-eight foot radius Adirondack Spruce top and back of Brazilian Rosewood with matching rims.
Hardware: Open Back Vintage Nickel Waverly
Bridge/Fingerboard: Brazilian Rosewood
Neck: Mahogany
Scale Length: 25 ½"
