Gibson Jumbo Flat Top Acoustic Guitar (1934)
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Gibson Jumbo Model Flat Top Acoustic Guitar (1934), made in Kalamazoo, Michigan, serial # 1075, sunburst lacquer finish, mahogany back, sides and neck; spruce top, rosewood fingerboard, original black hard shell case.
This is one of the rarest, most historic -- and just plain coolest -- of all Gibson flat top guitars, the original 1934 "Jumbo". It was the Kalamazoo company's first 16", round-shoulder Dreadnought-sized flat-top Spanish guitar, the progenitor of many generations of round shouldered "J-" models that have since become some of the world's favorite guitars. The body shape was inherited from an earlier stillborn "HG" series of flattops with internal body baffles and extra F-holes in the top. Gibson (always masters of repurposing) adapted the wide-waisted outer shell of those supremely quirky instruments into a full 16" wide flat top to compete with Martin's then-new Dreadnoughts.
Introduced in 1934 at a price of $60.00, the Jumbo was a very short-lived model. Within a little over 2 years, Gibson split their 16" flat top design into two different guitars: the cheaper, bare-bones J-35 at $35.00, and the fancy rosewood Advanced Jumbo at $80.00. The less expensive model was briefly referred to as the "Trojan" before settling in as the Jumbo 35. The many round shoulder Gibsons since -- the J-45, SJ, J-50, and the like -- are all direct descendants of this first Jumbo model.
Distinctive features of this original first-generation 1934 Jumbo include an unbound rosewood fingerboard, dark top with a fairly small soundhole and minimal center sunburst area and early pattern riveted-gear Grover tuners. The body depth is practically uniform from tailblock to heel, an unusual design characteristic of these. Other specific "Jumbo" trademarks are the pearl Gibson headstock logo and sunburst finished areas on the back, sides, and even the neck. The neck itself has a noticeable "V" contour but is not overly chunky, starting out medium-slim down by the nut increasing noticeably in depth as it approaches the heel. Internally the main X-brace is lightly scalloped with three non-scalloped tone bars across the lower top. The small rosewood bridge has an almost comically small maple bridgeplate beneath it.
This guitar has a FON (Factory Order Number) dating to mid- late 1934, when a number of batches of this new model were built in fairly short order. After than Gibson appears to have not made that many more of these before the subsequent re-design. We consider this guitar to be simply one of the great experiences of flat-top playing and collecting, and a truly historic and also wonderful sounding instrument!
In the mid-1930s before Bill Monroe led a full band of bluegrass boys, he and his brother Charlie had a great deal of success as a radio and recording duo act called "The Monroe Brothers". They cut a number of sides for Bluebird records that are considered among the best "Hillbilly" duet discs of the 1930s and introduced a number of songs that would become bluegrass and country staples in the years to come. On all, or nearly all, of those recorded, Charlie played a Gibson Jumbo just like this one, while Bill played a Gibson F-7 mandolin. They were even pictured in the Gibson catalog as endorsers, posing for posterity with their set of (for then) expensive Gibsons. Every time we get one of these in we think of Charlie and Bill and spin a few of their Bluebird recordings in honor of them!
Overall length is 40 3/4 in. (103.5 cm.), 16 1/8 in. (41 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 4 1/2 in. (11.4 cm.) in depth at side, taken at the end block. Scale length is 24 11/16 in. (627 mm.). Width of nut is 1 13/16 in. (46 mm.).
While this 90-year-old Jumbo has some noticeable play wear and typical maintenance repair, it remains a nicely original example of these very rare primal slope shoulder guitars. The original dark sunburst finish has moderate checking with dings, scrapes and scratches overall. The top shows a larger area of loss from pick wear down to the wood on either side of the fingerboard and on the lower sound hole edge just above the pickguard. The back has some fairly extensive scratching and minor chipping to the finish. The back of the neck is cleaner with some loss in the first position and only very minor dings and dents.
There are some typical repairs, but nothing too serious. At the very edge of the turn of the lower treble bout the top has a small repaired spot from some ancient impact, which also caused a deep divot in the lower side. The top and back are otherwise crack free. There is a small sealed side crack just a bit below the endpin. The neck has been neatly reset and expertly refretted with period appropriate wire; the fingerboard shows some light divoting in the lower positions.
The rosewood bridge looks correct but may be an older exact repro as it carries a different looking finish (under blacklight) than the rest of the instrument. In any case it has been reglued and probably lowered just a hair long ago. The tiny maple bridgeplate is original. Internally the instrument appears unaltered although there is a decent amount of ancient hide glue slopped around; Gibson work is often not the neatest in this period but it is likely some braces were reglued long ago (remember the slogan: only a Gibson isn't glued enough!").
Approaching a century on this is an absolutely fabulous-sounding guitar -- powerful, resonant, and with exceptional projection. While not the absolute cleanest this is the best playing and sounding of this historic model we have had. It has a brighter top end than some of this model we have had but never sounds thin. It includes an original correct purple-lined hard shell case, a seldom-seen item even rarer than the guitar. Overall Very Good + Condition.
This is one of the rarest, most historic -- and just plain coolest -- of all Gibson flat top guitars, the original 1934 "Jumbo". It was the Kalamazoo company's first 16", round-shoulder Dreadnought-sized flat-top Spanish guitar, the progenitor of many generations of round shouldered "J-" models that have since become some of the world's favorite guitars. The body shape was inherited from an earlier stillborn "HG" series of flattops with internal body baffles and extra F-holes in the top. Gibson (always masters of repurposing) adapted the wide-waisted outer shell of those supremely quirky instruments into a full 16" wide flat top to compete with Martin's then-new Dreadnoughts.
Introduced in 1934 at a price of $60.00, the Jumbo was a very short-lived model. Within a little over 2 years, Gibson split their 16" flat top design into two different guitars: the cheaper, bare-bones J-35 at $35.00, and the fancy rosewood Advanced Jumbo at $80.00. The less expensive model was briefly referred to as the "Trojan" before settling in as the Jumbo 35. The many round shoulder Gibsons since -- the J-45, SJ, J-50, and the like -- are all direct descendants of this first Jumbo model.
Distinctive features of this original first-generation 1934 Jumbo include an unbound rosewood fingerboard, dark top with a fairly small soundhole and minimal center sunburst area and early pattern riveted-gear Grover tuners. The body depth is practically uniform from tailblock to heel, an unusual design characteristic of these. Other specific "Jumbo" trademarks are the pearl Gibson headstock logo and sunburst finished areas on the back, sides, and even the neck. The neck itself has a noticeable "V" contour but is not overly chunky, starting out medium-slim down by the nut increasing noticeably in depth as it approaches the heel. Internally the main X-brace is lightly scalloped with three non-scalloped tone bars across the lower top. The small rosewood bridge has an almost comically small maple bridgeplate beneath it.
This guitar has a FON (Factory Order Number) dating to mid- late 1934, when a number of batches of this new model were built in fairly short order. After than Gibson appears to have not made that many more of these before the subsequent re-design. We consider this guitar to be simply one of the great experiences of flat-top playing and collecting, and a truly historic and also wonderful sounding instrument!
In the mid-1930s before Bill Monroe led a full band of bluegrass boys, he and his brother Charlie had a great deal of success as a radio and recording duo act called "The Monroe Brothers". They cut a number of sides for Bluebird records that are considered among the best "Hillbilly" duet discs of the 1930s and introduced a number of songs that would become bluegrass and country staples in the years to come. On all, or nearly all, of those recorded, Charlie played a Gibson Jumbo just like this one, while Bill played a Gibson F-7 mandolin. They were even pictured in the Gibson catalog as endorsers, posing for posterity with their set of (for then) expensive Gibsons. Every time we get one of these in we think of Charlie and Bill and spin a few of their Bluebird recordings in honor of them!
Overall length is 40 3/4 in. (103.5 cm.), 16 1/8 in. (41 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 4 1/2 in. (11.4 cm.) in depth at side, taken at the end block. Scale length is 24 11/16 in. (627 mm.). Width of nut is 1 13/16 in. (46 mm.).
While this 90-year-old Jumbo has some noticeable play wear and typical maintenance repair, it remains a nicely original example of these very rare primal slope shoulder guitars. The original dark sunburst finish has moderate checking with dings, scrapes and scratches overall. The top shows a larger area of loss from pick wear down to the wood on either side of the fingerboard and on the lower sound hole edge just above the pickguard. The back has some fairly extensive scratching and minor chipping to the finish. The back of the neck is cleaner with some loss in the first position and only very minor dings and dents.
There are some typical repairs, but nothing too serious. At the very edge of the turn of the lower treble bout the top has a small repaired spot from some ancient impact, which also caused a deep divot in the lower side. The top and back are otherwise crack free. There is a small sealed side crack just a bit below the endpin. The neck has been neatly reset and expertly refretted with period appropriate wire; the fingerboard shows some light divoting in the lower positions.
The rosewood bridge looks correct but may be an older exact repro as it carries a different looking finish (under blacklight) than the rest of the instrument. In any case it has been reglued and probably lowered just a hair long ago. The tiny maple bridgeplate is original. Internally the instrument appears unaltered although there is a decent amount of ancient hide glue slopped around; Gibson work is often not the neatest in this period but it is likely some braces were reglued long ago (remember the slogan: only a Gibson isn't glued enough!").
Approaching a century on this is an absolutely fabulous-sounding guitar -- powerful, resonant, and with exceptional projection. While not the absolute cleanest this is the best playing and sounding of this historic model we have had. It has a brighter top end than some of this model we have had but never sounds thin. It includes an original correct purple-lined hard shell case, a seldom-seen item even rarer than the guitar. Overall Very Good + Condition.