Gibson F25 Folk Singer Model Flat Top Acoustic Guitar (1964), made in Kalamazoo, Michigan, serial # 267070, sunburst top, dark cherry stained back and sides finish, mahogany back, sides and neck, spruce top, rosewood fingerboard, black hard shell case.
A bit of a Gibson oddity, the F-25 was the smaller of the company's two 1960's "folk" models, designed to appear to players weaned on beginner classical guitars but wanting to move on to steel strings. Introduced in 1963 the F-25 uses the same round-shouldered body as the LG/B-25 series but with a 12-fret neck joint. It features a very wide, flat radius fret neck with a full 2" nut width designed to feel familiar from a classical neck, but with the standard solid Gibson headstock.
Another eccentric touch is the clear Flamenco style tap guards on the top, designed to protect against frantic folkie strumming. This F-25 is in the rare sunburst top option (most are natural); this was offered briefly by Gibson but rarely seen in practice. While officially sold as intended for nylon or silk & steel strings, this F-25 handles light steel perfectly. 1409 of these were sold in 1964, which was the peak production year. While perhaps not to player's taste today due to the very wide nut this is a very good sounding guitar with a deep, ringing tone and distinctive character.
Overall length is 38 3/8 in. (97.5 cm.), 14 3/8 in. (36.5 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 1/2 in. (622 mm.). Width of nut is 2 in. (51 mm.). This nicely original guitar shows some general wear but remains in excellent playing condition. The lacquer shows typical Gibson checking and some fairly light wear overall with dings, dents and scrapes but no large areas of missing finish. The lower edge of the soundhole rim has some typical pickwear. There are several repaired mahogany grain cracks to the upper back, solidly bit not super neatly sealed but with no overfinishing added.
The original bridge is intact; the original bridgeplate has one small hole drilled in it for a previous under-saddle pickup and some sloppy glue on and around it, a lot of which looks factory. An endpin jack has been removed and plugged and a strap button added to the heel. This is a very nice playing and sounding guitar, a style not much appreciated today but a very friendly guitar if you like a wide neck. It is equipped with a later hard case.
