{"product_id":"gibson-j-185n-flat-top-acoustic-guitar-1958-14041","title":"Gibson J-185N Flat Top Acoustic Guitar (1958)","description":"Gibson J-185N Model Flat Top Acoustic Guitar (1958), made in Kalamazoo, Michigan, serial # A-28761, natural lacquer finish, flame maple back and sides, spruce top; mahogany neck with rosewood fingerboard, original brown hard shell case. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis is really about the finest example we have ever seen of a natural-finish Gibson J-185N, a rare instrument in any condition. This model has gained a reputation over the decades as one of the very best Kalamazoo-made flat-tops, and remains a unique design. In production for only a fairly short time in the 1950s, this 16\" narrow-waisted Jumbo model never really established itself with players at the time but has garnered a splendid reputation in retrospect. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe J-185 represents Gibson's second attempt to create a less expensive complement to the top-of-the-line \"King of the Flat-tops\" SJ-200, the first being the virtually dead-on-arrival SJ-100 of 1939-41. The J-185 was introduced in 1951, basically a plainer 16\" wide version of the more \"yee-haw\" 17\" J-200. The slightly smaller body has the same narrow-waisted shape and materials but generally lighter construction, resulting in a handier, more responsive guitar. The cosmetics are a bit plainer but this is still a relatively fancy and impressive-looking instrument, especially in this finish. This stunning natural beauty has some spectacular flame maple on the back and sides and a tight-grained spruce top, perfectly spotlighted by the slightly ambered clear finish. The top and back are triple-bound and the tortoise celluloid pickguard is the same shape but thinner than the J-200 style, as it is not ornamented with engraving.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe nicely round-profile one-piece mahogany neck is topped with a bound rosewood fingerboard sporting Gibson's classic double parallelogram inlay. The unbound headstock has a crown inlay on the face and mounts gold-plated Kluson deluxe tuners with keystone buttons. A unique feature of the J-185 is pearl Maltese crosses inlaid on the wings of the \"belly-up\" rosewood bridge, an attractive cosmetic touch reserved for this model alone.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis particular guitar was shipped around the very end of 1958 or the first days of '59, the model's final year. Only 35 natural examples left Kalamazoo in '58, followed by a final 29 the next year out of a total of 270 in the entire decade. Gibson made more J-45s than that every month! The J-185 was a victim of the \"Midline Blues\"; most folks who could afford one went right to the top and bought a J-200, while the rest stuck with the familiar and more affordable family of wide-waisted round-shoulder mahogany Jumbos. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSince then its reputation has grown considerably, and the J-185's relative rarity has made it the most sought-after post-war Gibson flat-top. A very few name players had one in the 1960s, notably blues legend Skip James at the tail end of his career. It is a different blues connection has made the guitar much desired among fingerstyle players, however. While the Reverend Gary Davis generally favored Gibson's J-200 during the 1960s, many of his students and acolytes do not play with the same driving force as their blind master. The lighter and more responsive J-185 has come to be the preferred instrument among many who preserve and expand on the Reverend's distinctive style. Dedicated players in this idiom are the prime audience for this model, but the J-185 is a superbly versatile guitar with an exceptionally smooth, rich, and expansive tone for a maple bodied instrument. This is one of those guitars that truly lives up to its considerable reputation, simply one of Gibson's greatest if originally sadly underappreciated instruments.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003eOverall length is 41 in. (104.1 cm.), 16 1\/16 in. (40.8 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 4 5\/8 in. (11.7 cm.) in depth at side, taken at the end block. Scale length is 24 3\/4 in. (629 mm.). Width of nut is 1 11\/16 in. (43 mm.). \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis is a superbly clean, original and great-playing example of this much-desired instrument, absolutely the finest we have had. The all-original natural finish has some very small dings, dents and scrapes but overall is super nicely preserved. The neck finish has some minor discoloration and wear spots along the throat in back of the headstock from having had a round-the-neck strap installed; there is no forward strap button. This is not overly conspicuous but is noticeable on close inspection.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThere are no cracks to the instrument, which is somewhat amazing on a nearly 70 year old Gibson flat top, even one showing little play time. There is are small grain checks to the top off the forward edge of the pickguard below the waist and the point ahead of it that do not go through the wood to the inside. The bridge may have been neatly reglued; there is a slight shadow off the front edge but no real finish disturbance. It has been lowered just a bit and the saddle reshaped; the bridgeplate and mounting bolts are clean and intact. The tuner buttons have been replaced with excellent replicas on the original Kluson machines; in typical '59 fashion they crumbled completely and some of the rubble is preserved in the case. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe fingerboard and the original frets show very little wear, and this is simply a spectacular playing and sounding guitar. It excels at the sort of ragtime and fingerstyle blues picking the model is renowned for, but also is a superb straight rhythm instrument for everything from old-time through honky tonk sounds to Pete Townshend style rock flourishes. This is truly one guitar that absolutely lives up to its stellar reputation, complete in its original clean brown Gibson HSC with the vivid pink lining. Overall Excellent Condition.","brand":"Gibson","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51320688935052,"sku":"14041","price":29500.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0672\/8702\/3756\/files\/01_32d8c1d9-d617-48db-83f2-c222ef0be30c.jpg?v=1783541354","url":"https:\/\/retrofret.com\/products\/gibson-j-185n-flat-top-acoustic-guitar-1958-14041","provider":"RetroFret","version":"1.0","type":"link"}