{"product_id":"gibson-recording-king-model-853-arch-top-acoustic-guitar-1933-4890","title":"Gibson Recording King Model 853 Arch Top Acoustic Guitar (1933)","description":"Recording King Model 853 Model Arch Top Acoustic Guitar, made by Gibson, c. 1933, made in Kalamazoo, Michigan, sunburst lacquer finish, maple back and sides, spruce top; mahogany neck with rosewood fingerboard, original black hard shell case. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA neat -and fairly rare-early variation on Gibson's small-body arch-top designs of the mid-30's. This guitar is similar to the period L-50 but sports a plain square-cut headstock and cheaper tailpiece attesting to its status as a mail-order catalog offering. The \"Recording King\" moniker was Montgomery Wards' brand for the better-quality instruments they sold; this is an early example of Gibson's handling of a Wards contract. The two companys did a lot of business in the '30's, with Gibson supplying the best of the Recording King line up until WWII. This is a very good sounding guitar with the typically punchy, somewhat compressed sound of these 14\" carved top instruments. A nice original example of a cool Gibson rarity.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003eOverall length is 39 7\/8 in. (101.3 cm.), 14 3\/4 in. (37.5 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 3\/4 in. (629 mm.). Width of nut is 1 3\/4 in. (44 mm.). Some light play wear but overall very fine; the pickguard is a correct-style reproduction but all other hardware is original. Two noticeable repaired back cracks (very commom on these flat-backed arch tops) otherwise clean with little wear overall. A very good sounding small-body archtop. Excellent Condition.","brand":"Gibson","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46853008720012,"sku":"4890","price":2000.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0672\/8702\/3756\/files\/01_ff510f35-0ac1-4092-b329-e317420d2cca.jpg?v=1774330416","url":"https:\/\/retrofret.com\/products\/gibson-recording-king-model-853-arch-top-acoustic-guitar-1933-4890","provider":"RetroFret","version":"1.0","type":"link"}