Gibson’s classical gas
66 pre-war gut string guitars
66 pre-war gut string guitars
Rosewood oddities — rare beyond belief.
Mahogany amulets — closeted 60 years.
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© 2016 — Kenneth Lelen — All Rights
Reserved
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| Newly listed c. 1938 Westgor GS-85 (FON EG-5492) in original condition |
Gibson isn’t well known for its pre-war classical guitars among vintage collectors
and players. Except when production surged in the 1960s and peaked at 3,979 units in 1967, the Kalamazoo MI firm never built its classical guitars in large numbers.
Gibson’s pre-war foray into classical guitars produced 39
mahogany and 27 rosewood units between 1938 and 1942, according to vintage
experts George Gruhn and Walter Carter. These guitars have solid
wood tops and bodies, either slotted or solid headstocks, 1-7/8-in. and wider
necks, some with zero-fret nuts, and the earliest iteration of the LG body.
These
66 classicals, labeled GS for gut string, are rare birds. Indeed, only a handful of GS guitars have appeared in vintage markets in the last decade. Despite their limited visibility, they have
an aura that continues to attract attention.
Pre-war classical shipments
Gibson’s initial batch of classicals were mahogany GS-35 guitars the firm shipped in 1938, (FON 11-D), according to Joe Spann’s review of Gibson ledgers.
Later that year the firm shipped one batch of rosewood GS-85 guitars (FON 40-D) and another batch of
mahogany GS-35 guitars (FON 41-D).
No GS classicals were found in Gibson shipments for 1939 and 1940, Spann said, but two sets of mahogany GS-35 guitars (FON 3383-G and FON 5328-G) were listed in 1941. No other batches of GS classicals have been identified.
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| Two of David Sheppard's GS conversions: c. 1938 Hitch GS-35 (FON 41 D-4), left, c. 1941 Sheppard GS-85 (no FON), right. |
To date, only six pre-war Gibson GS classicals have appeared in vintage markets since 2005. The latest one is a May 2016 listing of a 1938 rosewood GS-85 (EG-5492 on the rear of a slotted headstock) by Nate Westgor, owner of Willie’s American Guitars in St. Paul MN.
In my view, the discovery of this pre-war GS classical will heighten the allure of all 66 Gibson gut string guitars. It also may raise interest in the handful of pre-war classicals made by Epiphone.
In my view, the discovery of this pre-war GS classical will heighten the allure of all 66 Gibson gut string guitars. It also may raise interest in the handful of pre-war classicals made by Epiphone.
Three best-known GS guitars
Besides the 1938 Westgor GS-85, two well-documented pre-war Gibson
classicals are the 1941 Sheppard GS-85 (no FON) and the 1938 Hitch GS-35 (FON 41
D-4). I performed with both of these GS guitars in Vintage
Music Concerts across the East Coast between June 2005 and September 2008.
Prior to my ownership, both guitars were unplayed by their owners for decades. They were considered hard to play due to their wide necks and both sounded
dreadful as classicals.
However, in 2005 both were converted from fan-braced nylon classicals to x-braced guitars with rosewood pin bridges and steel strings by luthier David Sheppard, now based in Mt. Airy NC. Today, both play with deep, loud and woody tones. The rosewood GS-85 sound
is a throbbing mix of chocolate and cherry, while the mahogany GS-35 sound is dry, crisp
and balanced.
Three less-well-known GS classicals
Details on the other pre-war Gibson classical guitars are sketchy
and dated — the vintage equivalent of Bigfoot sightings. The first two owners reported their guitars had mahogany bodies
and unreadable FONs. The third owner said his guitar had a rosewood body, but omitted mention of a FON or date.
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| c. 1940 ListLux GS-35 (unreadable FON) |
The first mahogany GS-35, condition unknown and FON unreported, was listed in a 2009 New
York City ListLux classified ad as "c. 1940." The volume and tone of his guitar was called “incredible” and “great for finger picking.” The seller also stated
the “current book value is $2,800, but will sell for $1,200.”
Another mahogany GS-35 emerged in 2010 and 2014 postings on the Unofficial Martin Guitar
Forum (UMGF), a listserv for guitar players and collectors. The owner described his GS classical as "An odd duck for sure, but very cool."
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| c. 1939 UMGF GS-35 (unreadable FON), in original bridge and repaired top cracks |
His posting also said:
Finally, in a brief post on the Unofficial Martin Guitar Forum in late 2014, a California guitar dealer said he once owned a rosewood GS-85, but did not report a date or FON. “I had an
early GS-85 that sounded great with very light silk and steel stringing,” he
said. “They make a great ‘folk’ style guitars that way.”
Low production and rising prices reinforced rarity
Back in the day Gibson’s gut string classicals were pricey offerings — with $35 for the mahogany model and $85 for the rosewood model. Retail prices on these guitars mushrooms as the firm “advanced the price” due to rising costs.
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| Gibson devoted an entire catalog page in 1940 to identifying the features and benefits of its gut string guitars. The photo shows an unusual bridge shape and pearl inlays that don't match the bridge design or inlay shapes found on the Westgor, Sheppard or Hitch classicals shown below. |
Thus, a rosewood GS-85 that cost $85 in January 1939 rose to $93.50 by October
1939 and to $105 in January 1942. So, too, a mahogany GS-35 that cost $35 in
January 1939 rose to $38 by October 1939 and to $60 in January 1942.
Even Gibson's rival, C.F. Martin Co. of Nazareth PA, fared poorly in the pre-war classical market. Between 1936 and 1942, the firm made 215 classical guitars, including a handful of X-braced instruments, according to long-time Martin historian Mike Longworth. Its prices grew as well during this seven-year span, when 00-18G models increased from $50 to $55, while 00-28G models rose from $85 to $90, then to $100.
Even Gibson's rival, C.F. Martin Co. of Nazareth PA, fared poorly in the pre-war classical market. Between 1936 and 1942, the firm made 215 classical guitars, including a handful of X-braced instruments, according to long-time Martin historian Mike Longworth. Its prices grew as well during this seven-year span, when 00-18G models increased from $50 to $55, while 00-28G models rose from $85 to $90, then to $100.
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| 1936 Martin 00-18G (SN 64232), the first of three with scalloped X-bracing, pin bridge and 1-7/8-in. nut width, was the firm's classical guitar prototype. |
When Martin’s classical production resumed 20 years later,
it sold five fan-braced models in 00 and 000 sizes and the N series. Production reached 8,443 units over a
seven-year period of the 1960s, including a peak of 1,600 units in 1968.
Despite the 1960’s revival, from today’s vantage it’s not
difficult to see how low production levels, rising prices and wartime setting
combined to make the earliest classicals rare.
Not
surprisingly, most pre-war classical models are largely unknown among
vintage guitar cognoscenti.
Indeed, among other details, even the source of the rosewood used in Gibson's pre-war guitars is the cause of endless argument (Brazilian vs. East Indian vs. other) for vintage guitar collectors. Gibson management had no such worries, though, as the chart below from a 1940 catalog reveals. Its rosewood came from Brazil.
Notwithstanding such details, it’s time to air what is known of the three best-known Gibson GS
guitars — the Westgor, Sheppard and Hitch.
Indeed, among other details, even the source of the rosewood used in Gibson's pre-war guitars is the cause of endless argument (Brazilian vs. East Indian vs. other) for vintage guitar collectors. Gibson management had no such worries, though, as the chart below from a 1940 catalog reveals. Its rosewood came from Brazil.
_________________ 1938 Westgor GS-85 __________________
Except for a repaired top crack, Willie Westgor's rosewood GS-85 is offered in original condition, including a tied-string classical bridge with pearl inlays on its wings and below the saddle. It has a FON of EG-5492 on the rear of its slotted headstock, zero fret nut, modern frets and a gorgeous pair of classical tuners.
Except for a repaired top crack, Willie Westgor's rosewood GS-85 is offered in original condition, including a tied-string classical bridge with pearl inlays on its wings and below the saddle. It has a FON of EG-5492 on the rear of its slotted headstock, zero fret nut, modern frets and a gorgeous pair of classical tuners.
Here is Westgor's website listing for his GS-85:
Westgor acquired the guitar from the family of a long-time owner, who may or may not have been the instrument's original owner. Provenance details are sketchy, the dealer explained, and “memories were faint.”
_________________ 1941 Sheppard GS-85
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| 1941 Sheppard GS-85 — replica rosewood (pin) bridge with pearl inlays following guitar's conversion by David Sheppard |
From the late 1970s to early 2000s the GS-85 saw only occasional use as a nylon string guitar, Sheppard said. Sometime in 2004 he
decided the instrument would perform better and see more use if he converted it to steel strings.
So, he replaced the guitar’s seven fan braces with X bracing
under the sound hole, two tone bars and maple bridge plate. He also installed a rosewood pin bridge with pearl appointments and footprint
identical to the original.
I purchased this guitar from Sheppard for $2,000 at the Philadelphia Guitar Show on June 25, 2005. I was drawn to the guitar because the fingerboard and neck were comfortable for my left hand. What's more, the instrument throbbed with a woody brilliance, dark and resonant.
Finally, like icing on a cake, I knew this rosewood oddity, a pre-war flat-top by Gibson, was rare beyond belief.
__________________ 1938 Hitch GS-35
This GS-35 (FON 41 D-4 on neck block) was produced in 1938 and may
be the earliest known of its kind, according to luthier and vintage instrument dealer Mark Stutman of Folkway Music in Waterloo Ontario. I bought this guitar
from him for $2,000 on September 13, 2005.
The previous owners of this GS-35 were Canadian trombonist Ross Hitch (1919-1945) and his family. Self
taught on the guitar, he bought the GS-35 at a Toronto pawn shop to satisfy his
love of classical guitar music. Though Hitch arranged Big Band music for a living, a lucrative job in his day, he also taught classical music composition to guitar students.
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| Ross Hitch (1919-1945), trombonist and Big Band music arranger, and friend with fiddle. |
“Mom said Dad was excited when he found the guitar in 1939," recalled Mary Blendick, Hitch's daughter, in November 2005.
"The original owner was a musician who’d pawned it," she said. "When he got some money, he went back to the pawn shop to redeem it, but my father wouldn’t part with it.”
"The original owner was a musician who’d pawned it," she said. "When he got some money, he went back to the pawn shop to redeem it, but my father wouldn’t part with it.”
"When my Mom passed on just after Christmas 2004, Dad's guitar was tuned up and played at her funeral," Blendick said."Now, Dad was born on December 27, 1919 and Mom passed away on December 27, 2004, his 85th," she added. "That's why it was so hard for me to give that guitar up."
The guitar has white binding on its mahogany back and sides,
rosewood bridge with pearl inlays, bone saddle, carved and
polished bone nut, inlaid Gibson logo on the headstock, original Kluson tuners and
buttons, "Made in U.S.A." headstock stamp, large 7-7-5 white-and-black rosette around a bound sound
hole, and ebony fingerboard. Nut width at the first fret is a hair less than 2 inches and scale length is
25.4 inches.The natural finish top was originally braced with seven spruce fans. Though a lightweight guitar, the sound it produced was tinny, thin and underwhelming when I first played it as a nylon classical guitar.
Converting the 1938 Hitch GS-35
In early October 2005 I asked luthiers Greg Hanson and
David Crawford, now based in Durham NC, to examine the unconverted 1938 GS-35 and
compare it to the converted 1941 GS-85. Hanson recommended keeping the fan-braced GS-35
classical “as is.” Crawford agreed, saying converting the pristine GS-35 classical to X bracing
would “kill the value of the vintage instrument.”
Still, I wanted to perform with both guitars in my Vintage Music Concerts. These events
combine my singing songs of the 1920s, 1930s and 1940s and playing steel-stringed
acoustic guitars from the same decades. My concerts are filled with classic American music and vintage instruments for an authentic,
back-in-the-day sound.
Convinced the guitar’s performance would be enhanced, in late October 2005 I asked Sheppard to convert the GS-35 to X bracing and support steel strings. To begin, he spent an entire day patiently removing the guitar back without harm to its back or binding. He then chiseled out the original fan bracing and installed an X
brace using his private stash of spruce.
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| 1938 Hitch GS-35 — original bridge, in classical configuration with nylon strings |
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| 1938 Hitch GS-35 — replica bridge with steel string after conversion by David Sheppard |
Next, he measured and removed the original classical bridge. He then built a new rosewood pin bridge. It has wing-mounted pearl inlays with notched squares (mistakenly called Maltese crosses) and design that approaches the size, proportions and layout of the original bridge.
Sheppard’s conversion work took exactly one year, completing the
job in late October 2006. The job cost me $750, but it enlivened the guitar
forever.
Selling 1938 GS-35 and 1941 GS-85
The GS-35 and GS-85 guitars worked well in concerts, but the
reality of the Great Recession forced me to pay down business, auto and credit
card debts. This meant selling a few of my two dozen instruments, including both GS guitars.
Initially, I kept playing the rosewood GS-85 while on tour and consigned the mahogany GS-35 with Buzz Levine at Lark Street Music in Teaneck NJ. In early January 2008 he listed
the guitar at $3,750, with a 20 percent store commission and a $3,000
net to me.
But after just two months I was frustrated by the lack of a sale at
Lark Street. So, in late March 2008 I brought both guitars to Joe Caruso at Music Emporium in
Lexington MA.
Caruso listed the GS-35 at $3,900 with a 20 percent store commission, and the GS-85 at $4,900 with a 15 percent store commission. Following an
earnest six-month effort and no sale, I picked them up while on tour in New England in late September 2008.
Neither guitar saw much interest in the store or website, Caruso said. Though they are rare guitars and unusual instruments, few people, neither players nor collectors, recognized their value, he explained.
Neither guitar saw much interest in the store or website, Caruso said. Though they are rare guitars and unusual instruments, few people, neither players nor collectors, recognized their value, he explained.
Gibson
classicals traded toward Sandburg’s 1933 OM-18
Returning home from Music Emporium, I stopped in Teaneck NJ to fashion an
off-beat deal with Levine that combined my GS guitars and a 1933 Martin OM-18. Previously played by poet Carl
Sandburg, it was priced at $27,000 and offered with extensive provenance,
including dated, hand-written letters from Sandburg to a female friend who accompanied
him when he bought the Martin at an LA pawn shop in 1958.
To make the deal happen, I traded five of my guitars — both Gibson classicals (1938 GS-35 and 1941 GS-85) as well as a 1930 Martin 00-40H, 1937 Gibson HG-00 and 1932 Bacon & Day
Señorita — for an agreed-value of $25,000. I paid another $2,000 in cash and
$140 in tax for a spectacular 1933 OM-18.
I’d seen this Martin on previous visits to Lark Street and my
research showed other Sandburg ephemera with an auction value of $80,000. Once I acquired the Sandburg OM-18 I planned to resell this historic guitar within two years for $35,000 to $50,000.
How well that plan worked is a story for another day.
Meanwhile, Levine was saddled with selling these rare and relatively
unknown Gibson classicals. He listed the 1938 Hitch GS-35 at $3,500 for nearly
a year. Then, he dropped his price to $2,850 before it sold in October 2009.
Likewise, he listed the 1941 Sheppard GS-85 at $4,500. After two years on the market, he cut his price to $3,500. The guitar finally sold in January 2011.
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© 2016 — Kenneth Lelen — All Rights Reserved
REFERENCES & CONTRIBUTORS
George Gruhn and Walter
Carter, Gruhn’s Guide to Vintage Guitars, 2nd
edition, © 1999, Miller Freeman Books — This book was first to calculate
Gibson’s pre-war production of GS classical guitars at 39 mahogany and 27
rosewood instruments.
Joseph Spann, Spann’s
Guide to Gibson 1902-1941 © 2011,
Centerstream Publg. — This book amasses an astonishing collection of data on production of Gibson’s pre-war guitars and banjos, as well as data on its personnel,
dealers, artists, teachers, endorsers and vendors.
Mike Longworth, Martin
Guitars A History © 1994, Four Maples Press — This book offers a 175-year history on the design, production and prices of Martin guitars, mandolins and ukuleles. These data include tabulated prices and production figures on the firm's 00-18G and 00-28G
models made between 1936 and 1942 and its diverse set of classicals (00, 000 and N Series) made
between 1962 and 1993.
Folkway Music, Waterloo ON — folkwaymusic.com
Hanson & Crawford, Durham NC — hansonandcrawford.com
Lark Street Music, Teaneck NJ — larkstreetmusic.com
Music Emporium, Lexington MA — themusicemporium.com
David Sheppard, Mt Airy NC — scbroadcaster.com
Unofficial Martin Guitar Forum — theunofficialmartinguitarforum.yuku.com
Unofficial Martin Guitar Forum — theunofficialmartinguitarforum.yuku.com
Willie’s American Guitars, St Paul MN — williesguitars.com
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©
2016 — Kenneth Lelen — All Rights Reserved
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