Need Help Identifying This Gibson and Advice on Restoration

[Michael Baresi]

Hi All
I just bought this beautiful Gibson and I'm not sure what model it is. The seller seems to think its a J35 but doesn't say why. No identifying marks or labels on it anywhere. Seller says his grandfather has had it for 30 years and bought it at an estate sale.
Does anyone know anything about it?
Also I need some advice on restoration.
It has one cracked and one missing back brace which I can handle. I'm going to buy torrified brace wood from stew mac.
Its missing binding on the neck and binding and purfling on the top. (see pics) Any advice on matching this?
Also the pickguard is peeling leaving some white underneath. I suppose a replacement is in order for this.
The bridge seems really funky. Its painted wood of some kind.
The Gibson logo on the headpiece appears to be metal and is raised.
It also had a couple of cracks in the top which have been previously repaired and cleated. Seems to be a good job.
Thanks in advance

[Michael Lewis]

Can you put up a closeup pic of the tuning machines? back of headstock, also a close up of the soundhole rosette, heel of the neck, and the truss rod access. I have a sneaking suspicion you may have a forged knock off. Square shoulder Gibson dread will have serial number on the back of the headstock.

The pick guard is the shape for an Epiphone, I have not seen one like that on a Gibson.

Construction details are probably the best way of identifying where an instrument was made. So detailed pics of the kerfed lining, bracing, neck block, etc. would help in this regard.

[Greg Steil]

I don't think that is a Gibson.

[Michael Baresi]

Thanks for your reply Michael
I'm posting the pics you asked for
Note that the headstock actually is Gibson shape but someone has screwed an eyehook into the top which probably wasn't clear in the last pic.
On closer examination I see that the tuners were probably not original due to two screw holes with no screws and no hole in the wood beneath.
I see what you mean about the pickguard shape. Although the old 35's did have this funky pattern as you say it is the wrong shape.
The truss rod seems to be there but the access is so small I don't know how it could be adjusted.
Whatever this guitar turns out to be is OK since I only paid $200 for it and it is obviously solid wood top and back and it appears to be quite aged.
I'm currently posting all of this to the Gibson forum to see what they have to say.
Let me know what you think
thanks

[Stephen Neal Saqui]

This is NOT a Gibson. It's a fake made, typically, in the Philippines.
There are so many things about it that make it easy to see. The logo and the heel are dead ringers for its fakery!

[Mark Swanson]

I agree with Stephen, it's a poor attempt at a fake.

[Arnt Rian]

Looks quite fake to me too. And the grain is really wide on that top, or its drifting way off quartered, or both...

[Stephen Neal Saqui]

The Philippine "Gibson" were made to fool American sailors on liberty.
Our shop, The Blue Guitar in San Diego, had many sailor customers so we saw lots of these. I still have two in my storage. The necks are put on with dowels and the woods used are mostly "pulp".
I'm sorry you got bitten...but I doubt you will again!!

[Beate Ritzert]

Anyway, what could be done about the guitar?

Quite obviously it would be not worth any effort from an economical point of view. But a DIYer could save his investment by restoring it in a pragmatic way - make it playable an cure the worst constructive flaws. Even such a box could be turned into a "reasonably" sounding guitar.

I did such a "repair" for a friend on a 45 €-Guitar, and it sounded better than ever afterward. Yes, indeed, lively, yet relatively bright.

[Michael Baresi]

Your absolutely right Beate.
Just because it is not a Gibson does not make it worthless. In fact considering the nice case it came in and the fact that it is a solid wood guitar I could very easily recoup my money after I repair it.

[Daryl Kosinski]

If your going to repair it and sell it, remove the fake logo.

[Michael Baresi]

If your going to repair it and sell it, remove the fake logo.

Of course! I would never attempt to fraud someone as this guy has done to me.

[Michael Baresi]

The Philippine "Gibson" were made to fool American sailors on liberty.
Our shop, The Blue Guitar in San Diego, had many sailor customers so we saw lots of these. I still have two in my storage. The necks are put on with dowels and the woods used are mostly "pulp".
I'm sorry you got bitten...but I doubt you will again!!

Stephen- good to know about the dowels. Fortunately it has very nice action and I won't have to do a neck reset.

[Beate Ritzert]

Mhmm, if there was another means to protect future buyers from fraud than removing the imitated Gibson logo, i would do that. The guitar is a Gibson fake, and it is an obvious one. As long as that is clear to a potential buyer, and as long as this cannot be hidden again, the fake logo belongs to the guitar's identity.

[Ryan Mazzocco]

to me it's a bit of an ethical gray area. I think making/selling fakes of any brand is wrong if intended to pass off as the real deal. but there's kind of a novelty thing with fakes, IF you know it's fake. That's why one of the big tourist things to do in New York City is go to Chinatown and buy a "Rolex." You KNOW it's fake when you buy it. The seller probably knows you know it's fake, but it's hilarious when you come back home and show everyone your brand new "Rolex" watch that you bought on the street for $50.
But after that is when things get tricky. It's not funny anymore if you paid $10,000 for what you thought was a great deal on a real Rolex when it's actually a fake. It's not funny when someone knowingly buys a fake Gibson for $100 and then sells it to some sucker for $2000.
Once it leaves your hands you don't know what dishonest person might get his hands on it. If I had it I would just keep it as a funny story.

[Michael Baresi]

Ryan- I'll bet the Rolex company doesn't think it "hilarious" and this is not an "ethical gray area" at all. Its outright fraud.
Perhaps you would be willing to hang onto it for laughs but I'm living on a limited income and whatever money I can make repairing and selling guitars. This just put a hole in the funds I use to finance my repair work.
The guy that sold me this deserves to be prosecuted and I'm willing to bet the people at Gibson agree. I have already reported him to the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center and given them the info I have including the guys phone number. They could probably catch him but I doubt they will put in the effort. For whats it worth I have done what I can to stop it.
He's scum living off the trust and good will of others instead of getting an honest job.
FYI for any vets out there, this guy is also posing as a vet claiming he did two tours in Afghanistan etc. etc. Just more BS.

[Ryan Mazzocco]

Michael- first off I want to apologize for making it seen that I was making light of your situation. It has been a few days since I read the opening post and I was confused. I thought you had said you inherited the guitar from your grandfather who got it at an estate sale, so no money out of your pocket.
Also, as far as ethical gray area, I didn't mean making a fake and especially never ever playing it off as the real deal. That is always always wrong. That's what happened to you, and that's never funny. You were defrauded, stolen from and not much can give you a lower sinking feeling.
No, the"gray area" I was talking about was what should one do once you have one. As I said, personally I would just keep it. But if I were going to sell it knowing it was a fake I don't think I could leave the Gibson logo on. Either way, everyone involved needs to be made fully aware that it is a fake.

[Michael Baresi]

Ryan
no problem at all.
Its really not as big a a deal as I may have made it seem. The money out of pocket was minimal. It just pisses me off that there are people like this looking for weakness in someone else so they can profit.
As I stated in an earlier post I have removed the Gibson logo but I do need to sell it to recoup some cash. I am thinking about taking a sharpie pen and writing inside the soundhole "Not a Gibson" That will prevent any further misrepresentation.

[David King]

At some level we are talking about capitalism, maximizing profits. It comes naturally to some, for others it's lifelong moral struggle and they invariably lose the game.
I'd rename this particular guitar a "Fibson".

[Michael Lewis]

The Gibson legal department might be interested in this if the guy is importing these knock offs. Gibson has a rather aggressive legal dept.