Gibson Advanced Jumbo (AJ)

Bernie Daniel · May 2nd, 2009, 01:02 PM

This is mostly a comment and a question also I guess -- and directed to Wally.

I was scrolling through older threads enjoying all the stories and comments about Gibson guitar when I came to your statement that you owned a 1938 Advance Jumbo -- I just about fell off my mouse!

I have never even SEEN an orignal AJ but to me they are the holy grail of the acoustic guitar (flat top anyway). In terms of exclusivity I put them right up there with Llyod Loar signed F-5 mandolins -- and actually they are even more rare than a Loar -- right?

You are the first living person -- other than Little Roy of the Lewis family -- who I know who actually has one of these gems!

I have played on a few of the Custom shop AJ re-issues and I have been impressed with them -- I wonder what a real AJ owner thinks of these? I am pretty much set on picking one up -- although I really do not deserve one.

Wally · May 5th, 2009, 01:05 PM

Bernie, there are good ones, there are bad ones, and there are a few great ones.
The day I sold my '38, I sat in the Gibson truck at a Dallas guitar show and played two new AJ's. They both had good geometry. ONE of them had good sonics. The other had great sonics...killer guitar for a new one. I didn't buy it because the dealer that I had to go through to get it wasn't cutting me the deal that he was cutting to a friend who was sharing my booth that year. HE lost a sale, and I went home with more money than I had planned to leave with. (:^) Besides, I have a 'beyond great' 25 1/2" scale Gibson that for me is the best acoustic dreadnaught that I have ever played. IT is a J-30 Rosewood and there are fewer than 50 of them from a limited experimental run in the early '90's. I have seen only one other, and it was no comparison to the one I have, either cosmetically or sonically. I traded a 1971 D-28 for it. I am sure the fellow who made the trade thought he got the deal. I didn't have more than $600 in the D-28, and it didn't have the sound anyway. It got better and better as I removed the pounds of nicotine from the years of exposure to cigarettes, though! lol When I heard this Gibson, I knew I had to have it. This was before I sold the '38 AJ, too. AT that time, I had the AJ and a '46 J-45. I sold both of those at that show....along with a '53 J-50 and a 1933 Weissenborn Style 3 in mint condition with its original trapdoor case in addition to a new custom case. I kind of regret selling that one. My newer GIbson is a magical thing....nothing like it have I ever heard.
Now where are all of the rest of those old guitars that were built back then. I need some more. LOL

Bernie Daniel · May 6th, 2009, 05:43 AM

Thanks for the comments -- great story. You've been around the block and have obviously gone through your share of great Gibson acoustic flatops.

I guess I had heard of the J-30 before but I had no idea it was a rosewood guitar (is this the predecessor for the J-45R?). Is there a relationship between the J-30 and the original AJ in terms of construction -- e.g., bracing etc. Along those lines a local dealer here put a regulare guitar neck on one of the higher end Roy Smeck studio guitars and ended up with something very similar to an AJ.

When I read some of the stories about the original AJ (1935 to 1940?) it seems like it was more of less considered the pinnicale of flattop guitars -- but this begs the question --why on earth did they discontinue it then? Gibson often makes inscurtable decisions

I talked a few weeks ago with a luthier who occasionally makes a guitars (on order) using the AJ plans and briefly considered having one made but later decided if I go for on it will be one of the Gibson custom shop models.

But again the amazing thing to me is if this construction (AJ) is so good why isn't it used more? My understanding is the reason for the tone and volume of the AJ is the more intricate bracing and hence the thinner top? If so maybe that creates warantee and liability problems?

Anyway the Gibson AJ is a fasinating story. Thanks for the insight.

Wally · May 6th, 2009, 11:13 AM

Bernie, I have no idea why Gibson discontinued the AJ. Perhaps the J-200 was seen as the only necessary flattop for the top of the line part of the production????
The J-30 indeed is a mahogany back and sides guitar. IN '92, Gibson Montana made a limited test run of fewer than 50 of these J-30 Rosewoods. They decided not to take it into full production because it came to close in price to the rosewood J-60, as I understand it.
J-45 Rosewood? They made some of those way back in the day...so that is not something new. The J-30 is not simular to the AJ imo. For one thing, the top radius is entirely different. I do have bracing patterns drawn from the '38, but I haven't compared them to the J-30. I would not expect them to be totally alike.

brians50 · June 7th, 2009, 11:35 AM

HI, I am new to this site. I bought a 2003 AJ Cutaway Custom Built # 02673005. I contacted Gibson and they said it is legit. They said the reason I couldn't find any info on it was because the cutaway was not part of standard production. The story I got from the seller was he bought it at Musicvilla, Boseman ,Mt while visiting his daughter at college. He was told that it was made for an employee at the plant and he decided to sell it. It is a beautiful guitar and if I knew how to attach pictures I would. Can anyone help me post pictures and give me your opinion on this awesome ax?

Thanks,

Brian

Bernie Daniel · June 9th, 2009, 05:40 AM

Hi Brian,

Thanks for sharing that. Sounds like you fell onto a heck of a deal.

I would make every effort right not to verify everthing you can on the axe and try to get it in writing somehow from Gibson or at least the Musicvilla dealer -- if you ever decided to sell it years from now tracking down the proof will be very hard compared to now.

Wally · June 9th, 2009, 10:38 AM

brians50, shoot me an email with some pics and we'll see if we can get them up here to share. That would be a rare one, and I agree that any documentation that one could get woudl be a benefit.

brians50 · June 9th, 2009, 06:12 PM

I must have 50 emails from the seller, the music store it was bought from and Gibson. Gibson is very elusive, they would only say it was legit and not part of standard production. I will get my son to help me send some pictures that I sent to Gibson.

Thanks,

Brian

brians50 · June 9th, 2009, 06:14 PM

I printed out all the responses I got and made a file.

THANKS!