What kind of Gibson is this?

[Freeman Keller]

This little jewel hit my workbench today and isn't like any other Gibbie that I'm familiar with. Thin hollow body, it has the light braces of an ES-175. Fairly large neck block with a M&T joint. One P90 at the neck, but that may not be original from the large home made p/u ring. Also not sure the tailpiece and ToM are original - there are plugged holes from another bridge. One f-hole, single volume control. Laminate top, its been refinished. Serial number puts it from 1963. Any ideas of a model number?

 

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[Phil O'Keefe]

It doesn’t look like any Gibson that I’m familiar with either... sorry.

[jtr654]

ES 120 T originally had a huge pick guard with the pickup mounted on it. It also had the V&T and the input on the pick guard.

[badpenguin]

I'm completely stumped. I went thru the late 50's and sixties catalogs, and saw nothing with a single F hole other then the ES120.

[Freeman Keller]

Thanks jtr and BP - I'm sure you are right - looks enough like an ES 120 on Reverb (a model that I wasn't familiar with) that I'll accept your opinions.

 

This one is failing in the glue joint of the neck tenon and the owner wants me to remove the neck, reset it and glue it back in place. I have several big concerns - I don't know what kind of glue it might have (I'm guessing some sort of AR) so I don't know if I can steam it off. I'm also quite sure I will do damage to the finish and I'm quite sure I can't repair the damage. It's too bad that we didn't address the neck issues before the guitar was refinished - its not a professional job but its not too bad.

 

I'll talk to the owner tomorrow - if I decide to go ahead I'll do a repair thread.

[gardo]

ES 120 T originally had a huge pick guard with the pickup mounted on it. It also had the V&T and the input on the pick guard.

 

I'd say you are correct https://reverb.com/p/gibson-es-120t-sunburst-1966

 

[Danocoustic]

The thing that occurs to me---if that T-O-M replaced a floating bridge, what is it anchored to?

[Freeman Keller]

Good catch and that is one of the problems besides the neck. They just sunk the studs (its a Nashville style) into the laminated top - missed the little braces that were never intended to hold the studs. Right now it looks OK but its a potential problem spot.

 

My big concern is that (1) I know what the joint looks like and its going to be a b*tch to get steam into it, (2) I don't know what kind of glue Gibson used (or if there has been a previous attempt to repair it) and I don't know it it will come apart with steam, (3) steam will go everywhere in the heel area of the guitar and could loosen other glue joints - the neck block, top and back...., and (4) anything I do is going to mess up the finish and I'm sure I can't repair it.

 

Its also interesting that the joint is opening next to the fretboard, not at the bottom where I would expect. But something is sure going on, when I string it up a straightedge on the frets drops 1/8 at the bridge - not good.