Gibson J35 Natural 1939

In 1939, Gibson built some 500 J35s, and it's a special occasion to welcome a very good example from that year to The Fellowship of Acoustics!

The 1930s were in the United States in the face of the Great Depression, and the Gibson Jumbo didn't sell particularly well during this period. To boost the company's revenue, the J35 was introduced in 1936. Essentially, this was a cheaper version of the Jumbo, primarily saving money through a simpler and lighter construction. This resulted in a smooth and lively response, unlike the large, raw sound of the existing Jumbo.

The model was succeeded in 1942 by the illustrious J45, but its six-year lifespan saw significant changes. This J35 features a spruce top and mahogany back and sides, making it a direct competitor to the Martin D18. The back and sides house non-scalloped X-bracing with three non-scalloped tone bars. A single cream-colored binding adorns both the front and back of the body. Later in 1939, these specifications changed to two tone bars and a rounded neck profile, but this J35 already has the brown backside compared to the earlier, more reddish finish of the original model. The guitar also features a V-shaped mahogany neck without any elaborate ornamentation; only the simple dot inlays indicate your position on the rosewood fingerboard.

On the top, we find a few repaired cracks, and the bridge has a new saddle. Inside the sound box we see that some braces have been re-glued, and the bridge plate has also been repaired. A crack on the back of the backside of the body has also been glued, and on the binding of the body, we see some repaired hairline cracks. On the back of the neck, a spot in the lacquer has been touched up, and several spots on the first three frets of the fingerboard have been filled. A refret has also been carried out at some point and the top nut and bridge saddle have been replaced.

This guitar is a real player, and with its beautiful sound, it will enchant many!