Gibson J-45 c1962

A shining example of one of Gibson’s best-known guitars from the closing days of their classic era. By 1962 the dark sunburst had been replaced by a vivid cherry colour previously seen on the legendary sunburst Les Pauls, and the guitar bears the larger 60s style pointy pick guard. The construction is still nice and light with tall, narrow bracing. We also have in evidence one of Gibson’s, um, bright ideas in the form of an adjustable rosewood bridge. This system has its detractors, but it contributes a tighter, snappier edge to the tone that we think is rather pleasant.

Not much to report in the way of repairs: there’s a long since repaired crack on the back, the typical Gibson lacquer crazing and an endpin jack fitted, otherwise this is a fairly unmolested instrument. A period correct Gibson case is supplied.

£2950

Gibson LG-2 c1962

 It’s pretty much like my bus route: you can wait for ages for a 1962 cherry Gibson, then two of them turn up at the same time. The LG-2 was Gibson’s top of the range small-bodied guitar from the mid 40s to early 60s and, unlike its ladder-braced siblings in the LG family, is basically a J-45 in miniature. It’s incredibly light, with the classic tall, narrow bracing. Again we get the quirky adjustable bridge, this time with an original ceramic saddle. Gibson LGs make excellent all-rounders, well suited to strummers and pickers alike with a bright treble and warm, thumpy bass.

 This one is in near perfect preservation: no repairs or modifications anywhere and only the Gibson Humpty Dumpty lacquer effect betraying its forty-five years. LG-2s are also for our money the last truly affordable classic from the Gibson oeuvre, and at two-thirds the cost on an identical J-45 this is a great value instrument.

£1995

2005 Gibson Historic Series Advanced Jumbo

Gibson’s answer to the D-28 and a fantastic instrument it is too. Basically a deluxe J-45 with Rosewood back and sides replacing the usual Mahogany, and elegant pearl inlays to the fingerboard and headstock. For reasons best known to Gibson this model only lasted for a few years on its original release and, despite occasional limited reissues from the Montana factory that are always eagerly received, this lovely model is currently once again unavailable. But do not fear – we have one! Lustrous tobacco sunburst revealing a gorgeous cross-silked top, Thirties style script logo and a Historic Series logo to the rear of the headstock. Immaculate condition and with its original Gibson branded case.

£1799

c. 1973 Martin D18

The classic dreadnaught in an unbelievably good state of preservation, no cracks, dents or major scuffs anywhere. It has the typically chunky 70s neck with a low, slinky action. If you like your guitars big and booming this could be the one you're waiting for, and this is one that should prove a good investment - although whether you'd ever be able to part with it is another matter... 

Includes original Martin flight case.

£1649

Late 1990's Lowden LSE-1 Mahogany & Spruce second hand.

A turn of the millenium piece from The Lowden Guitar Company's Newtownards period. The usual terrific quality of woodworking is present in the mahogany and spruce construction with some really lovely rosewood binding and an elegant Venetian cutaway. The instrument is generally in pretty good condition with the only notable exception being some unexpectedly heavy marking on the top - A chastening reminder that you should never lend your cherished instrument to friends for the evening unless you really trust them. Aside from that, the guitar plays beautifully and sounds superb and the Fishman pickup is in fine fettle with two concentric knobs for controlling the volume and tone. Overall a lovely buy for someone looking for a professional quality gigable guitar at a very reasonable price.

£1575

c. 1979 Martin D19

A less familiar member of the Martin family, but it's just a D-18 with a dark shaded top. Not quite as mint as our 18, with a small cleated crack on the back, but plays beautifully and it looks and sounds excellent.

Includes original Martin flight case.

£1499

c2006 Rob Armstrong custom made guitar

 Here's something you won't see every day: a one of a kind, hand made guitar by the acclaimed Coventry based luthier Rob Armstrong. The body is a rather elegant take on a Martin 0000 size, the twist being a neck join at the 12th fret, pushing the pin-less bridge out toward the centre of the lower bout. The top is cedar, the back and sides - well, we're not honestly sure. It looks vaguely like Spanish cypress wood or even korina, but we're guessing it's probably a species of mahogany. 

Things get weirder when you peer inside the sound hole - the braces are perforated with a series of drilled holes, reducing their weight to that of a particularly light feather whilst maintaining the maximum possible strength in supporting the soundboard. All in all an excellent sounding, highly individual guitar.

£1200

c1970 - 71 Gibson J50 Deluxe 

An old war horse this one: lacquer crazing to sides and neck, a refinished back and pick marks a-plenty on the top. A few repairs as well, with a cleated top crack (well away from the main X), a repaired split in the bridge, replaced tuners and the world's ugliest jack socket lurking underneath the strap button. 

Well, that's the bad news. The good news is that this is a very sweet sounding guitar from what is otherwise considered a difficult period for Gibson. Not as loud as a Martin dreadnaught, but warm and plummy and dark. It's also half the price of a clean example, and if you're looking for a gig-worthy, vintage Gibson for not a lot of money this one would be well worth checking out.

£999

Ovation Legend 1986 

Ovations seem to be staging something of a comeback, and this is a nice example of an older guitar. The Legends are essentially an update on the classic Balladeer series with a Spruce top, deep bowl back and a neat little stacked volume and tone control. One for the Glen Campbell fans out there.

£599

Harmony Sovereign c1971

If you like the idea of owning a vintage guitar without having to scale the lofty prices of Gibson and Martin classics, this could be an interesting alternative. The Sovereign was one of the longest running and most fondly remembered budget instruments of its kind: a 000 sized, American made guitar of solid Spruce and Mahogany construction. Sovereigns have transverse bracing rather than X, which gives it a nice punchy tone for blues and ragtime, and it strums nicely as well. It looks to be all original with no major repairs and some tasteful laquor checking and a recent fret dress keeping it nice and playable.

An oversized cardboard case is supplied with the guitar.

£499

1958 Hofner Senator

Many years ago, when ownership of a Gibson or Fender was as unlikely as putting a man on the moon for aspiring British Buddy Hollies of the day, Hofner were the instruments which came closest to the unobtainable US brands. This fellow is an early example of the venerable Senator, resplendent in a nicely aged honey blonde and still baring its original funky pickup.

Most Hofners develop neck angle problems as the result of the simplistic mortise and tenon neck join: we’re happy to report that this particular guitar is set nicely with a lowish action. Early Hofners lack an adjustable truss-rod but the chunky C profile neck is nice and straight. It’s on its third set of machine-heads and the bridge, although Hofner made, is unlikely to be the one it left the factory with. The maple top, although plywood, is lightly constructed and consequently the guitar sounds excellent, very loud with more bass than many we’ve played.

£499

Zenith Super Cutaway Deluxe c1957

Zenith guitars were German made instruments manufactured by Framus and marketed by Ivor Mairants. The most famous Zenith owner was a youthful Paul McCartney, so this is the instrument to blame for inflicting the Frog Chorus and Heather Mills on an unsuspecting public. Its only previous owner purchased this particular instrument new in Manchester in 1957, and now it’s back here waiting for a new home.

The body is huge - 17 1/2 “ across the lower bout – and made of laminated plain maple. The neck set is perfect, and it’s currently set up with flat wound strings and a slinky low action. No issues to speak of, just the usual laquor crazing, a missing pick guard and screw holes where a floating pickup had once been installed.

£325

Regal "Le Domino" tenor, c1930s

A mean and moody tenor from one of America's best known early guitar manufacturers. All solid woods - Spruce top, Birch back and sides underneath the black finish - with a loud, chiming tone and comfortable setup. We've seen a few Regal tenors over the years, most of which are Martin size 5 copies with floating bridges. This fellow is a chunkier affair, closer to size 0 and with a fixed bridge. It's been well played and sadly most of the domino decals have worn though, but there are no repairs beyond a reglued back brace, and it's a great sounding vintage tenor for not a lot of money. We’ve replaced the original machine heads with Grovers, but will keep hold of the originals.

£299

c. 1950 Martin 0-18

A lovely example of one of the all- time greatest finger-style guitars. Fifties Martins lack the scalloped braces of the pre-war versions but still benefited from premium materials and light construction, and these smaller models don't come up too often in the UK. 1950 was also the last full year of Martin using Adirondack Spruce for their soundboards and it all adds up to a sweet singling, beautifully defined tone which is perfect for finger picking. The neck profile is not quite as chunky as many vintage Martins, and it's a hugely comfortable guitar to handle.

The top and back centre seams have been re-glued, the ubiquitous Martin pick guard crack in the lacquer and there is one small, repaired side crack on the treble side of the waist. A recent neck reset makes it a pleasure to play as well as hear, and there are the usual small scuffs you might expect of a sixty year old lady (you should see the state of my grandma). 

Includes a new deluxe TKL hard shell case. SOLD

Gibson TG-1 c1928

First up in a series of new and old tenors we have on their way to us is a gorgeous little Gibson from the dawn of the company's illustrious flat- top making career. Although the TG-1 is essentially a 3/4 size version of the same year's L-1 design, Gibson chose to upgrade the tenor version by adding their mid-line pearl banjo headstock facia and, more importantly, a feather-light X brace supporting the Adirondack Spruce top. Condition is excellent - a little pick wear to the top but all original and no cracks to be found anywhere. 

Tonally these little Gibsons could well be the best there is: sweet and warm with a harpsichord like chime when playing chords. A rare and beautiful thing that shows perfectly why modern players are rediscovering these elegant little instruments.

The original Gibson case is supplied.

SOLD

Second Hand GA22SR Cutaway

All solid spruce and rosewood, gloss finish. 

SOLD

Second hand 2004 Fylde Ariel

SOLD

c. 1953 Gibson ES125

 Gibson's entry level jazz box throughout the 40s to the 50s and, if you're after the full, mellow tone of a 50s Gibson jazz guitar, can live without a cutaway and don't have the requisite £5000 plus for an early 50s ES-175, this is going to be the one to look for. The acoustic tone is sweet and lively, if a little quiet in comparison to a carved top guitar.

The guitar has suffered a (long since reglued) loose treble side brace, resulting in a small amount of table sinkage. It's not particularly noticeable, and there's no risk of it getting any worse. It also looks as though a previous owner has learned the hard way that it's a good idea to loop the end of your lead through your strap to avoid any disasters when you step on the lead mid solo - the jack input is mounted into an oversized plate that hides a missing piece of mahogany where the jack was originally mounted. Other than that, the usual Gibson lacquer checking and a set of decent replacement tuners, condition is good and it's set to go many more years into the future. SOLD

c2001 Gibson Custom shop Nick Lucas signature reissue

The Nick Lucas was a fancy sister model to the venerable L-00 model, sporting a highly figured maple back and sides in place of the usual mahogany, and the body is substantially deeper than the L-00, making this a surprisingly loud guitar for its diminutive proportions. Cosmetic upgrades include multiple binding, elegant pearl inlays and the custom shop logo gracing the back of the headstock. 

Excellent condition - there are three small impact marks in the lacquer on the soundboard, the cause of which we can't begin to imagine, but otherwise a very clean example. Fitted with an excellent sounding Headway pickup by Roger Bucknall of Fylde guitars.

SOLD

c1939 Gibson L-00

We've always had a soft spot for Gibson's small body guitars, and this one is the real deal - a lightly braced Adirondack spruce top with mahogany back and sides, that very sexy fire-stripe pick guard, big V profile neck and a warm, mellow sound that perfectly counters the bright crispness of Martins of the same era. 

There aren't too many of these about on this side of the Atlantic, and unfortunately this one was torn from our hands before we'd even had a chance to hang it on the wall, but rest assured we will leave no stone unturned in finding you more examples of these wonderful little beasties. 

SOLD

1990 Martin 00016 second hand

SOLD

RD3 SECOND HAND

mint condition, one very careful owner, with Hiscox hard case

SOLD

Lowden O25

SOLD

Fylde Alchemist 2005

Immaculate condition with factory fitted scratchplate & original Hiscox case

SOLD

Celebrity Deluxe second hand £350

SOLD

a wide range of guitar accessories including strings, cases, cloths, cleaners, stands etc. & etc.

If your instrument needs a service, overhaul or any sort of fix from the major to the minor then our repair service can help.

We are also pleased to offer a 10% discount to music students, teachers and professional musicians or musicians union members on all our accesories and otherwise undiscounted instruments.

Please phone or email the instrument department for further details on any of our instruments, accessories or with any other queries you may or may not have.