An old guitar in mint condition

[TOMMO]

I think this is quite amazing - a 90+ year old Gibson in factory mint condition:

[ThatRhythmMan]

Thanks for sharing that. I’ve seen some awfully clean guitars, but that one wins.

[djg]

that poor thing

[TOMMO]

that poor thing

[Doctor Jeff]

That’s cool! Wanty!

Could it be a clever fake?

Slap a pickup on that and call it a Howard Roberts special!

[Dennis D]

......Who / where is that guy in the vid ?.......

....and ' Wow ' !

[Timo]

That’s Mark Stutman from Folkways Music in Waterloo, Ontario.
This is one of the best small guitar shops in Canada.

[lawson-stone]

that "clunk" when he pulled it out of the case might be the first bump that guitar has had!

[pcjazz]

......Who / where is that guy in the vid ?....... ' !

That’s Mark Stutman at Folkway Music in Waterloo, Ontario. He’s the real deal so I’m sure the guitar is too.

[wkmandeville]

Holy cow, that is clean. I feel like half of the brand new guitars hanging in shops aren't even that pristine.

[Gitfiddler]

What a beautiful old Gibson. That video was like the opening of King Tut's tomb!!

[TedBPhx]

Perhaps kept in a sealed bag of nitrogen? Hard to explain no pickguard out gassing or label yellowing.

[TOMMO]

In the comments section of yt I asked if there is a story behind that guitar - there must be one and I'd really like to hear it.

[Dennis D]

In the comments section of yt I asked if there is a story behind that guitar - there must be one and I'd really like to hear it.

Me Too !

[citizenk74]

Perhaps kept in a sealed bag of nitrogen? Hard to explain no pickguard out gassing or label yellowing.

Is the PG tortise shell? Does tortise shell out-gas?

[citizenk74]

The last time I saw one of these, Robert Johnson was holding it. There is some speculation it was not his, but rather a prop owned by the photographer. Said speculation says he may have played a Kalamazoo. As a K owner, I find it plausible.

[TOMMO]

The last time I saw one of these, Robert Johnson was holding it. There is some speculation it was not his, but rather a prop owned by the photographer. Said speculation says he may have played a Kalamazoo. As a K owner, I find it plausible.

R.J.'s guitar in that famous photo is a flat top L 1. The guitar in the video is an archtop L 3. As for R.J.'s L1: it could have been a prop owned by the photographer or borrowed from a music store next door. Anyway: if it was his it was destroyed in San Antonio when he was beat up by the police the night before his first recording session. The other guitar that he was pictured with in that photo booth pic has been identified as a Kalamzoo KG 14 (short of $ 15.00 at the time so not much more expensive than a Stella - the most popular guitar with southern bluesmen at the time).

[ThatRhythmMan]

Perhaps kept in a sealed bag of nitrogen? Hard to explain no pickguard out gassing or label yellowing.

The formulation used for many pickguards in that period seems to have been very stable. Intact guards are far more common on guitars from that era than later.

[Jabberwocky]

Something to be said for hoarders, after all. Put it in the closet and forget about it. There must be a pristine forgotten 1959 Les Paul somewhere in the world. Find it while it has some boomer value.

[nopedals]

I kept thinking he was going to bang it against the table or drop it.