I have wrestled with letting go of this one for a long time, and still have my reservations. The price reflects the sentimentality and personal value of the instrument, as well as its legend status in the world of vintage flat top acoustics. For your consideration, a golden era Gibson J-45, in wonderful working order. I got this guitar from the son of the original owner, who played it sparingly over the last decade. It remained in its case, untouched and unsullied for some time, and has since spent its days in a humidity and temperature controlled room. This beauty exhibits the classic "spiderweb" checking all over the original Sunburst finish on the body, and down the neck. It has the standard dings, dents, and bruises one would expect of a 75 year old instrument, including a professionally repaired crack in the back (see pictures). The repair is immaculate and sturdy, and does not affect this guitar's playability or sound in any way. There are also 2 small (approximately 4 inches) cracks in the nitrocellulose finish, one on the bass side of the sound hole on the top, and the other on the back, bass side near the neck joint, that may need structural attention down the line. Neither one actually goes into the wood, both are structurally sound and with proper humidity will not need any repair. The neck is straight as an arrow with slight relief. The action right now is wonderful, very comfortable and perfectly intonated up and down the neck with no buzzing. The truss rod has plenty of room to move in both directions. The saddle is unfortunately rather low, and if replaced, the guitar will likely need a neck set. As of now I only use the guitar for casual strumming and recording sessions. If you plan to use it professionally, some adjustments or repairs such as a neck set will likely need to be made, but as of now it plays wonderfully and resonates like you’d expect a 40’s Gibson should. When plucked, this guitar sings gently and with precision and grace, but also boasts a powerful bass and sweet and melodic midrange when strummed more aggressively. At one time this guitar had an under-bridge pickup installed, with a jack replacing the original end pin. The pickup has since been removed and the original end pin has been reinstalled. Other than that and a beautiful refret done in the early 90's, this magnificent example is completely original, and ready to play another 75 years. The frets show a little bit of wear, but still have a ton of life left in them. This instrument will come in a non-original hard case, as the original case was replaced many years ago. Unfortunately because of the Brazilian Rosewood I will not ship internationally. Please feel free to ask any questions, request additional photos, or make an offer. This is a once in a lifetime guitar!