1951 Gibson Southern Jumbo [3.8 lbs] :: bridge reglue, back structural repairs, setup.
This guitar has been through a lot in it’s 63 years, most notably a complete refinish a long time ago. There are quite a bit of sanding swirls and ripples left in the body and the finish has a very open-pore look. I also suspect that the top and back plates were heavily thinned in the stripping process as they are very flexible and yield a loud, open tone. Many signs of brace and crack repairs can be found when peeking inside.
I first re-glued the bridge as it was pulling from the top. This bridge has been removed before as the original bolts under the pearloid dot inlays were absent. The back had a cracked brace end that needed to be glued, along with some previously repaired binding damage that needed some rework. The back’s center seam was open from the 4th brace to the tail and sections of the seam reinforcement braces were peeling off. I reglued the center seam, along with the loose reinforcements and added a mahogany cleat near the tail block.
There was just enough saddle exposure to allow me to get the action down, but ideally the guitar is ready for a neck reset. I suspect that the thinning of the top during the stripping process has exaggerated the belly of the top and is contributing to the low neck angle.
All in all, this slope-shoulder dred sounds great with a funky vibe!
