Here’s a great condition Gibson 1950s J50 in Antique Natural, built during June of 2000 at Gibson Acoustic in beautiful Bozeman, Montana.

The Gibson J50 was introduced in 1947, as the end of WW2 allowed access to more and better materials. The J-50 was marketed as a ‘blonde’ or natural finish version of the very successful J-45, itself introduced in 1942, and carried a higher price. The primary differences are the shape of the pickguard (though the first three years of production used the same pickguard as the J-45) and the use of a natural finish on the top. The natural top on the J-50 requires a visually higher grade of wood, as there is no shading to hide any variations in the wood’s structure. The J-50 originally used a rectangular bridge, which was changed to the ‘reverse belly’ shape seen here in 1950, along with the larger pickguard. Like the J-45, the Gibson 1950s J50 is built using a Sitka Spruce top paired with Mahogany for the body blocks, sides, back, and neck. The bridge and fingerboard are Indian Rosewood.   The finish is a gloss nitrocellulose lacquer, lightly tinted for an ‘Antique Natural’ effect.

This Gibson 1950s J50 example dates to 2000 and was built in Bozeman, Montana, then under the leadership of Ren Ferguson. It’s in very good, clean condition with the lightest of wear, and is factory equipped with an L R Baggs pickup system. The controls are tucked under the bass side of the soundhole.

The Gibson 1950s J50 is sold with its original brown Gibson hard shell case.

Here’s what the builder says about the Gibson 1950s J50:

“Inspired by the 1950s Originals
The classic Gibson J-50, handcrafted using Sitka spruce and mahogany. The J-50’s Antique Natural top is highlighted with a Unitone back and sides finish for a simple and clean appearance, dressed with a distinctive 1950s-style tortoise pick guard. This Original Collection J-50 features nickel Grover Strap Cream button tuners and an LR Baggs® VTC pickup for effortless plug and play and natural sounding amplification anywhere you perform. “

Gibson 1950s J50 Original Specifications: