Gibson Custom 1942 J-45 All Mahogany Vintage Sunburst Light Aged
Gibson Custom 1942 J-45 All Mahogany Vintage Sunburst Light Aged
Serial Number: 23625021
Weight: 3.9 lbs.
The Gibson Custom 1942 J-45 All Mahogany in Vintage Sunburst is a faithful recreation of one of the most storied dreadnoughts in Gibson history — the wartime-era J-45 built with a mahogany top in place of Gibson's usual Sitka spruce, a substitution born of WWII material shortages that gave these guitars their own dark, focused, midrange-forward voice. This Custom Shop build wears a light-aged nitrocellulose lacquer finish in Vintage Sunburst, a gold Gibson script logo with banner headstock inlay true to the 1942 originals, a firestripe pickguard, and antiqued multi-ply top and single-ply back binding — all coming in at a remarkably light 3.9 lbs.
The mahogany neck carries Gibson's Historic shape (.905" at the 1st fret, .965" at the 9th) for a full, substantial profile reminiscent of the era, joined to the body with a compound dovetail neck joint set in hot hide glue for maximum resonance and vintage-correct construction. A rosewood fretboard with mother-of-pearl dot inlays, 12" radius, and 20 frets rides a 24.75" scale length with a 1.72" bone nut, while a rosewood bridge with TUSQ saddle and open-gear tuners in nickel/chrome hardware finish round out the period-accurate hardware package.
The mahogany neck, top, back, and sides combine for a dark, woody, midrange-forward voice that sets this apart from a standard spruce-top J-45, making it a fit for the vintage-tone chaser who wants a real WWII-era voice without hunting down a 1940s original, the studio player after that darker, warmer mahogany character, and the collector building out a banner-logo Gibson lineup. This Gibson Custom 1942 J-45 All Mahogany Vintage Sunburst (Serial #23625021) ships in a Gibson hardshell case. Order today from Brian's Guitars, your authorized Gibson dealer.
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Body
Type: Dreadnought
Shape: J-45
Cutaway: None
Top Material: Mahogany
Bracing Pattern: Traditional Hand-Scalloped X
Body Material: Mahogany
Finish: Nitrocellulose Lacquer, Light Aged
Color: Vintage Sunburst
Body Binding: Multi-ply top, Single-ply back
Rosette: Multi-ring
Neck
Material: Mahogany
Shape: Historic
Dimensions: .905" at the 1st fret, .965" at the 9th fret
Joint: Compound Dovetail Neck-to-body Joint; Hot Hide Glue
Fretboard Material: Rosewood
Neck Finish: Nitrocellulose Lacquer, Light Aged
Headstock: Gold Gibson Script, Banner Logos
Inlay: Mother-of-Pearl Dots
Radius: 12"
Frets: 20
Scale Length: 24.75"
Nut Width: 1.72"
Nut Material: Bone
Hardware
Bridge/Tailpiece: Rosewood, TUSQ Saddle
Tuners: Open-Gear Strap
Hardware Finish: Nickel/Chrome
Pickguard: Firestripe
Case/Gigbag: Gibson Hardshell