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I'm in the market for a 1948 Gibson Super 300 and came across the following guitar. I'm a bit worried about the pick guard which seems to small although the owner claims that it's an exact replica of the original (he still has). I also wondered about the dull complexion of the tailpiece, could this be original? Lastly, the guitar seems in very good condition. What would be a fair price for one of these (the 300 doesn't come up as often as a 400 does). It would be great to get some feedback on these issues. (currently playing on a 2007 L4 CES).
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08-08-2018 02:07 AM
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I owned an early 50's Super-300 like this some years back and this one seems to be all legit , nothing strikes me as odd or questionable. The nickel-plated tailpiece is correct, the size of the pickguard, the color, it's all there judging by these photos. Re the price you're on your own - do some research, ask around with dealers etc. The market for these large guitars is small, and collectors tend to go for the top-end archtops.
When strung with med/heavy bronze strings and set up with a higher action this thing will definitely roar ....
Good luck !
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The pickguard seems to be mounted a bit too high, which creates a perception that it's small. Just look at any Super 300 or 400 non-cutaway online and you'll see what I mean. The top of the guard (the part against the neck) is normally flush with the 15th fret. If you post a picture taken directly over the top - not at an angle - it will be easier for us to judge online.
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Looks legitimate to me. The nickel-plated tailpiece is not engraved unlike the gold-plated one on the Super 400. Nickel tarnishes so that is correct for a Super 300. I won't attempt to shine it back up.
Prices are all over the map. Someone here lucked out on one and scored it for $2900, I believe. I have seen dealers asking $5600 for one. But that is the asking price, not reflective of actual transacted price. The one I was tracking on ebay had a highest bid of $3990. It did not meet the seller's reserve. About 200 Super 300 were shipped by Gibson from 1948 to 1956 or so.
The Super 300 is supposedly a better sounding guitar than the Super 400 because of its pared down binding and unbound f-holes. It has the cheaper Brazilian Rosewood fretboard compared to the Super 400's ebony fretboard. It has blister-bubble maple. No comments on the "better sounding" aspect but I happen to like mine a lot. It is lacquer checked all over but that probably makes it vibrate better.
I made an offer and bought one, packed and shipped, for $4800 all in. I swapped the original case out for a Super 400CES TKL case from 2008. The seller was a Super 300/Super 400 collector. The original case has a thin brown lining that is not protective at all in shipping and I had wanted to receive a proper guitar shipped to me, not a box of splinters. Not into collecting musty vintage cases like that and if someone tries to dicker me down on the price in the future because it is lacking its original case I will tell him to go fuck himself.
I love the plainer sister of the Super 400. About $3000 to $4000 would be the ball-park for one in a nice condition. One could always pay higher or lower than that range.
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These are awesome guitars, sort of a "bigger L7."
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I agree the pickguard looks to be mounted too high. Also, I'd be curious about the frets. Did S-300's come with those 'skinny' frets ? I don't know myself.
As far as a price, if using the 'big L-7 ' comparison is accurate, which is reasonable, late '40's to '50's L-7's have not held their value as well as '30's L-7's have. I own a '36 and '53 L-7 - -both clean !
The '36 's have stayed around $3000. - $3300. +/-
And, if this were a 50's L-7 and * with a cutaway *, acoustic only, you'd still be doing real well to get $4000. - $4300. MHO, those people asking $5000. and above for '50's L-7's are dreaming. I wish they were bringing that, but they aren't. If they were, I'd sell mine.
Hope that helps.
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"The Super 300 is supposedly a better sounding guitar than the Super 400 because of its pared down binding and unbound f-holes"
Yeah, whoever came up w that idea is dreaming, I know it wasn't my pal Jabs.
There was a guy selling an old Epiphone Deluxe he had bought from me that was claiming that.
Phooey, I say.
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Gibson Super 300 Acoustic Archtop Guitar, Vintage1954 | om28.com
Here is one for sale in pricey Tiburon, CA... $4895 for your comparison...
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Eric will give you a fair deal on guitars in my experience.
Originally Posted by Papawooly
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Thanks, Papawooly. Makes me glad I paid in the ballpark or so I would like to think. The person I bought it from had it listed on ebay at the same time. It closed at $3990 without breaking the reserve. He had it packed and shipped to me in a huge box. I figured the packing and shipping came up to $150. So, I paid about $4650 for the guitar alone. My S300 is from 1953 or 1954, I cannot recall. I have an ES-150 from either 1953 or 1954 so I get the mixed up. Originally Posted by Papawooly
It looks like a kissing cousin of the one I have. Blistered maple. Love it. The sunburst looks brighter in the Eric Schonberg's photos than mine does.
The 1948 Super 300 that Rudolf posted in the original post looks very good. The photos look familiar and seem to have been posted before once upon a time so, Rudolf, please check that the guitar is legitimately for sale and not photos of a guitar stolen off the web.Last edited by Jabberwocky; 08-13-2018 at 05:03 AM.
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Here is mine a 1951 with a Chris Mirabella repro pick guard. I am not a collector and would call my guitar a borderline player/collector grade since I have no idea any more what collectors are after. It has honest wear on the back of the neck from being played. It also has a small 3" crack on the top in line with the treble brace and a few small finish dings from being dinged. Overall it is in very nice condition with no signs of abuse or neglect.
My luthier who is well recognized as being world class tells me the crack is going nowhere , he dressed the frets ( yes the original skinny frets) made a couple of tweaks to the nut and replaced the upper saddle due to some overly deep notches and told me to go away and play it and enjoy it
) . Hammertone on the forum set me up with a beautiful high quality hardshell case for it (not easy to find one that fits an 18" bout archtop - you might want to factor that in to the price if it needs one) . As you can see I have added 1949 Dearmond FHC for amplification
Your tailpiece looks like mine did before I cleaned it ( yes I am not a collector) . I would check the guitar for binding shrinkage and also check the the mounting points of the pick guard for originality/re positioning. I would look at the mount of the tailpiece it is done via three very small screws and in my mind could be susceptible to issues given that the tailpiece is one piece not hinged and slightly flexible so could leverage against the screws, maybe I am being overly cautious but I am careful not to bang/bump the tailpiece if I can avoid it.
I like the skinny frets and the very healthy neck profile . I messed with various strings Phillipe Bosset, DR Rare, Chromes and now have settled on a set of TI Bensons that I think sound magical with the Dearmond.
It is a big guitar!!! No really it is a big guitar!!! I am right handed and play the guitar resting on my left leg or sitting with a strap Joe Pass style.
Prices seem to be all over the map I have seen asking from 2500 to 7500 US in various conditions with higher prices not necessarily related to condition but perhaps the sellers perception of rarity and their optimism. They "only made less than 200" is a common refrain))
Hope that helps. They are magnificent sounding guitars every single player who has played mine from novice to seasoned veterans have gone WOW!!!!!!!!!
Will
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Ah, Will is the lucky guy who paid $2900 sans case for it. When you are a player the cleated 3" crack is not a deterrent; the sweeter for it when you pay a lower price for it and get to play it like it should be played. So, $3100 with case plus shipping?
These 18" of baddass are tone cannons. You can feel the air move out of the f-holes when you chunk chords on it. Yeah, it is true, Will, only 200 were shipped. There was even one modified with a cutaway by Ren Wall that was for sale by National Guitars; asking was $5600, if memory serves.
The real-deal Super 300C is much rarer and attracts a higher price. Eric Clapton's 1956 Super 300C was auctioned off for...$50 000? So, get famous and it will be worth a lot to your heirs, not that I give a toss about my mostly undeserving next of kin who get to inherit my guitars just because...
By the way, the original S300 nickel-plated tailpiece is so rare that I have only seen them at Daniel Slaman's shop. I don't know where or how Daniel Slaman got them. That was before he was making replicas of them for his ES-250 style guitars.
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The pick guard on that one looks atypical Originally Posted by Papawooly
Will
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RudolfR - after looking at your OP images for a bit the one thing I noticed was that the finish overall and particularly on the back of the head stock looks very smooth and the edges of the head stock looking very clean with no finish chips . Both things look a bit atypical for a guitar of that age.
here is the back and front of the headstock on my 51' ( excuse the dust it makes it look well dustier/messier than it is)
notice the crazing to the finish which I have seen on images of nearly every set of Super 300 images with original finishes . I would inquire if the guitar finish has been oversprayed or otherwise modified/retouched
Will
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I laugh at your puny 18" Super 300 guitars...
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Yeah my Super 300 can't sit upright on a fancy patio chair wasting away the afternoon ! - it is more of a laying down on a park bench late at night kinda guitar
)
Will
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Thank you all for your interesting input. I’ve asked the seller for more pictures to check how the pick guard is mounted. I trust it is in the right position, but it’s well worth checking I guess. The prices seem to vary widely but I’m not convinced that I’d be able to find a good one for US4000. Yesterday one was sold at around EU 4900 (reverb)!
Jabberwocky, you may indeed have seen this guitar posted on reverb. It was listed there a month or so ago for US 6750. Rather pricey but in good condition or so it seems. It’s exactly this guitar (same seller) I’m talking about. It looks somewhat nicer than the om28.com guitar posted above, and the sound samples I got are rather convincing.
Will, thanks for your point about the finish. You’re probably right but I’m not too bothered about this since I’m a player rather than anything else and I want to buy this guitar for keeps.
I’ll keep you posted on the developments.
Rudolf
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Unfortunately the seller changed his mind and doesn't want to sell anymore. It appears he was more attached to the instrument than he initially thought.
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I've listed a couple of guitars on Reverb and pulled them because I fell back in love with them, usually through getting them ready for shipment. I always pulled them before I got a viable offer, though. But I can understand a change of heart about selling a guitar.
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I cannot blame him either (although I think it's a pity). I sort of figured it was a really great guitar...
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Thats a beauty! Not to hijack the thread but what is that thing on the top of the upper bout? Originally Posted by Hammertone
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It is a clip for a marching band music stand lyre. Originally Posted by Takemitsu
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Originally Posted by Hammertone
The old-school strap would have been attached to a strap button at the tailpiece end and tied around the headstock at the other end. The hook is for what would have been a thin leather or braided cloth line that the Europeans called a guitar strap - it changes the geometry of the strap to prevent the guitar from wanting to drift in the direction of the headstock. I left it on the guitar to remind me of the futility of existence, and installed a strap button at the heel. Originally Posted by Takemitsu
Last edited by Hammertone; 08-13-2018 at 03:17 PM.
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Actually, it is a connection for a Les Paul Microphone. Originally Posted by Takemitsu
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You did what you could - next guitar could be the charm Originally Posted by RudolfR
) and way better!!!
Will
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