Hey Zach,
I have a Gibson J-160E from the ’60s that has seen quite a bit
of playing over the years. The serial number is 8419XX, but it
doesn’t have the “Made in USA” stamp. Contrary to what many
players say, I think this guitar sounds great as an acoustic. Can
you give me a little history on the J-160E and what its value is
today? Also, I find it surprising that the J-160E is so popular, yet
I don’t hear much about early Martin acoustic electrics. Thanks!
—Mark in Denver, CO
Hey Mark,
“Isn’t it good, Norwegian wood?”
Well, the guitar isn’t
made of
Norwegian wood, but the
famous Beatles song off of
Rubber
Soul—as well as many others—was played on a J-160E during
the mid ’60s. Gibson’s “jumbo
flattop electric guitar” was one of
the first acoustic/electric guitars
to be mass-produced, and it was
also one of John Lennon’s most
played instruments.
Electrified guitars were the
norm by the early ’50s, but a
true flattop acoustic guitar with
a pickup had yet to be produced.
Gibson introduced the CF-100E
in 1951, which was an electrified
version of the CF-100,
introduced shortly before. The
CF-100E featured one single-coil
pickup mounted at the bottom
of the fretboard—a far cry in
design from the acoustic/electric
guitars of today. Both models
had a small body and sharp
Florentine cutaway, but were discontinued
in 1958, as they were
not very popular.
In 1954, Gibson launched
an electrified version of their
hugely popular Southern Jumbo
(SJ) called the J-160E. Like the
CF-100E, it had a single-coil
pickup mounted right below
the fretboard with electric-style
Volume and Tone knobs mounted
directly on the soundboard. The
J-160E featured a 3-ply laminated
spruce top (the earliest models in
1954 were solid), a solid mahogany
back, laminated mahogany
sides, and a neck that met the
body at the 15th fret, allowing
room for the pickup between the
fretboard and soundhole.
While the J-160E was certainly
a dual-purpose instrument,
many collectors don’t realize that
it was designed primarily as an
electric that could be used as
an acoustic. Piezo and internal
pickups were years from being
developed, so this is all Gibson
knew at the time. The laminated
top and ladder bracing were used
intentionally to prevent unwanted
frequencies and feedback. Also,
because the neck was moved up
to allow room for the pickup, the
bridge had to be moved forward
as well—so traditional X bracing
wouldn’t work in this situation.
According to the serial number,
your guitar dates from either 1966
or 1969. The long-style pickguard
on your guitar was introduced
in 1968, so we can safely assume
your guitar is a 1969 model.
This was probably one of the last
J-160Es produced before Gibson
switched to the square shoulder
body style they adopted on nearly
all their acoustics in the late ’60s
and early ’70s. For whatever
reason, the J-160E was always a
bit late to adopt changes compared
to other Gibson models.
Everything appears to be stock on
the guitar, including the bridge
and control knobs.
This 1969 J-160E, in the condition
it appears (which is 70 percent
or “average”), is valued today
between $1850 and $2250. If it
were mint, it would be a $3000
to $3500 instrument. Astute
readers will know that the J-160E
is more valuable than an SJ produced
during the same period.
The J-160E ’s value is higher
simply because of its association
with the Beatles, and this is fairly
typical of any guitar that a famous
musician or band is known for
using. Instrument association
has affected every instrument the
Beatles ever played, including
Paul McCartney’s Höfner 500/1
“Beatle Bass,” John Lennon’s
Rickenbacker 325 and Gibson
J-160E, and George Harrison’s
Rickenbacker 360 12-string.
So where does Martin fit
into all of this, given they’re the
granddaddy of American acoustic
guitar builders? Four years after
the J-160E hit the stores, Martin
introduced their first acoustic/
electric flattop guitars with the
D-18E and D-28E—electrified
versions of the D-18 and D-28,
respectively. Both variations
featured two large DeArmond
pickups and four knobs (one
Volume and one Tone for each
pickup) mounted on the soundboard.
The construction of these
guitars required ladder bracing
similar to the J-160E, and the
overall sound quality suffered
because of it. Those who have
seen these electric Martins know
they were clunky, and large parts
of the soundboard were removed
for the pickups. Production of the
D-18E lasted only two years and
the D-28E was produced through
1964. There is little collector
value with Martin’s first acoustic/
electrics—roughly half of the
acoustic versions.
The J-160E will never replace
any high-quality flattop acoustic
in terms of sound, but as one of
the first guitars to allow a player
to use it acoustically and electrically,
it succeeds wonderfully. Any
guitar associated with the Beatles
is a treasure in my book!
If you’re interested in exploring
this subject further, check out
Gibson’s Fabulous Flat-Top Guitars
by Eldon Whitford, David
Vinopal, and Dan Erlewine.
Zachary R. Fjestad
is author of
Blue Book of
Acoustic Guitars,
Blue Book
of Electric Guitars, and
Blue
Book of Guitar Amplifiers.
For more information, visit
bluebookinc.com or email
Zach at
guitars@bluebookinc.com.