When I came across this guitar, I knew a lot less about older model and vintage Gibson acoustic guitars than I do now. Around 2012, I dove headlong into learning everything I could about vintage guitars, with an emphasis on Gibson and Martin acoustics manufactured from 1934 through the 1960’s. The “Golden Era” of guitar building began around 1934 and ended some time in the mid-40’s. This was a period in which guitars were predominantly fashioned still using “pre-war” hand tools and the trees that represented the stocks for guitar tops and bottoms were of a higher quality, old-growth variety considered better because they were of a larger diameter and guitar tops and bottoms could be comprised of one piece. Today. Adirondack red spruce has long been the holy Grail for tops (soundboards) but back during the pre-war period, Adirondack spruce had been the go-to species for guitar tops and hadn’t yet become a rarity. I believe this was simply because of the rule of supply and demand when most manufacturing was done in the Northeast. The Adirondacks would have been a region that was in relatively close proximity to guitar manufacturing. Whatever the case, there is a degree of science that backs the theory behind Adirondack red spruce. It is cross-sectionally stiff and yields more strength per unit of weight than any other softwood. This means that a thinner top with superior vibrational characteristics can be used while still having a high degree of structural integrity. When combined with choice mahogany or rosewood, these materials were found to be among the best for the fabrication of quality guitars. While there are many tonewood species that rival rosewood for the back and sides, Adirondack red spruce is considered the creme de la creme for the soundboard. I have been conducting my own little study in researching the various different species of red spruce (alpine spruce from the Alps in Germany and Italy, Engelman spruce from the Western United States, and Appalachian red spruce, and several others, in trying to see if I can hear the differences that have been put forth by experts in the field. So far, I believe it’s safe to say that these spruces are sonically different but only slightly, and that the real difference comes down to the quality of the individual chosen spruce stock for any particular soundboard over saying, categorically, the “Adi” red spruce is “the best”. I think most experts in the field of acoustic engineering would agree with this.
This guitar has a gorgeous sitka (the most prevalent of the spruces for guitar building) top, very nicely aged to a wonderful amber color, and Indian rosewood back and sides. The main difference between this specific Gibson, and previous versions of the Blueridge of the late 60’s, is that those rosewood backs were of a far less expensive and lesser grade laminated material. The rosewood on this guitar is of high quality and is solid, making for a much better sounding but far more costly guitar to build. When comparing this B-28 to the older version, it is of a much higher build quality and materials selection. Even the nitrocellulose finish is representative of high-end Gibson Custom Shop guitars coming out of the new Bozeman, Montana shop which began production in 1987 (the same year this B-28 was made) when Gibson’s acoustic arm was relocated from Kalamazoo to Montana.
The thing that makes this guitar noteworthy is that it’s not an inexpensive knockoff but a genuine, higher-end Gibson on which there’s virtually no information. While scouring the internet from one end to the other, I was able to find just a few short references, but these were mostly tidbits written on the various guitar forums and nothing of forensic value. It has been said that during the first few years of operations in Bozeman, the chief designer was a renowned master luthier named Ren Ferguson and, for reasons no one seems to know, Ferguson had a certain amount of license with which to experiment. This went on only on a here and there basis for just two or three years. Such experimentation would be very unusual for a company the size of Gibson but it is the only explanation as to the potential beginnings of such a special guitar.
In the seventies and eighties there was no shortage of Gibson and Martin copies in circulation but these guitars were being made by Japanese guitar companies that openly manufactured high-quality guitars using various Gibson and Martin models as the basis for construction, not black market counterfeits. Eventually, the resemblances were altogether too close for comfort and starting to eat into the bottom lines for the American manufacturers, and companies like Gibson and Martin put a legal end to the process under the laws governing copyright infringement. I had one of these “Lawsuit Era” (70’s and 80’s) guitars made by Takamine and the guitar was every bit as good as the Martin it was modeled after. I sold it several years ago for a healthy sum as there is a strong market for these Lawsuit Era “knockoffs”. Interestingly, many session guitarists use these old Takamine’s to record with. It has something to do with EQ and voicing that allows for better pairings with certain vocalists.
Getting back to this guitar, it is essentially a Martin D-28 clone (hence the model name of “Blueridge B-28) with the exception of Gibson-style internal bracing in lieu of Martin’s “Forward shifted X-bracing”. Other than a Gibson headstock, the bracing is the only significant difference between Gibson’s B-28 and Martin’s D-28. I would love to know if Ferguson believed his rendering was superior to Martin’s, and if so, why?
This is totally conjecture on my part, but Ferguson may have built this guitar to go head to head with the D-28, just for his own edification. If, in fact, it is a one-off, it would obviously be quite valuable. But why has Gibson not responded to any of my requests for information? Very unusual, but I suppose any attempt wouldn’t hurt.
I buy, sell, and collect guitars, and have never had any inclination to sell this guitar and have always viewed it as a keeper. It hasn’t been a priority, but my curiosity is finally getting the best of me and I’m considering shipping it to Gruhn’s Guitars in Nashville for an appraisal. Gruhn’s is well known in that department, along with being the best known guitar shop in the nation. Eventually, I’ll come up with an answer to the mystery. From the information I have been able to glean, the production run on the guitar was anywhere from one to twenty five examples but, in viewing that little bit of information combined with finding almost nothing else, I am inclined to believe the guitar is a one of a kind.
The link is to a short writeup I did after acquiring the guitar and an artsy (that was the intent, anyway) photo array. It is truly a beautiful guitar and rings like a bell when played.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/rvbCtUcntgsG6cmd7
