An all Original 1952 Gibson Super 300.

1952 Gibson Super 300.

This 18-inch-wide acoustic archtop weighs just 5.80 lbs. One-piece carved spruce top, two-piece quilted maple back and maple sides. Three-piece maple neck with mahogany center strip, and Brazilian rosewood fretboard with square end, 20 original thin frets, and inlaid pearl split-parallelogram position markers. Triple-bound on the top and the back, single-bound on the fretboard and the headstock. Headstock with inlaid pearl "Gibson" logo and pearl crown inlay. Individual Kluson "No-Name" tuners with single-ring Keystone plastic buttons (each stamped on the underside "2356766 / Pat. Appld."). Five-layer black over white plastic pickguard secured by original neck-pin and side bracket. Height-adjustable frequensated rosewood bridge on rosewood base and "Y"-shaped tailpiece with three cutouts. Serial number "A-10160" on a white oval label inside the bass f-hole. FON number "8736 8" stamped in black on inside of treble 'f' hole. This sixty-one year old 'Super' Jazz Box is in exceptionally fine (9.00) condition with just a few very minor surface marks on the top and the lower edge. The 'height' of the rosewood bridge has been permanently fixed with three small screws. The guitar plays very well and we did not think it necessary to replace the original bridge assembly. Housed in the original Gibson four-latch, shaped brown hardshell case with padded purple velvet lining (9.00).

"Before World War II, buyers of 17-inch archtops had several models to choose from, but the customer wanting an 18-inch Gibson had to buy the Super 400 or nothing. In 1948 the Super 300 was introduced to offer the same big sound at less than half the price -- $200 for a Super 300 versus $425 (without case) for a sunburst Super 400. The 300, offered in sunburst finish only, is the same size and construction as the Super 400 but is trimmed more like an L-7. The Super 300 was last made in 1954, but a cutaway version, the Super 300C, was introduced that same year. It was discontinued in 1958" (George Gruhn and Walter Carter, Acoustic Guitars and Other Fretted Instruments: A Photographic History, p. 179).

"Gibson introduced the Super 300 in 1948 as a less-expensive version of the Super 400. The instrument was produced in both noncutaway (Super 300) and cutaway (Super 300C) versions. Gibson shipped a total of 214 Super 300s, all of which were listed as noncutaway guitars. The Super 300C was made only during 1957-1958, and is considered extremely rare. All Super 300s and Super 300Cs were offered only in the golden sunburst finish. All critical dimensions of both guitars are the same as their more expensive Super 400 counterparts. The only real differences between the Super 300 and the postwar Super 400 are in ornamentation and figure in the curly maple neck, back, and rims" (Thomas Van Hoose, The Gibson Super 400, pp. 49-49).

This guitar is one of just 22 Super 300s shipped in 1952.