Rare Brazilian Rosewood Gibson Crest Gold
'Under the Bed' for Forty-Seven Years

1969 Gibson Crest Gold.

One of only fifty-six guitars made in the first production year of 1969 (out of a total run of 162 between 1969 and 1972). This super light, fully hollow-body guitar weighs just 5.90 lbs. Sixteen inch-wide, 1 5/8 inch thick, multi-bound laminated Brazilian rosewood body. Two-piece 'wild' book-matched top with two triple-bound 'f' holes and an equally 'wild' two-piece book-matched, very slightly arched back with a gorgeous marquetry center-strip. Three-piece mahogany neck with two walnut center-strips which joins the body at the fifteenth fret. The neck has a nut width of 1 11/16 inches, a scale length of 24 3/4 inches and a wonderful medium-to-thick profile.  Bound rosewood fretboard with 22 original jumbo frets and inlaid pearl block position markers. Headstock with inlaid pearl "Gibson" logo and five-piece pearl split-diamond inlay. Serial number "850521" stamped in blind on back of headstock. Three-layer black over white plastic 'bell-shaped' truss rod cover, engraved in white "Crest" and secured by two screws. Individual Kluson Super tuners with tulip-shaped metal buttons. Two floating mini-humbucking pickups with outputs of 6.85k and 7.20k. Multi-bound rosewood pickguard. Four controls (two volume, two tone) plus three-way selector switch. Black plastic ribbed-side conical-shaped "Witch Hat" knobs with metal tops. Rosewood bridge with pre-set compensating saddle and trapeze tailpiece with pointed ends and three small raised parallelograms and rosewood insert with pearl "Crest" nameplate. Oval orane Gibson label inside bass 'f' hole with the model "Crest (G)" and the serial number "850521" written in black ink. All hardware gold-plated. There is a tiny amount of finish checking otherwise this amazing forty-seven year old guitar is in mint (9.50) condition. Complete with the original 24 page hang-tag booklet and Gibson Diamond Jubilee hang-tag. Housed in the original Gibson four-latch, shaped black hardshell case with orange plush lining (9.50).

"Gibson's double-cutaway, fully hollow thinbody line consisted only of the low-end ES-330 and the Crest. The Crest's body of laminated Brazilian rosewood creates a visual sensation. The ornamental backstripe is a common feature of expensive flat-top guitars but is not found on any other Gibson archtop -- electric or acoustic. Unlike any other Gibson double-cutaway electric, the back of most Crests is flat. The pickups are 'floating' (not mounted into the top) like those of Gibson's most expensive endorsement model, the Johnny Smith. This is a 'Gold Crest' with gold-plated parts. Silver plating was also available. Shipping records show a total of 162 Crests from 1969 to 1972" (George Gruhn and Walter Carter, Electric Guitars and Basses: A Photographic History, p. 215).

A 1969 Gibson Crest (nicknamed "Mr. Murphy," after his dog) was the trademark guitar of John Wilkinson, the rhythm guitar player for Elvis Presley's TCB-Band. He introduced it on the Aloha special and used it with Elvis for the last time in Las Vegas on December 12, 1976 (see http://www.johnwilkinson.net/).