440 RSW 1912 Gibson Style O 

Thanks Jerry you did a good job on my Dad's guitar I love the video God bless all of you, and I enjoy watching your videos.

I wish that I could look that good when I'm 108 years old!

Gibson used profile milling machines to make parts for their instruments so many years before they were used to make airplane parts. It's amazing I saw the oldest hydrotell machines I ever saw in the Kalamazoo plant in the sixties.

One of the best-sounding pre-Loar oval-hole Gibson archtops I've ever heard -- and of course beautiful, fastidious, and sensible work to restore it to playable condition.

It is not 1912 as it has a truss rod- so it is 1921 the year the truss rod was introduced to 1923 when the model was discontinued while in 1918, the fleur-de-lis peghead inlay was placed in the centre of the headstock and the logo became "The Gibson" and the red mahagony sunburst finish was introduced. Your bridge also tells you with its date- an early adjustable bridge from Gibson that the guitar is from 1921 to 1923. As you were given the wrong date of 1912 you have been scratching your head wondering about details that are right for an early 1920s Style O but appear wrong for 1912! I imagine if the guitar has its original label inside with the pencil written number, that may not be legible (the number would be in the 63,000 to 75,000 range for 1921 to 1923) and has possibly been misread to date the guitar ten years older, or the date is purely anecdotal but the guitar's all original details tell the true date! Good to see you work your magic on this old gal, Jerry! Another interesting look at an old instrument being brought back to great playing order.

Those old Gibson guitars sure sound purdy when they're all fixed up. It's a beauty. Nice job!

Hey Jerry, great respectful repair as always. I've been stuck in a hotel room under quarantine for the past two weeks. Just got out and watching a bunch of your videos really helped me keep my sanity during that time. Thanks so much for putting them out.

I used to clean TV monitors from a bingo hall, where they were Ash colored turned light brown from cigarettes, with Formula 409 and the tar and nicotine came right off in streams. It was amazing.

Immediately brings to mind the Big Bill Broonzy photo with such piece of treasure in his hands.

Thanks Caleb!:), Well, and Sampson. And Jerry just a little;)

What a great story, you know that one will be going to a third generation, maybe a forth. See Jerry we do sometimes touch history with our tools, and restorations, and let's Thank God for that too!!!

You could see how much he enjoyed hearing Pappys baby ringing out again, god bless Jerry

My favorite episode yet!

I really like to see how the relationship with Caleb is developing! Good to see how you consult him. He is going to have a great education!

1912 Gibson , should be brought Back By Gibson with today's tec and Knowledge . If you ever see a 1912 Gibson for sale Buy it and save it for Playing .

As always. Love to see Doc bring the "OLE Ones" Back to life!! Thx Jerry, Caleb & Sampson the work, picking & sharing!! God bless

That was an awesome video, thank you so much Jerry! Right there in the part of the endpiece and end pin i noticed a book laying around behind you Jerry, but then i looked it up on the net and found out Milliput is some kind of epoxy putty for modelling. And here i was, thinking you guys were studying to understand Millimeters... Thanks for yet another great video!

Good show. I love that guitar

What a beautiful guitar!!! The tailpeace is a wraparound, Yes..... Hugs from denmark....

My Uncle Manuel had one he was so proud of his "O" , when he passed it seemed to disappear

Nice to see a true professional craftsman at work; and what a glorious sound it makes. Keep it safe please. And everyone, please Stay Safe.

Beautiful guitar fantastic Sound

I hope i look that good when i'm 108 years old it's a great looking sounding playing old piece of history, A great job completed by the master.

I think everyone who watches this show has seen that guitar before. It comes with the obsession. I would've put a cleat under the crack. Beautiful instrument.

Amazing old instrument!

Wow, I thought I had seen every guitar Gibson and Martin had ever made.I have been reading about their guitars since the 1970s. I have visited there factories and I have been on the internet learning about guitars also. But I have never seen this style guitar, lol. Awesome video thanks for sharing. Stay well and safe my friend's.

That is a beautiful guitar and that is a great way for him to remember his Dad.

Caleb had a good idea with the sandpaper on the knife.

Always been a big fan of the 20s-30s Gibsons, & am, now, a big fan of your smooth vocal style and that really nice song.

In 1973, when I was about Caleb's age I got the opportunity to play one of those...I was of course too young to appreciate the tonality. Decades later I inherited a 1915 model A mandolin, and was flabbergasted at how good those old "The Gibson" models sound. The voice of God comes to mind...

Nice playing!

Getting glue into cracks: Try this. You can buy a small can of compressed air. These are generally used for cleaning electronics. I also use them to force glue into cracks. They blow ice cold, so you have to use them sparingly. But, they'll definitely force the glue way into a crack if used with the extender nozzle.

You are quite the craftsman! Really enjoyed your music down in Mountain View the 16th and 17th along with seeing the Kentucky mandolin with the new top and that beautiful mandolin that you were playing so skillfully, made from the wood you cut from your farm. The beauty of your instruments is even more impressive in person than what can be seen on RU-vid.

I have always wanted one of those guitars

Back in the sixties my collection of 33 rpm vinyl included a record of mostly Bob Dylan covers performed by Hamilton Camp. Camp’s cover photo showed him playing this style of guitar. He was also a character actor who would often appear on the tv screen. I recall enjoy

Big thumbs up. Thanks

I think I can hear that guitar playing right now...great job!

Gorgeous. Of course we are used to seeing these guitar (and mandolin, of course) shapes now, and they are so very often copied ... but Orville dreamt them up all by himself. Where would we be without him! Great restoration job, as ever.

Wow, I've only ever seen ONE of those in my time. That an a 192X harp guitar that I should have hocked the car for are two of the ones that unfortunately got away from me. This one looks to be in remarkably good shape for it's age. How cool that you get to work on such a beauty! ETA: Now that I've gotten through the video (I should know better than to start them while I'm at work!), the old girl sounds GREAT! Samson is really lucky to have such a beautiful reminder of his dad. She's a beauty!

god damn what a guitar..

Damn, that's a guitar worth spending a lot on, hence probably why he's staying . You'd be crazy to post that.

What a great video, and that guitar is just great. In fact I haven't seen one in the flesh!

Outstanding

Boy, I couldn't agree more about the glue. I am no luthier, but I have repaired a ton of "legacy" furniture

Nice guitar. I like the gospel song.

Como siempre...chapeau, Jerry!!!!!👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

Mr. Rosa, normal end/wire cutters have a bevel on the lower cutting edge of the blades. This means they leave an angled remnant that has to be filed or smoothed away. If I may suggest, go to a stained DIY glass store/supplier and ask for a led channel cutter. It will look the same at first, but on closer inspection you'll see that the bottom edge of the blades is perfectly smooth which I believe will make your work a degree or two easier.

Great job 👏

Great job, and what a fine guitar. His dad must have been very fortunate to get such a fine guitar while he was still a teenager. I don't imagine he would have as much disposable income while raising 17 children. Another very interesting video, and greatly appreciated.

Wow! You fixed her perfectly and it sounds fantastic! Those old oval hole Gibsons are sweet sounding. Caleb also had it sounding awesome. I'm sure it brings back great memories of his dad! Thanks Jerry!

That rush job was worth every last red cent Mr. Rosa. If I were in the owner's shoes I'd do exactly the same. Thank you for such a splendid video of some splendid work on a splendid guitar. You too are splendid Mr. Rosa and once more I take my hat off to you.

Calebs been practicing, what a wonderful old guitar that is

I'm always amused when you say, "We'll do the best we can". When we all know it's gonna be perfect. You're very, very talented Mr. Rosa.

Great old guitar. You did a fine job on it Jerry!

That old gibson cleaned up really nice. It has a wonderful tone. That tailpiece can be restored by electroplating. I took my house's antique doorknobs to a company in N Little Rock. It wasn't very expensive. It may be worth keeping original parts on a hundred year old guitar. Or you can replace the tailpiece and keep the original in a bag.

Really nice job!

Such a beautiful tone. Very sympathetic repairs.

Beautiful guitar

Great repair Jerry Caleb plays a mean guitar loved the song on the end thanks

Nice work!!

Great sounding instrument and as you have said "it looks like a well cared for old guitar". Excellent job.

Love watching your guitar building experience and it was so nice to know the history of the guitar 🎸 with a relation of the original owner, such a great story to finish off watching such a great restoration of that absolute gem of a guitar, 👏👏👏👏👏👍

Beauty way to go as they would say in Canada. A truly wonderful old guitar well worth any expense to fix. I truly enjoy watching the care you take with this type of fix.

Thanks for making these videos, you are a repair MASTER, nice old guitar & sounds real Good.

Holly molly... greedings from Poland!!!😊

That old Gibson sounds fantastic. I wonder if it just sat in a case for years and years. If it was used to any extent for all those years it would be so beat up I don’t think you would be able to get it looking like it does now. It does not look like a low end guitar with the detailed inlays and binding work. I would have to think it’s worth quite a bit of money to a collector. But, the family seems to have kept it in good shape for all this time, so it should remain with them forever. If ever there was a family heirloom that old Gibson is one for sure.

This an piece of art. Thank you for letting me watch you work on it.

It´s a nice ole geetar Jerry, sounds real nice. I can see myself in my mind´s eye in front of the store window just before Christmas looking longingly at it brand new and shiny in 1912 and wanting it for Christmas.

Wow nice guitar awesome repair

wow yeah! that ole guitar is definitely a keeper! sounds nice!

Great story of Samsons Dad and family.

I love how you give credit to Caleb for his work. He's a great addition to the RSW!

What a great guitar, wow! Great job on it.

What a beauty!

Very cool job! I think Sampson was very pleased with your fine work on his late Father's beautiful 1912 Gibson. Wow! You did well.

Beautiful work as always brother jerry,I enjoy the jobs you do on the older girls. I have a ‘28 Martin 0-28K that was rebuilt from a earlier Hawaiian conversion and sadly due to shoddy work from a previous owner the beautiful Koa top imploded. I re-toped it with salvaged old growth Doug Fir from Washington state. The end pin was long gone so I turned an end pin and and strap pin for the heel on my old south bend out of walrus ivory and I fitted the tapers on both pretty much same way you did.

Beautiful old guitar.Nice job setting it up...Thanks for sharing..

I got to say, Caleb's original tune there has got some real promise. I might have to pinch it...

Cool guitar. Steve Earle has been doing a YT series called “Guitar Town” where goes thru many of his old Gibson and Martin acoustics, tells the history of the model and the story behind his instrument (when/where be got it, which sings he played on it, etc.). He then finishes each episode with a song. Great stuff. In Episode 10 (here’s the link ->. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-22Nc1BoPIvM.html ) he reviews a version of this model made in 1919. It’s worth the watch for anyone interested in this sort of thing. On a side note, I’ve seen many luthiers do the suction cup deal to push glue into a crack. I know it works, but it seems like the suction created, would also pull glue out with it, when the cup is removed. Have you ever experimented with drilling a hole in the middle of the cup? You could cover the hole with your finger while you push in, then remove your finger to release the suction before you pull it off. I don’t currently have a cracked guitar to fix, but I’d bet it could be an improvement.

I love Style O’s! Thanks!

Looks and sounds great... good job....

You do great work, Jerry ! Have a grand time in Arkansas picking with pals

Hey Jerry, watching your videos offers tremendous life lessons. One of which is give everything your best effort and let the chips fall where they may. 😎👍

What a beauty!! Top shaped kind of like a mandolin, just love it! Fantastic shape, must have meant something to someone. Great job on the repair, once again Jerry. I don't blame Caleb for wanting to play it.

Kaleb!!!! Your guitar playing is really growing! Wow! You are not only a talented luthier, but also a very gifted guitarist! Keep on practising! You are one of "these" guys, you know! ;) Rock on! (Or Blues on... as you like ;))

Enjoyed watching it Mr. Jerry. Nice old guitar, loved to have it. Couldn't imagine having to fight for my food with 17 brothers and sisters man alive bet that was something. Pawpaw always told me, way to keep a woman was keep her barefoot and pregnant lol.

Quelle beautée ! Thé back is really great, sound great, a 108 years old very well and solid made! Good job ! Bravo! P

The main Gibson factory was built in 1918, so this was built downtown where the bank is now.

Congrats, amazing sound, well matured 1912, maestro...

Jerry your retreat house is very very nice!!!!congrats on a beautiful job on it ,very nice detail work on that awesome old guitar shes worth every penny he paid you !!!! Caleb congrats on the sandpaper Idea on the knife I will do this ,so now im learning from you as well and you have really progressed in your guitar playing ,just a all around awesome video i watched alot of it 2 times !!!!

Simply awesome. Great video. Thank you Jerry

What a beautiful colour to that wonderful old Gibson guitar. That is a lovely living piece of living history, fabulous. Great job again Jerry, thanks for posting.

Great thanks for your commentary - its really helpful as you offer insight and guidance for others as they seek to perform similar work. I greatly appreciate you..!!

"Creeping crud"!! I love it 🤣🤣🤣

That's a really neat old guitar, and i've certainly never seen one like it. Great job Jerry, it looks and sounds fantastic!

Wow! Never saw one of these. Sick!! 🤘🤘 (Jumbo shrimp lol)

Definitely a great sounding guitar. Worth every penny.

That is a pretty cool looking guitar. I would have a time with it every time I had to change the strings getting the bridge back right.

You are the BEST !

An old experienced carpenter ones taught me when you have a hairline crack to use your thumb or finger to rub push glue through the crack till it gets through to the other side.