Blog Post by Wayne Conduff


circa 2016



Me and My Gibson J100

Most people don't believe there was ever a J100 guitar. I picked this up while stationed in California from a pawn shop back in 1975. It's circa 1972. It had a serial number and a large #2 stamped in the headstock. I later understood what that #2 meant. I was going to Nuclear Power School during the time of purchase. I played it in the barracks while in Vallejo. So this guitar has been with me ever since. I surrendered it to one of my Uncles because I owed him money. I agreed to do so with the stipulation that if it was ever sold then I'd get first chance to buy it back. I managed to buy it back. So I have paid twice for this guitar.

SO about 12 years ago, I had returned home from a trip. I opened my beloved guitar to reacquaint myself. To my horror, I was meet with a sight that I won't soon forget. The headstock was in pieces inside the case. I was in shock!!! I turned to some friends who ran a music store in Springdale, AR. The guitar repair person there managed to put it back together. I was estatic. My friend has survived and I was able to play it again.

Oh no, the story doesn't end there. Several years later, after another several weeks on the road, I returned and opened the case. In horror, I saw the same scene from years earlier. I later learned that the guy who repaired it for me has very recently died. You make your own conclusions. I have mine.

Well, I glued it all back together myself. I used some 3M Super 84 something glue. Since the headstock this time was so splintered, I had to hold it in my hands while the glue set. You can see pieces are missing and I did not get them back in factory alignment. Fearing that I would burst the headstock again, I left the guitar with slack tuning for nearly 3 years. I finally got the nerve to string it up and tune it up. I do so 2 whole steps down. I would tune up a 1/2 step every 6 months or so. After several years, it was at standard tuning. I only recent adjusted the neck for intonation. I am happy to say that the guitar plays and sounds great.

OK, so based on my experiences with this guitar, I told my wife that when I pass on and the guitar is in pieces then take it to a bonfire and send it up in flames!!!