We were pretty excited when the photos of this Jumbo came through. It was being offered in trade, and of course we knew immediately we had to get our hands on it. It looked like it had been stored for decades and was clearly in need of some attention, but through the layers of dirt you could see it was in really good shape.
Designed to compete with the Martin Dreadnought that had recently been introduced, the Jumbo came to market in 1934. It is a 16" wide guitar with sloped shoulders, and a 4.5" deep body. It has 14 frets clear of the body, a 1 3/4" nut width, and a massive neck profile with a distinct V. Internally it features an X brace with three tone bars behind the bridge plate. The top braces are scalloped. The neck heel is a pointed French carve, and the guard is celluloid with a firestripe pattern. The rectangle bridge is adhered without bolts unlike later models.
When it first arrived at the shop and we unboxed it, we were immediately impressed. The guitar had been cleaned up since the trade-in photos were taken, and it looked pretty much ready to play. Before tuning to pitch, we wanted to inspect the bracing and look for structural issues. We were however unprepared for the shock of finding a rattlesnake tail inside! We about jumped out of our shoes upon spotting it. It was clearly organic, but in the moment not realizing what it was, we were unsure if it was still alive!
Rattlesnake tails have a long history of living inside instruments, especially fiddles and mandolins. There are a few various thoughts on the practice. The first that comes to mind is simply the voodoo of it all, introduced into the instrument to ward off evil spirits. If you're going to play the devil's music, you might need a talisman on board! Additionally it is believed that the tails were a natural deterrent to spiders, insects, or vermin in general. Homes and barns in the early 20th century were much less sealed and insulated than in current times. Tonally speaking however, some folks claim the rattles themselves enhance the tone of the instrument, while others claim that the tail rolling around inside settles the dust and debris in the instrument, allowing it to resound better.
Snake tail aside, this Jumbo looked solid enough to tune. Immediately we noted the massive size of the neck. Not only a 1 3/4" nut, but the carve was a quite healthy V with a large shoulder. Simply holding the neck feels like a commitment. The guitar also feels large in your lap, even if you're familiar with a J-35 or J-45. Maybe the name "Jumbo" just makes it seem large. Additionally, its easy to forget and unusual to see on modern guitars, but the top, back, and sides all have a burst finish which is quite eye catching. The guitar was a beast to play. It had a wonderful round bass note from deep within, along with the more familiar mids associated with mahogany Gibson flattops of this shape. It was quick to respond and had an impressive volume. It's easy to see why this short-lived model is highly regarded and sought after.
This guitar looked like it had a story to tell. It had apparently been a professional musician's guitar for many years. Even the original case looked well-traveled, with various hotel stickers adhered to it. During this model's 2 year run, prior to morphing into the J-35 in 1936, only a handful of Jumbo guitars were built. It is indeed an important instrument in the evolution of the guitar, and it helped cement Gibson's status in the hillbilly, country, and ultimately rock scene for at least the next 100 years to come.
