So I bought a Gibson Console Grande and I have lots of questions!

[Jimmy St-Germain]

Here's the guitar again (also posted it in another thread):

IMG_1929.jpg

A few things about this Console Grande:

It might have been converted to four legs (all four legs are adjustable) because there's a hole with screw holes but no O-ring in the middle between the two legs on the left.

There's no serial number that I can find, anywhere.

it's a 8+7.

Palm rests were re-chromed (according to the seller).

Electronics seem to be totally original.

Pot numbers coming below...

[Jimmy St-Germain]

Pics of leftmost pot:

IMG_1936.jpg

IMG_1937.jpg

IMG_1938.jpg

Serial number reads:

MEG B 2150566 - IRC and Omega greek letter - 803

[Jimmy St-Germain]

Pics of middle pot:

IMG_1941.jpg

IMG_1940.jpg

IMG_1939.jpg

Serial number reads:

0.5 MEG B 2150566 - rest is hidden by wire and solder

[Jimmy St-Germain]

Pics of rightmost pot:

IMG_1945.jpg

IMG_1946.jpg

IMG_1947.jpg

Serial number reads:

0.5 MEG B 2150566 - IRC and Omega greek letter - 803

[Jimmy St-Germain]

Question:

Can we approximate a date of manufacture just by pot numbers alone?

[Jimmy St-Germain]

Now with the case...

Of all the Console Grande cases I've seen on the web so far, mine seems to be a bit unique and, at the same time, a genuine Gibson case.

IMG_1952.jpg

IMG_1950.jpg

IMG_1949.jpg

IMG_1948.jpg

It has no Gibson plaque but it has the same arrangement inside as usual Console Grande cases. The color inside is a faded military green.

The case has the same covering as the Gibson GA-25 amp that was available from 1947 to 1949, as you can see:

GA25.jpg

Question: is this an original Gibson Console Grande case?

[Jimmy St-Germain]

Finally, a bit of trivia:

The shop I bought it from on eBay tells me that they bought it from Elana James' guitar player when she had the group Elana James and the Continental Two.

That would be Luke Hill.

[Allan Revich]

That’s a really sweet looking instrument. Congratulations! Have you decided on your tunings yet?

[Jimmy St-Germain]

That’s a really sweet looking instrument. Congratulations! Have you decided on your tunings yet?

No decision on the tunings yet.

The top neck's lowest tuning peg has a problem (the gear seems stripped) and it has six strings only at the moment.

If I'm not mistaken, the lower neck has the Don Helms tuning (it came that way).

Since the top neck is six-strings only at the moment, I'm thinking of using some open G or open D tuning usually used on ordinary guitars. I don't know what kind of tension the strings can take and maybe I'm totally out of my depth talking tunings at this point!

[Glenn Wilde]

Those pots are from 1948 to my cyphering, that's a very cool guitar, congrats.

[Jimmy St-Germain]

Other questions:

Was the four-legs conversion done by Gibson or by the owner?

Did Gibson offer a four-legs conversion at some point?

EDIT: after thinking about it, I think I have an answer to those two questions. Considering my case is made for a four-legs Console, there's a good chance the conversion was made by Gibson, either before or after the sale.

I agree that pots were manufactured in 1948 (third week of); did Gibson at the time have large quantities of pots from the same batch? Meaning, would you have a Console Grande made in December 1948 for example, still with pots from January 1948?

[Michael Kiese]

Isn’t that the same model Don helms used to record all those old country hits?

[Jimmy St-Germain]

Isn’t that the same model Don helms used to record all those old country hits?

Yes, possibly same year of manufacture too.

[Glenn Wilde]

Other questions:

Was the four-legs conversion done by Gibson or by the owner?

Did Gibson offer a four-legs conversion at some point?

EDIT: after thinking about it, I think I have an answer to those two questions. Considering my case is made for a four-legs Console, there's a good chance the conversion was made by Gibson, either before or after the sale.

I agree that pots were manufactured in 1948 (third week of); did Gibson at the time have large quantities of pots from the same batch? Meaning, would you have a Console Grande made in December 1948 for example, still with pots from January 1948?

I don't think anybody had a large stash of anything in '48 so I'd be calling that a '48. Manufacturing was still trying to catch up with demand back then, someone probably ordered that guitar and had to wait for it.

[Ethan Shaw]

That might be Chris Miller's old steel. He and I both played with Elana, but I don't know if he played in that era with her. If that was his, you can see him playing it with Wayne Hancock on Youtube in Wayne's Austin City Limits taping. I've played many gigs with Chris playing that steel, and it sounds great!